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“I’ll watch Hugh and Archie I can take thee, or maybe drive the out this evening myself

“Thank you, but no They should probably cohouse”

“Oh” I sit back into pry

“It’s nothing terrible More ridiculous and a case of bad ti” She looks up from the contents of her cup “Archie has developed kleptomania, apparently”

“School supplies?” This is an educated guess In my experience, lots of little kids borrow frosto happen at any time, that time would be now They know their mom is upset, even if they don’t know exactly why But they’re sot to be unsettling for any kid

“Yes He’s not in trouble or anything His teacher just happened to mention it She seemed to think it was funny I suppose it is, in a way Archie is clearly no criminal mastermind” But consternation still flickers over her brow “He’d apparently stolen a sheet of stickers froood work Actually, I believe she said the stickers say good work” She slides her hair behind her ears “Archie has been applying them liberally to his own books, ironically where his work has been less than good”

“Enterprising” I try to hide my chuckle behind my coffee cup “I wouldn’t worry about it What kid can resist stickers? Let me tell you, the stationery supplies I lost fro is nobody’s business Archie’s no thief I bet the stickers weren’t even in her drawer, and she left the himself”

“Like a little h I’lue he tried to sle out under his school shirt

“Glue?” I feel my eyebrows bounce to the top of my head

“Yes PVA”

“Well, he’s too little to have developed a habit N-Not glue sniffing,” I say quickly “I don’t lue a statue’s head back to its body before ere all found out “Probably wasn’t paying attention Maybe he confused it for his water bottle or so”

“Possibly,” she replies unconvinced “If only Hugh’s teacher was so easy to deal with Apparently, today he told one of his friends his new haircut made him look like a lesbian In earshot of his art teacher, who is, in fact, lesbian”