"This can't be a tug-of-war."
"If we do this, we do it slow," Mark said. "Counselor, clear boundaries, and Theo leads the pace. No surprises."
Just then Ms. Moreno pitched in. "We can set up the counselor. Boundaries will be documented."
"We'll talk," Mark said. "We want what's best for him."
At that moment, I felt a crack of possibility opening between us.
**
The next Saturday, I walked into a local diner. I spotted them in a booth by the window: Ivy, Mark, and Theo, already halfway through a plate of pancakes.
