Alina blinked, surprised by how soft he felt. Her arms wrapped around both of them now, her chest full of warmth she didn't know she needed.
She gently let go of Capi and the floral boy, smoothing down their little shirts with a fond smile.
"Okay, okay— Teacher needs to breathe too," she chuckled softly, brushing a petal out of her hair.
Gabriel chuckled softly from the side. "Looks like you've been claimed."
"I don't mind," Alina laughed, brushing her hair behind her ear. "They're sweeter than sunshine."
One of the butterfly-winged girls fluttered closer, shyly holding out a tiny flower pot with a single daisy.
"For you, Miss Alina," she said in a tiny voice.
Alina blinked again, stunned. "For me?"
She took it with both hands and smiled, feeling something shift quietly in her heart.
Then her eyes landed on a quiet little boy sitting cross-legged by a pot of soil, carefully digging a small hole with a wooden spoon.
