Inside, kids already seemed to know each other's names. Theo hung back by the cubbies, watching a cluster of children on the rug. He wasn't sure how to get in.

The kids blinked at him, then kept running without him, like he wasn't even there. Theo's face went hot. He backed away and sat on a bench alone.

Across the rug, a boy named Desmond stacked wooden blocks into a lumpy tower with a long neck. Theo watched for a moment, then walked over slowly instead of announcing anything.

Desmond's whole face lit up and he started talking fast, showing Theo every block dinosaur he had ever built. Theo, who remembered everything, started naming dinosaur facts right back, and Desmond looked thrilled.

At circle time, Theo sat next to Desmond, proud of his first almost-friend. He noticed a girl in rain boots bouncing in place even though everyone else sat still.

Instead he asked, "What do you like to do for fun?" Josephine grinned. "Puddles! Even dry ones. Splash!" and she jumped again, pulling Theo by the sleeve to jump too.

Desmond joined them, stomping and roaring between splashes, and the three of them turned the empty playground into a swamp full of dinosaurs and puddles.

Theo almost peeked over without asking, then caught himself and said, "What do you like to do for fun?" The boy, Andrew, looked up slowly.

Andrew's voice grew steadier as he explained each drawing, and Theo asked question after question, remembering every rocket name Andrew told him.

At the end of the day, waiting by the cubbies for pickup, Theo spotted a small new boy standing alone by the door, the exact way Theo had stood that morning.

The boy's face changed, surprised and relieved, and he started to answer. Theo waved Desmond, Josephine, and Andrew over to meet him.

In the car, Theo told his mom every single thing that happened, already planning which question he'd ask tomorrow. He fell asleep before they even reached the driveway.