Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 466

Lawrence was quiet for a few seconds.

"Alright."

"Tonight's video call is canceled," Wren added. "He needs to rest today."

This time, Lawrence didn't argue.

"Okay."

After hanging up, Wren saw Leo open his eyes in the rearview mirror.

"Is Dad mad?"

"A little bit."

The boy pressed his lips together.

"Because I tore my drawing?"

"No. Because he knows you're upset."

Leo looked down at the crumpled Pause Button in his palm.

"Mom, I didn't pause very well today."

Wren pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned to face him.

"The Pause Button isn't a test. You don't have to get it right."

Leo's tears finally fell.

"But I ruined my drawing."

"You were just hurting too much."

"Am I a bad kid?"

Wren unbuckled her seatbelt, stepped out of the car, and opened the backseat door to pull him into her arms.

"You are not a bad kid. You just heard words you didn't understand, and your heart couldn't hold them all in."

The boy cried very softly, as if terrified that a passerby might hear him.

Wren held him tight, feeling his hot tears soak into her shoulder.

In that moment, it became clearer than ever before that the crisis surrounding Stellaris wasn't confined to the project itself.

It was creeping into children's lives through news feeds, parent group chats, and the careless whispers of classmates.

Leo wasn't just a bystander.

He had been dragged into the crossfire.

That evening, Wren didn't take him to Stellaris.

She texted Phoebe Price, telling her she would be working from home.

Phoebe replied instantly: Stay with your boy. I've got eyes on the project.

Maya Merritt then sent over a technical document, adding a quick note: I had Joey Jenkins set up an isolated monitor for school-related keywords. We won't spread anything, just archiving it for evidence.

Daisy York texted as well.

Is Leo okay? I drew a new Pause Button for him. No rush to give it to him—just whenever he's ready.

Looking at these messages, a deep warmth flooded Wren's chest, leaving an ache in its wake.

She replied: He just needs some quiet time today. Thank you all.

After his bath, Leo didn't go to his little table to draw like he usually did. Instead, he curled up in the corner of the sofa, hugging his teddy bear.

Wren sat down next to him.

"Do you want to try drawing again today?"

He shook his head.

"Then we won't draw."

He glanced over at his backpack.

"Is the teacher going to be mad about the drawing I ripped?"

"No. Ms. Miller said she kept the pieces safe. If you want, we can tape them back together tomorrow, or you can start a fresh one."

Leo asked quietly, "Can I not draw a house?"

Wren's heart broke a little.

"Of course. You can draw whatever you like."

The boy thought about it. "Can I draw a bridge?"

"You can."

"A bridge has two sides," he said softly. "You don't have to choose a home."

Wren reached out and stroked his hair.

"Then let's draw a bridge."

Before bed, Leo placed his crumpled Pause Button inside his desk drawer.

He didn't stick it back on the wall, but he didn't throw it away, either.

Wren saw it but didn't push.