Page 101 of Mission: Possible

"Hi?" I said, frowning. She looked familiar to me too but I couldn't place her.

"From the bank," she explained. "We were standing next to each other in the line at the bank and then we dropped to the floor together. You helped keep my son calm. I looked for you afterwards to say thank you but there were so many people around."

"I remember you. How is your son? He was super brave."

"Thank you, and he continues to be so. We've arranged for him to go to therapy, just in case, but Jake seems fine, with no adverse effects, which is amazing really. Oh, there he is!" She paused to wave. "Do your kids come here too?"

"I don't have any kids. I'm with my sister-in-law, Alice, picking up her kids, Ben and Rachel."

"I know Alice, but only in passing," she said as Jake jogged over to her. "How was art class?" she asked. "Did you draw another cool painting for the wall?"

"Just this," he said, handing over his sheet. "I gotta clean up my stuff." He turned and scampered away.

"Huh," said the woman, looking at the sheet with raised eyebrows.

"They're replicating contemporary artists," I explained.

"I'm sure the rest of them are. Jake keeps drawing this picture over and over. I don't know why."

I leaned in and looked at the drawing out of simple curiosity. Endless infinity symbols filled the page, in all different sizes and colors.

"I thought it was something he saw at home," she said, "or maybe something at school but it's so repetitive. That's just kids, I guess. They see something they like and repeat it over and over. I hope he hasn't wasted the teacher's time."

"I've seen that before," I said, staring at the paper.

"Oh? So itisart?" She brightened.

"Not necessarily, I've just seen it somewhere," I said and she shrugged. Jake ran over to her with his backpack and she zipped it closed when it flapped open.

"You're the lady from the bank," he said, looking up at me. "You helped the man that got shot."

"That's right," I said.

"Is he okay?"

"I believe he's going to be fine."

"Cool."

"Jake hasn't really spoken about it yet," the mom said in a low voice. "We haven't pushed him."

"Your mom showed me your drawing," I said. "I like all the colors and the symbol is cool. Did you know it means infinity?"

"What's that?"

"Infinity means 'forever and ever'."

"Oh. Did you see it too?"

"See what?"

"The drawing on the bank robber's arm?"

"What do you mean, honey?" asked the mom.

Jake took his painting and pointed to one of the symbols. "I've been trying to get it to look right," he said. "That's what I saw on the bank robber's arm."

"No, honey. All the bank robbers wore long sleeves and pants."

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