He wandered into the kitchen, where Leora was prepping dinner.
"Hey, Leora," he said, leaning against the counter. "What do you think Emily would like? A gift, I mean."
She paused, chopping carrots with her usual precision. "She used to love big teddy bears until recently. She could hold them at night, and it would help her sleep. Not sure now, though."
Isaac caught the slight shift in her tone, but before he could ask what that was, she changed the topic.
"Buying her a gift with your first earnings, huh? That's sweet of you."
'I'm not a kid, Vice Principal. You don't need to praise me like that.' He groaned, exasperated. "Well, I'll get her a teddy bear. But shouldn't I buy something expensive as well?"
She gave him a sidelong glance. "Gifts aren't about money, Isaac, not for Emily at least."
The air tightened a bit, and Isaac wondered if she was annoyed. Thinking again, he'd accidentally implied Emily was materialistic.
