Sofia, 7.

7:50 a.m. Sofia's mother packs a lunch — a cheese sandwich, an apple, a juice box — and writes a sticky note that says "have a good day, I love you." She has done this every school day for four years. She does it again today because she does not know what else to do.

At the school gate Mrs. Halvorsen is standing where she always stands, in a blue coat, holding a thermos. Two of Sofia's classmates are not there. Their families flew to Toronto on the weekend. The principal sent a careful email to parents on Monday night that did not use the word "referendum" once.

Morning announcements. The vice-principal's voice on the intercom asks the children to stand. There is a small, audible pause. The recording of O Canada that has played every morning since Sofia started kindergarten does not play. Instead there is silence, and then the vice-principal says, gently, "please be seated." Sofia sits down. She is not sure if she did something wrong.

First period is reading. Sofia is on a levelled reader about a polar bear. The book was printed in Markham, Ontario. There is a small maple-leaf logo on the back cover. Sofia notices it for the first time today because her brother told her, on the walk in, to start noticing things like that.

At recess a boy named Tate tells Sofia that his dad said the Mounties are not coming back. Sofia does not know what that means. She knows the Mountie who visits the school in May, who is friendly and has a hat. She asks Mrs. Halvorsen at the start of math. Mrs. Halvorsen says, carefully, "we don't know yet, sweetheart."

Lunch. The cheese sandwich. The apple. The juice box. The sticky note, which Sofia folds into a small square and puts in her pencil case because she likes to keep them.

Afternoon: the music teacher, Mr. Penner, who normally teaches them a song each October about geese flying south, teaches them a song about prairie wind instead. Sofia notices Mr. Penner's eyes are red. She does not ask why.

At 3:15 Anna is at the gate. Sofia runs out, hands her the folded sticky note back, and asks, on the walk home, whether the Mountie is still coming in May. Anna says, "I hope so, honey." She means it. She also does not know.