There was this familiar warmth that had nothing to do with the burgers and fries and chocolate milkshakes that we devoured.
It was a contentment, a sense of belonging that I hadn’t had in a long time.
“Hope lunch was good.” Alex’s gaze lingered on me for a moment as we approached the counter to pay our bill, his smiled widening before turning back to face Ken, who handed him his credit card.
There was some history there between them—and it set off a twinge of jealousy deep in my gut that I had no business feeling.
I forced a polite smile, pushing down the irrational surge of possessiveness. “Nice to meet you too.” I cleared my throat, trying to get Ken’s attention. “Well, we should get going. Mia’s got a busy afternoon ahead of her.”
“Of course, of course.” Alex rang up our order, his gaze flickering between Ken and me. “It was great seeing you, Ken. And it was a pleasure to meet you both. You come back any time, you hear?”
“Thanks, Alex.” Ken flashed him a warm smile as he took his card back. “Tell Monica that everything was delicious.”
As we headed out the door, Mia chattering excitedly about the chocolate milkshake she’d devoured, I stole one last glance at Ken. My chest tightened with emotion I couldn’t quite place. Jealousy? Longing?Disappointment?
No, that was ridiculous. I had no right to feel that way. Ken was his own person, with his own history and relationships. I was just the single dad of one of his students—nothing more.
It had to be that way for now.
But as we climbed into the truck, Mia’s cheerful chatter fading into the background, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling I’d missed my chance. That there was something special between Ken and me, a connection that I’d let slip through my fingers.
I gripped the steering wheel as I forced myself to focus on the road ahead.
Still, as we drove away, I had to glance in the rearview mirror one last time, glimpsing Ken standing next to his car, his gazefixed on our retreating truck—like he also felt the weight of those unspoken words and missed opportunities, just like I did.
But I knew I had to let it go. Ken deserved someone who would give him their whole heart, not a broken-down single dad struggling to keep his head above water.
With a heavy sigh, I turned my attention back to the road, determined to focus on the one thing that mattered most—being the father Mia deserved.
Chapter Five
Ken
Three days passed and Mia’s desk remained empty, a glaring absence in my classroom. Her bubbly presence and infectious giggles were missed and worry gnawed at my stomach as I thought about her being at home, sick.
What if she was dealing with something terrible, like a major seizure? Mia had nestled into a corner of my heart, and the idea of her suffering hurt like a punch in the gut. My mind raced to worst-case scenarios, despite my effort to stay positive for the rest of the class.
During my lunch break, I fished out my phone from my pocket, the screen glowing with Marc’s contact info. My thumb hovered over the call button, not sure why I hesitated.
After two rings, Marc answered. “Hello?” he said, and his deep voice came through the speaker, tinged with exhaustion.
“Hey Marc, it’s Kendall Parker. I noticed Mia hasn’t been in class the past couple days. Is everything alright?” I tried to keep the concern out of my voice, but it seeped through anyway.
Marc’s heavy sigh spoke volumes. “No, not really. Mia had a bad seizure over the weekend. I had to take her to the hospital.”
Shit. My heart clenched at the news. “I’m so sorry. That must have been terrifying. How is she doing now?”
“She’s home resting but still pretty out of it. The doctors said she needed to recover for a few days.” Weariness and worry came through his words.
“I completely understand. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“I meant to email you about her absence. It just slipped my mind with everything going on. I’m sorry about that.” Guilt crept into Marc’s tone.
“No need to apologize. You have a lot on your plate right now. I’m glad Mia is on the mend.” I paused, an idea forming. “Would it be helpful if I gathered her assignments and dropped them off? That way she doesn’t fall behind while she’s recovering—only if you think she’s up for it.”
“That would be amazing,” Marc answered. “I appreciate you looking out for Mia like this.”
“It’s no trouble at all. How about I swing by after school today with her work?”
