“Just about,” I replied, shaking my head in wonder. “I remember her very first day here…” My mind drifted back to that fateful morning last spring when I’d first laid eyes on Mia and her devastatingly handsome father.
If someone had told me then that a year later, I’d be head over heels in love with Marc Mendez and his little girl, preparing to pack up my apartment and move in with them over the summer break—well, I’d never would have believed it.
But here we were.
“Ken. Kendall!” Angie’s voice snapped me out of my reverie. “You’re as bad as the kids, already daydreaming about summer break. Or is someone else in your thoughts?” she asked with a wink.
My face flushed as I swept the bits of paper and trash from the floor into the dustpan. “How dare you,” I said with a laugh, throwing away the trash.
We finished putting away the last of the supplies, chatting about the day and the kids, our laughter filling the room. Mia glanced up from her work, dimples flashing as she grinned at us. “How are those spelling words coming, Mia?” I asked, peeking over her shoulder.
“I think I know them all,” she said with a nod. “Mrs. Diaz says that when we’re in second-grade next year, we’ll have a lot of writing.”
“She’s absolutely right.” Mia sometimes struggled with her reading, but she worked so hard to keep up with everyone else in class. I couldn’t have been prouder of Mia if she were my own kid. “But don’t you worry, sweetheart. You’ll be ready, and we’re just here down the hall.” I kissed the top of her head. “We’re going to have so much fun together this summer before you start a new adventure.”
The chime of my phone pulled me from my thoughts. I fished it out of my pocket, frowning at the screen.
Change of plans. Meet me at home as soon as you can.
I’ll explain when you get here.
A sense of unease washed over me as I reread the message. Marc wasn’t one for cryptic notes; he preferred directcommunication. What was so urgent that he couldn’t explain it over the phone? We had plans to meet at Gino’s for pizza tonight.
Something must have happened.
Angie, who had been wiping down the whiteboard, turned to me. “Everything okay?”
“I’m not sure,” I murmured, the knot in my stomach tightening. “Marc wants us home early. He didn’t say why, just that it was urgent.” Strange that he didn’t say more, and that lack of information only made me more curious. But he’d call if something was really wrong—right?
She nodded toward the door. “Go on then, get out of here. I’ll finish tidying up.”
“You’re a lifesaver, Angie,” I said gratefully, grabbing my satchel and laptop. “I owe you one.”
She waved me off with a smile. “I hope everything is okay! Now go, don’t keep that handsome man of yours waiting.”
Angie was the best. “Mia, honey? Time to pack up. We need to head home a little early today.”
Her head popped up, eyes wide with curiosity. “What about the pizza?”
I shrugged. “Something came up, but we’ll go get pizza tomorrow instead, okay? I promise.”
Mia frowned slightly, but she nodded, gathering her things. I helped her pack her backpack, my mind racing. Was Marc okay? Had something happened to his family? The landscaping business?
As we walked to my car, Mia tucked her small hand in mine. This past year had been a whirlwind of joy and challenges. Marc and I had weathered so much together—moving past the town’s gossip, meeting each other’s families, the struggles of blending our lives, another health scare and hospitalization for Mia.
But we’d come out stronger for it all.
Now, as I buckled Mia into her car seat, I couldn’t shake the sense that something was off.
“Ken?” Mia looked to see if anyone was around before using my first name, something she was allowed to do at home, but not at school. “Is Papi okay?”
I turned to her, mustering a reassured smile. “I’m sure he is, sweetie. He just needs us home a little early today. Maybe he has a surprise for us!”
Her eyes lit up at that. Oof, there was a pang of guilt for telling her that white lie. But it was better than worrying her unnecessarily.
As we pulled into the driveway, I parked next to Marc’s truck, with Blanco Springs Lawn and Garden, his business logo, emblazoned on the side, and a familiar sense of warmth and security washed over me. In the year since we’d gotten together, this house had become home to me, a place of love and laughter, and each night I spent alone in my apartment away from them was wasted time away from my new family.
A dark blue sedan was parked in front of the house. “Who is that?” Mia asked as I helped her out of the back seat of my car.
