Page 14 of Apparently, I’m Trouble

Agreeing with my daughter seemed to take some of the fight out of her. “Then why did you do it?”

“I’ve met her before, and I didn’t think she’d make a good teacher. I was wrong.”

Kira frowned. “I liked her. She made it easy.”

“I could see that.”

“But she probably hates me.”

“She doesn’t. We talked after you left.”

Kira’s gaze swung sharply back to me. “What’d you talk about?”

“I asked her to swap the book for you.”

“You asked her to swap the book?”

“Kira, relax. It wasn’t a problem. She–”

“After what you said about her in front of her? You asked her for a favor?”

“It’s her job.”

She put her head in her hands and sank into the black cushioned chair by my desk. Lately, her anxiety had taken over, and I hated it. Before the move, I would’ve struggled to think of a time when my daughter wasn’t all smiles and energy, but I hadn’t heard her laugh once since we got here.

I grasped around for something, anything, that would put a smile on her face, but nothing came to me.

“What can I do to make this better?”

She kept her head in her hands as she shook it, and my office was quiet for a while. I’d almost given up on getting an answer when she finally dropped her palms to her knees and said, “Actually, there’s this play, and my drama teacher said they need someone to put their sets together.”

I held in a groan. I was a chiropractor by trade, and I liked working with my hands. I had a knack for music and woodworking when I was a kid, and they helped me relax. But as much as I enjoyed working with wood, I didn’t love the idea of building sets for her school. I didn’t want to risk running into Mia again.

I said as much to Kira, and she gave me a pointed look. “Can’t you just be nice to her?”

“Well–”

“You asked how you could make it better, and I need top marks in every class if I’m going to get a spot.”

“You can get great grades without me.”

“Dad.”

I grunted and tried to deflect. “You know, I can get you into Grinnell without a placement spot.” My old university in Iowa was one call away.

Kira looked just like her mother as she drawled, “Just because you went there doesn’t mean I have to go there too.”

It’d be so much easier if she did, though. It was hard to imagine Kira going anywhere else. But then, I never thought we’d leave Oakhaven.

“And Mom wanted me at South Bronx because of this program,” she went on. “I’m doing it, Dad.”

I knew that voice. Kira’s mind was as made up now as it was three months ago.

“Fine. I’ll build the sets. You can put my name down.”

Her relief was obvious as she slumped back in her chair, and I realized that I should’ve given in as soon as she asked. Nothing was worth upsetting her.

So it looked like I was about to spend more time at South Bronx Classical.