Page 35 of Apparently, I’m Trouble

I sized up Miss Fares, taking in her mass of brown hair, her innocent, freckle-dusted cheeks, her wide green eyes. She seemed so young. Like Tash before the disease set in.

“Look, I know I haven’t gotten along with Miss Walker, and the things I’ve said about her are probably baseless, but I think you can understand where I was coming from when I said them. My only priority is Kira, and this program is important to her.”

She nodded once. “I get it. You met Mia at the fundraiser, and the impression she gave you wasn’t a great one. Mia is passionate about teaching, but she’s not afraid to be herself. And sometimes, that can give people the wrong idea.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“I understand why you reacted the way you did when you realized she was Kira’s teacher, but I’m also glad you changed your mind after watching her in action. But then, you had an issue with one of the play rewrites, too?”

I sighed and rubbed my temple. “Yes, and I blamed Miss Walker for them.”

“And that’s why she decided it was best for you to talk to me about your daughter’s progress.”

I struggled to meet her eyes as I nodded. The reason Mia decided to end contact was because I almost fucked her in a closet, but the last thing I wanted was for her boss to know that.

“Tell me about your issues with the book she’s studying. Misplaced.”

“Well…” It wasn’t easy to put this into words. My daughter didn’t want anyone taking pity on her. She wanted to earn her way through this placement. It was what Tash wanted for her.

“Have you read it?” she asked.

I shook my head. “But I know what it’s about.”

She gave me a weak smile. “It made me cry.”

And now I was just uneasy. I didn’t want to think of Miss Fares as this helpless, upset woman with tears streaming down her cheeks, and that must have been obvious because she laughed at the expression on my face.

“My mom died when I was sixteen. Reading something like Misplaced brings it all back for me.” There was a knowing look in her eye and a sympathetic tilt to her smile as she asked, “Is that what you think is happening to Kira?”

I clamped my jaw shut, then tried to relax. She had to be fishing. There was no way she knew about Tash.

But maybe… she should have.

I was tired of watching Kira struggle to hide how she felt. It must’ve been exhausting for her. And if Miss Fares understood why this book was an issue for Kira, maybe that would be a good thing. Maybe hiding this wasn’t helping either of us.

I gave in. “Kira lost her mom to cancer a few months ago.”

She nodded, her expression softening. “And that’s why you moved here?”

“Oakhaven… doesn’t have the kind of opportunities South Bronx has, and Tash wanted more for her. But she was going through radiation therapy when the acceptance letter came through. Before it was over, she made me promise to bring Kira here.”

“That must’ve been difficult for you both. To watch someone you love go through that and then have to pack up your life after.”

It was difficult.

Months had passed since we lost Tash, but I just couldn’t get my head around this move or our new life here. Without Tash, none of this was easy. And I missed her. I missed knowing that I could call her any time, that I could talk to her about our daughter.

Miss Fares shifted in her chair. “Kira might benefit from meeting with the school counselor. Do you think we could tee up some sessions?”

I paused, letting the question sink in before shaking my head. What was the right move here?

Kira didn’t want to be treated differently. But maybe she had to be. In any case, I needed to talk to her about it first.

“I think she’ll be fine for now as long as we give her a different book to study. She hasn’t gone too far into the program. I could help her catch up. Then we could look at counselling.”

Miss Fares nodded, her gaze unfocused, as if in thought. “Would you mind if I passed all this on to Miss Walker? She’s been worried about Kira, and this would explain a lot.”

I sighed. “It’d be better coming from you than me.”