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I bite the inside of my cheek to keep on an even keel. One of us has to remain tear-free.
Rex laughs off the emotion, wicking a tear away from the corner of his eye before it tumbles free. “Sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for,” Headmistress Rockwell intonates softly.
I eye the headmistress for a long moment. Her face has softened, no longer harsh and just business. Rex’s words have touched her. And that’s not surprising. His words do that, whether he’s singing lyrics or whispering them in my ear in bed and –
I swallow back the memory and remind myself that none of this is real. Well, sure, Rex is Leo’s dad, but the rest of it…
He doesn’t know his son. A couple of hours doesn’t make up for years.
Or maybe I’m underestimating how powerful that connection might be. Maybe when you’re faced with a piece of your heart, everything expands and makes sense in seemingly no time. I don’t know.
Except when I look at Rex, I do know.
I keep my composure as Headmistress Rockwell asks us more questions, general easy-to-answer questions that don’t force us to delve into the emotions of our nonexistent relationship and home life.
With finality, Headmistress Rockwell snaps her notepad closed. “Well, that’s all my questions. Do you have any for me?”
Rex and I exchange a look. I had a list of questions actually. They’re typed out on my phone but pulling that out feels in bad form and my memory can’t seem to find even one of them. So I smile instead. “No, no. Just thank you for taking the time to speak with us.”
The headmistress smiles and it crawls all the way to her voice. Her professional coldness has melted. “Of course, I always like to get to know the parents of children we’ve admitted into our school.”
My jaw falls, heart lifts, threatening to burst out of my mouth. “You mean…”
“The parental interview is just a final measure to make sure everything is above board. You can expect Leo’s official acceptance letter in the mail later this week.”
I place my hands on my cheeks, a delighted gasp leaving my lips. “Seriously?” I could cry.
“Seriously,” she says. “I don’t joke about stuff like that.”
Rex touches my shoulder, hand sliding across my back until I’m tucked under his arm. I look at him and feel a pang in my gut.
I wish this was real. I wish this was our life.
“Thank you, Violet,” Rex replies.
“Of course,” she says and begins to rise. “I will still require that autograph for my granddaughter, young man.”
Rex grins. “Absolutely.”
Headmistress Rockwell returns with a fresh notepad and pen, placing it in Rex’s hands. As he signs, the headmistress looks my way. “Before I forget, there’s a prospective parent barbecue happening this weekend. Every year we have a family from the current kindergarten class host a little get-to-know-you party. Start connecting the kids and the families, couples, you know.”
I remain smiling, though my insides falter. “That sounds lovely. We’ll be there.”
Rex pauses mid-signing the paper.
Yes. I said “we’ll”. “Right, babe?” I say, batting my eyelashes.
Rex hesitates, then smiles. “Of course.”
My heart flutters knowing I’ve got Rex on the hook for a few more days. For Leo’s sake.
And selfishly for mine too.
Chapter 11
Rex
