Chapter 10: Sofia

Her mouth trembles. “I know. My parents keep saying the same thing.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Your mom and dad have been so supportive through all this.”

She blows out a breath. “Yeah, my mom and dad have been the best. I thought they’d be angry after they found out about the baby. I imagined they’d kick me out of the house or...” she trails off. “I don’t know, hate me or something.” Ella shakes her head before continuing. “But that hasn’t happened. They were just really disappointed that Collin and I weren’t more careful about birth control.”

I can only imagine what her parents are going through. To have your daughter all set to swim at the D1 level with a partial scholarship to pay for college and then have it disappear in the blink of an eye must be tough to stomach. Thankfully her parents are focused on the positives and have been wonderful about helping Ella through this pregnancy. Because Ella has such a strong support system, she’ll be able to achieve anything she sets her mind to.

Ella glances at the digital clock hanging above my office door. “AP physics is about to start. I should probably get going. I don’t want to miss anything.”

Mrs. Schmidt, Ella’s AP physics teacher, was a little prickly about making allowances for Ella in the beginning. She’s an older educator who’s set in her ways. She expects students who choose to take her class to dedicate themselves and be self-motivated. But she eventually came around because she saw how hard Ella is working.

Ella gives me a small wave and hurries out the door.

I sit back in my chair and take a long drink from my bottle of water, sighing because it’s already one in the afternoon and I haven’t had a chance to eat lunch.

There are two hours left before the final bell, and I still have a ton of schedules to plow through. As usual, the day is flying by. It’s one of the things I love about this job. There’s never a dull moment and every day is different.

I take a quick glance at my calendar. I have a student appointment scheduled in thirty minutes. Since it’s quiet, I can use this time to check over grade reports. There are about a dozen students I’m keeping an eye on. I prefer to catch them before they get to the point of failing.

There’s a soft rap on the door as I pull up the first student’s file on my computer. A tall man with an easy smile fills the doorway.

Drew.

“I just finished lunch duty and thought I’d pop in to see if you were busy. I haven’t been able to catch you in a couple of weeks,” he says, leaning against the jamb.

Drew is a handsome guy with dark blond hair, green eyes, and sun-kissed skin. Looking at him makes me think of sun and surf. He’s not from California but has surfer boy good looks. From conversations we’ve had in the past, I know he prefers spending his time outdoors hiking, fishing, golfing, and biking. Drew has an athletic build, which makes sense since he has an active lifestyle.

He’s wearing khakis paired with a blue and white striped button-down. School employees are not allowed to wear jeans or T-shirts to work. The administration wants us to dress professionally.

From the gossip I’ve heard, several single female teachers in the building are actively trying to snag Drew’s interest. Yet it’s me who he continually seeks out. A few women have stopped by my office under the pretense of discussing student concerns before finally asking about my relationship status with him. I’m always adamant that we’re just friends and colleagues.

Maybe Drew would like for there to be more, but at the moment, there isn’t.

Whenever we’re together, I compare Drew to one specific man. Even though Drew has a ton of amazing qualities, it’s Roman who makes my pulse quicken. Which is beyond frustrating. There’s nothing less productive than harboring feelings for someone who will never regard you in the same manner.

Just thinking about it makes me want to slam my forehead against my desk. How pathetic am I? It’s not like I don’t recognize the problem. Trust me, I’m totally aware of it. But I feel powerless to do anything to change it.

I smile and wave Drew into my office. “I’m glad you did.”

He grins in response, looking boyishly handsome, and settles onto one of the chairs on the other side of my desk. “You must be overrun with students. Every time I drop by, your door is closed.”

“The spring semester is always busy. I’ve been meeting with students over course conflicts in next year’s schedule. It’s eating up a lot of my time. There are so many loose ends to wrap up before graduation. Not to mention, I have two seniors who are touch-and-go right now.”

He nods. “I’m sure it’ll get busier before it winds down and then you’ll have a well-deserved reprieve.”

A few months of rest and relaxation sounds like heaven. As much as I love my job, it’s nice to recharge my batteries before heading back to work in the fall. I’ve applied to take two graduate-level counseling courses at a local university over summer break and have been kicking around the idea of starting a PhD program. Eventually, I’d like to work in a private practice focusing on kids and teens.

Changing the subject, he asks, “How was your weekend? Did you do anything interesting?”

Roman’s sharp features flash through my head. I almost grimace in response, but keep my smile in place. Sweeping him from my thoughts, I say, “My parents hosted an engagement party for my brother and his fiancée. A lot of family I don’t get to see very often came. My sister flew in from Philadelphia, and other relatives came in from New York. I had a nice time reconnecting with everyone.”

“Sounds fun. I didn’t realize you have family in the area.”

Again, Roman tries shoving his way in at the edges of my mind. I don’t allow him to do it this time. Deciding to let Drew in a bit, I admit, “Yes, my parents and brothers are here in Chicago, along with some extended family.

Drew looks intrigued. “You’ve never mentioned them before.”

He’s right. I don’t discuss my family with coworkers or friends.

“Oh, really?” I say casually. “Hmmm. I thought I had.”

Drew has no idea who my family is. None of my colleagues do. I don’t want them to know.

I adopted my mother’s maiden name when I left home to attend a small private women’s college in Wisconsin. It wasn’t a decision I arrived at lightly. When I broached the topic with my parents, I was surprised by how quickly they jumped on board with the idea. My safety-the safety of all their children-has always been their top priority.