The first day of school was always eight hours of pure excitement in elementary school. Then in middle school, it became more nerve wracking—facing middle school mean girls really took a toll. In high school, it became more of a chore. And college...well, college usually involved a lot more anxiety, waking up with hours to spare, and being the first one to class by at least half an hour.

So it was no surprise that on my first day as a teacher, there was the familiar churn of excitement and terror that whirled in my stomach.

I groaned at the sound of my alarm and rolled out of bed. The sun was barely up in the sky as I dressed in a blouse and pencil skirt and swiped on some mascara. But this was what I'd worked so hard for! This was my first real grown-up job and a chance to teach young kids the ways of the world with math facts and Magic School Bus. With a final look in the mirror, I trudged into the kitchen and flipped on the keurig to brew some coffee—extra strong—in a travel mug.

"Oh my god, do you have to be so loud?" Eloise groaned.

I smirked, turning around to lean against the counter. "Morning, El. Late night?" Ever since the night that Braden dropped me off

Eloise grunted and stomped over to the Keurig.

"Look, I have to head out to school," I said. "Drink some water and take some aspirin."

"Are you sure you can't stay and make me anything greasy?" she asked with a pout.

I rolled my eyes. "You know how to make it yourself, El. I can't keep doing that for you. I have a job now. And you have a job, too."

Eloise flopped on the couch after grabbing an ice pack from the freezer. "I don't have to be in for a few hours."

I grabbed my purse and keys off of the kitchen counter, stuffing a blueberry muffin into a ziploc bag for the car ride. "Then go back to sleep. Now, I seriously need to get going. Have you seen my tan wedges?"

My sister waved in the general direction of...our entire apartment. "Check my closet."

I chuckled. "I'll just wear something else." I slipped on a pair of simple flats and walked out to my car.

Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the elementary school with the last dregs of coffee sloshing around the bottom of my travel mug. My closest friend, Daphne, greeted me with open arms from the classroom next to mine. We'd been through all four years of college together, shared group projects, cried over the late hours, and finally screamed with joy when we found out we would both be teaching at the same school.

"So, how was your big date?" Daphne asked. She dipped a bag of peppermint tea leaves into a cup of hot water.

A flush crept to my cheeks. "Amazing. Braden is absolutely amazing. And I feel kind of bad because Dex is amazing too but—"

"Dex isn't here anymore," Daphne finished for me. "I know that's tough to swallow but the two of you barely had a relationship. You kissed, what? A handful of times?"

"Yeah, I know I know. It was a fling if you could even call it that. But I still feel guilty because of the 'what if'."

"Ames, you can't get through life waiting on the 'what ifs'. Braden is here and now. And you're acting on that. Two dates in as many weeks?" She sipped her tea.

"Yeah, and more coming once we figure out our schedules." I scratched the back of my head. "It sounds like he has a bit of a chaotic schedule some weeks with work maybe or helping out his sister with childcare."

"Well, it sounds like things are already going pretty well. Have you kissed him yet?"

I rolled my eyes. "Are we thirteen, Daph? No, not yet. But not for lack of trying." I sighed and relayed the story about the pecans and then my sister's fateful interruption on the front stoop.

"Ah, classic Eloise," Daphne commented, a glint in her eyes. "Also can we just comment on Braden's line about the slow burn? I mean what a swoon."

"Yeah, it was pretty cute." I glanced through my class list on my clipboard. "Anyway, enough gossiping! We can save that for after school. Right now, we should focus on the kiddos. Our students should be arriving soon."

My heartbeat quickened. Our first day of actual paid teaching. It was a moment I'd dreamed about since my first internship.

"Oh look, here comes one of our students!" Daphne squeezed my arm.

I turned around and gasped. "Oh no."

"What is it?" Daphne frowned as a little girl and her father approached. HIs dark hair was parted neatly over his left eye. The casual weekend clothes had been swapped for flannel and work boots, a denim jacket thrown over his shoulders.

My mouth turned up into a fake smile so I could talk through my teeth as I leaned toward my friend. I clutched the clipboard with the name roster to my chest. "So you know the guy we've been talking about?"

"Mhm."

"Yeah. His daughter is in one of our classes."

Braden and the little girl approached us. His gaze caught mine, and although it never wavered, his body tensed when the realization hit him. His foot caught on an invisible barrier and he stumbled forward slightly, a squeak emanating from his shoes on the linoleum floor.

Yeah, he deserved that. I hadn't lied to him and he'd kept this secret from me. He had every right to—

A nudge from Daphne brought me back to the present moment. She sent me a smile and a nod toward them.

I crouched down so I was closer to the girl's height. "Hi, what's your name?"

The girl looked up at Braden, pouting out her bottom lip.

"Go on, sweetie," he urged her.

She held close to his leg. "Lucy."

I checked my list; her name was indeed on my roster. Lucy Callahan. "Hi Lucy, I'm Miss Lawrence, your teacher. It's nice to meet you." I gave her a soft smile as she murmured something back.

I stood back up to greet her father. "Mr. Callahan, it's nice to...meet you."

"Likewise." His voice stayed steady as his gaze locked on mine. "I know we're a bit early. Lucy was at her mom's yesterday and we weren't sure how bad traffic would be."

"Um, Lucy, do you like to color?" I asked her.

She nodded.

"Great. Why don't you go on inside and Miss Powell from next door will help you get started on a name tag." I glanced over at Daphne. None of her students had arrived yet, so she quickly caught my drift and led Lucy inside.

"So, you neglected to tell me you have a daughter," I said to Braden once Lucy was out of earshot.

"We both neglected a lot of details it seems," he countered, keeping his voice low. "You didn't tell me you were a teacher."

I rolled my eyes. "I think forgetting to mention you have a kid takes precedence. And I told you I was doing teaching. Anyway, your daughter is in my class so it's not like anything can happen with us now anyway."

A pause.

"Because teachers and parents can't date," I added when it was clear he needed me to explain.

"Right." He nodded, although the look on his face pointed more toward disappointment than understanding. "So, what? This whole thing between us has been nothing?"

"I wouldn't say nothing," I replied, embarrassment creeping into my voice. "We've had fun, or at least I've thought so."

"We have, but now you're telling me we can't see each other? You know, I've been a rebound guy before but never during a sober encounter."

Tears pricked at my eyes. I knew he was upset. I was upset. But that didn't mean he had to say these things. "You weren't a rebound in any way, Braden."

Braden smirked. "Oh yeah? So you aren't getting over someone?"

I bit my lip. "It's complicated. And plus you're one to talk."

Daphne walked over and nudged me, throwing a glare in Braden's direction. "There's some other students arriving, Ames," she whispered.

"We can't talk about this here, Braden." I cleared my throat. "Pick up is at three."

"See you then." He held out his hand for me to shake. I regarded him warily. "It's just a handshake, Amelia. I don't bite. And I do think we need to talk about this."

"It's Miss Lawrence when we're at school," I threw back. "And I'll see you at pickup."

Once he was gone I let out a sigh of relief and went over to where Daphne was covering for me.

"Lunch," she whispered, giving my shoulder a squeeze before walking over to her classroom.

Lucy grinned up at me, holding up her colorful name tag. "Look, Miss Law...wence. I spel-led my name."

"Very good! Can I help you with the sticker?"

She nodded, and I unpeeled the sticker before handing it to her. She sloppily attached it to her shirt, upside down. All I could do was chuckle.

"Well, Lucy," I said, planting my hands on my knees in the plastic seat next to her. "Do you like to read?"

Lucy wrinkled her nose. "Kinda. I like it when daddy reads to me."

"Ah, I see."

"Hi, are you Miss Lawrence?" a new voice asked. I turned around to see my next student who stood shyly by his mother.

"Yes, I am." I smiled, walking over to greet them.

Within minutes, I had my full class of 15 students. The chatter of noises and laughter filled the room and my heart swelled. This was it. I was finally here, in my dream job.

It was going to be a great year.

***

The end of the day arrived sooner than I anticipated. Soon my students lined up by the front door, tugging on their book bag straps and pushing each other playfully in line.

"Now remember," I said, talking above the giggles in an attempt to quiet them down. "I want you to come prepared for the library tomorrow where we'll pick out a book to read during quiet time. Does everyone remember the library rules?"

Murmurs filled the classroom but no one actually spoke the answer.

Then Lucy raised her hand.

"Yes, Lucy?"

Lucy stuck a finger in her mouth like she was contemplating what to say. "Um, Miss La...lawe...lawence, do we have to get a book?"

My smile wavered. "I do want everyone to pick out something they like, but you may also bring something from home to read." I didn't know if that's what Lucy meant but she seemed satisfied with the answer and didn't say anything more.

We walked out to the hallway where the parents were arriving to pick up their kids. Soon, only one child remained. Lucy.

"Hey, Lucy. Can I ask you a question?"

I crouched beside her like I did that morning.

"Mhm."

"Can you tell me what you like to read with your dad?"

Lucy stuck a finger back in her mouth and gnashed her teeth around it. "Cookie mouse."

I let out a chuckle. "Do you mean 'if you give a mouse a cookie'?"

She nodded.

I walked over to our little classroom library with Lucy following closely at my heels. After flipping through a few of the choices, I found the exact one she liked. Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and she tugged me down to the carpet. She flipped to the first page and I pointed to the words.

"I-if yo g-g i b—gib a...mo—a moo—moose—" she started.

"Mouse," I softly corrected, showing her the way my mouth formed the letters. "It's okay, we'll learn that this year.

"Mo—mus—mouse," she continued, her bottom lip quivering. "a co—cookie. His go-gon-gong ask for a gluss of mlik."

"Milk."

"Milk." She repeated the word, her lips moving slowly as she copied me.

"I'm impressed. She's never read aloud with anyone but me before."

I turned at the sound of Braden's voice. Lucy jumped to her feet and yelled, "Daddy!" before running headfirst into his legs.

He laughed, scooping her up into his arms and balancing her on his hip. "Hey there, cupcake. Did you have a good first day?"

"Uh huh." She leaned her head against his chest.

Braden glanced at me. His hair stuck to his forehead like he'd spent a lot of time out in the warm August air. "Sorry I was late. Work was...well, work."

"It's not a problem. Lucy did great today." The ticking clock filled the silence. "Um, I'll see you tomorrow, then? Lucy, it was great meeting you."

Lucy grinned.

"What do we say, Luce?" Braden whispered to her.

"Thank you, Miss La—wence."

"You're welcome." I waved to them as Braden led his daughter down the hallway. At the end of the hall, he turned back briefly and sent a smile in my direction. But once he was out of earshot, I let out a groan and slid down the wall.

I'd survived the first day. But I had no idea how I'd face Braden for the rest of the school year.

My phone pinged with a text message and I fished it out of my pocket. It was from Braden.

For the record, you were never a rebound either. Lucy's mom and I are separated. We share custody and have family gatherings but it's over between her and me. I'm sorry for earlier. I want you to know that. And I hope maybe we can figure out a way for there to still be something between us. A spark like that doesn't just fade overnight.

My heart sighed a breath of relief, but this didn't change anything. At least, not enough that would let us resume our relationship. I hated the rules, but there was no changing them. It wasn't my fault Braden and I were dating.

I wondered, had this ever happened before? What were the rules if a teacher and a parent were dating prior to the student coming to school? I formulated a reply and sent it off:

I appreciate your candidness now that things have become more complicated. Unfortunately, I don't know if it can change anything. Rules are rules and I don't want to risk being fired. Maybe when I'm not Lucy's teacher anymore we can resume what could've been a great relationship. But for now, I think we're better off as friends. I'm sorry, Braden. Truly, I am.

This time, the tears did fall from my eyes, dripping down my cheeks and plopping onto the screen of my phone.

Of all the guys...

I sure had the worst timing.

August 8th

Dex,

Oh my gosh you're never going to believe that happened! I met this guy at a bar a few weeks back and we totally hit it off. Turns out, he has a daughter and she's in my class! Ugh, I feel so...I don't know, cheated? He neglected to tell me about her, even lied to me about the times he's had to babysit. He wants things to work between us and I sort of do too but the school has a rule against parents and teachers dating. I don't know how to feel about all of this and I wish you were there to talk to. I miss you so much.

Amelia