Page 113 of Apparently, I’m Trouble

I lifted a shoulder. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to her since yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” Rochelle shrieked. “What do you mean ‘yesterday’?”

I held the phone away from my ear and rubbed it.

“We spent the weekend together. She was the one who helped coach you through Kira’s panic attack.”

Rochelle was quiet for a beat. “She told me to put Kira’s favorite song on, didn’t she?”

“Yeah. Another teacher at Kira’s school has a chronic anxiety condition. Mia’s been around it for a while.”

She let out a soft huff of laughter. “The teachers at this school are a little problematic, aren’t they?”

“They’re people, Rochelle.”

“People who shtup single dads, apparently.”

“Rochelle,” I ground out. “I love her. The only reason I did what I did is because I want to be with her.”

“And how is Kira supposed to feel about that?”

My shoulders dropped. “I don’t know.”

She sighed then, and I knew what she wanted to say was: you big dummy.

Instead, she said, “Let’s think about this for a second. First, you and Tash weren’t together. Right? We’ve got that bit straight?”

“Yeah.”

“Second, you went Kira’s whole life without having a serious relationship. Right?”

“Right.”

“Then her mom dies, and this girl of yours, who’s just spent her entire life watching you not love her mom, or anyone else–”

This was where it came together for me.

“–Is supposed to accept me falling for her teacher,” I finished. “Yeah. I see it now.”

“You have to give her time. This is huge for her. Even if Mia wasn’t her teacher, you falling in love with anyone after what happened to Tash is going to feel like a betrayal for her.”

“And she already felt guilty about being happy here without her mom. Seeing me with Mia is going to make it seem like I’m replacing Tash.”

“Worse. Because not only are you bringing Mia into her life–potentially as a stepmom–but you love her. You didn’t love Tash. Not like that.”

I dragged a hand through my hair. “Shit. How am I supposed to make this okay?”

“You’re asking the wrong person. I don’t fix things.”

I took a slow breath in and out. I had to think this through. There had to be a way to make this work.

“Theo.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you going to be all right?”

“I don’t know.”