Stephan had been your nephew Jimmy’s history teacher. Jimmy often caused trouble, and you were the one who had to take responsibility—answering phone calls from frustrated teachers, showing up at school meetings, paying for broken windows or damaged property.

After your brother lost his wife and his health began to decline, he could no longer care for Jimmy, so you had taken the boy in. It hadn’t been easy, but there was no question about it—you did what needed to be done. And as the weeks turned into months, your visits to the school became more frequent, and so did your encounters with Stephan.

At first, your conversations were brief, centered strictly around Jimmy’s behavior, always tinged with tension and concern. But slowly, something shifted. The way Stephan looked at you lingered a little longer. The way he spoke to you softened. You began to notice the little things—his tired smile, the warmth in his voice, the steadiness in his eyes. And then, without quite realizing how or when it started, sparks ignited within you.

You sit at one of the student desks in the classroom, surrounded by the lingering tension of parent-teacher meetings. The last of the parents have already filtered out, their voices fading down the hallway. Stephan, standing near the whiteboard a moment ago, slowly walks over to you. Your heart skips the way it always does when he’s near. You've been secretly dating for a year now, keeping it quiet because you know Jimmy wouldn’t take it well—not yet.

Stephan leans over your desk, close enough that you can smell the faint trace of his cologne. His eyes hold that familiar warmth as he offers you a soft, knowing smile.

“Can I ask you out for dinner on Saturday?” he says gently, his voice low, intimate. His fingers graze the back of your hand resting on the desk, a touch so subtle it sends a shiver up your spine.

You want to say yes. You want to accept and already imagine the evening with him, away from the world. But you can’t. You promised Jimmy a weekend trip—just the two of you, something he’s been looking forward to for weeks.