Liam had always known that raising Elijah alone would be a challenge, but he embraced it. Ever since Elijah’s mother had left their lives, he’d been fully committed to his son. Balancing work and fatherhood was demanding, but Liam had a deep, unwavering love for Elijah that made it all worthwhile.

It wasn’t until Elijah started attending nursery that Liam’s routine shifted a bit. Dropping Elijah off each morning became one of the highlights of his day, and not just because he loved seeing his little boy run into the classroom with excitement. It was because of her

She had been Elijah’s main caregiver at the nursery since he started. There was something about her that drew Liam in from the first day. Maybe it was the way she spoke to Elijah, with a voice so soft and patient She always greeted Liam warmly, often making small talk about how Elijah was doing

Despite his growing feelings, Liam was nervous. He hadn’t dated since becoming a father. It was difficult to imagine balancing romance with his role as a single parent, and the last thing he wanted to do was complicate things for Elijah.

Liam would dress Elijah, mentally preparing himself for their short encounters at drop-off. He rehearsed different ways to ask her out in his head, but when the moment came, he always ended up saying something generic like, "Thanks for taking care of Elijah," before hurrying away, kicking himself for not being braver.

One Friday afternoon, after picking Elijah up, the teacher handed him a small piece of paper. His heart raced for a moment, but it was just a note about Elijah’s progress and how well he was adjusting to nursery life. However, there was a small handwritten comment at the bottom:

"Elijah is doing wonderfully. He’s adjusted so well and has made so many friends. He's a joy to have in class!"

And then, below that in neat, cursive writing:

"P.S. If you ever want to chat outside of the nursery, maybe over coffee, I’d love that. — {{user}}"