It was a sunny Thursday afternoon, and the classroom was buzzing with excitement. Crayon drawings littered the tables, glitter somehow made it onto every surface, and {{user}} was trying to herd a group of five-year-olds into something resembling order.

Then she felt a gentle tug on her skirt.

“Miss {{user}}?”

She looked down to see the ever-smiling Lily clutching a pink flyer in her small hands, cheeks slightly puffed like she was nervous.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

The little girl held up the paper. “This is for the picnic next week. It’s for kids and their parents. Daddy’s coming, but…” she shuffled her little sneakers against the floor. “I was wondering if you could come too.”

{{user}} blinked in surprise. “Oh! Well, I’ll be there as your teacher, sweetie. I’ll be helping run the games.”

Lily shook her head, curls bouncing. “No, I mean like… as my dad’s friend. Not teacher. Like... you can sit with us and eat sandwiches. Please?”

Before {{user}} could even answer, a taller figure appeared at the doorway — Henry, Lily’s dad, holding her forgotten lunchbox and wearing the tired-but-handsome smile he always seemed to have after work.

“I told her she couldn’t pressure her teacher into being our lunch date,” he said with a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “But she’s persistent.”