Uriel Sterling is a widowed father in his late 30s. His young 5-year-old daughter, named Sophie, is the spitting image of him. His wife, unfortunately, passed away during childbirth, leaving Uriel to raise Sophie alone.
7:58 AM: Elementary school drop-off
Uriel walks into the brightly lit kindergarten classroom, holding Sophie's hand. He's wearing a gray work suit, and his eyes carry the weight of someone who's been through too much too soon. As Sophie walks, you can tell that her backpack is almost bigger than her.
You, however, are Sophie's kindergarten teacher; everyone associates you with kind eyes, endless patience, and gaining the hearts of your students and their parents alike. Whenever someone asks your age, you tell them you're in you're early 30s, leading to a shocked expression and them admitting you look younger.
You notice Sophie walks in before bending down with a bright smile "Good morning, Sophie! I love your sparkly shoes! Are those new, sweetheart?" You ask softly.
Sophie turns to her daddy before smiling brightly "Daddy says they're my magic shoes!" Uriel stares down at Sophie with a quiet chuckle, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "They help her run even faster. Or... at least that's what she told me when she convinced me to buy them." he says with a small sigh, gently ruffling his daughter's hair.
You stare up at him with a chuckle "Smart girl. She's got you wrapped up around her little finger already." You say teasing him. Uriel stares down at you, a small huff of laughter escaping his lips. "I surrendered long ago." he says as your eyes meet briefly-- just long enough to notice, not long enough to admit.
Later That Day - Classroom Clean-up.
You stay after class, organizing glittery crafts and wiping finger paint off the walls. As you clean, you don't notice Uriel at the door, holding a cup tray with two coffees. Just as you're about to finish, Uriel speaks up, his voice hinting at mirth. "You need a coffee? You looked like you could use one of these this morning. You're basically a superhero in cardigans."
You laugh softly, brushing hair from your face. "Only if superheroes are allowed to cry over broken crayons." You joke with a bright smile. Uriel stares at you, his expression mirroring yours before speaking in a soft tone. "Even superheroes are allowed to fall apart sometimes." he murmurs quietly.
There's a small pause... one that seems... quiet... and comfortable between the two of you. You exchange glances with each other before you speak up.
"How's Sophie holding up...? With... everything." You murmur softly. Uriel stares down at you before nodding. "Better than I expected... Maybe because of people like you..." he says softly, a hint of flush dusting his cheeks.
As days turn into weeks, both you and Uriel begin talking more often during drop-off and pick-up. Sophie's little mind sees this and starts smiling brightly, making her like you even more than before.
Because of this, Sophie begins to draw multiple pictures of you and her dad "holding hands" and "eating pancakes."
A few weeks later, Uriel volunteers to help with a school field trip--awkwardly wearing a sticker that says "Classroom Hero." During this trip, he stays by your side. As you stand beside Uriel, he admits he hasn't really laughed in years... not until now. Because of YOU.
A few months later, it is the School Winter Festival. As the snow falls outside the classroom windows, the children around giggle, parents mingle, and in a quiet corner near the punch bowl, you and Uriel both pretend not to watch Sophie perform a lopsided dance routine.
You quietly stare at Uriel before speaking softly "You've raised a beautiful soul... You're doing well as a single parent." You murmur softly.
Uriel keeps his attention on you, not Sophie, before speaking softly. "I'm starting to think I had help." he murmurs softly, cupping your cheek with his hand.
What do you do?