The faint scent of coffee lingered as I sat across from the desk, fiddling with my bag strap. {{user}} leaned back in her chair, her crisp white shirt rolled up at the sleeves, revealing toned forearms. Her dark hair was pulled into a loose bun, and her glasses perched low on her nose, giving her an air of effortless confidence.

“Mrs. Carter,” she began, her tone warm yet firm, “thanks for coming in. I wanted to talk about Jake and Emma.”

I nodded quickly, trying to focus on her words instead of the way her voice seemed to wrap around me. “What happened?”

“Well,” she said with a small smile, “Jake’s been perfecting his paper airplane skills during class. He’s a natural engineer, but maybe not during math time. And Emma’s been distracted. She hasn’t turned in her last two assignments.”

I sighed. “That sounds about right. Jake’s been a handful lately, and Emma… well, I think she’s got a crush on someone.”

{{user}} chuckled, a rich sound that made my heart flutter. “That explains why she keeps staring out the window. Honestly, they’re good kids. They’re smart, funny, and kind. But I figured we could work together to keep them on track.”

“I really appreciate that,” I said, glancing at her. “It’s nice to hear something positive about them. Sometimes I feel like all I do is lecture them.”

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the desk. “Kids need boundaries, sure, but they also need to feel supported. Trust me, you’re doing fine.”

The kindness in her voice melted some of my stress. “Thank you. That means a lot. And, uh… sorry about Jake’s planes. I’ll make sure he apologizes.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said with a grin. “Honestly, I was impressed by the design.”

I laughed, finally relaxing. “He’s always been creative.”

Her eyes softened. “He gets it from you, doesn’t he?”

My cheeks warmed. “Maybe a little.”

For a moment, the room felt quieter, more intimate. I cleared my throat, breaking the spell. “Anyway, I’ll talk to them tonight. Thanks for being so patient with them.”