Page 35 of Detention with Daddies

“That doesn’t seem to be the norm here, but I have to say I’m more surprised by how many people have been supportive of where my focus lies.”

I laugh. “There’s a handful of us.”

Her eyes light up at my laughter. “So, what steered you in that direction? Why is that your favorite?”

Is it strange that I feel like the student as she asks me that instead of the other way around? “My best friend was diagnosed with MS right before his twenty-first birthday. He had problems before that with his balance, fatigue, and muscle spasms in high school.”

It made Lorenzo depressed because we’d both loved to play soccer as kids.

“He used to outrun me in the park. Then he started falling. He’d brush it off, laugh, but I could see the panic. He slowlybacked out of his favorite activities, a lot of what we did together.”

“Did he pull away from you too? That’s a big thing to go through.” God, she’s so observant, so in tune with the emotional part of the onset of health issues.

“He did, but I figured out what was happening and made it a point to find things we could do together. It shaped the path of my university choices. I already knew I wanted to work in physical education, but he sent me into research rather than coaching like I had originally planned.”

“It takes a good person to adapt like that.”

I huff an almost nonexistent laugh. “I don’t know about that, but I did want to make changes on how physical disabilities and mobile limitations were treated in school. I was a secondary school PE teacher while I worked through my PhD program.”

Olivia’s green eyes are soft and round with emotion. Approval maybe?

“Anyway, since then, I’ve worked with a lot of clients who have progressive, degenerative diseases. I had to give most of it up when I moved here for this job though.” It was a hard decision to make, but the money and opportunity for Ivan outweighed the losses of the momentum I built back home.

That, and Ivan’s mother turned down my proposal. She even encouraged my move when I told her, not wanting the responsibility of being a wife and mother. I’ll never understand her decision, but I’m glad I have our son. I can’t imagine my life without him.

Olivia must see my thoughts churning, so she redirects me. “Where is home?”

“Barcelona.”

The shock on her face has me smiling. It’s amazing how easy she makes it for me. I’ve always been told I’m a grump, but I enjoy being around her.

“Really? Tell me about what life is like there. I hate to be that person, but I’ve always wanted to visit. I’ve never been anywhere but here…” Her blush is beautiful.

That pang I’ve grown used to from her presence grows into something more. I want to take her home and show her around. “It’s beautiful. Slower than the US. Lazy mornings, late dinners, a strong sense of community. Most of what I can relay is about the sense of belonging when I’m home. I grew up in a big family. A strong support system.”

Her mouth twists into a half smile and half frown. “You don’t have that here?”

A muscle in my cheek twitches. “No. I have friends, colleagues, my son, but it’s not the same.”

Olivia pokes at a piece of watermelon on her tray. “How often do you get to go home?”

“Every Christmas. A few weeks in the summer.”

“So Ivan can visit his mother?”

I tip my head to the side in a kind of gesture. “Yes, and to see the family I left behind. They come here once a year too. But both times of the year are beautiful.”

“I bet.”

“My mom has learned to FaceTime, so the whole family gathers together on Sundays to chat with us. It’s not quite like sharing a meal, but it’s as close as we can get.” I do miss them all terribly, but life here is full enough now that I don’t feel the urge to run home. “Are you close with your family?”

A piece of watermelon makes it between her lips before she meets my gaze. “Yes. I still live at home. So does my brother. We all work a lot, so it’s not overwhelming. But I get what you’re saying about family dinners. We make a big to-do on Sundays. Usually. It helps that my brother is a sous chef at the Brass Fox.”

My eyes widen. Really? It’s one of the few places I splurge on when I’m in the mood for something adventurous.

Her laughter twinkles. “There’s always been a big love of food in my house. Baking with my mom, grilling with my dad, and then Theo showed promise in the kitchen. My parents are super supportive, so he took over our kitchen most nights until he started working full time. Now, we take what we can get.”

“He’s the one that made the cannoli left in the faculty office, isn’t he?”

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