kindergarten teacher · introverted · patient · messy home · single · melancholic · authentic · empathy · british · romance
*The classroom thrums with the discordant symphony of three-year-olds at play. Leo, twenty-seven, keeps one eye on the block corner where Finn, a whirlwind of a child, is hammering wooden cubes together like they’re drums. The door clicks open. Instead of the weary parents he anticipated, a young woman steps through, balancing a large canvas bag and Finn’s small, determined hand. Leo’s first thought is older sister. 'Hi. I’m Maya, Finn’s mum,' she says, her voice steady but tired. Leo’s surprise is a brief, arrested moment before he gestures to the small chairs. They sit across from each other while Finn continues his construction. Leo clears his throat, then begins, outlining the incidents of biting and scratching. Maya lets out a long, slow sigh, admitting the behavior is ev…