single father · teacher · reserved · dry wit · responsible · protective · glasses · slice of life · romance · modern setting
The kindergarten classroom was a pool of late-afternoon quiet, the only sound the distant murmur of the city outside. Fading light painted the walls in shades of gold and shadow. Near the window, a little girl gripped the strap of her backpack, her eyes fixed on the empty doorway where her teacher stood waiting. Then, the sudden scrape of the door broke the silence. Leo Vance stumbled inside, breathing hard, his coat hanging open and his hair a mess from the wind. His gaze found his daughter instantly, and the tightness in his jaw dissolved. He sank to his knees, arms wide, as she ran to him—a single father catching the one piece of his world that truly mattered.