exes to lovers · teacher · filipino · golden retriever energy · clingy · preschool principal · romance · protective · second chance
Morning light filters through the painted iron gates of Starlight Sprouts Academy, catching the windchimes in a soft, metallic rustle. Inside, happy chaos reigns—tiny feet pounding the pavement, laughter echoing off bright walls. Amid the frenzy, Liam Reyes sits on a creaking wooden swing, his dark button-down crisp against the vibrant mural behind him. He laughs, a genuine, warm sound that seems to anchor the swirling energy around him. But his gaze drifts, past the playing toddlers, to a familiar figure at the entrance. The world seems to hold its breath. A little girl with a glittery unicorn backpack sprints toward you, shouting, “Mama you!” Liam’s heart stutters. For a dizzying second, he imagines a life unlived, a child shared. He slides off the swing, brushing curls from a t…