The Babysitter (BWWM)

xviii

I covered myself in another stolen hoodie, which hopefully my boyfriend had no idea about, and stepped into the math building. After all the classes I've skipped, I've got enough to catch up with to last me days and days of sleepless nights.

Walking into room 405, I kept my head down and sat in an empty seat. I pulled out my notebook, my fingers clutching my mechanical pencil as they doodled whatever they wanted.

"Who's that?" I jumped. Pressing my hand over my mouth, I glanced at who just scared the hell out of me.

Mr.Smith stood above me, looking over my shoulder at my book. He is admittedly a nice man. Funny. He's handsome for his age. Salt and pepper hair, slight stubble, blue eyes that crinkle at the sides when he smiles. Now, I do like older men, but he's got nothing on my baby.

I looked down at the paper. Lorenzo, scribbled in scatter plots.

"Uh, my boyfriend." My hand closed the book lightly, hiding my embarrassment. He nodded.

"Is he the reason why you've been missing classes?" I licked my lips.

"No. I-I got sick."

"For two weeks?"

"Yes." Mr.Smith studies my face for three seconds more, then shrugs it off.

"Okay. Well, I just wanted to check up on you. You're one of my best students and I'd hate to see your grades slipping." He smirked and patted my shoulder before leaving back down the aisle. I smiled and returned to doodling.

——

I cuddled up against Lorenzo, my back pressed into his front. He tightened his arm around me, snuggling his face into the crook of my neck.

The creak of the door alarmed me. Tiny patterns of bare feet against the wood panels settled my heartbeat. My eyes adjusted to the dark as I noticed Camila's small frame in front of me. She laid her hand on my shoulder and lightly shook me, her free tiny hand clutching her favorite purple blanket.

I reached my hand out and cupped her cheek when I felt the wetness. "Cami? What's wrong, baby?" She pulled herself onto the bed and I sat up. Her body got comfortable on my lap, snuggling into me as I wrapped my arms around her; cradling her. All I heard was soft sniffles.

My hand flattened against her forehead, pushing her hair out of her face and checking for heat. "Are you sick? Does anything hurt?" She shook her head with a small whimper. Her head went back onto my chest. "Do you want me to wake up Daddy? So you can talk to him." I felt her nod. I rubbed her back as I lightly shook his shoulder.

He groaned and his eyes fluttered open. The second he heard her sniffling, he jumped up.

"What's wrong?" Lorenzo asked. He smoothed her hair down as he also laid a hand on my back.

"She came in here crying and wants to say something to you." She reached for him and her father carefully picked her up and settled her onto his lap, his chin on top of her head.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"Mommy talked to me." She sniffles. Lorenzo visibly stilled.

"And what did she say to you?"

"That she want us to be a famidy."

Famidy? Not the time for grammar checks, Gabriella.

"She told you this tonight?" He asked her. She nodded her head against his chest. "And sweetheart, are you sure it wasn't a dream?" Cami sighs and sniffles.

"Daddy. I'm sleepy." Lorenzo clenched his jaw and laid her down on his pillow. She hugged her blanket close to her chest as I draped the comforter over her.