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“I’m here to pick up Ava,” she says urgently as we enter the school’s administration office.
“Ms. Flores, hello. Ava is with a teacher’s assistant.”
The secretary points in the general direction where I assume Ava is, and Camila gives her a tight nod before marching off. I’m terrified to see how badly Ava must have fallen for the school to call her mother. I can’t imagine how many times Camila must have done this—alone.
Fuck.
When we enter a small room, Camila rushes to the chair where Ava is sleeping. I follow her closely, even though I still want to give them some space.
The teacher greets Camila, and after exchanging a couple of words, she leaves us alone with Ava.
“Ava, sweetie. Mummy is here,” Camila says in a low voice as she caresses Ava’s cheek.
It takes her a couple of minutes to wake up, but the moment Ava opens her eyes and sees me standing behind her mum, her face lights up.
“Boss Man, you’re here,” she says.
I relax a smidge.She’s fine, she’s okay, I keep telling myself.“Yes, duckling. I’m here.”
Ava giggles at the nickname, and Camila sits next to her.
“That’s what Mummy calls me,” Ava adds, and a grin forms on my face.
“Baby, what happened?” Camila asks, concern dripping from her tone.
“The same thing always happens, Mummy. I was running too fast, and I fell.”
I look at her shoes, and she’s wearing Mary Janes. I guess they are cute, but they aren’t meant for running.
“Maybe you should wear more comfortable shoes,” I say.
She frowns. “No, Boss Man, these are the only shoes I like.” She huffs, crossing her arms over her chest.
I cover my mouth, trying to hide my smile from Ava. Camila stands to her full height, and when she looks at me, she’s smiling too. I can see the relief in her eyes—she’s not as worried now that it’s clear Ava is not in danger.
“Are you ready to go, sweetie? Do you think you can walk?” Camila asks gently.
Ava nods, but the slight hesitation in her movement doesn’t escape me.
“Nonsense. Here,” I say, stepping forward. I lean down to scoop Ava into my arms, cradling her like a baby.
“Thank you, Boss Man,” Ava murmurs as she rests her sweet little head on my chest.
The way she snuggles into me tugs at something deep inside me—just like her mom did when I held her close.
“You got it, duckling,” I reply softly, my throat tightening.
Camila walks beside us, her hand brushing Ava’s back before she glances up at me. As she opens the door to the exit, she mouths,Thank you.
I simply wink, not trusting myself to speak. The words aren’t there, but the emotions are—this fierce protectiveness for these two hit me like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart.
As I carry Ava out of the school, her small hand rests on my shoulder, and I feel love seeping through my pores.
And something else I haven’t felt in a long time: peace.
After settling Ava on the sofa, I notice the band-aid on her knee is red—she’s still bleeding. A wailing siren goes off in my head, but I force myself to stay calm for her sake.
I head to the kitchen, where Camila is putting a snack together.