Finn pulled out the chair across from her, sitting down. “Brooklyn, talk to me. This isn’t like you. What’s going on? You said you weren’t feeling well, and that might explain today, but what about the other days?”
She remained silent, picking at a loose thread on her sleeve. Finn waited, giving her space to gather her thoughts, fighting the urge to fill the silence with questions or reassurances.
Finally, she sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “It’s just stupid English class. I hate it.”
“You’ve always loved English,” Finn said, confusion evident in his voice. He was surprised Noah hadn’t reached out to him directly to give him a heads-up about Brooklyn skipping his class. “What changed?”
Brooklyn shrugged again, but there was something vulnerable in the gesture now. “Mr. Thompson assigned this group project, and I got stuck with Madison and her friends. All they care about is their stupid social media content and party plans.”
The admission, small as it was, felt like a crack in the wall she’d been building between them. While it concerned him that Brooklyn was struggling with some of her classmates, he was more upset that she’d thought skipping school was a better solution than talking to him about what was going on. He needed to tread carefully to keep her from shutting down while also letting her know her behavior wasn’t acceptable. “I know it can be tough, but you can’t just skip out because you don’t want to deal with your classmates. Are they bullying you or something?”
“It’s not a big deal,” she insisted, though her voice wavered slightly. “They just… They make comments sometimes. About my clothes, about how I’m always reading instead of doing whatever they think is cool. And there’s this guy, Tyler, who sits behind me. He started talking to me, and now Madison’s decided I’m trying to steal her crush or something equally stupid.”
Anger flared in Finn’s chest at the thought of his daughter being bullied, but he kept his voice calm. “Have you talked to Mr. Thompson about changing groups?”
“And be the girl who can’t handle a little teasing? No thanks,” Brooklyn said, a flash of her usual stubbornness showing through. “I’m not giving them the satisfaction.”
“So you’re skipping class instead,” Finn concluded, understanding dawning. “Do you even realize how much trouble both of us could be in if you keep this up? I love you, but this isn’t acceptable.”
She looked down at her hands. “I know. It was just…easier. For a while.”
Finn reached across the table, covering her hand with his. “I get it. I do. But running away doesn’t solve the problem. And your education matters too much to let some mean girls derail it.”
Brooklyn nodded, still not meeting his eyes. “I know. I’ll go back. I promise.”
“And you’ll talk to Mr. Thompson?” Finn pressed gently. “He can help, Brooklyn. That’s his job.”
She hesitated, then nodded again. “Fine. I’ll talk to him.”
Relief washed over Finn, though he knew this was just the beginning of addressing whatever was going on with hisdaughter. “Thank you. And, Brooklyn? You can always talk to me. About anything. Even if you think it’s stupid, or that I won’t understand. I’m always here. I’m trying to be understanding, but you can’t keep pushing boundaries like this. If I find out you’re skipping anymore after today, I’ll have to think about a suitable punishment.”
She finally looked up, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “I know, Dad.”
As they sat there, the tension between them easing slightly, Finn was struck by how much he loved this complicated, brilliant, sometimes frustrating young woman. He would do anything for her—move mountains, fight dragons, rearrange his entire life if it would make her happy and safe.
And yet, as he helped her with her homework and later made them both a proper dinner, his mind kept drifting back to Ollie. To the warmth of his lips, the way he’d looked at Finn with such open vulnerability, the possibility of something new and unexpected blooming between them.
For the first time in years, Finn was caught between two powerful forces: his unwavering commitment to his daughter and the unexpected, terrifying hope of something just for himself. As he lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, he wondered if it was possible to honor both—to be the father Brooklyn needed while also allowing himself to reach for the happiness Ollie offered.
He didn’t have an answer yet. But as he drifted toward sleep, the memory of Ollie’s smile warming him despite the rain still pattering against the windows, he found himself hoping he might find a way to do both.
TEN
Ollie woke with the phantom press of Finn’s lips still warm against his own. For one blissful, half-conscious moment, he smiled into his pillow, the memory wrapping around him like a favorite blanket. Then reality crashed in—the way Finn had pulled away, the text from Brooklyn, the hasty goodbye.
“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Finn had promised.
Tomorrow was now today, and Ollie’s phone screen remained stubbornly notification-free. He knew, logically, how stupid it was to expect a message as soon as he woke, but it would have been nice.
He rolled to his back, staring at the ceiling as doubt crept in. Had he imagined the intensity in Finn’s eyes? The way Finn’s hand had trembled slightly against his cheek? Maybe it had been a moment of weakness, a mistake Finn now regretted. Heck, until recently, he hadn’t had any clue that Finn wasn’t straight.
Maybe he was, and the kiss had proven it to him. Maybe he’d been curious and had seen Ollie as a safe test subject.
“Stop catastrophizing,” he muttered to his empty bedroom. “It’s barely seven. Normal people don’t text at dawn, and you know damn well that kiss wasn’t bad.”
But the anxiety had taken root, and sleep was officially a lost cause. Ollie dragged his body out of bed, his morning routine a blur of muscle memory as his mind replayed every second of that kiss in excruciating detail. The gentle pressure of Finn’s hand at his waist. The soft sound Finn had made when Ollie’s fingers tangled in his hair. The way everything else had fallen away, leaving only the two of them in a world suddenly full of possibility.
And then Brooklyn’s text. The abrupt return to reality. The carefully measured distance as Finn had said goodbye.
