“Language,” I corrected, then tried again. “I’ve had Evan in my class before. I know how he works. He said something that struck a nerve. What did he say to you?”
Jasper scowled so deeply, it looked like the expression would carve itself into his face. “He called Zero my dad.”
I waited. I could practically see his emotions boiling over as he replayed the confrontation in his head. I just needed to give it time.
Sure enough, he swung around, eyes wide as he shouted at me. “He’s not my dad! He’s not my family! I’m tired of people calling him that! I don’t belong here!”
The pain in his words was so thick, it was practically a physical thing. He was fighting so hard to keep it together, he was shaking.
“Jasper… He is your family. You’re cousins. Right?”
I didn’t want to diminish his feelings. I understood why he was upset with people calling Elias his dad when they barely knew each other, but his insistence on not calling Elias family was causing harm to both of them.
“That doesn’t count! He’s not my dad! I had parents! They’re dead!” His voice cracked and his eyes widened, like he was fighting back tears. “They’re gone! He doesn’t get to swoop in and replace them!”
“No one is trying to replace them, Jasper,” I soothed. “No one can. Your parents don’t disappear just because someone steps in to help you.”
“I DON’T NEED HIS HELP! I NEED TO GO HOME!”
The room went quiet after his outburst. His chest was heaving and he looked moments from falling apart completely. It was no longer the time to push. He’d had enough.
The sound of harried footsteps broke the quiet and Elias appeared in the doorway, almost skidding past it in his haste to get here. He was out of breath, disheveled, the diaper bag spilling its contents and dangling off the crook of his arm. He had Isla on his hip, a hand on her back to support her while hewas running and she looked a little confused but no worse for wear from the run.
Straightening, Elias stepped into the room, eyes darting between us before settling on Jasper. “You okay?”
It wasn’t what Jasper had been expecting, but I think it was what he needed to hear. Despite everything, getting called into the school for a second time for fighting and having to drop everything to be here, Elias’s main concern was for Jasper and his safety. The brokenhearted boy’s face crumpled and he dropped his head, choking back sobs.
“Hey, hey…” Elias moved closer, worry etched on his face. He reached for him, his hand hesitating momentarily before settling on Jasper’s shoulder and squeezing reassuringly. “Whatever it is, I’m sure we can figure it out. It’ll be okay.”
For a man who said more than once he wasn’t cut out for parenting and had no clue what he was doing, he was saying all the right things. My heart warmed as Jasper shifted forward, not for a full hug, but close enough to rest his forehead against Elias’s chest. Elias looked stunned by the move, shooting me a confused look. I tipped my chin at Jasper, encouraging him, and smiled softly when he put one arm around Jasper’s shoulders, shifting Isla a little closer so she could reach her brother safely. The sweet baby hugged his head with a happy coo, and I saw Jasper let out a breath, his shoulders finally coming down as he let the anger go.
I left the family alone for a moment when I noticed Reagan peeking in, stepping into the hall and closing the door behind me. When she raised her eyebrow in a silent demand for information, I explained, “He had a confrontation with Evan Newsome. He hit some sore points with Jasper and Jasper got a little loud when I asked him to talk to me about it.”
“A little? I could hear him from my office.”
“It’s a small school,” I countered. “You can hear me sneeze from your office when the students aren’t here.”
Her flat look told me she noticed my attempt at lightening the situation and didn’t appreciate it. I sighed.
“I’m pretty sure Evan managed to press the exact right buttons to cause this reaction. It’s not entirely Jasper’s fault.”
I wasn’t normally so defensive of a student, but Jasper was going through something none of us could even imagine. He lost not one, but both his parents, and overnight his whole world was turned on its axis. I could see the real him peeking out when he interacted with his sister, I knew this anger wasn’t all that he was, and I wasn’t ready to give up on him yet. Maybe, if I explained to Elias what he’d told me, we might be able to figure out some way to get Jasper to feel a little less like he was on the verge of losing his family by letting other people in.
Reagan took in my expression and gave a weary sigh. “I know that look. You’re not going to stop until he’s back on track, are you?”
I just raised my eyebrows at her. I wasn’t just known for being strict. I was stubborn too, when it came to certain things. My students being a big part of that. If I thought I could help, I’d do everything in my power to do so.
“He’s already in therapy, and I’m sure having his guardian following him around for a day or two will teach him that it’s better to walk away than to listen to bullies. Give him another chance, Reagan. He needs more time.”
She pursed her lips, annoyed, but eventually relented. “Fine. Only because no one ended up bleeding in my office. If things get physical, I’ll have no choice but to expel him. I’ll talk to Evan as well, make sure he understands the thin ice he’s standing on. You want the guardian here for a few days?”
“It was a creative punishment, and I honestly think his presence might help.”
She nodded once. “Fine. Get me his information for a background check first. I need one if he’s going to be spending an extended amount of time around the students.” She looked behind her at a few scattered baby items on the floor. “And maybe suggest a new diaper bag if things keep spilling out like that.”
Chuckling, I picked up the stray clothes and toys, waving at her as she went looking for Evan. When I pushed the door open to the classroom, I caught the tail end of the conversation, Elias sitting awkwardly at the desk next to Jasper’s, his arm around Isla as she drank a bottle, and a deep frown on his face.
“So he was being an asshole? Sounds like he deserved it.”
