Sebastian’s eyes narrowed a little as the woman stepped inside, her heels making soft sounds on the marble floor.
Isabelle is his late wife’s sister.
The woman his in-laws insisted had been his wife’s dying wish for him to marry.
“Sebastian,” she said, her voice smooth as silk as she reached out to touch his arm.
“I was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by.”
He subtly shifted away, her touch feeling like an intrusion.
“I have a meeting.”
“I know,” Isabelle smiled unaffected by his obvious displeasure.
“Leo mentioned it when I called him earlier.” She turned her attention to the hallway.
“How is my favorite girl today?”
Before anyone could answer, footsteps stomped down the stairs.
Sophie appeared now dressed in her school uniform though her face was still set in a stubborn pout.
The moment she saw Isabelle, her expression changed completely.
“Auntie Belle!” Sophie screamed running toward the woman and throwing her arms around her legs.
Isabelle’s face softened as she bent down to hug the child.
“There’s my big girl!
Ready for school?”
Sophie’s face immediately darkened again.
“I don’t want to go to school.
I want to go to work with Daddy.”
Isabelle went still for a second, her brows furrowing as she processed Sophie’s words.
Then she stood up keeping one hand on the little girl’s shoulder.
“Well,” she said looking at Sebastian with a knowing expression, “maybe she could skip just this once?
It’s the first day back after the break and she’s clearly upset.”
Sebastian’s jaw tightened.
“She needs to go to school.”
Sophie’s eyes filled with tears.
“But Auntie Belle agrees with me!
Don’t you, Auntie Belle?”
Isabelle ran her fingers through Sophie’s hair, a gesture that made Sebastian’s eyes go impossibly cold.
“I do think that sometimes, when children are upset, it’s better to comfort them first.
She’s clearly overwhelmed.
Children need their father’s attention.
She misses you when you’re at work.
But if you’re very busy, let her stay with me.”
Sebastian looked at her hand still in Sophie’s hair, obviously unmoved.
“She goes to school,”
“Please, Daddy?” Sophie begged, her voice cracking.
“Just today?”
Sebastian glanced at his daughter’s tear-streaked face, then back at Isabelle.
She was clearly waiting for his answer.
But he didn’t like being pressured.
“Fine,” he said at last, his voice flat.
“She stays with you today.”
Isabelle’s face lit up with victory.
“Wonderful!
We’ll have so much fun together, won’t we, Sophie?”
Sophie nodded happily, her tears forgotten.
“Yes!
Can we go shopping?
And get ice cream?”
“Of course,” Isabelle agreed, already pulling out her phone.
“I’ll just cancel my appointments for today.”
Leo had been standing stiffly to the side knowing better than to interfere.
But when his boss’s gaze shifted toward him, something in that look made Leo straighten immediately.
Sebastian didn’t say anything.
He simply turned and walked toward the door, his movements controlled and deliberate.
Leo followed a step behind already mentally rearranging the schedule.
Behind him, Isabelle’s laughter rang out.
“Don’t worry, Sebastian.
I’ll take good care of her!”
As the door closed behind Sebastian, he could hear Sophie giggling.
She sounded happy…
and that’s all that mattered.
He pushed the thought of Isabelle away from his mind and kept walking.
***
Claire had finally managed to get through the morning lesson though it had been like pulling teeth.
The children had questioned everything she said, challenged every instruction and generally made her question her career choice.
As lunchtime approached, she decided to give them a simple activity.
“Alright class, we’re going to draw our families.
Everyone take out a piece of paper and your crayons.”
The moment Claire gave the instruction, the classroom became noisy.
The children reached for crayons, some dropping them on the floor while others argued over colors.
One boy immediately started eating a blue crayon.
Claire stared at him.
“Please take that out of your mouth.”
The boy slowly took the crayon out and placed it on his desk looking a bit disappointed.
Claire turned to the other children who were still reaching across the tables and arguing over the crayons.
“One at a time, please.”
A girl with pigtails held up her drawing proudly.
“This is my mommy and daddy at our vacation house by the sea.”
Claire looked at the picture.
There were three people who looked more like colorful sticks, a huge blue blob that was probably the sea and a crooked house with something that looked like a swimming pool floating beside it.
“Oh, that’s…
lovely.”
Another boy held up his paper.
“My daddy is the most handsome daddy in the world.
None of the other daddies can beat him.”
Claire looked at the drawing of a man with messy hair, one enormous eye, and a mouth that took up half his face.
She flashed a small smile.
“Very good.”
She walked around the room looking at each drawing.
Some had large houses, fancy cars, and people who seemed to be wearing very ‘nice’ clothes.
Claire smiled at a few of them as she moved from desk to desk trying to make sure everyone was doing the activity.
When she reached one of the desks, she stopped.
The girl was drawing two little girls who seemed to be pulling each other’s hands, both of them with angry frowns on their faces.
“What are you doing?” She asked.
“I asked everyone to draw their family.”
The girl didn’t answer.
She only pouted and continued drawing, pressing her crayon harder against the paper.
Claire sighed softly and bent down beside her.
“Alright.
Who are these two?
Is that you and your sister?”
“No,” the girl said.
“Then who are they?”
“Sophie and Lily.”
Claire looked at the drawing again.
“And which one is Sophie?”
The girl pointed at one of the girls in the picture.
“She’s not here today.
That’s Lily.” She then pointed toward a blonde girl sitting a few desks away.
The girl had big cheeks, a small mouth and a strong little body.
She was quietly coloring her own paper.
Claire glanced at her for a moment before looking back at the drawing.
“I see.”
“Sophie always fights with Lily,” the girl added, still pouting.
“They fight all the time.”
Claire looked at the paper again, then she gently took it from her.
“Well, you can draw that another time.
Right now, I want you to draw your family.”
She gave the girl a fresh sheet of paper and placed it in front of her.
“Try again, alright?”
The girl looked at the new paper with a small frown but finally picked up her crayon…