Page 5 of Silver Fox's Baby

I explicitly line everything out in the syllabus, so the work I assign shouldn’t take anyone by surprise.

I run my fingers through my hair, tugging on the ends.

My eyes flicker toward the clock.

Almost four. I should get going. Connor will be going home soon, and I don’t like to leave him alone for too long.

He might be twelve, and more capable than a lot of kids his age… Hell, he’s more capable than most of the college kids here, but still.

I refuse to be an absent father. I know the damage that does.

He has enough of that from his mother as it is.

My son is my life. And I’ll do anything I can to be there for him and protect him from the world. Too bad the only person I can’t protect him from is the one he loves the most. The one who hurts him the most.

I sigh.

Madeline. She claimed to love me once too.

Live and learn, I guess. And boy, did I learn. As great as it might be to be part of a loving, happy family and as much as I’d love it if my son could have a mother figure available twenty-four seven, or if we could have someone who loved us both, I now know the truth.

Love is for fools.

Too bad now my son is being taught the same lesson by the person who should love him the most. I wish I could protect him from that.

Since I can’t, I do the next best thing. I live for my son.

I am his father and his mother when I need to, even if he has a mother. A mother that only remembers he exists when it is convenient for her.

I wish I could spare him the pain I went through going up, but apparently, I suck at all kinds of love.

However, one thing is for sure. I won’t ever make him doubt my love for him. Ever.

Ok, just five more minutes, then off I go.

My eyes fall on Ms. Everett’s essay again. What should I grade it?

My phone rings, and as I look at the screen, I swipe to answer.

“Hey buddy. I was just thinking about you.”

“Can you pick me up from Bert’s?”

I frown. “Why? What happened? Where’s Sally? She is the one who usually drives you home.”

“I need you to pick me up and take me to meet with Mom. She said she can have an early dinner with me if I hurry up.”

“What are you talking about, buddy? Meet her where?”

“That café outside of the airport. Her flight is in a couple hours, but she said she can make it work.”

My heart breaks for my boy. Because of course, she would request something ridiculous like this, hoping he wouldn’t be able to go, most likely.

But it’s not his fault his mother is putting us under pressure. He doesn’t deserve to be used like this by her, but I will not play her games to make me the villain. “Sure, buddy. I’ll leave right now to come and get you. Are you already at Bert’s?”

“Yeah.”

Madeline and I have only been divorced for two years now, and every bit of those two years has been hard on Connor.