and about five minutes into my mouth violation, I hear Mr. Anderson mumble, “Are you seeing this?”
I don’t see or hear Miss Annika’s response, but a moment later, Mr. Anderson pulls away and quietly tells me that I can close my mouth. He removes his mask, and he smiles down at me, but there’s something off about his smile. It’s the same way people smile at me when they hear about my parents—full of sadness and pity.
I hate it.
I fear it.
“Miss Annika and I just need to have a quick discussion,” he tells me. “We’ll be right back. Just stay where you are.” Another fake smile to go with his fake words, and I look over at Papa, who’s slumped in his chair, half asleep.
When they leave, I hiss, “Papa!”
He jerks awake, his eyes finding mine immediately. “What’s wrong, baba? Where are the doctor and nurse?”
“They stepped out, said they had to discuss something.” I shrug. “Maybe I have a cavity?”
Papa scoffs. “Maybe all that junk they feed you at that school. Not like Papa’s cooking, huh?”
I smile at him just as the door opens again. Miss Annika steps inside, clicking the door shut behind her. She says, sitting on the stool usually occupied by Mr. Anderson, “Mia.” My name mixes with a sigh. “I need to talk to you about something that’s a little… sensitive.” She takes my hand in hers and motions to Papa, her dark gray eyes filled with worry. “Maybe without your papa in the room.”
I glance over at Papa as he jerks up, his back ramrod straight. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” I say, repeating his fear. “Do I have a cavity or something?” I laugh, but it’s not from humor. It’s from nerves.
Tension sucks all oxygen out of the room, making it hard to breathe, and Miss Annika never takes her eyes off mine. “I really do think it’s best to have this conversation in private.”
I look over at Papa, his brows knit in confusion. And then I shake my head, my eyes meeting hers again. Pulse thrumming against my eardrums, I tell her, “Papa can stay.”
Besides…
How bad could it be?
Leo
I’ve barely made a dent with all the junk in the barn when Mia and John return. After removing my gloves, I make my way over to the driver’s side of John’s truck to greet Mia. When I open the door, she doesn’t turn to me. She doesn’t move at all. She stares out the windshield, her hands still on the wheel. “Hey… you good?” I edge, and she blinks once, sucking in a breath as if it’s the first time she’s done it in days. Without a word, John hops out of the truck and goes right into the house. “What’s with him? Did the hot nurse knock him back?” I try to joke, and when I turn to Mia again, she’s already watching me.
Her eyes seem to scan my face, every feature, one by one.
“Babe, are you okay?”
She nods once and finally speaks. “Yeah, just… tired, I guess.”
“Did they give you drugs or something? You seem a little out of it.”
“No,” she says, placing her hands on my shoulders to help her down.
I settle a hand on her waist and close the car door. After a quick check to make sure John isn’t watching, I drop a kiss on her shoulder, right next to the strap of her tank, and then I just hold her. Because I missed her. And because I’ve spent five fucking years wanting to wrap my arms around her. “I get anxious with doctors and dentists,” I tell her. “I think I let it all get to my head, and once it’s all over, it’s like an anxiety dump. Like a carb or sugar dump, you know? It’s exhausting.”
“Yeah,” she says, pulling away so she can kiss me once. “Maybe that’s it.” She peers over at the barn, and then the dumpster. “You still have a lot to do?”
“Yeah.” I loosen my hold on her. “I’d ask you to help, but I know you’d rather be spending time with your grandpa.”
She frowns at that and then heaves out a sigh. Hands soft against my biceps, she murmurs, “I should probably do that.”
“I don’t know what to do, baba!” John pleads, and I press my ear against his closed bedroom door.
“Papa, it’s not a big deal. Don’t worry about it,” Mia murmurs, and it’s obviously a private conversation I should not be listening in on.