(Sabrina’s POV)
The parent-teacher conference starts a little after two.
Mrs. Hamilton—Jake's teacher—is a petite woman in her forties with kind eyes and a no-nonsense demeanor. She welcomes us into her classroom, gesturing to the small chairs meant for elementary students.
Ethan and I sit side by side, our knees awkwardly high. Jake bounces between us, too excited to sit still.
"Thank you both for coming," Mrs. Hamilton says, settling behind her desk with a folder full of papers. "I'm glad to finally meet Jake's father."
I open my mouth to correct her—to explain that Ethan isn't Jake's father—but Ethan's hand finds mine under the table, squeezing gently.
Let it go, his touch seems to say. For Jake's sake.
So I stay quiet.
Mrs. Hamilton launches into her assessment, and it quickly
