Chapter Nine
1017 Words
Chapter Nine
I regretted agreeing to this almost immediately.
Not because of Sofia.
Never because of Sofia.
Because I was standing in the middle of St. Mary’s Primary School surrounded by fathers.
Actual fathers.
The sort who knew where the school office was.
The sort who remembered sports days and parent-teacher meetings.
The sort who belonged here.
Meanwhile I was wearing a visitor sticker with my name written in blue marker.
Like a criminal on temporary release.
“Christopher!”
Sofia appeared from nowhere and grabbed my hand.
Problem solved.
Apparently.
“You came.”
I looked down at her.
“That’s generally what happens when I say I will.”
She rolled her eyes.
Exactly like Emily.
Wonderful.
“You know what I mean.”
I did.
Unfortunately.
“Come on.”
Before I could answer, she was already dragging me towards the school hall.
The room was packed.
Children.
Parents.
Teachers.
Coffee.
Pastries.
Noise.
So much noise.
I immediately spotted Emily standing near the back.
Watching.
Not hovering.
Not interfering.
Just making sure Sofia was okay.
She looked up.
Caught me looking.
Raised an eyebrow.
A question.
You alive?
Barely.
I gave a small nod.
Emily’s mouth twitched.
The traitor found this funny.
“Good luck,” she mouthed.
Then disappeared into the crowd.
Abandoned.
Fantastic.
⸻
For the next thirty minutes Sofia introduced me to everyone she knew.
Everyone.
Teachers.
Friends.
Friends’ parents.
A goldfish.
Possibly the school janitor.
I lost track somewhere around introduction number twenty-three.
“Christopher!”
Another child appeared.
“Are you Sofia’s dad?”
The hall went silent.
At least in my head.
Sofia answered before I could.
“No.”
The little girl frowned.
“Then who is he?”
Sofia looked up at me.
Then back at her friend.
Like the answer was obvious.
“He’s my godfather.”
The girl nodded.
Accepting this information immediately.
Children were strange that way.
No awkwardness.
No questions.
Just:
Okay.
Makes sense.
Then Sofia added:
“He was Daddy’s best friend.”
Something tightened in my chest.
Briefly.
Sharply.
The little girl smiled.
Then ran away.
Conversation over.
Children really were strange.
⸻
The activities started shortly afterwards.
The teacher stood at the front of the hall.
Smiling far too enthusiastically for nine o’clock in the morning.
“We’re going to begin with our Father’s Day Quiz.”
The children cheered.
The adults looked worried.
Smart adults.
Sofia grinned.
I immediately knew I was in trouble.
⸻
The quiz should have been easy.
Should have.
Unfortunately Sofia had apparently been collecting information about me for years.
“What is Christopher’s favourite football team?”
Easy.
“What is Christopher’s favourite dessert?”
Also easy.
“What is Christopher’s biggest fear?”
I looked at Sofia.
Sofia looked at me.
The little traitor wrote something down immediately.
I had absolutely no idea.
⸻
An hour later the results were announced.
Third place.
Second place.
Then:
“And first place…”
The teacher smiled.
“Sofia and Christopher!”
The room erupted.
Applause.
Cheers.
General chaos.
Sofia looked delighted.
I looked suspicious.
Very suspicious.
There had definitely been cheating involved.
⸻
The teacher handed Sofia a certificate.
Then smiled.
“Well done.”
Sofia accepted it proudly.
Then turned towards me.
A look appeared on her face.
One I recognised immediately.
Oh no.
“No.”
“What?”
“No.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to say.”
“I know exactly what you’re going to say.”
The grin widened.
“YOU LOST.”
The entire hall heard her.
Including Emily.
Who immediately started laughing.
Helpful.
Very helpful.
“Technically we won.”
“No.”
Sofia pointed dramatically.
“You forgot my favourite ice cream.”
The betrayal still hurt.
“It’s chocolate.”
“It is chocolate.”
“I know that now.”
Too late.
Apparently.
Sofia crossed her arms.
“The bet is the bet.”
The teacher looked delighted.
Emily looked delighted.
Everyone looked delighted.
Except me.
Typical.
⸻
The event ended shortly afterwards.
Parents began leaving.
Children collected artwork and half-eaten pastries.
The hall slowly emptied.
I spotted Emily near the door.
Sofia spotted her first.
Of course.
“Mammy!”
Emily smiled.
A real smile.
The kind she didn’t give many people.
The kind that always caught me off guard.
“Did you have fun?”
“We won.”
“We lost.”
Sofia ignored me.
“We won.”
Emily nodded.
“I believe Sofia.”
Naturally.
No loyalty whatsoever.
⸻
Sofia reached for my hand.
Then Emily’s.
And suddenly all three of us were standing there connected like some strange school project.
For a second nobody moved.
Then Sofia squeezed our hands.
Victory shining all over her face.
The dangerous thing was she looked happy.
Not polite happy.
Not trying-to-make-the-adults-feel-better happy.
Actually happy.
The kind of happy that made every awkward moment worth it.
Every single one.
Even the ones that hurt.
⸻
“Right,” Sofia announced.
Business mode.
“The bet.”
Emily frowned.
“What bet?”
Sofia looked horrified.
“Christopher didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“He has to buy lunch.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Emily laughed.
Actually laughed.
The sound warmed something inside me I had no interest in examining.
Not today.
Maybe not ever.
“Does he now?”
“Yes.”
“The bet is the bet.”
I looked between them.
Mother.
Daughter.
Both impossible.
I was massively outnumbered.
And unfortunately I already knew I’d lost.
“Fine.”
Sofia cheered.
Emily smiled.
And for the first time that morning, I found myself smiling too.
Which was probably a mistake.
The really dangerous thing wasn’t the school event.
It wasn’t the lunch.
It wasn’t even the fact that I’d somehow spent an entire morning pretending I belonged amongst all those fathers.
The dangerous thing was this.
For a few hours, everything had felt normal.
And after all this time, I wasn’t sure that was something I should get used to.
- Writer
