WHEN SHE BECAME OURS

Chapter 5: The Morning Of

His phone buzzed with a text: "Can't sleep either? - Sarah"

David smiled despite his nerves and typed back: "Emma's been awake since 4 AM. She's reorganized her entire sock drawer and alphabetized her picture books."

"That's actually pretty impressive for a five-year-old."

"She gets focused when she's excited. How are you feeling about today?"

The reply took several minutes to come through: "Terrified. But ready."

"Good. I think terrified is the appropriate response to what we're about to do."

"David, I need to ask you something before we do this."

He could practically hear the seriousness in her voice through the text. "What?"

"What do I call you in front of Emma and the other parents? David feels too formal if we're supposed to be dating, but Dr. Miller feels too professional."

David realized they hadn't thought about this detail. "Just David is fine. What should I call you?"

"Sarah. But David, what if someone asks how we met? What if they want details about our relationship?"

"Keep it vague. We're taking things slow, we're still getting to know each other, we wanted today to be about Emma."

"And if Emma says something that contradicts our story?"

David paused his typing. He could hear Emma in the kitchen, probably making herself breakfast because she was too excited to wait for him. "Then we improvise. Sarah, I know this is crazy, but we're doing this for her. Whatever happens, we'll handle it."

"Okay. I'll see you at 2."

"Sarah?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. I know I keep saying it, but thank you."

"Ask me again after we see how this goes."

David found Emma in the kitchen, standing on her step stool at the counter, carefully spreading peanut butter on toast. She was already dressed in her favorite dress—the pink one with flowers that she'd picked out specifically for today.

"Good morning, sunshine. You're up early."

Emma turned with a grin that could have powered the entire apartment building. "I couldn't sleep! Today is THE DAY, Daddy! The day my... the day Miss Sarah comes to the tea party!"

David noticed the slip again. Emma kept almost calling Sarah "mommy" and then correcting herself. It made his chest ache with a combination of hope and terror.

"Are you excited?"

"So excited I might fly to the ceiling!" Emma bounced on her toes. "Do you think Miss Sarah will like my dress? Do you think she'll like the cookies we made? Do you think she'll want to sit next to me?"

"I think Miss Sarah will love everything about today."

Emma climbed down from her step stool and threw her arms around David's waist. "Daddy, this is going to be the best day ever, isn't it?"

"It's going to be perfect, sweetheart."

David got ready for work with unusual care, choosing a button-down shirt that wasn't wrinkled and pants that didn't have coffee stains. If he was going to play the role of Sarah's boyfriend, he should probably look the part.

His phone rang as he was dropping Emma off at school. The caller ID showed the hospital.

"Dr. Miller, we've got a situation in the ER. Multi-car accident on Highway 9. Can you come in early?"

David closed his eyes. "How early?"

"Now would be good."

"I can't. I have a commitment this afternoon that I absolutely cannot miss."

"David, we're talking about multiple critical patients—"

"And I'm talking about my daughter's Mother's Day tea party." The words came out harder than he intended. "Get someone else."

There was silence on the other end. David Miller didn't turn down emergency calls. Ever.

"Okay," his supervisor said finally. "But David, this better be important."

"It's the most important thing in my world."

After hanging up, David sat in his car for a moment, realizing what he'd just done. He'd chosen Emma over work for the first time in... possibly ever. The thought should have made him feel guilty, but instead he felt oddly relieved.

Across town, Sarah Collins stood in front of her bedroom mirror, trying on her fourth outfit of the morning. Nothing felt right. Too formal looked like she was trying too hard. Too casual looked like she didn't care. Too pretty looked inappropriate for a school function. Too plain looked like she wasn't worthy of David Miller's attention.

She settled on a simple green dress that brought out her eyes and made her look approachable without being overdressed. Minimal makeup, hair in a soft style that looked effortless but had actually taken her twenty minutes to achieve.

Her hands were shaking as she applied lipstick.

The face in the mirror looked back at her with a mixture of determination and panic. In a few hours, she'd be walking into her own classroom pretending to be someone she wasn't, lying to colleagues she'd worked with for three years, deceiving children who trusted her.

But when she thought about Emma Miller's face yesterday—the pure joy when she'd learned that "Miss Sarah" was coming to the tea party—Sarah knew she'd made the right choice.

Her phone rang. Her sister Jenny.

"Hey, how are you holding up with the divorce stuff?"

"Fine," Sarah said automatically. "Actually, I might have some extra income coming in soon. Some tutoring work."

"That's great! What kind of tutoring?"

Sarah looked at herself in the mirror. "Just helping a family with some... educational activities."

"Well, I'm glad things are looking up. You sound different today. Happier, maybe?"

"I feel different. I'm doing something today that feels... important."

"Good for you. You deserve some happiness after everything Rick put you through."

After they hung up, Sarah made herself a cup of coffee and sat at her kitchen table, going over the plan one more time. She and David would arrive separately but within minutes of each other. She'd act like she was meeting some of the other parents for the first time. She'd be warm with Emma but not overly familiar. She'd hold David's hand when appropriate, smile at the right moments, ask interested questions about Emma's projects.

Simple. Except for the part where she was lying to everyone she worked with and potentially setting up a five-year-old for heartbreak.

Sarah's phone buzzed with a text from David: "Emma made you a special place card for the tea party. She spent forty-five minutes making sure the letters were perfect."

The message was followed by a photo of a small folded card with "SARAH" written in careful kindergarten handwriting, decorated with hearts and flowers.

Sarah felt tears prick her eyes. She was going to break this little girl's heart, wasn't she? Either today, when she couldn't live up to Emma's expectations, or later, when this charade inevitably fell apart.

But then she thought about Emma sitting alone at the Mother's Day tea party while every other child showed off their projects to a mother figure. She thought about the little girl's face when she'd asked if her mommy would like her card.

Sarah finished her coffee, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door. She was going to give Emma Miller the perfect Mother's Day tea party, even if it killed her.

David managed to get through his morning rounds without any major disasters, but his mind kept drifting to the afternoon. He found himself checking his phone obsessively, reading and re-reading Sarah's texts, second-guessing every detail of their plan.

At lunch, he called Jake.

"Having second thoughts?" Jake asked without preamble.

"Every thought is a second thought at this point."

"David, it's not too late to back out. You could call Sarah, tell Emma that your girlfriend got sick, come up with some other excuse—"

"No." David's voice was firm. "Emma's been talking about this nonstop. She made Sarah a place card, Jake. She planned out exactly where everyone is going to sit. She's been practicing pouring tea without spilling it."

"And you? How are you feeling about spending the afternoon pretending to be in a relationship with Emma's teacher?"

David was quiet for a moment. "The weird thing is, it doesn't feel like pretending. Yesterday, when I saw Sarah with Emma, when I watched how naturally they interacted... it felt right. Like this was how things were supposed to be."

"David, you barely know this woman outside of parent-teacher conferences."

"I know she cares about Emma. I know she's kind and patient and smart. I know she makes my daughter light up in a way I haven't seen since..." David trailed off.

"Since Lisa left?"

"Since before Lisa left. Lisa never looked at Emma the way Sarah does."

Jake was quiet for a moment. "What if this isn't just about today? What if Emma's not the only one hoping for something more?"

David didn't answer, but Jake's question echoed in his mind for the rest of the lunch break.

At 1:30 PM, David picked Emma up from school. She practically vibrated in her car seat the entire drive home, chattering about the decorations in the classroom, the special cookies they'd made, the tea set Mrs. Henderson had borrowed from her own collection.

"And Miss Sarah is going to love my card, isn't she, Daddy? And she's going to sit right next to me, and I'm going to pour her tea, and I'm going to show her my art project, and—"

"Emma, breathe," David laughed. "Miss Sarah is going to love everything about today."

"Do you think she's excited too?"

David thought about Sarah's text that morning: "Terrified. But ready."

"I think she's very excited to spend time with you."

"With us," Emma corrected. "She's excited to spend time with our family."

David's hands tightened on the steering wheel. Emma had never referred to them as a family in that way before—as a unit that could include someone else, someone who belonged with them.

"Yes," he said softly. "With our family."

As they pulled into their apartment complex, Emma unbuckled herself and turned to face David with serious five-year-old eyes.

"Daddy, do you think Miss Sarah could be my real mommy someday?"

The question hit David like a physical blow. "Emma..."

"I know she's not my real mommy now. But maybe if she likes us enough, maybe if we're really good, maybe she could stay and be my real mommy?"

David turned in his seat to face his daughter fully. Her blue eyes were bright with hope and something that looked dangerously like love.

"Emma, I need you to understand something. Today is about having fun at the tea party. Miss Sarah cares about you very much, but—"

"But she might not want to stay forever?"

David felt like he was defusing a bomb. One wrong word could shatter his daughter's heart. "I don't know what will happen after today. But I know that no matter what, you are loved. So, so loved."

Emma nodded solemnly. "I know you love me, Daddy. But it would be nice to have someone else love me too."

"Someone else does love you," David said, his voice rough with emotion. "Miss Sarah loves you. Maybe not the way you're hoping for, but she loves you."

"How do you know?"

"Because no one who didn't love you would agree to come to a tea party just to make you happy."

Emma smiled, the serious moment passing as quickly as it had come. "Come on, Daddy! We don't want to be late!"

As they walked toward their apartment to get ready, David felt the weight of what they were about to do. This wasn't just about getting through one afternoon anymore. Emma was already building castles in the air, dreaming of a family that included Sarah Collins permanently.

And if David was being honest with himself, he was starting to dream the same dreams.

In thirty minutes, they'd walk into that classroom and change everything.

David just hoped they were all ready for what came next.