The Steady

Hot for teacher? No.

Hot for teacher's widower? Maybe a little more than I should be.

I merely meant to comfort Ren, to help him find steady ground in the middle of an ocean of pain. It was supposed to be a one-time thing.

Only… our chemistry, set ablaze by our extreme size and age differences, was something neither of us had experienced before. It was break-the-bed good and far too potent to stop at just the one time, so we didn't. And we've been hiding it from everyone—including his son—ever since.

I know this can only end one way. I’m just the stand-in. The much, much younger guy with his late husband's physique who’ll temporarily make him forget his grief.

If only he hadn't been so… sigh. Amazing. Funny. Brilliant. Beautiful.

I didn't mean to fall in love with him, but I couldn't help myself. If only he were ready to fall in love again.

Is it too much to hope that with time and a little help from the late Mr. Paige, Ren could let me be the love of the second half of his life?