Archive of Our Own ^beta

John Keating had been awake all night watching over his son, who had been sleeping in the bed right beside him. His two-and-a-half-year-old, Todd, had been having trouble sleeping lately, often waking up about an hour after his dad had put him down for the night. John would hear Todd crying through the baby monitor that he’d kept with him in case Todd needed him during the night, and he would rush up the stairs and down the small hallway to his son’s room.

Last night in particular had been a bad night for little Todd. John wasn’t sure what the issue was—if Todd was getting sick, if he had a nightmare, if something was upsetting him—but Todd had been inconsolable. John had gotten into the habit of bringing Todd to his own room for the night when Todd couldn’t sleep, so he lifted the crying boy and cradled him in his arms, grabbed Todd’s favorite duck plushie, and headed down the hall to his bedroom.

It took nearly an hour before John managed to get Todd back to sleep, but sleep didn’t come so easily for himself. John stared down at his little boy—a pacifier in his mouth, something Todd still used because John had been having trouble trying to wean him off of it, and his plushie clutched in his arms—and wished he knew what was upsetting Todd lately.

When his alarm for work went off, John quickly silenced it, not wanting to wake Todd from his peaceful slumber. John picked his phone up from his email and shot Todd’s daycare teacher a quick text, letting her know that Todd wouldn’t be at daycare today.

Todd’s teacher had offered her number to John after a few weeks of daycare when she realized that Todd had been struggling. Of course, on the first day of daycare, John had made sure to let her know that Todd was autistic, had a harder time with social interaction and communication, and that in case of an emergency, like a meltdown or a sensory overload, she should contact him when necessary. Poor little Todd’s separation anxiety would get so bad that she’d often have to contact John, and they found that emailing was not the most efficient form of communication during emergencies.

So far in the first month and a half of daycare, Todd had to go home early five times. Honestly, it was less than John had been expecting at first, but it was still a difficult situation to manage since John was a teacher himself and couldn’t leave school to get his son. John was grateful that his dear mother, Margaret, lived a few blocks away from them and was able to get Todd from daycare on his bad days.

Today, however, was the first time that Todd wouldn’t be sent to daycare at all. John couldn’t find it in him to send Todd in today, knowing how little the child slept during the night. When Todd didn’t get enough sleep, he got cranky, and he would be more likely to have a meltdown. Plus, John didn’t really want to be separated from his son while Todd was so upset.

He took another glance at Todd’s sleeping form before heading out into the hall to call his boss.

He’d been working at Welton Academy, the top all-boys boarding school in the country, for a year now, having been hired as the new English teacher for the previous school year. John was an alumnus of the school, so the administration was eager to have him back, especially when they’d received a glowing letter of recommendation from John’s previous school.

The principal was a nice older gentleman named Gale Nolan, who was always willing to work with John when Todd needed his dad with him. Todd usually stayed at his grandmother’s house during the day while John was at work, but if John ever needed to stay home with Todd, Nolan was always able to give him the time off he needed to be with his son.

“Mr. Nolan,” John said when the man in question answered the phone.

“Mr. Keating, rather earlier for a phone call,” The older man spoke over the phone. “What can I do for you?”

John sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Would it be possible to bring Todd to school with me today? He needs to stay home from school, but my mother is unable to babysit because she has a doctor’s appointment today, and I can’t take the day off because I have an important exam to give to my freshman class. He won’t be a distraction, I promise. I just don’t have any other options.”

“You may absolutely bring him in,” Nolan said kindly. “You speak highly of him. I am eager to finally meet him. Stop by my office when you arrive on campus.”

“Thank you,” John said, relief flooding his voice. “I promise he’ll behave, you’ll forget I even brought him with me.”

“There’s no need to worry about any of that, John. I told you when I hired you that I understood your son needs more of your attention, and that I’d work with you. This is just me making good on that promise. I’ll see you in a bit, then, yes?”

“Yes, I’ll see you soon. Thank you,” John said before bidding a farewell to Nolan and hanging up.

John stepped back into his bedroom and quietly rummaged around his drawers and closet for an outfit to wear for work. He decided to forgo his typical attire—a white button-up, striped tie, and matching brown pants and a suit jacket—for something a little more casual. He changed into a pair of tan pants and a dark red sweater that he knew Todd loved. He always made sure to dress in clothes that Todd would like the texture of, and he knew that Todd loved how soft his red sweater was.

Since Todd was still sound asleep, John took his time getting ready for the day. He combed his hair and brushed his teeth before quietly leaving the bathroom. He folded his pajamas and put them under his pillow before sitting on the bed. He looked at his precious little boy’s sleeping form one last time before gently rubbing Todd’s back to wake him.

Todd’s eyes slowly fluttered open, his bright blue irises staring up at his dad through his long eyelashes. He slowly began sucking on the pacifier in his mouth and cuddled his duckie close to his face. John smiled as he moved a hand to push Todd’s sleep-wild hair back from his forehead.

“Good morning, my little sleepyhead,” John said, keeping his voice soft.

Todd made a quiet whining noise before lazily holding up his arms, his duckie clutched in one of his little hands, indicating that he wanted to be held. John gently lifted Todd and sat him on his lap, cradling him against his chest. Todd snuggled right up against his dad, rubbing his cheek against John's soft red sweater as he held onto his duck.

“Hi, baby,” John said before pressing a kiss to the top of Todd’s head.

“Dada,” Todd mumbled around his pacifier.

John smiled. “Daddy’s here, bud. And guess what?”

Todd looked up, blinking sleepily at John, but there was still the hint of a curious look in his eyes.

“You get to come to work with Daddy today.”

Todd’s eyebrows furrowed. “No school?” He asked in a tiny voice, his pacifier falling out of his mouth and onto his lap.

John shook his head as he grabbed the pacifier before it could fall onto the floor. “No school for you today, baby. You get to come with me to big school instead.”

“Quack Quack come to big school?” Todd asked, holding up his duck. He’d been calling ducks ‘quack quacks’ for as long as he could speak, and it also happened to be the name of his most prized plushie.

“Quack Quack can come to school, but only if he promises to be a good boy while Daddy teaches, okay?”

Todd held his duck up to his ear and pretended to listen to it. “Quack Quack says he be good, Daddy.”

“And how about Toddy? Will Toddy be a good boy, too?” John asked, looking at his son.

Todd nodded before saying, in a very serious manner, “I be a good boy, Daddy.”

“Good job,” John praised, making Todd smile. “Now, how about we have some pancakes for breakfast, how about that?”

“Pancake!” Todd shouted, clapping his small hands together gleefully.

John lifted Todd into his arms, settling him on his hip as Todd clung to his dad, leaning his head on John’s shoulder. John pressed a kiss onto Todd’s forehead and smiled as he began walking them downstairs for some breakfast.

Getting Todd dressed and out the door proved to be quite the task, as he was so excited to go to his daddy’s work that he could barely sit still. It took some struggle, but eventually, John managed to change him into a pair of soft pants and his favorite racecar shirt. He helped Todd brush his teeth and put on his sneakers before he went around Todd’s room and packed a little bag for him full of some of his favorite toys to keep him busy during the day.

When they went back downstairs and passed by the kitchen, John made sure to pack some snacks and a water bottle for Todd as well, knowing that Todd usually got hungry again after lunch. Then, John helped Todd put his coat on, since it was a brisk morning in late October, and then put on his own coat. He grabbed his school bag, made sure Todd had his backpack and his duck, and they headed outside to the car.

The Keatings lived about 20 minutes away from Welton Academy. The staff had the option to live on campus if they wanted, but with Todd in the picture, John couldn’t reside on campus. Plus, he knew he would be stuck on lights-out duty, making sure all of the rowdy teenage boys were in bed by their curfew. John could hardly handle Todd’s bedtime, let alone the bedtime of an entire student body. Besides, John knew that a boarding school was no place for a two-and-a-half-year-old to grow up. Todd needed space, and so did John; he didn’t want to live at his place of work.

Besides, John enjoyed the 20-minute drive to Welton. Todd’s daycare was on the way, so he would drop Todd off and then continue to Welton on a normal day. Today, there was no need for the extra stop since Todd would be coming to Welton with him.

Todd spent the entire car ride babbling to his duck and kicking his feet excitedly. Every time John looked at Todd through the rearview mirror, he couldn’t help but smile at how adorable he was. He had the cutest son in the world.

Todd’s chattering slowed to a stop when they pulled onto the Welton campus. Todd stared out the window with wide eyes.

“Daddy, it’s big!” He said, looking at all of the buildings.

“Yeah, it is! So it’s very important that you don’t wander off, okay? You have to stay with Daddy, got it?” John said as he pulled into his usual parking spot, under a tree, near the front entrance of the school.

“Yes, Daddy,” Todd said. “I hold your hand?”

“Yes, you can hold my hand, buddy.”

When the car was parked, John got out and opened the back door to unbuckle Todd’s seatbelt and lift him out of the car. He placed Todd on the ground next to him before grabbing Todd’s backpack and his own bag. He helped Todd put on his backpack before grabbing Todd’s hand and leading him into the main school building.

They slowly climbed the stairs to the main office and headed inside.

“Good morning, Beatrice!” John said to the secretary.

“Good morning, John! Oh, who do we have here?” She asked, noticing Todd standing next to his dad. “Is this the famous Todd Keating that I’ve been hearing so much about?”

John smiled, looking down at Todd. “It is! Baby, do you want to say hi to Miss Beatrice?”

Todd inched closer to his dad, giving a shy wave to Beatrice. Beatrice, an older woman with large, thick glasses and soft gray hair, put a hand over her heart.

“Oh, he’s such a cute little thing!” She gushed. “He reminds me of my Ryan when he was still a boy. Enjoy it, they grow up quickly!”

“Believe me, I know,” John laughed. “It feels like just yesterday that I brought him home from the hospital. Is Nolan in yet?”

“Yes, and he’s expecting you! I told him I’d send you back as soon as you got here. Important meeting?”

“He wants to meet Todd.”

Beatrice grinned widely. “How sweet! And I know a certain Latin teacher who I’m sure is looking forward to meeting Todd as well!”

John felt his face turn hot as a blush crept up on his cheeks. “Has George been asking about me?”

George McAllister was the Latin teacher at Welton and had been teaching for a few years before John was employed at the academy. George was also a student at Welton around the same time John had been. George was a few grades above John, so they never had any classes together, but they were both members of the Dead Poets Society, which was how they’d become friends.

John had a huge crush on George when they were students, but he could never work up the courage to say anything about it. After George graduated, they’d lost touch, so when John found out that George also worked at Welton, he’d been ecstatic.

Their friendship picked up exactly where it left off, and to anyone on the outside, it must have looked like they’d been friends their whole lives. They were practically inseparable around campus. They sat together at lunch, graded together in one of their offices after school, and often had coffee together before first period began. They texted often, and even hung out on the weekends or weeknights sometimes, but only when John could get his mother to watch Todd.

The pair was teetering on the edge of friendship and something more, though neither of them had made that first move yet.

They’d seen each other over the summer a lot as well, but John had never brought Todd along when they met up. He was always hesitant when it came to introducing his son to people he was interested in. John wasn’t big on dating, so he didn’t go on dates too often, but on the rare occasion that he did, he was always upfront about having a young son.

He’d only been in one semi-serious relationship—with a man named David—since Todd had been born, but he could never bring himself to introduce David to Todd. It wasn’t that John didn’t trust David; if he didn’t trust him at all, he wouldn’t have continued seeing him in the first place. He just didn’t know if he could trust David with his two-year-old son, and he didn’t know if he loved David enough to let the two meet. Todd was the most precious thing in the world, so John felt like he needed to be extra careful with the men he dated. If he didn’t truly see a future, they wouldn’t get to meet the most important person in John’s life.

That had been the reason he and David stopped seeing each other. David had asked and asked to meet Todd, and he couldn’t understand why John was so hesitant. After David left, John found that he wasn’t even upset; he didn’t love David.

But when George reentered John’s life, and they’d gotten closer, John knew that someday, he would have to introduce George to Todd. And he wanted to—he really wanted to—but he was nervous to see how the two would like each other. If Todd didn’t like or wasn’t comfortable around George, John would not continue to pursue George. He loved George; he had since he was 15, but he knew he could never seriously date someone that Todd didn’t like.

So, being the mature 35-year-old he was, he decided that he would do everything in his power to avoid George for as long as he could.

“He asked about you this morning, actually,” Beatrice said, snapping John out of his thoughts. “He was in here picking up his mail from yesterday—I don’t know why that man waits until the morning to get his mail when he knows the mail gets here around 3 every afternoon—and he asked me if you’d been in yet because he noticed you were later than usual.”

John sighed. “Of course. Well, I’m sure I’ll see him eventually.”

Beatrice raised an eyebrow at John’s dismissive tone. “Are you avoiding him? Is it because Todd is with you? Are you nervous about introducing them? You were fine with letting him meet me.”

“George is different,” John replied. “I just want the moment to be perfect. I have to speak with Nolan, so if you’ll excuse me. Have a lovely day, Beatrice.”

John tugged Todd along as he headed toward the door behind Beatrice’s desk. He knocked and waited for Nolan to call for him. When he heard a quick ‘come in,’ John pushed the door open and led Todd inside.

Nolan sat at his desk with his reading glasses on as he typed something on his computer. He looked up at the sound of the door opening, and a smile took over his face.

“John, good morning,” He said, taking off his glasses and placing them on his desk. “And you must be Todd. Hello, son!”

John guided Todd into the office and sat down on one of the chairs in front of Nolan's large, wooden desk before lifting Todd up and setting him down on his lap.

“Todd, this is Mr. Nolan,” John said, looking down at his son, who stared up at him with large eyes. “Do you want to say hi?”

Todd slowly looked over at the old man behind the desk smiling at him, and decided to give him a small wave before trying to shove his thumb into his mouth. John grabbed his hand quickly and held onto it, kissing the top of Todd’s head.

“He’s a little shy today,” John said.

“No worries, we all have our days,” Nolan said kindly. “The school must seem quite intimidating for someone as young as him.”

John nodded in agreement. “He was excited in the car, right buddy?” He said, trying to draw Todd into the conversation.

“T’irsty, Daddy,” Todd said, having trouble with the ‘th’ sound. It was something John had been trying to work on with him, but they hadn’t been having much luck.

“You want your water, baby?” John asked, unzipping Todd’s backpack and pulling out his reusable Spider-Man water bottle. He pushed the little straw up and held the bottle in front of Todd so he could start taking a few sips.

While Todd drank some water, the adults continued speaking.

“I stopped by the kitchen earlier to see what was on the lunch menu for the day,” Nolan started. “There wasn’t anything on the menu that I thought a young child would eat, and I know you’ve mentioned that Todd is a picky eater, so I’ve asked them to make a grilled cheese sandwich for him for lunch. I hope that’s alright, John.”

Todd stopped drinking and looked between the adults. “Grill cheese?”

John smiled. “Yeah, buddy, you get to have grilled cheese for lunch.”

“For real?”

“Yep, for real!”

Todd squealed, happily flapping his hands and kicking his feet back and forth.

“What do you say to Mr. Nolan for getting you grilled cheese?” John prompted, hoping Todd would remember his manners.

“Fank you!” He said excitedly.

Nolan chuckled. “You’re very welcome, Todd. I hope you like our school.”

John and Nolan spoke for a few more minutes before Todd started getting antsy, which meant it was time to get a move on. John bid Nolan a farewell, Todd settling for another small wave, and the two of them headed down the stairs of the main office and down the long halls of the rest of the building. They passed some of John’s students on the way, all of them sending the pair questioning glances, but John just smiled at them and carried on.

When they reached John’s classroom, John unlocked the door and flipped the lights on, allowing Todd to roam around the room curiously.

“Daddy’s work!” He yelled before he took off, stomping around the room until he made his way to the whiteboard on the wall at the front of the room.

John followed him, placing his bag on the chair of his desk and picking Todd up. Todd swung his legs as John walked towards the door to his office, unlocking it and stepping inside.

His office was pretty small; it had a desk and a chair, and room for a soft rocking chair in the corner. The rocking chair didn’t come from the school, John had bought it on his own because during his free period—if he didn’t have any grading to catch up on—he liked to curl up with a book and spend the hour reading. Plus, he figured that if, for some reason, Todd ever needed to come to work with him, he'd have somewhere soft to sit.

John placed Todd down on the chair before crouching down in front of him, putting his hands on Todd’s knees.

“Now, I know you’re excited, Toddy, but Daddy has some very important rules to tell you. Do you have your listening ears on?” John asked.

Todd nodded his head, his hair flopping down onto his forehead. “Yes, Daddy! And Quack Quack, too!”

John chuckled, giving Todd’s duck, which was still tightly in his grasp, a pat on the head. “You and Quack Quack have to stay in here today, okay? You can play with your racecars or color in your coloring book. If you want to watch some Bluey, I brought my tablet for you, and you can take your nap after lunch, okay?”

“Okay, Dada.”

“But you have to be a good boy and stay quiet, got it? Daddy has students who have to take a very important test this morning, so I need you to stay on your best behavior.”

“How long’s it gonna take?” Todd asked, his head tilting like a confused puppy’s.

“Well, it shouldn’t take too long. Only one hour, and then I can come play with you for a little while, and then one more hour, and then lunchtime,” John explained, knowing it would all go right over Todd’s head. “If you’re a good boy in the morning, I’ll let you come to my afternoon classes, and after school ends, we can go by the lake and look for quack quacks. Would you like that, baby?”

Todd’s face lit up with excitement at the mention of his favorite animal. “Quack quacks? Daddy’s school has quack quacks?”

“Yeah! There’s lots of them outside. If you behave, we can go look at the ducks before we go home, pinky promise,” John said, holding his pinky out to Todd. Todd smiled, all of his teeth showing, as he looped his small pinky around his dad’s.

The bell for first period rang, making Todd jump, as he was clearly not expecting it.

“It’s okay, bud. It’s just a bell. It’s going to ring a few more times today, you don’t have to be afraid,” John explained.

“Daddy, can I have cars?” Todd asked, pointing to his backpack.

John unzipped it and pulled out Todd’s handful of racecars, setting them down on the floor. Todd slid off the chair and onto the floor next to his cars. He leaned his duckie up against the bottom of the rocking chair and put a yellow car in front of it.

“Daddy, look! Quack Quack play!” Todd said, clapping his hands happily.

“I see! You and Quack Quack can play with your cars while Daddy teaches, okay? If you need me, you can come quietly into my classroom and get me, got it, baby?” When Todd nodded, John held his arms out. “Now, come give me a hug.”

Todd, who loved nothing more than getting hugs from his daddy, flung himself into John’s arms and cuddled right up against his chest. John held him for a few minutes, savoring this last moment of peace before the day started. When Todd began to squirm, John released him from his embrace, but not before pressing a quick kiss onto the boy’s forehead.

John stood up and watched as Todd began rolling his cars around the hardwood flooring of his office. He smiled before quietly slipping out of the room, pulling the door behind him, but leaving it open a sliver so he could keep an ear on Todd.

As his students filed into the room, John opened his schoolbag and pulled out a stack of tests, earning him a collective groan from the room.

“I hate tests just as much as you do,” John said to his class. “But I have to give them so I have something to grade you on! So take your seats quickly so you can get started, because the faster we start, the faster you’ll finish!”

As the boys took their seats, a hand shot up.

“Yes, Mr. Brighton?” John called, pointing to the student.

“Did you bring your son to school today?” Mr. Brighton, or Daniel, asked.

John smiled. “I did, yes. He’s in my office playing with his cars right now. He promised to be nice and quiet so you can all take your tests.”

The class groaned again as John began to pass out the tests. As his students worked diligently, John paced the room, making sure no one was cheating, and occasionally poked his head into the office to check on Todd. Todd was still playing with his racecars, looking perfectly content.

After first period ended, John had his free period. He put all of his students’ tests into his schoolbag and went into the office to see Todd.

“Hey, buddy,” John said, crouching down next to his son. “Whatcha up to?”

Todd ignored his dad’s words, instead choosing to drive a car around John’s shoe. “Vrooooom.”

“Toddy,” John tried again. When Todd looked up this time, John smiled softly. “Are you hungry, baby? I brought some snacks for you.”

“Fishies?” Todd asked, putting his car down.

“Yes, I packed some goldfish. Would you like some now?”

“Yes!”

“And what do we say when we want something?”

“Please, can I have fishies?” Todd asked.

“Good job, bud!” John praised as he lifted Todd off the floor and carried him over to the rocking chair in the corner. John sat down, placing Todd on his lap, and pulled Todd’s backpack up from the ground. He pulled out a small plastic bag of rainbow-colored goldfish, the only kind Todd would eat, before putting the backpack back on the floor.

John opened the bag and let Todd take a goldfish, munching on it happily as John used his foot to gently rock the chair. The two spent the rest of John’s free period from teaching like this, sitting on the chair together and eating goldfish, and when Todd was eventually finished with his snack, he began to babble all about the games he’d been playing with his cars.

Third period came and went quickly. Todd stayed in the office, perfectly happy to sit on the floor and play with his cars again, while John gave out another test. Soon enough, the bell rang, signalling that it was lunchtime.

John went back into his office to grab Todd, but the little boy started pouting when John tried to leave before Todd could grab his duckie. John tried to tell him that his plush friend had to stay behind while they went to the cafeteria, but as soon as fat tears started spilling out from Todd’s eyes, John caved and leaned down to grab the duck, not wanting to see Todd upset.

Todd rested his head on his dad’s shoulder and hugged his duck closely as John began to sway, trying to soothe his son. When the tears ceased, John carried Todd through the halls of the school and to the dining hall. Because they were a few minutes late, everyone else had already begun eating.

John brought Todd over to the faculty table and sat down in his usual seat. Waiting for him on the table was the usual salad he ate for lunch, as well as a plate with a grilled cheese sandwich on it for Todd. John turned Todd around on his lap so he could face the table and made sure Todd’s duck plushie was sitting on his lap so it wouldn't fall, before picking up one triangular half of the sandwich and holding it up so Todd could take a bite.

“Ah, there you are,” A voice said from over his shoulder.

John turned his head and smiled. “Hello, George.”

George took his seat next to John, placing his napkin over his lap. “You didn’t mention you were bringing Todd with you today. I had to hear it from Nolan, could you believe that?”

John rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Yeah, sorry. It was sort of a last-minute decision.”

Todd looked up from his grilled cheese and stared at George. “Daddy, who’s ‘at?”

John laughed. “This is Mr. George, baby. Do you want to say hi?”

“Hi, Mr. George,” Todd said quietly, smiling shyly at the older man as he rubbed his cheek against his duck plushie.

John was surprised that Todd had verbally responded, especially after only waving at everyone else he’d met. Feeling pride for his son, he kissed the top of Todd’s head.

“Hi, Todd,” George said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“What’s ‘at mean?” Todd asked George, once again surprising John.

“It means that it’s very nice to meet you,” George explained.

Todd smiled at him before turning to his dad. “Dada, Mr. George nice,” he said before picking up his grilled cheese and taking another bite as if he hadn’t just just shocked his father into silence.

George laughed as John opened and closed his mouth a few times, searching for something to say.

“It appears I have his stamp of approval, huh?” George asked smugly. “Does this mean I can finally ask you to dinner?”

John's head whipped toward George, his eyes nearly popping out of his head in shock, making George laugh. Before either of them could speak again, Todd began tugging on his dad’s sleeve.

“Daddy, want water,” He said, looking up with his big eyes as his fingers stroked the plush fur of his duck.

John snapped out of his daze and smiled down at Todd. “What do you say when you want something, baby?”

“Daddy, can I please have water?”

“Yes, you can,” John said before reaching for the empty glass that was behind his own lunch plate. George grabbed the pitcher of water that was on the table and took the glass from John. He poured some water into it until the glass was half full before handing it back to John. “Thanks, George.”

“No worries,” George said. “Does he need a straw? I can go grab one from the kitchen.”

John thought about it briefly before nodding. “Yeah, that’d be great, thanks. I don’t want him spilling it all over his duck.”

George gave a short laugh before placing his napkin on the table and heading toward the kitchen. John placed the glass of water on the table and gently lifted Todd’s face to look at him.

“When George comes back, say thank you for the water,” John said.

“Daddy, when can we see quack quacks?” Todd asked, seemingly ignoring what his dad had said. “Can he come wif us?”

John was surprised that Todd wanted George to hang out with them after school. Todd wasn’t a fan of new people. He would hide behind his dad’s leg, and then eventually ask to be picked up so he could hide his face in his dad’s shoulder. He wouldn’t speak to the new person, he would simply give them a small wave when his dad prompted him to and hide from them.

With George, Todd didn’t seem afraid at all.

“I’ll ask George if he can come with us to see the quack quacks,” John said, smiling at Todd.

Todd kicked his feet and shook his fists by his face excitedly. John wrapped his arms around his little boy and hugged him, resting his chin on top of Todd’s soft blonde hair. When he heard footsteps approaching, he turned to see George with a soft smile on his face and a straw in his hand. George took his seat and placed the straw into Todd’s glass of water.

“Fank you, Mr. George,” Todd said as John held the glass so he could take a sip.

“You’re welcome, Todd,” George said before beginning to eat his lunch.

During the rest of the meal, George and John conversed, occasionally being interrupted by other staff members who wanted to say hello to Todd. John watched as Todd clammed up around them all, but went back to chattering with George about ducks as soon as they left.

Todd was through with his grilled cheese before John finished his own lunch, so Todd turned around so he could rest his head against his dad’s chest and slowly begin to doze off, his duck clutched tightly in his arms. John hadn’t even realized Todd had fallen asleep until George pointed at Todd before holding a finger over his lips, signalling to John to lower his voice as he spoke.

After the adults finished eating, John lifted Todd into his arms and stood up from the table. George followed, and together, they began walking down the hall of the school back toward John’s classroom.

“He’s adorable, John,” George said, looking at Todd’s sleeping face, his cheek squished against his dad’s shoulder.

“He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” John smiled. “He really likes you, you know.”

“Really? How could you tell?”

“He spoke to you.”

“And that's not usual for him?” George asked curiously.

“Not at all. He’s not a fan of new people. But they always say that kids are the best judges of character, so I guess he just felt comfortable with you. Ducks are his favorite thing in the world, but he only talks to special people about them. You’re special,” John explained.

“Well, then, I’m honored that he trusts me.”

John smiled at George softly, and in that moment, he felt like an idiot for being so nervous to introduce George to his son. In fact, he’d wished he’d introduced them sooner. Watching them interact during lunch made his heart swell.

“Oh, Todd wanted me to ask if you’d like to come to the lake with us after school to look at the ducks,” John said, mentally kicking himself for nearly forgetting Todd’s request.

“Is it just Todd that wants me to join?” George said teasingly.

John felt his face heat up. “Well… I suppose I would also love it if you came along with us. If you’re not busy, of course.”

“I’d love to.”

“Oh, okay,” John said, kind of surprised that George had said yes. “Um… why don’t you come to my classroom after last period ends, then?”

“I’ll be there,” George said before gesturing to the open door they’d stopped in front of. “This is my stop.”

John looked at the door to George’s classroom and sighed, bummed that their time together had ended so soon. “I’ll see you later?”

“Absolutely. Maybe by then, Todd will be awake,” George said, gesturing to the sleeping boy in John’s arms.

“He’ll be up, and I’m sure he’ll be bouncing around the room. He loves watching ducks. I take him to the park all the time to go see the ducks, or quack quacks, as he likes to call them.”

George chuckled. “I noticed that. It’s quite adorable.”

“You should see him when he’s stomping around the house quacking and pretending to be a duck,” John said. “He wraps himself up in the yellow blanket I bought him, and every time he takes a step, he quacks. He did it for two hours once; I nearly lost my mind. He’s a delight, though. I can’t imagine life without him and his incessant quacking. He’s my little duckling.”

“I’m sure he’ll be excited to see the ducklings, then. There’s a whole family of them that I see every morning on my walks. Three adult ducks and about a dozen babies. I’m sure Todd will love them.”

“He’ll probably scream,” John said.

A ringing sounded through the halls, signalling the end of lunch.

“I should probably head to my classroom,” John said.

George smiled before leaning forward and pressing his lips gently to John’s cheek. “I’ll see you after school,” He said before turning and heading into his classroom.

John stared at the doorway for a few moments with wide eyes and a pink blush on his cheeks. The sound of students bustling through the halls snapped him back to reality, and he walked down the rest of the hallway to his classroom.

None of his students had arrived yet, so he went straight to his connecting office and gently lowered Todd onto the rocking chair. Todd whined and stirred, his eyes slowly opening as John began digging around his little backpack. He pulled out Todd’s pacifier and held it in front of the boy’s mouth, letting him latch onto it.

“Sleep well, Toddy,” John whispered, stroking a hand through Todd’s hair. “I love you.”

Todd’s eyes fluttered shut as he sucked on his pacifier, slowly drifting back to sleep. John made sure Todd was comfortable and that his duck wouldn’t fall off the chair as he slept before leaning down to kiss his forehead and heading into his classroom, leaving the door cracked open so he could hear if Todd needed him.

As the students filtered into the room and took their seats, John stood at the front of the room.

“Boys, may I have your attention for a moment?” He asked. When all of the boys stopped speaking and looked at him, he continued. “I’m sure by now, you’re all aware that I brought my son, Todd, to work with me today. He’s in my office taking a nap right now, so I’d appreciate it if you could all be mindful of that and stay quiet during our class together.”

A hand popped up from the middle of the room. “Mr. Keating, how old is your son?”

“He’s two and a half,” John replied. “His third birthday is next month.”

“Why’d you bring him in today?” Another student asked.

“I didn’t want to send him to daycare today.”

“Is he sick?” Another voice piped up.

John shook his head. “He’s not sick. He’s been having a hard time sleeping lately, and last night was a bad night, so I felt that going to school would be too much stress for him. Any other questions, or can we start reading some poetry?”

The rest of the class went by quickly, as it usually did when John pulled his classes into the wonderful world of poetry. They read and discussed a few Whitman poems, and then John had them spend the remainder of the class writing their own poems to be read at the end of the week.

When the bell rang, the boys all grabbed their books and quietly left the room, being mindful of the fact that their teacher’s son was still napping in the office. After they all left, John poked his head into the office to check on Todd.

Todd had rolled onto his side and curled up in a little ball—his favorite way to sleep—and his pacifier had started sliding out of his mouth. John walked over to him and gently pushed it back into Todd’s mouth, careful not to wake him up, before tucking his duck back under his arm and quietly exiting the office to greet his next class.

John had been in the middle of writing a stanza of poetry on the board for his students about halfway through the class when he heard the boys start to whisper. That’s when he felt the tugging on his pant leg. He looked down and saw Todd staring up at him with wide, sleepy eyes. His hair was a mess, indicating that he must’ve slept well. He still had his pacifier in his mouth, and his duck was tucked safely under his arm.

“Hey, baby,” John said, putting down the marker he was holding down on the ledge of the whiteboard. “What are you doing up?”

Instead of verbally replying, Todd lifted his arms to signal that he wanted to be held. John put his hands under Todd’s arms and lifted him. He held Todd, one arm tucked under Todd and the other rubbing Todd’s back. Todd put his head on his dad’s shoulder and stared at all of the students in the room. John noticed and walked in front of his desk.

“Boys, I’d like to introduce you to someone very special,” he started. “This is my son, Todd. He just woke up from his nap, and he’s a little cuddly right now, so he’s going to sit in on the rest of the class. Todd, do you want to wave to everyone?”

Todd blinked slowly a few times before waving the paw of his duck at the class. The boys all cooed at how adorably shy Todd was, some of them waving back at him. John smiled at the class before rounding the desk once more and continuing to write on the whiteboard while Todd lazily kicked his feet back and forth.

After a few minutes, Todd began to squirm, so John set him back on the ground and crouched down in front of him.

“I put your coloring book and crayons in your backpack for you. Why don’t you go sit down and color for a little bit?” John suggested before ruffling his son’s hair and sending him off toward the office.

What he wasn’t expecting was for Todd to come back out of the office, his duck gone—likely in the office—and a coloring book and box of crayons in his hand. John watched curiously as Todd wandered over to one of the students who sat in the row of desks closest to the windows. Without saying anything, Todd put his coloring book and crayons onto the student’s desk before trying to climb onto his lap.

“Todd, baby, come here,” John said, rushing over to grab his son. “Zack has to do his work.”

“It’s okay, Mr. Keating,” the student, Zack, said. Zack lifted Todd onto his lap and held him so he wouldn’t fall. “He can hang out here while I take notes, he won’t bother me.”

“Are you sure? I can set him up in the office,” John said.

Zack smiled. “Nah, he’s fine. I babysit for my neighbors over the summers, so I’m used to entertaining kids.”

“Well… if you’re sure,” John said hesitantly before heading back to the front of the room to continue with the lesson he’d been teaching.

Meanwhile, Todd sat comfortably on Zack’s lap and opened his coloring book to a page with ducks on it. He struggled to open his box of crayons, so he held it up and looked at Zack.

“Crayon,” He said, taking the pacifier out of his mouth and putting it on the desk.

“Oh, here,” Zack whispered, taking the box from him. “What color do you want?”

Todd pointed to the duck on the page. “Quack quack.”

“You want yellow? And how about orange for the beak, huh?” Zack asked. When Todd nodded, he took out the colors and put them in Todd’s chubby little hands before placing the open box on the corner of the desk, ready for when Todd wanted other colors.

“Fank you,” Todd said as he began sloppily coloring his duck.

“You’re welcome, little man,” Zack said before turning his attention back to his teacher’s lesson.

A few minutes later, Todd started mumbling while he colored. Zack had to strain just to hear it, but once he figured out what Todd was saying, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Quack, quack, quack, quack,” Todd whispered to himself.

“Hey, buddy,” Zack said. “Do you like ducks?”

Todd looked up from his coloring book. “Quack quacks the best,” He said, very seriously.

“They are,” Zack agreed. “We have quack quacks here, you know. Maybe your dad can take you to see them.”

“Daddy promised! George comes too.”

It took Zack a moment to realize who Todd was talking about. He’d forgotten that Mr. Keating and Mr. McAllister were good friends, so of course he’d be joining Todd and his dad to look at the ducks.

“Wanna show Daddy my quack quack,” Todd said before starting to slide himself off of Zack’s lap.

“Oh, be careful, buddy,” Zack said, gently lifting Todd from his lap and placing him back onto the floor. He grabbed the coloring book and passed it to Todd, who smiled and started bunny-hopping to the front of the room.

“...and when Whitman says– Oh! Hi, baby,” John said, seeing Todd hopping toward him. “Whatcha doing, Toddy?”

“Daddy, look!” Todd said, holding up his coloring book.

“Wow! You did such a great job!” John praised, smiling at the messily colored-in ducks. “Do you want to draw a picture on the big board?”

Todd’s eyes looked like they could pop out of his head. “For real?!”

John smiled. “Yeah, baby, for real. Here, let me get you the marker.”

John grabbed the black dry-erase marker from his desk and uncapped it, handing it to Todd in exchange for the coloring book. John closed the book and placed it on his desk as Todd walked over to the board. While Todd started drawing on the whiteboard, John continued teaching.

A few minutes later, he was interrupted again.

“Daddy, quack quack!” Todd shrieked excitedly, pointing at his little drawings on the bottom corner of the whiteboard; the only spot he could reach, given his short height.

John turned around and walked over to his son. He stared at the quack quacks that Todd drew, which really just looked like ovals with arms and a face. But if Todd said they were ducks, then that’s what they were!

“Wow, look at that! Great job, baby!”

Todd began stomping his feet in place, a stim he often did when he was excited. “Quack quack!”

Before John could say anything else, Todd took off, running back over to Zack. Zack lifted him up and sat him on his lap once more. Todd picked up his pacifier from the desk and stuck it back in his mouth before leaning his head back to rest against Zack’s chest. John looked over at them, smiling softly before giving Zack a thumbs up.

A little while later, the bell rang and class ended. All of the boys left, saying goodbye to Todd before they made their way to the door. Todd didn’t seem to want to move, perfectly happy sitting on Zack’s lap, so Zack didn’t bother to move him. John sat on the desk in front of them, resting one of his feet on the desk’s chair.

“Thanks for keeping an eye on him for me,” John said kindly, looking at the dozing boy on Zack’s lap.

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Zack said, a smile on his face. “I love kids. Todd’s really cute, he looks a little like you.”

“He looks more like his mother, but he got my eyes and hair color.”

“Can I ask about his mom, or would you rather I didn’t?” Zack asked politely.

“Honestly, there’s not much to tell. She was my high school sweetheart, and we dated through college. We got engaged when she found out she was pregnant, but about a month after Todd was born, she decided that being a wife and mother wasn’t what she wanted, so she gave me all of his parental rights and moved out of the country. I’ve tried to call her and email her, you know, to send some updates on Todd, but she changed all of her contact information,” John explained.

Zack frowned, hugging Todd a little tighter to his chest. “I’m sorry, Mr. Keating.”

“It’s alright. I have Todd, and that’s all that matters. And he’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me. Isn’t that right, buddy?” John said, pulling Todd’s sleepy eyes up toward him. Todd looked at him with a small pout on his face as he sucked his pacifier slowly, clearly mad at his dad for waking him up from the nap he’d almost begun to take. “You know, Toddy, if you fall asleep now, we can’t go see the ducks.”

Todd perked right up, clapping his hands together. “Quack quacks!” He cheered, his voice muffled by the pacifier.

John stood up from the desk he’d been sitting on and put his hands in his pockets. “You wanna go see the ducks now, baby?”

Todd nodded his head quickly before pointing to Zack behind him. John looked at him curiously, not really sure why he was pointing.

“What, baby? You have to use your words right now,” John said, trying to prompt Todd into asking for what he wanted. It was something he’d been trying to work more on with Todd, asking for things instead of pointing at them.

“He come too?” Todd mumbled.

“Oh, you want Zack to see the ducks with us?”

Todd’s eyes practically lit up at the idea of his new friend coming with them. “Zack quack!”

Zack’s hand shot out, grabbing the pacifier that fell out of Todd’s mouth before it could hit the floor. John took it from him, grateful for his fast reflexes.

“Daddy, Zack come, too!”

John looked at Zack. “Well, Zack can come along if he wants to.” Then, he stepped closer to Zack and bent down. “You don’t have to say yes if you don’t want to,” John whispered.

Zack laughed. “It’s fine, Mr. K. I’d love to come, if it’s cool with you. I like to take walks after classes end for the day anyway; gotta stretch my legs, you know?”

A knock on the door startled all three of the boys, their heads whipping around. George stood in the doorway, wearing a long brown coat, clearly ready to go outside. He came into the room and made his way through the rows of desks to stand next to John.

“Hello, boys,” he said. “I see Todd’s made a new friend.”

“Two friends in one day, that’s a new record for him,” John said, pride present in his voice. He was surprised that Todd had been so comfortable around George and Zack after just having met them, seeing as he still wasn’t even comfortable with the other kids in his daycare class, even after knowing them for a month and a half now. He was so proud of his boy.

“George!” Todd said. “Hi!”

“Hello, Todd. And good afternoon, Mr. Campbell,” George said, giving a polite smile to Zack.

“You don’t have to call me that outside of class, you know,” Zack laughed. “I prefer to be called Zack after school ends.”

“Zacky,” Todd said, trying to turn around on Zack’s lap so he could see his face. Zack grabbed him and stood up, taking Todd with him. Todd shrieked excitedly and wrapped his arms around Zack’s neck, cuddling close to the teenager.

“You wanna go see the ducks now?” Zack asked before looking up at John, as if asking for his permission.

“Let me get his jacket,” John said, before quickly going into his office.

John took his long coat off the coat rack and put on his favorite brown hat before grabbing Todd’s jacket. He put Todd’s pacifier back in his backpack, knowing Todd wouldn’t need it while they were outside. He knew his son well enough to know that Todd would likely talk about the ducks the entire time.

John made his way back over to Todd, Zack, and George and held out Todd’s coat. “Come on, baby. We gotta put your jacket on so you don’t get cold.”

“Wanna stay here,” Todd pouted, sticking out his bottom lip and giving his dad his infamous puppy eyes. The puppy eyes were John’s biggest weakness. He found himself unable to say no to his son when he whipped out the puppy eyes.

“You can stay with Zack if you want, but you have to put your jacket on first.”

Zack lowered Todd to the ground. Todd was not too happy about it, but he let it happen. John helped Todd slide his arms into his jacket before zipping it up, making sure Todd would be nice and warm. John stayed kneeling in front of Todd and placed his hands on Todd’s shoulders.

“Are your listening ears on, baby?” John asked.

Todd reached his hands up and tugged on his ears. “Yes, Daddy.”

“When we go outside, you have to stay with me, George, or Zack, okay? You are not allowed to run off by yourself again, got it?” John asked, emphasising the again.

Over the summer, John and Todd had been a few towns over running some errands and decided to stop at the park for a little while. Todd saw a dog chasing a frisbee across the park and took off like a rocket, running over to it. John chased after him, but wasn’t fast enough to catch him before he tripped over a large stick and fell to the ground. John would never forget the scream that Todd let out when his head hit the grass.

Luckily, Todd was okay. His only injuries were scraped knees and hands, and his head ended up being fine aside from a small bump. But that day, Todd learned that he wasn’t allowed to run off on his own anymore, and John learned that if he was going to take Todd anywhere, he had to either hold his hand or carry him the entire time so he couldn’t run off again.

“You have to hold one of our hands when we go outside, got it?” John asked. Todd nodded his head, following along with what his dad was saying. “And no trying to touch the ducks.”

Also an issue they’d been having; if John had a nickel for every time Todd tried to touch a duck when they were at the park, he’d be rich.

“No pets?” Todd asked.

“No, baby, you can’t pet the ducks. You can look at them, okay?”

“Can I say hi to ‘em?”

John smiled, letting out a small laugh. “Yes, you can say hi to them. Just don’t touch them, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy.”

“Good boy,” John said before pressing a kiss to Todd’s forehead and standing up. “Whose hand do you want to hold, bud?”

Instead of answering, Todd stood in front of Zack and held up his arms. Zack looked to John, and when John gave him an encouraging nod, Zack lifted Todd back into his arms, much to Todd’s delight.

“Zack, I’ll put your books on my desk, and you can come grab them later, yeah?” John asked.

“Yeah, thanks, Mr. K,” Zack said before grabbing Todd’s small hand, which had started poking at his cheek.

“Do you need a coat?” George asked while John moved Zack’s books. “It’s a little chilly out.”

“I’m alright. These Welton sweaters are so thick, I’ve been sweating all day.”

John, George, and Zack all headed outside, Todd clinging to Zack as he rambled about ducks. Zack and Todd walked a few steps ahead of John and George, so neither of them noticed George’s hand slipping into John’s. John looked away from his son and up at George, who was a few inches taller than him, and smiled, squeezing George’s hand tightly.

When they got outside, they immediately went toward the dock. George felt John tense up beside him, clearly nervous to bring Todd so close to the lake.

“With three of us keeping an eye on him, nothing will happen,” George whispered.

John looked at him, giving him a small but grateful smile as they continued to the end of the dock. Todd squealed when they got there, kicking his legs back and forth, definitely kicking Zack a few times. Swimming around the lake near the dock was a family of ducks. There were five ducks and what looked to be about a dozen ducklings all floating around, the adult ducks occasionally plunging their heads underwater, letting their feet kick around the air.

“Quack quacks!” Todd shrieked, pointing at the ducks.

Zack lifted Todd higher onto his hip. “Yeah, buddy! Look at them all!”

“Can I pet ‘em?” Todd asked with wide, innocent eyes.

John approached them, standing next to Zack. “No, baby. You can’t pet the ducks, remember?”

“Why?” Todd pouted.

“Because they don’t like to be pet. They’ll get scared and run away, and then you won’t be able to see them anymore,” John explained gently. “You don’t want the ducks to run away, do you?”

Todd shook his head.

“Then you can’t pet them. But you can still look at them!”

Todd smiled before turning his attention back to the ducks, rattling off random facts about ducks that he knew. Zack nodded along as Todd spoke, beginning to sway from side to side as he held Todd.

John watched his son interact with his student, still shocked that Todd had warmed up to Zack so quickly. He was glad Todd felt comfortable enough to approach Zack during class earlier; Todd never usually made the first move when it came to new people. But now, watching Todd telling Zack all about ducks, John knew that Todd was slowly starting to come out of his shell, and he was so proud of his son.

John and George stood together and talked while Zack and Todd continued to watch the ducks. A cool breeze swept through, sending a chill down John’s spine. George noticed him beginning to tremble and stepped closer to him, wrapping an arm around John to hold him against his side so they could share their warmth.

“You know, he’d made a great babysitter for Todd,” John said, looking at Zack.

George raised an eyebrow in confusion, not sure why John had mentioned that. “Um, I’m sure he would.”

“It’s also pretty convenient that you both board at Welton.”

“John, what are you trying to say?”

“Well, I just think that it would work perfectly.”

“Perfectly for what?”

“If you ever ask me on a date,” John smiled. “Think about it. You and Zack could drive to my place, and Zack could babysit Todd while we went out to dinner or something. If he agreed to it, that is.”

George let out a chuckle. “Well, I’d love to go out to dinner with you, if that’s something you’re interested in. But could I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?” George asked. “Every time I tried to flirt with you, I couldn’t tell if you weren’t picking up on it, or if you were trying to ignore it.”

John sighed, leaning his head on George’s shoulder. “I was nervous about Todd. It’s hard to date when you have a kid, especially one like Todd who doesn’t really take to new people well. If we started dating before you met him and he didn’t like you, I would have had to end it, because he comes first. I just didn’t want to end anything before it really began. But I was scared to introduce you for that reason. I would have been devastated if Todd didn’t like you or feel comfortable around you because it would have meant that we couldn’t be together, and I’ve been crushing on you since we went here together.”

“Oh, John,” George sighed. “I would have understood. I’m sorry you felt like you were in a position where you were stuck. You should have brought this up sooner, we could have talked it through, and I would have backed off. Did you talk about this with anyone else at least?”

“My mother. She kept telling me to talk to you, but every time I’d go to your office to talk, I just got scared and couldn’t bring it up,” John said.

George was quiet for a few moments before he spoke again. “Did seeing Todd and I interact during lunch help ease some of that fear?”

John lifted his head from George’s shoulder and looked him in the eye, a smile on his face. “It did, a lot. He was really comfortable with you. And now that I know he likes you, I want to try this out and see where it goes.”

George squeezed John’s hand. “I would love that. We can take things at whatever pace you’d like. There’s no reason to rush anything. I understand that dating while having a young son can be difficult, and I’ve never dated someone with a child before, so it’s going to be a learning experience for both of us. What matters is that we take the time to learn each other, and also Todd, right?”

“You’re right,” John agreed.

“And besides, I think Todd would be more than happy to spend a few hours with Zack so we could go out for dinner. Look at him,” George said, watching the two interact.

John watched with a huge smile on his face as Todd pointed at the ducks, talking so fast that he was stumbling over his words. Zack looked absolutely enthralled by what Todd was saying, nodding along and gesturing to the ducks when appropriate.

George and John stood off to the side watching Todd and Zack for what felt like hours, but must have been only 10 more minutes before they saw Todd kick his legs, indicating that he wanted to be put down. Zack lowered him, placing him on his feet, and Todd toddled his way over to where George and John were.

John stood in front of George and stared up at him with wide eyes.

“Hello,” George said, giving him a warm smile.

“Up?” Todd asked, holding his arms up.

Todd was too cute to say no to, so George quickly lifted the little boy into his arms, smiling at John when Todd began to giggle.

“Did you see the ducks, Todd?” George asked.

Todd nodded his head. “Quack quacks swimmin’! Look!”

“I see them, bud,” George said, looking at the ducks. “Did you tell Zack all about them?”

Todd nodded again as he swung his legs back and forth. He went to stick his thumb in his mouth, but George quickly grabbed his hand and held it.

“Don’t put your thumb in your mouth, silly,” George said. “You haven’t washed your hands yet!”

Todd pouted before looking at his dad. “Daddy, want paci.”

“I’m sorry, Toddy, I don’t have your paci with me right now,” John said, taking his son from George’s arms. “Maybe we can try to go without it for a few days, hmm?”

“No!” Todd shouted, smacking his hand down on his dad’s chest.

“Todd, we don’t hit,” John said sternly. “Hitting isn’t nice, remember? What do we say when we hit someone?”

“Sorry, Daddy,” Todd pouted. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Promise you won’t do it again?”

“Promise, Daddy.”

John smiled, kissing Todd’s cheek. “Good job, buddy.”

“Can I have paci now?” Todd asked quietly.

“Not right now, buddy. Maybe later, okay? You can have it when we go home.”

Zack walked up to the teachers and the boy and stood next to them. He shoved his hands into his pockets and smiled.

“Todd’s a really cute kid, Mr. Keating,” he said.

“Thank you,” John said. “Say, do you think you’d be up for watching him for a bit so George and I can get some grading done? I have to start on the tests I gave this morning, but I know Todd won’t want to sit in the office any longer. Maybe the two of you could stay out in the classroom while we set up in the office? If you’re not too busy, that is.”

Zack’s face lit up. “Yeah, I’d love to hang out with Todd a little longer. What do you think, little man?”

Todd clapped his little hands excitedly. “Yes! Can we play cars?”

“We can definitely play cars!” Zack smiled widely.

Todd's nose and cheeks were pink from the cold, and he'd started shivering, so they figured it would be a good time to head back inside. They quickly got out of the cold and made their way back to John's classroom. When they arrived, John put Todd back onto the ground, and Todd ran straight to the whiteboard.

“Daddy, crayon?” He asked, pointing to the board where his drawing from earlier remained.

John walked over to his son. “Let's take your coat off first, and then you can have the markers.”

After getting Todd's coat off, John opened one of the drawers of his desk and pulled out four dry-erase markers: black, red, green, and blue. He passed them to Zack before following George into the back office.

“Zack, if you two need anything, just shout. I'll keep the door open,” John said.

Zack nodded and gave him a thumbs up, so he headed into the office, leaving Todd with Zack, and for once, he felt comfortable letting someone else keep an eye on his boy.

John and George stayed in the office chatting and grading papers until around 4:30. They decided it would be best to stop for the day so that George and Zack would have time to head back to their rooms before dinner at 5, and John and Todd needed to go back home for their dinner.

The men stepped out of the office and into the classroom, smiling when they saw Zack standing in front of the whiteboard, holding Todd up so he could reach higher on the board. The board was filled with colorful blobs that John had to assume were ducks. Currently, it looked like he was adding the finishing touches to a set of stick figures. Todd’s tongue poked out of his mouth as he added red smiles to each figure.

“Wow, baby, look at that!” John said, approaching Todd and Zack.

Todd looked from his drawing to his dad and smiled. “Daddy, look! Us!” Todd pointed to the drawing. “George, you, me, and Zacky!”

John looked at the four stick figures and found that his eyes were stinging. All of the stick figures were holding hands, with Todd right in the middle. John didn't want to have to erase it, but he supposed he didn't really need to use the whiteboard tomorrow for his lessons.

“That's a really good drawing, wow! Great job, buddy!” John said as Zack lowered Todd to the floor.

Todd stood in front of his dad and smiled up at him, clearly proud of his drawing. Zack leaned over and grabbed the marker from him, putting the cap back on it and placing it on John's desk with the other three markers.

“It's almost time for dinner, kiddo,” John said, crouching down in front of his son. “Are you ready to head home?”

“Can George and Zacky come, too?” Todd asked.

John gave him a sad smile. “No, baby. They have to stay here.”

“I stay too?”

“No, buddy. We have to go back home and have dinner.”

“Why?”

John sighed, knowing where this conversation was likely headed. “We have to go back home, buddy. It's getting dark outside. We need to have dinner, and then it's bath time, and then we can read a story before bed.”

“I don’t wanna leave,” Todd said, tears pooling in his eyes as his lip quivered.

“I know, but we have to. I can make you chicken nuggets for dinner. Would you like that?” John offered, trying to help cheer Todd up.

Unfortunately, Todd was having none of it. Fat tears began sliding down his cheeks as he began to cry. He plopped himself onto the floor and sobbed loudly, hitting his hands against the ground.

John sat in front of him and pulled him onto his lap, holding his boy close to his chest and letting him cry. “It's okay, baby. We can see George and Zack another day.”

“No,” Todd cried, drawing out the word. “Wanna see now.”

Zack stepped forward and crouched down next to John and Todd, putting a gentle hand on Todd's back.

“It's okay, Todd. We can play again on another day. I'm sure your dad will let you come back again, right?” Zack said, giving John a pleading look. Although he'd only known Todd for a few hours, Zack already loved the kid. He hated seeing him so upset.

John quickly nodded his head. “That's right, Toddy. We can come back over the weekend. Would you like that?”

Instead of responding, Todd just continued crying in his dad's arms. John pressed a kiss to the top of his son's head before turning to look at George, who'd been hovering behind him. George shot him a sympathetic look before kneeling down next to the group.

“We'll see each other again soon, Todd, don't worry,” he said, trying to comfort the crying child.

“Don't wanna go home,” Todd wailed.

John knew how hard it was for Todd to become comfortable around new people, but he didn't realize how much more difficult it would be for Todd to leave his new friends.

Todd's daycare teacher had told John numerous times that Todd was having trouble engaging with the other kids, and preferred to spend his time playing and coloring off to the side, away from everyone else. He wasn't used to saying goodbye to his friends at the end of the day because he didn't really have any. This was new territory for John, and he wasn't sure how to handle it.

All he could do for now was hold his baby and let him cry.

Luckily, George and Zack seemed to sense John's hesitation.

“Hey, buddy,” Zack started. “Why don't we have a playdate this weekend? Would you like that? That way, you can see us soon. Would that make you feel better?”

Todd looked at Zack through wet eyelashes and watery eyes. “Playdate?”

George smiled at the boy. “Yes, we could come visit you, or you and your dad could come visit us.”

John locked eyes with George and smiled at him before focusing on his son again. “Yeah, baby, we can set up a playdate so you can see George and Zack soon. Would that make you happy?”

Todd sniffled loudly, looking up at his dad. “I show ‘em all my toys?”

“Yes, you can show them all of your toys,” John said before looking between George and Zack. “Maybe you guys could come to the house, if that's alright with you?”

“Absolutely,” George nodded. “We can talk about it tomorrow.”

John looked at Zack. “You don't have to come if you don't want to, Zack. But you are welcome.”

“I'd love to, and I'm sure Todd would too,” Zack smiled, ruffling Todd's hair gently.

Todd finally cracked a smile, even though the tears still poured down his face. John planted a kiss on Todd’s forehead and gave him a soft smile.

“Do you want to say goodbye to George and Zack before we leave, bud?” He asked his son.

Todd shook his head. “Don't wanna go home.”

“But George and Zack are gonna come to our house in a few days, remember? And you can show them all your toys,” John said.

“Promise?” Todd asked, his eyes wide and sad.

“Pinky promise, baby. Now let's say goodbye to our friends, okay?”

Todd pouted, his lip quivering. John gently took Todd's face in his hands and leaned down to put their foreheads close together.

“You can do it,” John encouraged. “It's just like when we say bye-bye to Grandma every day. You say goodbye, and then you see her again soon, right?” When Todd nodded, John continued. “Let's be a brave boy now, can you try that for me?”

Todd nodded, and John helped him stand up. George and Zack stood as well, waiting for Todd to make the first move. Todd stepped in front of George and held his arms up, allowing George to lift him up and into a hug. Todd tucked his head against George’s shoulder, cuddling close.

“I'll see you soon, okay?” George said to the boy. “I had so much fun with you today. Did you have fun?”

Todd nodded. “Quack quacks.”

George let out a small chuckle. “Yes, I enjoyed looking at the ducks, too. Now, be good for your dad, okay? I'll see you soon, I promise.”

“Bye bye, George,” Todd mumbled, hugging George tightly.

“Goodbye, Todd,” George said before passing Todd off to Zack.

Just like with George, Todd quickly cuddled close to Zack, making himself comfortable in the teenager's arms. Zack began to slowly sway back and forth as he rubbed Todd's back. John watched in awe; Zack was a natural with Todd. Zack had mentioned that he loved kids, and John could tell. And what made things even better was that Todd was clearly very comfortable around Zack as well. John had a feeling he'd be seeing a lot more of Zack outside of class in the future… It was a good thing Zack was one of his favorite students!

“I had fun playing with you, little man,” Zack said, his voice soft. “And watching the duckies.”

“We can play soon?” Todd asked.

“We can definitely play soon. And you can show me the rest of your cars just like you wanted to before.”

“And Wolfy?” Todd asked, wanting to show Zack his second favorite stuffed animal, a dog he'd named Wolfy.

“Yeah, we can see Wolfy, too. I'll see you in a few days, little dude,” Zack said, hugging Todd tightly.

Todd hiccuped quietly as he hugged Zack. “Bye bye, Zacky.”

Zack passed Todd back to John, who had to almost pry Todd away from Zack. He grew upset again, so John gestured to Zack and George to leave the room. Them leaving quickly would make Todd upset, but if they stayed, John knew it'd likely be another 20 minutes of Todd begging not to go back home.

Zack and George gave John and Todd waves as they collected their things and left the classroom, each sending Todd one last smile. George pulled the door shut behind them as they made their exit.

Poor Todd only began to sob louder, begging for them to come back. John held him close and began to sway and bounce gently to help soothe Todd. He let Todd cry himself out, whispering calming words to him the whole time. After a few minutes, Todd appeared to be all cried out, tiredly tucking his face against his dad's neck. John could tell his boy was tired; it was a long day for Todd, and he wasn't used to it.

John headed back into his office and put Todd down in the chair in the corner. Todd whined at the loss of contact with his dad, but curled into himself and closed his eyes. John packed his schoolbag before working quickly to put all of Todd's toys back in his small backpack. He called Todd, who slowly peeled his eyes open, and took his Quack Quack into his arms.

“You want your paci, buddy?” John said, holding the pacifier in front of the boy's face. Todd simply opened his mouth and closed his lips around it, giving it a few gentle sucks before finding a rhythm. John sighed to himself; he'd have to try weaning Todd off of it another day.

He put his jacket on before grabbing Todd’s and helping Todd stand up.

“Can you put Quack Quack down for a minute so I can put your coat on?” John asked. Todd whined, but put his duck on the chair behind him before allowing his dad to slide the coat onto his arms. When John finished zipping it, he reached behind Todd and passed him his duck again. Todd rubbed the duck's head against his cheek, humming quietly.

John grabbed his and Todd's bags before scooping the little boy into his arms.

“You ready to head home, baby?” He asked.

Todd nodded, closing his eyes and resting his head on John's shoulder. John double-checked that they had everything before shutting the office light off and closing the door behind him as he left the room. He locked the door before making his way to the back of the classroom. He looked back at the whiteboard, covered in Todd's drawings, and smiled before flipping the lights off and pulling the door shut as he left the room.

Unlike the ride to Welton in the morning, the ride back home was quiet. Todd was practically asleep as John buckled him into his car seat, and ended up napping the entire drive home. When they got back to their house, John grabbed their bags, lifted Todd out of the car, and carried him inside.

He put their bags down in the entryway, heading straight for the stairs. He went to Todd's room and placed the boy on his small bed. John took Todd's jacket off, careful not to wake him, and tucked him into bed. He leaned down and pressed a kiss onto Todd’s forehead before flipping on the radio monitor on Todd's dresser and grabbing the second one to take with him.

John went to his own room and changed into more comfortable clothes. He swapped his sweater and work pants for some sweats and a t-shirt before heading downstairs to start making dinner.

He popped some chicken nuggets into the oven for Todd and started boiling a pot of water for pasta. Todd, for whatever reason, loved eating his chicken nuggets with a bowl of pasta on the side. Todd liked bowties the best, or butterflies, as he called them. Plus, he'd eat the pasta, too. Just after he poured the pasta into the pot, the house phone rang.

“Keating residence,” he answered, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

“Hi, honey! It's mom,” the voice on the other end said.

“Oh, hi, Mom! How was your day?”

“Oh, it was lovely. My doctor's appointment went well, and I got my flu shot. Then, I did some errands, and you'll never guess who I ran into at the grocery store!” Margaret said.

“Who?”

“Mrs. Davis from the library! She was asking how the school year was going for you, and said her son is going to be starting at Welton next year!”

“That's great, Mom,” John replied as he stirred the cooking pasta with a wooden spoon.

“How's my grandson doing? Has he been sleeping any better?”

“He's napping right now, but he's still having a hard time at night. Last night was pretty bad. I wish I knew how to help him,” John sighed.

“I know, honey. One of the hardest parts of being a parent is not knowing how to help when your child is struggling,” Margaret said sympathetically. “I'm sure Todd will start sleeping better soon. You just have to give him some time. He's still getting used to daycare, it could be that.”

“Yeah, I don't know. I just hate seeing him so upset, Mom.”

“Well, of course, you do! He's your baby!” Margaret said before switching gears. “Did you find someone to watch him today?”

“No, actually. I took him to work with me.”

“Oh, how'd that go?”

John spent the next few minutes recounting the events of the day to his mother, who was thrilled that Todd had made some new friends. She was even more glad to hear that John had finally made a move on George, after having to hear her son talk about him since they were teenagers at Welton together.

When the timer on the oven went off, John told his mother he had to go, and they said their goodbyes before hanging up. John pulled Todd's chicken nuggets out of the oven, placing the tray on the stove next to the pasta. The pasta timer went off soon after, so he drained it and put the colander in the pot on the stove. He opened up a cabinet and pulled out a bowl for himself, as well as one of Todd's plastic plates and bowls. He put the chicken nuggets on Todd's plate and placed it on their small dinner table before scooping some pasta into a bowl for him. Then, he plated his own dinner and set it on the table before heading upstairs to wake Todd up.

Todd was still fast asleep, curled up with his duck. His pacifier had fallen out of his mouth and rested on the pillow next to him. Todd was finally sleeping peacefully, and John hated to have to wake him. John sat down on the bed and gently combed his fingers through Todd’s messy hair. Todd's eyes slowly blinked open.

“Hi,” John whispered.

“Hi, Daddy,” Todd whispered back, his voice small and sleepy.

“It's time for dinner. I made chicken nuggets for you.”

“Daddy?” Todd asked, squishing his cheek against his duck.

“What's up, buddy?”

“Love you,” Todd said, smiling sleepily at his dad.

John grinned widely. “I love you too, baby.”

John lifted Todd into his arms and stood up. He grabbed Todd's pacifier and held it out for the boy, smiling when Todd took it into his mouth. Of course, Todd was still clutching his duckie, which meant Quack Quack was going to be sitting at the table with them. But John never minded the extra company because it made Todd happy to have his duck at dinner.

John sat Todd down at the table before getting one of his plastic cups from the cabinet and filling it with water. He popped a lid onto it and stuck a straw into the insert hole before passing it to Todd. Todd took his pacifier out of his mouth and put it on the table so he could have some water.

John and Todd ate their dinners quietly for the most part. Todd occasionally started babbling to his duck, and John had to remind Todd to actually eat his food. When they both finished their meals, John cleaned off the table and put their dishes into the sink to deal with later.

“How about a bath, kiddo?” John suggested, standing next to Todd.

“Quack quacks?” Todd asked.

“Yeah, you can play with your bath ducks,” John said. Because, of course, Todd had tons of rubber ducky bath toys.

Todd squealed excitedly as he slid off his chair. He grabbed his duck and ran to the stairs, leaving John laughing at the table.

“Daddy, hurry!” Todd shouted before taking off up the stairs, albeit rather clumsily.

John rushed over and grabbed Todd's hand, and together, they slowly made their way upstairs. They made a quick stop at Todd's room to drop off Todd’s stuffed animal, and so John could get Todd's favorite pair of pajamas: soft blue pjs with none other than ducks printed on them.

When they made it to the bathroom, John ran the water, and as they waited for the bath to fill, he helped Todd get undressed. When the tub was half full, he added some bubbles before lifting Todd into the tub. Todd wasn't a huge fan of baths. He hated it when the water was too hot or too cold, and he didn't like it too high. But he loved playing with his bath toys, so whenever his dad said it was bath time, the urge to play with his special ducks beat out his disdain for being in the water.

John opened one of the drawers under the sink and pulled out a dozen rubber ducks, dropping them into the water as Todd excitedly clapped his hands. He played with his ducks while John washed his hair. John struggled to help get Todd cleaned because the little boy had decided to start splashing him. But John would gladly get a little wet if it meant Todd was giggling in the bath instead of crying.

Once Todd was clean, John pulled the drain and helped Todd out of the tub. He quickly wrapped a fluffy yellow towel around him to dry him off. Like everything else Todd owned, the towel resembled a duck. It was yellow and had a hood on it with eyes and a beak on it. The top two corners had little orange pockets, much like the feet of a duck, that Todd could put his hands in so he could wrap the towel around himself. He loved the towel and often begged his dad to let him wear his “duck outfit,” even if he hadn’t just taken a bath.

John helped Todd dry off and change into his pajamas. He made sure to dry Todd's hair off as best as he could with the towel, knowing how much Todd hated the feeling of water dripping down his neck. On bad days, a drop of water trickling down his neck was enough to tip him over the edge and send him straight into a meltdown, so John always made sure he was careful to avoid that from happening.

By the time they left the bathroom, it was already 7pm. Todd's bedtime was at 7:30, which meant it was time to wind down for the night. John took his kid into his arms and carried him downstairs for some quiet time. Since Todd started having his sleeping troubles, John had been reading up on ways to help Todd fall asleep quicker. One of the things he started doing was to have quiet time 30 minutes before putting Todd to sleep.

They would cuddle up on the large, soft rocking chair in the corner of the living room and sit for a while. John didn't turn on any of the big lights; instead, using the lamp on the corner table next to the couch as their source of light. Some of the websites he'd read suggested that using dimmer lights might help Todd get tired quicker. He never turned on the TV because he didn't want Todd getting worked up and excited over shows when he was supposed to be settling down for the night.

John sat down on the rocking chair and rested Todd on his lap. Todd liked to sit facing his dad so that he could rest his head over his dad's heart. He liked to listen to the soothing thumping. John held Todd close and began to slowly rock the chair. As they sat together, John started humming some soft lullabies to help Todd get tired.

By the time it hit 7:30, Todd was still awake, but he did look exhausted. Sometimes, Todd would fall asleep during their quiet time, and John would put him straight to bed, but on the nights Todd was still awake, he'd read a story to him to help him fall asleep.

John carried Todd up to his room and lowered him onto the bed. Todd tiredly pulled his duck plushie close to his chest, rubbing his cheek against it as he always did. John pulled the blankets over his baby before reaching to the nightstand next to the bed and grabbed Todd's favorite book, Little Quack. He sat down next to Todd and began to read the picture book, his fingers combing through Todd's hair. By the time the story was over, Todd was struggling to keep his eyes open. John put the book back on the nightstand and continued stroking Todd's hair.

“Daddy?” Todd asked quietly. If it wasn’t silent in the room, John doubted that he would've been able to hear Todd because of how soft his voice was.

“What's up, baby?”John asked.

“I like big school.”

John smiled, looking down at his son. “Yeah? I'm glad.”

“When can I go to big school?” Todd asked before letting out a yawn.

“You have to get bigger first, buddy,” John said, trying to hold back a laugh at how adorable his boy was.

“I can go to school with Daddy?”

“When you turn 11, you can come to school with Daddy. I promise.”

“How old am I now?” Todd asked, looking up at his dad with sleepy eyes.

“Two and a half.”

“Soon?”

John held back another laugh. “Not quite. In nine years.”

“Oh, okay,” Todd mumbled as his eyes slipped shut.

John watched as Todd started to move his thumb before reaching over to the nightstand and grabbing one of the extra pacifiers. He gently moved Todd's hand away from his face and slipped the pacifier into his mouth. John sat with Todd for another few minutes, and when he was certain Todd was asleep, he leaned down and gave Todd a kiss on the forehead before quietly flipping the baby monitor on and leaving the room.

He made his way back downstairs to grab the second monitor from the kitchen and kept it with him as he moved around the house. He washed the dishes from dinner, making sure he didn't clang anything too loudly. He wiped down all of the counters and the dining room table next.

When he finished cleaning up, he decided to finish grading all of the tests and papers that he'd fallen behind on. He sat on the couch with stacks of tests, essays, and worksheets in front of him on the coffee table and began to read through them all.

He lost track of the time while he was sucked into the world of grading, but was pulled out of it when he heard little footsteps coming down the stairs. Todd must've been awake, he thought as he looked up. He wasn't sure how he hadn't heard Todd getting up through the baby monitor. He supposed he must have been really focused.

Todd came down the stairs with his duckie clutched in his arms. His hair was messy, his eyes were half-lidded, and he looked like he was a minute away from falling asleep standing up.

But he wasn't crying, which was what surprised John the most.

“What are you doing up, buddy?” He asked quietly, placing his papers and pen on the coffee table.

“Wanna sleep wi’ Daddy,” Todd mumbled tiredly, his voice muffled by the pacifier in his mouth.

John smiled, standing from the couch, shutting the lamp off, and walking over to his son. He picked Todd up and rested him on his hip.

“You can stay with me tonight,” he said, carrying his son upstairs. He hadn't planned on going to bed yet since it was only 10 o'clock, but he knew Todd wouldn't go back to bed unless he went with him. There were no tears, but John knew that they could definitely start if he tried to get Todd to go back to bed on his own. Besides, it couldn't hurt him to go to bed earlier. John knew he didn't get enough sleep as is—his doctor reminded him every chance she got—so he figured going up with Todd would be better for both of them.

When he reached his bedroom, he put Todd in bed and covered him with the blanket. He moved around quietly, noting the way Todd was quickly falling back to sleep, as he grabbed his pajamas to change. He went into the bathroom to change and brush his teeth, and when he was finished getting ready for bed, he carefully lay down next to Todd. He leaned over and kissed Todd’s forehead before getting comfortable and closing his eyes.

Tomorrow was a new day. Hopefully, Todd would be okay to send to daycare. Maybe John could try to get Todd to use his pacifier less, and they could work on Todd's ‘th’ sounds. Maybe Todd would be willing to try to make new friends at daycare since he did so well at Welton. But for now, all John hoped was that Todd would sleep through the rest of the night.

John fell asleep feeling proud of his son for doing such a great job at Welton. His little boy was growing up so fast.