His eyes darken, and he starts to climb the first step toward me when the gymnasium doors squeak open.
“Mr. Teagan!” A small voice calls out, drawing his attention to where it should be.
“Gabriela!” He holds a hand out for a high five, but she crashes into him, wrapping her little arms around his legs in a hug.
My heart is officially a puddle in my chest when he places a gentle hand on the back of her head.
“Hello there,” he says bewildered, casting a glance up at me.
“Mr. Teagan, I’ve been practicing my lion pounces all year! Do you wanna see?”
Without waiting for a reply, she runs to the nearest soccer ball, scoops it up, and runs back to place it before him. Then she falls on top of it with a pretty impressive roar. I laugh louder than I intended, causing everyone to whip their heads my way. Blushing, I smile sheepishly at Teagan, but he’s grinning. None of the other kids are interested enough to find out who I am, but Gabriela is curious enough for all of them.
Her brow scrunches, creating little lines on her forehead. “Who’s that, Mr.Teagan?”
“That,” he says, “is Layla Diaz, my girlfriend.”
Little Gabriela’s eyes widen at first, then narrow at me.
Uh oh.
“You didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend.” Small hands ball into fists at her sides.
“Didn’t I?” Teagan asks sheepishly, a pink hue gracing his cheeks.
“No. I would remember.”
In an attempt to smooth things over, I stand and carefully make my way down the bleachers. Once I reach them, I squeeze Teagan’s arm before squatting down to the little girl’s level.
“Hi, I’m Layla. It’s nice to meet you, Gabriela. Mr. Teagan has told me so much about you.”
This takes her by surprise, and she asks in Spanish, “He has?”
Continuing in Spanish, I reply, “Yes, he’s told me how great you are at football, and that you’ll be the next Marta Viera da Silva!”
Gabriela gasps, cheeks flushing with delight as she looks over her shoulder at Teagan. When he smiles at her, that blush deepens. It’s so cute. I want to tell her that he has that effect on me too.
Again, in Spanish, she asks, “Are you and Mr. Teagan in love?”
I’m about to break her precious heart. “Yes, sweetheart, we are.”
She frowns. “Are you going to get married?”
Tilting my head to the side a little, I ask, “Do you think we should?”
Her little shoulders shrug. “My mommy says when two people are in love,they have to get married.”
“Ah. My mommy says that too, but you know what?” I whisper conspiratorially.
“What?”
Not wanting to overstep boundaries, but still encourage her independence, I tell her, “When you’re a grown-up,youget to decide what’s best for you. So right now, listen to your mommy because she loves you. But when you become an adult and find someone you love? Getting married is up to the two of you, not your family.”
I can see the wheels turning in her head at my words. “Do you want to get married to Mr. Teagan?”
Smiling softly, I take her small hand in mine. “Someday, and definitely to Mr. Teagan,” I toss him a wink when he perks up at his name. “But right now I’m happy to just be in love like we are. One day, when the time is right, we’ll get married.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” She leans in.
