After I’ve collected myself, Principal Garcia shows me the way to the accounting department.
I thank him and bid him goodbye, then step up to the front desk. “Mia Winters. I’m here to pay for my son’s tuition.”
“Little Eli, right?” The woman at the front desk grins. “We’ve got his registration papers right here. So thrilled to have you join our little family here.”
I spend a couple of minutes filling in everything—birth date, allergies, family details. I write my contact information on the“Parent/Guardian #1”field.
The second one, I leave empty.
Instead, I add Kallie and Reese’s contact info under “Others.” I tick the box for pick-up so they’ll be allowed to bring him home if I can’t. After a moment’s hesitation, I also add Tamara’s name, just to be safe.
On the fourth empty row, my fingers start writing a “Y,” but I quickly cross it out.
Let’s not get carried away, right?
“Here you go,” I tell the clerk.
“Perfect!” She gives a satisfied nod and tucks the papers away. “Will you require a payment plan for the tuition? We have a very good one that breaks it up in five installments over the year, no interest.”
She says it without the slightest hint of judgment. Like this isn’t just a rich kids’ school, but one that tries to be fair.
Wouldn’t have made a lick of difference without Yulian’s money, though.
I banish all thoughts of Yulian from my mind and shake my head. “That won’t be necessary. I’ll pay in full.”
I sign the check and hand it over. The number of zeroes still makes my head spin, but I feel light, too. Almost dizzy with excitement.
I just paid Eli’s tuition in full.Pride swells in my heart.
Right on its heels is relief.I could do this for him. For my kid.
All thanks to…
As I walk out, taking a deep breath of fancy Upper West Side air, I think back to that night. How good it felt to be touched, to be wanted.
Then I think back to this morning. How happy Eli was to meet his friends again, how kind Principal Garcia was to me. I think back to all the ice creams and pizzas I could buy Eli last month, to his new and final pair of basketball shoes, to his shiny new toys.
To Tamara, saving my ass from CPS.
That was all Yulian’s doing, too. Despite how cold he was to me, he also thought of me. Thought about my needs. If he hadn’t sent Tamara, I wouldn’t be taking my kid to school today. Wouldn’t be taking him anywhere.
Slowly, all the anger I’ve been nursing starts to ebb away. Yulian Lozhkin… I don’t understand him. Most likely, I never will.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t be grateful to him.
Before I can think better of it, I lift up my phone and snap a selfie.
First day of school. Couldn’t have swung this without you, so… thank you. For everything.
It’s not quite forgiveness, but it’s as close as he’ll get.
Our relationship is work. I need to remember that. What happened that night… It was just a one-time thing. Unpredictable, unstoppable, unforgettable—but also unrepeatable.
As long as I don’t get too close again, I’ll be fine.
Because, if I do, there’s no way to tell what’s going to happen. Whether I’ll get frostbitten…
… or burned to ashes.
