Fostered by their teacher

Chapter 2

Julie's POV

I glanced at the clock on the wall, feeling the familiar knot of guilt twist in my stomach. It was already 2:30 p.m., and I knew what that meant. The kids were getting out of school soon, and Stan and I were still stuck at work, nowhere near wrapping up.

Stan was sitting across from me in our shared office, hunched over a stack of papers, his brow furrowed in concentration. He hadn't looked up in a while, and I could tell he was just as buried as I was.

With a deep sigh, I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my temples. Today had gone from manageable to chaotic in a matter of hours, and now we had a big project emergency that required both of us to stay late—again. The thought of disappointing the kids gnawed at me, especially Mason and Lincoln. They'd been looking forward to us picking them up for days, and I knew this was going to hit hard.

"I have to call Y/N," I said quietly, breaking the silence. Stan looked up, his face reflecting the same regret I was feeling.

"I was just about to say the same thing. We're not getting out of here anytime soon, are we?" he asked, though we both already knew the answer.

I shook my head. "No. This project came out of nowhere, and there's no way we can leave before everything's settled."

Stan let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "They're going to be upset."

"I know," I agreed, my heart heavy. "Especially Mason. He's been having a rough time with us being so busy lately."

Stan nodded but didn't say anything. We both knew this was becoming a pattern. We'd promised the kids we'd be there for them more, but work kept getting in the way.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled out my phone and dialed Y/N's number. I hated asking her to pick up the slack again, but there wasn't really another option. She had been incredible, stepping up when we couldn't, but I knew this wasn't fair to her either.

The phone rang a few times before Y/N picked up. Her voice was bright but slightly hurried. "Hey, Mum, what's up? We're just about to head out for school pick-up."

I bit my lip, feeling the guilt deepen. "Hey, honey. I need to ask you a favor."

There was a pause on her end, and I could almost hear her preparing for the request. "Let me guess... you and Dad won't be able to make it?"

"I'm really sorry, Y/N," I said, my voice strained. "Something came up at work, and we're going to be here late tonight. We won't be able to pick up Mason and Lincoln, and I was hoping you could handle it. I know it's last minute."

Y/N didn't say anything for a moment, and I could tell she was processing it. She'd heard this too many times lately.

"It's okay, Mum," she finally said, though her tone was more patient than enthusiastic. "I'll pick them up. How late are we talking?"

I looked over at Stan, who gave me a helpless shrug. "Late," I admitted. "Probably not until after they're in bed."

There was another pause. I knew she was holding back her frustration, trying to keep things calm for my sake. "Alright. I'll make sure everything's sorted. Do you want me to tell them, or are you going to call Mason?"

"I'll call him later," I said quickly, not wanting to dump that conversation on her too. "Thank you, Y/N. I know this isn't fair, and I appreciate everything you're doing."

She sighed softly. "It's okay, Mum. Really. I just hope everything's okay at work."

"It's just one of those days," I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "I'll make it up to you guys. I promise."