Black Female Celebrity Imagines 2

First Day 2

Y/n West

Ace West- 5

Y/n POV

I went home, cleaned up a little, pretended like I wasn't about to check the clock every ten minutes. Folded the same load of laundry twice. Opened TikTok, closed it. Made coffee I didn't even want. My whole routine was off.

Around noon I caught myself thinking about Ms. Wilson.

Which was crazy.

I shook my head. "Get it together."

But she was pretty. Like effortlessly pretty. Soft smile, calm energy, eyes that looked like she actually listened when people talked. The way Ace warmed up to her so fast did something to me too. He don't like nobody. Ever.

And the way she said my name.
Y/n.
Not rushed. Not butchered.

I checked the clock again.

Pickup couldn't come fast enough.

⸻

The line was long as hell when I pulled back up. Parents everywhere, kids running wild, teachers trying to keep order. I scanned the crowd immediately, eyes locked on that same woman from earlier.

Ms. Wilson.

Gabriella, I remembered. I heard another teacher say it.

She stood by the door, crouching down to kids' levels, tying a shoe here, fixing a backpack there. Patient. Gentle. Ace was right next to her, talking her damn ear off with his hands moving a mile a minute.

I smiled without meaning to.

When she spotted me, she stood up and waved.

Why my heart do that?

Ace saw me next and took off running. "MAMA!"

I dropped my keys and opened my arms just in time for him to crash into me.

"Heyyy my boy," I said squeezing him tight. "How was it?"

"I had fun," he said immediately. No hesitation.

I froze. "You did?"

"Yeah. I got a sucker. And we colored. And Ms. Wilson let me be the line leader." He looked back at her proudly.

"She did?" I asked, glancing up.

Gabriella smiled. "He did really good today. Listened well, helped clean up, used his words."

I raised my eyebrow at Ace. "Oh so you got sense at school?"

He shrugged. "I gotta make a good impression."

I laughed. "You hear this?"

Gabriella laughed too. Soft. Pretty.

"He's very smart," she said. "And confident."

"That's cause he grown," I replied. "Been grown."

Ace tugged on my shirt. "Mama can we go now? I'm tired."

"See," I said, "told you."

Gabriella smiled again. "He did a lot today. First days are big."

I nodded. "Thank you. For taking care of him."

"Of course," she said. Then, like she hesitated for half a second, "If you ever have questions or need anything, you can always reach me. I'm usually here a little after pickup."

"Oh," I said, suddenly aware of how I looked. Hoodie, messy bun, under eye concealer barely holding on. "Okay. Yeah."

Ace started pulling me toward the car. "Bye Ms. Wilson!"

"Bye Ace," she said, waving. "See you tomorrow."

He waved back like he was saying bye to family.

And I didn't miss the way she looked at me again before turning back inside.

⸻

That night Ace knocked out early. School wore his little ass out. I tucked him in, kissed his forehead, watched his chest rise and fall.

"My baby," I whispered.

I stood there longer than usual. Thinking about everything. About how I got him. About how long it had just been us. How nobody knew he wasn't mine because in every way that mattered, he was.

He didn't know either.

And he didn't need to. Not yet.

I went to my room, laid on my bed scrolling my phone, and caught myself smiling again.

Ms. Wilson.

Gabriella.

I sighed. "Oh brother."

The next morning I actually put on jeans. Did my hair a little. Nothing crazy, but effort. Told myself it was just because I was outside early.

Ace clocked me immediately.

"Why you cute?" he asked brushing his teeth.

"Why you in my business?" I shot back.

"You like my teacher?" he said, mouth full of toothpaste foam.

"What?" I choked.

"I saw how you was smiling," he said matter of fact.

"You need to worry about learning your ABCs," I said pushing him toward the sink.

He shrugged. "She nice."

"So are a lot of people," I muttered.

But when we pulled up and Gabriella was already outside, coffee in her hand, smiling when she saw us, my heart skipped again.

And this time
I didn't tell it to stop.