common sense • rini/jolivia one shots

better with you

Nina Salazar-Roberts made it a rule of hers not to get involved in her students personal lives when she got her teaching degree.

she had graduated from NYU with a teaching degree and moved back to Salt Lake to start a teaching job at the local elementary school. Nini loved her job. she taught second grade and loved every second.

her own life outside of her job was pretty boring. she came home from work, made dinner, read a book on the couch and went to bed. she wasn't too exciting. her students were the most lively part of her day. they always brought a smile to her face. especially one student.

Lilly Bowen was the cutest little girl you'd ever seen. she had the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes and cute brunette ringlet curls. she came to class every day smiling and laughing, always telling Nini about the previous night.

today though, Nini could tell something was wrong. Lilly came to school in jeans and a tee shirt with her little converse haphazardly tied and her hair a curly mess. this wouldn't normally spark concern but Lilly usually came to school all dressed up with her hair in bows.

Nini tried to ignore the way that Lilly sat quietly at her desk all morning, silently doing her work. she went to the end of the line for lunch, usually wanting to be the first. at snack time in the afternoon, Nini noticed that she didn't have a snack packed, instead she was silently reading at her desk. when the end of the day came and all the parents came to pick up their kids, Lilly was the last one left waiting.

Nini crouched in front of the little girl, "Lilly, where's your mom? she's never late."

the little girl looked at her teacher with sad eyes, "daddy said that mommy left, she went away."

Nini furrowed her brows, "oh, how long is she away for?"

"forever." Lilly said quietly.

just as Nini was about to ask the girl another question, there was a knock on the doorframe before somebody came in, "sorry i'm late, my last lesson ran long. it won't happen again."

Nini was face to face with Ricky Bowen, Lilly's father. she briefly knew Ricky from her high school days, she went to East High while he went to West High, she used to watch him play in the football games.

"Ricky, we've only met once, i'm Nina Salazar-Roberts, Lilly's teacher." Nini said as she held her hand out for the man to shake.

"ah i'm sorry Miss Salazar-Roberts, it's been a rough 24 hours." Ricky said as he scratched the back of his neck.

Nini guided the man over to her desk as she leaned against it, "Lilly mentioned that her mother was away?"

Ricky glanced between Nini and Lilly for a moment, "Elise left me. she told me yesterday afternoon over a phone call and when i got home she was gone. my dad brought Lilly home for me and i had to explain to her where her mother went. it hasn't been easy for her."

Nini felt her heart break slightly, "or you either Ricky. what Elise did wasn't okay, just up and leaving like that. you need to make sure you're taking care of yourself too."

he smiled softly, "thank you Miss Salazar-Roberts."

"Nina, you can call me Nina." she nodded at him.

she watched as he hugged his daughter tightly before they bid her a goodbye and left. Nini shut off all the lights and locked her classroom door, walking outside to her Subaru and going home to her empty apartment.

as she laid in bed that night, she couldn't help but think about the little girl and her father who were in a sucky situation across town, just starting the next phase of their new life.