To Find Love Again

Lexa

Lexa DeSantos was cleaning up her classroom after a day of coloring and some sort of epic glitter fight that ended with most of her students covered in a combination of red, blue, and silver glitter. Lexa was in her first year of teaching at St. Thomas Aquinas Primary School as one of the kindergarten teachers. She was 24, two years older than the rest of the new teachers, but life happened and she had been unable to start teaching until now.

Lexa really enjoyed teaching and these first three months had been an absolute delight. While Lexa had some problems with the way the school was run, it didn’t interfere with how much she adored her students. And as the lowest on the totem pole, she had been assigned to direct the Christmas pageant, which she wasn’t completely panicking about just yet. She still had four weeks to pull something together and most of the parents were incredibly involved in their children’s education and extracurriculars. She had been given a co-director for the pageant, Nick Giavanni, the legal guardian and uncle of Lexa’s student, Lacey.

Lacey’s parents had been killed in a car accident over the summer and all of the single female (and in-the-closet-because-this-was-a-Catholic-school male) teachers and parents referred to Nick as the “untapped potential”, with his successful construction company and impressive new daddy skills with Lacey. Apparently he had dated his way through almost all of Orange Grove, California (and, if rumors were to be believed, all of the surrounding towns as well), but completely gave that up when he got custody of Lacey.

Lexa and Nick saw each other a few times a week, at first to discuss Lacey starting kindergarten and what he would need to know to help her, and then about her anger issues regarding her parents’ deaths. Lexa had training regarding grieving children, and she and Nick had set up counseling sessions for Lacey once or twice a week to help her with the huge changes in her life and just to make sure she was healing. After only a few sessions, Nick had complimented Lexa on Lacey’s markedly different behavior since she started seeing “Miss Lexie”.

Neither Lexa nor Nick were blind and they both saw, and appreciated, that the other was extremely attractive. Lexa had long, dark brown hair she usually wore in a messy bun to protect from glue, glitter, and childproof scissors. She had hazel eyes that seemed to change color depending on her outfit and a tall, curvy figure. Nick was in men’s shirtless calendar shape, as he didn’t just own his construction company, but worked on the sites as well. His brown hair was cut short and he had dark green eyes. He also had perpetual stubble and a crooked grin that literally made women sigh as he walked past them.

However, neither of them were looking for or were interested in a relationship, despite the obvious chemistry between them. They both had other, more important, priorities than finding someone to date or even just fool around with. Lexa also had to be aware of the behavior clause in her contract, that basically said she couldn’t embarrass the school with outrageous, unCatholic-like behavior. Lexa honestly never worried about that, as she didn’t date and spent most of her private time at home.

“Miss Lexie?” a small voice said behind Lexa.

She turned and saw Lacey Giavanni standing in her doorway, her book bag dragging on the floor and her eyes red and puffy. Lexa immediately kneeled and held her arms open and Lacey jumped into them, crying.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” Lexa asked softly, holding Lacey to her.

“Uncle R-Robbie was ’pposed to come get me and he d-didn’t and I don’t w-wanna go home!” Lacey said, sobbing.

Lexa gently picked her up, Lacey’s arms tightening around her neck and her legs wrapping around Lexa’s waist. Lexa carried her to their Imagination Storytime Station, where Lexa had a giant rocking chair, pillows, and bean bag chairs for seats. She rocked Lacey back and forth, softly humming, until Lacey let go of the death grip she had on Lexa’s neck. Lacey sat down on her lap, wiping the tears off her cheeks with the backs of her little hands. Lexa held up a tissue and Lacey messily blew her nose into it.

“What’s going on, sweetheart?” Lexa asked. “You wouldn’t be this upset over nothing.”

“Thanksgiving is in a week,” Lacey said in a small voice. Lexa gently moved Lacey’s hair behind her ear.

“Okay,” said Lexa, waiting patiently for Lacey to tell her why that mattered.

“Mommy and I always started decorating the house one week before Thanksgiving so we could put up stuffed toy turkeys and corncopies-”.

“Cornucopias,” Lexa gently corrected her. Lacey nodded vigorously.

“Uh-huh, those, and then we would start decorating for Christmas. When I told Uncle Nicky we had to start decorating tonight, he said it’s not even December and we only decorate for Christmas!”

“Ah, I see,” Lexa said. “And did you tell Uncle Nicky why you needed to start decorating now?”

“I couldn’t!” Lacey cried. “Granny took me to school today ’cause Uncle Nicky had some meeting and Uncle Robbie was supposed to pick me up, but he never came!”

“Oh, sweetie.” Lexa stroked Lacey’s hair, calming her down. “I’m sure your Uncle Nicky will listen when you two have more time to talk. And I know your Uncle Robbie must have a very good reason for not coming to pick you up.”

“Is he in heaven with Mommy and Daddy and the angels, so he couldn’t come?” Lacey asked sadly, breaking Lexa’s heart.

“Oh, no, sweetheart, I’m sure he’s fine.” Lexa made a snap decision as she looked at Lacey’s tear streaked face. “Do you know what site your Uncle Nicky is working at today?”

“The one with the new apartments next to the dentist and McDonald’s.”

“Would it be okay if I took you over there?” Lexa asked. “Then I can talk to Uncle Nicky about the decorations.”

“Would you?!” Lacey grabbed Lexa around the waist, holding onto her tightly. “Thank you, Miss Lexie!”

“You’re welcome. C’mon, I have a six years and under seat in my car, which should be perfect for you.”

Lexa grabbed her bag and gathered up all her stuff, shooting off a quick text to her little sister, Angie. Then, with Lacey holding her hand and skipping along beside her in the hallway, Lexa got ready to see Nick Giavanni.

Nick

Nick Giavanni was exhausted. His company had three projects they were trying to finish before the new year and parenting Lacey was proving more difficult than he had anticipated. When Nick’s older brother and business partner, Theo, and his wife, Summer, had asked if they could list Nick as Lacey’s guardian, it had seemed like a no-brainer to say yes. Theo and Summer were young, healthy, trying for another kid, and they just weren’t “one of those families” that tragedy happened to; until, suddenly, they were.

Nick’s family was incredibly close and for two months after the accident, his mother, Grace, and father, Tony Sr, lived with him and Lacey. Unfortunately, Tony Sr had lung cancer, and Grace couldn’t raise Lacey and care for her husband at the same time. So, at the beginning of the school year, they moved back home (which, to be fair, was so close it would only take Lacey a few minutes to walk there). Nick’s younger brothers, Robbie and Tony Jr, helped when they could, but Nick didn’t trust Robbie and knew he couldn’t rely on Tony Jr for around-the-clock help.

Robbie was an unrepentant man-whore (something Nick related to, but completely gave up when he got custody of Lacey). He had no problem parading half-naked women in front of his niece, no matter how many times Nick told him to stop. Tony Jr was still in college and helped as much as he could, but his classes and extracurriculars made it impossible for him to always step up (no matter how willing he was). At this point, Nick felt he was basically raising Lacey with her gorgeous kindergarten teacher, Lexa DeSantos.

Nick sighed as he thought about Lexa. The woman was beautiful but didn’t seem to realize it. You were just as likely to find her with crazy, wild curls and flushed cheeks, laughing after chasing after the kids in her class, than you were to find her in oversized, paint stained button downs and her hair in a messy bun. She never seemed to wear makeup and yet still managed to outclass and outlook every club whore Nick had ever been with. He also had to admit her utter disinterest in him made her even more fascinating.

Nick glanced up as Robbie came into the trailer they had on the work site, stomping his feet and blowing on his hands, then returned to the mountain of paperwork in front of him.

“Dude, it’s colder than Santa’s balls out there,” Robbie said.

“Language,” replied Nick, not looking up from his paperwork. He could almost hear Robbie rolling his eyes.

“I thought our Captain America language rule was just around Lacey,” Robbie said. “Where is the little munchkin, anyway?”

Nick froze, his pencil falling to the desk. He looked up at his brother, who seemed oblivious to the obvious tension now in the trailer.

“What the fuck do you mean, where is she?” Nick bit out, glaring at him. Robbie looked at Nick in bewilderment.

“Dude, why are you looking at me like that? I just asked where Lacey was.”

“She’s supposed to be with you, shithead! You were supposed to pick her up after school!” Nick shouted. Robbie looked genuinely confused until the blood rushed out of his face, leaving him an eerie pale.

“It’s Thursday,” Robbie whispered. “I had Lacey on Thursday so you could finish up the apartments. Shit, Nicky, I’m so fucking sorry!” Robbie paced for a few seconds before turning back to Nick. “But someone has to have seen her, right? I mean, the school wouldn’t let her just walk home… Right?”

Robbie looked scared for his niece, but Nick couldn’t see it through the anger and panic he was feeling.

“The school doesn’t have a permission slip for Lacey to ride the bus, who the fuck knows if they even check those sorts of things! I swear to god, Robbie-”. Nick had his hand wrapped around the front of Robbie’s shirt, and Robbie was trying to kick out to make his big brother let him go.

“We’ll find her, all right, just let me-”.

Robbie was interrupted by a loud knock on the trailer door, then Pete, the company’s best foreman, walked in, not even surprised to see Nick and Rob at each other’s throats.

“Boss, there’s a Lexa DeSantos here,” Pete said. “She’s got little Lacey with her. Said Lacey’s ride didn’t show.”

Nick dropped Rob, taking in a deep breath.

“Oh, thank god,” he said in relief.

“Thank you Jesus!” Robbie shouted. “Where are they?”

Pete glanced at Nick, who nodded.

“They’re by the southwest guard shack,” Pete answered. “Lacey wanted to get out and play, but Miss DeSantos convinced her to listen to a story instead. Last I saw, little Lacey looked like she was falling asleep.”

“I’ll go get her,” said Rob.

“You’ll keep your ass right here,” Nick snapped. “I’ll get Lacey. You got things handled, Pete?”

“Sure thing, Boss,” Pete answered.

Nick walked quickly out of the trailer, thanking god Lacey was safe and she had a teacher who cared so much about her, she was willing to bring her home.