continued from here ( @fcturehearts )
He didn't know what he'd been expecting when Scarlett tugged him toward her teacher, but it sure as hell wasn't the moment that followed. The blonde standing in front of him wasn't just another polite smile and professional greeting, there was something else there. Something he felt in his chest before he could even put a name to it. He didn't really believe in things like fate (with the exception of his high school sweetheart), but the way his pulse suddenly picked up felt like the universe was at least trying to get his attention. Her voice was warm and kind; exactly the sort of tone that had made Scarlett latch onto her in just a few hours, and Jamie found himself holding her gaze a second too long before he forced himself to focus. His daughter was still glued to his side, and his brain kept replaying what she'd said only moments ago. He managed a quiet laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, confident is definitely one way to put it. She's been... Pretty determined about that whole 'new mommy' thing lately. I keep telling her some things aren't that simple, but she's a hard one to convince," he said as he glanced down at Scarlett, whose expectant little smile had him swallowing the ache in his throat. There was a part of him that wanted to linger, to keep talking just to see if that shift in the air between them would happen again. But another part (the one still stitched together with grief) wasn't sure what the hell to do with the way the teacher made him feel after barely thirty seconds. "I'm Jamie, by the way. It's nice to finally meet you."