James never ceased to watch in amazement as Jessica ordered her strange mixture of food. Wasn’t that supposed to be something that boys did? However, over the years, the man had learned to keep his mouth shut. Jessie was definitely a tomboy, and nothing that James could do would ever change that. Not that he wanted to change Jessie at all in the first place, but he definitely felt that he was to blame. Considering there was never a strong female influence in her life, Jessie was always around her dad when she was younger, and so some of his bad habits and views about some stereotypical females had to have rubbed off.

Then again, James shouldn’t complain. She hadn’t really brought a proper boyfriend to meet him yet, and he was glad. Would he ever be ready for that? After all, all the males Jessie’s age were at the Academy, which meant that he had probably taught them all at least once. There would never be any man that would really be good enough for his daughter, just like there would be no woman good enough for his son. With his ridiculously high standards, it would take a great deal to impress him. Just because the man was a gentle and caring headmaster, that didn’t mean that he was just as easygoing with his children’s lives, after all.

What jolted James even more, though, was the fact that Jessica finally ‘officially’ asked him about Evelyn. Oh, Evelyn. Even though she was older than him, they could be the perfect couple. However, neither were probably ready to settle down again – from his own point of view – so they often argued and fell out. A quick talk and a romantic dinner usually sorted that out, though, and they were back together. “Evel-? I mean, ah, Professor Foxworth? Yes, she’s a very good friend of mine. Excellent assistant headmistress. Lovely woman.”

In all honesty, would James ever be able to properly commit to someone again, after what his ex-wife had put him and the children through? He paused, giving a slightly nervous smile. “Why, what’s wrong, Jessie?”