Conditions of a Secret Deal

The warmth of Mr. Hall’s apartment was almost disorienting. The place looked and felt exactly as the home of a single young man.

Aimee sat stiffly on the edge of a neatly arranged couch, her damp skirt soaking through the cushion. She had changed into one of Ralph’s oversized T-shirts while her clothes dried in the bathroom. Yanely was wrapped in a towel, fast asleep on the opposite end of the couch, curled up like a kitten.

Across from her, Ralph Hall—her homeroom teacher, the man she had just proposed to—sat with the same unreadable expression he wore during pop quizzes.

“So,” he began, folding his hands. “Let me get this straight. You’re asking me to marry you… just so you won’t lose custody of your brother? Is that correct?”

Aimee nodded, clutching a steaming mug he had handed her earlier. “Yes. I know how it sounds. Ridiculous. Stupid even. But I’ve already lost my parents. I can't lose Yanely too.”

She expected him to laugh, to call her out for being absurd.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he leaned back slightly, his eyes never leaving her face.

“You realize what you’re asking, right? Marriage isn’t something to take lightly. Even a paper one. Are you sure you want to marry me? I could just shelter the two of you for a few days without you having to marry me”

“I do,” Aimee said firmly. “I know that you might be able to shelter us for a few days but after that I would have to eventually be back to square one. I’m not looking for romance. Or a real relationship. Just something that will look real enough to get child services off our backs. I’ll cook, clean, stay out of your way. I just need time until I can become Yanely’s legal guardian.”

Ralph was silent for a while, tapping his fingers on his knee.

Then he stood up.

“Alright.”

Aimee blinked. “What?”

“I’ll marry you,” he said, walking to his bookshelf and pulling down a folder. “But there are conditions.”

“Conditions?”

“One,” he said, holding up a finger. “This marriage will stay absolutely secret. No one—especially not the school—can know about it. Understand?”

“Of course.”

“Two. While we’re under the same roof, you follow house rules. No sneaking around, no inviting friends over without permission, and don’t go through my stuff.”

“Fine,” she agreed quickly.

“Three. In public, you’re still my student. At home, we act like siblings for Yanely’s sake. This is not a romantic relationship. There will be no funny business.”

Aimee felt her face burn. “That’s… not what I meant when I said marriage!”

“And finally,” Ralph said, his tone softening just a bit, “if at any point you want out, you tell me. No questions asked. Deal?”

Aimee hesitated, then nodded. “Deal.”

He extended a hand toward her. After a heartbeat, she shook it.

And just like that, Aimee Stewart became Mrs. Hall.

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