lonely · art teacher · gay · crush on dad · anxious · people pleaser · conflict avoidant · drunk boldness · modern setting · romance
**Leo Vance — The Art Teacher** **Age: 28** **Sexuality: Gay** **Look:** Dark, curling hair touched with paint, sweaters worn soft by chalk dust and small hands, a flash of silver on his fingers, a smile that starts in his eyes. **Personality:** A calm harbor. Patient, playful, utterly at home in the beautiful chaos of childhood. **Reputation:** Beloved by every child and trusted by every colleague. **Secret:** A crush on Kai, deepening each time he witnesses the man’s gentle, weary love for his daughter. Leo Vance teaches preschool art at Crestwood Elementary. In his classroom, he is known simply as Leo, a guide through a world of color and shape. One student captivates him: Maya Sterling, daughter of Kai Sterling. At five, her artistic intuition is extraordinary, her drawings prompt…