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oharababe · 6 months

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❝ GIRL DAD 01 ❞ MIGUEL O'HARA.

🕸️ chapter premise: miguel is stuck in traffic on the way to pick his daughter up from school. he doesn’t usually do this and knows that he is running late. when he searches for his daughter at school, there’s where miguel meets you in class when he got a little lost. 🕸️ pairing: miguel o'hara x reader 🕸️ genre: mature, slow burn 🕸️ tropes: single dad (dilf) miguel, teacher reader, found family 🕸️ word count: 4.3k words

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Miguel remembers why he avoids driving around in the city when it is late afternoon.

He stares at the front view with a frown and a bored look. One hand on the steering wheel and the other propping his arm next to the door, supporting his face. It’s a typical Nueva York traffic environment; cars honking, speedy drivers going against traffic regulations, and people not looking where they’re going.

Miguel sighs annoyingly. He can’t believe that his friend Jess has to go through this every afternoon on the weekdays just to pick up the kids. It’s taking a lot of his patience to not hit his palm on the wheel to tell the drivers in front of him to freaking move. But Miguel sits through the traffic despite the irritation. Minutes passed that feel like hours and there’s only slow progress of the cars moving on the road. When he glances at the time, it’s ten minutes to four in the afternoon. The only thing that keeps him sane is reminding himself of the purpose of this entire trip.

Gabriella’s school should be a couple of buildings away from the traffic.

His mouth curves upwards in a smile at the thought of her. His daughter. The only person he cares about in the entire universe. His bundle of light and joy. As much as he loves his daughter, Miguel doesn’t pick Gabriella up from school after three in the afternoon. His job is not as flexible as it seems to be, being a geneticist. It’s a nine to six hours job and five days a week. Despite the long working hours, Miguel does his best to spend time with Gabriella either before he goes to work, after work, or on the weekends.

But today, he’s changing that routine. He’s picking his little girl up from school. And Gabriella doesn’t know that he’s coming to see her after school.

The traffic finally improves. The cars in front of him are starting to move on the road. Miguel takes the opportunity to drive forward. His car moves steadily through the busy road until he reaches an urban area that’s familiar to him. Miguel continues to drive through the streets of Queens. He drives until he slowly comes to a stop when he sees Gabriella’s school. He’s finally arrived.

Miguel gets out of the car and locks it behind him. When he looks at his watch, it’s already four-thirty and he is definitely late to pick up his daughter. He looks at his reflection in the car window. Dressed in casual blue denim jeans, a white shirt underneath a black leather jacket and black sunglasses that hides his eyes. He doesn’t dress like a man who just got back from. He looks like a man who is a father picking his kid up from school.

Miguel hasn’t visited Gabriella’s school in a while. The last time he came to the school was for a parents’ and teacher’s conference. As soon as he enters the school’s building, he’s unfamiliar with the layout and environment. It’s a quiet and peaceful setting with no signs of students or teachers walking down the hallway. He didn’t think how wide the main area would be, unsure where and which way to go to see his daughter. He decides to take a walk around and hope for the best that he will find his way to where he needs to be.

The hallways become eerily quiet as Miguel walks, feeling that he is further than where he should be. School buildings have always been a bit of a maze. He still hasn’t recognised anything familiar with where he goes. He’s not even sure which way he should be going. It’s best to say that Miguel is lost in the building and he’s tempted to ask his daughter for directions over the phone. He decides to be against the idea, still wanting to surprise Gabriella when she’s finished with her soccer practice.

Maybe a teacher in one of these classes might be able to redirect him in the right direction. Surely, not all of the teachers have gone home for the day…

Miguel looks down the hallway and decides to go to the door at the farthest corner on the right side. He’s not sure why he chose to start with that door, but he has a feeling that there would be someone in there who could help him. Or hopes that there would at least be someone in the room.

Miguel knocks on the door twice before he turns the doorknob open. When he opens the door, he pokes his head into the room, seeing that it’s an empty classroom. A frown appears on his face, disappointed that there isn’t anyone in class at this hour. Looks like he will still need to look for someone else for help.

He’s ready to close the door and leave halfway through when he hears something that catches his attention. A voice. “Hi, can I help you with anything?”

Miguel still doesn’t see the person. But when he walks into the classroom, he finds that there is someone. A woman behind a desk that he didn’t notice in the beginning. The person turns around and Miguel finally sees her; he finally sees you.

You appear to be occupied that he must have interrupted you. The locker behind you is wide open, full of stacks of papers and boxes. He guesses that you are in the middle of cleaning up and he just disturbed you.

“Hi,”

“Hello,” Miguel responds, aware that his Mexican accent slips out.

“Sorry, I didn’t notice you earlier. I was cleaning my cupboard to notice you.” You said, placing the box in your arms on the desk. Your ponytail sways a little as you move. Miguel takes off his glasses out of courtesy and puts it on his head, taking a look at you. You’re wearing a polo shirt and white jeans, casual attire for a member of staff. “Is there anything I could help you with?”

“I…” Miguel’s voice trails. He would guess that you are someone in their twenties by your youthful look and charisma. Making him a couple of years older than you. You must be a teacher in the school. Miguel lightly clears his throat. “Sorry, I think I might have gotten myself lost.” He admits. “I am looking for a sports field. I am here to pick up my daughter. She has soccer practice today.”

“Oh, right.” You smile, giving him a kind and apologetic look. “Well, you are a little further away from where you need to be.” You said. “The field is on the other side of the building.”

Right, that makes a lot of sense. It’s no wonder he has not made any progress in his direction. He’s gone the wrong way. God, school buildings and hallways of a maze.

“Well, thank you for your help.” Miguel nods in acknowledgement. “I hope you have a good rest of the afternoon, senorita.”

Miguel is ready to part ways when he hears you speak again, stopping him. “I can show you where to go if you’d like.” You add. “So that you won’t get lost along the way.”

He looks at her, contemplating the offer. You don’t know him and he doesn’t know you, but you still wish to help him. He hears you close the cupboard door before locking it and turns around to him. You’re still looking at him with that kind smile on your face. Waiting for his response. “I appreciate the offer if you could help me out.”

“Sure thing,” you say, grabbing your keys from your desk. It jingles when you grip it in your grasp. You walk around your desk to approach him. Miguel notices the height difference between you and him instantly. You’re about chest height to him. “Shall we get going?”

Miguel opens the door wider and gestures to you, letting you lead the way. You step out of the room and he follows you, closing the door behind him. Miguel walks beside you as he follows your lead, walking down the hallway. He watches the way you stride next to him; elegant, confident and also relaxed. Miguel guesses that you could be one of the teachers his Gabriella’s school. He tries to remember if his daughter has spoken about you before. There’s something about you that keeps Miguel interested, an unexplainable feeling rises in him. Every second of your presence is what he appreciates.

“So, what is your daughter’s name?” You ask, breaking the silence. “Maybe I might recognise her from any of the classes that I teach so far.”

It takes a few moments for him to register what you said. “Her name is Gabriella O’Hara,” Miguel says. “She’s in the fourth grade. Brown hair, wears a purple bag back and about this tall?” He describes, doing a rough estimate of his daughter’s height with his hand.

The minute he says Gabriella’s name, your eyes light up. Realising when you put two and two pieces of information together. “Oh, Gabri O’Hara! She’s one of my students.” Miguel looks next to you. “I’m her homeroom teacher for the year. She talks about you a lot in class.”

He politely smiles at this, “Ah, she has?”

“Gabriella usually stays behind in class to help me out when she doesn’t have soccer practice. Usually to help me tidy up the class whilst she waits for Jessica to pick her up.” You explain.

Miguel wishes to ask you more about his daughter though you continue to speak. There’s something about the way you lead the conversation. You sound confident and polite and despite your young age, there’s a sound of wisdom and thought in the way you speak. He’s only just met you but he feels comfortable around you. Gabriella must have told him about you before, surely. But Miguel tries to remember what or anything his daughter might have mentioned that could be linked to you.

There’s another moment of silence before you speak up again, this time looking a little hesitant. “I’m sorry in advance if I sound ignorant or making up assumptions but… I was wondering if Jess is Gabriella’s mother?”

“Ah, no. Jessica is a good friend of mine.” Miguel says. “I often work late till evenings and can’t pick Gabri up from school. But that’s changing today.” He explains. He knows that you genuinely don’t mean any harm, but something holds him back from explaining more. His daughter’s mother is still in the picture despite the separation years ago. “It’s a surprise. Gabri doesn’t know I’ve come to see her today.”

When he sees you turn to look at him, there’s a genuine smile on your face. “I think you would make her day when she sees you after practice.” Your smile is sweet and kind, Miguel thinks that the look suits you. “Gabri told me a few days ago that you have yet to see the new kicks she’s been practising with her footing. And from what I’ve seen, she’s a star player amongst the girls’ team.”

“Well, then I look forward to seeing it.” Miguel nods his head in acknowledgement.

You and Miguel have been walking around the school for a while. When he sees a large door ahead of them, Miguel hopes that’s where he would be able to see his daughter. “The girls’ soccer team is on the other side of this door.”

You open the large door, revealing the outdoor environment. He’s greeted by the fresh air and a wide view of a track ground and soccer field. There are still students and teachers in the field training for the after-school clubs, and each group have taken a spot in areas on the field. Miguel looks for any signs of Gabriella in the field, he sees a couple of girls in groups. His eyes stop when he sees a familiar dark brown hair on the field.

A girl of familiar height, brown haired ponytail, wearing a purple shirt and white shorts. She moves swiftly on the field, kicking the ball along with her until she sends it to the goalpost. The group of girls break into cheers at Gabriella’s accomplishment. It brings a smile to his face.

“Oh, look, Gabri's right there.” He hears you say. “Gabri!”

His daughter looks around to put a face on the voice. When Miguel sees Gabriella looking at him and you, there’s already a wide smile on his face. “Papa!”

“Mija!” Miguel waves back his daughter.

Gabriella then calls your name when she sees you, the happiness on her face never changing. You wave back at the young girl with a cheerful smile, letting out a laugh when Gabriella yells across the field. Asking if you saw the game. “I sure did!” You respond with a laugh.

Miguel can’t help but smile at the scene. He watches Gabriella join the rest of the girls for a team huddle with their coach. His daughter’s soccer practice should be done in the next few minutes. “Do you want to sit on the bench whilst we wait?”

“I don’t mind doing so,” you nod. The two of you approach the benches together. Taking a seat at the lower bottom of the seat. Miguel sits next to you as he watches Gabriella, admiring her from afar. “She’s a great kid, isn’t she?

“Definitely.” Miguel gazes at his little girl. He then turns his attention to you, curious about your work life. Inquisitive about you. “So, how long have you been teaching?”

“I’ve been doing this for two and a half years. I started as a substitute teacher for the summer when I moved to the States.”

Miguel nods, learning a new thing or two about you. It explains your mannerism and the subtle accent you have. Your voice gives him a sense of calmness and he’s only known you less than an hour of meeting you. “So, what do you teach?”

“I mainly teach Biology and Chemistry. Though sometimes I teach the kids English and reading enrichment if needed.” You explain. “English isn’t my first language. But it’s nice to be able to help kids gain their confidence in their English.”

Miguel nods. He can relate to having to speak more than one language throughout his life. “It’s not an easy language to completely master, though I think you speak well. Gabriella and I speak Spanish and English which merge into one language. Spanglish.”

He notices the way your shoulders shake when you laugh quietly. “Sometimes it’s easier to explain things in your native language, isn't it? However, when I do it though, I sound a little bit… ‘expressive’ when I switch languages.” You paused. “Or maybe ‘explosive’ as what my family described. Expressive and explosive.”

Miguel can’t help but chortle. “I always encourage Gabriella to speak more Spanish at home. It is better not to lose the sense of identity where you come from.”

“I agree. It’s easy to lose yourself in a sea full of people.” You say. “But your roots never leave.”

“What made you move to the States?” Miguel asks. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

A smile appears on your face. “I was looking for a sense of adventure and decided to take the deep leap to make it here all on my own.”

“That takes courage.” Miguel averts his eyes at you. The smile on your face stays the same. He wonders what made you migrate to the country but he refrains himself from asking. He might be prying into your private affairs too much. Did you move to the States on your own or you had help and support? Your story interests him. “How old did you move here?”

“I was nineteen years old when I moved out of my home country.” You say. “Stayed in Canada for two years then moved to the States when I was twenty-one years old. I’ve been here for three years now.”

Miguel makes a mental note of your age difference. You’re only seven years younger than he is, and you moved to a new country at such a young age. His interest grows, what made you decide the move other than the sense of adventure?

You and Miguel sit together in silence. The skies are bright and blue with the sun bathing the field at a comfortable temperature. Miguel’s red eyes are staring at you behind his dark sunglasses. Looking completely relaxed as you bathe under the calm sun. You watch over the fields, admiring what you see. You lean back and placed your hands on your sides on the bench. Miguel sits next to you with his arms on his knees, noticing the size of your hands compared to his. He feels comfort with your presence, a rare thing that Miguel has over someone whom he just met for less than an hour.

You must have sensed his gaze on you because you turn your eyes to look at him. Smiling at him. He’s thankful for wearing glasses though he couldn’t say the same for the possible sudden colour on his cheeks.

You turn your attention elsewhere when Gabriella runs towards you and him. You’re the first one to get off the bench and Miguel follows, looking at his little girl with a smile. “Papa! I can’t believe you are here!”

“I hoped to surprise you, mija,” Miguel says. He lifts Gabriella in the air and carries her in his arms, kissing his daughter on the forehead. She wraps her little arms around his neck. “You did great today at the soccer practice. I’m so proud of you.”

“Gracias, papa.” Gabriella kisses him on the cheek in return. When she sees you, her smile widens, clearly happy to see you. Gabriella greets you, sounding excited, “What do you think of my moves, Miss?”

“It’s really impressive, Gabs.” You say. There’s a look of affection when you look at his little girl. “You’re getting better and better at it. You’re going to smash the scores on sports day soon.”

“I think it’s time for us to return home,” Miguel says. The sun will set in a couple of hours and he would prefer to be home before it gets dark.

“Can we eat at Wendy’s before we go home?” Gabriella asks. “For dinner?”

Miguel thinks for a moment. In all honesty, he’s forgotten to cook something for tonight’s dinner. It seems like a good excuse for him to do fast food for dinner with his daughter. Another way of bonding time with Gabriella. “We can do that, sweet girl.”

He turns to look at you, “Thank you for your help earlier.”

“It’s not a problem, Mr O’Hara.” You say. “I hope we meet again in the future. It was nice getting to know you.”

Miguel nods in acknowledgement, ignoring the little tug in his chest. He checks with Gabriella that she has everything before they leave. Carrying his daughter in his arms as he walks away further and further. “Bye-bye, miss! See you tomorrow!” His daughter says, waving at you.

“See you tomorrow Gabri! Enjoy your dinner!” He can imagine you waving back. “See you sometime again, Miguel!”

Miguel waves back at you and watches you turn to speak to another female teacher before he turns his back. Gabriella decides to walk on her own and he puts her down on the ground. With her holding his right hand, they stride back towards the school building. With every step they take, Miguel can’t help but think about you. Wanting to see you one last time before he goes.

He turns to look behind him, seeing you still with the other teacher. You’re nodding your head at the conversation, listening to your co-worker. You say a few things to the coach and your face scrunches of you laughing over the chat. Miguel watches you bid goodbye to the other teacher, and now you’re completely on your own. He watches you turn your head onto your side. When you see him, you give the sweetest smile he’s ever seen across the distance.

He thinks that your smile makes you even prettier, especially when it’s directly at him.

“Papa, let’s go to Wendy’s now!”

Miguel looks down at Gabriella and gives her a gentle look. “Alright, princesa. Let’s go.”

You are no longer in sight when he does k glance at you and he leaves the school with his daughter in hand.

* * * *

As planned, Miguel and Gabriella have dinner at Wendy's.

At the current moment, Gabriella indulges herself with her food for a child’s Wendy’s meal. Seeing his little girl happy brings him joy, a natural feeling of being a father to a daughter. Despite his busy schedule, he takes whatever opportunity he can get to spend time with her. Gabriella is his main priority in his life and he wouldn’t trade moments with his girl for anything.

“So, your teacher is nice,” Miguel speaks up. Ever since he met you, his mind doesn’t mean to forget. Your sweetness, kind personality and the way you interact with Gabriella made him trust you. And personally, the way you acted around him was like a fresh of breath air. There were no ulterior motives and signs that you were trying to get a chance to have some sort of relationship with him. His status as a single father earns quite a reputation at Gabriella’s school. Miguel appreciates that you were just a kind, soul and great to kids like his daughter. “The one who helped show me where you were at school.”

“Miss [Last Name]?” Gabriella asks. She takes two scoops of ice cream and shoves it in her mouth. Miguel now learns something new about you; your last name. He thinks about your first name and how it fits with your surname. It has a nice ring to it. “Oh yeah, she is, isn’t she? And pretty too.” His girl adds.

Miguel pretends to not acknowledge her last words, even though he does agree with her. “How come you never talked about her when I asked you about your day at school?” He asks.

He’s ready to have a bite of his food when Miguel feels that Gabriella is looking at him. Her right brow raised, giving him a look that he hasn’t seen before. A questionable directed at him. “What is it, mija?”

“Papa, I have told you about her before. Numerous times.” Gabriella says. She puts her arms on her sides, indicating her scepticism. “I told you about how she brought Mr Oscar to show and tell two weeks ago. And that she likes to bake and brings them to school for the class to share every month. And my teacher is from England…”

Miguel pressed his lips together. He clearly remembered listening to that story when Gabriella told him. There are a lot of things that his daughter tells him daily. He tries his best to remember them all, but sometimes it slips off his memory. But Miguel surely would have to remember you if Gabriella did tell him about you. Who could forget someone like you?

He hears Gabriella giggle, “Papa, have you gotten old and forgotten stuff now?”

Miguel lets out a sheepish smile. He doesn’t consider himself old of age but if it keeps his little girl away from being suspicious of his interest in you, then he’ll accept the indignity. “It seems so, princesa. I apologise for that.”

“It’s okay, papa. I forget things too sometimes.” Gabriella says. He finds it interesting how kids can quickly change topics in conversations in a short amount of time. “I really do like Miss [Last Name]. She’s the best teacher ever.”

“Make sure you tell her that tomorrow when you see her, Briella.” Miguel smiles. “I’m sure she would like to hear that you appreciate her.”

“I will!”

Meeting you was unexpected and if he didn’t pick Gabriella up from school as planned, there’s no way that he would have met you earlier. A tiny part of him wishes that he would see you again someday; hopefully coincidental in the future.

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