Chapter Text
The first parents' evening is always nerve-wracking, Rob knows from experience, so he always does his best to put the parents at ease. In some cases it's easier than others, of course, but in the case of Felipinho's daddy, he feels like he wants to try extra hard. He's met him before a few times, briefly, and seen him in the playground, dropping Felipinho off from a big shiny car. He doesn't often pick Felipinho up after school, though, and the lady who does is obviously not Felipinho's mum, so Rob guesses his dad must be a working single parent, just like him. That immediately gives Rob an affinity with him - they're not common, their kind, standing awkwardly off to the side while the mums chat, not getting invited out for coffee or swapping phone numbers... It can be lonely. So Rob is always especially keen to support the single dads he encounters in any way he can.
And it certainly doesn't hurt when they're as cute as Felipinho's dad is.
There could never be any possible doubt whose parent this man is - Rob briefly wonders if the reason he's never seen Felipinho's mum is because the little boy is in fact a clone, rather than a biological offspring. But he does look very anxious and eager to please. Again, Rob knows how he must feel - his every action under scrutiny, trying to prove he's doing just as good a job as a mother would.
He smiles kindly. "Mr Massa, I'm very pleased to tell you Felipinho is doing very well. He's a delightful little boy, really, always so well-behaved and gets on with his work. He's a credit to you."
Felipe Massa senior visibly relaxes, even starting to smile a little. "That is good, I am very happy," he says. "Thank you for being a good teacher, too - he always say he like going to school."
Rob smiles. "That's what we like to hear, but it doesn't happen that often," he jokes. "There is just one thing though," he says, then continues hastily when he sees Felipe's face fall and eyes widen in worry. "It's just a small thing, but sometimes he speaks in Portuguese. And none of us speak Portuguese," he adds, chuckling. "Does he speak English at home?"
"No," confesses Felipe, looking as mortified as if he was admitting to taking his son to McDonalds every day. "Mainly we speak Portuguese. It is bad for him?" he asks, brow furrowed anxiously.
Rob smiles, holding up his hands placatingly. "No, of course not," he says soothingly. "In time he'll get to know that school is a place for English and home is a place for Portuguese."
Felipe sighs. "I want him to learn quickly," he frets. "I want him to understand everything."
"Oh, he definitely understands," Rob reassures him. "He's a very bright boy. In fact, he probably just speaks Portuguese to mess with us," he chuckles. "He might be being very cheeky but we'd never know."
"I will tell him to not do that," Felipe says, still looking a little unsure.
"Honestly though Mr Massa, you have nothing to worry about," Rob says. "Felipinho is developing very well for his age. You're doing a great job."
Felipe manages a smile. "Is very difficult," he says. "At home is just me and him, and I work, so I worry if I do enough with him," he confesses.
Rob nods, his thoughts confirmed. "I understand," he says. "I'm a single father myself," he says.
Felipe immediately looks like a weight has been lifted off him. "You are?"
Rob smiles. "Yes, my boys are about Felipinho's age. One a bit older, one a bit younger. They see their mum often, but it's just more convenient for them to live with me."
Felipe nods. "Felipinho's mum is very busy, she lives in Monaco and travels a lot," he explains. "I worry he miss her, you know? Is hard, is like I have to be dad and also mum."
"Yeah, and you can feel the other mums judging you," Rob chuckles ruefully. "Thinking 'Oh, he's a man, how can he even look after himself, never mind a child as well?'"
Felipe nods fervently. "Yes," he agrees. "I learn to cook so Felipinho will eat home cooked food," he says. "I am not very good, but I try!"
Rob smiles, his heart melting at Felipe's obvious dedication and love for his son. "I tell you what,” he says, biting the bullet. “I’m not so bad at cooking. Why don’t you come over to mine for dinner one evening, I can show you how to make something nice and easy.”
Felipe shakes his head a little. “I don’t know, if the other kids know Felipinho goes to the teacher’s house, maybe they bully him,” he says.
“Well, Felipinho doesn’t have to come,” Rob suggests, feeling his face turning red. “You could come one night when my boys are at their mum’s. I can recommend a good babysitter,” he adds, feeling more stupid by the second. What was he thinking, asking out a parent so impulsively?
To his relief, though, Felipe smiles. “I would love it,” he says warmly, and Rob starts to breathe normally again. “Is hard to meet people and make friends as well as work.”
“If you’re anything like your son, I’m sure you have lots of friends,” Rob says, then feels stupid again until Felipe laughs, blushing.
“That is nice to hear,” Felipe says.
Rob smiles. He writes his phone number on a post-it and sticks it to Felipinho's report card. “Give me a call when you’re free,” he says, trying to sound as casual as he can. “Or, you know, if you ever want to have a chat. Father to father. Or about anything you like.”
Felipe takes the card with a genuine smile. “You are very kind,” he says. “I know my son is fine with you.”
Rob feels a little guilty for how happy he feels. He probably shouldn’t be using school time to chat up a parent - but on the other hand, tomorrow in class he’s probably going to be extra nice to the children, just in case Felipinho wants to tell his daddy any more stories about his wonderful teacher.