Aiden sucked in his cheeks and gripped his lectern. “I guess not.” Leave it to Robert to dig at the heart of most issues concerning his young ingénue. Ever since Aiden had accepted the Assistant Professor position at the NUI Galway, Robert was there to take him under his wing and show him the ropes. It was his first grown-up job after getting his PhD at University College Cork and most of what he learned about teaching was impractical and too rigid for his personality. Lewison, an old veteran, had a different approach to pedagogy that he appreciated; he made historical literature come alive in his lectures. Aiden desperately wanted to be like him.

Robert’s wife, Penelope, also took to Aiden. She would stop by his tiny flat with a lamp or a rug in an effort to spruce things up. Sometimes she’d bring over a stew or a pie to feed him. After some time, Aiden realized their affection may have stemmed from the two being a childless couple. Their son had died in a tragic car accident, leaving them bereft and empty. Aiden was a delightful distraction for the both of them. Which was fine for him as he had to grow up making most of his important decisions without a father. With Liam Byrnes nowhere to be found, Aiden clung to the elderly man with all his might. And now, while his head was swimming with worries, Aiden needed Robert to be his anchor.

“I’m guessing you saw Professor Brennan?” Robert said as he leaned against the front row desk. “You haven’t spoken since...”

Aiden ran his hand over his eyes. Robert was the only faculty member who knew about his relationship with Lisa. It was one of the demands that she’d made when they started sleeping together. In hindsight, he could see why she wanted secrecy. As a young woman in academia, her reputation could have taken a downward turn. And of course, if their relationship soured, there was no need for the whole department to know about it. But as the months slid away, Aiden found himself resentful that he couldn’t express his affection for her in public. Their quiet relationship at work eventually became their quiet relationship in his home, until it felt like they were only roommates. “No, this was the first time in a year,” Aiden finished. “It was an amicable conversation though.”

“Was it?” Robert’s owlish brows furrowed in confusion. Behind his round spectacles, his expression was one of skepticism.

“Aye, it was,” Aiden said. “But she reminded me that I have so much to do before tenure review. I don’t want to hit forty and still be an assistant professor, Robert.”

The old man scoffed. “You’re in your thirties and not on anyone else’s timeline, my boy.”

As much as he wanted to believe that, Aiden was thirty-eight and working without proper job security. Trying to get tenure was like being on a four-year probation. Sure, he signed the teaching contract and made good with administration, but the work was far from over. If he didn’t pass this one test, he would be out on his ass and forced to look for another job. “I can get it done, right?”