The first day of the school year finds me pulling on my oldest pair of cowboy boots. Tall, almost to my knee, they are bright and colorful with a floral design that the kids always love. One of my mentors from college told me that he discovered early on if he presented himself to the kids with something of interest they almost always eased into the new school year with less anxiety. Or, at the very least less tears at drop-off. I noticed then that he always wore a wild bow tie.
On my first day of teaching, I didn’t wear the boots. It was the most chaotic day of my life. Nothing could have prepared me for the level of hysterics presented in the form of eighteen humans under four feet tall. The next day, I dug my boots out of the back of my closet and said a little prayer they worked. As the children filed in the classroom that day, full of trepidation, one little girl saw my boots. She pointed and whispered to her mom who looked at me and smiled. I approached the little girl and dropped so that I was eye level.
“Simone, right?”
Hiding behind her mother’s leg, she nodded.
“I saw you looking at my boots, would you like to see them up close?” Another nod. With a nudge from her mom she approached me almost as if she wasn’t sure I was real. Mesmerized by the intricate design, she ran her tiny finger over the design. As she did, other children in the class noticed our interaction and joined. The day wasn’t perfect, but it was significantly better than the first day and only managed to get better as the week went on.
I went home that night and sent an e-mail to my mentor and thanked him for the idea. He sent back an e-mail that told me the idea was less for the children and more for the teacher. Sometimes we, too, need a way to take the focus off of what is happening and on to something else. So very true.
I arrive at the school about thirty minutes before the authorized drop-off time and spot Ben’s truck immediately. Contemplating parking near his truck, I instead choose a spot on the opposite side of the lot.
Once I’ve made it to my classroom and checked the class fish tank, we can’t start off the first day of school with a fish funeral after all, I take a few deep breaths when there’s a knock at my door.
“Miss Lawrence.”
“Mr. Sullivan.”
“You look pretty. I bet all of the boys in your class have a crush on you by the end of the day.”
Laughing, I walk over to my desk and take a drink of my coffee.
“What about you? The glasses are a nice touch, by the way. I’m sure not only will the second grade girls will have a crush on their new teacher, but the moms, too.”
Before he can reply, voices in the hallway signal that the conversation is over and the new year is starting.
“Well, I better get back to my class. Have a good first day, Piper.”
“You, too.”
Nodding and turning to walk out the door, I give myself just one second to check out the jeans Ben is wearing. That’s completely fine. We’re friends and even friends can appreciate what their friends are wearing.
Before I can fully appreciate the view, Ben turns and winks at me before turning down the hall. Damnit. Busted again.
As my new flock of students begins filtering in, I am greeted with familiarity by a few of the parents and even a few of the children who have siblings I’ve taught before. Then the sweetest little face catches my eye and my teacher heart swells. An adorable little boy tentatively walks in holding the hand of an older woman, grandmother perhaps. I watch as his big blue eyes dance around the room. His blond hair, refusing to be tamed, a little long in the front, gives him a bit of an Owen Wilson look. When I notice his eyes are lined red as if he’s been crying I decide to introduce myself before any sort of meltdown begins.
I introduce myself to the woman who tells me her name is Mrs. Honeycutt. Not recognizing the name from my student list, I drop down to a squat so I’m level with the young man who appears to be on the verge of a new set of tears.
“Hi there. What’s your name?”
I hear a sniffle of a response, “Jacob.”
Great, the kid who has my heart full of compassion and me wondering how long until I can have babies of my own is Jacob Thorne. Child of uber bitch, Felicity Remington hyphen Thorne.
“Well, Jacob, I’m Miss Lawrence. It’s very nice to meet you,” I say, offering him my hand. He shyly shakes it and looks up at Mrs. Honeycutt for reassurance.
“Jacob, it’s a pleasure to meet you. We’re going to have a wonderful time here in kindergarten. Would you like to come with me and find your seat? Your name is written on a tag so we’ll need to look at them all until we find yours. How about it?”
Once again looking at Mrs. Honeycutt, who adoringly looks at this sweet boy, he turns to take my extended hand. We locate his seat, which is next to Patty Wilmington. Patty is an outgoing and talkative child who I’ve known since she was born and have no doubt will be a perfect seat mate for a shy little boy like Jacob. Leaving Jacob to be Patty’s sounding board, I return to Mrs. Honeycutt.
“I think he’ll be just fine.”
She looks at me and smiles. “Yes, I suppose he will. I think this is more difficult for me than it is for him. I suppose you see this reaction from parents all the time.”
“I do, yes. But if you don’t mind me asking, what is your relationship to Jacob?”
“Oh, I’m his nanny. I came to work for the Thornes shortly after Jacob was born. He was a colicky baby and with a toddler underfoot his mother needed help. He’s quite special to me and I’m a little heartbroken to see him growing up. Silly, I know.”
“It’s not silly. He seems like a sweet boy. I promise to look after him. May I ask where his parents are?” Not that I really want to see his mother but I should at least ask.
“His father is away on business. Mr. Thorne travels a lot for his company and is only home a few days a month. Mrs. Remington-Thorne is with Jacob’s sister, Clementine. She’s a second grader at this school.”
That means Felicity is with Ben right now.
“I see. I don’t recall having Clementine in my class before.”
“No, Mrs. Remington-Thorne had her in a private school until this year. We have only just moved to Lexington full time. Mrs. Remington-Thorne grew up here. Perhaps you know her.”
Oh, I know her. “Oh, perhaps. I should get this day started. Again, Mrs. Honeycutt, I think Jacob will be just fine.”
The morning has minimal tears from most of the class and only one meltdown. Of course the meltdown was of epic proportions and perhaps some bodily fluids were lost. Still, I made it through the day and, as expected, Jacob Thorne was fine and Mrs. Honeycutt was grateful. No Felicity sightings and for that I’m grateful.
As I’m turning off the lights and heading down the hallway, Ben walks out of his class.
“Miss Lawrence, how was the first day?”
“Pretty good, yours?”
“It was good. I have a great group of kids. Hey, guess whose daughter is in my class?”
“Felicity Remington, yeah I heard.”
“Hyphen Thorne. Don’t forget the hyphen,” he says, shaking his head and laughing.
“Oh yes, we mustn’t. I have her son, Jacob, in my class. Adorable kid. Sweet as pie and kind-hearted. How’s the sister?”
“Clementine? She’s her mother’s daughter. I had a few flashbacks to childhood with her today.”
“I don’t envy you. I’m not looking forward to dealing with Felicity this year.”
“She was a bit tough on you growing up, wasn’t she?”
We stop at his truck at that question. “Tough? She made my life a living hell, Ben. We grew up during a time that girls like her were referred to as ‘Mean Girls.’ In reality she was just a bitch and found some sick satisfaction in making me miserable. I’d rather go the rest of my life without having to deal with her. I’m grateful the nanny seems to be the primary point of contact for little Jacob.”
“Where’s your car?” he asks me, looking around. I point him toward the other end of the lot.
“Were you running late this morning? That’s a crap parking spot.”
I turn to start walking away. “Not late, just getting in a few extra steps. See ya later, Ben.”
I’m opening my car door when I hear something behind me.
“Hey, baby.”
“Tony, what are you doing here? And I’m not your baby.”
I toss my bag in the passenger seat and before I can take my seat Tony puts his hand on the door, slightly closing it and preventing me from opening it further to take my seat behind the wheel.
“You didn’t call me after I left you flowers. I figured you were still mad.”
I grunt in disbelief at his statement.
“I’ll take that as a yes. Look, Piper. I’m sorry. I know I screwed up and you’re angry but come on.” He’s almost pleading as he removes one hand from the door and places it on my waist to turn me toward him. He really is handsome.
No, Piper, he’s a cheater.
“Please, Piper. Give me a chance to make it right.”
The moment he finishes his sentence I hear a sound of an engine and my eyes look over Tony’s shoulder to see Ben leaning against his steering wheel looking at us. Gone is his teacher attire and instead he’s in a well-worn T-shirt and a ball cap. The scruff on his face just right, his eyes saying more than words ever could, and my heart skips a beat. I feel a sense of guilt for how intimate this must look and take a slight step back from Tony as he turns to see Ben.
“Sullivan, do you need something?”
“You okay, Princess?”
Words not forming, I simply nod in response.
“See you at dinner?”
Another nod, which he returns before turning his attention to Tony. The look on his face is enough for Tony to release his hand from my waist. That must satisfy Ben because he drives away.
“Dinner? Are you seeing him, Piper?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. We’re having family dinner at the Sullivans’. Look, thank you for the flowers. That was, well, the thought was nice, but please don’t do things like that. Tony, you’re not a bad guy. Hmm, actually that’s not true. You don’t have to be a bad guy. Just remember that with the next girl. I’ve got to go.”
“So, that’s it? You’re over me that easily. I love you, Piper. That has to mean something.”
I take a deep breath and look up at Tony and see sincerity in his eyes as I sit down behind the wheel and roll down my window. “Tony, you don’t love me. You loved the idea of me. And, honestly, I don’t think I loved you either. At least I wasn’t in love with you. I’d like it if we could still be friends though.”
“But I did, do love you.”
“Tony, what’s my favorite flower?”
“Roses. All chicks love roses.”
“No, Tony they don’t. I, for one, am severely allergic to roses. We were together almost a year and you didn’t know that. We had fun and I don’t regret our time together but we need to just call it a day. There’s someone out there for you but it’s just not me. Now I have to get going.” As he steps away from the door, obviously absorbing what I’ve just said, I roll up my window and drive away, leaving him standing in the parking lot.
As I drive to my apartment I find myself feeling lighter and relieved. Once I make it inside, the first thing to go are my boots. Adorable and serving a purpose, they aren’t the most kindergarten-friendly piece of footwear I own. Changing into a pair of leggings, I make myself a light snack and pull out my planner. I look at the seating chart I made prior to meeting the kids and make a few notes when my phone signals a text message.
Ben: Everything ok?
Me: Yeah, I’m fine.
Ben: Is he with you?
Me: What? No! Why would you even ask that?
Ben: He looked pretty cozy with you in his arms so I assumed you were getting back together.
I can’t help it, that little hint of jealousy brings a smile to my face before reality reminds me, friends only.
Me: Well, FRIEND, we aren’t. I don’t think Tony will be leaving me any more roses or looking to reconcile. I’ll see you at dinner.
He doesn’t respond and I’m not surprised. Perhaps the all caps were a bit shouty. Until I have the option for italics in a text it’s the only way I can think of to remind him of the “friends only” agreement.
Dinner with the Sullivans is never boring. I’ve been coming to family dinner every Thursday as long as I can remember. A few years ago Jameson started joining us. That’s just like Patty and Paul, to take in their kid’s friends who are maybe a little light in the family department.
I’m in the kitchen helping Patty while everyone else is outside. I love spending these quiet moments with Patty. My mom is great and I love her but she’s never been much of a cook. Patty was the one who taught me to cook at a young age and it’s still something that we share.
“How’s your mom, Piper?”
“She’s good. She and Michael get back from their cruise next week. She said she’s going to stay in Chicago with him for about a week before coming home.”
“My goodness, that’s one heck of a vacation. She must miss you terribly.”
“I doubt it, she’s called me non-stop and sent me a post card from every port. She seems happy, though, and that’s all I can ask for. Michael is nice and seems to really care about her. Of course, we’ll see when they get back. I don’t know how you spend that much time together and then go back to long-distance dating.”
Patty offers me a look of sympathy and a pat on the arm as she stirs the green beans that are in a skillet to sauté. “Your mother is a strong woman, Piper. She’ll be fine. How about you? Are you seeing anyone these days?”
“Uh, no. I think I’ll take a break from dating. My track record isn’t the greatest. I think my picker is broken.” We’re both laughing as Ben walks in through the slider.
“What’s so funny in here, ladies?”
“Nothing, honey. Just girl talk. These beans are about done, how about the rest outside?”
“Yep, just coming to tell you we’re all set. Do you need help?”
“Actually, would the two of you mind bringing these out? I’m just going to grab a sweater.”
Left alone with Ben, we work in silence transferring the green beans to a bowl. The sound of him clearing his throat stops me as I turn to walk toward the slider. Raising my brow in question, I wait for Ben to say something.
“I’m sorry if I offended you earlier. I just think you deserve better than someone like Tony Dominguez and it … well, it just looked different than you said.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Thank you for being concerned but I promise I am not getting back together with Tony.”
Dinner is the usual banter amongst the family with more laughs than we’ve had in a long time. Having Ben home seems to have brought a new element to our dinners and his parents are obviously thrilled to have him back.
Once dinner is finished, Ashton and I find ourselves elbow deep in dishes. Well, I find myself elbow deep, she’s complaining about doing dishes. These are the battles with Ashton I don’t fight.
“We need to talk Halloween, Pipe. What’s our theme this year? I’m thinking Vegas Showgirl.”
Shaking my head, I simply reply, “No.”
“Come on, Piper! It’s my year to choose. Last year we did the good witch bad witch thing like you wanted. By the way, I totally should have been the good witch but whatever. I want to sex it up already!”
Just as I’m about to reply Jameson and Ben walk in the kitchen. “Who is sexing what up?” Jameson asks.
“Us. Well, I want Piper to sex it up a little for Halloween but you know her, she’s anti-sexy.”
I splash water at her following that response and Ashton lets out a screech that probably has the neighbor’s dog howling.
“Nah, Piper’s hot already. She doesn’t need to sex it up. You could probably sex it down anyway, Ashton.” I’d expect something like from her big brother, but it’s Jameson who makes the comment.
“Kiss my ass, Jameson. I don’t need to down anything but a shot on Halloween. Now, as I was saying to Piper, we need a plan.”
“Why don’t we do a group thing this year?” This time it’s Ben speaking and I turn to look at him.
“What if we do an adult version of those costumes from the best Halloween ever? The one where we all went to the youth center party. You remember, Ash?”
More screeches and now claps. I close my eyes as my ears ring in response.
“Yes! Oh my goodness, Ben! Brilliant idea!! Dolly now will be so much more fun than Dolly before I had real boobs!”
“Wait, what was I?” Jameson asks.
Ashton and I look at each other and start laughing.
“Whoa, déjà vu,” Ashton, Ben, and I say in unison.
“Oh yeah, Neo! That costume was the shit. I’m down.”
“How about you, Princess? Are you in?”
I look at Ben, who has a huge smile on his face that I can’t help but return. “I’m in.”
“Yay! I’m totally sexing up your princess costume, Piper.”
Everyone laughs at Ashton and I have no doubt I’ll be stuffing my boobs back in their place all night long. Thank goodness I have weeks to attempt at toning down whatever Ashton has in mind.