13. Making a Difference
Chapter 13
Making a Difference
Maya
K ailyn came over earlier to let me know Bull and the others wouldn’t be back until late. She and Gertie came by to keep me company for a while. I’m glad they did. I was driving myself crazy thinking about every imaginable scenario, and none of them good.
Gertie kept us both entertained with stories of her youth. She’s led a wonderful life and has met so many great characters, but everything always comes back to the love of her life, her husband. It was close to midnight before Kailyn walked Gertie back to her apartment. She offered to come back and sit with me awhile longer, but I wanted to be alone.
As much as I appreciated the company, I wasn’t very good company myself.
I turned on the television, kept my phone by my side, and waited. Then waited some more. I was willing for the phone to ring and a couple of times, I almost caved and called Kailyn to see if she’d heard anything. I was nearly certain she wasn’t sleeping either, but I would feel awful if I woke her.
When the phone screen lit up with Bull’s name, I picked up immediately. “He’s safe, baby,” he said. A huge relief for all.
I was worried for Troy, a sweet little boy with loving parents, who needed to come home safe. I was worried for his parents, agonizing over the fear and guilt. Fear of losing their son and guilt about what they could have done differently.
Knowing that Bull and his friends might be in harm’s way had me on pins and needles. Kailyn kept telling me how well equipped the men are and how they’ve been trained for situations like this. I felt a little better, but the more time wore on, the more anxious I got.
Most of all, I was concerned about Bull. I wanted him home. I wanted to see for myself that he was okay.
There’s a light tap on the door, and as I peer through the peephole, I see him standing there. He looks weary and haggard. I open the door and wrap my arms around his middle. He clasps his big bear-paw arms around me and hugs me tight.
“I’m wiped, babe.” I let him go and watch as he locks the door. We walk straight to the bedroom, where he undresses and climbs into bed. I shut all the lights off and get in with him. He spoons me, his arms banded tightly around my waist. “I need to feel you. Don’t move away from me. I need this,” he says.
My hands clasp his, and I settle back against his chest. He says he needs to feel me, but I need him just as much. I listen as his breathing evens out, and he falls asleep within minutes. The rise and fall of his chest is soothing, and soon, I’m drifting off as well.
* * *
I wake up startled by the sound of the alarm. I feel like I only went to bed a few hours ago, and when I glance at the clock, I see that it was indeed only a few hours ago. Bull is still soundly asleep. He needs his rest. Careful not to wake him, I shuffle out from beneath him, grab the clothes I need out of the closet and drawer, then quietly make my way to shower.
After getting dressed and ready, I peek back in and see he’s still sleeping. I didn’t use the hairdryer this morning, so as not to disturb Bull’s sleep. Instead, I tie my hair back into a ballerina bun. Then I move to the kitchen to prepare the coffeemaker and leave a sticky note to hit the button and enjoy the coffee. I leave the box of Danish I bought off to the side with another note: Help yourself.
I didn’t even get a chance to kiss him last night. I contemplate going back into the bedroom to kiss him on the cheek, but that’s a selfish act. But I don’t want him to think I’m just leaving without saying goodbye.
Hey, Honey,
I let you sleep, but unfortunately, I need to get to school. I’m so happy that all went well, and I can’t wait to see you tonight. I didn’t want to wake you, so I am blowing you a kiss before I leave. I want the real thing later.
Love,
Maya
* * *
It’s almost noon when I hear our school administrator shouting outside my classroom. “You can’t go in there. Miss Randall is in class. It’s against the rules.” Her voice is getting louder, and her heels are clicking on the hallway floor.
There’s another set of footsteps thundering toward the class, heavy and thudding, then suddenly stopping. The classroom door swings open, and Bull takes up the entire doorway. I wish I knew all his expressions, but this one is new to me. He’s staring right at me, completely ignoring the thirty other pairs of eyes that are gawking at him. Most of the kids are staring with their mouths hanging open.
He takes a step forward and says, “You made me coffee.”
I gulp and nod. He takes another step. “And bought my favorite Danishes.”
“Yes,” I whisper.
“Took care of me.”
I tilt my head to one side, trying to size up what he’s thinking. “I-I—” I stutter, at a loss.
“Wrote me notes so I wouldn’t worry.”
By this time, he’s standing directly in front of me, and my head’s tipped all the way back to meet his gaze. I inhale deeply. His hand cups my cheek. He lowers his head to brush his lips over mine. “Thank you, baby.”
Of course, it’s Calvin who clears his throat and makes a snide remark. “I didn’t know we were in sex ed,” he says. The class begins to snicker, but not for long. Bull turns his attention to Calvin, who shrinks into his chair at the sight of the massive man glowering down on him.
“What did you say? Wanna repeat that?” he asks, his voice low and eerily scary. “You’ll respect your teachers, and you’ll respect me. You give, you get. That’s the way it works.”
“I’m not the one who came in and started smooching Miss Randall,” Calvin says.
“Yesterday, Miss Randall took the time to come out to help to find a young boy who was kidnapped. She stayed up all night waiting for word that this kid was safe and back with his parents. Then she took care of me,” Bull says.
“Bull, honey.” I shake my head. “You did the hard part.”
He ignores my words and keeps going. “But this morning, with only a few hours’ sleep, she got up anyway and came here because this is where she needs to be. For you.” He points to Calvin, then moves to the student next to him. “And you. And you.” He continues down the row. “Your attitude isn’t warranted. And let me give you a quick life lesson: don’t judge if you don’t want to be judged.”
Calvin sits up straight. I can see that something’s changed. Something has clicked, and there’s a glimmer I haven’t seen before today.
“What do you do?” Calvin asks.
“You gotta earn the right to ask me that question,” Bull answers. He turns to me. “Let me know when he does, and I’ll come back and tell him.” He takes a step closer to me, kisses my cheek and whispers, “I’ll be home early. Pizza and movie night. I’m picking it up.” And then he’s gone.
I turn back to my class. The girls are practically drooling, and the boys watch him leave in awe. Mrs. Heckly, the school administrator, is doing her best to contain herself when I know she really wants to get me alone to ask the million questions that are popping into her head. She’s sweet, but she’s nosy.
“Let’s get back to work, shall we?” I say, pulling them out of their stupor. I walk over to Mrs. Heckly. “I’m sorry about that. Bull can be intense, but he’s very sweet.”
Mrs. Heckly has been with the school for over ten years and has been married to Mr. Heckly for over twenty years. She’s a kind woman without a hint of malice in her. She’s also an incurable romantic. So the scene that unfolded in front of her is probably like out of one of her romance novels.
“I want details,” she says with a giggle. “I’ll meet you in the lounge during lunch period.”
“Please, let’s keep this to ourselves,” I plead.
Mrs. Heckly looks at the sea of faces and the kids whispering among themselves. “I don’t think that’s an option,” she says. Regretfully, I know she’s right.
Bad news: people know I have a hot boyfriend. Good news: I have a hot boyfriend who came down to give me the kiss I craved.
The rest of the time in class is remarkably uneventful. We continue with the poetry chapter and have a great discussion on the interpretation of lyrics. Calvin and Josh didn’t act out once and instead seem interested in the material.
After the bell rings, Calvin comes to my desk. “Miss Randall?”
“Yes, Calvin.”
“That guy’s your boyfriend, right?”
“Yes, he is.”
“Is his name really Bull?” he asks.
I chuckle. “Nope. But all his friends call him that.”
“He said I need to earn the right to know about him. What does that mean?”
“With Bull, that could mean many things. Bull is all about respect. I don’t think you made a very good impression on him at the start. He’s a very private man, and I would never share his story. That’s his to tell. However, I will tell you this much. He’s the best man you could ever have on your side. Bull and his team work on making our country a better place. He’s close to people who feel the same way. You want his respect, you have to earn it.”
“What did you do to earn it?” Calvin asks.
“I’m not exactly sure, to be honest. It’s not grand gestures that make relationships. It’s all the small stuff. Making sure you don’t take someone for granted. Really listening. Genuine caring for those special people in our lives. What do you think?”
“He’s cool,” Calvin mumbles.
“All his friends are cool, and they all have awesome nicknames.”
Calvin shuffles his feet and looks at his shoes. “I’m sorry I was goofing off and being a pain.”
“I believe in second chances. Clean slate, what do you think?”
He lifts his eyes. “Really?” he murmurs hopefully.
“Chapters two and three for tomorrow. One last chance at getting the homework complete and bumping up your grade to where I know it could be. You’re an intelligent young man. I think you already know that.”
He gives me a smile, lifts his textbook, and gives me the sign that he’s going to give it a try. Bull doesn’t understand the impact he had on Calvin. I’m going to make sure I tell him he made a difference. I’ve spoken to many of Calvin’s other teachers, and none have been able to reach him like Bull has.