Chapter 5 Field Trip
A thunderstorm was how I started my day.
It was my first official day of teaching at the Locust Valley Academy.
Dread filled my belly as I thought of driving in that thunderstorm.
I badly wanted to get back under the covers and start this day over.
There was nothing I despised more than driving in the rain.
As I shook off the feelings of dread, I got up to get ready.
Once I was dressed for the day, I went to Reign’s room.
It was her first day at school as well, her first official day in kindergarten.
She was so excited that night that I almost couldn’t get her to bed.
Reign had never been a morning person, so waking her up would be a task.
When I walked into her room, I was shocked to see her awake.
“Good morning, Mommy. It’s my first day of school,” she said, full of excitement.
“It sure is, Nugget. Why don’t you head into the bathroom? After you brush your teeth and wash your face, you can get dressed,” I explained.
Reign made her way to the bathroom. I had never seen her so excited about getting up in the morning before.
Her excitement for the day almost made me forget about the terrible weather.
I silently prayed the rain would slow down or completely stop before we left.
While Reign was getting ready, I went to the kitchen to make her breakfast. As soon as I reached the kitchen, I realized Nana was already in there.
“Here I was, thinking I was going to make breakfast,” I said.
“All you need to do is get yourself and baby girl together. I’ll always make sure my family has something to eat,” she replied.
I walked over to Nana and gave her a hug.
There were so many mornings after Jude’s passing that I struggled to get out of bed.
My grandparents and Naya offered to stay with me, but I always declined.
No one knew that the rain would trigger bouts of depression.
That day, I was determined not to let the weather keep me in bed.
“I know how much you hate the rain, Harley. PopPop can drop you guys off if you want,” Nana offered.
“No, it’s okay. I have to conquer my fears at some point. Today will have to be the day. I don’t want to continue living in fear,” I expressed.
Nana stopped what she was doing to face me. “I’m proud of you, baby. I know it’s not easy, but you will overcome this,” she assured me.
I worked with Nana in the kitchen as her sous chef.
It was something I had been doing since I was a child.
It allowed us to spend quality time, just the two of us.
Nana showed me how to make countless family recipes during our time together in the kitchen.
Just as we were wrapping up, Reign came down the stairs.
“Tada! Look at me, guys,” Reign said with a big smile on her face.
“Oh my. You’re too cute today,” I praised her.
“The prettiest kindergartener I’ve ever seen,” Nana emphasized.
Reign spun around to show us her dress as we continued to fawn over her.
“Alright, little lady. Let’s sit down. You have to eat breakfast. We need to leave soon, so you don’t have all day to eat,” I said.
Reign and I quickly ate, then hurried out the door.
Relief swept over me as the rain slowed down to a drizzle.
After getting Reign safely in the car, I got in as well, driving slower than I normally would’ve.
The twenty-minute drive turned into forty minutes, and by the time I parked at the school, the rain had completely stopped.
I helped Reign out of the car, then we made our way into the building.
It was still early, so there weren’t many people inside. I headed to the main office to sign the last bit of my paperwork. When we reached the office, the first person I saw was Ms. Judy, the school secretary.
“Good morning, Ms. Judy,” I greeted her.
“Good morning. Are you ready for your first official day? I guess I should be asking you both that, huh?” she asked with a chuckle.
“I don’t know if I’m ready. Reign, however, is very excited about her first day of kindergarten. Isn’t that right, Nugget?” I asked Reign.
“I can’t wait to meet all my new friends. I’m going to meet new friends, right, Mommy?” Reign asked.
“You sure will, Nugget,” I assured her.
Ms. Judy got up from her desk to provide me with a packet.
As I fumbled through the paperwork, I signed the areas that required a signature.
By the time I went through everything, the first bell rang.
The hallway was filled with people who moved quickly about to their destination.
As I handed the paperwork to Ms. Judy, the office door opened.
It was Micah and an adorable little girl who looked just like him.
He looked as shocked to see me as I was to see him.
“Harley? I told you I would see you soon,” he teased.
“You sure did. I’m going to be working here. Today is my first day,” I explained.
“Congratulations, and good luck. This is my daughter, Violet. Today is her first day of kindergarten,” he said.
“It’s nice to meet you, Violet. This is my daughter, Reign. Today is her first day of kindergarten as well. Whose class are you in?” I asked.
“Mrs. Thomas’,” she answered softly.
“What a coincidence; Reign is in that class as well,” I said.
Reign and Violet looked at each other nervously.
Micah handed a piece of paper to Ms. Judy. “Can you add this to Violet’s file? I want to ensure there’s an updated list of emergency contacts for her,” he explained.
“Of course, sugar. You both better get those babies to class before they’re late for their first day,” she instructed.
With that, Micah grabbed Violet by the hand, and I grabbed Reign’s hand as well.
I followed Micah’s lead. He seemed to know his way around the school.
It had been far too long since I was there last. When we reached the door of Mrs. Thomas’ class, she greeted us with a warm smile.
“Good morning. Who do we have here?” Mrs. Thomas asked.
“I’m Harley, and this is my daughter Reign,” I said.
“Reign, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m so excited to have you in my class, “she said.
“And I’m Violet,” Violet chimed in.
“I’m Micah, Violet’s dad. As you can see, she needs no introduction,” Micah said.
Mrs. Thomas ushered the girls into her classroom, and Micah and I both said our goodbyes to the girls. They left us standing at the door as they joined their other classmates.
“I better get to class,” I said.
“Why don’t you let me walk you there? What room are you in?” he asked.
I hesitated for a moment while I tried to remember the number on the paperwork Ms. Judy provided me with. “Room twenty-two.”
Micah nodded as I followed him toward the staircase. When we reached the second floor, he stopped at the first room. I looked at the number above the room. It was mine.
“Is there any chance you’ll let me take you out to dinner, Harley? You know, catch up for old time’s sake,” Micah explained.
I was surprised, but there was no time to hesitate. My classroom was full of eager ninth graders awaiting my arrival.
“Sure. Take my number. Nothing wrong with a little dinner,” I said.
Micah pulled out his phone and passed it to me, then I entered my phone number.
We stared at each other before I remembered where we were.
“I gotta go,” I finally said.
“Right. Go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later,” he replied.
Micah pulled me in for a hug, his woodsy vanilla smell filling my nostrils.
I wanted to stay in his embrace a little longer.
I’d never been in the arms of a man of Micah’s size.
His hug was firm, his large arms covering my entire body.
I regained my composure and headed into the classroom.
“Good morning, class. I’m Mrs. Gray. Welcome to business and entrepreneurship,” I greeted the eager students.
Hours later, I took a break for lunch. I loved my students already.
Being in the classroom was one of my favorite things.
The curiosity that filled the brains of my students was my favorite part.
I went into teaching to be a positive reinforcement to the youth.
As a child, I was fortunate to have great teachers, so being an educator meant the world to me.
I didn’t pack lunch, so I grabbed something out of the cafeteria. While I ate in the teacher’s lounge, I checked my phone for any messages. I smiled when I saw Micah had reached out.
Mr. Black:
Does six tonight work for you?
Me:
Six’s fine. Where are we going?
Mr. Black:
I got us a table at The Tavern. Is that cool?
Me:
I’ve never been, so I’ll let you choose. See you at six.
My cheeks were warm from blushing. I had no idea what to expect tonight, and the anticipation of the unknown had me giddy for the rest of the day.