Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
FAITH
Ugh, why had I made that date comment? I knew it wasn’t a date, and I was sure Adam would never consider dating me. So why make it even more awkward?
I rubbed my forehead with my hand. I knew rumors could be vicious and do way more damage than the truth.
Besides, he was a parent of one of my students, which has to be inappropriate. I turned off the lights and did a final walk through my classroom.
I could do this. I steeled my shoulders and spun my ring.
Adam had me at pie, though I would do a lot for sugar. Plus, Danny would be a wonderful buffer, since Adam intimidated me. Nothing about the man was quiet. From his presence in a room to his commanding voice.
I went to my car and drove down Main Street to Merritt’s. I pulled into a parking spot and tapped my fingers on the steering wheel to the Christmas music on the radio.
I loved Merritt’s, but I usually came with Marissa and Rose. They knew my quirks and didn’t care if I sometimes got nervous. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that the next best thing to being brave was pretending to be so.
I looked around the parking lot but didn’t spot Adam’s truck. I would look weirder just sitting in my car though, so I decided to wait inside.
I avoided the mud and ice patches and pulled open the front door. My stupid hands sweat, and my stomach tightened. I glanced around the dining room. There were a few groups of people, but most of the tables were open. One held a group of teenage boys, all laughing and hitting each other.
“Hey Faith, are Marissa and Rose coming?” Jesse greeted me with a smile.
“Um, no.” I shrugged. “Just me, and one of my students.”
Jesse raised her eyebrows. “Okaayy?”
I raised my hands between us. Oh, my gosh! That sounded wrong. “I mean, I’m meeting a student and their parent.” That didn’t sound right either, I closed my eyes. “Not because they are in trouble or anything.”
Jesse tilted her head.
I took a slow breath to stop the rambling. “We’re meeting about a school project.” I exhaled.
Jesse nodded and pointed toward the tables. “Pick any table you like.”
I turned to scan the dining room, and my shoulders dropped. There were about twenty empty tables. I chewed my lip and looked around the room.
Do I pick one by the front window? Or maybe closest to the door? My eyes flicked over the room, looking for some proof of where I should sit.
What if it isn’t where Adam and Danny wanted to sit, or randomly too close to someone else?
Why didn’t Jesse just tell me which one?
The teenagers chuckled, and a salt packet flew in my direction.
I took a fortifying breath, and I went in and sat at the closet table in a booth, plopping onto the bench to put me facing the door.
I sighed and rubbed my forehead. Why was I like this? Why couldn’t I walk into a room of people and be rational? First I stumble over my words and then panic about a table.
It’s just a table. It doesn’t matter.
I flexed my fingers, relaxing the tension that had built in my knuckles as I spun my ring.
The door opened, and Adam and Danny walked in. Danny saw me, waved, and skipped in my direction. Adam leaned over and grabbed Danny’s shoulder to talk with him. I didn’t want to intrude, so I studied the grain of the table.
“Hi, Ms. Faith.” Danny plopped into the booth across from me. Danny saw my spinning ring, and his eyebrows pulled down. It was obvious he was picking up on my nervous energy, so I pulled my hand under the table.
Adam’s phone against his ear, his eyes met mine, and he pointed to the phone and raised his right shoulder. I smiled and nodded.
“Dad said I get to have pie, and I love pie.” Danny was still looking at where my hands had been.
“Me too. Do you have a favorite type?”
“I like the red ones. I like that your ring spins. Can I see it?”
I pulled my hand up from under the table to show him my ring and the inner circle that spun. He reached over and rolled it back and forth.
“That’s cool.”
“Thanks, I sometimes get nervous, and when I spin it, it reminds me to take slower breaths.”
“And it has pandas. I like pandas.” I sensed no judgment or shame. This was why kids were the best. They accept and love so easily. Danny looked up at his dad and scooted farther into the booth as Adam put his phone into his front jeans pocket.
Adam slid in next to Danny. “Sorry about that, I had a parent who wanted to talk about a new play they made.” He rolled his eyes. “All right, what does everyone want? Ms. Faith, you too.”
“Oh, I can get my own.” I raised my hands between us.
“Nope.” Adam shook his head. “This is apology pie. I have to buy it.”
Danny glanced up at his dad, his eyes curious. “Did you say something not nice?”
My breath caught in my throat. He openly suggested a flaw in public. My mother would have berated me for hours for a stunt like that. Adam faced Danny, and I reminded myself to breathe.
“Yep. Remember, Daddy is trying his best, but he makes mistakes too.”
Danny nodded, his blond hair jumping with the movement.
“Well, Daddy accidentally wasn’t very nice to Ms. Faith.”
Danny scowled. “Why? I like her.”
I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding, and my heart soared at his comment. I wanted to hug Danny, although he didn’t particularly like hugs.
“I know you do, Danny. I’m sorry I hurt your friend’s feelings. I did something not nice, and I’m trying to show your friend that I’m sorry that I hurt her feelings. Does that make sense?”
Danny tipped his chin to the side, thinking about it. “Yep. And you are getting one for me too, right?”
He chuckled and ruffled Danny’s hair. “Yes, I am.”
Danny grinned, appeased that he also got to get pie.
Watching him interact with Danny, something inside of me melted. He wasn’t like my parents. Adam might not want to pursue testing, but he loved Danny, and he wanted what was best for him. He wasn’t concerned about how it made him look.
Danny looked at me. “Dad said we get to help with the fundraiser!”
“I know.” I clapped my hands in front of me. “Are you excited?”
“Yep!”
Adam looked chagrined. “Is that okay? I should have asked. It’s just that Danny is so excited about this project. And I can’t stand to be away from him more than I have to…”
I shrugged. “I was supposed to come up with two volunteers. Looks like I found both of them.”
Danny fist-pumped. “Yes!”
I sighed. “I should let you know, Danny, that I also wasn’t very nice. I got frustrated and forgot to breathe through the zones.” I twisted my fingers and refused to look at Adam, although I felt his gaze on me. “I kinda yelled at your dad. I know your dad is also your friend, so I’m sorry.”
Danny looked back and forth between the two of us, his eyebrows pulled down, thinking through the situation.
My eyes flicked up to Adam’s. They were kind and patient as he gave me a small smile.
Jesse came over with a notepad. “Heard you guys are getting pie.”
Danny sat up straight. “I want a red one. And my dad is buying Ms. Faith’s because he was accidentally not nice.” Danny scrunched his nose. “I’m accidentally not nice sometimes too.”
Adam reached over and gave Danny a side hug. “You’re great, Champ.”
Jesse chuckled. “Trust me. Most people are not nice from time to time.” She winked. “Okay, one red… Would you want strawberry rhubarb or cherry?”
“He likes the rhubarb one with whipped cream, please.” Adam added.
“I will take apple, please,” I said to Jesse.
“Make that two for the apple,” Adam nodded.
Jesse grinned. “Sounds great! I will have those right out.” She turned and headed toward the kitchen.
I watched Danny and Adam interact, and their relationship was so different from what I’d first assumed.
If I ever had a family, this was what I wanted it to look like. I wanted to embrace and love my children and their differences. I wanted them to feel safe to be who they were.
And if I married, I wanted to marry someone like Adam. Someone who didn’t stand in the shadows on the sidelines, but who was right in the middle of it all, actively loving them as well.
I cleared my throat and shook my head to clear the sudden onset of emotion. Okay, it was time to rein in this Norman Rockwell painting. I reminded myself and my ovaries that Danny was my student and I shouldn’t be thinking about my future family and him and Adam in the same thought.
Boundaries, woman!
I grabbed a notebook from my purse. “All right, so, about the fundraiser.” I opened the notebook and laid it on the table.
“Okay, my class has twenty-two students, and I was hoping some of them might work in teams. My biggest concern was the business ideas and getting them to agree on something that actually feels manageable.”
“What business were you wanting?” Adam asked Danny.
Danny shrugged. “I thought maybe I could just ask for money.”
Adam shook his head and grinned. “I don’t think it works like that.”
Jesse came and set down the pie plates.
“OHHHH, Coach Peters got a date!!!” The teens in the booth ahead of us started laughing and making kissing noises. My breath caught.
Would this cause problems for Adam? Would it cause problems for me?
Danny’s eyebrows pinched down. “Date? What’s a date?”
I could tell he was feeling concerned. I forced a shaky smile. “No, Danny, it’s not a date.” I smiled at him, trying to give him comfort I didn’t feel.
“But they said…”
I shrugged, pretending I didn’t care. “People say things all the time that aren’t true.” I leaned in and whispered. “They probably don’t know we are working on a project.”
Danny nodded, but glanced over at the teens, his eyes held concern.
“Excuse me.” Adam stood from the bench and stalked across the linoleum floor. The teenagers went silent.
I chewed my lip, unsure how to react to the upcoming confrontation.
“Hey boys, what is rule number one?” Adam tipped his head to the side.
They must be on his team.
“Respect others and yourself,” the boy with the blond curly hair mumbled and avoided Adam’s gaze.