Chapter 13 #3
Eva’s arrest had been the talk of the town, with many people horrified that she’d been behind the assaults on Suzanna and the fire at Seth’s house. Suzanna felt very supported by the people in the small town.
Dallas had told her Holly had gone to live with her father in Chicago, and Suzanna could only hope the little girl would be loved and nourished there.
Suzanna taught her classes and then went home each day. The loneliness she suffered each evening felt deeper than what she’d felt when Davy had passed.
With Seth and Sammy, she had gotten a taste of what family looked like, what it felt like, and that was what she grieved for during her alone times.
She’d been researching cars to educate herself on what kind to buy. She’d finally settled on a make and model and had spoken to a salesman at O’Brian’s Garage and Car Sales. She was supposed to go in the next day after school to check out a car they had on their lot.
Seeing Sammy every day in school was just a reminder of her heartbreak, and Sammy desperately missed her. He told her every day that he wanted her to live with him and be his mom. All she could do was tell him that she loved him, but she couldn’t be his mom.
Through Sammy she had learned that he and his dad were camping out in the living room and work hadn’t yet started on the burned-out area of the house.
She hadn’t seen Seth for a week, and with every day that passed, her heartache only seemed to increase. She desperately missed talking to him and seeing the charming grins he’d so often cast her way.
She missed laughing with him and seeing the sparkle in his beautiful blue eyes. She also mourned the fact that she would never again be held in his big, strong arms.
She’d put up her Christmas tree in an effort to cheer herself up, but no amount of tinsel and ribbon could take away the deep anguish that continued to live inside her.
Ray and Boone tiptoed around her during the lunch periods, obviously recognizing that she was heartbroken by her separation from Seth.
She’d been glad to realize they were the good friends she’d always believed them to be.
Vanessa came by one evening to check on her and Suzanna had shared her heartache with her friend.
Friday morning was gloomy with the absence of any sunshine to brighten or warm the cold day. She dressed in her black slacks and a bright pink blouse that she knew looked good on her in an effort to cheer herself up, but it didn’t help. She felt as dreary as the day as she drove to school.
Normally she wasn’t a depressed kind of person. She knew she needed to pull herself up and out of it, but she just wasn’t up to it right now. After all, it had only been a week since Seth had walked out of her life.
She pulled up to the school and parked. At least if things went well at the car dealership this evening, then she would have a new vehicle to replace the one that had been totaled when Eva Dayton had forced her off the road and into the ravine.
As she walked toward the school entrance, Boone fell into step with her. “Good morning, Suzanna,” he said with one of his wide smiles.
“Back at you, Boone,” she replied.
“How are you doing this morning?” he asked.
“I’m surviving.” She forced a cheerfulness. “What about you?”
“About the same,” he returned. “It’s just another day of monster training.”
She laughed at that, and by then they were in the hallway where they parted ways. Once in her classroom she sank down at her desk and opened her notebook. She had spent part of every evening feeding in the lesson plans that had been missing due to her time with Seth.
As always, the only thing that really cheered her up was seeing her students. Sammy came into the room with a couple of other boys. He left them and greeted her by wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.
“I miss you so much, Mrs. Michaels,” he said miserably. “I wish you’d come back and live with us. I liked it the way it was before the fire.”
What she wanted to say was that she liked it the way it had been before the fire, too. She had liked it when they were all together and acting like a real family. “How’s Lady doing?” she asked instead.
Happiness danced across Sammy’s features. “She’s good. I play with her all the time, and she makes me laugh.”
“And how is George?” she asked.
“Oh, George left. He got tired of sleeping in my shoebox.”
“Do you miss him?” she continued.
“Nah, he mostly didn’t do anything, so I don’t miss him.” His features once again took on a look of misery. “But I do miss you a lot.”
“I know, honey. Now go on to your desk. It’s just about time for us to start our day.” She released a deep sigh as Sammy walked to his desk.
And with that, another day began.
The kids were fairly well behaved, and the day went smoothly. Once the day was done, she told all the children that she would see them on Monday unless it was a snow day. They all whooped and hollered, hoping that a snow day would come.
When all the children were gone, she sank back down at her desk and went over her lesson plans for the next week. She had about an hour to kill before her appointment with the salesman at the car lot, and she’d decided to spend it here instead of going home.
Besides, it was time to change up the bulletin boards, and that was always a job she enjoyed.
She had snowmen whose bellies were the face of a clock.
There were also Christmas elves to dance across the top as a border.
She started by hanging up the pictures of winter that the students had drawn in art class, and then moved on to the snowmen.
She didn’t know how long she’d been working at the bulletin board when he walked in.
Clad in jeans, a brown plaid shirt and a suede coat, he might have looked as handsome as ever, but deep lines cut into the sides of his face, and his blue eyes held a weariness that made him look exhausted.
He was probably working around the clock at his house.
So what was he doing here? Did he have a question about Sammy’s work? The very sight of him broke her heart all over again.
“Seth,” she greeted him, glad that her voice held none of the emotion that bubbled up inside her. “How are things going at your house?” she asked.