Chapter 9
Nine
Allison
Being at Dime's by myself isn't as uncomfortable as I imagined it would be. Instead, it feels more like home than it probably should. I'm sitting on the couch, watching TV when my phone buzzes beside me. Reaching over, I grab it, and gasp when I see a text from Principal Harrison.
K: Hey Allison, I'm just checking in with you. I don't know if anyone told you, but Mason and I took Whiskers for you. I'm more than happy to bring her to you at Dime's.
I figured Dani was taking care of my cat, but it warms my heart to know that Principal Harrison has taken it upon herself to care for my cat.
A: Oh my gosh! I had no idea! Yes, please bring her to me.
K: Not a problem. I'll bring you everything we've gotten for her, and I'd love to make sure you're okay. Is that good with you?
A: Yes, I'd love to see you.
When Principal Harrison tells me she's on her way, I hurry to go and make myself presentable.
I'm suddenly very aware that I'm wearing Dime's clothes again, that my hair is probably a mess, and that I haven't put on makeup in days.
But when I look in the bathroom mirror, I realize I don't look as bad as I thought.
A little pale maybe, a little tired around the eyes, but not broken. Not like I feel inside.
I splash some water on my face and run a brush through my hair, then change into a pair of my own jeans and a sweater that Dani brought over. By the time I hear the knock on the door, I look almost normal.
When I open it, Principal Harrison is standing there with a cat carrier in one hand and a bag of supplies in the other.
Her dark hair is pulled back in a ponytail, and she's wearing jeans and a t-shirt instead of her usual professional attire.
It makes her seem more approachable, more like a friend than a boss.
"Allison," she says softly, and I can see the concern in her eyes. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay," I say, then amend it. "Or I will be."
She gives me a small smile. "That's all any of us can hope for." She lifts the carrier. "Someone's been very vocal about wanting to see you."
I hear a plaintive meow from inside, and my heart squeezes. "Whiskers," I breathe, reaching for the carrier.
Principal Harrison hands it over, along with the bag. "Come on in," I say, stepping back to let her inside.
She follows me into the living room, looking around Dime's place with quiet curiosity. I set the carrier down on the couch and open it. Whiskers, my gray and white tabby, comes shooting out like she's been held captive for years instead of just a few days.
"Oh, baby girl," I murmur as she rubs against my legs, purring so loudly I can hear it across the room. I scoop her up, burying my face in her soft fur. She smells like home, like normal, like before.
"She missed you," Principal Harrison says, settling into the armchair. "Mason tried to make friends with her, but she spent most of her time sitting by the front door waiting."
I feel tears prick at my eyes. "Thank you so much for taking care of her. I didn't even think about her with everything that happened."
"Of course you didn't. You had more important things to worry about." She pauses. "Allison, I'm so sorry about what happened. About all of it."
I sit down on the couch, Whiskers still in my arms. "It's not your fault."
"I'm the principal. Everything that happens in that school is my responsibility."
"No." I shake my head firmly. "This is Logan's fault. He brought drugs to school, he made the choice to use them. You didn't do that. I didn't do that. The only person responsible for what happened is Logan."
Principal Harrison's expression softens. "I appreciate you saying that. But I still feel like I should have seen something, should have known."
"How could you? I was in that classroom with him every day, and I didn't see it all the time, either." Whiskers kneads her paws against my thigh, and I stroke her head absently. "The truth is, kids are good at hiding things when they want to. And Logan wanted to hide this."
We sit in silence for a moment, the only sound Whiskers' purring. Then Principal Harrison leans forward, her hands clasped between her knees.
"I want you to know that you take all the time you need before coming back.
We've got a substitute covering your classes, and your students understand that you need space to heal.
" She pauses. "But we also want you to know that when you're ready, we're excited to have you back. The school isn't the same without you."
My throat tightens, and it's hard to speak around the ball of emotion in my throat. "Thank you. That means a lot."
"I mean it. You're one of the best teachers we have, Allison. The kids love you, the other teachers respect you, and you make a difference every single day." Her voice is gentle but firm. "What happened doesn't change that."
"It feels like it changes everything," I admit quietly.
"I know it does right now. But it won't always feel that way." She stands up, smoothing her jeans. "Take your time. Heal. And when you're ready, your classroom will be waiting for you."
I stand too, carefully shifting Whiskers to one arm so I can give Principal Harrison a hug. She hugs me back, tight and warm, and for a moment I let myself lean into it.
"Thank you," I whisper. "For everything. For Whiskers, for understanding, for just being here."
"Anytime." She pulls back, giving me one more smile. "You call me if you need anything, okay? Day or night. I mean that."
"I will."
I walk her to the door, and we say our goodbyes. As I watch her drive away, I feel a shift inside me. Maybe it's hope. Maybe it's just the beginning of acceptance. But whatever it is, it feels like a step forward.
Whiskers meows loudly, demanding attention, and I laugh. "Okay, okay. Let's get you settled in."
I spend the next twenty minutes setting up Whiskers' things around Dime's house.
Her food and water bowls go in the kitchen, her litter box in the bathroom, and her favorite blanket gets draped over the back of the couch.
She follows me around the whole time, weaving between my legs and making it abundantly clear that she's not letting me out of her sight.
"I missed you too, you demanding little thing," I tell her as she jumps up on the couch beside me.
I'm sitting there, scratching behind her ears and watching her purr, when I hear the rumble of a motorcycle outside. Whiskers' ears perk up, but she doesn't move from her spot. A moment later, the door opens and Dime walks in.
He stops short when he sees me on the couch with a cat in my lap.
"Well, hello there," he says, a grin spreading across his face.
"Principal Harrison brought her by." I stroke her back. "I hope you don't mind that she's here."
"Mind? Are you kidding?" He drops his keys on the counter and walks over, kneeling down in front of the couch. "Hey, Whiskers. I've missed you."
Whiskers regards him with those inscrutable green eyes that cats have, then does something I've never seen her do with a stranger. She stands up, stretches, and walks right into his lap.
"Well, damn," Dime says, sounding surprised. He starts petting her, and she immediately starts purring again, rubbing her face against his hand. "I guess she missed me too."
I watch them together, this big, tough biker with a motorcycle club patch on his back, gently stroking my cat like she's made of glass. And the happiness inside my chest grows warmer.
"Even Whiskers knows she can trust you," I say softly.
Dime looks up at me, and there's something in his eyes that makes my breath catch. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." I reach out and touch his face, running my thumb along his jaw. "She's a good judge of character."
He turns his head and kisses my palm, never stopping his gentle stroking of Whiskers. "I'm glad she's here. Makes this place feel more like home."
"It does," I agree. And I realize as I say it that I mean it in more ways than one. This place, with Dime and now Whiskers, feels more like home than my apartment ever did. More like home than anywhere I've lived in years.
Maybe that's what home is. Not a place, but the people and the pets and the feeling of safety that wraps around you when you're there.
Dime shifts, sitting on the floor and leaning back against the couch, Whiskers still purring in his lap. I slide down next to him, tucking myself against his side. His arm comes around me automatically, and I rest my head on his shoulder.
"Thank you," I murmur.
"For what?"
"For letting me bring my life into yours. For not making me feel like I'm intruding."
"Baby, you're not intruding." His hand runs up and down my arm. "You're exactly where you're supposed to be."
Whiskers stretches out across both our laps, clearly deciding that this setup is acceptable. We sit there on the floor, the three of us, and I let myself believe that maybe Dime's right. Maybe this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.
"Principal Harrison said the school is excited for me to come back when I'm ready," I tell him after a while.
"That's good. Are you ready?"
"Not yet. But maybe soon." I pause. "Is that okay? That I'm here, not working, just existing in your space?"
He presses a kiss to the top of my head. "It's more than okay. Stay as long as you need. Hell, stay forever if you want."
"Forever's a long time."
"I'm aware." He's quiet for a moment, then adds, "But I meant what I said before. You're it for me, Allison. So if forever is what you want, I'm here for it."
My eyes sting with tears, but they're good tears. Happy tears. "I think I might want that."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Whiskers purrs louder, like she's giving her approval, and Dime laughs. "Well, I guess that settles it. Whiskers has spoken."
I laugh too, and it feels good. It feels normal. It feels like maybe, despite everything that's happened, things are going to be okay.
Because I'm here with a man who loves me, a cat who missed me, and a home that's starting to feel real. And that's more than I've had in a very long time.
That's everything.