Chapter 4
Kate
Stretching my arms, I slowly wake up and look over to see Ronan’s side of the bed empty. My brain feels a bit muddled, so it takes me a few seconds to remember he had an early appointment this morning.
As soon as I’m fully awake, memories of that man come flooding back into my mind. My stomach instantly twists into a knot, and after a few deep breaths, I still feel awful. I can’t imagine how I’m going to get through my workday.
Then again, I could call out sick. I’ve never done that before, but maybe today I should. I doubt I’ll be able to keep my focus on teaching, and my students deserve to have my complete attention.
I’m sure missing one day will be fine.
With that decided, I email my head teacher and let her know I won’t be in today. Sitting up in bed afterward, I can’t deny the relief as it washes over me. I love teaching, and I love my students, but the thought of going into the city today makes me uneasy.
I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’m just a little rattled after getting my wallet stolen yesterday. It’ll be okay. One day off won’t hurt anyone.
After I start my coffee and get myself a bowl of cereal, I feel a little more like myself. My phone buzzes to alert me I’ve received a text, so I swipe the screen to see a message from Maria Cordoni, my lead teacher. I read it and smile, thankful for such a great boss.
I saw you called out. I hope you’re feeling better soon. See you tomorrow!
Although I didn’t get into what was making me feel under the weather when I woke up this morning, I don’t feel that I lied when I said I couldn’t come in because I’m sick today.
Not that it matters. My contract says I have up to ten sick days a school year, and since I haven’t taken a single day off this year, today’s absence won’t matter to anyone.
Watching the coffee drip into the pot, out of the corner of my eye, I see something on the refrigerator.
It’s one of those yellow sticky notes Ronan leaves all over the apartment.
I never fail to smile when I see one because I know how important being able to use his right hand again is to him.
I think it may be the main reason why he writes out so many notes.
When my morning caffeine is finally ready, I walk over to pour myself a mugful and turn to look at the yellow note.
It’s merely a reminder to get his car serviced, but it makes me happy to read it.
Ronan has come so far since his accident.
I’m proud of him, and I can’t wait to say I do to him in a month’s time.
I sit down at the kitchen table and sip my coffee while I stare out the window. It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful spring day. Maybe I should sit outside on the balcony and get a little sun. That might make me feel better.
With that thought firmly in my brain, I grab my coffee mug and shuffle outside.
Neither Ronan nor I have cleaned up out here since winter ended, so I have to tidy up a little.
A little Windex and some elbow grease help me clean the wrought iron table and chair set we bought when we moved in, and a minute later, my little area looking out over the street is ready for me to enjoy.
I watch my neighborhood come alive over the next hour with parents piling their children into backseats for the trip to school and other kids walking to their bus stops down the road. I’m usually inside getting ready for my day, so I’ve never seen what happens outside each morning.
Will this be us in a few years, I wonder. Ronan has mentioned children a few times since we became engaged. He sees how happy his brothers are now that they’re fathers, so he thinks maybe we would like to be parents.
Not that I’m against that idea, but I want to work for a few more years before I have to take time off to be a mom.
He seems to understand that, but as I watch the families scurrying out of their homes to the cars in their driveways, I have to question how long he’ll want to wait before he really becomes eager to be a father.
It’s a unique problem because we don’t have to worry about money or how much it will cost to raise a child.
Because of his inheritance, Ronan is wealthy enough to afford dozens of children, so when I tell him I want to wait to start a family so I can get established in my job, I know that might sound like an excuse.
I do want children. I just don’t want them yet. I’ve dreamed of being a teacher since I was a little girl, and abandoning it now that I’m finally living that dream feels like I’d be betraying myself. I’ve never told Ronan anything about that, but it’s how I feel.
A little girl with brown hair in braids and wearing a pink wind breaker sees me as she waits by her family’s car for her mother and waves up at me.
I wave back as I imagine a daughter Ronan and I could have someday may look like her.
She reminds me of myself as a child with her big smile and inability to stand still while her mom gets her younger brother settled into his car seat on the other side of the car.
Shifting back and forth from one foot to the other, she looks like a bundle of energy.
I like her instantly and give her another wave when she looks up again just before she climbs into the backseat of her mother’s SUV.
As I still there lost in thought about the girl and whatever children Ronan and I may have in the future, my phone vibrates across the top of the wrought iron table. I glance down and see it’s Kelly. What could she want at seven in the morning?
Before I even can say hello, she’s talking into my ear. “I looked at that woman with such disgust. I hope she picked up on it, but something tells me she’s as dumb as a box of hair.”
Definitely peak Kelly this morning.
“Um, who are we talking about? Hello, by the way,” I say as I watch the little girl’s car back out of their driveway.
A full belly laugh comes through the phone, and then my sister says, “Oh, sorry about that, Kate. I wasn’t talking to you. I was telling another student about something that happened to me the other day.”
I can just imagine my sister glaring at some woman after she did something stupid.
Kelly can be incredibly unforgiving when someone makes mistakes.
I think that’s a result of her being so much smarter than most people.
Those of us who are mere mortals when it comes to intelligence seem to frustrate her a great deal on any given day.
“Well, how did the story end?” I ask, now curious about what happened after my sister showed some woman she thought she was an idiot.
“What? Oh, she thought she was going to let me know I was being rude, but I wasn’t having it. I mean, for God’s sake, what are we doing anymore? If helping people is your job, then help them. Don’t stand there looking stupid and expecting everyone to be okay with that.”
I consider asking her to elaborate since the information she’s given me could apply to virtually any interaction she has on any day, but I quickly decide against that. My sister will rant and rave about whoever this woman was for an hour if I do.
“So what’s new with you?” I ask instead. “What are you calling me about this early in the morning?”
“Oh, yeah. I know you’re probably just about to run out the door to jump in the car so you can get to work on time, but I wanted to make sure we’re on for Friday night. How does seven work for you?”
“Kel, I think you’re overworked. We already talked about us meeting Monday night at seven. Now it’s Friday when you want to meet?”
“Oh, did we say Monday? God, I really am losing it. This whole school thing is kicking my ass lately. Sorry about being so absentminded. What do you think about The Library this Friday? It’s pretty quiet, and to be honest, the last thing I want after this week is a lot of noise and a bunch of guys with hard-ons hitting on us left and right. ”
My sister’s interest in men appears to have hit an all-time low, and that’s saying something since after she left her ex-husband, she was nothing short of a man hater.
Literally. I’m fine with avoiding places that are nothing more than a dating meat market, though.
I have no interest in dealing with men hitting on me either.
“Sounds good. I’ll see you at seven there.”
“Will it be only you, or are you bringing along Mr. Wonderful?” she asks with a chuckle.
I know she’s teasing me, but I’m not above giving her the same treatment right back. “Why would I bring Marius King to our dinner? Or is it that you want to get to know my future brother-in-law better? He’s with someone and has a daughter, you know.”
Why the mere mention of Marius King’s name bothers my sister so much is a mystery to this moment, but her reaction doesn’t disappoint my expectations. “Why the hell would you bring him?” she asks with special disgust clinging to the word him.
“You asked if I was bringing Mr. Wonderful. I know you can’t mean Ronan since he’s never been anything but sweet to you.”
Kelly sighs heavily and answers, “Fair enough. I was just trying to be cute. Why did you have to dump his brother into our conversation?”
I’m beginning to suspect something happened between those two in the past. Maybe I’ll ask her about it when we get together.
“I don’t know. Marius isn’t that bad. Not anymore, at least. Eden’s had a good effect on him.”
That gets me a loud harrumph. “I’m sure. I’ll give her this. She certainly likes a challenge. But enough about him. The Library at seven Friday night?”
“I’ll be there. I better go. I need to get to work,” I lie, even though I’m not sure why.
“Same. Have a good one! I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Enjoy all the kids, Kate!” my sister says before ending the conversation.