Chapter 30 #2
Kelsey and I arranged a convenient time for the school meeting when neither of us was working. I think about the text message conversation we had to arrange it. The words were so normal. There was no venom, no nastiness. We just talked about what was required. I consider myself lucky.
A colleague of mine had split with his wife five years ago, and he still has blazing arguments with her about the kids.
Once, I remember him telling me his wife had driven the distance between their houses and calculated an exact halfway point for drop off and pick up.
My mind boggles at the idea I would withhold from my children an extra mile of fuel or a minute of my time.
As I pulled up into the school parking lot, Kelsey was sitting on a bench in front of the entrance.
Her hair was down and loose on her shoulders, and she was wearing a simple pink dress with small heels.
It hugged her body, accentuating her figure.
Thinking back, I noticed she was wearing more makeup than usual. Her lips a bright pink in the sunshine.
Eamon telling me about her seeing someone now makes sense. It didn’t even cross my mind but yes, she had a glow about her last week.
The secretary had shown us to the office. Mrs. Pringle is like a caricature of a schoolteacher. She wears her dark-brown hair pulled severely back in a bun, her eyes are sharp, and enormous glasses with a neck strap perch on her long nose.
She gestured for us to take a seat and plonked herself in a large green chair. Her considerable tweed-clad backside made the wood creak underneath it. This woman sees the school as her domain, and I’m sure she rules it with an iron fist. Mrs. Pringle cleared her throat loudly.
“Mr. and Mrs. Jones,” she began.
Kelsey’s voice cut in, taking me by surprise. “Actually, Mrs. Pringle, I’m returning to using my maiden name, McMillan.”
She looked to me and back to the headteacher. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Talk about a curveball. The tyrant in front of us took no notice.
“Very well.” She started again. “Mr. Jones and Ms. McMillan. I’m concerned about the recent behavior of your daughter, Savannah. Yesterday, she struck one of the other children.” She paused, letting that sink in. “Now, since this is her first warning, we will only give her a detention.”
Kelsey and I looked at each other in disbelief. She struggles to deal with conflict, so I took up the reins in the conversation.
“Which child did she strike? And what was the situation that caused the incident?”
The woman shook her head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jones, but I can’t divulge that information.”
Wrong answer. I narrowed my eyes at her.
“This isn’t MI5, Mrs. Pringle. It’s a school.
You’ve accused our daughter of being violent.
I want to know what led her to be so. Savannah is a good girl and has caused no issues in the past. Don’t you think this requires a bit more investigation?
” She shrugged her shoulders, not interested, and I stood.
“I’ll be speaking to Savannah this evening.
We’ll contact you with what I find out. Come on, Kels, let’s go.
And, Mrs. Pringle, in the future, please use my correct title. It’s Doctor Jones.”
We left the office and headed to the front door.
Kelsey’s eyes were wary. “Do you want to grab a coffee?” she asked, her voice quiet. I nodded and followed her to the small, grubby coffee shop across the street. The sun was shining, so we sat outside.
“Ben,” she ventured. “I want a divorce.” I sat, stunned, as she put a hand on mine. “You and I both know this is over. Neither of us wants to go back. It’s time we moved on. I’m going to use my maiden name.” I nodded, but kept my lips squeezed tightly closed. There was nothing more to say.
Now, talking with Eamon, the school meeting and her request for a divorce all make sense. She’s met someone else. Eamon whacks my arm, pulling me back to the pub, reminding me of what we are talking about.
“So, what about Savannah?” he prompts.
A huge grin splits my face. I’m so proud of my little girl.
“Well, it turns out, the little shit Raymond in her class had been picking on one of the younger children during break. Savannah had been watching from a distance, but went over when the little one had hit the ground. She told Raymond to stop, and when he didn’t, she clobbered him.
” Eamon’s eyes go wide, and he laughs heartily.
“The wee devil,” he declares. “That’s my girl!” He lifts his hand for a high five.
When I walk over to the bar to pay the bill, the pretty bartender shoots me a smile. She hands me back my change along with her number.
“Call me,” she mouths, and I give her a wink. You know, I just might.
***
After-school pickup is always a bit of a mission. Savannah and Rose leave through the door to the west while the small children exit via the rear gate. Parents all stand around and watch through the bars as the children play.
I see Ollie playing with a little boy I’ve never seen before, but he’s his double. They run around playing planes, shouting, with their arms outstretched. Both their little faces have red cheeks and huge smiles. My heart melts, watching my son with his friend.
Sometimes I wonder what it would’ve been like raising my kids with a woman who loved me, not the idea of me. Someone with the same outlook and dreams. A quieter life maybe, but more secure. A steadier kind of joy, rather than the constant highs and lows.
Ollie loves school. He’s the oldest in his class, as we kept him back a year because his speech development was poor. I think it was the best decision; his confidence is growing day by day.
The bell rings, and I walk forward to the gate to collect my son. We wander back to the car to meet the girls, hand in hand. He’s skipping along beside me, singing a nursery rhyme. I can’t quite make out the words.
“Who was that you were playing planes with, Ollie?”
He beams. “That’s my new friend, Liam. Today was his first day.” It’s rare to see him so animated. My girls have always had each other; Ollie is used to being a third wheel. But now, he has a bestie of his own. Happy, we all climb into the car and head home for pizza.