CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The morning of the first school day with her students, Misty checked her canvas bag once more to be sure she had everything she wanted.
She liked to keep aspirin, Tums, breath mints, and a few other personal items in her desk.
Her favorite water bottle was filled with ice water and tucked inside the bag.
Star “Welcome” stickers for each student were ready, along with a new book she intended to read to them in the afternoon when she knew they’d be tired and a bit restless.
Hazel beeped her car horn, and Misty said goodbye to Sugar. Then, she activated the alarm system and closed and locked the front door.
“Ready?” asked Hazel when Misty climbed into the car. “I can’t wait to meet my kids.”
Misty smiled. “I’m taking a photo of each child and mounting them on one of the bulletin boards. The last class I taught loved that.”
“We missed you at Jake’s last night, but nothing exciting was going on. I didn’t stay long. Everyone is talking about going to Crystal and Emmett’s picnic over the weekend, but nothing super big is happening in town. Just the usual holiday sales and neighborhood picnics.”
“Labor Day celebrations are pretty tame compared to 4 th of July,” said Misty. “It’s a time to change gears from summer to fall.”
“Dani invited me to use the lake facilities at The Meadows. Are you interested in taking their canoe out on the lake with me?”
“That would be fun. It’s always beautiful there.”
They pulled into the school’s parking lot.
Anxious to get inside, Misty grabbed her things from the backseat of the car and waited for Hazel to walk inside with her.
They took another selfie of them together and began their first day with the kids.
In her classroom, Misty posted the names of each of her students alphabetically on the bulletin board leaving spaces for photographs.
It was a way for her to learn the names and faces of her students and was something the kids loved, almost like seeing their photo on a refrigerator at home.
In Florida, she’d loved comparing the first day of school photos to the last day of school. There was always such obvious growth.
The students started arriving.
Wearing a large name tag, Misty greeted each child and handed them a "Welcome” sticker to put on the back of their hands.
As soon as all her students had arrived, received a warm welcome, and were seated at one of the round tables, Misty closed the door, introduced herself, and talked about her expectations of them being like a family, with everyone getting along and showing kindness to everyone.
As they created artistic designs on their name tags, she took a photo of each child and asked a simple question about him or her.
She loved the children’s openness at this age.
Living in a small town, the children represented different parts of it, from a fireman’s daughter to the son of a worker at Beckman’s Lumber.
Misty did her best to connect with each of them, but afterward, her thoughts kept returning to the little boy whose father worked at Collister Construction. Brody Kirk hadn’t smiled yet, would only whisper, and looked scared. Misty knew that kind of behavior. She’d lived it.
Later, Misty checked to see which parents would show up at school to pick up their child and which child was assigned to a bus.
Brody was assigned to a bus. She was disappointed not to meet a parent of his but decided she’d keep a close eye on him.
She’d felt a special connection to the boy who reminded her so much of herself at that age.
When it was time, she walked her class to the front of the school, where parents and the school buses were waiting. The bus lines were well-organized, and Misty watched over her children, making sure all were picked up.
The principal was standing outside.
Misty went to speak to him. “Hi, Nolan. I have a student I’m concerned about. I think there may be something going on at home.”
A tall man, he looked down at her. “Ms. Owen, this is the first day of school. Certainly, you aren’t so judgmental that you would assign trouble where there isn’t any.”
“I’m just looking for guidance here,” Misty spoke calmly, though her heart was racing.
He moved away, and Misty stared at his retreating figure with dismay. How dare he disregard her concerns without even asking any questions?
Marilyn Walters came over to her. “I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation.
I’m sorry. Nolan Deere is just protecting himself.
Date and document everything when dealing with him.
Include me as someone who was present and can confirm your conversation.
He may be new here at the school, but his reputation of being non-supportive to teachers precedes him. ”
“Thanks,” said Misty. “I don’t mean to judge harshly, but I think there’s a real issue.”
“Just be careful,” said Marilyn.
Frustrated, Misty went back to straighten her classroom.
###
On the way home, Misty told Hazel about her conversation with the principal.
“I’d heard he was difficult, but regardless, he knows if we suspect physical abuse, we’re required by law to report it. You didn’t see any bruises on the boy, did you?”
Misty shook her head. “I’ll keep watch for it, though.”
“How were the other kids?” Hazel asked.
“Adorable. How about yours?” Misty asked her.
“A good group, but large,” said Hazel. “I’m glad I have a TA. There are a couple of troublemakers, but my TA and I have already told them that’s not allowed in our class.”
“It’s nice you have a TA. But with my class, I’ll be fine,” said Misty.
“I’ll need all the help I can get. For some reason, the third-grade classes are much larger than some others,” said Hazel. “I’m too tired to go to Jake’s, but there are a couple of guys I want to get to know better.”
“Want to talk about it?” asked Misty, giving her a teasing smile.
“Not yet,” said Hazel, laughing.
###
Misty came home, exhausted. Thinking she’d rest for a moment, she sat on the couch, mentally reviewing everything she needed to do the next day. She was startled awake sometime later when the chime of her cell tugged her awake. Crystal.
“I know it’s the first day of school, but why don’t you come over to say hello to Emmett’s mother?”
Misty knew from the anxious tone in Crystal’s voice that she wanted help. Natalie Chamberlain had been a first-class snob before she’d sobered up, but even now, Crystal was still a little intimidated by her.
Sighing with regret, Misty said, “I wish I could, but I’m afraid I’ll fall back to sleep on the way over. I’m exhausted. The first few days of school are physically and mentally grueling. I’ll come over tomorrow after I have a power nap. I promise.”
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. Talk to you later,” said Crystal.
Misty ended the call, grateful for Crystal’s understanding. Many people had no idea teaching was a difficult job.
###
The next morning, Misty awaited the children in her classroom, excited to show them the pictures she’d posted of them on the bulletin board.
She also planned to ask students' parents to volunteer for one-on-one reading sessions. She wouldn’t go to the principal until she had a few parents interested.
Her students arrived en masse. There were a few tears from two children that quickly went away after they sat in their chairs at their tables, where Misty had placed a worksheet in front of each one.
“First of all, I thought you might want to see what our class looks like in pictures. Each one of you is a member of this class. Remember, our class motto is KINDNESS. That means we are kind and helpful and nice to each other.”
Her students, even Brody, agreed as one.
“Good. Now, on three, what is our motto? One, two, three.”
“Kindness” came a chorus of replies.
“We’re going to remember that every day,” said Misty, directing them to go to the paper on their tables.
While her students worked, Misty walked around the room to assess each child's skills. She quickly picked out a few who might need extra help. Though he hadn’t interacted with the others earlier, Brody wasn’t one of them.
Later, when the children lined up to go outside to play at recess, Brody hung back.
“It’s time to go outside for some fresh air. I think you’ll enjoy it.” She studied him. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine there. I’ll see to it.”
Misty led him outside and watched as he sat on the ground under a tree and studied the kids running on the playground. A sweet girl in her class, Violet Allen, went over and sat beside him. They didn’t talk, but neither did Brody move away.
When the bell rang for the students to line up, Violet took Brody’s hand, and they came to the line together. Observing them, tears blurred Misty’s vision. It reminded her how lucky she’d been to have found friends in school.
###
After school, Misty came home, set her alarm for thirty minutes, and collapsed on her bed with Sugar by her side. After her nap, she’d visit Crystal and Natalie. She couldn’t let Crystal down. Her sister didn’t ask too much of her, and Misty knew that any break with Natalie would be appreciated.
When her alarm sounded, Misty got up, feeling somewhat rested.
Wiggling with happiness, Sugar waited for Misty to freshen up, and then they both climbed into Misty’s car.
As Misty entered the driveway of Emmett’s house, she took a moment to study her surroundings.
Since purchasing the house from Dr. Johnson, who formerly had lived here, Emmett had made a lot of changes to the house.
Collister Construction had helped to update both the interior and exterior, and with a fresh coat of light-gray paint, the building sparkled.
Graham Landscaping had updated the landscaping, adding new plants, flowers, and a few touches like stone or wood benches.
Seeing it now, as she headed out back, Misty thought the setting was superb for a wedding.