Ashley
Ididn’t see Tyrell pick the girls up that afternoon, and the next morning, a woman dropped them off. Three-inch heels, full-face make-up, and nails that reminded me of Edward Scissorhands sashayed through with them. She must be their mother. I said a warm hello to her when she walked by my classroom, but she gave me the side eye and ignored me.
In the late afternoon, I had hoped to see Tyrell again, but no such luck. The same woman came for them. She asked one of the twins about the whereabouts of something, and when the girl responded that it was still at her father’s house, the mom rolled her eyes. I did my best not to look like I was watching.
I hadn’t thought to ask Tyrell for his number, and he didn’t have mine either. I knew it might look over-eager to text him, but I didn’t care. Too much time had already been wasted. If we were both unattached, I felt like we owed it to our younger selves to see if there was still something between us.
Tyrell’s contact information was probably in the director’s office, as well as in their classroom. Did I want to be sneaky and find it? What if I got caught? The last thing I wanted was to be fired. Working not only gave me something to do but also extra money because most of my trust went right back into investments.
I grabbed a hairbow from the lost and found and went to the twins’ classroom. Now if I could only remember the teacher’s name. Even though we had worked together for a year I struggled. I sucked at names. Bailey? Bree? Oh, thank goodness it was on the door.
“Hey, Britt, one of those twins dropped a hairbow on her way out. Do you want me to call and tell them?”
Britt scowled and cocked her head to the side. “I don’t recall either of them wearing a bow, but you can just leave it, and they’ll get it Monday.”
Shoot. I should have thought of that. “Of course.” I put the bow on the counter, defeated.
“I saw you talking to their dad.” Britt gave me a sly smile. “And he was definitely looking at you.”
I could feel the heat rise on my cheeks. “Oh, no, it’s not—”
She hip-checked me. We were definitely not close enough for that; I barely knew her name. “Girl, I don’t know how you knew the parents weren’t together, but you’re right. And that mom? Sabra? Oh, she’s a piece of work. Mr. Harris is definitely the better parent.”
Before I could stop myself, I blurted out our story to her. “Tyrell and I were high school sweethearts, but we broke up in college because my father is an idiot and I was an idiot for listening to him. We haven’t talked in ten years, but after running into him, all those feelings came rushing back.” My chest heaved from my rapid speech.
Britt’s jaw did not hang open as I thought it might. But she nodded as if she approved. She grabbed a notebook and flipped it open, winking at me before she turned around. The ball was in my court. She was letting me take Tyrell’s number.
Before I could think any further, I pulled out my phone and created a new contact. Tyrell Harris. I double-checked I was getting his number and not his ex’s and flipped the notebook closed.
“I guess that wasn’t their hairbow, after all.” I winked at Britt as I exited the room, a certain bounce in my step.
“I got you, Ashley.”
Suddenly, I felt like we were hip-check close. Maybe I would have to give Britt a call and see if she wanted to hang out sometime. I bet we had some similar interests.
At home, I stared at my phone. Should I text him? Texting was more innocuous than calling. But then, he might think someone was pranking him. Calling was probably the way to go. Oh, but he might be busy. He might be out on a date, or out with friends. It was a Friday night. And I was at home with Trainer, my cat, wondering what my ex-boyfriend from many years ago was doing.
My phone buzzed in my hand and I jumped, screamed, and threw the phone all at the same time. My heart hammered in my chest. I was not expecting that. Retrieving the phone, I saw a text from my sister-in-law, Morgan. She thought we were best of friends. We were not.
Morgan: Want to come over for dinner? Tanner wants to make clams.
I detested clams. And Morgan. And Tanner. Okay, maybe I didn’t detest my brother, but we weren’t close.
Ashley: Sorry, Morgan! I have plans tonight. Kiss little Jonny for me.
Morgan: I know it’s last minute. Have fun going out. I certainly miss my days of freedom.
My nephew Jonny—Jonathan Tanner Gloss IV—was the most adorable thing in my life, and I would give my left kidney for him. But not if it meant a clam dinner with his parents. I should have offered to babysit. Maybe next weekend.
I loved kids. I loved their easy smiles and their dimples and how even when they were upset, they were easy to make happy. That’s why I had majored in early education. I didn’t even mind the diapers too much. I just adored being around kids.
That brought my mind back around to Tyrell’s twins. Sapphire and Sam-something. It was not Samantha. Samita? He called them Saffi and Sami—that, I remembered. Worked for me.
Before I could stop myself, I texted him.
Ashley: Tyrell, this is Ashley.
Ashley: Ashley Gloss.
I held my breath and waited until the count of ten. No instant reply. I closed my eyes, said a little prayer, and fired off again.
Ashley: I got your number from Lighthouse. I hope that’s okay. It was good to run into you.
Ashley: Save my number.
With that, I flung my phone down again. I wasn’t going to watch it all night. I wasn’t going to open myself up for that disappointment, even though it seemed I just had.
“Why am I doing this, Trainer?” My cat, in all her infinite wisdom, did not reply. How smart of her. “I know. All those old feelings came right back, didn’t they? You never met Tyrell, but he was such a gentleman and a hard worker.”
Trainer blinked and stretched out a paw so it was touching my arm.
“Thanks for the understanding. You see, I was sure Tyrell was my forever. Apparently, Daddy did not. Tyrell was ‘from the wrong side of the tracks,’ according to Daddy. He didn’t come from money. But that meant he didn’t have everything handed to him, and he worked hard.” I thought about Tyrell in high school, how he wore old shoes and never had the latest fashions. I never minded riding in his fifteen-year-old compact car because he had earned the money and bought it himself.
Unlike me. When I turned sixteen, I was handed the keys to a brand-new Lexus. It was even the shade of teal I had requested. Life for me had been easy. It still was. I had chosen my father and the life he had given me. And Tyrell had chosen to move on.
Maybe now, though, we could be friends. I missed him. We would tell each other everything. He hadn’t just been my boyfriend, but my best friend as well.
My phone vibrated on the couch. “I’m not checking, Trainer. It’s probably just Morgan again.” I stood and walked around my bed. “Don’t let me pick it up, Trainer.”
Bad cat. She did nothing but flick her ears, which I took as a signal to check my phone. So I did.
Tyrell: Well, well! Glad you found my number. We’ll have to catch up sometime.
The giggle that came from within me exploded out into the air, scaring Trainer. I flopped onto my bed, feet in the air, as I squealed like a teenager. Whatever happened, Tyrell would be back in my life, and I would not mess it up this time.