2. Carla
CHAPTER 2
Carla
I glanced around my cluttered living room, wincing at the chaos. Stacks of ungraded papers teetered precariously on every surface, threatening to topple at the slightest breeze. Bible verses in colorful calligraphy covered the walls–my chosen version of interior design on a budget. I sighed and plopped down on the couch, pushing aside a pile of laundry to make room for myself. This was not how I pictured my evening – surrounded by work and mess instead of curled up with a good book or hanging out with friends.
I’d spent so much time helping Rebecca prepare for the vow renewal that I’d gotten behind on everything else. And I hated being behind.
But that was just how it was sometimes as a teacher – always more to do, more papers to grade, more lessons to plan. Maybe I should just quit and become a beach bum.
But the sand gets everywhere, I mused as I blew a strand of hair out of my face and focused on the paper in front of me. My eyes skimmed over the student’s handwriting, red pen poised above it.
An hour later, I finished with a flourish—or at least as much of one as you can have when grading essays written by seventh graders. Satisfied with my progress for the evening, I stretched my arms over my head and looked around once again at my messy living room.
I supposed this was why God gave us weekends. Somehow, teaching was the only job where you had to spend time at home preparing to do the work, then actually do the work, then spend time at home evaluating the results of the work. Before starting it all over again for the next lesson.
I shook off those thoughts and headed into the kitchen where dirty dishes were piled high in the sink. I needed to check a few more things off my list before I would feel like I could really relax. As I scrubbed away at them under hot water, my mind wandered back to Eli and our awkward encounter at the vow renewal.
Was he really just being friendly? Or was there something more there? Every time I thought I had moved on from my silly high school crush, he said or did something that had me spiraling back into it.
I shook my head at myself. I shouldn’t even be entertaining these thoughts. He was off-limits, and the biggest flirt in town. It was foolish to take anything he said seriously. My beauty rendered him speechless? Please.
I focused on the rest of Nathan and Rebecca’s vow renewal. The image of them, beaming and in love, tugged at my heart. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.
They got their happily ever after. Meanwhile, I was still stuck in Singleville, Indiana. Population: me. I was approaching thirty, and I was nowhere near where I expected to be at this point in my life. I loved teaching, but I always pictured myself with a van full of kids, running them to soccer practice.
Sometimes, it was even hard to be around Rebecca and the boys. As much as I loved them, that green-eyed monster was ferocious. Rebecca was my best friend, but I couldn’t help but want so much of what she had.
As I reached for the next dish with soapy hands, my mind wandered traitorously to another pair of hands—larger, rougher, belonging to a certain infuriating firefighter.
I shook my head vigorously, banishing the thought. I had to push away those all-too-frequent thoughts of smoldering eyes. How did his cocky grin still give me butterflies, even after all these years? I was hopeless. The mysterious feud between our families loomed large, and though I didn’t even know the story behind the feud, ignoring it wasn’t an option.
Even if I somehow worked up the nerve to ignore my father’s subtle jabs at the Wells family, it had been Eli’s dad who put an end to our blossoming teenage romance. And while I’d been crazy enough for him and just rebellious enough to hope we could have a shot anyway? Eli had dropped me like a broken bat after a foul ball.
Then, he’d proceeded to date every girl in the tri-county area over the next ten years. I was not going there. I resorted to turning on a podcast while I finished my dishes to keep my mind occupied.
The next morning, I strode into the teacher’s lounge, my game face on.
“Morning, everyone!” I called out cheerily, pouring myself a much-needed coffee.
“Carla!” Mrs. Thompson greeted me. “Are you ready for the big day?”
I flashed her a confident smile, squashing down the panic bubbling in my chest. “Oh, you know me. I’ve got it all under control.” Career day at Minden Rogers High School was no minor event. And this year, I was in charge of it.
“That’s Carla,” Mr. Dawson chuckled. “Always on top of things.”
I laughed along, hoping they couldn’t see through my facade. Inside, I was a mess of tangled emotions and unresolved feelings. But out there, I was Carla Putnam: tough, capable, and definitely not running on three hours of sleep from pining over a certain dark-haired firefighter.
I took a deep breath and plastered on my best “I’ve got this” smile as I walked into the gymnasium. The echoes of excited chatter from students and professionals alike hit me like a wall of sound. Career day had officially begun, and it was absolute chaos.
“Okay, folks!” I clapped my hands, projecting my voice over the din. “Let’s get our presenters to their designated areas. Doctors to the left, lawyers to the right, and... where are my accountants?”
A group of individuals in business casual attire raised their hands timidly from the back.
“Perfect! You’re by the bleachers. Don’t worry, everyone, I promise the kids won’t bite... much.”
As I navigated through the sea of people, directing traffic and answering a million questions at once, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the corner of my eye. Eli, looking unfairly handsome in his firefighter uniform, was setting up a display with his colleagues.
My heart did a little somersault, and I silently cursed its betrayal. Focus. I was a professional, remember?
But as I turned to help a lost-looking veterinarian find her spot, I couldn’t help but steal another glance at Eli. He was laughing at something one of the other firefighters said, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that way that always made me weak in the knees.
“Ms. Putnam?” A student’s voice snapped me back to reality. “Where should the police officers go?”
I tore my gaze away from Eli, hoping he hadn’t noticed my staring. “Right this way, officers,” I said, gesturing toward an empty table near the center of the gym. “Let’s put you front and center.”
As I led them to their spot, I could feel Eli’s eyes on me. The weight of our shared history, the unresolved tension between us, seemed to crackle in the air. But I squared my shoulders and kept moving. I had a job to do, after all, and I’d be a fool if I let my feelings for Eli Wells derail this event.
“Alright, everyone!” I called out, clapping my hands again. “Let’s make this the best Career Day MRHS has ever seen!”
I plastered on my best teacher smile as I wove through the maze of career booths. “Well, if it isn’t the dream team,” I quipped, sidling up to my fellow English teachers, Terry and Melissa. “How’re we feeling about being outshone by all these exciting careers?”
Terry clutched his chest dramatically. “Outshone? Never! Who needs firefighters and police officers when you can diagram sentences?”
I snorted, grateful for the easy banter. “Oh yeah, the kids are lining up in droves to learn about the thrilling world of semicolons.”
Melissa rolled her eyes. “Speak for yourself. I’ve got a killer Oxford comma joke that’s going to blow their minds.”
“Ooh, don’t spoil it for me,” I teased, my eyes inadvertently drifting toward the firefighters’ booth. Eli was there, gesturing animatedly, probably regaling some poor freshman with a heroic tale.
“Earth to Carla,” Terry’s voice cut through my thoughts. “You okay there? You looked a million miles away… or maybe just over at the fire department table?” He raised an eyebrow.
I forced my attention back to my colleagues. “Just admiring the, uh, fire safety demonstrations,” I lied smoothly. “Very... educational.”
Melissa followed my gaze and smirked. “Oh yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly what you were admiring.”
A flush crept up my neck. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said primly, but my traitorous heart skipped a beat as Eli’s laugh echoed across the gym. Missy Harrison, the overly perky math teacher, sidled up to Eli’s booth. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, laughing a little too hard at whatever he was saying.
I shouldn’t care. I really, really shouldn’t. But a ridiculous pang of jealousy twisted in my gut. This was so unprofessional. I didn’t care. Shouldn’t care. But the roiling in my belly at the display in front of me was undeniable. After all these years, I still hated seeing him with someone else.
“Looks like someone’s getting a private lesson in fire safety,” Terry snarked, waggling his eyebrows.
I forced out a chuckle, hoping it didn’t sound as strained as it felt. “Well, good for them. Now, who wants to help me wrangle some juniors for a thrilling presentation on the joys of MLA formatting?”
As Terry and Melissa groaned in mock protest, I stole one last glance at Eli. Our eyes met for a split second, and I swore I saw a flicker of... something in his gaze. But then Missy said something, and he turned away, leaving me wondering if I imagined it all.
That night, I slumped onto my couch, surrounded by the familiar chaos of my apartment. Stacks of essays teetered precariously on my coffee table, a silent reminder of another grading marathon still ahead. I should knock a few of them out, but after Career Day, even my muscle aches had their own muscle aches.
I ignored the stack of grading and flipped on an episode of my favorite superhero show instead, absently scrolling my phone during the commercials. I jolted in surprise as it rang in my hand.
“Hey, Carla!” Rebecca’s cheery voice filled my ear as my heart rate started to calm. “Just wanted to check in. How was Career Day?”
I cradled the phone between my ear and shoulder, picking at the lint on my couch cushion. “Oh, you know, the usual controlled chaos. Pretty sure I prevented at least three small fires and one potential international incident.”
Rebecca laughed. “Sounds like a success then! Nathan and I were wondering if you’d like to join us for dinner this weekend?”
“Ah, the newlyweds want to show off their domestic bliss?” I teased, ignoring the little pang in my chest. “I’d love to, but I’ve got a hot date with these essays. Maybe next time?”
“Carla,” Rebecca’s voice softened, “I don’t want you to shut me out now that Nathan and I are back together. You know you deserve someone special too, right? You’ll find him. “
I forced a chuckle, brushing away the conviction from her gentle reprimand. “Oh please, my love life is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Besides, who has time for romance when there are dangling modifiers to vanquish?”
“I’m serious. Don’t shut me out, and don’t give up hope.”
I pressed my eyes closed and swallowed the lump in my throat. Just a few months ago, I’d been telling Rebecca the same thing. As much as I hated hearing it, I knew she was right. Friendship with the right person had a uniquely gentle way of forcing you to face the truth.
“Thanks, Bex. I won’t. When do you leave for your trip?”
She explained their travel plans, and I listened absently.
When we hung up, my eyes drifted to the bible verse framed on my wall: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
I stared at those words, my phone forgotten next to me. I knew God would always provide everything I needed. So why was I feeling so discontent lately?