5. When Truth Gets Loud #5
“Here are some things I’ve been using to help her in class. A feelings chart, a sensory break schedule, and a fidget spinner for her to play with when she is feeling anxious.”
He nodded, listening, grateful for the details that gave him something to hold onto.
“Would you like a copy for home?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said. “That would be great.”
They went over reading goals, math units, and the upcoming Thanksgiving showcase where Zara would perform a short poem about gratitude.
When the meeting ended, the hallway was nearly empty.
The light outside had dimmed to that soft November gray that comes before evening.
Trevor insisted on walking with Aniyah outside.
Waiting on her by the door and watching her shut down her classroom felt natural.
He didn’t want to think about what that could mean.
Trevor hesitated by the door. “Do you have a ride?” he asked. “It’s getting cold.”
“I have my car,” she said with a small smile. “I’ll be fine.”
He nodded, adjusting the strap on his bag. He should’ve left then, but something held him there.
“Aniyah,” he said, his voice lower now.
She looked up.
“Thank you for seeing her,” he said. “And for talking to me like… this.”
“No need to thank me,” she said, smiling gently. “It’s part of my job to see her. And it's easy to talk to you.” She let slip out before she could think about it.
He smiled, small but real. “That’s good to know. I thought I might have scared you off.”
“Absolutely not,” she said, and the corner of her mouth lifted just enough to make the air between them shift.
He stepped into the hallway. She walked him to the door, her heels quiet against the linoleum. They stopped beneath the frame, the faint hum of a heater filling the silence.
“I’ll walk you to the car.” His voice was deep enough to send a shiver down Aniyah’s spine. She absolutely would not think about what that meant.
“Let me find out Trevor Porter is a gentleman.” Aniyah teased as they walked across the parking lot.
“I’m just being the man my parents raised me to be.” When they got to her car Aniyah leaned back on her door facing Trevor.
“I wanted to say sorry…about your mom. She was a beautiful woman.” Trevor nodded at the words he never got used to hearing. He stepped an inch closer to Aniyah without thinking. It was like a gravitational pull surrounding them without their knowledge.
“Thank you for that. I appreciate it.” In that moment they stood there, rooted in place, eyes locked.
Aniyah knew she needed to get her ass away from Trevor and out that parking lot.
Trevor leaned in and wrapped his arms around Aniyah pulling her in for a warm hug.
He felt her body tense and then almost instantly relaxed.
Her arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him in closer.
Something told Aniyah he needed this hug just like she did.
They stood embraced longer than what was considered normal.
Aniyah had been touched deprived for so long this felt like a welcomed release so she burrowed her face deeper into Trevor’s chest and released a deep breath.
Trevor rested his cheek against the top of her hair, the scent of jasmine invading his nose.
“I needed this,” His raspy tone admitted.
“Me too,” Aniyah replied. Holding her felt spiritual and that scared the hell out of Trevor.
The peace he felt suddenly evaporated and he was pulled back into the present.
Slowly he let Aniyah go and backed away from her.
Her face was flush, eyes bright. They looked at each other for a beat longer before she turned to open her door.
“Good night, Trevor,” she said.
“Good night, Ms. Henderson.” He closed her door once she was situated inside and walked off ignoring how fast his heart was beating.
He made it all the way to the other side of the parking lot before he let himself breathe.
The cold hit first, sharp and clean. He glanced up, the sky was the color of steel, clouds heavy but not yet ready to break. His breath came out in small ghosts. For the first time in weeks, the cold didn’t bother him.
Because somewhere between the quiet of that classroom where Aniyah made him feel seen and then the hug outside of her car where she made him feel cared for, there was a change in how he felt towards her.
It wasn’t a monumental feeling. Not yet.
But it was a spark, a flicker in the ashes, that told him maybe the world could still feel warm, even in November.
That was a feeling he was scared of diving into, because it was too soon.
He unlocked his car and sat for a while before starting the engine, letting the feeling linger.
Inside, the heat built slowly, and outside, the leaves rustled like applause in the wind.
He was grateful that his dad was cooking dinner at home with Zara so he could sit in this moment and revel in how perfect Aniyah felt in his arms.
For the first time since everything fell apart, he didn’t feel broken. Just open and that felt like an answered prayer.