indeed!
****
Caroline sat her laptop and school bag by the front door of her apartment. The first day of a new school year was behind her and it couldn’t have been more shocking in the things it revealed if it had tried. Caroline picked up the phone and dialed the phone number of her best friend Abigail Montgomery Blake. Sharing her burden with someone might help lessen the blow. She wanted to tell her about Kyle moving to town, and the mocking twist of fate that had put his daughter in her class. When it came down to it however she couldn’t make herself say the words out loud. In the end she decided to keep the news of his appearance to herself for a little while longer. She needed time to process the information and come to terms with the fact that Kyle was now back in her life, even if it was just as the parent of one of her students. Besides this was a conversation best handled in person preferably with a glass of wine to accompany it.
Four
Caroline checked her appearance in a mirror of the faculty bathroom. Her reddish brown hair with its natural copper highlights was arranged in an elegant French twist. Her modest knee length white and blue skirt was fresh from the dry cleaners and neatly pressed. Her cobalt blue silk blouse which emphasized the startling blue of her eyes was neatly tucked into the waist of her skirt. A clear coat of lip-gloss to help moisten her dry lips was in place. She was ready for one of the scariest nights of the year, Parent Night. First impressions were everything. This was her one night to turn on the charm and shine.
She checked her watch. The bell signifying the five-minute passing period before first period would ring anytime now. She left the bathroom and took the back hall to her classroom. The bell rang right after she entered her classroom. She rubbed her sweating palms down the sides of her skirt and went to the door to greet parents as they entered. Last year Parent Night had been a positive experience for Caroline. She enjoyed meeting the parents and explaining a little bit about her educational background as well as what she expected from her students.
Tonight however was different. She had been on pins and needles the past couple of days waiting for an irate phone call from Kyle demanding his daughter be transferred out of her class, or at the very least an email from the principal telling her that Sarah was being removed from her class. Neither the phone call nor the email had materialized. And Sarah hadn’t mentioned her father anymore since the first day of school three days before. Caroline had no way of knowing if he knew she was his daughter’s teacher and worse she didn’t know if he was going to be present for Parent Night. Her stomach clenched. Oh God, what if he didn’t know she lived here and created a scene in front of the other parents. It would be like her worst nightmare come to life. Well maybe not her worst nightmare, she’d already lived through that, but it would be close.
Caroline took a deep breath to calm down. At least Sarah was in her seventh period class. If she had to face Kyle it would be at the end of the night. If she needed to fall apart afterwards, she’d be free to go back to her apartment and do it there. The tardy bell rang and she turned her attention and a stilted smile to the parents of her first period students. “Welcome…,”
****
Kyle walked into the last class of the night. So far he was impressed with all he’d seen. This school was living up to the excellent reputation earned by the county. He glanced around the classroom. This was the biology class that Sarah had been so impressed with on the first day of school. His keen eyes landed on the woman in the front of the room who he imagined was the much admired Ms. Johnson. He couldn’t get a good look at the teacher. Her back was turned to him and she was taking to a