“Marc?” she mouthed wordlessly, her eyes widening with excitement.
I nodded, unable to keep the smile off my face.
“I knew it!” Stella’s eyes lit up with amusement and genuine happiness for me. “You two are finally taking the plunge and spending some quality time together. It’s about time!”
“Yeah,” I admitted, warmth spreading through me at the thought of the upcoming weekend. “He planned this whole getaway for us for my birthday. It’s a chance to escape everything for a bit and just be ourselves.”
“He sounds perfect,” she said, her voice filled with approval.
I snorted, shaking my head. “Don’t tell him that. It’ll go straight to his head.”
Stella punched me lightly in the shoulder, her expression turning serious for a moment. “Ken, you be nice to that man. He’s the best thing to happen to you in a long time. You deserve this happiness, and so does he.”
“You really think so?” I asked sheepishly. I valued Stella’s opinion, and her approval meant the world to me.
“Absolutely.” Stella reached across the table to take my hand, her eyes shining with excitement. “It’s about time, Ken. You deserve some romance in your life, and I can tell Marc makes you happy. Now tell me all about your romantic getaway!”
Her enthusiasm was infectious as I told her about Marc’s plan for us. “We’re driving to San Antonio for the weekend. He got us a hotel room downtown, and we’re gonna play tourist. Dinner, maybe go dancing at a club. Do some shopping.”
“That all sounds amazing,” Stella said with a wistful sigh, “but why now? Summer break is only a couple of months away. Then you don’t have to worry about being Mia’s teacher anymore.”
I paused, considering her questioned. It was a fair point. Summer would have been the logical choice, the safe choice.
But something about Marc made me want to throw caution to the wind, to dive headfirst into this thing between us. “We just… we’re okay with waiting to officially start dating,” I said slowly, trying to put my feelings into words. “But since it wasmy birthday, we want to spend time together, to really get to know each other. And not just in stolen moments on weekends when Mia’s asleep or talking on the phone all night.” The way Marc made me feel seen, heard, understood in a way I never had before. “This isn’t a fling for me, Stell,” I added softly, lifting my head to meet her gaze. “I think… this might be something real. Something serious. And I don’t want to waste any more time pretending otherwise.”
The truth was, I didn’t want to wait any longer to get closer to him, to explore the possibility of building something real and lasting.
Stella sighed and touched my shoulder. “You really care about him, don’t you?” she asked, her voice filled with genuine warmth.
I looked up and met her knowing gaze, the flush creeping over my cheeks again. “I do,” I admitted softly. “More than I ever thought I could care about someone. He’s special. He’s worth taking a chance on.” I thought of the way Marc’s eyes lit up when he laughed, the way his muscular arms wrapped around my body when he held me. The way he made me feel like anything was possible, like the world was ours for the taking. “I just…I want to see where this goes. I want to give us a chance to be something more than friends.”
Stella nodded, her expression softening with understanding. “I get it, Ken. And for what it’s worth…I think you’re making the right choice. Life’s too short to play it safe all the time.”
I smiled, feeling a rush of gratitude for my friend’s unshakable support. “Thanks, Stel. That means more than you know.”
***
The morning flew by. The next thing I knew, I was reminding my students to be good to the substitute teacher assigned formy class that afternoon, and with a wave to Angie, my aide, I shouldered my laptop bag and headed toward the front office for one last stop of the day—a chat with the principal per her email request.
Mrs. Hawkins was in her office. Knocking lightly on her open door, I poked my head in. “Hey, Ginger. You wanted to see me?”
“Of course, Ken. Come on in!” she replied warmly with that slow drawl, setting aside the stack of papers she was reviewing.
Her office was impeccably organized, each item in its place. A framed picture of her family sat proudly on her desk, the smiles of her husband and children beaming up at me. It was a small reminder of the life she had outside of school, something I sometimes forgot.
What would it be like to have that too, pictures of a loving family staring back at me? It had always been a pipedream… until now. “Just wanted to remind you, I’m taking a half-day. Ms. Arredondo is the sub, so they’re in expert hands.”
“Fantastic,” Ginger said. “But before you go, Ken,” she added, her tone shifting to a more serious note. “There’s something I need to discuss with you.”
The air in her office seemed to grow colder. No good conversation ever started with that phrase. “Sure, what’s up?” I asked, faking a casual smile.
“Take a seat.” She gestured toward the chair opposite her. I complied, noticing the way her fingers drummed the desk. “I received an email from a parent today,” she began. “Regarding a rainbow flag that you have on your desk. This parent feels it might be inappropriate for a kindergarten classroom.” She paused, watching my expression closely.
I fought to keep my face neutral, even as anger and disbelief bubbled inside me. “It’s about this big,” I told her, holding up my hands to show how small it was. “The flag is a symbol of inclusivity, a safe space for all students,” I added, steadying mytone. “It’s important that kids know they’re welcome and valued, as is everyone else in my room. Hell, Ginger, most of them don’t even know what that means.”
But the ones that did—that’s who the flag was for.
Ginger nodded, but there was a hint of hesitation in her eyes. “I understand that. And I appreciate what you’re trying to do. But this parent seems very upset.”
