“Mr.Moneybags to the rescue,” I said, shooting him a wink.
“That’sSignoreMoneybags,” Tom corrected.“And if I can’t spend my football millions to help people, then why have football millions at all?”
“Just remember to leave something for my hockey millions to buy,” Maverick said, his cheeks rosy from the sun.“Maybe I could buy Lennox and Mabel a guard dog?”
“I think Mabel would prefer a guard ostrich,” I said, grateful for their effortless ability to add comic relief to basically any situation.
Maverick nodded with total conviction.“I’ll see what I can do.I have an emu guy, but maybe he can put me in touch with an ostrich guy.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Lennox
Mondayatschoolwentoff without any issues.Since the weather was warm and beautiful, I encouraged teachers to take the students’ learning outside.So at one point, the entire school was down at the beach, and even I joined in.We were turning over rocks to find crabs, poking anemones in tidepools to watch them retreat inwards, and collectively going, “Ewwww” at the sight of the smelly, decaying dead fish on the rocks.
It was days like this that just reaffirmed why I went into teaching.Kids were hilarious, adventurous, and unpredictable.When a little kindergartener fell into the water, soaking herself, I just flung myself into the sea too, dunking my head under and everything.
I came up to a wall of gaping elementary students and teachers staring at me with wide eyes.
“It’s just water,” I said.“We live on an island.Sometimes we’re going to get a little wet.”
That, of course, prompted over half the kids to hurl themselves into the cove with me for an impromptu swim, but why not?Maybe I’d get some emails from parents, but I’d deal with them.
Every kid had a spare change of clothes in their classroom.They wouldn’t have to sit in class the rest of the day soaked to the bone.
As we made our way back to the school, I found both of my hands occupied by children’s.“That was fun, Mr.Ox,” said Aya McEvoy, a precocious second grader who had been one of the first kids to join me in the water for an impromptu swim.“You’re way better than our old principal.He would have gotten so mad at us for swimming.”
“Yeah, Principal Pickford was such a meany,” said her cousin, Griffin McEvoy, a first grader and the actual first kid to jump into the water after me.Both kids were totally drenched and beaming with joy.“You’re not a meany at all.You’re a …” He glanced at Aya.“What’s the opposite of a meany?”
“A cooly,” Aya said with confidence.“He’s a cooly.”
“Yeah, you’re a cooly.”
“Well, I appreciate the compliment.It’s just such a warm and beautiful day, how could I not go swimming?”
“Did you have your phone in your pocket?”Aya asked.“Is it okay?”
“I have one of those waterproof cases.It’s fine.”
She nodded, causing her damp blonde curls to bounce.
Two familiar faces appeared in the crowd of kids as we emerged back onto the school grounds from the trail down to the beach.I smiled at Austin and Honor.Austin had fully embraced the spontaneity of the moment and getting wet, while Honor had waded only up to her knees.
“Hey, Principal Ox,” Austin said, all smiles and rosy cheeks as he came to walk next to Griffin.“Hey, Griff.”
Griffin smiled widely up at the older boy.He was probably excited that a big kid knew his name.
“Mom told us,” Austin said.
His mother told them what?
Austin glanced at Griffin, then back at me.“She told us about … you two.And Honor and I are cool with it.Just … don’t make it weird at school, okay?”
I subtly exhaled in relief.For a second there, I thought Naomi had told them about my stepmother and Mabel and all that shit I’d sooner forget.
“Not going to make anything weird,” I said.“Promise.”
“Cool.”
