Page 62 of The Liar in Room 5

And that was the last moment of peace I had for the rest of the day.

As an assistant teacher, I was paired with a more experienced lead teacher, and I was on my feet nonstop. The preschoolers were like bouncing balls rolling downhill. They always scattered in different directions, and herding them back together took a lot of patience and a little cajoling.

They had so many questions, and a lot of them I didn’t have answers to, but I promised I’d do my research and have answers for them in the next couple of days.

By the time nap time came around, I was more exhausted than they were, but while they slept, there was paperwork to fill out about everything they’d done that day.

My favorite part might have been the exploration we did in the grove of trees attached to the school. We overturned rocks, used sticks to poke at the dirt, and examined leaves up close.

Exhausting and exhilarating at the same time.

I’m not sure if it was a joke, but Marcia confirmed that I’d be returning the following day. I promised her there wasn’t any chance of me missing it.

My job with Marc was only to take Ben to school, so I waved him off when his dad came to get him. Then I collapsed into the front seat of Henry’s new car.

I was exhausted, but I felt so damn proud of myself on the drive home.

My only sadness was that I was going to Halo House and not back to Henry’s.

He had left that morning on a business trip to New York City for a few days.

Six months ago, I couldn’t have imagined that I’d be working at a daycare and bummed that my Daddy wasn’t there to greet me after my first day of work.

How was this my life?

“Drew, there’s a package waiting for you in the library.”

My first day on the job had been messy, dirty, exhausting, and the very best day of my life. Getting the kids organized was like herding cats in the rain, but when it worked, it was exhilarating. Was this what Henry felt when he successfully closed a deal? Because if it was, how amazing. But I was barely able to drag myself out of Henry’s—not my—car.

“Thanks,” I said with a wave and hurried as fast as I could on my aching feet down the hall.

Behind the heavy doors, I expected to find a box or envelope or something. Nothing. The only thing on the table was a gorgeous spray of flowers in a riot of colors. They didn’t look like the kind growing around the grounds, so they must have been delivered.

Oh.

Like a package.

Congratulations on your first day. I’m so proud of you.

Daddy

Against my will, tears sprang into my eyes. It wasn’t the world’s most glamorous job, but Daddy treated it like it was a big deal, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

No, that was a lie.

I knew exactly how I felt about it.

I loved it with every part of myself.

How could one man make me feel like I’d conquered the world when all I’d done was get up and leave the house? Beats me, but he did, and I loved it. Maybe I loved him too, but I wasn’t ready to think about it. Or say it. Or admit it.

But I was willing to dream about it.

And that’s exactly what I did every single night I slept alone in my own bed. What had been a sanctuary when I first arrived had become lonely since Daddy had come into my life. He always invited me to stay over, and most days, I did, but I wasn’t ready to hang out there when he was away. It was too…I don’t know…too much like a relationship.

The car might have given me qualms, but I’d happily take the flowers to my room. It took a little maneuvering, but I managed to get them upstairs without spilling any water, which felt like a major accomplishment given the distance between the conservatory and my room. Once there, I set them on my desk so I could admire them from bed and headed down the hall to wash the dirt of the day off me.

Under the spray, I washed every inch of myself—a few places twice. I couldn’t believe all the places I found tiny grains of dirt. The water sluiced over my body, and I felt like a new man by the time I was done. I was still exhausted, but it felt survivable.