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“She’s not here. Guess what, Miss Jaymi. I got her cat.”

I couldn’t focus on her with a dozen kids asking me questions. “Settle down, everyone.”

Caydee kept talking. “She’s soft, but she scratches if you hold her too tight.”

“What did you name her?” Liam asked.

“Pillar.”

“Take your seats,” I said to the class as I went to the doorway and peered into the hall. There were a couple of stragglers, but none of them were Lili.

“Mrs. Bardot?”

I glanced at the announcement speaker on the wall. “Yes?”

“We were just making sure you were in your classroom.”

I rolled my eyes. I’d never not shown up for work without calling for a substitute. But whatever. I had been out of the classroom for over a week, and without much of an explanation.

Liam and Caydee were still throwing questions at me. “Did I go on vacation?” “Did I get an operation?” “Can we feed Taco?” “Do I have a cat?” “Do I like cats?” “Does a praying mantis bite?” Apparently, James found one on the playground. “Can we feed it a cricket?”

“No, we can’t feed him crickets,” I said and took a breath.

“Can I keep him in my pocket?” I spun around. James had the bug on his desk.

“He wouldn’t like it in your pocket. Please take the praying mantis outside,” I said.

James stomped toward the door, but the other empty chair in the front of the room had my attention.

I woke up my computer and pulled up the school portal for attendance to see if she’d missed Friday. My gaze raked down the names twice. Then a third time. I put a trembling finger to the screen. Something was wrong. Her name wasn’t here.

How was that possible? A sick feeling churned in my belly. I stared at the names again. I wasn’t hallucinating. Her name was gone, removed from my class. My throat tightened.

Maybe there was more to the text message from the principal this morning. Maybe she’d just called down to make sure I was here because they knew. They knew I’d started seeing Lili’s dad. He wasn’t divorced yet even though the papers had been filed. I’d signed a contract as a teacher. My behavior inside and outside the classroom affected my job.

I could fight a termination. They couldn’t know everything. Would they fire me now or let me finish out the day?

I rested a hand on my belly, but it did nothing to calm the queasy feeling climbing up my chest and into my throat.

“I need you all to sit quietly and finish your bell work.”

My knees trembled as I weaved between the tables. James came back through the door as I stepped into the hallway and poked my head into Mr. Swills’ third-grade classroom across the hall. “I need to step out for a minute.”

He nodded, acknowledging he’d keep an eye on my class through the open doors.

I walked down the hall to the office. How did I explain the situation? How much did they know? There was no way the administration could’ve possibly found out.

Except for my time in the hospital with Brett, no one could have seen us. At this point, I wasn’t sure I cared. We’d talked about the future. Once the school year was over, we’d make it official. He’d move into my house. We’d make one of the upstairs bedrooms Lili’s. And we’d make a nursery for our baby. Matti would still have her room. I wasn’t ready to let go. Not yet.

Nicole was in the outer office with Jane, the school’s secretary, and Cindee, the librarian.

“Jaymi.” Jane noticed me first. “Are you feeling better?”

Not at the moment. I nervously ran my palm over the flounce of my skirt, a skirt Brett had hiked over my ass an hour ago. I shouldn’t have missed the morning meeting. Then I wouldn’t be facing the guillotine and my executioner in front of Jane and Cindee.

Cindee approached. “You don’t look well.”

I’d always gotten along with Cindee. With Jane, too. Actually, I didn’t have a problem with Nicole. Although, I did think she was too rigid in her approach to teaching. I’d had to fight to get Taco in my classroom. But I’d kept my distance after she’d snubbed her nose at Brett during Donuts with Dad.