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His reply was swift in coming. “Please don’t cry. I want you to smile. You make me smile. Did you like it?”
“I loved it. Shakespeare’s Sonnets are my favorite, especially 116.” Her heart palpitated as she scanned the words to the beautiful poem once more. “I’m a big fan of William’s…and yours. Please tell Heath and Cody thank you for me.”
“I’ll tell them. Did you receive the others?”
“Yes. You three sure know how to surprise a girl! I wish I could kiss you.”
“Me, too. Have fun tonight.”
“I will.” She was about to text, “I love you,” when her classroom volunteer led the children back in from PE. They were sweaty-headed and breathless, giggling and rambunctious as they took their seats. She replaced her phone on her desk and proceeded with the last segment of the day before they went home. If she was lucky, she could tell him she loved him in person before he left for work.
Fifteen minutes later, she had her students lined up in a row with their backpacks on and lunch boxes in hand, ready to be picked up by bus or parent. One by one, they departed and she counted the minutes until the last one was safely on his way. Maizy waited as the last kindergartener’s parent snaked forward in the long line of cars and stood with him near Jan, who was corralling her first graders. After asking Jan’s permission, Michael Martinez came over and gave her an affectionate hug.
“I hear that congratulations are in order, big brother,” she said as she stroked his tousled head. “How is little Isabella doing?”
Like a proud big brother, Michael grinned and said, “She’s fine. She keeps waking me up at night but I don’t mind. Mom said she would settle down when she gets a little older.”
“Give her a kiss from me,” Maizy said, and squeezed his shoulder. He nodded with a twinkle in his eyes, gave her another hug, and then went back to playing with his buddies.
“So…” Jan said with a grin, as she watched her group of first graders like a hawk. “Lots of excitement for you for a Monday, huh, Tinker Bell?”
Maizy chuckled. “You could say that again.”
“All from the same person?”
“Yes.” She didn’t know which gifts Jan knew about and wanted to keep those special moments as private as she could. The cards were all safely tucked in her wallet and locked in her desk drawer so any Nosy Parkers couldn’t go snooping around her desk and find them out in the open.
“That’s really nice. I’d love to meet him.”
“If he comes around, I’ll introduce him. But after my experience with Chaz, I plan to keep my personal life completely separate from my work life.”
“Totally understandable. Did you hear he’s dating again? Some tart from Madeline’s Day Spa, or so I heard.”
Maizy shrugged, and tried to hide a smile. “He’s entitled. We’re both single.” If she’d heard that news a week or two earlier, it might have upset her. Whoever was willing to date Chaz could have him. She was probably perfect. Perfect personality. Perfectly acceptable reputation. Perfect family. Perfect body. Maizy would take her amazing men and what she had with them over Chaz any day.
Jan leaned toward her and whispered, “You be careful. They’re all assholes as far as I’m concerned.”
Maizy knew Jan was still hurt from Jimbo leaving her. It’d take a while before she could trust any man again. She nodded but said nothing more as she escorted her last student forward to his mom’s car and greeted her. She patted Jan’s shoulder as she made her way to the front entry of the school and set about tidying her classroom and preparing for the next day.
At four o’clock, Maizy juggled car keys, her purse, her tote bag, and a copy paper box containing the flowers and gifts as she pulled her classroom door shut and locked it. She hoped to catch Cody and Spencer before they left for work, so for once she was leaving at four on the dot.
She was halfway down the hall when her key chain slipped from her hand and hit the floor. She was crouching, trying to not lose her purse and tote bag from her shoulder and hold the box level so the water wouldn’t overflow from the vase when she heard footsteps hurry forward.
