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He raises his eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yep, really!” I even raise my arm as if I’m taking a pledge. “I promise.”
Carter laughs at me. “Well, okay. I might start getting offended that you didn’t go out of your way to see me.”
“That’s-that’s not what I mean.”
“I’m just kidding!”
“I know, it’s just…”
Then, Carter reaches forward and gently pats my hair. “I get it, calm down. Well, since the universe has already brought you here, do you want to sit in my class for the next hour? Maybe we could grab coffee after?”
As I look back now, Carter’s the reason I woke up today feeling so much better. So, I nod. “Only if I get to buy you coffee.”
“As you should.” He grins.
Then, he leads me into the building.
Walking inside his classroom, he clears his throat, “Kids, I brought a friend with me. This is Estelle—”
The kids start to squeal and laugh. And then they begin singing:“Estelle and Carter sitting in a tree…”
I’m being teased by children, and there’s nothing more immature about it, yet, here I am, blushing over it.
Carter shakes his head with a smile on his face. “Okay, kids. Stop that now. Estelle is here to help you all finish your drawings.” He looks at me with a soft expression. “Isn’t that, right?”
How could I say no to his angelic face?
So, I nod. “That’s right.”
We spend the remaining hour in Carter’s classroom, checking artwork and coloring books.
I’m not exactly obsessed with children, but I admit it’s fun talking to innocent little things who know nothing about heartbreak and life's misfortunes. If only I could see the world through those rose-tinted glasses.
We send off every last kid as their parents filter in to pick them up.
“You waited for quite a while, huh?” Carter hands me a bottled water before proceeding to fix the toys on the floor.
I shake my head. “No, it was more fun than I expected.”
“And now you know why I love teaching kids more than high schoolers.”
“Would you?” I inquire. “If you had the chance?”
“Teach high schoolers? No.” He chuckles. “I know how hard I was to handle during that time, and so, no. You must remember some of the crazy things we did back in high school.”
There he goes again, reminiscing the old times we supposedly had.
I, on the other hand, have no idea what it is—because we didn’t go to high school together. So, I confess, “Actually, Carter…”
Then, his face lights up as he stands straight. “That gives me an idea!”
“W-what?” Curiosity gets the better of me.
He sets aside the toy box and takes me by the wrist as he leads me outside. “I think we should visit someplace.”
The feel of his firm hold on my wrist gives me butterflies, so I don’t argue. “Like… the coffee shop?”
