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“Same as you,” I say, scooting off the seat and standing up. “Order mine, I’ll be back in a minute!”
I come and I go, not ten minutes pass. Finding Lily looking scared, and Sandra digging into her plate of bacon and eggs, I breathe a sigh of relief knowing everything is how I left it.
“Where were you?” Sandra asks with her mouth full.
“Completing Lily’s dish,” I say, bringing out a small glass jar.
“You didn’t!” Lily places both hands over her mouth,
“I did,” and I show her the jalapeno-infused maple syrup I bought at the store not two blocks away.
Lily squeals, stands, and grabs my face to kiss me on the cheek.
“You don’t have men doing nice things for you very often, do you?” I say, enjoying her kiss and how happy she is.
Luckily, Sandra is distracted and looking at her phone, ignoring us.
Chapter Eleven
LILY
Ihavetosaygoodbye to my music class as the time has come for my classes to end. The school is putting on a farewell event, which is sweet and I’m already tearing up.
It was supposed to be just a small assembly in my own classroom, but the principal turned it into a Godzilla-sized thing that escaped out of my control faster than the speed of sound.
I’m waiting backstage behind the auditorium while my students make a presentation on Greek mythology, which had been assigned to them by Mrs. Trent, their main teacher.
I go out at the end, to play guitar and sing to them a farewell song I wrote just for them, under the eyes of all the parents of the class.
The end comes, then applause. The principal goes to the pulpit, a cue card in her hand, and with a smile, she waits for the noise to die down.
“Thank you, Ms. Rockwell and Mrs. Trent for this lovely presentation. I’m sure it is a delight for the parents to see their children exert such deep knowledge at such a young age!”
I smile from ear to ear, standing in front of the kids. When I gaze at them, I see that they’re all looking up at me. Knowing this is the last day I’m seeing them breaks my heart.
“We are here, however, for a bittersweet occasion,” she continues. “Ms. Rockwell, the music teacher who’s been with us in the absence of our regular music teacher, is leaving us for good today.”
The parents and the kids all go, “Aw!” and I start to choke on my own tears. But I still smile, ready to embrace this next chapter in my life.
“The new things coming in your life will light your path,” the principal reads from her card, “in the same way our hopes and best wishes for you will light it. Everything in life is a cycle, and in the same way you leave us today to aim for bigger projects, you will be welcomed back here in case you need us in the future. You will always be welcome here.”
I start to cry, impossibly touched by her words. She’d always been stern, and I always believed she didn’t like me much, but now she comes to hug me and I’m at a loss for actions, words, and everything but the urge to sob like a child.
Speaking of children, the first one empathizes with me and comes to hug me by the waist. Soon more come, little Eric joining them, all together in a group hug that makes me delighted and surprised to receive so much love.
The principal guides me by the hand towards the pulpit, telling me to say a few words. I’m not an introvert, I know my way around a microphone and a crowd, but speaking with tears blocking my throat will be a challenge.
“Thank you,” I say, wiping my eyes. “You have no idea what this means to me, I mean… I’m just a substitute! I’ve never expected to be missed! But now, these angels are all here, you, the parents, are all here, and my heart is filled with joy beyond belief. One could say I’m going out to greener pastures, but no pasture will ever be as green as this one. I promise.”
The principal takes back the microphone and gives me a smile as she does. “Now the children are going to perform a rock’n’roll medley on the recorder, all of them taught by Ms. Rockwell. Let’s hear it!”
They perform eight songs in total, all of which we studied in class. I feel my heart beat along with each and every one of them, and in the end, I’m the one applauding the loudest.
I call them out for another group hug. Brody’s son is now the first one in line, giving me a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. When I turn to the principal again, she’s bringing a huge bouquet of roses in my direction and calling the parents on the stage with her free hand.
Eric goes to greet a blond woman who looks at me with darts in her eyes. She’s the first one to approach me, hug me, and comments, “Only today I finally meet you!” she says.
“Nobody cares too much about the music teacher, huh?” I dismiss her with a wave.
