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Will only half listened as the kids talked about that and other things they’d done over the weekend. His thoughts were also on the weekend, but not on the dinner. Nope. He couldn’t stop thinking about the time he’d spent with Janessa. It had been everything he’d hoped it would be, and more.
Some might think that dinner and a movie weren’t anything exciting, but for Will, it had been a wonderful time. Unlike the first several dates he’d gone on with Daphne, he’d felt so relaxed and at ease with Janessa. He’d been a little nervous beforehand, but that had been because he’d wanted their time together to go well.
Their conversation had flowed so easily, and by the time they’d left the restaurant, he’d felt completely at ease, his nerves settled. Which was why he’d felt comfortable enough to ask to hold her hand. Doing so had felt a bit high schooler-ish, but for some reason, he’d wanted to give her the chance to refuse since it was early on for them.
He didn’t want to rush her if she wasn’t comfortable, but it did feel like they were already a few steps along in their relationship since they knew each other so well, even though they’d technically only had one date.
For a moment, when she’d hesitated, he hadn’t been sure she’d say yes. But when she’d reached out and taken his hand, it was all he could do not to pull her into a hug. He was confident that would come, but he was happy with how things were between them for the time being.
Before he’d left his apartment earlier, he’d sent a text to Janessa, telling her that he hoped that she had a good day. In his devotions that morning, he’d taken the time to specifically pray for the fear Janessa had talked about.
She and Jay had been a part of the Halverson family for so long that there were times when he forgot the circumstances that had brought them to Serenity Point. Talking to her about that had been a good reminder to pray for both her and Jay, and also for Cathy and Dan as they served on their medical missions trip.
When the bell rang, Will pulled his thoughts back to the present. It took a few minutes for the teens to settle down, which wasn’t unusual for a Monday. He generally didn’t come down too hard on them as long as they quieted down within a few minutes.
“Okay, everyone, let’s get started with you handing in your homework from Friday,” Will said. “Please make sure your name is on it.”
There was mumbling and groaning, but papers were gathered as the class got underway.
At lunch, Will found a text from Janessa waiting for him.
Janessa:I hope you have a good day too and that the students don’t drive you crazy. xo
Will smiled as he tapped back a reply.So far, so good, and I think I’m immune to the students driving me crazy. If they haven’t managed to do it yet, they’re probably not going to!
How’s your day going?
He wasn’t sure when she usually took her lunch break, but her response came back right away.
Janessa:My day is going well. A bit quieter since Jay and Misha take Mondays off now, so we’re just doing appointments for Gareth.
Nice you can ease into the week. I get tossed into it with a bunch of teens who wish they had a three-day weekend. lol
Janessa:I definitely would have voted for that when I was in high school.
Me, too.
They texted back and forth for a few minutes before Janessa said she needed to go.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Janessa:You too.
Will spent a few minutes scrolling through his phone while he finished his lunch, then readied himself for his two afternoon classes. He’d let his students that day know that he’d be staying for an hour after the end of the school day to help anyone who needed it, so it would be a bit longer of a day, but it was worth it to him.
By the time he got home, Will was tired. Thankfully, he didn’t have to think too hard about supper. Before he’d left for school that morning, he’d taken a container of lasagna out of the freezer to thaw. All he had to do was dump it out onto a plate and put it in the microwave.
While it heated, he pulled out the papers he still needed to grade. He’d only had a couple of kids stop by for help earlier, so he’d been able to get some of his grading done before he got home. Unfortunately, there was still plenty left.
He switched on the TV and pulled up one of the streaming services he had. He was currently watching a documentary show on archeological finds. Though he had no real desire to travel the world, he enjoyed watching travelogs or documentaries that took place in locations he’d likely never visit.
Once his food was heated through, he brought it over to the table along with a glass of water. Though his attention was divided between the papers he was grading and the documentary playing on the television, Will still found his thoughts straying to Janessa.
He wondered what she was up to that evening. This early in their relationship, he wasn’t sure if he should be constantly contacting her or not.
It wasn’t like they were officially dating yet, so maybe texting her several times a day was too much. He tried to recall the start of his relationship with Daphne, but his mind shied away from thinking much about that time.
Realistically, he didn’t want to repeat that relationship, so how it started out didn’t matter. He wanted whatever transpired between him and Janessa to feel natural. And what felt natural to him was to text her at least once more before the end of the day to say goodnight.
