CHAPTER ONE
HONEY
“Have a wonderful Christmas break.I’ll see you all next year!” I call out over the excited chatter of my first-grade class as the last bell of the day rings, releasing them.
Little bodies in festive sweaters and Santa hats swarm around me as they flood out the door, some hugging my legs while others wave goodbye. Twenty-two sugar-fueled six-year-olds hopped up on candy canes and Christmas cookies make for quite the sendoff.
“Bye, Miss Mitchell!” “Merry Christmas, Miss Mitchell!”
With a smile on my face, I wave until the last of my students disappears into the hallway, then collapse into my desk chair with a sigh that comes from the very depths of my soul.
Holy smokes, what a day.
Closing my eyes, I soak in the silence, letting it wrap around me like a warm blanket. Don’t get me wrong. I love my students withmy whole heart, but dear baby Jesus, I’ve been counting down the days until this break.
A few moments of peace before I have to?—
“Mom!” Jackson’s voice echoes down the hallway seconds before he bursts through my classroom door, his blue eyes bright with excitement, and his backpack bouncing against his small frame.
I open my eyes and smile at my baby boy. “Hey, kiddo.”
“Is it time to go to our new house yet?”
Tommy follows close behind, his face more reserved, but I can see the spark of curiosity in his eyes. At eight, he thinks it’s his job to be the man of the house.
“Almost, buddy.” I climb to my feet, the second of kid-free time gone, and start gathering my work bag and purse. “Just need to grab my coat and we can head out.”
“Can I have a snack?” Jackson asks, already unzipping his lunch box to inspect what might be left inside. “I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving,” Tommy says with the world-weary sigh of an older brother, but he’s already checking his own lunch box for scraps.
I ruffle Jackson’s auburn hair. “We’ll grab something on the way, okay? Let me just make sure I have everything.”
My fingers trail over my desk, mentally checking off my to-do list. Grades submitted. Classroom clean. Plants watered. My eyes catch on the small stack of Christmas cards from my students, each one covered in glitter that has somehow managed to infiltrate every surface of my classroom, my clothes, and probably my DNA at this point.
“Did you like the cookies Sophia’s mom sent?” Jackson asks, his cheeks still showing traces of red and green frosting.
I smile, thinking of the elaborate Christmas cookies Monica Ramirez sent in with her daughter. “They were delicious. Maybe we can try making some like that over break.”
Jackson’s eyes light up, but Tommy’s brow furrows slightly. I know what he’s thinking – our new rental doesn’t even have an oven yet. I silently promise myself I’ll figure something out if the landlord hasn’t installed one by the time we get the keys today.
“Ready, boys?” I heft my bag onto my shoulder, feeling the weight of not just papers to grade, but all my hopes for this fresh start.
The boys nod, and we head toward the exit, the fluorescent lights of Meadow Lands Elementary School buzzing overhead. The hallways are practically empty now, most everyone having bolted for the doors the second the final bell rang, declaring the day over.
We’re almost to the exit, just a few more steps to freedom and three glorious weeks without having to set an alarm?—
“Honey! Wait up!”
My steps falter at the sound of Sean Milner’s voice. I feel Tommy tense beside me, his hand instinctively reaching for mine. My eight-year-old has better instincts about men than I’ve ever had.
I force my lips into my most professional smile and turn around. “Hi, Sean. Heading out for the holidays?”
Sean adjusts the collar of his polo shirt, smoothing it unnecessarily. His perfectly styled blonde hair doesn’t move an inch as he jogs up to us. “You bet. Big plans, actually.”
Jackson starts bouncing on his toes, fidgeting as only a six-year-old who’s been sitting all day can. Sean’s eyes narrow.
“Boys,” he says in that condescending, authoritative tone he uses with children that makes my spine stiffen. “This is a hallway, not a playground. Let’s use our indoor behavior.”
