“I don’t want to go, Miss Nickleby!” he wailed.
“Hey, now,” I said, sharing a knowing look with his mother, “Doesn’t your dad come home this—”
But his mother vehemently began to shake her head, and I let the words die on my tongue. With them, my heart fell.
Jose’s mother leaned down and whispered in my ear. “My husband’s deployment was extended.”
Again?I mouthed, to which Jose’s mother only nodded.
I sighed and forced a smile as I pulled back to gaze at the miserable little guy. “You’ll have a great summer.” I tapped his nose. “I’ll bet you won’t even want to come back to school next fall.”
Jose kept sniffling, but the tears at least stopped. “My dad is sending me a new video game in the mail. Mom says I can play it when I finish my reading in the mornings.”
“Well, there you go.” I gave him one last hug and watched them go.
A slow clap sounded behind me. “Well, congratulations.”
I turned and laughed when Sam Newman emerged from his classroom, which was to my right.
“So,” he said, his hazel eyes bright, “you survived your first year. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” I grinned back. “They gave me a run for my money, but…” I looked around. “I kind of can’t believe it’s already over.”
He snorted. “Just wait until you have five years under your belt.”
“Not even you have five years.” I knelt to stack the homework bins in the entryway of my classroom.
“I have enough years to know summer is best celebrated with a drink and other teachers.”
I laughed. “So you can commiserate before launching into more discussions about your students?”
He nodded. “Naturally.” Then he leaned forward, his sandy blond hair falling slightly over his eyes. “If I did, could I count you in?”
“We’re done!”
We both looked up to see Madison launch herself out of her own room straight toward me, two stainless steel thermoses in hand. “Who wants to share some juice?”
“That’s juice?” I asked, studying the stainless steel thermoses.
Sam took one and opened one of the thermos lids to sniff it. Then his eyes got big. “Madison, is this what I think it—”
“Sh!” Madison elbowed him. “It’s got fruit in it. Ergo, juice.”
“And a little bit of something else for on the way down,” Sam muttered under his breath.
“Actually,” I nodded back at the little figure huddled in front of a computer in the corner. “I’ve still got one left. And I’m going to disinfect the mat while I wait for her mom.”
“Well, your loss.” Sam shrugged dramatically before winking and walking down the hall. The hall was mostly clear of parents and students by now, so I waved Madison inside as I got down on my hands and knees with the Lysol wipes on the foam mat.
“Isn’t she always here late?” Madison snatched a pretzel from my secret stash.
“Her mom works over in North Little Rock.” I pitched my voice lower. “She has a hard time getting up here on time to pick her up.”
“Well, I hope her teacher next year is as patient as you are. Oh, but the reason I came over!” Madison’s eyes lit up again. “A week from Thursday! Donny’s Bar! Seven o’clock!!”
“Madison, I’m not sure I want another one of your dates.”
“But Jessie! He’s a captain!” She pouted. “And Jason was nice!”
