She didn’t need to know that I came from money, used my inheritance to buy a house, because other than where I was living, I wanted to do it on my own, which was why I’d moved out here in the first place.
“You make a valid point.” She paused, glancing around the classroom before returning her gaze to me. “Looks like you’re about done here, so would you be down to grab a drink? A few of us are walking to the bar around the corner from the school.”
For a second, I stood there, the words sinking in. My heart warmed, and I could feel the tension I hadn’t even realized I was holding start to ease. She had no idea what she’d done for me. This invitation was everything. It wasn’t about grabbing a drink; it was the sense of being involved.
“Yeah, that sounds great,” I said, my smile probably brighter than I intended, but I couldn’t help it.
“Awesome. You’ll fit right in with the group.”
“Did you hear that Darla’s husband fell in love with the nanny and is now leaving her to move across the country with three kids?”
The last few hours had been more fun than I could’ve imagined. The bar was buzzing with laughter and the hum of easy conversation. When Jennie invited me to grab a drink, I hadn’t realized she meant right then and there. I’d barely had time to flip off the classroom lights and lock up before we headed out together.
At the bar, I met a few other teachers. One of the ladies worked as the attendance clerk, and from what I gathered, she was a source of endless gossip—the good kind. They were everything I’d hoped for in potential friends—genuine, warm, and open. As the night went on, stories started flowing about last year’s students, summer vacations, and, of course, the drama that seemed ready to unfold this coming school year.
We were sitting at a large high-top table in the middle of the bar. It was summer, and since the place had a patio, it was still pretty packed for being the middle of the week.
“There’s always something,” one teacher said, leaning in conspiratorially. “This year’s gonna be no different.”
Jennie interrupted with a grin. “Hey, hey, let’s not scare the new girl.” She raised her glass in my direction, her tone playful. “Give her a chance to settle in before we dump all the chaos on her.”
The group burst into laughter, nodding in agreement.
“She’s right,” someone said. “We don’t want to send you running on your first day.”
I laughed along with them, the warmth of their camaraderie wrapping around me. Jennie gave me a wink.
“Tell us everything,” Maura, one of the teachers, said with a grin. “Are you dating? Engaged? Married?”
I took a careful sip of my beer. I didn’t like drinking much, but it felt like part of the social contract tonight. “No, not dating.”
“Why not?” Sara, another teacher, chimed in. “What are you looking for in a partner? Give us the juicy deets.” She wiggled her eyebrows, making everyone laugh.
I laughed too, but my mind wandered. WhatwasI looking for? It wasn’t that simple. My mom... she was old school, strict, and still held on to certain traditions. Marriage wasn’t something she saw as casual. She’d want to be involved, to know the person—hell, she was still clinging to the idea of something close to an arranged marriage. The marriage had to be with someone who fell within her social circle. Although I went against her wishes to stay at home and came up here to work, I think she believed this was a stage, but marriage? That was permanent and not something she’d take lightly.
I smiled through the internal whirlwind, trying to figure out how I was going to explain this without my entire family lore coming out. “Let’s say my mom has... expectations,” I said lightly, trying to keep the conversation from going too deep.
“Ah, like she wants you to marry someone from your childhood?” Jennie probed.
“Something like that.” I shrugged.
“My parents were the same way. My husband Jeff and I had dated for as long as I can remember, and I love him dearly, but sometimes I look at social media and wish I had a bad-boy biker phase,” Sara added.
That was nothing like I was saying, but sure.
“Dude. What?” Jennie said, and everyone at the table chuckled.
“What? I was trying to relate.” Sara shrugged and then playfully gave me a squeeze on the shoulder.
“It’s something similar. She wants me to be with someone she’d approve of, so yeah, I’d assume it’d be someone I probably grew up with.”
“Womp.”
“Very.” Maura nodded in agreement.
Lynn, the attendance clerk, leaned in with a mischievous grin. “Alright, if you had to describe your perfect type, what are your must-haves in a partner?”
I let out a small laugh, trying to buy myself a bit of time. “Oh, that’s a good question.”
