She sipped her tea without comment, giving me a chance to form my thoughts, making it easier for me to talk. Classic teacher trick.
“There’s just a lot of stuff,” I said.
“The first years are always hard. I can’t imagine dealing with that and the pandemic, too. Until you’re doing the job, you don’t realize how much time things like paperwork and test prep and soothing anxious parents actually take. It’s like working a second shift without pay.”
My throat felt tight. “The pay’s fine. And I love teaching. It’s just…I wish I had more support from my department head,” I blurted. I hadn’t heard from Sarah in weeks, not even a text. I understood she had to protect her own job. But her silence, after boxing up my books, felt like a kind of betrayal.
“Oh?”
“I had a parent complain,” I confessed. “About my classroom library.”
“Ah.”
“It’s okay. It’s not the first time I’ve been called to the principal’s office,” I joked.
She didn’t laugh.
I swallowed hard. “The thing is…I thought I was helping. That’s why I became a teacher. To help students make sense of themselves and the world, to encourage them to read and think and feel. And now the principal says I should reconsider whether I’m a good fit for the school.”
“He’s right.”
Her words struck me like a stone in the stomach. “What?”
“Anne, this isn’t about you. You were a delightful student. Creative, imaginative, and passionate. I am sure those same qualities make you a wonderful teacher. Teaching is hard. You deserve to be someplace you will be trusted and supported. A school where you can feel appreciated.”
I opened my mouth. Closed it again. If I wasn’t a good fit for Ravenscrest…maybe there wasn’t anything wrong with me. Maybe I simply hadn’t yet found the place I could belong.Someplace you can feel appreciated.My eyes stung.
“Oh my gosh, this is so pretty!” Daanis exclaimed behind me.
I turned, dashing at my eyes. “You came!”
“Of course. Sorry we’re late. Oof.” She shifted Rose on her hip to hug me, her face flushed, her belly straining against her dress. “I had to wrestle this little munchkin. Hi, Mrs.Powell.”
“It’s Beverly, dear.”
Rose struggled to get down. “Cookie!”
“You sit down. I’ll take her.” I held out my hand. “Come on, kiddo. Do you want to make a crown? Like a princess?”
I got her a snack and settled her on the bench between Liv’s little sisters before making my way back to Daanis.
“Here you go, pal. Raspberry iced tea. Decaf,” I added.
“Thanks.” She accepted the glass gratefully. “I am so sickof plain old water. My doctor says I need to drink ten cups a day.”
“What are you growing in there, a baby camel?”
She laughed. “Feels like a baby elephant. I don’t care, as long as it’s healthy.”
I squeezed her hand.
“When are you due?” Beverly asked.
“Five weeks. Fingers crossed.” Daanis dug in her mom bag and handed me a paperback. “Here. This is for you.”
Beverly leaned over to see the cover, the dreamy red-haired girl knee-deep in flowers on the shoreline, the man in the background. “Anne of the Island.Has Hailey read that one yet?”
“Not yet. She’s read the first two. She’s dying to find out what happens between Anne and Gilbert.”
