My heart skips a beat, and I turn my face to hide the tears welling in my eyes.
Unlike the other kids in the room with two sets of parents, Alex is an orphan who lostbothhis parents in a car crash less than a year ago.
Although he’s being cared for by his aunt, who loves him deeply, I know more than anyone how the longing for what could have been, and the reality of what was, lingers. No matter how much time passes or how hard you try to move on.
I turn back to him with a sad smile, tilting his chin upward so he can hear my next words clearly. Words I think I need to hear, as well.
“You don’t need an engagement ring when you already have one.”
“What do you mean?” he asks, looking down at his empty hand.
“It’s invisible. Your parents may notphysicallybe with you, but they’ll always be in your heart. You don’t need a real ring when it’s all in here.” I tap over the left side of his chest.
Alex launches himself into my arms before I can finish retracting my hand. I fall into his embrace, cherishing the comfort I need as well, before he pulls back.
He’s beaming even as he wipes my tears with his grimy little borax hands. “Don’t cry, Ms. Vivienne. I’m okay.”
I smile through watery eyes. “I know you are.”
“And so are you!” he adds, before spinning on his feet and skipping away to rejoin his friends.
Oh, how I wish that were true.
A loud ringing fills the classroom, and I take it as my sign to collect myself.
“Time’s up, you guys! Let’s see how fast we can clean up,” Evelyn announces when she’s captured all their attention.
I wipe away the last tear from my cheek and pull out my phone while the kids gather their materials. I can think of one thing that might make me feel marginally better.
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed.” Evelyn bumps her shoulder into mine, stealing my attention before I could think of some witty response for Nate.
Amusement flickers behind her eyes, and since I know where she’s going with this before she even opens her mouth, I make a beeline to the opposite end of the room. She and Sutton have been relentless—and I’m tired of hearing about it.
“Don’t you dare run away from me!” Evelyn rushes after me as I speed walk to the sink. Her hands clamp onto my hipsin an attempt to hold me back, but I manage to shimmy away. “This topic of conversation is unavoidable!”
I slip off my engagement ring and tuck it into the back pocket of my jeans before turning on the faucet.
The sink is already full of dirty beakers that need cleaning. And while I don’t know what the price of this ring is, it looks way too expensive to subject it to the mild base that is borax.
Her hip nudges mine, making just enough space to join in on the cleaning.
“You never used to do that,” she says, blond waves falling over her face as she attacks the beakers with the scrub brush.
“Do what?” I ask with exaggerated innocence.
“Smile at your phone.” Evelyn aims a wet finger at me, then flicks it. Tiny droplets splatter onto my face. “Smile at my goldfish.”
“Henry and I have always been besties. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I pull back in faux shock.
Evelyn raises her brows in disbelief. “You hated Henry.”
Very true. Goldfish are useless.
“And you didn’t know his name until a few days ago.”
Also true. I didn’t care to know until Nate asked me if we had any pets.
I let out a reluctant groan, divulging the information she’s fishing for. “We’ve become somewhat friends, is all.”
