“I didn’t think it was worth mentioning. She was being petty. That wasn’t new to me. You know I’ve never been her favorite person,” I explained.
“She and I had a conversation. I let her know that Violet’s school isn’t the time or place for personal conversation. When I told you I wanted to court you, I meant that. I don’t want Iris to become a problem for us. If you ever feel that she is, I want you to tell me. Just because I spoke to her doesn’t mean she will stop her antics. If she comes to you again, please don’t keep it from me. Can you do that for me?”
“I can do that,” I said.
“Now that we got that out of the way, tell me what you need in a partner,” he said while staring at me intently.
“I’ve learned that honesty, loyalty, mutual respect, and communication are the keys to the perfect formula in a relationship. If we can offer that to each other, I think we’ll be fine,” I explained.
A moment of silence found us.
“Do you want to be married again?” he asked.
The question took me off guard. I had sworn off the idea of finding love again. Something about being with Micah gave me hope—hope that I might actually get another chance at happily ever after. I decided to answer him with my heart and not my head.
“I would love the chance to be married again. You mentioned your failed engagement. Are you still interested in marriage?”
“Very much so. I didn’t get the ending I wanted with my ex. One day, I will be a husband to a deserving woman,” he expressed.
It was nice to be on the same page long-term. If he had said marriage wasn’t on the table, there would be nothing to discuss. I was a wife and would always be one.
“Do you want more kids?” I asked.
He smiled as he said, “One or two. I don’t want a starting five.”
“Me too. After my difficult delivery with Reign, I wasn’t sure if I did. Now that she is older, I really want her to have someone to grow up with. Being an only child was lonely. I always envied people with siblings. I love that she and Violet have gotten so close.”
“The girls have gotten close quickly. Violet can’t stop talking about Reign,” he replied.
“And Reign can’t stop talking about Violet. That play date needs to happen soon for them,” I confirmed.
“We need to get a date for ourselves set up, too,” he said.
“I’m free Saturday. The girls can hang out in the afternoon. We can have some adult time in the evening,” I offered.
“I’m with that,” he replied as his hand found mine.
Our conversation took a pause as we sat in comfortable silence. We held hands under the moonlight. It was simple yet romantic all at once. I thought my time brushing Lucky waspeaceful. Nothing would beat looking up at the stars with the handsome man beside me.
A Few WeeksLater
I signed up as a chaperone for Reign’s first school trip of the year. They were going to the local zoo. I had arranged for a substitute to cover my classes while I went on the trip. Things between Micah and me were going well. He took our conversation about what I needed and put it to use. That morning, there were fresh daisies on my desk with a card that read:
To my favorite teacher. Good luck on your first school trip.
The man knew how to make me blush. Flowers were becoming a regular gesture from him. One thing I appreciated about Micah was that he listened. When he asked me questions, it was with intent, like he wanted to make sure there was always a smile on my face. While we couldn’t see each other as much as we wanted, he never stopped showing interest in me.
I took the card from the flowers and put it in my bag. Before my day got crazy, I sent Micah a text.
Me:
Thank you for the flowers.
Mr. Black:
No need to thank me, Freckles. Just trying to keep a smile on your face.
Me:
