We continued to chat while we devoured the feast Nana prepared. There was honey ham, mac and cheese, green beans, and cornbread. I peeped under the cake container to see an apple pie. If I wanted to enjoy the food there, I would need to work out. I hardly ever ran in Oak River, but that was about to change. In high school, I ran track, and it was my time on the track team that earned me a full scholarship to Tennessee State University.
“Oh, Harley, how is Micah doing?” Nana asked.
“We didn’t have time to chat. There was a large turnout at the whiskey tasting,” I explained.
“That’s good. It’s a shame you guys didn’t remain close after your mother’s passing. His mother—poor thing—she took losing your mom so hard. I mean, we all did,” she said with sadness.
It had been years since my mother’s passing. No matter how much time passed, it was still hard to talk about her. The mood shifted at the mention of my mom. Nana and PopPop shared a sad look between them, and I focused on my plate. My mother passed away when I was six years old, and the older I got, the less I remembered of her. It was frustrating because I never wanted to forget her.
A thunderstorm washow I started my day. It was my first official day of teaching at the Locust Valley Academy. Dread filled my belly as I thought of driving in that thunderstorm. I badly wanted to get back under the covers and start this day over. There was nothing I despised more than driving in the rain. As I shook off the feelings of dread, I got up to get ready.
Once I was dressed for the day, I went to Reign’s room. It was her first day at school as well, her first official day in kindergarten. She was so excited that night that I almost couldn’t get her to bed. Reign had never been a morning person, so waking her up would be a task. When I walked into her room, I was shocked to see her awake.
“Good morning, Mommy. It’s my first day of school,” she said, full of excitement.
“It sure is, Nugget. Why don’t you head into the bathroom? After you brush your teeth and wash your face, you can get dressed,” I explained.
Reign made her way to the bathroom. I had never seen her so excited about getting up in the morning before. Her excitement for the day almost made me forget about the terrible weather. I silently prayed the rain would slow down or completely stop before we left. While Reign was getting ready, I went to the kitchen to make her breakfast. As soon as I reached the kitchen, I realized Nana was already in there.
“Here I was, thinking I was going to make breakfast,” I said.
“All you need to do is get yourself and baby girl together. I’ll always make sure my family has something to eat,” she replied.
I walked over to Nana and gave her a hug. There were so many mornings after Jude’s passing that I struggled to get out of bed. My grandparents and Naya offered to stay with me, but I always declined. No one knew that the rain would trigger bouts of depression. That day, I was determined not to let the weather keep me in bed.
“I know how much you hate the rain, Harley. PopPop can drop you guys off if you want,” Nana offered.
“No, it’s okay. I have to conquer my fears at some point. Today will have to be the day. I don’t want to continue living in fear,” I expressed.
Nana stopped what she was doing to face me. “I’m proud of you, baby. I know it’s not easy, but you will overcome this,” she assured me.
I worked with Nana in the kitchen as her sous chef. It was something I had been doing since I was a child. It allowed us to spend quality time, just the two of us. Nana showed me how to make countless family recipes during our time together in thekitchen. Just as we were wrapping up, Reign came down the stairs.
“Tada! Look at me, guys,” Reign said with a big smile on her face.
“Oh my. You’re too cute today,” I praised her.
“The prettiest kindergartener I’ve ever seen,” Nana emphasized.
Reign spun around to show us her dress as we continued to fawn over her.
“Alright, little lady. Let’s sit down. You have to eat breakfast. We need to leave soon, so you don’t have all day to eat,” I said.
Reign and I quickly ate, then hurried out the door. Relief swept over me as the rain slowed down to a drizzle. After getting Reign safely in the car, I got in as well, driving slower than I normally would’ve. The twenty-minute drive turned into forty minutes, and by the time I parked at the school, the rain had completely stopped. I helped Reign out of the car, then we made our way into the building.
It was still early, so there weren’t many people inside. I headed to the main office to sign the last bit of my paperwork. When we reached the office, the first person I saw was Ms. Judy, the school secretary.
“Good morning, Ms. Judy,” I greeted her.
“Good morning. Are you ready for your first official day? I guess I should be asking you both that, huh?” she asked with a chuckle.
“I don’t know if I’m ready. Reign, however, is very excited about her first day of kindergarten. Isn’t that right, Nugget?” I asked Reign.
“I can’t wait to meet all my new friends. I’m going to meet new friends, right, Mommy?” Reign asked.
“You sure will, Nugget,” I assured her.
Ms. Judy got up from her desk to provide me with a packet. As I fumbled through the paperwork, I signed the areas that required a signature. By the time I went through everything, the first bell rang. The hallway was filled with people who moved quickly about to their destination. As I handed the paperwork to Ms. Judy, the office door opened. It was Micah and an adorable little girl who looked just like him. He looked as shocked to see me as I was to see him.
