“Harley? I told you I would see you soon,” he teased.
“You sure did. I’m going to be working here. Today is my first day,” I explained.
“Congratulations, and good luck. This is my daughter, Violet. Today is her first day of kindergarten,” he said.
“It’s nice to meet you, Violet. This is my daughter, Reign. Today is her first day of kindergarten as well. Whose class are you in?” I asked.
“Mrs. Thomas’,” she answered softly.
“What a coincidence; Reign is in that class as well,” I said.
Reign and Violet looked at each other nervously.
Micah handed a piece of paper to Ms. Judy. “Can you add this to Violet’s file? I want to ensure there’s an updated list of emergency contacts for her,” he explained.
“Of course, sugar. You both better get those babies to class before they’re late for their first day,” she instructed.
With that, Micah grabbed Violet by the hand, and I grabbed Reign’s hand as well. I followed Micah’s lead. He seemed to know his way around the school. It had been far too long since I was there last. When we reached the door of Mrs. Thomas’ class, she greeted us with a warm smile. “Good morning. Who do we have here?” Mrs. Thomas asked.
“I’m Harley, and this is my daughter Reign,” I said.
“Reign, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m so excited to have you in my class, “she said.
“And I’m Violet,” Violet chimed in.
“I’m Micah, Violet’s dad. As you can see, she needs no introduction,” Micah said.
Mrs. Thomas ushered the girls into her classroom, and Micah and I both said our goodbyes to the girls. They left us standing at the door as they joined their other classmates.
“I better get to class,” I said.
“Why don’t you let me walk you there? What room are you in?” he asked.
I hesitated for a moment while I tried to remember the number on the paperwork Ms. Judy provided me with. “Room twenty-two.”
Micah nodded as I followed him toward the staircase. When we reached the second floor, he stopped at the first room. I looked at the number above the room. It was mine.
“Is there any chance you’ll let me take you out to dinner, Harley? You know, catch up for old time’s sake,” Micah explained.
I was surprised, but there was no time to hesitate. My classroom was full of eager ninth graders awaiting my arrival.
“Sure. Take my number. Nothing wrong with a little dinner,” I said.
Micah pulled out his phone and passed it to me, then I entered my phone number.
We stared at each other before I remembered where we were.
“I gotta go,” I finally said.
“Right. Go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later,” he replied. Micah pulled me in for a hug, his woodsy vanilla smell filling my nostrils. I wanted to stay in his embrace a little longer. I’d never been in the arms of a man of Micah’s size. His hug was firm, his large arms covering my entire body. I regained my composure and headed into the classroom.
“Good morning, class. I’m Mrs. Gray. Welcome to business and entrepreneurship,” I greeted the eager students.
Hours later, I took a break for lunch. I loved my students already. Being in the classroom was one of my favorite things. The curiosity that filled the brains of my students was my favorite part. I went into teaching to be a positive reinforcement to the youth. As a child, I was fortunate to have great teachers, so being an educator meant the world to me.
I didn’t pack lunch, so I grabbed something out of the cafeteria. While I ate in the teacher’s lounge, I checked my phone for any messages. I smiled when I saw Micah had reached out.
Mr. Black:
