Her heart cracked.
Raven had come so close to making him happy. Those few weeks of guitar lessons had transformed Jamie from a withdrawn, quiet child into someone who smiled, who engaged, who had something he loved. And then Raven had left, and Jamie had retreated back into himself, and there was nothing Annabelle could do to fix it.
She started walking toward him, but Nina called out that two Year Fours were fighting over the football, and by the time Annabelle had mediated that crisis, the bell was ringing.
Jamie slipped back inside before she could reach him.
"I’VE JUST POPPED in," Mrs. Long said in the corridor that afternoon, her voice carrying down the hallway. "To discuss the guitar lessons?"
Annabelle froze.
She was in her classroom, helping Marie find her missing reading book (it was in her tray, where it always was), but Kayley Long's voice was unmistakable. Sharp. Precise. The kind of voice that expected answers.
"Ms. Swift is probably in her classroom," Lily was saying diplomatically. "But if you'd like to make an appointment…"
"I don't need an appointment. This will only take a moment."
Annabelle heard footsteps. She considered hiding behind the bookshelf, but that seemed cowardly even for her current state of mind.
"Ms. Swift!" Kayley appeared in the doorway, looking immaculate in pressed trousers and a cashmere jumper. "There you are."
"Mrs. Long." Annabelle straightened, summoning every ounce of professional cheerfulness she possessed. "How can I help you?"
"It's about Jamie's guitar lessons." Kayley stepped into the classroom, arms crossed. "He was promised ongoing instruction, and it's been a week since…"
"I'm aware of how long it's been," Annabelle said.
"Well, he's devastated. He keeps asking when Ms. Raven is coming back, and frankly, I think it's unacceptable that he was promised something that hasn't been delivered."
Something hot and sharp twisted in Annabelle's chest.
"Mrs. Long…"
"I understood that Ms… Raven was here as part of some sort of community engagement," Kayley continued. "But if she's simply abandoned the children she was working with, that reflects rather poorly on the school's judgment in involving her in the first place."
The cotton wool feeling in Annabelle's chest ignited.
"Raven didn't abandon anyone," she heard herself say, her voice sharper than she'd intended. "She had to return to London for work. She has a career. A life. She can't just…" The words caught in her throat. "I have no control over whether someone stays or goes, Mrs. Long. Neither do you. Sometimes people leave, and there's nothing anyone can do about it."
Kayley blinked, clearly taken aback. "I hardly think—"
"If Jamie wants to continue guitar lessons, there are instructors in town. I'm happy to provide recommendations." Annabelle's hands were shaking. She gripped her clipboard tighter. "But I can't make Raven come back. I can't fix this. I can't…"
Her voice broke.
Kayley stared at her.
"I should go," Kayley said stiffly. "We'll discuss this another time when you're feeling more... composed."
She swept out.
Annabelle stood in the empty classroom, trembling, staring at the colorful alphabet border on the wall and trying very hard not to cry.
"Annabelle."
She turned. Lily was standing in the doorway, expression unreadable.
"I'm sorry," Annabelle said immediately. "I shouldn't have… I lost my temper. I yelled at a parent. I'll resign. I'll…"
