Lincoln conceded, stating he’d bring over Chinese and to text him later on today with what I wanted from the place in town.
The smile on my face couldn’t get much bigger, even if I’m dragging ass this morning. I barely made it to work on time after spending a good twenty minutes texting back and forth with Lincoln.
It made me glad that our school is relaxed with our work wear. I decided to wear a pair of nice dark jeans, put a floral top on, slide my feet into ballet type flats, and braided my hair while waiting for my cup of coffee to brew, and then I was jetting out of the house.
I got to school in the nick of time to help with the car loop, and then rushed into my classroom to finish setting up for the week. The brightest part of my days are teaching my students, now that also includes seeing Lincoln .
“I saw you barely made it on time today,” Callie says while walking her daughter Clairabella towards her classroom. She veers off and heads right towards me though, “Auntie Pres, guess what?”
“What is it my Bella Bug?”
“I’m not a bug, silly. Pops took me out fishing Sunday and I caught a big fish!” I pick her up and she gives me a hug.
“That’s so cool! Did you eat it for dinner?” I ask her.
“Eww, no that is disgusting,” her cute little nose is scrunched up.
“I’ll see you later, be good in class and I’ll take you to Nan’s and Pop’s after school,” I give her one last hug.
“Okay, I love you Auntie Pres,” she tells me before she scampers off to the teacher’s classroom across the hall.
“Thanks, I know she loves to spend time with you and well, work is starting to kill me with it being our busy time of year,” Callie says. I can see the dark circles under her eyes, the truth shadowed beneath them.
“I’m here for you and Bella Bug, anytime day or night,” I give her a hug.
“I’ll text you later and see how things are going. Thanks again!” She leaves to make sure Clairabella made it into class. Callie really is an amazing Mom, she’s never once shirked her responsibilities when it comes to Bella. We all rallied around her and continue to do so till this day, well, I spoil her as much as I can. She’s the closest thing I’ll get to having a niece, sometimes it sucks being the only child.
Standing at the entrance to my classroom, I see the children are putting their bags and lunch boxes away.
“Good morning, class,” I say to them.
“Hi, Miss Stevens,” a chorus of children say.
My day is long, but fun, not to mention the benefits of being a teacher. Summers off, playing with kids while teaching them. It’s the best career I could have hoped for.
12
Lincoln
I didn’t want to come into work today, but I knew I needed beer and liquor ordered for the coming weekend, not to mention the schedule hammered out. One of our waitresses is down with the flu, so that leaves me trying to pull other people in to cover her shifts.
All I really want to do is say the hell with this day, pick up dinner and head straight to Presley’s. Instead, I’m stuck here, and not for the first time, I’m seriously contemplating bringing on a manager earlier than I expected to help with the workload that seems to have overtaken my life lately.
My office phone ringing stops me from my thoughts, “Maverick’s Place,” I answer.
“Well if it isn’t my long-lost son,” I hear my mom on the other end of the line. It brings a smile to my face, that woman, she’s always giving me hell.
“If it isn’t my long-lost mother. You know the phone works both ways, same goes for an airplane ride,” I say with a chuckle.
“Tell that to your father, and I called you last. It was your turn this go around, or are you getting old and forgetful?” she questions.
“If I’m getting old, that must make you and Pops ancient.” This is how it’s always been between me and my parents.
“Don’t tell your father that, before you know it, he’ll be trying “Just for Men” to get rid of his grey hair,” Mom says with a grouchiness in her tone.
I can’t help but laugh at that, Dad would never, and if he heard her talking like that, let’s just say Mom would be eating her words.
“It really is your turn to come out here, I was just in Vegas for Christmas,” I counter.
“I know but your brother, don’t even get me started. That Cruella Deville he’s with, well don’t say anything yet. You know Devon will call you, but she’s pregnant. Between Devon and your father, I’ll need to drink all the vodka to get through these next nine months.” I can hear the weariness in her tone.