Lesson, learned.
1
“No, don't you even give me that look, Emma. This is apparently your third warning, you haven't even shown me the notes, your teacher had to call me personally while I was at work, Em. I had a big wedding consolation today.” A woman sighed, pushing her bangs out of her face and shouldering a rather large bag more properly as she knelt before a small girl sitting in a chair outside of a classroom door.
“Emmy, I don't know what's gotten into you lately kiddo, but this doesn't fly okay? You wait here while I go figure this all out, okay? Then we'll go get dinner.”
The little girl frowned, looking down at her shoes as she nodded. “Sorry Momma.”
The woman smiled, brushing her daughters auburn hair from her face and kissed her forehead. “Love you, Em. Behave, okay?”
Emma nodded, watching as her mother pushed herself into a standing position before taking a deep breath and knocking lightly on the door before entering. “Mr. Baker? I'm Brenna Hunt, Emmaleigh's mom?”
Brenna nearly stopped mid sentence as she entered her daughters classroom. Her ex-husband had been the one to go to Emma's open house, so she'd never actually seen her daughters teacher, if she had. She'd be more prepared for the man looking up at her from his desk. He had the most gorgeous green eyes hidden behind a pair of almost classically dorky reading glasses, black hair that was probably once slicked back properly now mused up from having to deal with 3rd graders all day, he had the slightest hint of facial hair, just beneath his full bottom lip and she found herself staring for a moment.
“Sorry about calling you in Mrs. Hunt.”
“It's Ms. Actually.” She corrected with a smile, gingerly setting her bag on the floor beside the chair he gestured for her to sit in. “I'm divorced, and it's fine. I'm a little curious as to why Emma didn't give me the notes you sent home with her, so I really don't know what the whole problem is here aside from you saying she's been acting up lately, Emma usually isn't one to act out. She's like me, prefers her books and colored pencils over almost anything.”
The teacher smiled, nodding his head and leaning forward a bit in his chair, the sleeves of his gray button up; left unbuttoned mind you, he wore it over a black t-shirt, bunched up around his biceps, she could see the swirls of something just below the cuff, he must wear the longer shirt to mask up some kind of tattoo.
“I think that alone, might explain some things.”
Brenna's brows knitted together, her head tilting to the side a fraction of an inch. “Oh? How?”
Mr. Baker sighed, running the fingers of his left hand through his hair; further proving her musing about messing up his hair due to kid related stress, as well as drawing her attention to his bare ring finger. She should really feel guilty about checking out her daughters teacher, but she wasn't.
“Here, let me show you.” Standing from behind his desk, he moved over to the filing cabinet in the corner of the room; she took the opportunity to admire his backside before he turned around holding a file out to her, and perched on the corner of his desk.
“We had an assignment, about families. It's kind of when all of this started.”
Brenna's lips pursed as she opened the folder, inside was a drawing. An orange haired stick figure with a gray box in it's hand and a big smile on it's face holding the hand of a smaller figure with brown-ish hair, and a much smaller smile. On the opposite corner of the picture was the stick figures the guessed were her ex and his girlfriend and his girlfriends son, there was a baseball bat in the smaller of the male figures hand, all were smiling and none were looking at the other two.
“Oh.”
Mr. Baker nodded, sighing again. “The class talked about their pictures, most kids talked about their moms and dads, and annoying little siblings. Some of the kids only have one parent, and two have two dads, and all of them had some awkward moments, and Emma was discouraged with each new story. She refused to participate, which I was fine with, but kids are kids, and one of them took Emma's drawing, asked why there were so many people, and if that was her brother. I didn't make any comments about this incident, because Emma wasn't in the wrong at all, the other kid got a letter home and lunch duty for a week for being so rude. The kids forgot about the assignment by lunch the next day, but Emma wasn't acting the same, she seemed more reserved and kind of angry.”
Brenna looked up, eyes glancing away from a short story her daughter had been writing about her titled. “My mommy take pictures.”
Mr. Baker offered a small smile. “I didn't send anything until she shoved Krissy Taylor in the lunch line because she said something about step moms, the second one came when she snatched away Liza's coloring book and threw it away. She won't tell me why she did that one. Ms. Hunt, I think your daughter is wonderful, she's very bright and is a brilliant writer. I've shown her work to some of the teachers who teach fourth and fifth grade and they're amazed by how well she writes, but there's something bothering her, and she's acting out on it.”
Brenna sighed heavily, looking down and closing the folder, her fingers curling around the folder. “My ex-husband got a new girlfriend, she has a son around Em's age. He's been spending a lot of time with them, taking them to baseball games, and going camping. Things he used to do with just her. He invited her a few times, but after the first few games, she didn't want to go anymore and I didn't push her. I'm not exactly thrilled with him myself, I guess she picked up on that.”
She bit her bottom lip, looking up at the attractive man before her and blew out a sigh. “I just, I don't know how to handle any of this, I didn't expect to get divorced, for Emma to have to spend time between our new apartment and the house she grew up in that her dad lives in now. She seems fine when she's with me, and she'll talk on the phone with him just fine, but she doesn't really like to go out with him anymore, I guess that should've been my first sign.” A deep frown marred her features as she let go of the folder placing it on the desk.
“I've been taking on a lot of new clients lately, trying to pay bills and keep the apartment kept up and spend as much time with Em as I can, I guess the stress is getting to me and her too. I'm sorry, I'll talk to my ex and let him know, and I'll sit down with Emma.”
Nodding, Mr. Baker smiled softly. “It's fine, I've been there. I know how it goes.”
She raised an eyebrow just as a knock was on the door and two little girls walked in. “Daddy, can Emma and I go ask Mrs. Carter for some icecream?”
Brenna looked to the teacher and then back at the girls, as Emma asked softly. “Please Mr. Baker, Momma? Jamie said it's really yummy.”
Mr. Baker laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, offering up an explanation;“Mrs. Carter is the owner of the ice cream shop a block down the road, she spoils Jamie rotten.”
The little girl mentioned scoffed, putting on her best face. “She does not.”
“Does too, you rugrat. If Ms. Hunt agrees, I have no objects. I think Emma even deserves one for that A she got on her spelling test today.”
Emma brightened up considerably, and Brenna looked between the two girls with matching puppy dog pouts and her daughters teacher. “Do they have coffee ice cream?” She asked, a small smile twitching at the corner of her lips.
“The best in town.” Mr. Baker assured her with a grin.
“Well then, I suppose we can get a scoop or two, after all Emma did get an A, today.”
“Yay!” Both girls squealed, clasping hands and jumping up and down causing their respective parents to laugh. “C'mon you two, let's get goin' before the place gets crowded.” Mr. Baker encouraged, nudging the girls out the door. They skipped happily a head of their parents, waiting down the hall as Mr. Baker paused to lock the door.
“You can Call me Brenna, by the way. Ms. Hunt seems too formal, not even my clients call me that.”
He laughed, “Well then, It's Zack. Only the kids call me Mr. Baker, I still don't think I'm used to it.”
Brenna laughed, re-shouldering her equipment bag and holding out a hand. “Well then, pleasure to meet you Zack, Jamie is adorable and I think Emma just found a new best friend, which is; let me tell you, a step up from her last one, Mr. Fluffles is on his last stitch and I don't know how much longer I can make him last.” She said the last part a bit solemnly, hanging her head with a sigh.
Warm laughter bubbled up beside her, “Well, I'm glad that Jamie seems to be able to hold up better than Mr. Fluffles.”
“Mom!”
“Dad!”
“Come on, you guys are slow pokes!” Jamie whined, swinging her hand back and forth with Emma's.
“Oh, I'm sorry Jamie, what was that? Walk Slower?” Zack slowed his walk to a snails pace, and Brenna laughed, looking over her shoulder as she walked towards the girls.
“Well then, Ladies. Looks like the ice cream is all ours, slow poke back there can have some when he catches up, if there's any left, anyway.”
Both adults missed the matching smiles the girls shared before they grabbed a hold of Brenna's hands and lead the way out to the front of the school, and laughing Mr. Baker following behind them quickly.
“Emmy, I don't know what's gotten into you lately kiddo, but this doesn't fly okay? You wait here while I go figure this all out, okay? Then we'll go get dinner.”
The little girl frowned, looking down at her shoes as she nodded. “Sorry Momma.”
The woman smiled, brushing her daughters auburn hair from her face and kissed her forehead. “Love you, Em. Behave, okay?”
Emma nodded, watching as her mother pushed herself into a standing position before taking a deep breath and knocking lightly on the door before entering. “Mr. Baker? I'm Brenna Hunt, Emmaleigh's mom?”
Brenna nearly stopped mid sentence as she entered her daughters classroom. Her ex-husband had been the one to go to Emma's open house, so she'd never actually seen her daughters teacher, if she had. She'd be more prepared for the man looking up at her from his desk. He had the most gorgeous green eyes hidden behind a pair of almost classically dorky reading glasses, black hair that was probably once slicked back properly now mused up from having to deal with 3rd graders all day, he had the slightest hint of facial hair, just beneath his full bottom lip and she found herself staring for a moment.
“Sorry about calling you in Mrs. Hunt.”
“It's Ms. Actually.” She corrected with a smile, gingerly setting her bag on the floor beside the chair he gestured for her to sit in. “I'm divorced, and it's fine. I'm a little curious as to why Emma didn't give me the notes you sent home with her, so I really don't know what the whole problem is here aside from you saying she's been acting up lately, Emma usually isn't one to act out. She's like me, prefers her books and colored pencils over almost anything.”
The teacher smiled, nodding his head and leaning forward a bit in his chair, the sleeves of his gray button up; left unbuttoned mind you, he wore it over a black t-shirt, bunched up around his biceps, she could see the swirls of something just below the cuff, he must wear the longer shirt to mask up some kind of tattoo.
“I think that alone, might explain some things.”
Brenna's brows knitted together, her head tilting to the side a fraction of an inch. “Oh? How?”
Mr. Baker sighed, running the fingers of his left hand through his hair; further proving her musing about messing up his hair due to kid related stress, as well as drawing her attention to his bare ring finger. She should really feel guilty about checking out her daughters teacher, but she wasn't.
“Here, let me show you.” Standing from behind his desk, he moved over to the filing cabinet in the corner of the room; she took the opportunity to admire his backside before he turned around holding a file out to her, and perched on the corner of his desk.
“We had an assignment, about families. It's kind of when all of this started.”
Brenna's lips pursed as she opened the folder, inside was a drawing. An orange haired stick figure with a gray box in it's hand and a big smile on it's face holding the hand of a smaller figure with brown-ish hair, and a much smaller smile. On the opposite corner of the picture was the stick figures the guessed were her ex and his girlfriend and his girlfriends son, there was a baseball bat in the smaller of the male figures hand, all were smiling and none were looking at the other two.
“Oh.”
Mr. Baker nodded, sighing again. “The class talked about their pictures, most kids talked about their moms and dads, and annoying little siblings. Some of the kids only have one parent, and two have two dads, and all of them had some awkward moments, and Emma was discouraged with each new story. She refused to participate, which I was fine with, but kids are kids, and one of them took Emma's drawing, asked why there were so many people, and if that was her brother. I didn't make any comments about this incident, because Emma wasn't in the wrong at all, the other kid got a letter home and lunch duty for a week for being so rude. The kids forgot about the assignment by lunch the next day, but Emma wasn't acting the same, she seemed more reserved and kind of angry.”
Brenna looked up, eyes glancing away from a short story her daughter had been writing about her titled. “My mommy take pictures.”
Mr. Baker offered a small smile. “I didn't send anything until she shoved Krissy Taylor in the lunch line because she said something about step moms, the second one came when she snatched away Liza's coloring book and threw it away. She won't tell me why she did that one. Ms. Hunt, I think your daughter is wonderful, she's very bright and is a brilliant writer. I've shown her work to some of the teachers who teach fourth and fifth grade and they're amazed by how well she writes, but there's something bothering her, and she's acting out on it.”
Brenna sighed heavily, looking down and closing the folder, her fingers curling around the folder. “My ex-husband got a new girlfriend, she has a son around Em's age. He's been spending a lot of time with them, taking them to baseball games, and going camping. Things he used to do with just her. He invited her a few times, but after the first few games, she didn't want to go anymore and I didn't push her. I'm not exactly thrilled with him myself, I guess she picked up on that.”
She bit her bottom lip, looking up at the attractive man before her and blew out a sigh. “I just, I don't know how to handle any of this, I didn't expect to get divorced, for Emma to have to spend time between our new apartment and the house she grew up in that her dad lives in now. She seems fine when she's with me, and she'll talk on the phone with him just fine, but she doesn't really like to go out with him anymore, I guess that should've been my first sign.” A deep frown marred her features as she let go of the folder placing it on the desk.
“I've been taking on a lot of new clients lately, trying to pay bills and keep the apartment kept up and spend as much time with Em as I can, I guess the stress is getting to me and her too. I'm sorry, I'll talk to my ex and let him know, and I'll sit down with Emma.”
Nodding, Mr. Baker smiled softly. “It's fine, I've been there. I know how it goes.”
She raised an eyebrow just as a knock was on the door and two little girls walked in. “Daddy, can Emma and I go ask Mrs. Carter for some icecream?”
Brenna looked to the teacher and then back at the girls, as Emma asked softly. “Please Mr. Baker, Momma? Jamie said it's really yummy.”
Mr. Baker laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, offering up an explanation;“Mrs. Carter is the owner of the ice cream shop a block down the road, she spoils Jamie rotten.”
The little girl mentioned scoffed, putting on her best face. “She does not.”
“Does too, you rugrat. If Ms. Hunt agrees, I have no objects. I think Emma even deserves one for that A she got on her spelling test today.”
Emma brightened up considerably, and Brenna looked between the two girls with matching puppy dog pouts and her daughters teacher. “Do they have coffee ice cream?” She asked, a small smile twitching at the corner of her lips.
“The best in town.” Mr. Baker assured her with a grin.
“Well then, I suppose we can get a scoop or two, after all Emma did get an A, today.”
“Yay!” Both girls squealed, clasping hands and jumping up and down causing their respective parents to laugh. “C'mon you two, let's get goin' before the place gets crowded.” Mr. Baker encouraged, nudging the girls out the door. They skipped happily a head of their parents, waiting down the hall as Mr. Baker paused to lock the door.
“You can Call me Brenna, by the way. Ms. Hunt seems too formal, not even my clients call me that.”
He laughed, “Well then, It's Zack. Only the kids call me Mr. Baker, I still don't think I'm used to it.”
Brenna laughed, re-shouldering her equipment bag and holding out a hand. “Well then, pleasure to meet you Zack, Jamie is adorable and I think Emma just found a new best friend, which is; let me tell you, a step up from her last one, Mr. Fluffles is on his last stitch and I don't know how much longer I can make him last.” She said the last part a bit solemnly, hanging her head with a sigh.
Warm laughter bubbled up beside her, “Well, I'm glad that Jamie seems to be able to hold up better than Mr. Fluffles.”
“Mom!”
“Dad!”
“Come on, you guys are slow pokes!” Jamie whined, swinging her hand back and forth with Emma's.
“Oh, I'm sorry Jamie, what was that? Walk Slower?” Zack slowed his walk to a snails pace, and Brenna laughed, looking over her shoulder as she walked towards the girls.
“Well then, Ladies. Looks like the ice cream is all ours, slow poke back there can have some when he catches up, if there's any left, anyway.”
Both adults missed the matching smiles the girls shared before they grabbed a hold of Brenna's hands and lead the way out to the front of the school, and laughing Mr. Baker following behind them quickly.