Jill Weatherholt - A Mother For His Twins

Normally, he’d stop to talk with his fellow coworkers, but the twosome appeared to be involved in a heated political discussion. That was a topic he avoided talking about with friends and fellow teachers. He filled a large mug with the piping hot brew before adding a splash of cream. Giving it three quick stirs, he scanned the room and decided to take the table near the window that looked out onto the playground.

He settled into the chair and reached for his backpack. He planned to use his break to do some preparing for his upcoming interview. Glancing out the window, he smiled when he saw his boys taking turns pushing Bella on the swing. She was a sweet little girl who he believed would have a positive influence on Jordan and Tyler.

Moments later, the sound of footsteps tapping along the tiled floor took his attention from his notes. Joy made eye contact, gave a half smile, but then quickly looked away and headed to an empty table across from where he sat.

Nick wasn’t surprised by her reaction. The circumstances surrounding his sudden departure had upset her. He got that, but they still had to work together. Plus, she’d be giving Jordan piano lessons. He owed her an explanation so they could try to move forward and put the past behind them.

He exhaled a deep breath and pushed away from the table. As he approached Joy, she never looked his way. Maybe she thought he was going back for more coffee.

“Joy?”

She flinched, appearing startled by his presence. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were standing there.” She closed the notebook resting on the table.

“You saw me when you came in. Why didn’t you come over?”

“I apologize. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“I’m sure you do, and no doubt a lot of it has to do with my return to town.” The last thing in the world he wanted to do was to cause her more pain. “With us teaching across the hall from each other and living in the same neighborhood, it’s obvious we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other.”

Joy looked up and caught his gaze. “Don’t forget I’ll be teaching your son how to play the piano, too.”

Nick pulled out a chair. “Do you mind if I sit for a minute?”

She shrugged her shoulders.

Since her shrug was more than she’d given him earlier, he took a seat. “I wanted to thank you for agreeing to teach Jordan. He’s really excited.”

A smile parted her lips. “He’s a sweet boy, Nick. He’ll do well with lessons. He’s the perfect student—eager to learn.”

“The piano is special to him for many reasons, so thanks.” He started to get up from the table, but then slid back into the chair. “For what it’s worth, I wanted to call you after my family left. You might not believe me, but it’s the truth. My father didn’t want me to have any contact with friends from Whispering Slopes. It’s a long story and one I hope to share with you, but he did it to protect my mother. I wrote to you. But when you didn’t answer, I assumed you were too upset with me and had moved on. Years later, I learned from my father that he’d intercepted all of my letters from the mailbox, so they were never delivered to you.”

Joy slid her notebook into her bag. “I can’t talk about this here, Nick. Please, let’s forget everything that happened in the past. It will make things much easier.”

The pain in her eyes was more than he could bear. “Will it? Do you really think pretending we don’t have a history will make things right again?” He ran his hand down the side of his cleanly shaven face.

“No, but if we’re going to maintain our professionalism, I don’t think we have a choice.” She stood from her chair and reached for her bag. “Oh, I almost forgot. Rehearsal will begin tomorrow afternoon. We’ll practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

His left brow arched. “What are we rehearsing?”

“Didn’t Mr. Jacobson talk with you earlier?”

Nick shook his head. “I haven’t seen him this morning.”

“He wants the first-and second-grade classes to perform a play together for the school’s talent week— Little Red Riding Hood .” She turned on her heel and glided out the door as a soft floral fragrance trailed behind her.

Nick took note of the time and headed to his table to grab his things. A play—with her class? Unbelievable. It was as though God was doing everything in His power to throw them together. Had He orchestrated this second chance for Nick and Joy?

Tuesday afternoon, Joy sat in the third row of the school’s auditorium. The students had been released from school and those participating in the play were outside enjoying a brief recess with the teaching assistants before rehearsal. Earlier in the day, she’d received an email from Nick requesting they meet privately before the first rehearsal. Her stomach fluttered as she wondered what he wanted to talk about. Of course, in her heart she knew. The past. Something she’d like to bury deep inside the earth’s core. Until his return to Whispering Slopes, she’d done a pretty good job at covering up her secret, but that hadn’t kept it from festering like a cut that wouldn’t heal.

Decisions have consequences. Growing up, that was what her grandmother always told her. Her decision the night she waited for Nick by the pond had forever changed her as a person. How could she ever share this with Nick?

The squeak of the door from the back of the room announced his arrival. She swallowed hard and turned. He strolled down the aisle of the auditorium dressed in khaki relaxed-fit pants and a red pullover sweater. That was always his color. It looked great with his close-cut dark hair. She pushed out of the wooden chair and braced herself.

“Thanks for meeting me.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Since we’re going to be working so closely together on the play, I thought it would be a good idea to clear the air.”

“That’s an interesting metaphor. From what I recall of the night, you didn’t show up. There’s no misunderstanding in that.”

“You’re right.” He motioned toward the chairs. “Can we sit down and talk?”

She sounded defensive—she knew that—but what choice did she have? If she let down her guard, he’d find out everything. She couldn’t allow that to happen. “I’m listening.”

Nick leaned back in the chair and crossed his right leg over his left knee. “Do you remember when my mother fell down the stairs and injured her back?” he asked with his hands clasped together.

Joy’s thoughts drifted to that late autumn afternoon. The two of them had been studying at the dining room table when they heard a thumping sound and then cries for help. They’d raced into the foyer and had discovered his mother at the bottom of the stairs, the contents of the laundry basket strewn all over the pinewood floor. She couldn’t move.

“Yes, I remember. She went to the hospital for several weeks. Didn’t she have two or three surgeries?”

“Yes, three.” He nodded. “Unfortunately, the surgeries didn’t give her any relief from the excruciating pain she lived with on a daily basis.”

Last year, while lifting some heavy boxes in her classroom, Joy had strained her back. The pain she’d experienced lasted for several days. She couldn’t imagine the ongoing pain Mrs. Capello must have dealt with. “That’s terrible... I had no idea.”

“No one really did. She stayed isolated in her room for months. Although she was the one in tremendous pain, it also took a heavy toll on my father and their marriage.”

“I’m sure it was hard on everyone...including yourself.”

Nick nodded. “Her doctor kept prescribing higher doses of pain medications. The more she took, the more she needed. One night, I was in bed and I heard her crying through the wall. My father had been out of town on business, so I got up to check on her. I’ll never forget the look of despair blanketing her face.” He paused and raked his hand across the back of his neck. “When I asked her if she needed anything she told me she wanted it all to end.”