hapter 85
We drive down the road and my eyes flick to watch Seraphina disappear in the rearview mirror. My heart is in my throst, I was hoping that ther thinking on it all night she would have had a change of heart.
Obviously not
Ouch…
“So. I fake a smile to the children. “Tell me where your school is.“
You go up here and turn that way,” Dom says as he puts his little hand up.
“You mean right?” He frowns.
“That’s your right hand, so that direction is right.” “Oh yes.” He nods.
“I’m left handed,” Lucia announces
“You are?” Trown.
“Me too.” Dominic replies.
“You take after me.” I smile
ile proudly. “Tim left banded,”
Their eyes both widen. “You are?”
“Whoa..” Lucia whispers in astonishment. “We’re left handed like our dad.”
And just like that, my day is better.
We arrive at the school and I park the car.
“What are you doing?” Dominic asks
“Well..” I pause, unsure what he’s asking
“Mom just drops us and drives away.”
“Can I come in and see your classroom?” I ask “I’d like to see it,”
“Oh yes,” Lucia gasps. “I’ll show you all around the school. The brary is the best part.”
“Okay, great.” I smile. I glance at my watch–I have a Zoom meeting at nine fifteen but they’ll have to wait.
We get out of the car, Lucia takes my hand and we walk down toward the school. The moms who are all standing around the front gate all burn to watch us as we approach, they are in gym clothes and have strollers with younger
It’s a ponytad brigado, not one woman is made up or has makeup on
Weird
children.
We walk past them and I give an awkward smile and nod. “Morning““Morning,” a few reply.
“Who is that?” I hear them whisper.
Lucia turns back to the “This is our dad,” she calls, totally unfazed.
Their eyes widen, and 1 bite my ip to hide my smile.
“Did you see his phoes? someone whispers.
We keep walking, “What’s wrong with my shoes? I whisper to Dem. He looks down at them “Nobody wears those that.” “Then they should.” I reply
“Our classroom is just up here.” Dominic tells me. We make our way up the stairs, and Lucia leads me inside by the hand. It’s like prepped to artwork wonderland. There are things hanging from hoops suspended from the calling, the walls are covered in art and drawings, and I look around in awe “This spectacular.” I smile.
“We put our bags in here.” Lucia tells me, the shows me the bag stand with little shelves. “I’m the apple and Dominic is the giralle” She points to the little tiles on top of each bag spot.
“I see.” I watch on as they put
ey put their bags into their spot. “And where do you sit?”
“I sit over here.” Lucia runs to her s
“And this is my seat.” Dominic shows me his seat. Thave to sit next to Maryanne.”
“Is she nice?” I ask
o she tries to boss me around all day.”
I chuckle and look to the back wall, there’s a big heading above a heap of drawings
Our weekend
“What’s that?” I ask
“Oh, on Mondays we draw pictures of our weekend and they hang on the wall for the week Luria tells met
I walk to the back wall and my eyes scan the pictures, and then I see it
and my heart stops
The name Dominic in the top right corner, the picture is of a campfire and four people sitting around it. They’re holding sticks with marshmallows on them. The teacher has written a comment across the bottom.
My dad came over and we played Uno and had a campfire.
It was the best
Emotion overwhelma me, and the picture blurs.
What is it with me lately, these kids have made me an emotional basket case
“This is the best thing I have ever seen.” I smile at stare at it. “When it gets taken down from the wall, can I please have this? I’d like to hang it in my office so I can look at it every day.”
Dominic smiles up at me, and I push the hair back from his forehead as I stare down at him.
This kid
“And where is your picture, Luria? My eyes return toscan the wall, and I see the name Lucia in the bottom row. It’s a picture of a girl with dark hair.
My dad’s girlfriend came over and was angry. She smashed our glasses
“Oh.” My eyes widen in horror.
Chapter 86
