by A. E. Radley
He grabbed the dustpan and brush from her hands and put them on the counter. He pulled her into a hug.
“You are gorgeous, witty, perfect. Rosie is incredible. The two of you together are amazing. What’s not to love? Give it a chance, okay?”
She wrapped her arms around him and nodded into his shoulder. She needed to calm down and see what happened. She shouldn’t assume the worst or fall in love too soon. The problem was, she wasn’t sure she had any control over any of that anymore.
20 FEELING LEFT OUT
“How long do I have to stand here?” Colin asked from his position in the corner of the room.
“For as long as I say,” Alice told him.
She’d decided that sending the boy to Hardaker was completely pointless. His disruptive behaviour hadn’t changed, and the deterrent of being sent to the headmaster’s office wasn’t working.
When Colin had taken a pen and drawn on his face in order to make the other children laugh, his first question to Alice was if he should go to see Mr Hardaker.
She’d had enough and ordered him to stand in the corner. At least that way he might overhear some of the lesson being taught and learn something. He certainly wasn’t learning anything being sent out of the class all of the time.
It was also time to have another probably pointless conversation with Hardaker. He had to do something about Colin’s behaviour. It wasn’t her job to discipline the constant disruptive force. She was already having difficulty teaching the class as well as keeping up with Rosie’s own personal curriculum.
“So, I want you all to look at your worksheets in silence,” she addressed the class. “Let’s see how much you can remember about last week’s lesson on telling the time.”
They all started working on their clock faces assignment, except for Rosie who was working on Key Stage 3 maths. The children were too young to realise that Rosie was working on different worksheets, and if they did notice, they didn’t question it.
The lights flickered.
“It wasn’t me,” Colin said from the corner.
“I wish it was,” she muttered under her breath. At least then she’d be able to fix it.
“Miss?” a girl called Siobhan put her hand up.
“Yes, Siobhan?”
“Why is the school so rubbish?”
She’d asked herself that a few times. “It’s not rubbish, it’s just old. And they are working on the electrics and then the lights will stop flickering.”
Siobhan didn’t look convinced.
“Now, remember this is in silence,” Alice said, hoping to fend off a mutiny from children fed up with their poor working conditions. She walked around the room, looking over shoulders to see what was being written. When she reached Rosie, she realised she was already done with her worksheet, having started it before lunch.
She pulled out the empty chair beside her and sat down. “All done?” she asked in a soft voice.
Rosie nodded.
Alice picked up the paperwork and flipped through. She was unsurprised to see that Rosie had blasted through the questions easily. Every time she found a gap in Rosie’s knowledge, she explained to her the process required to get to the correct answer. She only ever needed do it once before it was locked into Rosie’s brain. It was an incredible skill for someone so young.
She knew that she needed a more permanent solution to Rosie’s education. While she was happy to teach her what she could, she couldn’t do so at the cost of the other students in the class. Not to mention that Rosie deserved a more dedicated curriculum. She was exceptional, and the sky was the limit in how far she could go.
The last thing she wanted was to hold Rosie back.
She also knew that would be a difficult conversation to have with Hannah who had made it very clear that Rosie was to be treated just like any other five-year-old student, despite her being absolutely nothing like the other children in the class.
“Should I do the telling the time sheet?” Rosie asked in a whisper, gesturing at the piece of paper on her desk that the other students were working on.
“Yes, please,” Alice said. She stood up and stifled a smile as Rosie snatched the sheet and raced through the questions in a matter of moments.
Something needed to be done, and it wasn’t going to be easy for anyone.
* * *
Alice knew she’d find Rosie sitting with a book at afternoon break. She wasn’t on duty and was therefore free to go over and speak with her.
“Not playing with your friends?” she began. She knew Rosie hadn’t really made friends as such.
“No. They… they do other things,” Rosie said.
“Things you’re not interested in?” Alice guessed.
Rosie nodded. She put her bookmark in her book and looked up at Alice, understanding there was a conversation about to be had.
“I’ve marked your maths paper. You’ve done very well.”
Rosie beamed with pride. “Will you give me more homework?”
Alice shook her head. “Not tonight. Tonight, I want you to take a break. We’ve been putting a lot of pressure on you with these tests, and sometimes it’s good to take a break.”
Rosie frowned. “I don’t want a break.”
I want a break, Alice thought. It was exhausting coming up with a whole other lesson plan for Rosie, as well as homework, every single day.
“Then you can read, but I won’t be giving you anything specific,” she said. She sat down next to Rosie, checking that no one could overhear them. “Rosie, I need you to think about the fact that you may need to go up a few years, maybe even go to another school. You’re very talented.”
Rosie looked shell-shocked. “I don’t want to.”
“I realise that, but it may be what is best for you. I will eventually run out of work to give you. You will no doubt need to take exams earlier than your classmates.”
Rosie shook her head. “I don’t want to leave you. I want to stay in your class.”
“And I’d love to have you in my class forever, but I teach five-year-olds, and I teach them the Key Stage One curriculum. That must be very boring for you. Besides, next year you would have gone up to Mr Dixon’s class anyway. That’s school, going up every year. You just need to be prepared that you might do it sooner that most.”
Alice hated the way Rosie’s complexion had gone ashen and her bottom lip quivered at the suggestion, but she knew she had to broach it with her at some point. The sooner the girl considered the idea, the less of a shock it would be when it no doubt came.
It was very common for children to struggle to leave their form tutor, especially their first ever form tutor. But Rosie, like the other children, would have to learn to live with it.
“Not today?” Rosie asked.
“Not even this week,” Alice reassured her. “Not in the near future. But it’s something you need to think about. You don’t want to be doing boring clock faces for the next few weeks, do you?”
Rosie giggled and shook her head. “No.”
“There you go then. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we get you whatever you need. If you have any questions, I’ll always be here for you to ask.”
Rosie threw her arms around Alice’s middle. “Thank you, Miss Spencer. You’re the best.”
Alice was shocked by the action and gently wrapped an arm around the tiny girl. She wished she could find a way to keep Rosie with her. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye, even if it was obvious to her that the girl had more intelligence than half of the teaching staff at Willows, never mind the students.
Letting go of Rosie would be hard. Explaining that it was the best for everyone to Hannah would be nearly impossible.
21 A SECOND DATE
Hannah turned around in a slow circle, checking everything from the perspective of someone just stepping into her apartment. She wanted it to look presentable and comfortable, but not like she had spent the last hour trying to achieve that look.
A damp cloth along the kitche
n countertop was the height of Hannah’s preparation the last time Alice had visited. This was different. Things between them had shifted, and Hannah wanted to try a little harder to impress Alice and keep her in their sphere.
Of course, she didn’t want to look like she was trying, though.
Her shoulders slouched. Dating was ridiculous. So many rules, questions, and fears. She wondered, not for the first time, if she was just setting herself up for failure and disappointment.
Rosie had dragged a dining chair to the window and was staring outside for Alice’s car. Hannah didn’t know if Rosie was too young to understand that her teacher coming to dinner was a strange occurrence or if she was too smart to mention it because she enjoyed Alice’s company so much.
Miss Spencer, she reminded herself. I have to call her Miss Spencer.
They hadn’t discussed what Rosie should call Alice, but Hannah didn’t want Rosie accidentally calling her teacher by her first name in class. In fact, she didn’t want Rosie knowing they were dating at all. She didn’t know how Rosie would process that information, and as she was struggling to process it herself, it was best that her daughter didn’t know.
Hannah opened the oven and checked on the fish pie she was baking. It wasn’t what she had initially planned to cook, but Rosie’s unexpected declaration of Miss Spencer’s favourite meal was too good an opportunity to miss. Apparently, the class were talking about lunch and, as always, had quizzed their teacher. Hannah just hoped that Alice had been honest and not mentioned something off the top of her head.
She hadn’t decided if she’d casually pretend that it was a coincidence that she had happened to cook Alice’s favourite meal. Or if Rosie would rat her out the second the words passed her lips.
She glanced over at her daughter, face smooshed to the glass.
She’d give up your secrets in a second if it pleased Miss Spencer, she told herself.
Rosie’s connection to Alice was getting stronger every day, something which Hannah was pleased and worried about in equal measure.
She took a deep breath to try to shift the heavy concern about the future from its place on her chest. Adrian had told her not to spend too much time worrying about all the things that could go wrong. It wasn’t easy, but she was trying.
The buzzer sounded.
Rosie looked confused.
“Maybe she parked somewhere else?” Hannah suggested.
Rosie rushed to the intercom, but she paused and looked to her mother for permission. She knew better than to buzz anyone up without asking.
Hannah nodded.
Rosie pressed the button for a few long seconds and then opened the front door. She hung onto the doorframe and looked down the stairs.
“Hi, Miss Spencer!” she shouted with excitement.
“Hello, Rosie.”
Hannah nervously straightened a tea towel. She wondered when she had become such a clichéd bag of nerves, awaiting first sight of her date.
Alice had barely appeared in the doorway when Rosie grabbed her hand and started to drag her towards her room.
“My granddad sent me some books, you have to see them!”
Hannah stepped forward and held up her hands. “Whoa, whoa, slow down. Let’s allow me to say hello to Miss Spencer and offer her a drink before you steal her away.”
Rosie rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll get them ready.”
She rushed off to her room as Hannah wondered what process was required to get three books ready for viewing. It didn’t matter. She was thankful for some time alone with Alice, who was wearing a dark grey dress and light grey tights. It was classy and elegant, and all Hannah wanted to do was stare at her well-toned legs.
“Hi,” Alice said timidly.
“Hey,” Hannah replied.
Neither of them had moved as they stood in front of each other, nervously making and breaking eye contact.
To hell with this, Hannah thought. She stepped forward and pressed a soft kiss to Alice’s cheek.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said honestly.
“Me too,” Alice said. She turned her head, looking like she was seeking a real kiss.
“Mum!” Rosie called out.
Alice’s head snapped up, and she took a small step back.
Hannah chuckled at Alice’s fast reaction.
“Be patient, Rosie,” Hannah called back. “Can I get you a drink? I got some non-alcoholic wine, so you can look like you’re a big girl and still drive home.”
Alice laughed. “Well, who could turn that down? Thank you.”
“I’m sorry I’ve not seen you. Things have been very hectic at the salon,” Hannah apologised, only realising now how much she had missed just seeing Alice. “The period between summer ending and Christmas starting is usually dead so I need to get as much extra work as I can.”
“It’s okay, I understand. I’ve seen a lot of Adrian. Why does he always smirk when he sees me?” Alice asked.
“He thinks you’re hot and knows we’re dating. He’s planning all the ways he can tease me about it.”
Alice’s eyes darkened. She took a step closer and whispered in Hannah’s ear, “Only Adrian thinks I’m hot?”
Hannah felt her cheeks heat up, and for the first time in a long time, she struggled to come up with a witty retort.
“Miss Spencer?”
Alice took a step back and stared wickedly at Hannah for a second before softening her expression to a warm-hearted smile. She turned to Rosie. “I’m coming, Rosie. Now, where are these wonderful new books?”
Hannah watched them leave and let out the breath she’d been holding.
“I’m in so much trouble,” she mumbled to herself.
She shook herself out of her stupor and attended to dinner. Practically everything was already done. She’d decided to keep things simple and prepare as much as possible ahead of time so she could maximise her time with Alice.
She could hear Alice and Rosie talking in Rosie’s room and couldn’t help but smile at Alice’s enthusiastic tone. She really was wonderful with Rosie. It made Hannah wonder if maybe, just maybe, she had found someone who wouldn’t mind being put in second place behind her daughter. Maybe even someone who would put her behind Rosie in the priority stakes as well. That was the dream. Someone who would commit to both of them but would always put Rosie first.
She stopped what she was doing and leaned on the counter.
Get yourself together, she told herself. It’s only the second date.
She didn’t recognise herself. She’d gone from avoiding all thoughts of dating to wanting to be in a long-term and committed relationship with someone in a matter of days. Love stories like this were confined to books and movies, they weren’t real life, but somehow Hannah felt like she’d been thrown into the middle of one.
Dinner was soon ready, and she called Alice and Rosie into the dining area. She served food, ignoring Alice’s raised eyebrow as fish pie was served. Drinks were prepared and a little toast performed before they started to eat.
Any worries that nerves would lead to a silent meal were firmly put to one side by Rosie’s never-ending commentary about her new books, her schoolwork, and her thoughts on the general education system.
Hannah didn’t say a lot. Instead she watched Alice interact with her daughter. It was such a delight to watch someone she was interested in holding a conversation with Rosie. She didn’t talk down to her, wasn’t too light and fluffy or too stiff and serious. She understood Rosie and pitched the conversation perfectly, something that wasn’t easy considering Rosie’s personality.
She enjoyed watching the exchange and chipped in occasionally. She enjoyed it so much that she realized she had allowed them to remain at the dining table for longer than she had intended. Eventually, she had to speak up as it was soon to be Rosie’s bedtime which also meant time for a shower.
“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to be boring and point out the time,” Hannah said.
Rosie’s face fell.
“Muu—uuuuum,” she whined.
“It’s already later than you usually go to bed, and you need to have the world’s fastest shower,” Hannah explained. “And I’m going to have to help you.”
She didn’t say anything else, knowing that Rosie was embarrassed by the flare-up of eczema on her back which required medicated lotion to be applied. Alice didn’t need to know what Rosie needed help with, and Rosie would prefer to keep it private.
“Okay,” Rosie agreed.
“Say goodnight to Miss Spencer and then go and turn the shower on. I’ll be there in a minute,” Hannah said. She picked up the plates and put them in the sink, filling the bowl with hot water to let them soak. She wouldn’t get to dealing with them until the morning, but it was worth it.
Rosie hugged Alice and said she was glad she’d come over for dinner again before running towards the bathroom.
“I’m sorry, I just need to help her with a few things,” Hannah said apologetically. “Make yourself comfortable on the sofa, there’s more wine in the fridge. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Don’t worry, there’s no hurry. I can entertain myself, take your time,” Alice insisted.
Hannah hurried to the bathroom, grabbing Rosie’s forgotten pyjamas from her bed on the way.
Rosie was already in the shower when she got in there.
“Mummy?” she whispered.
Hannah leaned in close to hear her over the jets of water.
“I like Miss Spencer,” Rosie said.
“I know you do, pumpkin.”
Rosie nodded and continued her shower, as if she just wanted to check that her mother was aware of the fact. Hannah didn’t want to mention that a blind, deaf person would be fully aware of the fact that Rosie adored Alice. She hoped that enthusiasm would die down a little as Rosie got older or—god help her—got her first romantic crush.
She helped Rosie to shower, lotion, and get dressed, and then cleaned up the devastation as Rosie brushed her teeth.
