Damn anyone who’d ever made her feel that way.
I found it odd that she believed she hadn’t done much. She’d accomplished more in the short time since we’d reconnected than most people achieved in their entire lives. I don’t think Bridge had any idea how special she was. But I did. For the first time, I truly saw her for the remarkable person she’d become.
When I had left for college, Brooklyn and Nellie were only fourteen. There was no telling then just how either of them would turn out, but I had to admit, I never expected Bridge to be this person. I was proud of her, yet I didn’t have a clue how to express that without belittling her. So instead, I decided to keep that to myself, choosing to show her rather than tell her.
Our group began the process by laying out the tarp. Then the adults taped off all the trim so we didn’t paint anything purple we weren’t supposed to. Bridge was a kid magnet, so she was constantly surrounded by a circle of hovering midgets. But I didn’t mind. I found myself transfixed by their conversations. They would shuffle between somewhat-deep conversations to some of the silliest things I’d ever heard.
She would periodically check in with me by touching my arm or cracking a joke to make me laugh, all while managing the kids and parents who stopped by our station to visit. She handled it like a pro and never missed a beat.
I was amazed at how a little purple paint could teach such significant life lessons.
Chapter 10
Brooke
By the time we had the hallways painted, and the other groups had finished outside, I took a moment to admire all the hard work that had been put into fixing up the school. It was obvious the kids were proud of themselves, proven by the way Johnny smiled at me with violet streaks on his face.
Attempting to wipe the color from his cheek—and failing to remove any of it—I laughed and shook my head. “I think you got more on your face than you did on the wall. How did you manage that?”
“Because the guy above me kept drippin’ it on me!”
Corbin glanced over his shoulder, his wide eyes making him look like a kid who’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. When he faced me again, I couldn’t contain the fit of giggles that shook my shoulders—he was equally covered in the lilac hue.
I laughed so hard my sides ached. Since Corbin was so much taller than everyone else here, he had taken the higher areas, which was good, but poor Johnny had to work below him.
“I understand how Johnny became a casualty, but how did you get covered in it? There was no one above you.” The muscles in my cheeks burned from the unrelenting smile, no thanks to Corbin’s guilty expression.
“I have no clue.” He shrugged, which made me giggle harder.
It was a perfect picture—pristine Corbin covered in purple paint. I’d warned him against wearing nice clothes, considering I’d bet his wardrobe cost more than I made in a month, but he had assured me multiple times that he’d be all right. And despite how many times I’d suggested it, he hadn’t worn grubbies. Maybe he considered his outfit paint worthy? Either that, or this was his first experience doing manual labor. My money was on that theory.
On our way to the parking lot, I spotted a little girl named Carly diverting Corbin’s attention. It moved me because he had knelt down so he was eye-level with her. It didn’t matter that he’d seen me do that exact thing earlier. It meant something because he’d noticed. And he’d applied it because he cared.
The more time I spent with him, the more things I recognized.
And the harder it would be to keep from catching feelings.
“That’s my favorite part. You did a great job.” And if he kept talking to my students like that, I’d be head over heels before we drove away.
I followed his line of sight to a wall near the entrance, where Carly pointed her tiny finger. All the trellises were covered in a different color and rehung with care, now adorned with growing jasmine and honey suckle. It brought tears to my eyes to see how hard every single person had worked, especially the children. I knew they’d just created a lifelong memory, because I would never forget this experience. Ever.
The thought of spending every day here with these sweet children made my heart swell.
I knew the probability of staying in this school as a first-year teacher was strong. Since it was located in a less-than desirable part of town, many permanent teachers would never accept a position here, let alone apply for one. Or if new teachers did, it would only be to get their foot in the door, and they’d immediately transfer after their tenure.
“I’m blown away.” Corbin’s voice startled me out of my thoughts. It was only then that I realized Carly had run off, and it was just the two of us. As we made our way down the sidewalk to the parking lot, he pointed to a small strip of lawn surrounded by a white picket fence to the side of the building. “What did they do over there?”
“Some of the older kids came up with a great idea to plant a vegetable garden in hopes that it could eventually bring fresh food to our lunch tables.”
“I didn’t know you could do that. I thought all the food had to come from some approved distributor. One of the women in the office does nothing but complain about the strict rules her kids’ school has for bringing snacks to class.”
“That’s true—for the most part. But there was a grant program available, and our school had been picked. The bad part is we still have to wait for the seeds to sprout before the next phase begins. I’m just excited for the day when all that hard work pays off, so the students will have a more nutritional lunch while they’re here. It’s true what they say…it’s harder to eat healthy on a tight budget.”
“Who takes care of it? I can’t imagine a bunch of five-year-olds know how to care for a vegetable garden? Although, I’m sure it would end up teaching them about responsibilities.”
It was a good thing he walked a step ahead of me, otherwise he might’ve mistaken my quiet laughter as making fun of him. “A group of parents—who have green thumbs—formed a garden club. The school added it this year as an extra-curricular activity for the fifth graders. They’ve been working on it for weeks and were finally able to put the finishing touches on it today.”
"I’m impressed,” he said as he opened the car door for me to get in.
I waited until he got situated behind the steering wheel before asking, “Did you see our pumpkin patch?” knowing that would only impress him more.
He whipped his head to the side to stare at me with wide eyes, his hand frozen mid-air near the ignition button. His shocked expression was priceless. He acted like I’d just told him we had built a spaceship for a field trip to the moon.
“It’s in the back behind the soccer field. Years ago, the school had used bungalows, kind of like really small mobile homes, for their classrooms. But when the area got bigger, they had to do something to house the growing population, so that’s when they got the building. Apparently, the sheds were then moved to the back field since it was unutilized property, but they’ve been gone for ages. Since then, it’s just been an empty lot waiting for someone to come in and make something of it.”
"And out of everything, you guys decided on a pumpkin patch? Is this a school or camp?” The awe in his voice assured me that he didn’t disapprove of the idea, but rather, he was impressed and maybe slightly jealous of the students here.
“Well, it’s not like we have a bunch of sports in elementary school, so we had no need for a baseball or football field of that size. When the idea to utilize some of the space was brought to the table, one of the other teachers mentioned how we could benefit from a pumpkin patch. This way, the school can make some extra money in the fall by opening it up on the weekends as a fundraiser,” I explained.
Corbin cast his gaze out the window behind me at the building adorned with bright-white trim, the neatly trimmed lawn with sod added in those hard to grow places, and planters filled with flowers of all colors. “I’m completely amazed at what all you guys have done to this place.
Looking at it now, no one would ever believe the stories you’ve told me about struggles these kids face. You should be proud of yourself for giving them such a wonderful start to life.”
Not being one who handled compliments well, I skirted past his praise, offered a small smile, and said, “Next weekend some of the parents are meeting to paint the blacktop. We’ve never had hopscotch or dodgeball squares. The kids won’t know what to play first at recess.”
“It’s amazing. Truly. I don’t think I ever expected this much of a renovation.” Corbin started the car, but he hesitated before shifting out of park. “Should we grab a bite to eat?”
“Don’t you have dinner with your parents tonight?” I hadn’t had a chance to catch up with Nellie since our regular girls night out on Monday, so I had no idea what their family’s plans were, but tonight was their regular Sunday meal.
“No. My parents are out of town this week. Are you fishing for another invitation?”
“Definitely, not.” I playfully shoved his arm, hoping he hadn’t seen the grin that fought to curl my lips.
“So? Dinner?”
My mind drifted through the events of the day. We’d gotten to the school fairly early, and it was now mid-afternoon, so no wonder we were half-starved. But while grabbing a bite with Corbin sounded like the perfect way to end our day, I wasn’t sure if it was such a good idea. Growing up, a few of Nellie’s girlfriends had intense crushes on her brother. They’d arrange sleepovers just to be around him—gangly teenager or not, he was older than us, which automatically made him cool and hot. But I had never been like that. I’d go to their house to see Nellie, not Corbin. Maybe that’s why Nellie and I had become such fast friends, because I never cared about her brother.
Until now…
“Where do you have in mind?” As if his choice of restaurant was the determining factor.
“Anywhere with a burger and basket of fries. How does that sound?”
My stomach chose that moment to growl, which pretty much answered for me.
“Awesome. I know the perfect place,” he said as he backed out of the parking space.
* * *
“Do you mind grabbing a table while I use the ladies’ room to wash up?” I asked while he held open the door for me to enter the restaurant.
“Oh, I just assumed we’d eat like this. Thought it was our new tradition after the last time.” Corbin made himself laugh at my expense by reminding me of how I’d met him Friday night with green paint smeared on my outfit. “Yeah, no problem. When you come back, I’ll take a turn.”
Corbin went ahead and placed our drink order while I was in the bathroom, so after we swapped places, I used the opportunity to text Nellie. Ever since the whole phone debacle, I’d felt disconnected from her.
Me: Hey, Nellie Mellie who’s not smelly. LOL!! Hope you’re doing okay. I miss you!
I opened the menu, and my mouth literally watered at the pictures on each page. With as hungry as I was, and with how delicious everything looked and sounded, there was no way I’d be able to settle on one thing with closing my eyes and just pointing.
My phone pinged and my cheeks stretched into a smile.
Nellie: I thought you died! Lol What the heck have you been up to? We have so much to catch up on. Wanna meet up tomorrow? Since we had girls’ night last week, it’ll be just us.
Me: Yes!!! Same place???
Nellie: Yup. I’ll be there. Hang onto your bra straps and get ready for the ride. I have so much to tell you!
Me: Can’t wait!
I set my phone on the table and went back to browsing the menu but was quickly interrupted when my text alert went off again. Apparently, a week with very little communication was too much for Nellie, because all the message said was: “I miss you.” I’d barely gotten the screen unlocked to tell her—again—that I had missed her when another text came through. It was enough to make me realize that the first hadn’t been from Nellie at all, but rather, Chase.
Chase: I need to see you.
I couldn’t respond. My body was numb and my mind raced. I still pined for Chase, but things had changed. When he’d broken up with me, I’d gone through a lot of emotions that mirrored grief. My first response had been to fire off questions, desperate for answers. What had I done wrong? Why is this happening to me? Then I’d been in full-fledged denial. I knew he’d come back to me. He would realize his mistake and come rushing back to my open arms.
The anger that came next had taken me by surprise. I hated him. For everything he’d put me through—for the dreams he’d allowed me to dream, for the love I’d given and for the time I’d lost. Now, over the anger stage, I found myself void of all emotion concerning Chase. Part of me wanted to block his number, and part of me wanted to send an angry response. But in the end, I decided to wait before sending anything.
I needed time.
“You’re deep in thought.” Corbin chuckled as he took his seat across from me. “Sorry that took so long. I had to email something for work.”
“No problem.”
Corbin wrapped his long fingers around the cold mug filled with beer. I hadn’t even noticed the waitress drop them off. It made me wonder just how deep into my thoughts I’d gone to not have noticed someone walking up to me and setting a glass in front of me.
“Part of me had wondered if you’d fallen asleep sitting up,” he teased with a sheen of beer glistening on his upper lip.
“No. Although I probably could’ve. Today took a lot out of me.”
“Is everything okay?” Empathy laced his voice, and concern etched his face.
“Yeah…why?”
“Don’t do that.” Deep lines creased his brow as he leaned against the edge of the table, getting as close to me as he could. “We were both on cloud nine when we got here, and now you look like you’ve lost your best friend. Is that what it is? Did you and Nellie get into it?”
“No.” I shook my head and made myself smile, fighting to change my outward emotion. Fake it until you make it, or something like that. I needed to pull myself out of this fog. “I think the day just finally caught up with me.” I took a hefty sip of my diet soda, desperately wishing it were alcohol instead.
“I don’t know how you do it, Bridge. I mean, there were kids and parents up your ass all day, and you still managed to complete that project. How do you do all that at once? It seriously left my head spinning.”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged and then let out a forced giggle. “I guess it must be quite different compared to your daily grind. Not that I paint for a living, but the kid maneuvering and juggling are definite parts of my everyday routine.”
“But seriously, that experience goes beyond exhausting. You were everything to everyone. How do you do it?” His brows knitted together in question. His obvious disbelief lightened my mood a bit.
“It comes naturally, I guess, from growing up with a single mom. As you know, she worked several jobs at one time in order to keep a roof over our heads. In response, I took on more of the household chores.”
The mention of my mom made my emotions rush forward, which turned my mood melancholy. And that, coupled with the unexpected text from Chase, left me feeling wrung out. I needed a change of subject to compose myself from the tirade of notions that ran through my head.
“I can’t believe the work grind starts back up tomorrow. Today feels like a Monday.”
“I agree. Normally, I don’t mind going to work, but after last week, the thought of going to the office in the morning has me wishing for a vacation.”
"You mentioned on Friday that you had a bad week, but you never elaborated. What happened that made it so awful?” Oddly enough, I was genuinely interested in what he had to say.
“We recently had to terminate one of our project managers, so I’ve taken up his slack. It makes for long days and endless weeks,” Corbin explained. “Which, to be fair, is something I do regularly anyway, but adding more on top of my already full plate just means even longer da
ys.”
As the chatter continued, I started to zone out. It wasn’t something I did often; I usually paid attention when someone spoke. But hearing him talk about his schedule for the week did nothing but remind me of how hectic mine was looking to be. I’d agreed to meet up with Nellie tomorrow—which was the least stressful of my plans—and then I had to drive my roommate, Gladys, to her appointments on Tuesday and Thursday. On top of that, I still had to fit in my daily household chores and schoolwork.
Anxiety clawed at my throat, and I fought to retain my composure. My chest struggled to lift with each breath as I suffocated beneath the weight of the world. It had been forever since I’d experienced an anxiety attack—it’d been shortly after my mom had passed away—and the last thing I wanted was to have one here, in front of Corbin.
It made me want to do one thing.
Run like hell back into Chase’s arms.
Chapter 11
Corbin
If Monday morning was any indication of how the rest of the week would go, I might as well throw in the towel. Work had become stressful since losing Peter, but now that we’d acquired another high-profile account, things had gone from bad to worse. I didn’t reach maximum capacity very often, but if something didn’t give, I would definitely explode.
And at a quarter after four, I became that much closer to detonating.
As if I didn’t already have enough on my plate, guess who decided to show up? My darling sister. Nellie always managed to find a way to make my bad days worse. So, her arrival immediately added tension to an already taxing situation.
The unEXpected Plan Page 11
