"All of the kids here get free lunch," Rowan explains as we head toward the table. "Most of them still bring their lunches, but it's one less thing for the parents to worry about. Someone made an anonymous donation to make it possible."
I hum instead of telling her it was me. Kids shouldn't have to worry about whether they're going to be able to eat or not. I refuse to let the kids in my schools go hungry over unpaid school debt, or let parents worry if they can afford to feed their kids. That's my little secret though, done because it was the right thing to do, not to receive credit for it.
By the time we make it to the table, word seems to have spread that I'm eating lunch with them today. Aside from Rowan and Lana, everyone else appears slightly uncomfortable with my presence. I'm the interloper again, the big boss. Unlike with Johnson, I actually care what these people think of me. I want them to know they can trust me…that I'm here to help them however they need it.
"I hope you don't mind me joining you unannounced," I murmur to everyone after Rowan does a round of introductions. "I've been running since the year started, so I haven't gotten to meet many of the teachers. I wanted to remedy that today. Rowan, uh, Miss Lassiter was kind enough to agree to introduce me."
If anyone notices my slip, no one comments on it.
"It's no problem," Lana says, her voice soft. She seems genuine, open.
Everyone else nods along politely, more reserved.
"Rowan, how is Lisa doing?" One of the first-grade teachers, Lydia McCormick, asks.
"She's good. Yesterday was tough, but Colton is going to be fine. Baby Gia is adorable," Rowan gushes. "Gabe talks about her nonstop. It's so cute."
"Aww," Lana says.
"He's a good kid," Rick Murphy says, pushing his glasses up his nose. He glances at Rowan, interest in his gaze. And then he looks at me, curious.
I narrow my eyes at him, silently telling him to keep his fucking eyes off her.
He swallows hard before quickly glancing back down at his burger.
Fuck. Why do we need male teachers?
"Are the rumors about Cadence and Colton Walker true?" Lana asks, looking at Rowan.
Conversation grinds to a halt, everyone sneaking glances in my direction, clearly uneasy to be talking about another teacher in front of me. I should have seen that one coming.
"Um, I'm not sure," Rowan says, fidgeting like she's uncomfortable too.
"I met him at a charity event a few months ago," I murmur, picking up my burger. "He's an interesting man, very generous. Miss Grayson seems very compassionate and kind as well. If they are together, they're a very good fit."
The tension around the table diminishes.
Rowan bumps my thigh with hers, shooting me a tiny smile.
I wink at her.
"Give that back, Roger!" a shrill little voice yells, drawing all eyes.
Jamie, the little girl from earlier, stands beside the table one row over, her hands on her hips and tears in her eyes as a little boy holds her lunchbox up above his head. She's so short, there's not a chance in hell of her reaching it on her own. The other kids are all laughing.
"Not again," Rowan growls, jumping to her feet. Fire flashes in her eyes, turning her into an angry little mama bear. "Roger Tennison, you give that back to her immediately!"
As soon as her voice rings out, the entire lunchroom goes quiet.
Roger drops the lunchbox into Jamie's hands.
Rowan makes her way across the lunchroom to the table, bristling. Whatever she says to Roger has him staring at her with big eyes and a trembling bottom lip. The other kids at the table are all completely silent as she speaks to them, using her hands for emphasis.
Roger mumbles something to Jamie. She sniffles and then nods. Both kids reclaim their seats.
"They love her," Lana says, noticing me watching the exchange. "Roger is a challenging kid. He can be a bit of a bully, but even the most challenging kids respond well to Rowan. They hate to disappoint her."
"She's good with them," Lydia agrees. "She has a soft spot for kids like Jamie Grier, the ones who get picked on or bullied. She watches out for them."
"She doesn't have patience for bullies," I murmur, my chest filling with warmth. She is incredible. Everything I learn about her reels me in, pulling me a little deeper under her spell. I can't fucking wait to put a ring on her finger.
Her suggestion floats to the surface of my mind, lodging there. I glance around at the table to see everyone watching Rowan address the bullying issue with her kids. Maybe now is the time to address the issue with the teachers at the table, too.
"I don't have a lot of patience for bullies either," I murmur, keeping my tone casual, light. "Especially when they're in positions of authority. If there's anything like that going on here that I should be aware of, I'd like to know it." I pause to give everyone a moment to mull that over. No one looks directly at me, but they're all listening. "If you don't feel comfortable coming to me, you can always drop a note in the Assistant Principal's box for me this week. You're all doing an incredible job here. I want to ensure you're able to keep doing that without feeling coerced or bullied into making decisions about how you run your classrooms that you don't feel comfortable making."
A couple of the teachers nod, but no one says anything. I don't try to force them into it. I'm still the interloper here, the big boss. If they decide to share their concerns about Johnson with me, it won't be here and now. Planting the seed is enough for now.
I drop the subject and take a bite of my burger. It's…not terrible.
Rowan returns a moment later, dropping back down into her seat with a huff. "I promised you tears," she says, shaking her head. I see the affection in her eyes though and the compassion. She loves these kids. I can't wait until she learns to love me too.
"So you did," I say, grinning at her.
Her answering smile knocks me flat on my ass.