“How about we just don’t talk to Laurie for the rest of the day?” Holly suggested. She made one mental note to email Preston’s parents and another mental note on an already very long list to talk to Laurie about telling the other kids about Santa.
Winter break was all of ten minutes away and Holly could hardly stand the wait. The kids were antsy as well. They were ready to run outside. The big Holiday Parade was tomorrow, and everyone was excited. Then it was Christmas Eve and on to Christmas.
And best of all was dinner with Nathan in a few hours. She was actually more excited about that then she was for Christmas.
She looked at the clock. Eight minutes.
“Ms. Jones? If we move, will I ever see you again?” Kellie asked, her green eyes big and full of tears. She wiped at a freckled nose.
“I don’t know,” Holly answered. “I hope so, though.”
Kellie’s lower lip trembled. Holly had already had several kids burst into tears today at the thought of leaving everything they knew for a new city.
She needed to get them through these last few minutes.
The kids were standing at the ready. Everyone already had on coats and hats. Backpacks were full to bursting with all the year’s art projects and homework assignments. The energy in the room was palpable. Holly needed to do something or the kids were going to rebel.
That’s when she saw the snow. They were just tiny flakes, more rain than actual snow, but it was enough.
“Everyone outside!” she yelled, closing the buttons on her jacket. “Last five minutes is recess!”
The kids streamed out of her classroom and into the yard. Most of the parents were already there and waiting for their kids, so she was able to safely see her students off. Those who rode the buss sprinted to the waiting yellow caravans, ready to be free of the school’s reach.
Holly waited for the last of her students to get safely away with parents or friends before heading back inside to finish cleaning up her classroom. She shivered as she closed the door behind her. The temperature was dropping as the flakes came down.
Most of the work was already done. She’d been prepping all week for the end of the year. Now, she just went around the room and removed the last few things that needed to come down. The snowflakes, some artwork, and their reading log for the year. She would put up new things once January and the new semester rolled around.
The room looked bare and strange without the decorations. She checked her watch. Still another hour and a half until dinner with Nathan. She could leave the school, but home would be cold. The school was warmer and had better internet.
She sat in her chair and spun around in lazy circles for a few moments before actually deciding to do it.
She picked up her phone, opened her web browser, and put in a job search for California.
It’s just looking, she told herself. There’s no harm in seeing what’s available.
She wasn’t sure she was actually okay with the idea of moving to California. Granted, many of her students would be there with the company moving, so that would be a plus. But, her dad would still be in Colorado, just without the anchor of the store.
She looked around her classroom and felt guilt paint her soul. She loved it here. She loved this school, her town, and this job.
She could go for a new apartment, but other than that, she was happy. She didn’t want to move.
But she might. For him.
It was at least something to consider. Holly browsed the job opportunities and searched out a neighborhood that she could afford to live in. She checked out how close she would be to the beach, and that idea was at least tempting.
Could she give up the mountains for the beach? She wasn’t sure.
She saved the job search and closed the browser on her phone. That was enough for today.
It was time for dinner.
Nathan was waiting for her at the restaurant. She’d picked her favorite Italian place, a cute little family owned place just off of Main Street. They had an intimate candle-lit table for two. Nathan already had glasses of wine out for them.
“You better be careful,” she told him, settling into her chair. “A girl could get used to this.”
Nathan grinned. His eyes glowed in the candlelight and drew Holly to them with their light. She was a moth to their flame.
“Maybe that’s my evil plan,” he replied.