The After of Us (Judge Me Not #4)(45)

Kay is beaming when she announces, “I am taking over Mrs. Salazar’s kindergarten class.”

“That is so awesome,” I say.

Will echoes my sentiment, and adds, “Hell, this may be the best news I’ve heard all day.”

Kay goes on to explain how she and Chase mulled it over and ultimately decided that since Jack is starting first grade—in my class—and Sarah will be entering kindergarten with Lily, she may as well go back to work. And the teaching job will keep her close to her kids all day.

“I was originally thinking of picking up a part-time job in town,” she informs us. “Like, maybe something at a store or a restaurant. But then Father Maridale called and told me Mrs. Salazar was taking medical leave. He asked if there was any way he could convince me to come back and take over the kindergarten class.” She smiles. “Let’s just say it didn’t take too much convincing.”

“This is so great,” I reiterate. “Not only will you be around Sarah and Lily all day, but you’ll only be a couple of classrooms away from Jack.”

“It is rather perfect,” Kay agrees.

Will, of course, remains elated. Chase comes in right then with a platter of burgers and hot dogs. The kids trail behind him, quietly, till they take their seats at the table. Then, it’s chatter time.

Over their lively little voices, Chase peers over at Will. “You’re smiling, bro, so I take it Kay told you the good news that she’s returning to teaching?”

“She sure did,” Will replies. “And I couldn’t be happier.”

Chase laughs. “I bet.”

After an amazing dinner, and the rest of the evening spent out in the backyard, I inform everyone that I need to head back to my place. Will asks why, and I fib and say I have some lesson plans to attend to. Really, I’m just anxious to check and see if today brought any responses to the many query letters I’m still waiting to hear back from.

After I arrive home and settle in on the sofa with my laptop, I am pleasantly surprised to discover a reply.

Finally!

It’s only one email, but it’s more than enough, seeing as it’s a positive response. Apparently, the agent who replied to my query letter would love to take a look at Will’s full comic book manuscript.

Holy crap!

I jump up and do a little dance around my apartment. Yes, I’m overjoyed.

I then print out the letter. Wow, I can’t wait to show it to Will.





Will



Following Emma’s departure on Friday night, to supposedly work on lesson plans for the upcoming school year, I bid Chase and Kay a good-night, and head over to my apartment above the garage with Lily.

“Are you excited about starting school in a couple of weeks?” I ask my daughter as we walk across the gravel driveway, the late-summer locusts providing a lively chorus in the background.

Lily is skipping, but she slows and takes my hand. “I am ec-cited, Daddy. Did you know Auntie Kay’s going to be my teacher?” She smiles up at me, and I find myself smiling right back at her.

“Yeah, Lil, Auntie Kay told me the good news right before dinner.”

“I can’t wait for school,” Lily says softly, her proclamation punctuated with a wide yawn.

My daughter is clearly sleepy from playing for hours with her cousins.

When she leans up against my leg as we walk, I ask her, “You want me to carry you, princess?”

“Uh-huh.”

By the time we’re up the wooden stairs and in the apartment, Lily is out. I lay her down gently on her bed.

I finally partitioned the living room to create a proper bedroom for Lily. It isn’t huge, but she loves having her own space. The walls in the entire apartment are a neutral off-white color, including Lily’s new room, but Emma and I made the area more girly by adding dolls and stuffed animals, along with touches of Lily’s favorite colors, lavender and pink. Most of the throw pillows and bedding are those shades.

I smile as I recall how it took me forever to find the comforter Lily saw online when I was showing her stuff we could buy for her room. Only problem was the site we were perusing listed the item as out-of-stock. Lily was so disappointed that I made it my personal mission to find the damn thing, no matter how long it took.

I succeeded, too, and in only a few days’ time. After tracking the comforter down at an outlet ninety miles away, I drove out to the store and scooped it up, along with all the matching bedding. Wow, was Lily ever thrilled.

And it’s that exact comforter, a frilly lavender affair with “Princess” spelled out in deep purple in the center, that I now gently pull up to Lily’s chin.

“Sweet dreams, little Lil,” I say as I press a kiss to her forehead.

Over on the side of the room that’s still a living room, I plop down on the sofa and turn on my laptop.

“Huh.”

There’s an email from my old recruiter, marked as urgent. I open it and discover he “needs” to speak with me “as soon as possible.”

I take out my cell, find his number in my contacts, and hit Call.

Answering on the second ring, the recruiter says excitedly, “Will. Glad you’re getting back to me so quickly. I take it you received my email?”

“Yeah, I did. So, what’s up?”