Finding You Was Fate

Chapter 2

        It may be odd to hear, but I absolutely love my job. I teach the eleventh grade at Eastside High School in Destin, Florida. My father, Henry Mills is the principle and he hired me right out of college. He claims he did the hiring, but I'm pretty sure the school board made the final decision. My life has been everything I hoped it would be. My mother and father have been married almost 35 years and my sister Zelena and I are extremely close with them. You could say I have everything I want, but I always felt something was missing. But me being the hardworking person I am, I paid no attention to what I "thought" I was missing.
        Something felt strange when I woke up this morning. I couldn't figure out what it was, but I woke up in the best mood. I woke up, took a shower, did my hair, put make-up on, and got dressed with a smile. Something must have been in the air. I fixed myself a cup of coffee from my Keurig machine and poured it in my favorite mug. I grabbed my bag, my purse, and my keys then headed for work.
        The drive to work is not long, 15 minutes at most with traffic. I headed to the teachers' lounge to just relax before class. I was there first this morning, but some friends and fellow teachers showed up soon after. Emma Swan and I have been friends for many years and I am the godmother to her son Henry and Mary-Margaret Blanchard I have met at my many years at Eastside. They each got coffee and sat with me at the table. They started chatting and my mind just started to wonder.
            "Regina. Hello. Are you with us?" Tink asked.
            "Yeah, I am. What's up?" I ask smiling.
            "What's wrong with you? You have not stopped smiling since you got here." Mary-Margaret says.
        I put a piece of hair behind my ear nervously. "I'm not smiling. I'm just really relaxed today." I say shrugging my shoulders. I rest my elbows on the table crossing my arms.
            "What's his name? A woman only smiles that much when they meet a guy. Come on. Spill it."  Emma says smiling and leaning closer.
            "What are you talking about? I didn't meet anyone." I say trying to stay relaxed. I apparently am really bad at lying.
            "Regina! Do not lie to us. Who did you meet?" Mary-Margaret asks smirking.
            "Fine. His name is Robin." I say simply.
            "Oh my goodness, I am so happy." Mary-Margaret says. "Where did you meet him?"
            I sigh and smile slightly. "I met him last night. He owns that poetry slam bar, The Lion's Den. I have been going there the past few nights and last night I stayed a little late. I didn't even realize what time it was until he walked up to me. He told me that if I wanted to finish what I was doing that I could stay. So, I stayed." I say shrugging. "He got me a glass of water and watched me grade papers. Then, we got to talking and--."
            "Did he kiss you?!?!" Emma asks excitedly cutting me off.
            "Oh god, no." I say my eyes growing wide. "Anyway, we got to talking and he was so fascinated about what I was doing. He literally asked me about what was so special about my poetry class. Well, you know how I get when someone asks me about poetry. I literally told him how I felt. I asked him why it was so fascinating to him. He told me and I quote 'It's fascinating because you found something you are passionate about. I think once you find your passion, life becomes everything you wanted it to be and more'. I think my heart melted after he said that." Just thinking about him made me blush. His blue eyes, his dimples, and his accent was enough to make me swoon.
            "Awwww, he seems so sweet." Mary-Margaret said smiling.
            "He honestly was." I say sighing contently.
            "Are you going to see him again?" Tink asks.
            "I don't know. I thought about going back tonight, but I thought it would seem weird." I say worriedly.
            "It is so not weird. You have been there three nights in a row. Why not make it four?" Tink asks smiling. "You are definitely going."
            I nodded nervously. I guess I could go back. What harm could it do? Maybe he would talk to me again. That was the last I saw of my friends that day because I stayed in my classroom at lunch. I didn't know why, but I wanted to be by myself today. I decided, at some point during the day, that I was going to bar tonight.
         I was creating some homework assignments for my poetry class and getting ready to give a literature test to my last two classes of the day. At least I would have something to do tonight at the bar.