When I Was Yours

1

The train station was filled with lots of people from different part of the city waiting for the early morning train. Both students and workers stood and sat, looking impatient already. The train would arrive in five minutes but that five was like eternity.

The working class women were easily recognised as they grabbed their handbag tightly in between their arm and waist to avoid thieves snatching them.

The record of stealing and snatching things at the train station has increased tremendously as the days go by.

Rachelle was one of the women who grabbed their bag awaiting the morning train. This morning wasn't as hard as the previous ones had always been. She didn't have to prepare breakfast and pack Sophia's lunch because her her kind hearted neighbor, Mrs Healy helped with that.

The train's horn can be heard from afar as everyone begin to take what they dropped, drop what they took and stand at alert and as the train stopped, they all rushed into the train without considering if they were making it hard for others to get in.

Yelling and screaming could be heard and it was coming from mostly the women in heels. The thought of this made Rachelle laugh as she settles down with her daughter and recalls the last time she'd worn heels to the train station. Luckily, it was on a Friday so there wasn't so many pushing and pulling as there was today. She managed to climb into the train and tripped over someone's leg and ended up falling flat on her face. It was a very embarrassing day and even when she told her colleague at work, they all made fun of her and still tease her about it till present.

The train horn was heard again as it began to move,but slowly. Just then, a young man ran into the train and unintentionally grabbed a woman's dress as he was about to fall back. He finally regains stamina and ends up getting slapped hard by the woman. His face turned red as he grabs her hand.

"didn't you hear when I said I was sorry?" Liam yelled.

"oh... I did" there was sarcasm in her voice as she snatched her hand off his grip.

"stupid woman." he walked away to find somewhere to sit even though he knows he wouldn't.

Today was his first day as a teacher, a substitute, and he wanted to look his best and not ruin this opportunity. But this annoying woman had just ruined his mood and he tries his best to look like he was before he got on the train.

There was a woman sitting beside him and her daughter was sitting too. He looked behind him and there was an older woman, probably in her sixties, holding on to the pole so she wouldn't fall as the train jerked a little.

Even the oldies are not spared.

"ma'am, can you please just let your child sit on your lap so this woman here can sit?" he tells the woman sitting.

Rachelle raises her head and figured he was talking to her. She glanced back and saw the old woman and quickly gestured that the woman should come forward as she in turn let Sophia sit in her lap.

Rachelle looked at Liam and smiles and he smiles back.

*                   *                   *

"I know our salary isn't really helpful and that's why I'm offering this." Julie says.

"I'll take anything else but a car, Julie. It's too much. Tell Edward I appreciate that he's doing this but I can't take it."

"you know he'd be dissapointed." Julie frowns.

Rachelle nods and tucked her lips into her mouth. She knew Edward was only looking out for her. Edward and Julie have always been there for her since she birthed Sophia and they'd never left her to do anything by herself.

"the cards are out. Let's go get them today,okay?" Julie was talking about her wedding cards. She and Edward were getting married in two weeks and with Edward been the son of one of the richest in the country and his mom, one of the influential in the country, Everything was planned elegantly.

She should be happy for her best friends. She is, but she was also jealous at the same time. Planning a wedding was stressful and at the same time fun. There was a sting of jealousy in her when Julie tried on her wedding dress a week before. Edward's mom had personally ordered the dress from one of the top designers in the country and it was so beautiful.

Edward's mom, Mrs Allison Callahan wanted the wedding to be the best in the country and had everything planned ahead. The first time Rachelle met her was on her fiftieth birthday, it was also Sophia's first birthday as Allison and Sophia shared the same birthday.

Allison had personally invited Sophia and even got her a dress which obviously was also from a designer.

The Callahans and the Steinberg- Julie's family-have been so good to her since they met her that they treated her and Sophia like theirs.

"Edward should be doing that, but he said he's too busy and that I should do it."

"okay." Rachelle nods and leaves Julie's class.

They were both elementary teachers who loved their jobs more than anything.

Or maybe Julie loves Edward more and Rachelle loves Sophia more.

"hey" she looked up and saw the guy from the train.

"hi, you're the new substitute right?" she asks.

"how do you know?" he seemed surprised that she could tell what someone does by just looking at them.

"you're going into Mr Nick's class with the books so I guessed you're the substitute."

"oh" he looked at the books he was holding and laughed.

"about this morning. Thank you very much."

"I should be saying that, you made me realize there was an oldie behind me."

His curls were midnight black and his eyes were dark brown, framed by graceful brows. His skin was tanned. He had prominent cheekbones and a well-defined chin and nose. Unlike Trevor,her daughter's father, his was always obscured by his fuzzy, thin beard. Muscles rippled across every part of his body. He was younger than she was and she knew it.

"uhm, we'll see later?" he asks

"yeah, we might." with that they parted ways and she strolls back to her class.