From Student to Friend?: Four Years Beyond Highschool - The Unfinished Lessons

Ch. 3 - Emma

By the end of the school day, you were able to see everyone on your list but one teacher besides that which pleased you. You finally headed back towards Dawn's classroom just to see her daughter Emma walk in. You inwardly groan as you knew what was going to happen, so you quickly walked into the classroom and slide between them.

"Emma! Hey, how have you been? Jeez, you've gotten tall since I last saw you," You say as Emma looks at you confounded. As you clarify to Emma who you are, you feel Dawn grab your hand and squeeze it.

"Oh yes, I remember you. Yeah, it has been a while. I have been doing good, and I guess I have gotten tall, huh? Guess that's a trait I got from my mom," Emma said, grinning as you couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Yeah, that's without a doubt. You two look so alike besides the hair," you say, smiling as you feel Dawn take her hand back. You glance out of the corner of your eye to see Dawn walk towards the door and close it.

"Emma, I need to talk to you about something," Dawn said as she gestured for her daughter to sit down.

"Okay? What's going on?" Emma asked as she sat down at a desk. Dawn pulled over a chair and sat down as she lightly clasped her daughter's hands.

"It's about your father, Emma," Dawn finally says as you walk over to them and stand behind Dawn.

You gently wrap your arms around Dawn's waist to reassure her it will be okay.

"What's wrong with dad?! Wait, are you cheating on Dad with her?" Emma asks, upon seeing what you did to her mom. Emma immediately rips her hands away from Dawn and narrows her eyes at both of us.

Dawn fell silent for an instant as she sat up and leaned into you while shaking her head no. "No, I'm not being unfaithful to him. Your father is fine. It's just," Dawn said as her voice cracked, and she began to cry.

Emma rapidly snatched her mother's hands back and squeezed them. "Mom, what's going on? Why're you crying?" Emma asks as Dawn shakes her head, tugging her hands away.

"I can't do this, Y/N, I just can't," Dawn mutters as her voice cracks before covering her face as tears begin to stain her cheeks.

"It's alright, and yes, you can," you try and reassure Dawn as you softly massage her arms. Emma sits there quietly, watching the two of us even more confused.

"Is my mom alright?" Emma asks, gazing at you as she gnawed on her bottom lip.

"Not really, something transpired today, and it's hard for her to tell you," you say as you study Emma closely.

Emma bites her bottom lip as she looks back at her mother and then at you. "I'm presuming you know what it is then?" Emma asks as you merely nod yes. "Tell me then," Emma says as she looks back at her mom with a worried expression.

You inwardly groan out of not wanting to be the one to tell Emma, but deep down, you already knew that it would be you informing her. "Your father has been cheating on your mom for quite some time now," you say as Emma jumps out of her seat and slams her hand down on the desk.

Dawn jumped upon hearing her daughter slam her hand onto the desk, which startled the older woman. Dawn removed her hands from her face and shakily took a deep breath.

"Your lying! My father wouldn't do that to her," Emma said, nearly screaming as she clenched her fists.

Dawn flinched once more upon her daughter, yelling this time, which instinctively caused you to wrap your arms protectively around her.

"I can assure you she isn't sweetie..." Dawn said while gently grabbing your hand. Upon hearing that, Emma silently fell back into her seat to process what she heard.