Lesson Learned

Chapter Twenty Three

“Hello, honey,” she greeted with her arms extended, pulling me in for an embrace. “Let’s get some food in that belly.” And she gave me that smile as only a mother could do. Even at my age, she wanted to take care of me. If it was for physical safety, it was protection in another way.

“Thanks, Mom, but I’m not—”

“Don’t you dare tell me that you’re not hungry, because I know you well, and you didn’t eat breakfast this morning, and by the look of your face, you’ve been too concerned over Kendall to worry with food.”

And she was right…as usual.

“Alright, I won’t lie to you. I haven’t eaten anything.”

She nodded. “Sit.”

“Yes, ma'am."

We sat together at the island in the kitchen. I propped my feet up on the bar at the base of the bar stool.

“Alright, tell me. What’s going on in that head that made you leave that sweet girl alone at a time like this?”  Mom asked, after wiping her mouth on a napkin.

“She’s not alone,” I blurted out, realizing that maybe I was a little more jealous that I wanted to admit.

“She’s with her ex.”

Mom’s eyes widened as she shook her head slowly. “What…, and excuse my language here, but what the hell are you thinking, Kyle?”

I quickly swallowed my bite of stromboli and jerked around to look at my mother, who had never cursed a day in her life.

“Mom, what did you say?”

She swiped a nonchalant hand in the air. “Please, Kyle. Don’t worry about what I said. Just tell me what you’re thinking. Why is she with her ex?”

And I told my mother the details of today’s horrid meeting over the remainder of our lunch. Afterwards, we took our lemonade out to the patio that overlooked the volleyball court.

“I wish I knew what to do to help, Mom. I feel like it’s all my fault.”

She took a sip of her drink. “First of all, it’s not your fault and it’s not Kendall’s fault. What is happening is not because of your feelings for that sweet girl. It’s the fault of a jealous young lady who didn’t properly think of what her actions could cause.” Mom looked over at me seriously and patted my arm. “The truth will come out and Kendall will be back in the classroom in no time.”

“How can you know that?”

“Because there will be no proof of the interaction that Molly said occurred. At the end of the day, I don’t think they would be able do anything to her. It would be like arresting someone that was accused of robbing a bank, but had no evidence.”

I nodded. “I get that, but she’s not actually a teacher yet. And our relationship hasn’t helped her at all.”

“Kyle, I’m going to be truthful with you. It’ll be frowned upon with the board, but I don’t think it’ll have any bearing on the actual accusation. Like you’ve said, it never occurred, so there’s nothing to substantiate what Kendall is being accused of.”

I wished I could believe what Mom was saying, but all I could think of the was the look on Kendall’s face when they told her she was suspended from the internship. And my heart broke in that moment, because I felt like I failed her.