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Chapter 5: Ella

"No!" That two letter word was all Ella heard all day and everyday from toddlers screaming at her. She absolutely loved her job, but there were days when it dragged on and she felt like she was failing at everything she did. Today was one of those day's. Fourteen toddlers she was trying to potty train all at once at the same time teaching them to use their words not their hands or teeth and how to listen and follow directions when asked. Instead her students decided to scream at her and at each other every moment of the day. When her days were like today she couldn't wait for it to be over. Not even the quietness of nap time could salvage any good coming her way. Her head was throbbing and she was tired of being every child's punch bag when they were angry.

Before she knew it it was three o' clock in the afternoon and the whole school was eating snack outside at the little tables for kids only. The preschool wasn't very big. They had about one hundred kids, at most, from ages of three months to five years. Ella had worked in preschool for ten plus years which was hard to believe it had been that long and to have that much history in this work force for the young age of twenty nine. But this was the school she had loved so far. Her boss had a way to be a little ocd about cleaning around the school, but the woman could teach like no other. She had been a elementary teacher before opening her own preschool and it showed when Afton came home spelling her name, counting to fifty by one and knowing all the months of the year in two weeks. Ella always said her boss maybe crazy at times but she was a damn good teacher.

Ella felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a text from Robert.

I'm here. It read.

Robert came once a week to pick up Afton so he could have some special time with her when he was in town and help Ella her some alone time. Even if it was only a twenty minute car ride home alone. Anything helped nowadays.

Ella told her boss her husband was there and she took Afton to the front of the school to see her daddy. No parents were allowed to walk into the school since the scare of coronavirus a year before. Sometimes it was a pain for the teachers other times it was just the new normal. At least she was thankful she didn't have to wear a stupid mask everywhere she went.

"DADDY!" Afton ran to Robert with her arms stretch out ready to hug her daddy.

"Hey baby girl." Robert said smiling from ear to ear as he caught their daughter in his arms. It were these moments Ella couldn't help but love life and adore this man even more than she did before.

He was such a great man and an even better father. Robert and Ella had been together for ten years but only married for five. They were nineteen when they got together and they had grew into each other more than they had ever imagined. They didn't live the wealthiest life and they weren't a perfect couple that never fought. But they were happy and staying a float of all the bills they had. Plus they were not sure if they would ever have kids and not by their choice. So when moments like this happened, Ella made sure to always try to enjoy them and cherish them as much as she can.

Robert looked up at Ella and smiled more. He leaned in to kiss her as he asked how her day was going. She just sighed and said fine. She didn't like discussing her day at her job not knowing whose ears could be leaking the halls.

"That good huh?" Robert said with a wink. He knew her all too well to know when she was having a bad day. She couldn't hide it from him even if she wanted too.

"Well, take your time coming home tonight. My parents called and want to see Afton so I'm going to take her up there right now for a couple hours to play with the horses. You enjoy your alone time and I'll call you when we're coming home."

"Okay, you both have fun." Ella have Afton and Robert a kiss and said goodbye. As she walked back to her class she couldn't help but feel the smile fade from her face.