At the island table, Anna played with her simple meal of scrambled eggs and jellied toast. She ate the food in cautious bites, her eyes glancing to the clock and then back again. It was seven o'clock on a chilly Thursday morning; it was a day in which she didn't feel like having to deal with more than a handful of people.
The fork felt heavier in her hands as she thought about the long day she had ahead of her. The kids, as always, would be so excited to see her and would be expecting all of her attention. She would give it to them but at a more lazy pace than usual, her body just not having been into it these past couple of school days.
Like the wilting roses from Jane's wedding a few weeks ago that were right next to her sack lunch, her body felt tired, as if it were being dried of all its energy. The lack of energy, in turn, made her just feel slower and a little out of it. The only time she really did feel awake and alive was when she got to come home, sit down for a nice meal, and then spend the rest of her evening with Titus.
Her chest fluttered at the thought of getting through today and coming home to just simply talk with the man. Thinking about the way his eyes crinkled at the corners or how the cords of his neck stood out whenever he threw his head back in laughter brought a smile to her face, and as she reached for a dying rose from the vase, Anna found herself still smiling – even as a petal partially disintegrated within her palm.
After putting her dishes away, Anna tucked the flower into her gray pea coat pocket and headed out the front door to where her car awaited. The drive to Napolm Elementary hardly took any time at all, but Anna didn't mind, the thought of seeing Titus after school putting a smile on her face and a bounce in her step.
She waved to Sam as she walked past her friend's classroom. It was too early in the morning for any of her students to be here, so she took the time to search the school's laptop for a new, creative idea for St. Patrick's Day projects.
Finding one that would be entirely too messy for her kindergarteners but incredibly fun, Anna printed out exactly twenty-five copies of the instruction page and walked over to the small library where the school's printer was located.
She greeted the little old librarian before collecting all of the sheets that came from the printer. A good set of copies for an older class were underneath hers and Anna was just about to set them down neatly on the librarian's wooden desk when a hand snatched them up, followed by an impatient huff from the woman behind her.
Not wanting Mary Ellis to infect her with a sour attitude that she had just discarded, Anna walked right past the brunette woman, only offering a stiff nod before heading back into her classroom where her students were already beginning to fill the room.
All of them, even Simeon, had been behaving like the little angels she knew they could be, all taking turns, staying in their lines, and cleaning up even before their clean up song would come on. Anna watched as they played hide and go seek in the small room, all working as a team and giggling wildly whenever they were found.
When the bell signaling the beginning of school rang, she didn't even have to tell them to sit down, for they were already there for her, little heads raised and curious eyes continuing to stair at her twenty-four-weeks pregnant belly. It was as if the key to the world was hidden within her uterus.
Readjusting the demi-panel waistband and pulling her plain white blouse over the top, Anna allowed her hands to hold her unborn child for just a moment before turning to the board and writing out a few short sentences made out of mostly articles, a three-lettered noun, and very simple verbs.
They popcorn read like that for awhile, everybody going around the room quite a few times. She introduced the new St. Patrick's Day project that she herself was actually excited about and told them all the details, having them all write on the board in their sloppy handwriting what items they should use and what colors they should have.
It was shortly after that when the bell for lunch rang. Like they had been doing ever since Christmas, her students arranged themselves into their well-organized line. She reached underneath her desk where she always kept her sack lunch, but her fingers came up empty. Frowning, Anna checked the spot that was devoid of the brown bag and then remembered that she must have forgotten it back at the house, right next to vase of wilting roses.
She sent her group of students a smile all the same. They followed her into the gym where their tables had already been set up, all staying within their neat lines with her behind them as she walked slowly to what felt like her doom.
It was macaroni and cheese today, and Anna managed not to wrinkle her nose at the smell of overcooked noodles that would be too hard again. She did, however, appreciate their choice of the fruit cocktail, walking back to the teachers' table with the fresh scent of canned peaches, pears, grapes, and cherries that almost made up for the mac 'n cheese.
Sam was right beside her, making small talk and eating her own sandwich of turkey, cheese, and lettuce that smelt so much better than the noddles that lay before. Paul, too, was devouring a sub that oozed mayo, ham, and the processed cheese that Anna adored. Everybody, except her, was eating something that was not of the cafeteria food.
There was Caroline with her raisin bran muffin, old Margaret with a large container of bow tie noodles and spiced chicken, Mary Ellis munching on something that looked exactly like a peanut butter and banana sandwich, and Duke Simuntow eating what was most definitely not the macaroni and cheese in front of her.
“So,” her friend, Sam, said from beside her, mostly for conversation's sake, “we gonna finally do something this weekend?”
After taking a drink from her carton of one percent milk, she answered, “I'm up for it. What do ya wanna do?”
“For starters, we could go shopping.” Sam winked. “Get you some new lingerie. Silk should do the trick.”
Anna blushed and looked around, seeing everybody's gaze focused on her, all but one pair of eyes filled with barely contained laughter. “She's just kidding. Right, Sam?” she asked, telling her friend with her eyes that this was not allowed to be talked about at the lunch table.
“Yeah.” Sam nodded. “Just joshin' with y'all. She told me he's more of a lace man, anyway.”
The entire table's occupants, with the exception of one brunette who was shooting daggers Anna's way, erupted into a symphony of guffaws, chuckles, and shrieks that made her face go even redder. Mary Ellis sat there with a stone face and fire-filled eyes, eating her lunch and practically saying through body language that she didn't find anything about it amusing.
“Oh, just get it over it already, Mary,” Sam said a little acidly after quieting her laughter. “There are plenty of other fish in the sea.”
Mary didn't say anything, only glowering. Their table was silent after that, spare for a few uncomfortable attempts at starting up an easy going discussion that fell quite short of its mark. By the time the uncomfortable lunch was finally over, Anna's stomach still grumbled with hunger from having only eaten the fruit and barely half of the main dish.
The kindergarteners, stomachs full and sated, walked behind her with no complaints. She let them into the classroom first before she got a drink from the water fountain just down the hall. Little footsteps came rushing down the tiled hallway in quick, little hits against the surface right before a small, slightly sweaty hand grabbed hers.
“Mrs. Cantrell!” Leesha shouted in a high voice. “Mr. Cantrell's here.”
Anna wiped a hand on her mouth to collect the water there. It took her a second to realize that the little girl was referring to Titus. Taking Leesha's hand in hers, she walked back to the classroom, her deflated mood from lunch already rising.
As soon as they were in the classroom, Anna stopped short at just the sight of her husband. His t-shirt clad back was turned to her, his rear end in the air as he hunched over a crying student who she recognized as Blake Halice. With gentle hands, he smoothed away the messy locks of the young boy's curly hair, searching around the area with caring fingers.
“I got her for you.” Anna heard Leesha say loudly above the ruckus in her classroom.
Titus slipped the boy a piece of candy that most definitely came from the little red bowl on her desk that was strictly only for her kindergarteners and then turned to her, a sheepish smile on his face. “You kinda forgot your lunch. Thought ya'd be hungry.”
Looking over to her desk, she saw the sack lunch that was packed with all different sorts of foods that were different from spaghetti. “Starving,” she told him.
Opening his mouth to say something, Titus stopped short when Blake let out another wail from where he was still on the ground, pressing a hand to his forehead while snot dripped from his nose. Anna went to the crying boy immediately and checked the spot where he was holding just as Titus had been doing.
She searched his head until she found a large bump. “How'd this happen?”
“It's my fault,” Titus said from behind her, guilt lacing his voice. “We were just playing catch, and I threw it a little too close to the table. He sorta...uh, tripped and hit his head.”
“Does it still hurt?” Anna asked Blake.
Her student nodded his head shakily and wiped his face with a tiny hand that held a peanut butter cup within. “Y-y-yeah.” He held the wrapped candy up to her. “Ca-can I eat it-t?”
“Of course.” She smiled more at the fact that Titus had knowingly just solved this problem with candy. “But first, we're going to go get some ice to make your head feel better, okay?”
Blake nodded and held her hand as they stood up together. Titus apologized to the boy once again, even though it wasn't his fault and was still there when they came back from the back of the lunch room with ice pressed securely onto the little boy's head.
“It's okay,” Blake told him and then sat down at his desk, sucking on the peanut butter cup with an intense look on his face.
Anna turned around just in time to see Titus dig his fingers into the covered candy bowl before unwrapping and popping a caramel cube into his mouth. “Are you in kindergarten?” she asked, teasing.
“No.” He smiled and ate another one, his lips sucking on the soft golden candy. “But I brought you lunch, so I think I should get a little somethin'.”
Walking around her desk, she dug through the very bottom drawer until she found the bag of caramel cubes. She dumped out most of the bag until the bowl was full and then walked around the tables until each one of her students had a piece.
“Thank you,” they all said to her and Titus before going back to their coloring pages and awaiting the bell for recess.
“And thank you,” she told him before digging through her lunch and pulling out the jelly and pear sandwich that would definitely curb her sweet tooth craving.
He made a face at her choice of sandwich condiments. “That's just gross, Anna.”
“Hey,” she said defensively. “At least I haven't combined pickles and ice cream.”
“Yet,” he finished for her and leaned back against her desk, his jean clad thigh right at shoulder level.
She couldn't help but stare at his lips as he sucked on another caramel. His arms were just as captivating as they moved over her desk to empty the wrappers into her tiny waist basket. While she ate her sandwich, the fresh apple, and then the carrot sticks with lukewarm ranch, he talked with her about the most random things, instantly brightening up her day with just his presence.
Her students asked him all sorts of questions about the baby animals and if he had ever wrestled bulls or not. Titus, in answer, entertained them with all sorts of tall tales about the biggest beasts he had taken down, knowing just what to say to appease her kindergarten class's interested scrutiny of him.
She watched as his mouth quirked into a smile and his brows moved according to the tone of his stories, each movement captivating her until it was as if they were the only two in the room. It didn't matter that there were twenty-four kindergarteners in the same classroom or that she knew Titus still had a long list of chores to do on this list, for in this moment it was just them and nobody else.
“I still got some work to do,” he said after awhile with a kind smile and then leaned forward off her desk to leave.
“Titus,” she said, effectively stopping him from taking the next step out.
He turned around, that smile still on his face. “Yeah?”
Her only answer was to practically throw herself into his arms, their child comfortably in between them. He tightened his hold on her, just like how it had been when they had been dancing at Tobias's and Jane's wedding. Pressing her nose into his chest, she inhaled his scent that still smelt of manure, sweat, and him.
“I'll see ya at home,” she mumbled into his soft t-shirt.
From behind them, Anna felt the stares that were on her back, the owners all probably trying to figure out why in the world a girl would voluntary touch a guy. She didn't care and stayed within the haven that was him until the bell rang a few moments later or that she could hear the kids muttering something that sounded like she was going to get cooties or sick.
“Can we go now?” a little one said from behind them and poked her leg.
Titus pulled back a little bit, his eyes connecting with hers. “I think that's my cue to leave.”
She was captured by everything she saw in those blue depths. His eyes were warm and holding a stream of emotions that she always saw in his eyes. Opening those lips she had been staring at for so long, he said something that she didn't quite hear through this haze she was in.
“I'll see ya at home,” she said again.
“See ya,” he replied and kissed her forehead before turning around on his heel and made his way through the classroom's doorway.
Anna grabbed his hand just before his work boots hit the linoleum floors of the hallway, pulling him back into the classroom. The pair of thin lips were right in front of her with the movement, and she stood up on her tiptoes to place a kiss.
Her own pair landed mostly on his cheek, but just a part at the corner of his lips. She felt him stiffen underneath her lips but closed her eyes all the same, just taking the moment in. It felt so good and so right that she didn't even think it was real. But when she opened her eyes, Anna knew it was real. Titus was standing right above her with a dazed expression his face, and she was still there with him and all her students in her classroom.
The bell signaling the official beginning of noon recess brought her out of this state she was in, and then Titus left with a kiss to her nose. All she could feel the rest of the day was Titus.
And she fell harder.