Page 53 of Not My Coach

Gracie thanks her and starts walking toward the door. “We will see you at lunch, Eves. I love you!”

“I love you too!” I smile as she escorts Lisa out with her.

Picking the note up, I read the card aloud, “To my sweetheart on her big day. I’m so proud of you. I love you.”

Grabbing my cell phone, I take a quick selfie with my flowers and send it over to Nate, adding the caption, Thank you. They are beautiful. I love you.

He’s currently in Canada for a game with the team, but he still found a way to make today even more special for me. They are supposed to be flying in tonight, and I’m going to pick him up after work.

A little girl wanders into my classroom with a pink My Little Pony backpack and an award-winning smile. “Good morning!”

I had the opportunity to meet my students at our school’s open house, so it gave me a chance to memorize names with faces. This is Susie; she is an only child, and she is naturally artistic.

“Hi, Susie! How are you doing this morning?” I ask her, walking over to the attendance board and marking her as present.

“Good! I love your dress!” she says and finds her desk, dropping her little backpack on it.

It took me for-fucking-ever to decide what to wear today, but I ended up choosing a blue-and-white maxi dress with sandals. My hair is wavy and styled with a white headband. I would like to take credit for the outfit, but it was really my stylist who put it together for me. My stylist being Nate.

My students continue to file in minutes later, and before I know it, every desk is full with a smiling student ready to learn. My heart feels completely full as I shut my classroom door and start my first ever lesson as Mrs. Carrington.

“Bye, Mrs. Carrington!” Eddie, one of my students, shouts louder than necessary as he runs out of my classroom.

“Bye, Eddie!” I call after him, watching him run right into his mom.

He was the last of my students that I was waiting to be picked up, so now, I can finally go pick Nate up.

I call him when I get in my car, and he answers on the first ring.

I ask, “Did you guys make it back okay?”

He responds, “Hi, baby. Yeah. Don’t worry about giving me a ride; the assistant coach dropped me off on his way.”

His voice immediately brings a sense of home to my heart.

“Okay. Then, I am on my way home.” I smile as the words leave my lips.

There are so many things that still feel surreal to say. My husband. Our house. Do they ever feel normal? Or are they forever laced with a spike of adrenaline?

“Drive safe. I love you,” Nate coos into the phone.

“I love you too.” I end the call and step on the gas just a little bit harder.

Thankfully, my school is only a five-minute drive from our house. I got incredibly lucky that Nate happened to have purchased his house that close without knowing that his future wife would teach practically a walking distance away.

When I pull into the garage and shut my car off, Nate throws the door open with the biggest smile on his face.

Grabbing my bags, I hop down out of my new SUV and walk over to his outstretched arms.

“Finally,” he whispers as he breathes me in and hugs me tightly, pressing every inch of his body against mine.

Giggling, I lightly slap his chest. “I saw you two days ago.”

He pulls away, smiling, and I’m struck by the beauty he carries with him. Perhaps I’ll never get used to that either, but that’s okay with me.

“And?”

He takes my bags from me and holds the door open. “After you.”

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