Page 18 of Johnathan

No, she needed to still keep it covered. Maybe a lightweight scarf would be better. It certainly would help her stop overheating.

“Alright everyone! Line up with your backpacks by the door and once everyone is calm and quiet, we’ll head out to the playground for parent pickup.”

“Good job, kiddos! I had so much fun in class with you today! Be sure to show your moms and dads the harvest pictures we colored today. I made sure they were all in your backpacks.”

Abby gripped the edge of her desk and tried to breathe through the throbbing pain.

“Are you okay?” Mary Beth asked, worry laced in her words.

“I’m fine. Just a headache. The kids were very energetic today.”

“God, weren’t they? ALEX! GET DOWN FROM THERE!”

Abby winced and Mary Beth slapped her hand to her forehead.

“Sorry, Abby. Do you want me to take over for you so you can get some rest?”

Yes. More than anything, please.“No. It’s really not that bad. I know you have book club tonight, right?”

“Yeah. I’m hosting this week. But I can scrap my dinner plans and just order a couple of pizzas for everyone.”

“No. I’m not letting work take from your stuff. You’re already here too many hours over what you get paid for.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. But tell me again what book you read? I need something new to dive into.”

“Oh girl. First Sight by Amber Cassidy. It was…” She lifted her fingers to her lips and pulled them away with a kiss. “Absolute perfection.”

“Sounds like I’ve found my book for this weekend.”

“You’ll have to let me know what you think. I’ve got the second book in the series on the board for the next book club pick. You should join us!”

“I’ll definitely think about it. Now, go. And I can’t wait to hear about all the gossip you get tonight.”

“Don’t schedule any meetings during lunch tomorrow and I’ll fill you in on everything!”

Mary Beth waved goodbye as Abby took the kids out to the playground. Dismissal always felt like the longest part of the day, but it was especially painful on days when she was in charge of late pick-up. The only bright side was seeing John when he got Katy. But now even that would be awkward.

And just like she thought they would be, the next forty-five minutes were hell. Abby swayed, forcing herself to lean against the only tree in the playground. The shade was providing some relief from the pain the full blast of the sun was assaulting her eyes with.

The only kiddo left on the playground was Katy. Abby looked down at her watch and cringed. John was twenty minutes late. It wasn’t unusual if something came up with his work for him to arrange one of his siblings or his parents to pick Katy up, but he always communicated that with the school. And seeing as how her principal hadn’t gotten a hold of her to talk about a change in plans, she didn’t know what the delay could be. As much as she enjoyed getting to see him, all she wanted in that moment was for someone to get Katy before her head exploded.

She waved at Katy, who was looking at a small dandelion growing under the swing set, when a truck pulled into the parking lot and stopped just a few feet from the playground entrance.

“Daddy! Daddy! Look my hair!” Katy’s smile reached her ears and Abby couldn’t help but smile at the excitement. “Ms. Abby did my princess hair!”

“I see that beautiful girl. Why don’t you go grab your backpack while I talk to Ms. Abby?”

“Otay! Bye Ms. Abby! Tank you for my hair.”

“Anytime, Katy. Be good for your dad tonight.” The throbbing behind her eyes intensified, and she prayed John didn’t want to talk too long. She needed to get home, and into bed. Things were already at a desperate level.

Abby closed her eyes for a second, trying to clear her vision. A warm hand landed on her arm, and when she opened her eyes, she saw John watching her, concern etched on his face.

“I’m sorry I was late picking Katy up today.” She tried to focus on his face, but her blurry vision was getting worse. “You okay?”

She smiled. “Of course. It was just a busy day here. So, what did you want to talk about? I hope I didn’t overstep with Katy’s hair.”

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