Page 15 of Never Forget You

“Ella, why don’t you get some of your work out to show your mommy? Your picture you did with Josie?”

Of course, this sets Ella off into her adorable chatty mode. I like this side of her. It’s really cute. She talks so fast that it’s hard to understand what she’s saying sometimes, but that makes her easier to work with than the shy children who don’t say anything. Sometimes, I don’t know what to do to make them happy. But Ella is sassy and she lets anyone know. Kinda like the Georgia that I once knew. Not that I’m trying to think too much about that, of course. One thing at a time here, and we’re working with Ella to ensure that she is happy.

“Josie sounds like a nice friend.” At last, Georgia looks pleased. “I’m glad you have her. Oh, and I was talking to Adora’s mom outside. She seems very nice as well. Is she someone else that you are friends with?”

“Oh, dear.” I can’t help but laugh. “Jane is very nice, but she can be a bit much. She means no harm, though.”

Georgia nods knowingly at me. “Yeah, I thought as much. She’s head of the PTA, is that right? Is she likely to ask me to join? Because I don’t know if I’m the PTA mom sort… although I could make friends there?”

Wow, she really does seem lonely. It creates a painful ache that I can’t just reach out and help her. I wish I had the right words in my repertoire to make her feel okay again, but I don’t. Kids, I can work with, but adults, and especially women—includingGeorgia, apparently—I don’t know what to say. I can’t find the words.

Ella runs around the classroom now using the free space which is usually full of children, and she skips and jumps like a wild thing. We laugh our heads off together, glad to see her like that.

“So, you’re here,” I eventually say, needing to try and address the elephant in the room. “Can I ask why?”

The remaining color drains from her cheeks as I say this, almost as a warning beacon to me. I guess Terry was right when he said it was some kind of complicated situation that brought them here, and it must be a dangerous topic, one that I can’t delve into. A little like the past, I suppose. I guess we aren’t discussing that either.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t pry,” I immediately retreat. “I was just wondering, for Ella’s sake.” What a load of bullshit. “Anyway, we are glad to have you here. Ella is a wonderful addition to my class, just like I think you will be to the town. You have always made the place look brighter with your smile. So, it’s nice. It’s, erm… yeah, it’s nice…”

That was idiotic, wasn’t it? I’ve made myself sound like a complete fool. I need to stop this cringing before it swallows me up whole and refuses to spit me out again. I can’t meet Georgia’s eyes while I recover from that.

“Right, thank you.” For a second, she shoots me a curious look, and I can’t help but wonder if she doesn’t trust my words or something. But I’m being very honest with her, truly honest. I’m not the sort of person who can express things that I don’t mean. I thought she knew that about me. “That’s very nice of you to say. I am glad to be here.”

Eventually, we can’t keep up this strange conversation any longer, so we say our goodbyes and she exits the classroom with Ella in tow. For a second, my heart aches and I’m scared that I will lose her once more, just like I did all those years ago, but I restrain myself because things are different now. She’s here for the foreseeable future, and she also doesn’t belong to me, so I can’t kick up a fuss about her going… and in all honesty, I don’t think I need to because as she sways out of the room, I spot something which gives me a tiny glimmer of hope—a little shell figure attached to her bag, something that I won for her at the carnival all those years ago. I wanted to win her a giant teddy bear, but we got that instead. I was a little disappointed at the time, but now I’m glad.

If she kept hold of that just as I didn’t let go of the letter, then maybe there is hope after all.

I can’t think straight, I can’t eat, I don’t want to sleep… God, I really am like a teenager in the throes of lust or first love all over again. I don’t know what to do with myself, which is why I’m at my parents’ house for dinner. They are always inviting me, and I don’t usually come because I’ve so much going on. I guess knowing that they live so close and I can see them anytime makes it much less urgent for me to do so, but today, I need someone to talk to. Anyone. I don’t know what sort of response I’m going to get from my mom, but I need some advice.

Usually, I would talk to Matthew, but since I already know his opinion about the whole thing, it seems pointless. I need a fresh perspective, which is why I’m waiting for a moment to get my mother alone.

“Whatisgoing on with you?” But she gets to me first. She pulls me to one side and looks me up and down. “You’re all jittery and strange. Is there something that we need to know about here, Harry?”

I let out a little laugh. “I’m not in any kind of trouble, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Of course not.” She rolls her eyes. “You’re a good boy, I know that, but something is happening.”

“Georgia is back.” Her face is blank. Clearly, I haven’t explained my situation enough. “Georgia is the girl who was here on holiday, you know, years ago. You spotted us both out sleeping on the bench before she left.”

“Oh.” Mom’s face falls a little bit. I guess she does remember my heartbreak after all. “I see. That girl from when you were kids. Is she back here on another holiday? Because if so, then it might be better for you to be careful.”

“No, she’s moved here, Mom, and her daughter is in my class.” This isn’t going down well. I can see it in her eyes. Okay, so I have another person warning me against Georgia, and yet, I still feel like I don’t want to listen. “I know this is probably a little weird for you to hear. It’s a little strange for me too.”

She sighs heavily. “Obviously, you are an adult now, Harry, and capable of making any decisions that you want to, but that does make me worry about you, I’ll admit that. You were in it, so you didn’t see what I did, but that whole situation really hurt you. I’m worried it’s still bothering you right now, today. It scares me to think about you going back into that mess and getting hurt again. You might be grown up, but you’re still my boy, and theidea of anyone breaking your heart is too much for me. I don’t want to see you go through that again.”

God, and there was me thinking that I handled it all well and kept it under wraps. It seems like everyone saw it and no one knew what to do about it. Itdidaffect me, there is no denying that, but now, seeing her again has made me feel stronger. And I’m definitely not the young boy who doesn’t understand his emotions anymore and can’t hack it.

“Mom, it isn’t like that.” I shake my head, trying my hardest to reassure her. “I mean, she has a child in my class, so she might not even be single. It’s just a little strange, that’s all. But nothing for you to worry about.”

She eyes me suspiciously, knowing that I’m not being totally honest with her. The truth is that I would like to see where Georgia is at, what’s going on in her life. I’m not saying that I still love her or anything, but I definitely still care. She’s haunted by something, and if I can help her with that, then I should, shouldn’t I?

“You just be careful, Harry, okay? Just think and try to put yourself first.” She touches my cheek softly. “You have a very big heart, which is a wonderful thing about you, and a lovely confidence in yourself. But after she left last time, you lost a lot of yourself, and it was easier to lose than get back. None of us liked seeing you like that.” I nod because I do get what she’s saying to me. “No one will stand in the way of your happiness, you can be sure of that, but we do need you to protect yourself along the way. It’s vital. Will you do that for me?”

“I will, Mom.” Now she has me feeling all weird. “I promise I will. Like I said, I don’t know what will happen yet, I just… I don’t know, I can’t explain it. This feels like…”

“I get it,” she whispers, thankfully, saving me from having to explain. “Just be prepared. Just in case.”

With those parting words, Mom walks off, having clearly said everything that she needs to, leaving me stewing in those thoughts. Because I should think about all of this carefully, shouldn’t I? I do need to be considerate. After all, both Georgia and I are in completely different places in our lives now than we were a decade ago. We both have responsibilities waiting for us. But still, even with all of that in my mind, I kinda know that she is here for a reason, and that’s something we should explore. Even if it ends up only leading to friendship, we were always supposed to be in one another’s lives, I can tell. Things like this aren’t just coincidence.

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