Page 3 of Essence of his Soul

I adjusted the last of the small chairs around the table, making sure each one was lined up just right. Yeah, it was a small thing, but details mattered, and I wasn’t about to half-step when it came to my classroom. This was the space where I put my heart into shaping young minds. As chaotic as it got, seeing those kids light up when they learned something new? That made it all worth it.

I leaned back for a moment, letting the peace of the empty room settle over me. But then I heard footsteps, heavy ones. My mind went to the custodian making his rounds, but when I looked up, the sight in the doorway caught my breath. Mark Saunders.

The air seemed to shift, growing thick and heavy. My hands shook a little as I stood frozen, staring at him. Kelly told me Mark wasn’t supposed to be back until the spring, but there he was, filling the doorway like he owned the place. Tall, commanding, with that same presence I’d tried so hard to forget. “Hello, Essence.” His voice was low, smooth as silk, with that familiar pull. His eyes moved over me slowly, taking their time, lingering like they had all the time in the world.

“Hello, Mark.” I tried to keep my cool, but my pulse was racing, betraying me. Two years and the man still had this effect on me. Dammit. I willed myself to stay calm, to keep it together, but I couldn’t deny the truth—he was just as magnetic as ever.

He stepped into the classroom with that confidence he always carried, like he knew the room would bend to him. Thatswagger had drawn me in before when I was too naive to see what was coming. Now, it just felt like a warning.

“You don’t look happy to see me,” he said, almost like it was a challenge.

“Happy?”I forced a bitter laugh. “You thought I’d run into your arms?”

That damn smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, just cocky enough to remind me why I needed to stay away. “Wouldn’t have minded if you did,” he shot back.

Of course, he wouldn’t. Mark thought he could just waltz in like nothing had changed. But everything had. I wasn’t about to feed that ego, so I moved past him, taking the long way around to avoid getting too close.

“How’ve you been?” he asked, his tone casual, but I knew him well enough to catch the edge beneath it.

“I’ve been good. And you?” I kept my voice light, playing the game.

“Better now that I know I have a son,” Mark said, and just like that, all pretense dropped. His voice cut through the tension, his words hitting like a punch. He was coming for me, for Tyler. His jaw clenched, frustration rippling off him in waves.

“If you’d bothered to answer my letters, you might’ve known sooner,” I snapped, my voice sharper than I meant.

His face twisted into a frown. “I never got any letters,” he said, sounding like he believed it. Like heactuallybelieved it.

“Yeah, okay,” I muttered, shrugging as I lowered myself into the chair behind my desk. “Doesn’t matter now. I went through nine months and eighteen hours of labor without you. I got this.”

Mark looked away, pacing with that restless energy I remembered all too well. His fist clenched and unclenched as he moved across the room. It was all too much, the anger, the confusion, the overwhelming urge to take back the last two years. But that wasn’t an option.

“I’m sorry, Essence. I didn’t know,” Mark said, his voice softer now. Maybe he was trying to sound sincere. But this apology? Too little, too late.

“No apology needed.” I laughed, grabbing my briefcase. “I’ve been doing fine without you.”

“I’m going to be in my son’s life,” he said, his tone firm, making it clear this wasn’t a request.

I stood up, meeting his gaze. “How long do you plan on playing the father role, Mark? Until you get bored? Until the Army calls you back?”

His jaw tightened, and we just stood there for a moment, locked in a silent standoff.

“I would never walk out on my son,” he said, his voice carrying that hard, undeniable edge.

I raised an eyebrow. “How do I know that? I haven’t seen you in two years. You disappeared. You didn’t even check.”

He stepped closer, his eyes burning with intensity. “That’s not on me. You should’ve told me.”

“I tried,” I said, my voice breaking for a split second. “I wrote you. I reached out. But you didn’t answer.”

The silence between us felt like it could snap at any moment. There was too much left unsaid, too much pain in the air.

“Fatherhood wasn’t in your plan, Mark. So why don’t you go back to playing soldier and leave us out of it?” The words came out before I could stop them, my voice tight with frustration. I didn’t want to need him. I didn’t want to rely on anyone but myself.

His expression hardened, his voice flat. “You decided to bring my son into this world. That makes me part of his life, whether you like it or not.”

My chest tightened, and panic started to rise. I wasn’t ready for this—for Mark.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway, snapping me back toreality. I glanced at the clock, seizing my chance to escape.

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