Page 99 of Teacher of the Year

“No. Really, it’s not. You were so kind and sweet. It was all me. I just heard those things about his past and, I don’t know, something crunched inside me. And, well, I’m sure Olan told you.”

“He did. And that’s why I’m here.”

“You flew back? To talk to me?”

She flashes a slight smile.

“I flew back to see Illona. And Olan. This chat is an important add-on. Especially if you’re going to be a part of her life.”

I pull my lips in and nod. Not sure what to say.

“You know, Illona’s here because Olan told me he couldn’t do this without her. It’s not ideal. I definitely don’t love it, but also, I know she’s a Daddy’s girl and Olan needs her more right now. They need each other. We’re figuring it out, but I’m always going to spend as much time as I can with her, even if it means I’ll rack up a ton of frequent-flier miles.”

She turns to face me, her damn gorgeous hair out of control thanks to the offshore breeze. She grabs a hair tie from her wrist and wrangles it into a tight, high ponytail.

“Marvin, I’m here because I love Olan.”

My stomach drops. Does she want him back? Her hands smooth the front of her purple paisley dress until they land on the belt, drawing her waist in. “Olan is such a good man. He cares for you. Yes, he told me, but he didn’t have to. I saw it in his eyes. The way he stares at you. He looked at me that way once. We grew apart. It happens. Thankfully, we’ve been able to remain friends. I’m here as Olan’s friend. He needs you.”

“I’m not sure what to say.”

“Then listen. I want to tell you what happened last year.”

My eyes widen. I open my mouth to speak and quickly close it.

“Our business was thriving, but I knew we needed a break. Olan struggled with stepping back, and well, selling seemed like the fastest way out. There were offers to purchase it, but he refused to entertain them. I knew, deep down, the demands of running such a huge company were taking a toll on him. He was relentless. It wasn’t healthy.”

Isabella glances down. She rubs the back of her neck and then looks over at Illona, offering her a small wave before returning her attention to me.

“He went to an investor dinner while I stayed home with a sniffly Illona. These dinners were often overflowing with alcohol. It’s a little insurance to help the investors, well, invest. It had never been an issue for him before, but that night, apparently, the stress and temptation were too much. Our split came not from his drinking but from his dedication to bettering himself. We’d been growing apart. I knew he wasn’t happy. He needed to be on his own for a bit.”

I’m trying to absorb this but my head is woozy, and I take continual deep breaths to steady myself.

“In hindsight, he knows throwing himself into the company with complete abandon wasn’t healthy and at least partly contributed to the relapse. Stepping away, taking some time, and moving, he’s clearly so much happier without the stress of running a multi-million-dollar company. But you’re a huge part of it too.”

“Wow.” It’s all I’ve got. This explains why Olan was so forceful about my dedication to teaching. And the award. He doesn’t want me to repeat his mistakes. Oof.

I turn my head toward her, lift my chin slightly, and give her the beginning of a smile. She’s wrapped her arms around herself and meets my grin with her own.

“You make Olan happy. That’s what matters. Olan is the father of my child. We’ve been friends since high school. I’ll always love him.”

“But I don’t know what to do. He told me no.”

“Because he’s doing what he always does, taking care of others. He’s worried about Illona. He’s worried about you. He doesn’t want to hurt you. But Marvin, Olan wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s a remarkable man.”

“I know,” I cry a little too loudly, and some of the other parents shoot us a look. “So, what do I do?”

Isabella is the last person on earth I thought I’d ask advice from, but here we are.

“Next week is his one-year anniversary of being sober since the relapse. Go to his meeting. If you showed up, that would mean the world to him.”

“Oh.” I’m going to have to think about this. “When is it?”

“Thursday.”

An AA meeting. And, of course, it’s on Thursday, the same night as the banquet, because the universe clearly enjoys testing me. My head stirs and swells.

“What time?” I ask.

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