Page 2 of Choosing Forever
Delaney’s my lifetime girl, and I’m looking forward to showing her off in the light for the rest of my life.
1
PRESENT
DELANEY
If I knewhow drastically one staffing change would unravel my carefully constructed peace, I’d have stayed home this morning.
Instead, here I am, balancing one-legged on a child-sized chair with a chunk of hair in my mouth while my boss tells me the worst news in the history of bad news. I spit the hair out and wobble, my two palms smacking hard against the whiteboard.
“I think I misheard you,” I croak.
The principal of Cherry Peak Elementary School almost appears flustered when she replies, “I’m sorry, Delaney. But I hope you understand why I chose to swap the classes this way. Daisy needs a chance to teach an older class.”
“Can’t she swap with Kimmy instead? The fourth graders are incredibly bright,” I argue weakly.
I’d know, considering I taught them last year. I’ve taught every third-grade class for the last four years. In my eight years of teaching at this school, I’ve never been told only a week before classes start that I’m being switched to teach another grade. It’s incredibly last-minute, and I’ve never liked sudden changes.
“Kimmy already shifted two years ago.”
My throat is sticky when I carefully lower my feet to the ground and debate begging my boss to change her mind.
“I’ve already finished my lesson plan, and the classroom is nearly done, Penny.”
Penny—Mrs. Ashford—tweaks the corners of her mouth into a small smile that looks too much like pity to give me any relief. It’s the same type of smile that I saw for too long when I moved back to Cherry Peak. Plenty has changed since that day eight years ago, but still, too many things are the same.
“I know, and I wish I could change how last-minute this is. That’s completely on me, but when I spoke to Daisy on my way here, she did offer to swap plans with you to help the transition.”
“You already spoke with her?”
“I did. She’s alright with the swap if you are. I would appreciate your acceptance with this, Delaney.”
Ouch, that bites. Daisy is the newest teacher at the school and someone I consider a close friend. Because of that, she should have known I wouldn’t want to make this change.
“Will I need to switch classrooms, or do I get to keep this one?” I ask, defeated.
This morning, I was up at dawn with a smoothie I made from the last of my orchard strawberries and an excitement to get the final touches done to my classroom. I’ve made improvements since last year and even picked up custom name tags for all the desks from a custom printer up in Calgary yesterday. It’s bright and colourful in here but, most importantly, welcoming.
I learned early on in my teaching career that I didn’t want the starched rainbows on the walls and sleek, beige chairs that nobody wanted to risk getting a sore bottom sitting on. The only acceptable decorations in my eyes were neon colours and fun, cheesy sayings scribbled all over the whiteboard and printed on poster paper. But then again, maybe that’s just how I was raised.
Sneaking a look around me now, I can admit that I’ll bedisappointed if the work I’ve done so far to liven this place up further this year was wasted.
“It would be easier if you swapped. Emails and letters have already gone out to parents letting them know classroom numbers. Of course, if that’s going to be an issue . . .” She trails off, and from the quirk of her brow as she waits for an answer, I know better than to argue with her despite my frustration.
“No issue.”
Her teeth gleam in the fluorescent lighting. “Wonderful! Thank you, Delaney. I’ll leave you to get moved around, then.”
Before I can worry about schooling my expression, she’s spinning on the heels of her pumps and clip-clapping her way out of the classroom. I stare at the door once she’s gone, afraid that if I move now, I’ll wind up slamming it shut like an angry adolescent.
I readjust my metaphorical cap and, like I’ve done a million times already, push past my emotions and get to work. It’s not the end of the world, and I refuse to treat it as such.
Darren Huntsly won’t ruin my love for teaching the way he ruined Cherry Peak for me.
“I’m so sorry,Della. Penny totally railroaded me this morning. I assumed she’d talked to you about it first! Gosh, I should have known better and just turned her down.”
I snap my eyes up from the tiny packets of sugar on the diner table, finding Daisy. She’s out of breath as she grips the back of the booth and dives behind the table, her cheeks a bright pink.
