Page 15 of Shade
Shade was quiet for a moment; then I felt him lean closer. His lips brushed against mine, and I exhaled softly. "I'd love to."
As fast as I could, I took the dirty dishes back to the kitchen, then went into the bathroom and brushed my teeth before returning to my bed.
I lay down, smiling when Shade joined me. No more hiding under the bed for him. He wrapped an arm around my waist, his shadows tickling my arm and face.
"Good night, Diego," he murmured softly, and I made a happy sound as I snuggled into him.
"Night, Shade."
He was gone when I woke up the next morning, which made sense because the light would've hurt him otherwise. I wished I could've woken up in his arms. Maybe I could stay over at his place on the weekend?
Yawning, I sat up as Pixie raced into the room. She had my schedule down pat, and was adamant the most important thing I could ever do right after waking up was feed her.
Because I did not want her waking me up early for breakfast, I ignored her demands after a few pets, and took my time in the bathroom. Once I was clean and feeling a lot more refreshed, I made my way to the kitchen and finally put her favorite tuna food in her bowl. She also had a dish of kibble she liked grazing from throughout the day, but her wet food had to be on time, or she revolted.
Once the beast was sated, I made myself some toast and coffee, and had my breakfast leaning against the counter as my thoughts drifted in that lazy way they did before you really started thinking for the day.
My phone announced the time, and I quickly washed up, then went to my bedroom to change, gathering my things and leaving Pixie in charge as I left the house.
The school I taught at was a twenty-minute drive from my apartment, but since I couldn't drive, I had to walk ten minutes to the bus stop so I could take the school bus. I didn't really mind, especially because the school didn't charge me in any way for using the service. It was one of the reasons I'd taken a job, even if it'd meant moving to a completely new city. The other was how inclusive the school was. The library had Braille textbooks, they had an interpreter for any classes with a Deaf or nonverbal student, and they taught basic ASL in all their classes.
I made it to the bus stop on time, and didn't have to wait too long before the bus rumbled in.
"Hey, Mr. Sánchez," Mila, a kid from my class, called as the bus came to a stop, and I smiled as I climbed in. She'd started doing that two days after my first class with her, apparently deciding it was her duty to make sure I 'got on the right bus.' The two times she'd had to take a sick day, she'd come up to me during the lunch break to make sure I hadn't struggledtoo much in her absence. She was sweet, and one of the many reasons I preferred interacting with kids than people my age.
"Hey, Mila," I greeted once I was on the bus, folding up my cane and using the bars over the seats for guidance.
"I saved you a seat!"
Once I'd settled down, she spent the thirty-minute journey—we had a few more stops—regaling me with tales about the butterfly she'd spent an hour watching in her backyard. The butterfly hadn't done much of anything except snack on some flowers, but the way Mila described it, I could almost see it in action. She painted a beautiful picture with her words.
"You know, Mila, you're a wonderful storyteller. You could be a writer someday."
Mila paused, giving it some thought. "Like Mr. Wick? Mom reads me his stories every night. I can see them in my mind."
I chuckled, unable to help smiling at the way she described things. "Yes, just like him. Would you like that?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed instantly, then paused. "But you wouldn't be able to read it." I could almost hear the pout in her voice.
While I taught all their classes, Jess was the one who checked their homework and assignments since I couldn't, and Mila knew that.
"Eh, we'll just get someone to translate it to Braille for me," I said, and she was happy again.
When we reached the school, Mila walked with me all the way to class, keeping up a constant stream of conversation. While I knew I wasn't supposed to pick favorites, she was definitely the one.
"Go take your seat. We'll start roll call in a minute," I said, and she gave me a cheerful "Okay!" before racing off to her friends.
Hanging my bag on the chair, I folded up my cane and stuck it inside, then turned to the class.
"Hey, everyone! Good morning."
"Good morning, Mr. Sánchez!" The kids greeted me as one, making my smile widen.
"Let's do a check. Then we'll do a roll call. Are your desks lined up?"
"Yes!"
"Is there anything on the floor around you? If there is, can you pick it up, and throw it away if it's trash?"
