Page 11 of Home Field Advantage
“Shoot,” I mutter, getting out of my car and hustling into my sister’s bakery.
“Whoa,” Lily says when she notices me rushing through the front door, hands in front of her, signaling me to slow down.
“Lily, I’m so late for work,” I spit out.
She looks up at the clock on the wall. “You don’t have to be there until eight thirty.”
“I know,” I groan.
“It takes thirty minutes to drive from one end of Bluestone Lakes and back again. Not to drive down the street to the school,” she says and I don’t miss her slight eye roll.
I swallow, straighten my spine, and take a calming breath. I don’t want her to think I’m crazy. Well, I’m not crazy. I just prefer a strict routine because I thrive on punctuality and staying organized.
My alarm went off this morning at five o’clock, as always. It may be early for others, but there’s something so peaceful about being awake before sunrise, and I’vefound that it’s also when I’m the most productive. I often accomplish some of my best work during these early hours.
I follow the same routine every morning, which helps me maintain my sanity. I wake up, make a small cup of coffee to get energized, review my detailed class plan, and finish with a thirty-minute yoga session on my back deck before getting ready for work.
However, this morning my coffee maker refused to work. I spent too much time trying to fix it, which caused me to lose track of time. When I realized how much time had passed, I had to abandon the coffee situation to focus on the day’s lesson plans, only to discover that I hadn’t prepared everything.
All of it threw me off balance—and I hate it.
It makes me feel anxious, and I don’t like feeling like I’m not in control.
“Just…had a rough morning,” I finally tell Lily, hoping she doesn’t ask more questions.
My family doesn’t know what I struggle with, and I’ve gotten really good at hiding it. I prefer to keep it that way to avoid questions or having them walk on eggshells around me. No one knows how many times I check the light switches in my house to make sure they’re all either up or down, or how I have to go back and reread texts five times to make sure I didn’t say anything wrong.
She shrugs and turns to arrange the baked goods on the display. “That’s on brand for me but not for you.” And then she stands up and looks at me again. “Wait. Are you okay?”
I nod quickly. “Yep. Do you have any of those chocolate chip muffins you made last week?”
She smiles widely. Baking is the way to Lily’s heart, and loving the things that she makes is the key to her happiness.
“I made a special batch this morning.”
“I will definitely take two of them.”
“You got it.” She bags my muffins for me. “Nothing for the kids today?”
Smiling, I shake my head. “No, we have a birthday today. I offered to bring treats, but her mom wanted to make cupcakes.”
Being a teacher has been a dream of mine since middle school. I’ve always been good with kids, and I had a few babysitting jobs in town throughout high school, which I loved every second of.
“They’re lucky to have you,” Lily says, passing me my bag of muffins. “I know I tell you that all the time. But it’s worth reminding you again since you said you’re having a rough morning.”
My heart warms while the smile on my face stretches.
Being with my students Monday through Friday for a good chunk of the day makes me feel like I’m a big part of their lives during their first-grade year. I feel like it’s my duty to protect them, care for them, and help them grow so they’re ready for the coming grades. They’re not just students to me, they’re like my own kids, and I want the best for them.
“Thank you, Lil,” I reply, looking around the bakery. “Where’s Blair today?”
“She’s off. Griffin took her for a ride around the lake on the horses.”
I smile thinking about the two of them.
Blair came into our lives when she moved into town after finding her politician husband cheating on her. She needed to get far away from San Francisco and found her way here. She moved next door to my brother, Griffin, into his old tiny home and got a job here at the bakery with Lily. She’s the only one who’s ever been able to pull Griffin out of his constant grumpy state.
Now the two of them are in love, and I consider her one of my best friends.
