Page 22 of To the Moon and Back
She looked at Olivia’s red cheek and back to Edward. “Did you hit Olivia with the ball during recess?”
“Not really.” Edward blinked a few times. “I was playing dodgeball.” He smiled at Olivia. “Hits happen in dodgeball.”
“No!” Olivia’s eyes welled up. She rubbed the mark on her face. “We weren’t playing dodgeball, Miss Jenna. We were playing kickball. And kickball means you don’t throw the ball at someone’s face just because they got a good kick.”
“You’re right.” Jenna looked at Edward again. “It’s only dodgeball if everyone agrees. Do you understand?”
Edward lowered his chin nearly to his chest. He crossed his arms with a huff. “I was tired of kickball.”
“Edward.” Her tone was more serious now. “Tell Olivia you’re sorry.”
“Yeah, tell me.” Olivia was small, but feisty. She wasn’t having any of this from Edward.
He looked like he was in actual pain. An apology was clearly the last thing Edward wanted to do.
“Fine.” He looked at Olivia, his eyes more squinty than before. “Sorry you didn’t want to play dodgeball.”
“No.” Jenna needed to get the afternoon started. She stood and looked down at Edward. “That’s not an apology. Say it now. Unless you’d like to spend the afternoon in the principal’s office.”
“Okay.” The boy’s expression softened. His tone followed. “Sorry for hitting you, Olivia.”
The girl touched her red face again. “I forgive you. I guess.”
“Listen.” Jenna looked from Edward to Olivia and back. “What’s the number one rule in our class?”
Both kids looked at Jenna. Olivia spoke first. “Always love each other . . .”
Edward nodded and finished the statement. “Because second grade doesn’t have that many days.”
“That’s it.” Jenna gave the two what she hoped was an encouraging look. “Now go sit down.”
Olivia hesitated. She smiled up at Jenna. “You’re pretty.”
“Thank you, Olivia.” Jenna loved teaching kids this age. They said whatever they were thinking. No shame. “You’re pretty, too.”
The girl should’ve gone to her desk, but she was fixated on Jenna’s necklace. “Why do you wear a key around your neck?”
Jenna fiddled with it. The key was dark bronze on a chain the same color. She’d had it for three years today. A gift she’d bought herself for the anniversary. The year her husband left without looking back. Jenna stooped down. Focus on the child, she told herself. “It’s called a Giving Key.”
“The key’s giving something?” Olivia reached up and touched Jenna’s necklace. “Seems like a regular key.”
“It is.” Jenna smiled. “Kind of.”
The rest of the class was settling in. They had two minutes until the bell. Olivia lifted her blue eyes to Jenna. “Why’s it called ‘giving’?”
“Because one day I’m supposed to find the right person to give it to. With a Giving Key necklace, you look for a reason to give it away.”
Olivia nodded, but she still appeared confused. “Why’d you get it?”
“Because.” Jenna felt the beginning of tears, but she refused them. “It reminds me of my mommy and daddy.”
“Oh.” The answer seemed to do the trick. Olivia grinned. “Bye!” She skipped back to her chair.
Jenna held the key and ran her thumb along the surface. She wore it as often as she could. Some of the teachers and several of the kids had noticed over the last few years. For Jenna it was a reminder. She’d had it custom-made, with just one thing engraved on the front and back.
She drew a deep breath and stuffed her emotions to the basement of her heart. Thoughts about the anniversary could come later. A smile lifted the corners of her lips. “Who remembers what book we’re reading?”
Hands shot up around the room, but several children yelled out the answer before she could choose one of them. “Noah’s Ark! Noah’s Ark!”
