Page 12 of When Cardinals Appear

“Will do.”

I pushed myself off the sidewalk. It was too cold to stay out there any longer, so I went into the waiting room. I texted Steven as a last-ditch effort, knowing full well he had a lot going on that afternoon. As expected, his response was less than encouraging.

Sam glanced up when I walked in but mercifully said nothing. I plopped into a chair, prepared to wait until Steven got off work or Trudy’s son woke from his nap. My one saving grace was that Nate was nowhere in sight, though it would be hard to avoid him if I was stuck there for too long.

Chapter Three

About an hour into viewing a mind-numbing episode of one of those you-are-not-the-father shows, courtesy of the lack of channels on the ancient television in the waiting room, I watched a young woman enter with her son. I glanced up when they first came in but, when I saw it wasn’t Steven, turned back to the endless drama on the screen.

Soon after they arrived, the waiting room erupted in chaos. The young mom struggled to respond to Sam’s questions and simultaneously tried to console her son, who screeched and ran around the room.

I jumped up from my seat and approached the boy, but he scampered away, shaking his head and yelling incoherently. Without thinking, I kneeled on the floor and removed a toy from my purse. It was a small ball with a smiley face and rubbery hair sticking out of the top. When I worked with kids throughout my master’s program, I’d learned to always keep an assortment of sensory toys with me. Meltdowns like that one were pretty common in my line of work.

I tossed the ball from hand to hand. The child continued to run in circles, screeching and pulling at his clothes, but when he got close to me, he turned and watched the ball.

Keeping my eyes on the ground, I rolled the ball to him. He picked it up and tugged at the hair then squeezed it. As he played with the toy, he stopped running around and quieted. He sat on the floor, rocking back and forth.

I softly hummed a simple melody, and the boy mimicked my tune. His mother shot me a grateful smile and finished her business with Sam. As I continued to hum quietly, the boy slowly stopped rocking, though his eyes never strayed from the toy. When his mother was done, she stepped over to us.

“You okay, buddy?”

The boy blinked at her but didn’t respond. His mom went to take the toy away.

“He can keep it,” I said quickly, keeping my voice low and soothing. “I always keep them on hand for my students.”

“You’re a teacher?” the woman asked.

“For special education,” I said with a smile. “I’m familiar with these sorts of situations.”

“Thank you for your help. My husband was supposed to be here by now, but I guess he got held up.” A car pulled into a parking spot out front. “Ah, here he is now.” She glanced back at Lanie. “Your students are lucky to have you.” After she helped her son to stand, they left.

I stared after them, a strange heaviness filling my chest. My last semester hadn’t involved any student teaching, and I missed working with my students. In Seattle, I’d found a position in an inner-city school. The children weren’t as fortunate as the ones I would teach in LA. Somehow, I didn’t think I would have the same opportunities for one-on-one interactions, and the thought caused a pang of regret.

“That was amazing.” A familiar voice caused me to jump. I scrambled off the floor, brushing dirt from my pants.

“I-I didn’t realize you were watching,” I stammered, tucking my hair behind my ears. I supposed I was lucky he hadn’t come out to the lobby sooner.

“I didn’t want to interrupt.” Nate moved closer. “How’d you know to do that?”

“It’s what I went to school for.” I gave what I hoped was a nonchalant shrug. “Though it’s been a while since I worked with a child.”

“You haven’t lost your touch.” His deep-brown eyes searched mine, and I shifted self-consciously. Seeming to realize he was staring, he cleared his throat and gestured to the waiting room. “But what are you still doing here?”

“Oh, um, I don’t have a ride.” When he didn’t respond, I babbled to fill the silence. “I tried to find one, but no one was free.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“I didn’t want to bother you.” I couldn’t quite look him in the eye, fearing if I did, I would blurt out the truth. After putting my foot in my mouth twice that morning, I wasn’t aiming for the third time being the charm.

He blew out a breath. “I can take you.”

Just what I was trying to avoid. “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”

“It’s no imposition. No sense in you sitting around here.” He inclined his head to the office. “Let me grab my coat and wallet, and I’ll meet you at the car.” He left me standing in the lobby, debating whether I should make a quick run for it. Maybe I should take my chances in the bitter cold. Anything had to be better than another round of walking on eggshells with my ex.

But I knew I couldn’t leave. Not only would it be rude, but it would also make things worse. I trudged out to the parking lot and leaned against his car to wait.

“It’s unlocked,” he called as he made his way toward me.

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