by MJ Fields
She nods.
“Big or just a little?” I ask.
“A little.”
Although I’d hoped for her to say big, the silver lining to her condition is that, when she uses words, she never uses them to lie. It’s like she cherishes their truths and their meanings.
“Ye sure you don’t want to sing with me?” I ask.
She shakes her head and looks back out the window.
I make a mental note to take music off the list of hot topics of conversation with Kai.
“Do ye think ye’d like to swim after school?”
She smiles, still looking out the window.
“Grill some dogs?”
She whips her head back and looks at me with a scowl.
“Hot dogs, a sheòid, not yer dog.”
She crosses her arms and gives me a stern look. “I’m a vegetarian.”
“Right, I apologize.” In my defense, she just decided this since she moved in with me. When I asked her therapist about it, she said that it may be a control thing and I should let her have it, so I do.
“They have vegetarian hot dogs.”
“Gross.”
“Ye used to love bacon. How about some turkey bacon?”
“A turkey is still an animal.”
“Right, of course.” Way to play up the cool dad. “Well, how about ye tell me what ye’d like?”
“Grilled cheese and french fries.”
“Again?” I joke.
“Or pizza.”
“Ye had pizza for lunch, a sheòid,” I say as I pull in the driveway and look for an empty parking space. “So, what else besides grilled cheese?”
She doesn’t reply, just looks out the window.
“Kai, I’m going to go grocery shopping, so any special requests?”
“No,” she whispers.
“Ye have yer phone, so if ye think of anything—”
“Can’t text at school,” she whispers again.
I shut off the vehicle and get out of the car, walking around and opening her door. “I’m going to talk to the counselor and principal so ye’ll be able to text me anytime ye need to, okay?” I reach in to unbuckle her.
“I’m not a baby.”
I squat down so I’m eye level with her. “Ye’re always going to be my baby, a sheòid.”
She looks between my eyes, back and forth, back and forth.
Kai has asked me several times in the past three days if I was going to leave, and she does it looking at me just like she is now.
“I love you, and I’m not going anywhere.” I smile as I pull down my sunglasses and grab the two apples off the seat beside her.
“Pickles,” she says as she unbuckles herself. “And peanut butter, the crunchy kind.”
“Yeah?” I smile as I take her hand and help her out.
When I start to let go of her hand, afraid she’ll feel like more of a baby with me holding it as I walk her in, she grips it tighter.
“Can I carry yer bag?”
“Why?”
“Because a man always offers to carry a lady’s bag.”
“Can I wear your sunglasses?”
“Why?” I ask.
She smiles. “Because they look cool.”
Fuck yes, you can, I think, pulling them off, and then she sets them on her face. They’re huge on her, but she holds them steady by lifting her nose in the air as she walks.
“Looking good, Kai.”
She grins.
As we stop at the crosswalk, I ask, “Remember the deal with the apples?”
She nods and whispers, “It’s weird.”
“It’s weird to give the smartest teacher an apple on the first day?”
“Uh-huh,” she says, focused on not letting the glasses fall and looking completely adorable doing so.
“Huh, then I guess it would be weird if I said it’s also tradition to get ice cream after school on the first day, too?”
“Not weird at all,” she whispers, balancing the sunglasses.
“Maybe swing by the sunglass store and get ye some that fit your head?”
“I like these.”
“Then let’s get ye a pair that fits good, huh?”
“But I have these ones.”
“Cool. Then I’ll get myself a new pair and ye keep those?”
“Okay.”
When a bunch of kids walk up beside her, her grip tightens.
“Hey, what’s up?” I ask the kids, trying to make her feel like it’s okay to talk to new people.
“Why’s she wearing those big, old boy glasses?” one of the little fucks asks.
“Because they’re cool, and so is she,” I tell him.
The little shit rolls his eyes at me.
“Sup, Dr. Stewart?”
I look beside me and see Simon and Bridget’s boy. “Hey, man, how are you?”
“Good.” He looks around me and at Kai. “Cool glasses.”
Her lips pucker and twist around as she tries not to smile.
“Kid’s got moves,” is whispered behind me.
I don’t even have to look back. “Good morning, Simon.”
“Hey, Kai. Cool glasses.” Simon squats down and holds out his fist.
She gives him the side-eye, and I can’t help laughing. Then she looks up at me and does the whole twisting lips, trying-not-to-smile thing again.
“He’s cool.” I nod toward Simon.
She bumps his fist, just barely, but it’s something. Then, when the crossing guard blows his whistle, she tenses up.
“So pissed I’m too old to go to school,” Simon mumbles.
“You owe the swear jar,” Brendan tells him.
“Christ,” Simon grumbles.
“Twice now,” Brendan calls as he walks ahead of us. Then he looks back. “You wanna walk in with me, Kai?”
She squeezes my hand.
“It’s her first day. We have a few forms to sign,” I tell him.
“Awesome. Maybe tomorrow then.” He turns and smiles at her. “See you later, Kai.”
“Smooth as silk,” Simon whispers. I give him a look, and he smirk then whispers, “Hot teacher at two o’clock.”
Before I can say a damn thing, he leans down. “Will the pool be ready for Friday night?”
She looks up at me.
“It’s been ready since we moved in.”
“I’m talking about a party, a pool party. Frozen drinks with little umbrellas, everyone wearing sunglasses, even dogs, pink flamingos all over the front yard, welcoming your guests, maybe a real one?”
You fucking asshole.
“Kai’s dog Scotch is allergic to real flamingos.”
“Pelicans?”
“All birds,” I say through tight lips.
“Cats?”
“Hates them.”
He smirks. “Ponies?”
Dick.
He gives me the “I win” look. “Or maybe something chill like water balloons, ice cream, and maybe unicorn cupcakes.”
“Kai and I will discuss it tonight and get back to you.”
“Awesome.” He holds out his fist to Kai, and this time, she doesn’t hesitate to bump it.
Walking up to the front doors, I look down at her. “Ye see anyone ye want to give the apple to?”
She holds her shoulders up like she’s going to shrug, and they stay up.
Fuck.
“Ye want me to give it to someone?”
The tension leaves her shoulders and she nods, catching the glasses before they fall off her face.
Pretending to scan the area, I ask, “Who do ye think I should give it to?”
My eyes stall on Elizabeth, who is smiling as she greets each kid that passes, and I can’t help smiling when I see her dressed in a cute, knee-length, hot pink skirt, wearing a black tee-shirt that has the word “Teacher” crossed out and below it, in hot pink letters, it says, “Magic Wand Wielding Wisdom Wizard.” The kicker is she’s wearing a matching hot pink cape and holding an actual wand.
/> I look down at Kai, who nods to her.
“Perfect choice She looks like she’s a lot of fun.” Unless you spill the fact that you received two years of texts that she sent to her deceased father, and she plays it off like it’s cool. But then, as soon as you get back to her place, park the car, she jets out of your vehicle, won’t answer the door, ignores the fact that you slept on her porch all night, and finally, when she has to face you, because she needs you to move your car so she can get hers out to go work at a job she shouldn’t be working while wearing a fucking cast, she informs you that it’s a boot and tells you that she needs time to process, and then blocks your number, knowing damn well you’re not going to be able to contact her any other way since you finally have custody of your little girl after a five-year battle that you told her she was the reason you continued to fight. Well, her texts.
Yeah, she’s a fucking blast.
When Kai tugs on my hand, I realize that I was kind of frozen. “You sure?”
Holding the bridge of the glasses, she cocks her head and looks at me like I’m insane.
“All right.” I walk toward Elizabeth, and though her back is to me, she stiffens up.
Fucking contagious.
“Ms. Bloom?”
She turns and looks at me, then down at Kai and smiles.
“We decided you looked deserving of a first day of school apple.”
Still not looking at me, she leans down and smiles at Kai. “Thank you so much. It’s going to be a magical year.”
“Already seems to be getting off on the right foot,” I say as smoothly as possible, and because I’m a little pissed, maybe more frustrated, I add, “Cute wand. I bet it produces one heck of a magical surge.”
“Your dad is kind of funny, huh?”
I look down at Kai, who looks up at me. “She thinks I’m the best.”
Kai’s lips twist, and her dimples deepen.
“But how could I not be? She made me that way.”
Kai grins then buries her head in my side.
Elizabeth stands straight up, looks me in the eyes, and says sweetly, “Thank you for the apple. I appreciate it.”
“Well, we hope you have a great first day, Ms. Bloom.”
“And I hope that together, Kai and I can stir up some magic.”
“I’ve no doubt you can stir up many things, Ms. Bloom.”
“Hey, are you Kai Kaplan?”
I hate that she doesn’t have my last name, which reminds me to call my attorney … again to check in on the progress of the change.
When the woman who called Kai’s name walks in front of us, I chuckle silently when I see her.
Like Elizabeth, she ignores the fact that we know one another and leans down. “I’m Ms. Townley. We have so much planned for you here, Kai. How about we head in to get all the boring grownup things done, so that we don’t miss any of the fun today?”
Still Monday
Ethan
When Kai’s teacher came to get her, Kai was still sporting the sunglasses. She didn’t want to leave, but of course she didn’t say that. I just felt it.
When Ms. Townley— aka, Tonya— asked that I stay for a few minutes, I knew we would be stepping out of the realm of parent/counselor to the guy who pushed baby back in the proverbial corner/pissed-off friend.
“Have a seat,” she says, moving to her desk chair and not sitting in the buddy position like she had with Kai. “Kai’s a beautiful little girl. She has great grades and tests well.”
“I’d like to say that was all my superior genetics, but I won’t.”
“Her mother was a smart woman. Brown, right?”
I nod and ignore the fact that I know she didn’t get that information from the file sitting on her desk with my daughter’s name on it.
She leans back, steeples her hands, and just looks at me.
Silence hangs over my head like a lead balloon. I would bet that if Ms. Townley had a dart, she’d pop that balloon just to see it knock me in the head.
After a few more uncomfortable moments, I ask, “Is there anything else, Ms. Townley?”
“What made you choose this school?”
“Our home is in the district.”
“What made you choose your home?”
Well, fuck.
“The realtor had ties to it. It hadn’t sold in years, and I got a very good deal.”
She finally snaps, “Oh, bullshit.”
“I liked the area, Ms. Townley.”
“You liked the neighbor,” she corrects.
“That was an added bonus.”
“So, let me get this straight; you’ve been getting messages that Lizzie sent to her dead father for a few years, and you decide to push your way into her—”
“With all due respect, that’s not how it went down. I never intended on meeting the woman sending those messages, and to be brutally honest, until her mention of taking a break from entering a master’s program, I’d have thought she was in her teens.”
“What would make you think that?”
“The use of the word Daddy for starters.”
“And …?”
“The context of the texts are persona—”
“To Lizzie.”
“I didn’t ask to be on the receiving end of them. And if Elizabeth wants to share that with ye, she can make that decision.”
“So, you’re saying the first time you saw Lizzie was in your office?”
“I think ye ken when the first time I saw Elizabeth was.”
“Right, when she fell down the stairs.”
I nod.
“But then you kept calling her and calling her.”
“I’m a doctor, Ms. Townley; I was concerned.” Even more so since I kent she was alone.
“Then you had no idea who she was before she came to your office?”
I shake my head.
“You had her address and phone number from her chart available.”
“Aye, but I don’t really have the time, nor do I find that sort of information imperative to treat a patient with a bruised arse and a small fracture.”
“Then how did you know it was her? How did you connect the dots?”
“Ye do ken I’m here for my daughter, correct?”
“I do. You should know I’ll always be here for Lizzie.”
She’s relentless; I’ll give her that.
“Upon leaving my office, I still wondered about the woman who came to mean a great deal to me, so I called her phone, and that’s when Elizabeth answered. Her voice, her sass, and the fact that she had just left my office and I happened to follow her out connected those dots.”
“So, then you decided what? Me caveman, me get the woman?”
This is a woman who holds an MD in mental health?
“Okay, that may have been a little over the top.”
“Just a smidge.”
“But you bought a house right around the corner from her, and your daughter is going to the school she teaches at. I call bull.”
She’s pissing me off.
“Call it whatever ye like, but my word is my truth. That being said”— I stand up, and she does as well— “ if I didn’t think ye had major influence on Elizabeth or that I’m trusting ye with some of my daughter’s mental health concerns, I’d have told ye to fuck off the moment ye questioned my integrity.”
“Wait,” she calls to my back.
I turn around. “Yes?”
“Are you in love with Lizzie?”
I don’t answer her.
Standing outside the school, I wait nervously for Kai. As each group of kids come out, I grow more so.
When Brendan walks out, he smiles. “Waiting for Kai?”
“I am.”
“Um, I’m pretty sure she’s in Ms. Bloom’s room.” He blows out a breath. “I think she may have had an accident.”
When I start toward the door, he grabs my elbow. “I think you should act like you don’t notice.”
“Notice what?”
“That she’s … you know, wearing a tutu and cape.”
“Did something happen to her outfit?”
When he nods and scrunches up his face, I snap, “What?”
“I think she didn’t make it to the bathroom.”
“Holy fucking shit,” I mumble.
“I don’t think it was that. Pretty sure it was the other.”
“Thanks, Brendan.”
“I’d wait until the other kids leave so she doesn’t get embarrassed.”
“That’s the guy.” The same little punk from this morning snickers. “His daughter’s the new girl. She’s weird.”
“Hey,” Brendan snaps at him. “She’s my friend, so back off!”
“Chill, B,” the little asshole retorts.
“I’ve got zero chill in me for punks like you.”
If this kid asks for my daughter’s hand in marriage right now, I’d probably give him my blessing.
Standing outside room 234, looking inside, I see Kai lying on the rug, feet up on the wall, right next to Elizabeth, who’s in the same position.
Kai’s wearing some sort of navy-blue robe with shiny silver stars and moons all over it, still sporting my sunglasses. Elizabeth is in a similar robe.
“Look at us, two first day girls, and we made it, looking even cooler than we did coming in.” Elizabeth unwraps a lollipop and hands it to Kai, then unwraps one for herself. “Cheers.”
Kai looks over at her, and I assume she’s making a face because Elizabeth smiles, takes her lollipop, and taps it against Kai’s, making a clink sound.
“So, tomorrow, I get to spend forty minutes with you and your class, talking about my favorite things— art and magic. Do you like art and magic, Kai?”
Kai nods.
“Which is your favorite?”
Kai shrugs as she licks her lollipop.
“My mom loved magic. Harry Potter was her favorite book series. My dad loved art and made beautiful pictures that were truly magic. So, I can’t choose which one I like better, either. Because, even though they’re both in heaven, riding meteors and making stardust art, they’re still both with me in my heart and always a part of me.”
Kai looks over at her.
“Can I see your eyes, Kai?”