by Lea Coll
“How are things going?” I asked cautiously.
“Fine.” His tone was clipped.
“Ms. Albright mentioned you had your phone out during class.”
“Yeah, so?”
I pursed my lips. “You’re not supposed to be looking at your phone during class. Ms. Albright could have written out an office referral, but she thought you’d benefit from talking to me.”
“I don’t see why.” He smirked, daring me to react.
I took a steadying breath. I wouldn’t let him agitate me. “It’s okay to miss your dad. To want to contact him. There’s a time and place for it though. Class isn’t it.”
“No shit.”
“Everett. This is your last warning. If you talk disrespectfully to me again, I’m writing you up and sending you to Mr. Bryant’s office.” I held my hand up. “Before you say you don’t care, think carefully about this. I’m here to help you. I don’t want to report you.”
He pressed his lips tightly together as if he doesn’t trust himself not to mouth off.
I gentled my voice. “Want to tell me what’s going on with your dad that you felt the need to text during class?”
He looked away. “Nothing. Nothing’s ever going on.”
“What do you mean?” I held my breath, hoping he’d give me something, anything to work with.
“He’s always gone. My mom—” His voice broke off. He shook his head.
When he was quiet for a few seconds, I prompted him, “You can talk to me.”
“She left a few months ago. It’s just my dad and me.”
Now his dad was on an aircraft carrier. My heart ached for him. I wanted to defend Mason while also validating Everett’s feelings. “Your father has a really important job. One he can’t get out of. I bet he’d give anything to be here with you now. You said he wants to retire, right?”
“That’s what he said.” His voice trailed off like he didn’t believe it was true.
I’d mention this to Mason, hoping he’d talk to Everett about his plans to retire. Give him hope. “I don’t think your father would lie to you.”
He nodded but didn’t argue.
I sensed he was done talking for the day. “If you ever need to talk, my door’s always open. Got it?”
“Sure.” He stood, opening the door, walking out without another word.
I’d made some progress. He’d opened up about his mother. Hopefully, he’d talk to me before breaking the rules again.
Mason didn’t want updates, but Everett’s behavior seemed to be linked to his mother and now Mason, being gone.
Mia: Everett’s teacher referred him to me today because he was on his phone during class. He told her he was messaging you.
I didn’t expect an immediate response from Mason, so I was surprised when I saw the dots pop up on the screen indicating he was writing something.
Mason: I told him not to message me during school.
Mia: I told him the same.
Mason: Should I be worried?
Mia: Not yet. I’ll check in on him to see how he’s doing. Hopefully, it’s a normal adjustment period.
Mason: Thanks for the update.
Chapter Three
Mia
On Halloween, everyone tried to outdo each other with scary decorations and haunted garages. There was a holiday decorating competition for Christmas. A huge Easter egg hunt in the park at the center of the neighborhood. Even though I didn’t have kids, I still participated.
Halloween was my favorite holiday because I could dress up, pretending to be someone, anyone else. I decorated the front porch of my house with skeletons, webs, and cauldrons. I dressed up as a witch and Stark as a cat. I took a selfie of Stark and me with my arm curled around him, posting it on my feed, hoping Mason would see it.
I didn’t send images directly to Mason because he’d said it was hard to see pictures from home. He hadn’t said but I assumed it was painful and made his time move more slowly there.
I’d wanted to ask him how he was doing, what it was like to live on a carrier, but I hadn’t yet. Everything about his demeanor screamed that he didn’t want to talk.
I went out onto the porch, taking my large cauldron full of candy with me. The kids could come to the porch and grab candy without having to knock and wait for me to open the door. It was dusk so only a few little kids walked around with their parents. There was a lull between each family.
As much as I loved Halloween, seeing the happy families sometimes made me a little melancholy for my parents. I moved in with my aunt and uncle, but it wasn’t the same. The loss of my parents’ love stung almost as sharply now as it did then.
When my phone dinged, I pulled it out of my pocket. My heart picked up when I noticed there was a private message from Mason.
Mason: You emasculated my dog.
I laughed. He’d seen the picture.
Mia: Can you emasculate a dog?
Mason: You can when you dress him up as a cat.
I could imagine how his voice would sound if he was saying those words to me, gruff and irritated. Would he also think it was cute or funny? I wanted him to. I wanted to bring a little lightness to his day.
Mia: I think it’s cute.
Mason: You would.
I couldn’t stop the smile that stretched over my face. He was talking to me and it felt a lot like banter—or flirting. No. That couldn’t be. Everything he’d said to me that day at my house was measured and short as if he didn’t like to talk to people. He didn’t want to reveal anything to me. Not Everett’s home life, the reason he needed a dog sitter, or how hard deployment was for him. Not that we knew each other well enough for that, but I was curious. Something about him called to me, making me want to know more.
Mia: There’s nothing wrong with dressing up on Halloween.
I looked down at my black robe and pointy boots. I stood, taking a selfie, sending it to him with the caption:
Mia: See? Halloween is fun.
It took a few seconds for his response. Would he think I was ridiculous for sending him pics? Was it weird to want him to look forward to our interactions as much as I did? I checked the picture I sent. I’d held the camera higher than my head, so it was pointing down on me. I was looking up at the lens through my eyelashes, an impish smile on my face like I knew a secret he didn’t.
Mason: It’s cute.
Mason thought I was cute? He didn’t seem like the kind of man who’d say something like that. Was it the distance or the ease of messaging that allowed him to relax a bit? I bit my lip, trying to think of what to say next to keep our conversation going.
Mia: Do you dress up for Halloween?
I’m sure he didn’t. He seemed too cool, too aware of himself, to relax and be silly. I want to loosen him up.
I closed my eyes and imagined what he’d look like if we were having this conversation in person. Would his face be stoic, or would his lips be twitching into a smile? I hoped it would be the latter.
Mason: Fuck no.
I laughed before putting my phone aside to greet the approaching family. They lingered for a bit talking since we were neighbors.
The number of kids trick-or-treating picked up. I couldn’t check my phone at all. When it was dark, the teenagers came around with their scary costumes and large pillowcases of candy. Some neighbors didn’t like it when the teenagers came around, but I thought it was good for them. Better than them getting into trouble. Most of the kids recognized me from being in their school at one time or another. They got a kick out of a teacher dressed up.
“Everett, is that you?” He wore an Iron Man costume without the mask. I couldn’t see who else he was with, but I suspected it was the kids I’d seen him hanging around with at school. I hoped this meant he was making friends. I’d been keeping an eye on him in school. Sometimes he seemed to eat alone, other times with friends.
“Yes.” His friends ran ahead to the next house. He looked after them but didn’t move to follow them.
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“Would you like me to take a pic of you in your costume and you can send it to your dad?”
He looked behind me through the glass storm door where Stark stood wagging his tail. “Do you want to see Stark?”
“If that’s okay.”
“Of course, it is.” I placed the cauldron of candy on the porch so kids could get what they wanted then opened the door for Everett. “Come on in.”
Stark pounced on Everett before he’d entered the room knocking him back a step. It was funny because he never jumped on me. Stark licked his face causing Everett to laugh. I was stunned for a second because I’d never seen him smile much less laugh. Then I pulled out my phone, snapping a pic to send to Mason.
How could his grandparents not understand that Everett needed this dog? As much as Stark had been an amazing companion for me, he should be with him.
Everett told him to get down. Then he knelt on the ground, petting him. His shoulders were relaxed, his expression happy.
He stood abruptly, brushing Stark’s fur off his costume. “I’d better get back to my friends.”
It wasn’t lost on me that his friends hadn’t waited for him. “You can stop by and see him anytime you want.”
“I don’t live close to here,” he said softly. “One of the parents dropped us off here because this neighborhood is supposed to be the best for candy.”
I was hoping his grandparents lived nearby so he could stop by. “We’ll figure out something. Go catch your friends.”
I didn’t know how it would be possible. I couldn’t bring the dog to school, no matter how good of a therapy dog he’d be. Before heading out to the porch, I sent Mason the picture.
Mia: Everett was so happy to see him.
Once my candy was gone, I took off my makeup and my costume before settling into bed. Stark climbed in next to me and I petted him absentmindedly while I checked my messages.
Mason: He looks happy.
Warmth spread through my chest that he’d responded.
Mia: They were so happy to see each other. I wish they could see each other more often.
Mason: I do too.
I chewed my lip, wondering if I should tell Mason about the kids Everett was hanging around. How he’d been called down to the principal’s office a few times for minor things since the last time I touched base with Mason, disrupting class, swearing, making fun of another kid. His seat had been moved away from the child he’d made fun of, he’d been reprimanded, both orally and in writing. I’d received the signed disciplinary report from the grandparents, but when I’d left a message to discuss his behavior, they hadn’t responded.
They were his guardians, but Mason was his father. I knew he said it bothered him to hear from home and really, what could he do from there?
Mason: Is he okay?
I had to be honest with him even though it had to be hard to be so far away from his son while he was having difficulties.
Mia: He’s gotten into some trouble at school.
Mason: Is it the kids he’s hanging around or is it him?
Mia: I’m not sure. Sometimes he’s eating lunch with kids, sometimes he’s by himself. I check in with him to see how he’s doing, but he’s quiet. He won’t tell me what’s going on.
Mason: Yeah, he’s like me. He won’t open up.
Mia: What about his grandparents? They haven’t come to anything yet—conferences or orientation.
Mason: They won’t. They agreed he could live with him but refused to do anything else. They don’t have time.
He wasn’t a dog. He was a child who was missing both parents. I placed my hand over the pain in my chest. Pain for the child I’d been and for Everett. I knew what it was like to grow up with guardians who weren’t interested in being involved in your life. My aunt and uncle weren’t happy when I came to live with them after my parents died. At least Everett would have his father when he returned from his deployment.
Mason: I want to finish this deployment, get my discharge papers, and come home. This is how it has to be for now.
Mia: I get it. If I can do anything to help, let me know.
Mason: You’re doing enough as it is. You care.
I’d been told several times that I was too involved with the students, worried too much about their home life. To be told that I was caring versus meddling was nice. His easy acceptance of my intentions prompted me to be honest with him.
Mia: I do care. Do you mind if I ask more about his mother? He mentioned she left a few months ago. I routinely get involved with kids going through divorce or something hard at home and I think Everett fits into that category. I’m curious if his mother is still in the picture? If she’s still talking to him or dropping in?
Everett mentioned she’d left but he hadn’t provided any more details. My parents hadn’t intentionally left me, but as a child, I’d felt abandoned, nonetheless. I don’t think I’d realized that until I was doing my internship in college. As part of the classroom portion, I had to be a “patient” with another student counselor. She’d struck a nerve with her questions. It was an exercise that ripped something open in me that day. I remembered being loved, being the center of their attention, which made the lack of connection with my aunt and uncle more acute.
Mason: She’s gone. Didn’t want to be a mother anymore.
My heart squeezed painfully. I covered my chest with my hand, trying to dull it. One thing I gave credit to Mason for was that he was brutally honest.
Mia: I’m so sorry.
Mason: It sucks she did this before I deployed but we’ll handle it. We’ll be fine.
He could keep saying that, but it didn’t make it true.
Mia: I’ll keep an eye on Everett for you. And for me.
Mason: Thank you.
That boy and his home life burrowed into my soul and wouldn’t let go. I saw myself in him.
My aunt and uncle couldn’t have their own child for a long time. It was a source of stress in the house when I moved in. I was only eight when I’d moved in, but they talked about wanting a baby, not a child. I felt a bit like an imposter, like I didn’t belong. I wasn’t wanted.
When they were able to have a son, Corbin two years later, they were ecstatic, but I withdrew inside myself. The school counselor tried to reach out to me, but I wouldn’t talk. How could I admit that any love I’d felt was from my parents, but they’d died?
Making sure Everett was okay was something I was doing for him, maybe even myself, but not Mason.
Chapter Four
Mason
Life on an aircraft carrier was tough. With over five thousand people on board, most weren’t allowed on the flight deck. Most were unable to see the sun for weeks. The flight deck was hot and dangerous. Flying was an escape and the only thing that relieved some of my anxiety about being gone from Everett.
On previous deployments, Rebecca was home with him. I didn’t have to worry. He had a mother who could provide for him better than I could. I wasn’t the best dad. I was barely around and when I was, I couldn’t seem to connect with him. Now that Rebecca was gone, I was his sole parent. The responsibility weighed heavily on me. I felt the pressure to do more, to be better, but I couldn’t do anything for him stuck on this ship.
Mia had messaged several times since Halloween about Everett acting up at school. To me, it seemed like attention-seeking behavior. I hated not being there to do something about it. Everett claimed it wasn’t a big deal, the teachers were overreacting. He hadn’t said anything about Mia, but I knew she’d met with him a few times. Hopefully, she’d get through to him.
I’d caused so much trouble in middle school, my parents sent me to a military high school. At first I was angry, but that changed when I learned about the Naval Academy Prep School. I wanted to be a pilot, but only the midshipmen with the best grades and record were given that opportunity. It was the motivation I needed to straighten out. Even though it was a good experience I wouldn’t send Everett away.
“Hey, man.
You still looking to get out once we’re back?” Rick asked at dinner.
I’d discussed it with Rick since we had always discussed staying in for twenty years. “Yeah, I think so. Rebecca’s gone. Everett’s having a tough time dealing with it.”
“That sucks.” He ate a bite of his sandwich, chewing, and swallowing before continuing, “Not sure if you’re planning on sticking around Virginia Beach, but one of my older brother’s friends works at Cole Security Forces. The owner and most of the employees are retired Navy SEALs.”
“But I’m not—”
Rick shook his head. “You don’t have to be a Navy SEAL. My friend, Mark, said they need a second pilot. I got the impression it wouldn’t be full-time at first but if you proved yourself it could turn into that.”
I’d asked around. Airlines routinely recruited Navy pilots due to our extensive training and experience. However, new pilots worked the undesirable routes which could have me away from home for days at a time. I’d have to ask my parents to watch Everett. I wasn’t sure they would and I wanted to be home for Everett in the evenings when he was home from school. “Would I be gone for long periods of time?”