Page 229 of The Silent Note

I speak slowly and firmly. “A teacher’s job is to teach and I have never faltered in that area. I have always encouraged my students to be respectful to me, to their families and to each other. During my time at Redwood, I was eager to teach in the classroom, eager to inspire, eager to give these kids the tools that they’ll use long after they’ve left Redwood behind. My hard work shows through their results. Their grades improved, their thirst for knowledge and interest in literature soared, and they’ve come back with impressive pre-college test scores.”

The Vice Principal temples his fingers, saying nothing. He can’t. The evidence is right there in my students’ files.

“I have been professional and earnest, holding those in my class to the highest academic standard. As you said, my relationship withonestudent will overshadow all of that. This is the road I chose to take and these are the consequences I’ll bear because of it. However,” I lean forward, my eyes determined and my voice steady, “I was adamngood teacher and my students are going to excel because of the short time they spent with me.Thatis my legacy at Redwood.”

His eyes dart away and he lifts my resignation letter. “I hope ‘one student’ was worth everything you had to lose, Miss Jamieson.”

I nod slowly, trying to hide how my fingers are trembling. The Vice Principal’s judgement is written on his face and I can only imagine how the rest of my co-workers are feeling. I’m glad I already cleared my things out of the teachers’ lounge.

With nothing left to say, I turn and walk out of the office with my head held high. Guilt is nibbling at the corner of my heart; however, I faced a yakuza head and stood my ground. If I didthat, I can hold my head high in front of the staff at Redwood Prep easily.

To my surprise, the receptionist’s area is empty except for a six-foot-three student who unfolds himself from behind the receptionist’s chair and stretches his long arms to the ceiling.

“Zane?” I whisper in surprise.

His eyes follow my gaze to the chair that he’s occupying. “Oh, I asked for the room. I wanted to be here when you were finished with your conversation.” He stands, walks around the desk and rubs up and down my arms. “You okay, tiger?”

“Yeah.” My throat has a tight lump of emotions, but I’ll be okay. “There’s no going back now.”

“Nope.” He studies me intently.

“I’m saying goodbye to Redwood for good. I won’t ever be back.”

Zane flashes me one of his signature, charming smiles. “Are you sad you won’t get to be eighteen with me anymore?”

“Maybe,” I admit with a small smile.

“Don’t be.” He pulls me toward him and gives me a hug. I rest my head on his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart. At once, I feel calm.

“From now on,” Zane promises, “I’ll be the one living like I’m twenty-four. No, like I’m thirty-four. I’ll be as reliable as a fifty year old and as steady as a seventy-year old. I’ll protect you like I’m sixty-five and cherish you like we’re eighty.”

“Now you’re just throwing out numbers,” I mumble.

He runs his thumb over my scar and then kisses it. “Are you ready for your new life, Mrs. Cross?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I answer.

“I’m not ready,” I say, three days later when I see the two lines on the pregnancy stick. I’d taken the test after missing my period—just to rule it out, but I hadn’t actually thought it would come back positive.

Cadence and Dutch have been trying to get pregnant for ages and maybe some part of me thought we’d have that same result.

The two little lines tell me otherwise.

Still in shock, I drive to the hospital.

A nurse takes my information when I walk in and points me to the waiting chairs. There are mothers sitting with swollen bellies. Some are alone. Others are with their partners. They all look extremely excited.

“First time?” an older woman turns to me, rubbing her stomach.

“Uh… I’m not sure.”

She laughs. “This is my seventh.”

“Seventh? Wow.”

“Yeah. The first one almost killed me. The second tore me up, but it got easier from the third onward.”

My eyes widen to twice their size. Did she mean for that to be comforting? Because it wasn’t.