Page 24 of Paper Flowers (Stonebrook #1)

Nina and William are going home today. I woke up early to make breakfast. I opened the pantry to get the tin box of index cards where Juliette kept her recipes.

I picked out homemade waffles and blueberry muffins.

I let Sadie make the blueberry muffins, and I worked on the waffles.

I brewed a couple cups of coffee for us and poured my daughter some orange juice.

The four of us sat at the kitchen table and enjoyed our breakfast. The blueberry muffins Sadie made came out exactly the way Juliette would make them.

Thank God, she wrote down the recipe. I’ve missed these so much.

Sitting here together, I mention to Sadie that she’ll be starting therapy with Dean tomorrow.

“What do we talk about?” Sadie asks as she’s coloring in her coloring book.

“Anything you want to talk about, princess.” She looks at me with her cute scrunched up thinking face.

“I think I want to talk about my new book Amelia Bedelia, she wants a new bike. I think I want a new bike too.” I let out a chuckle, “Oh Sadie Girl, maybe for Christmas you and I can get bikes and we can ride around town?” Her eyes go wide and jumps up and down with glee. “I can’t wait, Daddy!”

Saying goodbye to Sadie’s grandparents gets harder each time. “Will you be coming back next week?” Nina asks while putting on her cardigan.

“I’m going to stay home from work with Sadie next Thursday.” Thinking about Juliette’s anniversary coming up leaves a knot in my throat.

“Oh, that would be good for you two.” William chimes in from the staircase with their luggage.

“Juliette’s grass has begun to grow and I can’t help but notice a coincidence…

” I give him a surprised look as he sets down their things next to the door.

He stands there with his hands open for a hug.

Sadie is sitting on the porch reading her new Am elia Bedelia book.

She’s keeping her distance until the very last minute.

Nina and William pull up the handles to their luggage and wheel them out the front door and meet Sadie on the porch.

“I’m going to miss you Grandma and Grandpa.”

“I’m going to miss you more, Slim Sadie!”

“Can we FaceTime once you get home?”

“If we let your grandmother have it her way, she’d FaceTime you right now. So we’ll give your dad a ring later tonight.” William says as he gives Sadie a gentle hug.

“I love you both so much.” Sadie squeezes her grandparents and they head to their car. “Drive safe, and let me know when you get home, I love you guys.”

Walking through the office doors, Mrs. Emily spots the container of blueberry muffins in Sadie’s hands.

“Did you bake those Sugar Bear?” She stands up and walks around her desk to greet Sadie.

I glance at Dayna’s office and it’s dark.

I haven’t spoken to her since Saturday and it’s the longest we have gone without talking since we started texting every day.

Dean walks through the office and gives a comforting smile to Sadie. He will be pulling her out of class at 8:30 today to get their sessions started. She tugs on my button-up shirt and I look at her. Pulling my dress pants up a little, I crouch down to her level. “What’s the matter, princess?”

“Do I have to talk to him right now?” She whispers to me. “No, he’ll come and get you when you’re in class.” I can see the apprehensiveness in her eyes. “After your session, I want you to stop by my classroom.” She nods her head and agrees to that idea.

I look at the clock above the whiteboard and it’s 8:50.

Sadie should almost be done with her session with Dean.

My students are working on their book reports.

They have to choose a character from their favorite novel and make their own book cover for it.

I used an example of Charlotte’s Web, a classic novel.

I drew a web and Wilbur on the cover, horribly, might I add.

There are books stacked high on my students’ desks and poster boards are spread out on the floor where they’re working.

My door opens and Sadie walks in quietly and Dean trails behind her, my students look up from their work. One student, Hazel, asks if she can talk to my daughter. “Only for a few minutes.”

The two of them walk over to Hazel’s desk. I let my class know I’ll be stepping outside for a moment.

With the door open and my class still in the line of sight, Dean begins to talk about their session.

“Today we started slow. Walked around campus and talked about all of Sadie’s favorite things.

She is a really great artist, Luke. She drew some flowers and they look so realistic, full of details.

” She has been coloring since she can hold a crayon.

She got that trait from her mother and it’s amazing.

“We didn’t talk too much about her mother’s death but she did bring up the fact that the anniversary is coming up.”

“Yeah, next week.” I say as I peek inside my class, Sadie is coloring on one of my student’s posters.

“Woah, woah, you know you need to color your own work Miss Hazel.” I let out a laugh and shook my head.

The students giggle and go back to their work.

“She’s a bit closed off, but that is to be expected when we have to talk about heavy things.

Our next session will be next week but I’d like to talk to her in the afternoon.

When the morning jitters are gone. I’ll get her back to class. ”

“Thanks, Mr. Carter.” I shake his hand and I call Sadie over. I give her a kiss on the top of her head and she heads back to class with Dean.

I took a deep breath before entering my class, that wasn’t too bad. I’m still on the fence about him but I can’t let what he did to Dayna judge his professionalism towards me and Sadie. As much as I would like to punch him in the face for ever hurting Dayna, we have to be adults at work .

I take a seat at my desk and bring out my phone. I type out a quick message and lock it. I ask my students to clean up to start their math assignments and they all groan. “Math is a great subject, you’re always using it.” I call out as you hear the commotion of paper shuffles and chairs moving.