Scream For me

DAPHNE

“What’s going on, Daph?”

Xana looks at me as she tosses her bag into the booth and takes a seat. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever after you just ran off to Florida. I’m still mad at you by the way for making me have to reach out to your dad to find out that information.”

“I know I owe you a serious explanation.” My shoulders drop, feeling like I can finally tell her everything that’s been going on. “But you might want to buckle up because it’s pretty wild.”

I explained to her how after Weston and I had been intimate, I found out about Natalie because she showed up to talk to me, then I told her the entire play-by-play of how I was fired and Weston found out and took matters into his own hands.

Xana’s mouth hangs open. She hasn’t said anything in several seconds. “Holy shit,” she finally says, reaching for her water. “Holy fucking shit,” she repeats herself, shaking her head like it’s going to make everything I just told her make sense.

“Yeah.” I laugh awkwardly. “It’s been a crazy few weeks. I’m so sorry I didn’t explain things earlier. I just felt-well, completely fucking insane honestly.”

“Yeah, I’d say. Damn, I just thought that you and Weston had a fight or he broke your heart or something, but this is so much more. How are you doing now? Are you okay-like actually okay?”

“I am.” I let a long overdue sigh of relief I feel like I’ve been holding in for a month. “I am. And please, don’t think I didn’t want to tell you all this because I didn’t trust you. I wanted you to focus on your engagement and your happiness because you deserve that so much. Plus, I needed some time to figure out how I felt about everything.”

“I get it. No need to apologize.” She reaches across the table and grabs my hands. “You’re my best friend and I’m always going to be here for you. I know that sometimes it takes time to come around and other times all you need is just that person to sit with you, saying nothing at all. So where are you and Weston? Are things good there too?”

“We are. I-I screwed up.” I hesitate for a moment. “I fell in love with him.”

“Oh my God!” She flattens her hands on the table.

“But it worked out because he fell in love with me too and actually, he said it first.”

“Don’t scare me like that!” She playfully swats at me. “Aw, Daph, you guys are in love? That makes me so happy. Wait, so you guys worked out the Natalie thing then?”

“Yeah. We talked about it and she ended up apologizing to him and me. The funny thing is, I’m pretty sure she’s messing around with Preston.” I laugh, remembering them making out behind the school. “Anyway, I go back to work tomorrow and I moved in with Weston and he wants to get married and have babies like yesterday.”

“Well, that escalated. Wait, you’re not…?”

I shake my head as I sip my iced coffee. “No. I only just stopped taking my birth control like a day ago.”

“Wow, so you’re doing it? You’re going to be a mom?” Her eyes well up with tears the second she says the word mom and it makes me laugh. “I’m going to be an aunt?”

“Stop it. I’m not pregnant yet, but yes.” I smile. “I realized that this is how it’s supposed to be. I was meant to meet him. I feel like I finally have that kind of love I have always wanted. I didn’t know what I was missing before and I don’t say that to talk negatively about what I had with Carson because what I had with him was exactly what I needed at that time in my life. My dad told me something eye-opening for me. He said, you can love somebody with every part of your being and they can love you back just the same but no love you experience with someone will be the same. It’s almost like different people unlock different parts of your heart and I think that’s beautiful.” “HEY, YOU’RE BACK!” Preston pokes his head into my classroom.

“I’m back,” I say a little nervously. I have no idea what everyone was told about my absence. I came into school an hour before the kids arrived so I had time to put my stuff away and think about what I wanted to say to them. I know as first graders they’ll have forgotten any of this happened by lunchtime today but still, I want them to know that I missed them and I’m back for good.

“Are you okay? Back for good?” He steps into the room, walking over to my desk with a genuine look of concern.

“I am. Can I ask, what were you told by the administration as to why I left?”

“Nothing.” He shrugs. “There was a rumor that you just quit, but Mr. Fein said that you no longer worked here and that there wouldn’t be any further explanation. Now he’s up and gone.”

“Crazy, right?” I don’t feel like explaining everything right now. Who knows, maybe I never will. “Well, I’m not gone as you can see. I took some time off but I’m back and here to stay.”

“Well, good, we missed you.” He turns to walk out, but then pauses and turns back around. “Hey, random question, but do you like bubble baths with rose petals and champagne and all that?”

“Um…” I’m a little shocked at the forward question.

“Oh, shit. Sorry. Not like you but like women you. Do women like that kind of stuff? I, uh, I want to surprise this new woman I’m seeing and I thought doing something like that would be super romantic but she’s super successful and a little older than me so wasn’t sure if that was lame.”

“Ooohhh.” I smile, realizing that things with him and Natalie must still be going on. “Yeah. I don’t think you can ever go wrong with a romantic gesture like that. I think any woman, especially one who is successful, will enjoy a night where she can be pampered.”

“Cool.” He nods his head. “Anyway. Thanks, Daph. See you around.”

By the time my day has ended, I’m exhausted. The emotions were high at school. My students were so excited to see me and have me back that it overwhelmed me and made me cry.

“Hi, Grandma!” Daisy runs to Regina from where she’s sitting with me while I organize my desk.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Hi, sweetheart, you ready?” Daisy runs back to her desk to pack up her backpack while Regina walks up to me.

“How are you doing, dear?” She looks at me with a heartfelt warmth in her eyes.

“I’m okay. I’m happy to be back.”

“I bet. I know Daisy is happy as well. It’s all she’s been talking about. Listen”-she grabs for my hand and squeezes it-“I know he’s my son so this is biased, but Weston is a good man; he’s loyal and he loves you. I see the way he looks at you. I noticed it from the first time I saw you two together. I warned him against breaking your heart because I was worried he wouldn’t see what was right in front of him but I’m glad.” She chokes back a tear. “I’m glad he realizes it.”

I’m not sure what to say back to her. I don’t know where this is coming from. My guess is he must have told her that he loves me and that I’ve moved in with him.

“I appreciate that. I love your son too and your granddaughter, more than I can express. You raised an amazing man.”

She fans her face, squeezing my hand one more time before turning toward Daisy. “Okay, little one, let’s get going. Tell Miss Flowers bye.”

I wave at Daisy as she slides her backpack on and grabs her grandma’s hand. She waves at me with a big smile. “Bye, Mom. I love you.” My heart feels like it’s going to burst.

“HEY, NICK, HOW ARE YOU?”

“Evening, Miss Flowers, I’m doing okay. How are you?”