Free Living With No Regrets by Jayton Young

to like he was stupid?  He knew the rules and the laws about open enrolments and procedure for late enrolments.  His family had always been very prominent in the community.  He had taken his father’s place as president of the Rotary Club, and they had also been donating money to the school system and medical clinic for years.  He was about to tell her exactly what he thought until Leigh quietly put a hand on his fist, glancing his way to let him know she would handle it, before turning back to her.
    “It’s not like you gave me the chance to tell you anything Lexi,” Leigh said in her calm, soft voice before Lexi cut her off.
    “You can call me Ms. Peters or Principal Peters.”
    “For a person to gain a title of respect, in my book, they have to earn it.” Leigh replied gracefully.  “You have not earned that respect from me, Lexi .” Seeing that her point had been made, she continued.  “Now, as I was saying…I was not given the opportunity to tell any of you who Randy was, but even if you had given me the chance, I would not have just thrown Russell’s name out to you.  It shouldn’t matter who a child’s mother or father is.  No child should suffer for their parent’s perceived wrong doing.  The child is innocent.  That being said, even though I am a pariah in this town, my son should not be.  He did nothing wrong.  If anyone were to spend even two minutes talking to him, they’d fall in love with him; seeing him as the precious gift he is.  I should have never had to have Russell come here.  I wasn’t going to, actually.  I was going to pay for a private teacher to home school Randy, but he wanted to be able to interact with other children his age.  Now if he will have to deal with being made fun of or bullied because of me, then I will send him to the Christian Academy in Greenville instead.”
    “And my donations will go wherever my son goes.” Russ added.  He was proud of the way Leigh had handled it - she had not changed in that area – she had never let her anger or upset get the better of her as he did.  Leigh had always handled everything with poise and grace.  But he knew that the school system depended on donations because the state budgets had been cut a couple of years back.  He figured his money would get through to them more than what Leigh said, as unfortunate as that was.  “Actually, I think the Christian Academy is the better is the better option for Randy.  It’s sad that you would do this to someone who used to be like a sister to you.  I admit that for a long time I let my anger get the better of me, and only very recently have I seen the error of that, but Leigh did nothing to you or anyone else in this town.  Though I could see y’all being disappointed in her misperceived actions, I never meant for everyone to turn on her.  Even as angry and hurt as I was back then, I never wanted that or understood it.  Now we will leave you to do whatever it is you do when school is not in session.”
    Russ stood up, grabbed Leigh’s hand, and told Randy it was time to go.  Before they walked out of the office, he turned back to Lexi and Amy.  “Since I know for a fact that y’all like to gossip, make sure you spread the word.  Anyone who treats Leigh or Randy with anything but kindness and respect, they will have a problem with me and my parents.” With that parting remark, he headed out to Leigh’s SUV that they’d driven to the school, still holding onto their hands. Russ liked how it still felt natural to hold her hand.  ‘Was it really just yesterday afternoon that I was so angry with her?’ he wondered.  Even though he knew that he’d felt that way for years, it’s like it was all gone; as if it never was.
     
     
    Leigh was speechless.  Russell had actually defended her in there.  Going in, she had expected for his to just acknowledge the fact that Randy was his son and was to be treated as such, but he’d gone so far beyond that.  He