Free Spring Secrets: Pine Point, Book 3 by Allie Boniface Page B
Authors: Allie Boniface
suddenly she realized the magnitude of her lateness. They thought I wasn’t coming back. On impulse, she reached down and picked him up, a heavy mass of floppy arms and legs. Then she sat in the rocking chair and snuggled him to her chest. His body tensed, and she waited for him to leap up and stumble across the room. But he didn’t. After a breath or two, he relaxed into her, and together they rocked in silence.
Sienna kept one eye on the twins and the other on the ajar closet door. She continued to rock. Caleb sat at the table and dragged his finger down the first page of his book. After a few minutes, Billy walked over to her, sniffling.
“Miss Cruz, are we gonna do math this morning?”
“Would you like to?”
He gave her a long, soulful look and nodded.
“Yes,” Bailey said from the other side of the room. “I want to do math.”
Well, that was a first. Sienna put Silas on the floor. She sat the twins at the table with worksheets and freshly sharpened pencils and walked over to the closet.
“Dawn?”
Nothing. She pushed the door open a few more inches. “Sweetheart, I know you want to stay in here.” As her eyes adjusted, she made out the girl’s tiny frame in the far corner. Sienna held out one hand. “But I need you to come out now.” Please. “I promise you I will be here for you. I will not leave you, and I will make things as safe as I can inside this classroom.”
As she spoke the words aloud, a memory flashed into Sienna’s mind. Kids teasing her in the lunchroom for the funny food in her paper bag. Sienna waiting on the playground as other kids rushed by her to claim the swings. One boy elbowed her in the ribs, and when she cried out in pain, he turned and made a face. The monitors stood at the edge of the playground and kept their eyes averted, talking about soap operas and restaurants and summer vacation. She wondered if things might have been different if a teacher had said those words to her years ago. I will keep you safe. I will protect you.
“Dawn?”
This time, the figure moved in the shadows, and a moment later, Dawn reached out one sticky hand and placed it in Sienna’s. The girl didn’t speak. But she squeezed Sienna’s fingers slightly, as if to say, “Okay, I’m here. But remember. You promised.”
* * * * *
Later that night, Mike unlocked his apartment with a yawn. He debated watching the Knicks-Lakers game, but he’d already missed the first half. Instead, he tuned his iPod to a rap station and spooned vanilla ice cream into a bowl. Sure wasn’t health food, but he spent enough time working out that he figured he could cheat every so often.
His phone buzzed on the kitchen table. “Going to Jimmy’s later,” Z ane texted. “Stop by.”
Mike rubbed his eyes and yawned again. “Long day. Gonna skip it. Thanks.”
“Pussy. Stop thinking about her.”
Mike gave his phone the bird and kept eating his ice cream. Zane could call him a pussy all he wanted. The bar scene had lost its appeal long ago. His phone buzzed again, and he was about to send Zane a bunch of X-rated emojis when he checked the name on the screen.
“Hey, friend,” Sienna had written. She put a winky face after friend. “ You still up?”
He licked the last of the ice cream from his spoon and set it in the empty bowl. “ Yeah. How are you?”
“Tired. Long day.”
“Bad or good day?” he asked.
“Little bit of both. I overslept and was late to class. The kids flipped out.”
Mike kicked off his shoes and carried his phone into the bedroom, where he stretched out on his bed.
“I’m sure they’ll be okay.”
“I’m sure they will too. Just started the day off wrong.”
“In 24 hours it’ll be better,” Mike typed. Then he erased the words. Too corny.
“How was your day?” she asked.
Mike rested his head on one arm. Was this what friends did? Texted about their day? He’d rather talk to her in person. Of course, if she was actually here in person, he didn’t think
Sienna kept one eye on the twins and the other on the ajar closet door. She continued to rock. Caleb sat at the table and dragged his finger down the first page of his book. After a few minutes, Billy walked over to her, sniffling.
“Miss Cruz, are we gonna do math this morning?”
“Would you like to?”
He gave her a long, soulful look and nodded.
“Yes,” Bailey said from the other side of the room. “I want to do math.”
Well, that was a first. Sienna put Silas on the floor. She sat the twins at the table with worksheets and freshly sharpened pencils and walked over to the closet.
“Dawn?”
Nothing. She pushed the door open a few more inches. “Sweetheart, I know you want to stay in here.” As her eyes adjusted, she made out the girl’s tiny frame in the far corner. Sienna held out one hand. “But I need you to come out now.” Please. “I promise you I will be here for you. I will not leave you, and I will make things as safe as I can inside this classroom.”
As she spoke the words aloud, a memory flashed into Sienna’s mind. Kids teasing her in the lunchroom for the funny food in her paper bag. Sienna waiting on the playground as other kids rushed by her to claim the swings. One boy elbowed her in the ribs, and when she cried out in pain, he turned and made a face. The monitors stood at the edge of the playground and kept their eyes averted, talking about soap operas and restaurants and summer vacation. She wondered if things might have been different if a teacher had said those words to her years ago. I will keep you safe. I will protect you.
“Dawn?”
This time, the figure moved in the shadows, and a moment later, Dawn reached out one sticky hand and placed it in Sienna’s. The girl didn’t speak. But she squeezed Sienna’s fingers slightly, as if to say, “Okay, I’m here. But remember. You promised.”
* * * * *
Later that night, Mike unlocked his apartment with a yawn. He debated watching the Knicks-Lakers game, but he’d already missed the first half. Instead, he tuned his iPod to a rap station and spooned vanilla ice cream into a bowl. Sure wasn’t health food, but he spent enough time working out that he figured he could cheat every so often.
His phone buzzed on the kitchen table. “Going to Jimmy’s later,” Z ane texted. “Stop by.”
Mike rubbed his eyes and yawned again. “Long day. Gonna skip it. Thanks.”
“Pussy. Stop thinking about her.”
Mike gave his phone the bird and kept eating his ice cream. Zane could call him a pussy all he wanted. The bar scene had lost its appeal long ago. His phone buzzed again, and he was about to send Zane a bunch of X-rated emojis when he checked the name on the screen.
“Hey, friend,” Sienna had written. She put a winky face after friend. “ You still up?”
He licked the last of the ice cream from his spoon and set it in the empty bowl. “ Yeah. How are you?”
“Tired. Long day.”
“Bad or good day?” he asked.
“Little bit of both. I overslept and was late to class. The kids flipped out.”
Mike kicked off his shoes and carried his phone into the bedroom, where he stretched out on his bed.
“I’m sure they’ll be okay.”
“I’m sure they will too. Just started the day off wrong.”
“In 24 hours it’ll be better,” Mike typed. Then he erased the words. Too corny.
“How was your day?” she asked.
Mike rested his head on one arm. Was this what friends did? Texted about their day? He’d rather talk to her in person. Of course, if she was actually here in person, he didn’t think