Free A Valentine Surprise by Lisa Page

 
     
     
     
    “Miss Hart, I don't think I'm doing this right,” sighed Allie, a first grader who was struggling with the art project that the class was working on.
    Kendra Hart put her hand on Allie's shoulder. “You are doing great! There is no right way to do it, Allie, just use your creativity.”
    The class was busy working on transforming boxes that once contained shoes or oatmeal into festive pink and red heart covered mailboxes to hold cards and candy for their Valentine's Day party.
    As Kendra walked through the rows of desks looking over their work, she found it interesting how the boys in the class just seemed to slap their boxes haphazardly together, not really caring too much about the finished product. The girls, however, were putting a lot of care into those boxes that would be holding messages of love.
    It all starts so young, she thought, the notion of romance and finding that Prince Charming who will sweep you off your feet and treat you like a princess. Valentine's Day was just another way to reinforce unrealistic expectations of love. Once, she thought she had found her own Prince Charming, but in the end, Mark Woodward turned out to be anything but charming.
    Oh, he started out as a perfect gentleman, holding open doors and pulling out chairs, sending her flowers for no reason and buying her expensive gifts. He spoiled her and made her truly feel like a princess. She had been so looking forward to their first Valentine's Day together. She could only imagine the wonderful things he'd surprise her with on the most romantic of holidays. Unfortunately, the surprise that Mark had planned was to start the new year by breaking off the relationship. She felt like she'd been hit by a truck with the news, completely taken by surprise. They had never even fought, everything was going great. So she thought. It turned out he had been cheating on her. Prince Charming had moved on to a new princess and her name was Ashley.
    “Miss Hart,” a little voice shook her out of her thoughts.
    “Yes, Ashley?”
    The little girl crinkled her nose in confusion. “Who's Ashley? My name is Allie.”
    “Oh, of course it is, sweetie, I'm sorry. Did you need help with something?” Kendra felt her cheeks flush.
    “Isn't it time to go to gym?”
    Kendra looked at the clock as a feeling of panic came over her. Thank goodness some her students could tell time as it seemed she lost track of it way more than a teacher should.
    “Oh dear, yes it is! Boys and girls, please leave your projects on your desks and line up for gym. We'll have time to finish your boxes after lunch at the end of the day.”
    She hustled the class quickly down the hall to meet Mr. Bennett who was standing outside of the gym, waiting for them. She and Josh Bennett had been hired the same day, two weeks before school had started and they became quick friends, leaning on each other as they learned the ropes at their new school. She knew Josh had her back. She also knew that every time she was late bringing her kids down to him, he'd have some wisecrack comment for her. And she kind of looked foreward to it.
    As they got closer to the gym, Kendra could see the twinkle in his eye. “I know, I know,” she said with a smile on her face.
    “Only seven minutes late, I'm impressed! I think that must be a new record. So who reminded you today?”
    Little Allie jumped up and down, her face lit up with a proud grin. “It was me!”
    Kendra laughed as the students ran into the gym. “One of these days, I will remember on my own, mark my words!”
    *
                 
    Later that afternoon, after bringing her students to the cafeteria, Kendra entered the teachers' lounge where she found her friend, Libby, grading a stack of papers while eating a sandwich. “I have news for you,” she told Kendra. “News you probably won't like.”
    “Please don't tell me they are engaged!  Anything else, I think I can handle,” Kendra said as she grabbed her lunch