Scars Left Untold

Surprise, Surprise

Today I'm headed to my classroom for the first time since Covid shut everything down. It's now the next school year and all of my classes are different girls, but a lot of the same people have re-applied. The girls have a long term sub currently, but I'm surprising them.

I get to school at 6:30 and Jack opens my office door for me before rolling me in.

"Oh my god!" I hear someone yell. But it's not just anybody, it's Lily. She gets up from her desk and runs over to help me in.

"Hey Lily!" I say as she helps Jack maneuver my wheelchair through the door way.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming!" She asks still in shock.

"Well, I wasn't sure if it was gonna happen. It all just depended on how I felt when I woke up." I tell her hearing the door shut behind me. She gives me hug and I realize how much I've her hugs.

"You're long term sub...she's interesting to say the least." She says in a low voice before she pulls away. I give her a look of 'oh god'.

"Interesting how?" I ask. She nods to my desk and she's totally taken it over. I'm shocked, but I also understand. She's been their sub since the accident and it's half way into the school year. "It makes sense, she's been here almost a whole year."

"Yeah, but she never talks to me. Ever." She says. Jack clears his throat, not for attention but Lily looks at him. "Oh my god, hi, I'm Lily."

"Hi, I'm Jack." He chuckles and reaches his hand out to shake hers.

"The boyfriend?" She asks with a grin on her face as she pulls her hand back.

"Yes, the boyfriend." He says. She nods her head and smiles trying her best to contain her excitement.

We chat for a bit and catch up and then she asks, "So, when are you coming back?"

"Well, I've talked to the principal and I'm gonna come back after I have this baby. By the time my maternity leave is over, I should be on a scooter which is much easier to manage." I tell her.

"Yay! I've missed you so much!" She tells me.

"I know, me too. But there's more good news." She gives me a face and I continue. "That'll be after winter break. but I'll come in on Tuesdays , Wednesdays, and Thursdays to reconnect with the kids before I come back full time."

"Yay!" Lily says excited. Jack stepped out a few minutes ago to take a phone call.

The bell rung and the day begins. "Do you need help getting to your room?" Lily asks me.

"No, I'm good. Can you open the doors for the kids to come in though?" I ask her as I spin myself around to face the door.

She opens the door for me and says, "Yep, you got it." I get out the door and head to my room. I struggle with getting in the door, but I get there eventually. The room is still the same as last year and the small desk with papers in the corner is still here. I'll have to make that into my station. Jack walks in and takes a few steps.

"Shoes! Off!" I tell him.

"You rolled in here on a wheel chair and you're worried about my shoes?" He says stoping and looking at me.

"I can't function without it, you can live without shoes." I say.

"You and your shoe rules." He rolls his eye with a smile. He walks back over to where shoes are left and takes them off, then comes over to me. "Where's the sub?"

"No idea, I need to talk to her though."

The first girl walks in and one of my girls from last year, Kendall. "Mrs.T!" She says surprised and runs over.

"Kendall!" I say.

"It's so good to see you! We've missed you!" She tells me.

"i've missed you guys too." I tell her.

"Are you coming back full time?" She asks me.

"Not yet, but next semester. I'll be here Tuesdays through Thursday's now though." I tell her.

More girls come in and eventually I recognize most of the girls. I have everyone sit down and I introduce myself to the news girls and explain everything. From the accident to me coming back part time the rest of this semester to coming back full time next semester. I also introduce them to Jack who will be around to help me on occasion when he's not working.

He's managed to work it out with the boys and their manager that he'll need Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays off all the time. But for the most part, he'll be online so he still be around to help me, but he'll come whenever he's needed in person. I'm so thankful for him, ya know? I wouldn't be able to do any of this without him.

At the end of the school day Jack helps me into the car and we head home.

"How are you doing?" He asks me.

"Tired, very tired." I laugh resting my head on the head rest.

"I bet." He looks at me quickly. "I want you to know I'm proud of you. You did a lot today and with everything that's happened so far, you are so resilient and I love you."

"Babe-" I start. But he cuts me off.

"No, seriously Bella. I love you with my whole heart." He takes me hand, his other hand still on the steering wheel. "We've been together about a year now and we've dealt with more shit that people do in a life time in the span of a year." Jack pulls into a parking lot, it's the park where we first met.

"Jack, what are we doing here?" I ask him as he puts the car in park. He doesn't say anything, he just smiles.

He helps me into my wheel chair and rolls me in the park toward the swings where we first met. We get up there and puts the stops down on my wheel chair to prevent me from rolling away.

"Bella, from moving in together to the accident, you have been so strong to deal with it all. Especially when you add on the prying eyes of the public and you being so accepting of Lavender, a child that isn't yours, yet you quickly took on that motherly roll." He tells me.

As if on cue, Lavender comes running up the hill toward us. Once she gets there he gets on one knee and pulls Lavender onto his lap.

"I love you, Lavender loves you, and I was going to wait until after you got better, but after today I can't wait anymore." He fumbles with something in his pocket and laughs a bit. I'm on the verge of tears and chuckle too. He finally gets a hold of it and pulls a small box out of his pocket and confirms my suspicion. "Bella Hale Thomson, will you marry me?" He asks me as he opens the box revealing a beautiful ring.

"Yes, yes, yes." I say as I start to cry. I kiss him and pull him and Lavender into a hug. He pulls away and puts the ring on my finger. In the corner of my eye I see a group and people coming towards us. It's the boys and my family and Jack's family.

I know for the first time that I am exactly where I'm meant to be.