Hetty and Ryan: Overcome

Talent Show

Hetty encountered Ryan Monday morning in the staff lounge, this time making tea. When their eyes met, they both paused and looked softly at one another, as if together exhaling all the tension of Saturday night.

"No coffee today?"

"No, the caffeine might give me a heart attack." He gave her a little flirtatious smile. Hetty dropped her gaze, holding in a smile as her stomach danced. His hair looked like silky, windswept beach sand.

After he had all but given her an ultimatum on Saturday night, Hetty assumed Ryan might be upset with her. But his demeanor proved otherwise.

She got out a mug.

"Coffee or tea?" Ryan asked, as if they were a couple. His natural inclination in every moment was to attend to her.

"I'll have tea with you." She immediately felt embarrassed at having said "with you," as if they were on a date drinking tea together.

He poured the scalding water into her mug and held out a wicker basket of tea bags for her to make a selection. Every interaction between them felt natural, as if they had been together for years.

Waiting for his tea to steep, Ryan tapped his foot and fidgeted his body in an exaggerated manner that was so adorable Hetty could just die. He seemed ramped up - excited, nervous and preoccupied. She wasn't so egotistical as to assume this was purely due to her presence.

"What's going on?" She asked him, amused, leaning in ever so slightly in a gesture of gentle complicity.

"I've been working on a music project with a producer, and I'm supposed to hear back today on whether they are going to move forward with it or not."

"Oh my gosh, Ryan!" she exclaimed, touching his arm with feathery fingertips. He broke into a giant teasing grin, and she immediately perceived that he was laughing at her.

"What?" she demanded.

"Gosh, it's nothing," he responded, involuntarily moving his body into her zone.

Hetty caught his meaning, rolling her eyes as her cheeks turned pink. She recalled how he used to jest her in film class for her innocent word choice of "gosh" instead of "God." The fact that he still remembered such tiny details caused a sensation of pins and needles to prickle her stomach. These moments of connection over memories from their time as a couple felt so intimate, charged with so many nostalgic emotions. As Ryan's body neared hers, she wanted so badly to simply melt into him.

"Let me know when you hear back. I hope it works out." Hetty's voice was caught in her throat, her nerves paralyzed by Ryan's close presence.

After his speech on Saturday night outside the restrooms, she was so nervous he would be angry and distant from her this week. But he was back to his sweet, flirty self. She knew that didn't mean she was off the hook, however.

* * *

Kiara, the student Hetty had been supporting quite a bit this year, was waiting for Hetty outside her office when she returned holding her cup of boiling tea in a shaky hand.

"Hi, Kiara!"

"Can I talk to you?" the eighth grader asked, her eyes wide and alarmed.

"Of course, come on in."

Ryan appeared around the corner holding an envelope. He caught Hetty's eye, jogged down the hall and handed it to her with a sly smile.

"Hey, Kiara." Ryan greeted Hetty's student in a friendly tone, then departed with a bounce in his step.

Hetty was always happy to see Kiara, even though their conversations together were often heavy. Before beginning at Walnut Grove, Hetty had struggled with self-doubt, wondering if she would be able to connect with students effectively having such an introverted personality. Kiara, who battled depression and was facing incredibly difficult situations at home, seemed to trust her completely.