Nothing Less

Chapter Fourteen.

Songs for this chapter are:

Night Changes- One Direction

Assassin- John Mayer

What Do You Mean- Justin Bieber

....

                   

"He's just upset," I turn to Tessa to explain. "His feelings are hurt that you asked me to go instead of him. I think he really wanted to be there for you, that's all." I open the drawer on my desk and search for my car keys. My drawers are a mess. Markers, staples, a stack of homework to grade... no keys.

Addy's report card is on top and I can't help but smile looking at my six-year-old's first grade report card. Perfect A's across the board, except one B, in her Social Studies class, the very same class that I happen to teach. She's like her mother, using her smile to wrap me around her finger, but when she doesn't do her homework, or rushes through it to play with Shopkins, I can't let it slide. If she wasn't my favorite little girl in the world, she would have a C.

            Tessa is standing at the side of my desk. The classroom looks like a war zone. Following my lesson plan, we planned trips for my students to learn how to tell directions. We made little steering wheels and I make a mental note to bring Jed, our janitor, a coffee in the morning to apologize for the glue stuck to the desks.

            Tessa places her hands on her swollen stomach. It's outgrown her body, my nephew will be here any day. Her blond hair is lighter from the summer sun and all their trips to the lake with Tessa's family. We met them out in Tessa's hometown twice this summer and took the girls up to the lake.  Tessa's mom's husband is a pretty cool guy and the girls loved hearing his silly stories around the fire each night we camped.

When I say camped, I mean my family camped and the Scott's stayed in a luxury RV. They invited us, but we wanted to go camping. A little time in nature is good for the soul. Well, the Gibson soul at least.

            "He drives me crazy when he does this. There's no sense behind it," Tessa huffs and sits down behind my desk and swivels the chair to face me. "This is our second child and he has a signing tonight. His publisher scheduled it months ago and this was the doctor's only appointment for the next two weeks and I have to find out the sex of the baby before my shower," she takes a deep breath and rotates the chair again.

"Do you want to explain to your wife why she has to cancel my baby shower? Because I sure wouldn't." Tessa shoots me a pointed glare and I stare at the picture frame on my desk.

            My beautiful wife on our first family vacation. Her hair a mess around her head and her arms lifting our two-year-old into the air. Addy was so small then. The smile on her face is filled with pure joy. As innocent as she looks in this picture, I know better than to have her cancel Tessa's baby shower, because of me. Or Hardin. Well, it would be pretty convenient for this to be Hardin's fault.

However, I would still be guilty by association. It usually goes that way in our square. To be fair, when Tessa came home with tequila on her breath, before her pregnancy of course, my wife was usually behind it.

            I open the last drawer and turn to Tessa. "I understand what you're saying. I'm not saying it was okay for him to leave in the middle of his own book signing, but I get why he did it. If my wife was finding out the sex of our baby, you better believe I would trek across thousand villages to get there."

            Tessa laughs, turning my chair in a slow circle. My classroom is empty, school has been out for twenty minutes, and I still can't find my keys. Today's my day to pick Addy up from her girl's group and her mom will be on set all night. She's been working late every night this week, coming home with sore feet and a headache. I worry about her, but I know she knows what she's doing.