Romance Briefs

Romance Briefs: The Single Parent

You need someone to adore you

The new girl in her 5th grade class had been leaving small gifts on her desk each day since the girl's father had sauntered into her classroom; one day after the official parents-teachers conference. The gifts were usually pins from different horse stables around Kentucky; the Hill 'N' Dale, Claiborne Farm, Lane's End. Yes, the girl's dad did make an impression on her with his tall lean look and his 'aw shucks' drawl, but the girl was a prize in her own right. She was a precocious little scamp with a talent for appearing each day in wondrously unique outfits that only this particular 10 year old could concoct. One day she might show up in overalls, a poodle dress the next and then a variety of makeshift combinations would follow.

"Does your mother dress you?" she asked one day early on in their encounter; well before she had ever had that landmark meeting with her dad.

"No, I dress myself" the girl told her with eye bright, "do you like this shirt? It's my dad's."

"You're wearing your dad's shirt? I see you've accessorized it beautifully with a beaded belt; it's quite fashionable."

"The leggings are mine; I think this is my favorite outfit this week" the girl said proudly.

"What does your mother think?" she asked, trying to find out a bit more information.

"Don't know; she's in Akron" the girl said with not a hint of sadness.

She had been teaching the 5th grade at a small town school in Kentucky; a town where she had grown up and which had drawn her back after getting her degree at Louisville. She loved the feeling of having people know you and you know them, the open ranges, the horses and...the country. Of course, being a single woman, it also meant a shallow pool of eligible men, but the ones she met she liked, but not in a way that would make her want to change her single status.

Then came the girl with the vivid imagination. Her father showed up one day late for their first parent teacher conference. He awkwardly stood at the classroom door and waited for all the kids (there were 14 this term) to file out before he took one step inside. His daughter ran up to him and grabbed him around the waist and then went into the hall, remaining just close enough to hear what might be said next.

"I'm here on the wrong day" he said pursing his lips "I hope you can talk to me if you've got time."

"I've got a few minutes" she said motioning for the tall man to sit down.
"I'd rather not, I got kicked yesterday and those seats look kinda small" he said it with a sheepish, apologetic look on his face that made a powerfully strange impression on her that she could not get out of her mind.

Their talk was short, but mostly about how well the girl was doing and how much she enjoyed having her in class. The man said little, but warmly smiled at each word spoken about his girl. He thanked her for seeing him and then went out to the hall, picked his daughter up and hugged her and then they left.

Then came the week of small gifts brought in by the girl. There was never a note, just pins from various horse stables. After a week of gifts, he again appeared at the door at the end of class. She waited for the kids to exit and, with an excited anticipation that she found surprising, sat at her desk awaiting his presence.

"I hope you like the pins. I didn't write any notes, but you, being a teacher and all, I'd be afraid that my words would sound dumb" he said taking a couple of steps towards her desk.

Rather than ask him to sit in one of the small chairs, she stood up and faced him. "The pins are beautiful; but why are you giving them to me?" she said kindly.

"I was hoping to get your attention; I have been thinking about you." he said shyly.

"You got my attention the day you walked into my classroom." She said looking up to him