That’s when Mia remembered. Joyce’s niece was one of her seniors who’d graduated the year before. She’d struggled with meeting her graduation requirements, and Mia had personally tutored her and gone to bat for her with her pre-calculus teacher, a man who should have retired years ago. He was well known for having a prejudice against students with disabilities or difficult backgrounds.
Joyce left before Mia could reply.
“Let’s do this.” Mia clenched her teeth and started walking toward her classroom.
It didn’t take long to collect her belongings. She had two boxes that she’d left in the classroom the week before. They used those to pack up what she was taking.
She left most of the books and supplies for the sub to use and only kept whatever had actual meaning to her that she’d bought with her own money. And of course, any of the personal effects she’d brought from home. Just in case she never came back. Even if they did reinstate her, would she want to return, knowing some would always talk? It would be like high school all over again.
The irony was that, this time, she was doing a walk of shame out of the building with Jackson, the man behind her fall the first time.
She held in her emotions until they reached his truck. Once in, he looked at her. She frantically shook her head. “Please, drive. I can’t—not in the parking lot.”
He revved the engine and shifted into Drive, then they left the parking lot without looking back. She could almost feel the accusing glares on the back of her head.
Jackson drove silently for five or six minutes, finally pulling off onto a road leading to an abandoned warehouse. “No one comes down this road anymore.”
That was all she needed to release the tears. Before she knew it, he’d shoved the center armrest into the upright position and gently pulled her toward him. His arms enveloped her. “No one can see you, Mia. No one can hear you.”
She sobbed into his shirt, holding on to him like a lifeline. When she could bring herself under control, he wordlessly offered her a box of tissues. She blew her nose and wiped her face. She didn’t think she was done crying, but for now, she could control herself and talk. She extricated herself from him, and he let her move back to her side. She missed his arms around her but immediately shushed that traitorous thought.
“Thanks. I felt like a criminal.”
“You’ve done nothing wrong.”
The certainty in his voice shocked her. “How can you say that? You barely know me anymore.”
He smiled and ran a soft finger down her face. “I’ve seen firsthand how much you care. For Gus, for your students. You wouldn’t ever do anything to hurt them.”
“Can we walk around?” She peered out the window. “I need to process.”
“Oh, yes. I remember that.”
Her emotions were on overload. She’d once thought he knew her better than anyone. And though she truly had forgiven him for his words, it still hurt that he, of all people, could believe that she’d aborted their child. Even though she knew their actions had been wrong, their child had come to be because she’d loved Jackson more than anyone. And she had loved their baby, as brief as her pregnancy had been.
The instant she stepped out of the truck, the mugginess snapped at her skin. Gravel crunched beneath her shoes, and dust hung suspended in the sun’s rays. Weeds filled ditches on either side of the road. A mosquito whined near her ear, reminding her why walking around in August probably wasn’t the brightest plan she’d ever had. The wildflowers lining the road, however, made her reluctant to return to the air-conditioned truck. She loved wildflowers better than any flower grown in a florist shop.
Jackson began to walk. She matched his stride.
“I have a question,” she said.
“Okaaaay.” He stretched out the word, on guard.
“You seemed so angry today when you saw how they were gossiping. Didn’t it bother you in high school?” She wanted to accuse, but suddenly, she wasn’t so sure of her facts anymore. “I don’t just mean about the pregnancy. You said you didn’t spread those rumors, and I believe you. I mean the way people would stare and make catty remarks when we started dating.”
She’d hated the remarks. Some said the wealthy principal’s daughter was slumming, dating the poor jock. And those were the polite comments.
Jackson kicked a large rock on the path.
“People made snarky comments about me all during high school because they knew my mother had dumped me on my grandfather. Nothing I said or did made any difference, so I learned to ignore the comments.” He halted. “But that was when the rumors were about me. When I heard them talking about you today, I was angry.”
Mia gazed at him for a moment. “I’ve rarely seen you angry like that. The only other time I can recall was the day I told you I’d lost the baby.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry I got so mad. I didn’t realize you’d miscarried. Instead of asking you what happened, I believed the worst. I was guilty and upset, but I never talked about you. You were everything to me.” Jackson’s voice grew tight. “That’s why I went into the military. I couldn’t stand to be here without you, knowing what had happened.”
Mia’s gut clenched. “Jackson, I wanted our baby. Even after you rejected me, that child was mine. It was ours. How could you ever have believed I’d get an abortion? That I would give up our baby. I would have faced any scorn to hold him or her.”
Her lungs burned, each breath sharp like she’d run a mile.