Devotion Page 9

  My brows pop up. Corey has been working to become a lead teacher for some time now. He had everything in place. He had his master's degree, experience, his national certification. All that was holding him back was a nod from the school's board in the district to give him the new title and the additional pay that came with the promotion. I knew so much about the process because I had been trying to achieve the same thing.

  "Are you okay?" he asks.

  "Ah, yeah. A bit shocked is all."

  "Shocked?"

  "No, not shocked. I guess I wasn't expecting this."

  "So you aren't happy for me. Is that what you're saying?" He crosses his arms. I can feel the tension mounting in his shoulders from where I'm sitting.

  "No, you don't understand. I'm over the moon for you. This is amazing. And you've earned it."

  Corey nods and turns away. "It's okay, Katherine. I didn't expect this news to thrill you. We've both been chasing the same opportunity in a district that doesn't have the budget to pay teachers what they deserve."

  "I'm delighted for you; I swear it. My reaction is coming from a place of confusion. I thought you were calling me in here about last night."

  "Right. I guess you could have been expecting another fight, given the path our conversation took."

  "Yes," I say, locking eyes with him. Has he brushed aside what happened all because he got the promotion? Is this his way of punishing me by gloating about his new position?

  "It's in the past," Corey says. "You had your reasons to assume the worst. I know now not to hide money from you."

  My mouth opens to defend my actions, but I stop myself short. Corey has moved on from what happened in his own manner. Sure, it's only because a promotion has inflated his ego, but I might as well take advantage of his improved mood.

  "Anyway, I just wanted you to know about all of this before hearing it from Annette or someone else. I don't want there to be an awkward feeling between us whenever I have to talk about my new role."

  "There won't be," I say. "I'm your wife and I'm proud of you. They made the right call making you a lead teacher. My time will come when it comes."

  Corey's shoulders drop as if the stress of the conversation has rolled off his back. "Thank you for understanding." He opens his arms wide, inviting me in for a hug.

  I accept and fall into his embrace. The anxiety I had during my swift walk to Corey's room evaporates. I won't be able to shake the thought of our argument from my head, so I'll focus on Corey's excellent news instead. He deserves this result. He works hard. Plus, it's a good reminder that I need to step up my game and not become bogged down with silly arguments.

  "I'd better get going to class," I blurt as we break off our hug.

  "Yep. The little devils will pile in soon."

  I smile in response to his comment. I hate when teachers of older grades assume the young ones are all terrible pains. You can tell Corey has never taught a kid below the fifth grade.

  "I'll see you after school," I say. "That is if Ava and I are still welcome to come home with you."

  "Of course," he says. "But that reminds me. With the new job, I will need to arrive at work at least an hour earlier each day and possibly stay late. That's going to be a lot on Ava, not to mention a pain for you. It might be best if we take our own cars to school from now on."

  "I thought the promotion didn't kick in until next week?"

  "It doesn't, but I've got a bunch to do in preparation. That means longer hours and some extra work at home until I get used to my new responsibilities."

  "Okay," I say, knowing that it wouldn't matter if Ava and I were willing to come in early and stay late with him. It's clear he wants the time to himself. I guess he doesn't want the unpredictable problems that can arise from waiting for Ava and me to get ready in the mornings. We've become a burden.

  "I'll see you later," he says, showing me out the door with a kiss on the cheek.

  I feel the press of his lips against my skin but something is missing. The ferocious love we had for one another in Las Vegas has disappeared.

  What's happening to our marriage?

  29

  Katherine

  The next two days pass by in a hectic blur. Corey gets up and drives to work while I'm still asleep, leaving me to do everything for Ava to prepare her for the day. Normally, he helps make her breakfast and keeps her in line when she doesn't want to get dressed. He even knows how to do her hair. Now it's all fallen to me again.

  Ava and I arrive late to school as expected. I almost had to contact the office and warn Annette I'd miss the first bell. It's not a situation you prefer to be in without a good enough excuse other than to be running late due to incompetence.

  I get Ava off to kindergarten. Before-school care has already ended. When I reach my room in a huff, there are several parents waiting out front with their children ready to tear me a new one for arriving two minutes before the first bell.

  "Sorry I'm late," I say, praying none of them complain to the office or the principal.

  "Do you know what time it is?" asks one of the more argumentative parents.

  I do my best to beg for the collective forgiveness of each person I've disappointed and unlock the door. The rude parent grills me further, chasing me up the steps of my classroom. Again I apologize and give out a weak excuse while assuring the group it will never happen again. What's wrong with these people? They act as if they've never been late to work.

  I settle into the first few hours of the day and let the rush of the morning fall away, hoping it doesn't become part of the routine. This promotion better be worth the extra hassle is all I can say. When the kids head out for recess, I remember that I have a seminar after school and need Corey to take Ava home.

  "Crap," I mutter as the last child leaves the room. I'd never hear the end of it if one of them heard me cuss. I try calling Corey on his cell, knowing he will be available to chat. He doesn't answer, though.

  "Great," I say, tapping away to send him a message instead. I guess he's too busy to talk to me. I draft a quick text, explaining the situation while apologizing multiple times. He is trying to get ready for his new role and I'm making his life harder.

  A moment later, I see that my message is marked as delivered and read. Corey now knows he needs to pick up Ava. What kind of reply am I going to receive? I watch the three dots come up on my screen to indicate that he is writing back a response. The little animation fades in and out for at least twenty seconds. Is he sending me a big lecture for not reminding him sooner about Ava? This is not what I need, especially with my ruined birthday only a day off.

  In a way, I'm glad I told Annette and Corey not to bother celebrating it anymore. It wouldn't feel right, given how badly I ruined things.

  The dots stop their dance and disappear. Is he not even going to bother with any kind of reply? A simple 'okay' or a 'fine' is all I require. Either he's too annoyed at me for the whole thing or he got interrupted by a colleague.

  With a sigh, I figure the problem is out of my mind. I allow the rest of my day to get underway as best it can, though my brain won't stop thinking about the promotion. I've tried my hardest to be happy for Corey, but after some reflecting, I realize I'm lying to myself. Will my thoughts impact on our marriage?

  I'm not jealous of Corey becoming a lead teacher exactly, but I don't understand why I got overlooked for the job. We both applied for the role, helping each other with our applications and the dozen of pages of rambling that came with the process. I never said so, but I thought for sure I would shine through, especially over Corey. I had more experience than him, and the school doesn't need another lead teacher in the higher grades.

  Maybe I'm being petty. He got the job, and I didn't. It's as simple as that.

  The end of the day comes up faster than I expect, leaving me in a frazzle to arrive on time for my seminar. I make it to the class held in the school with the rest of the first-grade teachers. The presentation is all about exciting and creative wa
ys to encourage better writing skills from the students. I get a lot from the two-hour lecture and exit the school feeling positive for a change, eager to implement what I'd learned.

  On my way home, I drop into the grocery store to pick up something to make for dinner. As I approach the automatic double doors, my cell buzzes in my handbag with a call. I fish it out to see the kindergarten's number come up on my caller ID.

  "Hello?"

  "Hi, Katherine. It's Sheryl here. I've been trying to reach you for the last hour."

  "You have? What's wrong? Did Ava leave something behind today?"

  "Um, no. She hasn't left anything behind because she's still here."

  "What?" I blurt out. Corey didn't pick her up. He can't still be at school. "I'm so sorry. There must have been a mix-up with Corey and me. I'll be there in five minutes."

  "We'll be at the front of the parking lot. Goodbye." She hangs up with an annoyed tone in her voice. I can't believe this.

  I go to call Corey, but I stop when I realize how angry I am. Instead of unloading my frustration, I decide to wait until Ava and I get home to ask why the hell he didn't pick her up.

  When I reach the school, I see Sheryl standing with Ava looking rather agitated. I wonder how many times per week this happens to Sheryl.

  "I'm so sorry," I say. "I thought Corey was picking her up, and I suppose he figured the same about me."

  "It's fine," Sheryl says with closed eyes, dismissing my poor excuse. "You're here now. That's all that matters."

  "Thank you for taking care of Ava. I really appreciate it."

  Sheryl speeds along my thanks and apology so she can pass Ava off into my hands and leave. "Please make sure you have a word with your husband. I don't get paid for staying back like this."

  "I will. I'm so sorry. This won't happen ever again. I promise."

  Sheryl climbs into her car and takes off in a hurry. I wonder how the kindergarten teachers, who were also the daycare workers when the school's day transitioned into after-school care, decided who had to stay whenever this happened. It probably never did, though. No one else would be as stupid as me to think a read text message was enough of a confirmation to assume their husband was picking up their child.

  "Where were you, Mommy?" Ava asks as we walk to my car.

  "Mommy was at a seminar. Corey was supposed to pick you up today, honey."

  "Why didn't he come get me?"

  I sigh as I help buckle her into her seat. "I guess he didn't see Mommy's message." I look around and see no other cars in the parking lot. He must be home by now.

  Had he forgotten, or was this something else? Was he trying to punish me?

  30

  Katherine

  When Ava and I come through the front door at home, Corey is on his cell, calling me. My phone stops buzzing in my bag a second after he hangs up. My hands were too full to answer.

  "Where have you guys been?" he asks, confusion lining his forehead.

  "Where do you think?" I say a little harsher than expected.

  He shakes his head with the same look on his face.

  "I had my seminar today after school. You were supposed to pick up Ava."

  "Oh, right. But you never reminded me. I'm sorry I didn't come collect her, but you know I need to be told on the day."

  "I did tell you. I sent you a text."

  "A text? Why didn't you try calling me?"

  "I tried. You wouldn't answer, so I shot you a message. And don't say you never got it, because I saw that it was delivered and read. You even went to reply but changed your mind halfway through."

  "What are you talking about? I never received a text from you let alone started to respond."

  I take Ava into the kitchen and place everything down I bought from the grocery store to make dinner. I told Corey I'd sort out our meals from now on seeing as he had to work longer hours than me.

  "Don't worry about it," I say. "You were too busy to collect Ava. Next time, tell me so I can ask Annette or someone else to pick her up."

  Corey stomps into the kitchen after me. "I didn't ignore a text from you. I never saw one. Here. Look." He passes me his cell and brings up the messaging app. I see a thread between the two of us ending just before the last text I sent asking him to pick up Ava.

  "You must have deleted it," I say, handing it back to him.

  "Why would I do that? Do you really think I would?"

  I try to bite my tongue. It's clear I shouldn't continue to argue like this in front of Ava when I notice her concerned face, but I can't help it. "I don't know. I guess it sounds to me that you didn't want something to interrupt your day, so you pretended not to see my text by deleting it."

  Corey's jaw drops open. He continues to shake his head with narrowed brows. "Do you realize how insane you sound right now? I would never do that. But you know what? I'm not going to stand here and take this crap. Catch you later." He heads for the front door.

  "Fine by me."

  I watch as Corey goes through the motions of his threat, snatching his car keys and wallet. When he's less than a few feet from grasping the chrome handle to leave the house, a knock comes at the door.

  "What now?" he mutters, reaching out to answer. He opens the entrance to reveal Annette standing in the dark with a bottle of wine in hand.

  "Annette?" I say over Corey's shoulder.

  "Hi, guys. Am I interrupting anything?"

  "No, of course not," Corey says. "Come on in out of the cold. What brings you here?"

  Annette walks inside with some caution in her step. Did she hear us arguing? She must have. "I thought I'd drop in for a minute to congratulate Corey on his promotion. I heard all about it in the office a few days ago."

  "Oh, thank you," Corey says. "That's kind of you. Is that what the wine's for?"

  Annette looks down at the bottle and up to me. Can she see the look on my face, the one that shows how horribly embarrassed I am for not getting anything for Corey to celebrate his promotion?

  "Oh this. Katherine asked me to pick up a bottle of your favorite wine to celebrate, isn't that right?" She stares straight at me with a smile.

  I want to mouth a thank you but Corey is waiting to see my response. "Yes. Thank you for doing that, Annette. It's much appreciated."

  "It was no bother. You told me what to get. All I did was pick it up."

  "Right. Well, you still went above and beyond. How about you stay for dinner?"

  "Only if it's no problem for you all."

  "Fine by me," Corey says.

  "Okay," I say, not waiting for Annette to express otherwise. I need her here to stop Corey and me from arguing. I don't want Ava to see it and I can't trust myself after the day I've had. "Why don't you come into the kitchen while Corey relaxes in the living room." I sound like a fifties housewife.

  Annette and I move away from Corey as Ava takes a seat at her tiny table and draws as if she wasn't witnessing two adults yelling at one another.

  "Thank you," I whisper to Annette as we reach the kitchen. "You saved my butt back there."

  "Don't mention it. Happy to help. By the way, what's going on? I feel like I walked through the middle of a crime scene."

  I shake my head as I grab some ingredients I need to make dinner. "Long story."

  "I got time," Annette says as she closes the door.

  I tell Annette to take a seat. After taking a deep breath, I supply her with the evening's drama, feeling nothing but shame with every word.

  "Oh, wow. I'm so sorry for interrupting. I've probably made things worse."

  "No, don't be sorry. You're helping to make a nice buffer between us. We can't argue if there's a guest in the house."

  "That bad?" Annette asks, leaning forward in her seat with the bottle of wine in her hands.

  "Yep. Seems to be this way all the time at the moment. We keep fighting over every little thing."

  "The money was not something little, but I've heard that marriage can be like this at first. I guess it's such a hug
e change in your life. My advice is to push through. Don't let it all get to you. You'll both come out the other side a stronger couple."

  "You think so?"

  "I know so. You two are perfect together. Everyone sees that."

  I stop prepping the meal for a moment and stare at her with a smile. "Thank you, Annette. You're too good to me."

  "Yep. I'm cool, aren't I? How are you doing, by the way?"

  "With what?"

  "You know. The promotion. That's the real reason I dropped in. I knew it wouldn't be easy with one of you getting the position over the other. Especially if the job went to Corey."

  I hold back from yelling out how confused I am that he got given the lead teacher job over me and feel a sense of relief that I'm not the only person who thinks this. "It's been a tough few days. I know I should be happy for him, but I can't help feeling cheated by the whole experience."

  "Yeah, it's a bit odd if you ask me. Maybe I can dig around in the office and see what happened."

  "No, it's okay. I don't want you getting into any kind of trouble because of me. You being here is enough."

  "Okay, I won't interfere. I do, however, insist that you drink a glass of this wine as soon as possible to help ease your mind."

  "That's the best thing I've heard all day," I say with a heavy sigh. "Any chance you bought a second bottle? One won't cut it."

  Annette gives me a cheeky grin. "I've got another in the car."

  31

  Annette

  Last night was amazing. Katherine and Corey were deep into an argument when I arrived. So much so Katherine didn't hear me pull into the drive thirty seconds after she got home. As usual, I wasn't far away—just around the corner in fact—but no one noticed my car in the dark. Not when there was a battle to fight.

  In general, Katherine lets Corey tell her what's right and wrong. But lately, with a little help from me, her true self has emerged. I am showing him her defiant side so he can see what she's really like. By the time I'm finished pulling the wool from his eyes, Corey will thank me for removing Katherine from his life.