Forgetting With You by Robin Clairvaux

Author:Robin Clairvaux [Clairvaux, Robin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-27T16:00:00+00:00

18

She’s an extraordinary teacher.

Under the pretense of checking the velvet ropes in front of one of Wolly’s displays, Cam watched Jackie lead her class through the Hilda Spaulding exhibit.

She effortlessly kept up with her students’ random chatter. Sometimes she’d joke around with them, and sometimes she’d encourage a student to expand on a comment, which she would then turn into a group discussion. When things got off-subject, she’d redirect everyone with calm authority. It was clear the young people liked and respected her. Their behavior with Jackie was better than that of some college students and older adults that Cam had seen pass through the museum’s halls.

Cam was so caught up in pondering Jackie’s interactions with her students that she didn’t realize the group was exiting the exhibit hall until it was too late. Two dozen highschoolers shuffled past Cam followed by a young woman in her twenties—maybe a teacher’s aide—and Jackie.

Immediately, Jackie spotted her, and her eyes widened. “Cam! Hi. I thought you only volunteered on the weekends.”

It was true. Cam had never volunteered at the museum on a weekday because of her work schedule, but she’d made special arrangements today because she’d wanted to see Jackie in her element.

As Jackie stood facing her, brows knit in an adorably quizzical expression, Cam almost admitted to checking the schedule and ensuring she would be at the museum on the day Jackie’s class visited. But she chickened out at the last minute. Was that something a friend and casual lover would do? Rearrange her whole day so she could watch her friend from afar? Cam had no idea, so she took the cautious route.

“You’re right,” Cam said. “I’m usually only here on the weekend, but my office was being painted today, and we couldn’t stay because of the fumes. So, I thought I’d come here for a while.”

The office really was being painted, but management was willing to bend their normally rigid rules against working from home for the day. However, Cam had chosen to take the day off instead, even though it meant she’d be working late for the rest of the week. Seeing Jackie had been worth it.

Cam rolled her eyes at herself. Yeah, super casual.

Jackie sent her a broad smile, and Cam forgot whatever she’d been thinking about. “The kids loved the exhibit!”

“I’m glad,” Cam replied, returning the smile. “It was a great idea bringing them here.”

“Thanks, I thought—” The sound of Jackie’s cellphone buzzing with an incoming text cut her off, and she frowned and pulled it from her pocket. “I’m sorry. I need to check this. It’s from my brother. He doesn’t usually contact me during the school day…or at all, really.”

Before reading the text, Jackie glanced down the hall, and called to her teacher’s aide. “Kay, could you take everyone outside to wait for the bus, please?”

When Kay nodded, Jackie returned her attention to her phone. “Conrad says my father’s health has taken a turn, and they’ve called in hospice. They don’t think he has much time left, so Conrad thinks I should come.

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