Lessons Learned (37 page)

“That’s some rock on your left hand,” Matt announced, making us all laugh. “I want an invitation to your wedding.”

“And we want an invitation to your college graduation.”

“You got it.”

I stepped away from Lucas, and was immediately enveloped in Debbie’s arms.

“I can’t thank you enough,” she whispered against my ear. “Your mother would be so proud of the woman you’ve become. So proud.”

Not trusting myself to speak, I smiled through my tears.

Lucas’s arms found me once again, and he stood behind me, pulling me close to his chest, while we watched Matt and his mom walk hand-in-hand toward their car.

“Don’t be nervous,” Lucas whispered, squeezing my hand as we pulled into the parking lot of Riverdale High School.

“I’m not nervous.”

I was such a liar. I was a complete wreck because I wanted this so badly.

We
wanted this so badly.

Riverdale was a two-hour drive from Sycamore Falls. It was a college town with a population of nearly twenty thousand people. It was thriving, which was evident by the beautiful new high school that had just been built, which would be opening in August.

It wasn’t a small town, but it wasn’t a large city, either.

For us, it was perfect.

Finding it had been a complete accident. While I was handling the wedding planning, Lucas had glued himself to his laptop, checking out real estate websites and searching for houses in our price range. We’d found the beautiful white house in Riverdale, complete with a wrap-around porch and a lovely view of the mountains.

It was hard to escape the mountains.

The house was perfect, with four bedrooms and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen. I was in love, but neither of us was eager to make an offer with unemployment looming. The realtor, sensing she was losing a sale, immediately told us about the new high school. We drove straight home and applied online. The very next day, we each received phone calls, requesting interviews.

The stars were aligning.

As long as I didn’t blow this interview.

We walked hand-in-hand into the lobby of the high school. It still smelled of fresh paint, and construction workers were still milling around, putting last-minute touches along the baseboards and hanging pictures along the walls. It was only early May, but it looked very close to completion.

The office was brightly lit and painted with a soft, mint green. The secretary smiled brightly at us, and then we both jumped when we heard our names.

“You must be Lucas and Sarah.”

We looked toward the principal’s office to see a woman standing in the doorway. She looked around my age, dressed casually with her hair in a ponytail.

“Come in,” she said, smiling and waving us inside. Surprised, Lucas and I looked at each other. “I figure you’re a package deal, right? So, I might as well interview you both at the same time.”

Relief flowed through me and we followed her into her office.

“Please excuse the mess.” She picked up a stack of files, making a place for us to sit in the two chairs facing her cluttered desk. “We’re still trying to get things organized. I hear power drills in my sleep, I swear.”

We laughed nervously and took our seats.

Smiling brightly, she introduced herself. “I’m Phoebe Hamilton. I’ve lived in Riverdale all my life. I actually went to high school in the old building. That place has been around since my father had been a kid, if you can imagine. We needed a new school so badly.”

“It’s a beautiful building,” Lucas said.

“We’re very proud of it. The current principal is retiring at the end of this school year. He was
my
principal when I was in school, and I’ve been his assistant for a couple of years. Many people say I’m too young to lead my own school, but I’m ready to prove them wrong.”

Phoebe took a deep breath and smiled widely.

“This is probably the most unprofessional interview ever, but I don’t believe in intimidation. If you work here, we’re a team. I am on your side—always—as long as you love your kids and do your job.” She shuffled some papers on her desk. “This is why I was so excited to see your application, Sarah. Your reputation precedes you.”

“Great,” I mumbled.

Lucas reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze.

“It
is
great,” Phoebe said with a nod. “I knew your name sounded familiar, so I did some digging. The fact you’re still in the profession after what you encountered in Memphis proves to me you are exactly the kind of teacher I want in my school.”

I sighed with relief. “Thank you.”

“And Lucas,” she said with a laugh. “How a Yankee ended up in a place like Sycamore Falls is a story I
really
want to hear someday, but your evaluations are flawless and you come highly recommended from your previous placements. I’d be honored to have you, as well.”

We offered her our resumes, which she examined closely. She asked each of us questions, listening intently and making notes in our files. Throwing caution to the wind, Lucas explained why he left New York, and I told her all about Matt and the circumstances surrounding our decision to leave Sycamore High School.

It was the only time throughout the entire interview when Phoebe Hamilton was speechless.

“You see it on television all the time,” she said quietly. “Kids being bullied to the point they see no possible way out. We are a profession ruled by test scores, and sometimes, we forget there are bigger lessons that need to be learned. Sometimes, teaching tolerance and love is far more important than teaching them about chemical equations and Robert Frost.”

Lucas and I shared a smile—a smile that plainly said we would gladly beg this woman for a job.

Luckily, the stars aligned, and we didn’t have to.

Chapter 28

“Graduation is a bittersweet time, when we take the time to remember our past while looking forward to our future.”

    Howie had practiced his Valedictorian speech for nearly a month. He’d written it, revised it, and written it again. I’d helped him with the grammatical errors, but the words were all his.

It was probably a hundred degrees inside the gym, which was filled to capacity. Once the bleachers were full, people had begun to line the walls. High school graduation was as important a tradition as Friday night football games, and the town had practically shut down in anticipation of the ceremony.

“We have the opportunity to make new friends, and we have the chance to remain close to the friends we love. It’s strange, thinking there are faces in this crowd I may never see again. We’ll go to different schools. Some of us won’t go to school at all. Some of us will move far away, and many of us will stay right here in Sycamore Falls. I will be attending Winslow Community College before transferring to finish my Bachelor’s degree. I don’t plan to return to Sycamore Falls to live, but a very wise teacher taught me you never know when life might bring you home, even if it just brings you home for a little while.”

Lucas brushed his lips against my temple, and I smiled.

The students, dressed proudly in green gowns, made their way to the stage, and I couldn’t help but think about Matt. He wouldn’t be walking across any graduation stage; his high school diploma would be mailed to his home.

I couldn’t be disappointed, though. Matt wasn’t. He was healthy and strong and sharing an apartment with Howie in the fall. Howie had proven himself to be a true friend, and I couldn’t have been prouder of him.

A sea of emerald caps were tossed into the air, and with a deafening cheer, the senior class of Sycamore High School went out to face the world.

And so did two of their teachers.

The June skies were beautiful and blue, and the flowers we’d planted last year were finally blooming.

“It’s a beautiful day for a wedding,” Olivia whispered in my ear.

I giggled and closed the curtain.

“It certainly is.”

“Nervous?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more content.”

She smiled wistfully and adjusted the veil on my head. I’d threatened to forego the veil entirely, but Lucas’s mom had found this one in a vintage shop in Manhattan. It was simple and pretty, and complemented my dress perfectly.

“Are you disappointed we aren’t having a bigger wedding?”

Our guest list contained a grand total of twenty people. The wedding cake had two tiers, and we’d only agreed on two because the baker insisted we freeze the top tier for our first anniversary.

“I could never be disappointed,” Olivia said softly. “My son is marrying the girl of his dreams. The girl of his
mother’s
dreams. You make him happier than he’s ever been. If this is the wedding you want, then this is the wedding you should have. And to have it in your grandmother’s front yard, where it all began—”

“Technically, it all began in Mr. Johnson’s hardware store.”

She laughed. “You know what I mean.”

“I do.”

Turning back toward the mirror, I was adjusting my veil when someone gently rapped on my bedroom door. Lucas’s dad peeked inside, smiling brightly when his eyes settled on me.

“I have a very impatient son who wants to see his beautiful bride.”

Olivia and I laughed.

“Are you ready?” she asked gently.

I took one last look at myself in my grandmother’s full-length mirror.

I’d never been more ready for anything in my entire life.

“Dearly beloved . . .”

Pastor Martin was speaking. I was sure of it. He was offering words of hope and wisdom and gratitude, but I was oblivious to all of it.

All I could see was him, and his crystal-blue eyes, standing in front of my grandmother’s house. All I could feel was his hand as he slipped my wedding band against my finger, and all I could hear was his soft voice as he promised to love me until the day we died.

We’d barely finished kissing before our family and friends surrounded us. Aubrey held a sleeping Daniel in her arms while Tommy kissed my cheek and shook Lucas’s hand. Mr. Johnson and his friends from the hardware store congratulated us and gave us a toolset for the new house. Howie arrived with his girlfriend, a pretty girl named Mia, who he’d met in Winslow. Catherine Thomas brought a fruit basket from the grocery store and made me cry when she told me how proud my grandmother would be of me. Even Monica had accepted our invitation, and we had the chance to meet her professor boyfriend.