Finders keepers

‘Took you long enough’ an angry parent said immediately she walked into the class ‘I’m sorry’ she muttered bowing her head and taking the chair nearest to the door, ‘Bailey?’ Nate said quietly turning on hearing the familiar voice he squinted, trying to get a closer look at her but her dark red hair covered his view of her face ‘Mrs Bailey Simms?, now that you are here we can finally commence with the meeting, where is your husband?, you do know both parents are required’ the principal said briefly removing her glasses ‘Uhm... it’s Ms. and no, he isn’t in the picture ‘Bailey said ‘oh ok....to cut the long story short, you all are here because your kids were caught loitering yesterday’ the principal stated ‘even mine?’ the angry parent asked, the principal removed her glasses and said ‘yes Ma’am, especially yours’ while wearing a tight smile ‘normally I would had gotten them suspended but since it’s a first time for many of them.... well except yours’ she added looking at the angry parent ‘I would want you to get involved in the school dance, yes, I’m asking you parents to chaperone the event’ ‘but Ma’am, I have a tight schedule...I’m working round the clock, weekend’s are my busiest’ Bailey objected ‘would you rather your child gets suspended?, that could be arranged’ the principal cut her short, causing Bailey to sink deeper into her sit. Nate glanced at her, hoping to meet her eyes. ‘If there are no other questions, I would love to thank you all for making it under such a short notice and bid you all good bye. Thank you, see you at the dance on Saturday, further arrangements will be communicated to you’ the principal said putting her glasses back on. Nate hurried after Bailey who scurried like a scared rat out of the school building, ‘Hey, I thought you looked kind of familiar’ he said when he caught up to her ‘look, I don’t have time for...’ she started to say but stopped short when she saw him ‘Nate?...Oh my God, hi?’ she said contemplating between shaking him or hugging him, she later opted for the first believing it would be too awkward for a hug ‘it’s been how long? 8, 9 years?’ he asked giving her the smile that always caused her knees to buckle ’11 actually, I see you are still not good at remembering dates’ she said, her lips housing a pending smile ‘ well I do remember you and I remember the last time I saw you... I snuck out of your room when we heard your dad coming in, you never made it to school from that day onwards’ he said looking at her a bit more seriously, she gulped fully knowing the question that would come next, the bag of worms she would have to open, ‘I have to go’ she said tightening her grip on the bag slung across her shoulders ‘well, don’t be a stranger, this is my address and my phone number’ he said handing her a card, ‘and Bailey’ he called stopping her entry into her car ‘don’t run off again’ he said. ‘Late again I see’ Nate smiled handing her a golden sash that read chaperone, his voice smooth and cool against the high tempo music the student DJ played in the background ‘I had to finish my shift first, My boss was in a bit of a mood today’ she said bending to pin a flower on each kid at the entrance ‘why are you always working round the clock??’ she hands froze and then she slowly got up turning to face him ‘how did you...oh the PTA meeting the other day’ ‘ well let’s just say I dropped out of high school so I’m doing the most my certification allows me and I don’t have time yet to go back to school’, her face softened as the DJ played an old song ‘I see you remember it’ he said taking her hands into his ‘are you kidding?, we danced our way to couple of the year to it’ she said, her eyes sparkling under the dim light ‘I remember everyone thought we would get married..those were good times ‘he said looking at her softly, the look he gave her anytime he was about to kiss her, she removed her hands from his and moved back a little ‘where is your wife and kid?’ she added, hoping he would drop the topic ‘ we are going through a divorce and my kid is around here somewhere, you didn’t call’ he said looking at her intently, his smile replaced by a wrinkle of his forehead ‘oh yes, I have never been good at keeping up with people’ as soon as those words left her mouth she regretted it, knowing she had given him the proper prompt for the conversation ‘that being said, why did you leave suddenly?, your whole family moved out abruptly, you even changed your phone number.. What happened?, is it something I said to you?, it can’t be’ he queried now firmly shaking her arms ‘this is not the right place for this conversation’ she pulled his hands off and glanced around, praying no one was paying attention ‘ I could arrange for a date but I have a feeling you won’t show up, it wouldn't be the first’ ‘I’m sorry for everything, I really am’ ‘if you truly are then I deserve to know why, don’t you think?’ he said folding his hands and giving her the look that always made it difficult for her to lie, she swallowed, not sure she would be able to face his reaction, unsure of how things would change if she told him ‘I guess I don’t’ he said walking out of the hall. ‘wait please, don’t be mad’ she said following him, the evening breeze hit her causing her to shiver, she rubbed her exposed skin which now housed goose bumps with her palms ‘I just want to know what was so important that made you to get up and go without a word to your friends, to me even... did you lie about your feelings for me, was it all clout?’ his said shaking her, a popped vein dividing his smooth forehead into two ‘I got pregnant...’ his eyes widened, the hands clutching her arms dropped ‘I couldn’t raise the child here, Papa was a pastor in the community church, the shame would be too much for my family to bear, I was going to tell you that night when you asked what was wrong but then papa appeared and you had to bolt, we moved the very next day’ she now clasped his hands and brought them to her lips, her tears dropped on them ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry ‘they said simultaneously, she smiled, thankful they still had the ability to jinx their words ‘a she or a he?’ ‘A she, her name is Amber’ ‘after my mom?’ he asked with his hands now around her waist ‘you did love her so much, it was the least I could do’ she said with a smile playing round the corners of her lips ‘dance with me’ he said swaying her to the beat of the slow music playing inside ‘have you been married?’ ‘almost, he uhm...’ she cleared her throat ‘preferred the company of his fellow men’ ‘ouch’ ‘at least he told me before I got my dress, do you know how much those things cost?, I would have been furious?’ ‘That goes to show that you didn’t love him, at least not so much’ ‘I did, but not as much as....’ she paused to look up, into his eyes, searching to know if he felt the same way. He recognised the question, the doubt that clouded her eyes and in response he kissed her, like he planned to do years ago when he would finally meet her.