Crayons & Fate

1998

Molly’s small fingers gripped the magenta crayon, her seven year old beating fast in her chest. The side of her hand rubbed over the rough texture of the construction paper as she drew a large heart that filled the beige page. She bit down on her lip as she painstakingly wrote four letters inside the heart as carefully and neatly as possible. The noise of the thirty other second graders was just a faint hum that barely broke through her dedicated concentration. 

When her work was finished she reviewed it carefully. Her masterpiece was simple, and so was her plan. She folded the oversized paper in half and slyly slipped it to her best friend Jordan. Phase one complete. Jordan walked slowly and stealthily across the room and approached the white tower of cubbies, each with a tiny tag that listed each student’s name. Jordan’s eyes quickly scanned the tags, looking for the name that matched what Molly had written inside the heart she drew. With one swift movement, the paper was securely tucked into the slim cubby among graded math worksheets and other returned work. 

Phase two was complete, and Molly let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her anonymous, amorous message had been delivered. Butterflies trapeze around her tummy as she glanced to the other side of the room, where a group of boys stood. Danny stood among them, his blonde hair spiked in the front, grinning to expose a missing tooth. Before Molly could settle into her usual daydream of them holding hands on the playground and her cheering him on in gym class, a voice broke through the chaos of their indoor recess. 

“DANNY! MOLLY LEFT A NOTE IN YOUR MAILBOX!” Jordan screamed. The class froze. Molly felt like she would throw up her pizza Lunchable. This was NOT part of the plan. Her panicked gaze bounced from Jordan to Danny, who looked at Molly, then at his cubby. Molly jumped up from her desk, scurrying as fast as her short legs could carry her. It was no use. Danny was three months older, an inch taller, and he always won the playground races the boys planned. 

Before Molly could reclaim her declaration of love, Danny had it in his hands. He unfolded it so the group of boys could all see, and soon they began giggling in Molly’s direction. She felt her cheeks grow warm, and her stomach churned uneasily. She was filled with embarrassment and anger. 

“I didn’t write that,” she declared as matter of factly as she could manage. No one believed her. 

“Molly loves Danny!” the boys began to sing. 

“I do not!” she huffed back, trying to hold back the tears forming in her blue eyes as the entirety of her second-grade class stared at her. Even Danny was laughing. “I don’t like you!” she said to Danny. 

“No, you looooove me,” he said, turning the paper around to face her. The classroom door opened as their teacher returned from making copies, but Molly couldn’t stop the next words from flying out of her mouth.

“You can go to hell Danny!” she spat with as much venom as a seven-year-old could manage. She didn’t really want him to go to hell, but that’s what her dad said whenever he was mad at her mom, so she figured it would work here. 

It didn’t. Instead, Molly’s teacher walked her down the hall and called her mom. Molly stared down at her brown sandals as her teacher recounted the humiliating events. When she got home, Molly’s mom gave her a thorough lecture and handed down her punishment. Not only would Molly have to write a letter apologizing to Danny for what she said, and to her teacher, she would do it alone in her room, while her family was downstairs watching the season finale of Survivor. Molly argued that her punishment wasn’t fair, and that missing Survivor was a much worse punishment than anything she had done, but her sentence stood. 

14 Years Later

Alison took a deep breath as she walked through the doors of Grant Line Elementary for the first time in over a decade. When she had first reached out to her old elementary school teacher about student teaching for her, she figured it was a long shot, but not only had her teacher remembered her, she was ecstatic to welcome her former student back as an aspiring teacher. Alison checked in at the front desk and followed the distantly familiar white and brown flecked tiled past the cafeteria, through the gymnasium, and to the door of her former second-grade classroom. 

With the start of the school year still a couple weeks away, the halls were quiet. A long-buried memory tugged at the edges of her mind as she took a deep breath to quiet the butterflies fluttering around her stomach. Alison knocked on the opened the purple door and stepped inside her old classroom. It was like a time machine. Though some subtle updates had been made in the room, there were far more things familiar than foreign. 

“Hello?” she asked softly as the door closed behind her. A rustle from a back supply closet caught Alison’s attention. A second later a smiling woman stepped into view. Even all of these years later Alison instantly recognized her beloved former teacher. Her mess of wavy hair was pinned back from her face and she smiled widely when she laid her eyes on Alison. 

“My goodness! You look so grown up!” she said gleefully as she walked over and gave Alison a warm hug. 

“It is so good to see you, Mrs. Kay,” Alison said warmly, a carousel of memories playing through her head. Examining the etching of the Lincoln Memorial on the backside of a penny through a microscope, catching snowflakes on black paper to study their shape, and hatching chicks on Mrs. Kay’s farm one summer. 

“Come in, come in!” Mrs. Kay said, guiding Alison into the room. “Now, you may have to smack my hand on occasion if I slip up and call you Molly,” she continued. 

Alison smiled. She figured it would be an odd transition for her old teacher to call her by a different name, but when she started college she began using her middle name, Alison. Her given name, Molly, just felt too much like a child’s name to her. She was used to people who knew her when she was younger needing time to get used to the change.   

“I hope it isn’t too much of a bother,” Alison said. 

“Oh not at all! I know plenty of people who go by their middle name,” Mrs. Kay explained with a smile, “You just have to give my old mind time to get used to it.” 

“You seem as young today as you did when I was your student,” Alison said genuinely. A few gray hairs may have appeared, and the smile lines surrounding her mouth may have been a bit more apparent, but Mrs. Kay truly did look almost exactly like she had when Alison had sat in her classroom studying fractions. 

“And you’re as sweet now as you were then,” Mrs. Kay replied. She walked Alison to the back of the room where two slim desks sat facing each other. “You’ll sit right here, though I’m sure you’ll spend more time up front than back here.”

When Alison questioned the second desk, Mrs. Kay explained that there would be a second student teacher joining them. He had initially been matched with another teacher who ended up leaving the school. The young man had already submitted all of his paperwork to his university and set up his move, so Mrs. Kay offered to take him on. 

“I hope you won’t mind sharing the students,” she said, “I can promise there will be more than enough for you both to do.” 

“Not a problem at all,” Alison said. She felt grateful to have another student around and she hoped they could stress about their new roles together.  

“Oh and here he is now!” Mrs. Kay said, looking past her towards the door. Alison turned with a smile to greet her new partner in education and found herself a bit taken aback. The young man who entered the room was handsome, to say the least. His blonde hair was styled simply, and he smiled warmly at them. 

“Good morning ladies,” he said as he joined them. 

“Alison, this is my other student-teacher, Chris.” Mrs. Kay said with a knowing smile. Alison nervously tugged the strap of her tote higher onto her shoulder as she reached her hand out to meet his. 

“Wonderful to meet you,” he said, smiling warmly. Alison had to attempt a subtle deep breath before she replied, worried the butterflies in her stomach might fly right out of her mouth. 

“Great to meet you too,” she replied, hoping her cheeks weren’t as pink as they felt.  

“I think you two will make a wonderful pair,” Mrs. Kay declared confidently. Alison was too focused on Chris to notice the mischievous smile Mrs. Kay was sporting. 

10 Months Later

“We’re going to be late,” Alison worried aloud as she hurried across the asphalt. Her heels clicked and splashed against the wet pavement. 

“I know, I know,” Chris replied, “It took me longer to do my makeup than I thought it would.” Alison tried to shoot him a dirty look, but her lips betrayed her with a bemused grin. 

“It’s a big night!” Alison explained as she gestured for Chris to match her hurried pace. 

“I think Mrs. Kay will forgive us for being a few minutes late to her retirement party,” Chris said, jogging a few steps past Alison to pull the door open for her. “After you Miss Molly,” he said with his usual charismatic grin. 

Alison rolled her eyes at his teasing use of her first name, but the butterflies he still inspired in her stomach made it impossible for her to stay mad. She did the same to him whenever he inevitably flustered or frustrated her. Their commonality of going by their middle names was only one of many things they’d found they had in common as they taught together. The pair slowed their pace as they approached the door to their classroom. 

“You look great,” Chris whispered, noticing Alison nervously tucking her blonde hair behind her ears. She smiled at him gratefully. 

They walked into the transformed and bustling classroom. Streamers and balloons were placed decoratively throughout the room, desks were pushed together and covered with tablecloths and an abundance of food and drinks. Chris and Alison mingled with fellow student teachers, staff of the school, and lifelong friends of Mrs. Kay. Guests took turns toasting the beloved teacher and sharing stories and memories. 

“Before I forget, one of the kids stopped by earlier and left a note in your mailbox,” Mrs. Kay whispered to Alison. “You should grab it,” she continued, “I don’t know if you’ll be able to get back in before they lock up for summer.”

“Oh thank you!” Alison whispered back. She had grown so fond of all her students, and she relished the notes and drawings they left her. She even planned on using some of her free time in the summer to compile them all into a scrapbook. 

As Chris stepped forward to speak, Alison quietly slipped behind the crowd and toward the white tower of cubbies, each with a tiny tag that listed each student’s name, as well as the teachers’. She reached into hers and her hand rubbed over the rough texture of construction paper. She pulled it out, turning to listen to Chris’ speech. 

“Mrs. Kay is a wonderful teacher,” he said, smiling at her, “No one could ever deny that she has a lifelong impact on her students.” Alison smiled as she watched Mrs. Kay’s face glow with a proud, beaming smile. 

“I had the honor not only of learning from her over the past year, but also 14 years ago as a scrawny seven year old who hated fractions and just wanted to play basketball.” The crowd laughed as Chris continued. “Needless to say I was happy she was willing to have me back as a student teacher, after my less than stellar attitude as a student.”

As he continued speaking, Alison quietly began to unfold the paper in her hand. She couldn’t wait to see which student had left it for her, and see what cute and creative masterpiece they’d covered the page in. 

“I never would have anticipated all the ways Mrs. Kay would change my life,” Chris said as he began to conclude his speech, “Even if she knew months and years ago that tonight would inevitably come to pass.” 

Alison looked up as she unfolded the rough, tan construction paper, and saw that Chris’ gaze was focused on her, not Mrs. Kay. She blushed slightly at the unexpected attention, and playfully stuck her tongue out at him for a short second. 

“Without Mrs. Kay’s generosity, and maybe a bit of meddling,” Chris said, enticing more laughs from the crowd, “I wouldn’t have met the girl of my dreams.” 

Alison stared down at the paper in her hands. Her mouth dropped open and her blue eyes darted up at Chris. He was gazing at her, a huge smile across his cheeks. As tears started to fill Alison’s eyes, Chris stepped towards her. She looked back and forth between him and the paper. In the middle of the large sheet of paper was a magenta heart, with the words ‘Marry Me’ written in crayon. When she looked up again, Chris was in front of her, on one knee, holding a glittering diamond ring. 

“The first time you said you loved me, I laughed at you,” Chris said, quickly clearing his throat to hold back tears of his own. “You told me to go to hell,” he continued as the group around them giggled, “and that was fair. But I hope that this can start to make up for that day, and I hope I can spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

“Oh my god,” Alison whispered, one hand clutching the note and the other covering her mouth. 

“Molly Alison Davis, will you marry me?” he asked, giving her a smile that took her right back to second grade. 

“Danny Christopher Trenton,” she replied, “I will absolutely marry you!”