Who would have ever guessed that overhearing some gossip would ever make me happy. It would have made me ecstatic if I did not have Mr. Jones by my side. From that gossip, I learned that Emerson finally returned from paternal leave. Knowing him, he must be so excited to come back to teach. I caught word of that gossip in first period so, as soon as the bell rang, I rushed over to his classroom.
He was cleaning his whiteboard when I barged in and yelled, “Emerson!”
My old science teacher turned to me in surprise before smiling. “Deborah, long time no see.”
I missed that sweet and cheerful smile of his. As I approached him with a smile mimicking his, he pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and grinned.
“I am now officially one of those old men with a picture of their child in their
