Jessie & Elizabeth (abandoned)

16. As Gay as It Gets [Part 1]

Surprise! I commissioned the selfie Liz & Jessie took in the last chapter. It's made by the very talented serphena on tumblr. Do you guys like it?

Obviously, I told the kids their mom and me had sat in a tree the moment they came home from their grandparents. Though Elizabeth's eyes had shot daggers at me, she'd basked in the attention the three gave them, asking her all about it like she'd done something as exceptional as visiting the moon. After some pleading from Ari, Elizabeth gave in and took all of us back to the park. There, she raced Ari to the top of a short oak while Camille buried her face in my legs, afraid to watch, and Manon paced to and from, caught between excitement and nerves. I didn't think I'd ever seen something as amazing as this; Ari giggling hysterically, Elizabeth continuously checking if she was okay yet still determined to come in first place. In the end, they were sitting next to each other a few feet up, obscured behind all the brittle leaves, and it was almost impossible to imagine they'd ever had trouble bonding.

Life changed drastically after that. Whatever had gotten into Elizabeth, I hoped with all my heart it was here to stay. She reduced her work hours from practically always to only thirty-two and was surprisingly disciplined in ignoring her phone on her days off. She seemed lighter, more prone to laughter, and I liked thinking I'd had a hand in that, though I probably didn't. Even Hakim, who had become my friend after all those hours of tutoring, had commented that she seemed happier, after being surprised she accepted his invitation to have lunch with the two of us. Miss Schneider had noticed it as well, cornering me in the bathroom one day, armed with a sponge and a bucket of soap. "Something's up with the boss," she'd said, "you don't think she's err — been rolling around the hay with a gentleman, do you?" I hadn't considered that yet, and I didn't particularly want to either. I'd been mildly successful in telling myself my stomach would get tired of all those backflips before long now, but it was harder to ignore the way my chest constricted at the idea of Elizabeth with someone else. In any case, I couldn't imagine her finding the time to get some on the side, unless she was satisfied with some very bad and quick hetero sex. Besides, I was sure she would've told me. Right?

It was a Wednesday afternoon, and Elizabeth was marching across concrete tiles to the Montessori school's front entrance, with me trailing behind her, trying to keep up. Just half an hour ago, I'd been sprawled out in the armchair in her office, having been stranded there after bringing her a cup of milk with some coffee, contemplating her hopefully non-existent dating life. I'd just been scrolling through TikTok while she typed away on her laptop furiously, constantly sending me annoyed glances, when she got a call from the school.

At first, she'd gone rigid — "Is this about Manon?" she'd asked, and I'd known what she was scared of. She'd been stalling her much-needed confession to her eldest, getting snappy and defensive every time I brought it up. If I hadn't noticed the freezing terror in her eyes whenever we discussed it, I might've gotten annoyed. I guess nobody would look forward to breaking their kid's heart and confusing them even more, but it was a necessary evil to prevent further scarring. Finally, I'd told her Hakim and me would be taking the youngest two and his seven-year-old cousin to the children's museum in Richmond on Saturday and that it would be an excellent time for her to do what she had to do.

The call wasn't about Manon, though. It was about Ari. She was fine, but apparently the teacher had some concerns about her that couldn't wait any longer. Which, truthfully, didn't surprise either of us. After all, this was Ari, the one I'd caught trying to climb onto the roof only twenty-two hours before and who'd stolen my phone some days before that.

Elizabeth pushed against the bulky glass door. It didn't move. She huffed, giving it another shove, then produced a frustrated groan. "Do they fucking lock this thing so the children can't escape?"