Sweet Destiny

Bond

Entering the classroom, my ears are greeted with excessive chatter, squeals and laughter. I head straight to my desk with my supplies then I write my name on the board.

By now some students have stopped talking but others are yet to notice me. I perch on the edge of my desk and clap my hands twice.

That does the trick as silence fills the room.

"Good morning class. I'm Miss. Adams your English teacher."

They chorus a very loud response.

"Now I know you're all excited to be back to school, so I have an activity to kickstart the day. Are you guys ready?" I ask excitedly.

They clap and shout yes in response.

I explain that each student will get a chance to talk about their most memorable moment during the Summer break. They all squeal and are eager to start the session.

The class consists of 20 students, 12 boys and 8 girls. After an hour of stories, only 3 students remain, Josiah, Aria and Juliet.

Aria opts to go last, she seems very nervous but was in awe as each student reminisced about their holidays.

Twenty minutes later, Aria stands before the class looking very unsure of herself. I stand beside her, holding her hand for support as I'd done for other students.

She grips it tightly, and a small pout forms on her face.

"Its okay Aria, don't be nervous." I coo to her gently.

She looks up at me and shrugs. "My summer wasn't very exciting like all the other students."

I smile gently and stoop to her level. "It doesn't have to be exciting. But how about you tell me about something you enjoyed doing?"

Her eyes gleam with excitement and with that she faces the class.

"My summer was fun with Olivia because she taught me how to bake blondies and scones!" A chorus oh and ahhhs slip around the room.

"Olivia took me to the waterpark every weekend and when she was going to London I went with her."

Aria speaks fondly of Olivia and explained their London adventures which left the class awe struck. However, her next words caught me off guard.

"I really wish my Daddy could spend time with me but he's always busy working and I don't have a mommy like you."

She's twisting her hands and her eyes are now downcast. When she looks up at me, her eyes are filled with tears. I quickly grab a tissue and wipe her face, pulling her into a hug.

Surprisingly, all the other students file up from their seats hugging both of us. They also reassure her that she'll be okay.

I'm moved by how compassionate they are, yet I'm pissed at her father! He must be an asshole to not realise how much his absence is affecting this poor baby!

Once everyone settles back into their seats, we begin doing sight words and reading activities. This helps me to gage their mastery levels and identify any challenges they have.

Luckily, they are all well grounded so I know this academic year will be very competitive.

The bell rings approximately 40 minutes later for lunch break. All the students rush to the cafeteria except Aria.

She retrieves her lunch kit and begins to unpack her lunch. I approach her and take a seat smiling.

"Hey Aria, is there a particular reason you prefer to eat here alone?" I ask.

She purses her lips and sighs. "Sometimes I get sad because I wish I had a Mommy, but I don't want other kids to be sad because of me."

My heart skips a beat and tears well in my eyes. I pull her into my arms and hug her tightly as she starts crying.

Rubbing my hands through her hair, I try to comfort her as her tears soak my top.

" It's going to be okay my sweet girl, don't worry about anything." I struggle to keep my tears at bay but my voice cracks.

Moments later Kairo rushes inside laughing but the moment he sees us , his face falls.

" Whats wrong Mommy?" He asks worriedly.

I outstretch my right hand amd hug him to me. A plethora of thoughts are now running through my mind, but the most important one strikes a chord: Is this how Kairo really feels but hides his emotions when I talk to him?

I smile sadly, "Oh baby, this is Aria. She's a little sad because she doesn't have a Mommy like you do."

His eyes bulge in shock but his response shocks my ass! Kairo rubs Aria's back in a comforting manner then hugs her.

"I know how you feel Aria, I don't have a Dad but I have the best Mom in the whole wide world!" He state confidently.

This time, I couldn't contain myself as I sniffle and cry at how mature my son is. Aria's tears eventually subside and she looks at Kairo, her lips quivering.

"I'm sorry you don't have a Dad. Thank you for trying to cheer me up." She hugs him briefly, the exchange further causes tears to cascade down my face.

Within minutes, Aria begins laughing at whatever Kairo says to her. He then pulls her off my lap and they head to my supply closet.

I grab a tissue from my desk to clean my face up then watch as they place crayons and pictures unto the desk. I'm totally forgotten as they color the photos and converse with hushed whispers.

One thing is certain though, these two will definitely be inseparable from now on. Grabbing their lunches, I place it before them, "Remember you both need to eat, and you better eat your veggies."

They both pout but I leave no room for arguments as I sit by my desk to eat. I retrieve my diary and make a note to speak to the guidance counselor about both of them.

Looking up, I see them exchanging fruits while giggling about whatever it is that 6 year olds find funny.

I smile at them, feeling better that Kairo is able to help Aria feel better and get through her sad moment.

Lunch ends and fate intervenes once more as Kairo and Aria have the same Physical Education class! They squeal excitedly, Kairo grabs her bag and they leave hand in hand after hugging me.

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