A Little Too Much | CM

1.05

A few days later and the date was still in the forefront of Lia's mind. She had discovered it was a constant battle to keep her thoughts confined to the work she was marking or the book she was reading and not on Derek and the way he made her feel. 

If she had to try and describe it she would say it was like the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you're watching a film whilst drinking a hot chocolate or when you see a cute cat video on the internet. But it was more than that, it was something she'd never felt before. Not even with Justin.

Sure when they first started dating about a year before Katrina, there was a feeling that she had described to her brother as love but that love was trampled on over and over and eventually turned into fear.

Which was why she hadn't dated since, Lia LaMontagne didn't know what love was anymore.

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One of the things Lia admired the most about her nephew was his ability to talk to and include any kid he wanted, a trait he definitely didn't get from Will. Whether they were friends or had never met before, it didn't matter, Henry wanted to make them smile. Which was how Henry's unofficial after-school club had started.

Whenever he was with Lia afterschool he would wait until about five minutes after everyone had left before going out onto the playground and rounding up any kids who's parents weren't there to bring them back to her classroom where she would make a note of them all and email the list to reception for when their parents showed up.

If the weather was good, they would play outside but if it wasn't they would all get a game out and sit in her room. 

Some days, there wouldn't be anyone but others there could be six and if the weather was particularly bad there could be up to fifteen kids from all different grades in her room, playing whatever game they had chosen.

Then, when either his parents or sitter had picked Henry up, kids knew they could come and sit in Miss Amelia's room until their parents came.

Lia never complained, in fact she kind of enjoyed meeting all different kids but the main reason why she never complained was because she wished someone had done it for her and Will when they were little.

Being from a single parent household, with a cop for a father and no other immediate family, there were countless days when the siblings had huddled under the large oak tree that stood halfway up the school drive in an attempt to hide from the rain. Or days when one of them had forgotten their lunches and then been left hungry for an extra hour after school finished whilst their dad closed a case, hence why there was always snacks in Miss Amelia's room.

So when Henry walked out of her room with his coat on, hood up, ready to brave the Virginia rain to find more kids to join him and Clara, who's mother had clearly forgotten it was her turn to pick the girl up, Lia smiled.

Because of the weather, Lia expected him to return with several kids who's parents were stuck in traffic but instead he ran back in with one boy who appeared to be a few years older but the two were laughing and talking like they had been friends for years.

"It's just Jack today." Henry proudly declared as they both pulled their coats off. once she saw the boys face properly she recognised him and realised why Henry was already friends with him.

"How about you go and find a game to play with Clara whilst I talk to Jack?" Lia said, crouching down in front of the two boys.

"Okay!" Henry said before running over to Clara to get her to help him choose.

"Who's supposed to be picking you up today?" Lia asked Jack.

"My dad, he's probably working." Jack said.