| August 13 | Monday Morning |

~ Megan's POV ~

The nerves I felt in my stomach were making me nauseous, but I tried to ignore it for the sake of having a good first day back teaching. I knew I was prepared, but was I ready to take on the task of teaching our youth again? In this day-in-age where public education seemed to be an afterthought for our politicians in charge? Was I ready to compete with testing standards and deal with parents who didn't want to put in the work to help their child succeed?

Okay, calm down, I told myself. You've met the parents and most of them seem more than great. You're in a good district and you have a very bright class. You will be fine.

Sam had groggily wished me luck as I kissed her on the way out this morning. She and Blair would be running the streets of Tampa today, no doubt. I kind of wished I could enjoy the sunny day with them, but Sam needed some alone time with her best friend. It was probably best I was at work.

Palm Vista Elementary wasn't a very big school because of the St. Petersburg population, which I liked. Smaller classes seemed to be a common thing here, which meant more one-on-one time with students who needed a little more time and help. In result, the school itself was also very small, and coming from Baldwin High back in Missouri, my new school was a bit of a culture shock.

As I approached the gymnasium, I could hear the excited chatter of kids, which made my heart flutter. Every morning the kids were directed to the gym before the entry bell, where they would follow their teacher to class.

My hands fell onto one of the doors and pushed it open, revealing a warmly lit room with hardwood floors and plastic bleachers. The sound of chatter intensified as I noticed some children were conversing and talking animatedly while others stayed to themselves. Then I saw my grade and some familiar faces. I hurried over to my class and stood next to the other third grade teachers.

Ethan leaned over. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," I responded. "But excited."

It was nice to have someone like Ethan there who understood first-day jitters and would be my hallway neighbor I could turn to for help if I ever needed it.

My eyes scanned my group as I counted heads and tried to recall my students' names from my memory. Ben, Ashton, Ethan's little girl, Eli... I continued to struggle with a few names but realized there was one face I was missing. Ava. Where was she? I looked down and checked my watch, noticing there were only a few minutes until starting bell. A sadness filled my stomach at the thought of the night I had first met her and her guardian. Was she okay?

Then, before the bell could ring, another little body pushed through the gymnasium doors with an escort by her side. A hand-me-down backpack and rainbow sneakers made their way to my class section as fast as they could while worried, brown eyes stayed fixated on the floor. As Ava sat, those worried eyes left the floor and caught my stare. I watched her worry dissipate for a moment as she raised her tiny hand to wave.

I returned it with a smile.

* * *

The first day of class had been successful in terms of me and my class getting to know each other a little better. We played a third-grade version of jeopardy, wrote letters to our favorite people, and a few other fun activities so that I could determine where we were as a class, which seemed to be a lot of fun for both parties. Now, they were all reading books from my classroom selection for the last thirty minutes as I waited for the right time to escort them to their departure areas.

As I jotted down notes, I couldn't help but continuously glance at Ava who seemed to be struggling to read her selection. I had learned she was behind in almost every subject and was on the cusp of being left behind by her classmates. I could tell she was struggling to read a few words in the book because she would frequently lean over to ask Ashton, who I had sat next to her, how to pronounce a word.

When the remainder of class time expired, I stood.

"Okay everyone, let's return our books and pack up," I announced.

A few kids nearly bolted to the bookshelf while others calmly returned their books as I waited patiently by the door. Once they all gathered their things and lined up at the door, I escorted them out of my classroom. I met up with Ethan outside who was doing the same.

"Well," he started. "How was it?"

"Surprisingly great," I answered.

"See..." He side-glanced me. "You were practically made for this."

I noticed the flirtatious tone in his voice but decided to ignore it. There was no need to entertain the mood he was trying to set.

"So, are you on bus duty?" I asked.

"No, carpool."

I followed Ethan to the carpool line and dropped off the kids who would be picked up by their parents, then dismissed myself from him. Ava stayed behind and sat on a bench alone, forcing me to hesitate to leave.

Don't get attached, I told myself.

Then I walked away and to the bus lines.

As groups of students filed onto buses, I tried not to wonder if Ava would be picked up on time. She looked cleaner than the first time I had seen her, which had been a relief. I hadn't assigned homework today, which meant she wouldn't need to ask for help. There were just so many situations going on in my head about Ava's well-being that I started feeling guilty. I didn't seem to care about my other students this much, but maybe because my other students' parents had shown they cared at orientation.

"Megan?" I heard as I snapped out of my thoughts. "Are you okay?" another teacher asked.

"Y-Yeah," I stammered. "Just... a long day."

All the students were gone from the bus line, which meant I was free to go, but something pulled me back to the carpool line. I quickly made my way over, and when I arrived, my fears were proven true.

There she sat, alone, playing with her car-rider tag hanging around her neck. I feared stepping out of place, but what person with a heart could stand there and not comfort the lonely child still waiting for her ride. I second-guessed approaching her, but did so anyway, gaining a weird look from Ethan whose face was buried in his phone.

"Can I sit next to you?" I asked.

"Yeah."

So I did, keeping a friendly, personal space as I contemplated on what to even say to her.

"You did really well today, Ava," I complimented. "How did you like your first day?"

Her focus never left the tag she continued to study, as if she was afraid to even look at me. All she gave me was a sad shrug. I figured her ride being late was really getting her down. Even eight-year-olds recognized when they've been forgotten. The thought made my heart ache with sadness.

"Lisa's never late on my first day," she spoke.

Lisa? Wait, wasn't that her guardian's name?

"She's probably on her way right now," I reassured.

She was silent again, but I felt the need to hear more of her tiny voice. I needed her to say things that would make me feel better about leaving her today, but I wasn't sure if I would get them.

"You're very nice, Ms. Adams," she said.

"Thank you," I answered. "You're very nice, too."

That's when a car with a dent in the passenger door barreled into the carpool line and stopped abruptly. I felt Ava tense next to me, but she stood regardless.

"That's Lisa!" She started towards the car but hesitated.

"C'mon Ava, your teachers ain't got all day!" Lisa called from the driver's seat as an adolescent boy sat in the passenger playing on his phone.

"See you tomorrow, Ava," I dismissed.

She released a small smile before turning away and climbing into the backseat of the car. Then, they drove away and out of sight. That's when Ethan stood, stretched and put his phone back into his pocket.

"She likes you," he observed.

"Most kids like anyone who's nice to them," I countered.

"Not Ava."

I looked at him as we walked side-by-side back to our classrooms. It seemed he knew more about my student, which of course, interested me.

"Ava was transferred to Palm Vista last year after moving from another county," he informed. "She was relocated to a different foster home after... an incident. This one doesn't seem as bad but... it still isn't great."

She was foster kid. It all made a little more sense now that those pieces had been put together. I had assumed but didn't want to be wrong. And just for a second, a thought crossed my mind. What if Sam and I got certified to foster...

Woah, Megan. Sam hasn't even brought up wedding planning yet.

"Ava took a liking to Ashton last year," Ethan revealed. "I think she's the only one the poor girl trusts. She tells Ashton things about her old home that no little girl should have to know, much less go through."

We arrived back at our rooms as I pondered what Ethan was revealing to me. I didn't know exactly what to do with the knowledge, but I felt the desire to do... something. Anything. I wondered if the sadness I felt for Ava was visible on my face. It had to be.

"Anyways, see you tomorrow," Ethan dismissed himself.

"Yeah, see you," I finished before entering my own room.

Many things were running through my head right now, preventing me from being able to conjure up a coherent thought. I wanted to talk about Ava and her situation, I wanted to know more, I needed to, but how do I do that without crossing a clear line? And was that line mine to cross?

Then I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, snapping me out of it.

Sam: Babe. We miss you. Come home and tell us about your first day!

I took a deep breath and gathered my things and readied to leave. There was no way I could tell Sam about the thought I had about fostering. She was nowhere near ready for that kind of proposal. Hell, I was starting to think she wasn't even ready for our engagement.

I typed back: On my way now. Be home in a few.

Then I glanced one last time at Ava's nametag on her desk and locked my classroom door behind me.

***A/N***

First chapter of 2020? Don't mind if I do. I hope you all enjoyed this update of "Everyday Adventures". This season feels different and certainly more mature, which is always a challenge to write, but hey, someone's gotta do it.

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Lauryn A. Brooks