Chapter 49: Chapter 49
One year later…
“All right, boys and girls. That is enough for today. We will pick up with Ramona’s story tomorrow afternoon. For now, go ahead and get your backpacks on, and let’s line up at the door.”
Groans filled the air as twenty-two fourth graders followed their teacher’s directions despite wanting to hear what happened next in the story. They stood and walked to the cubbies where their backpacks were hung and politely took turns getting their belongings before making an orderly line at the door.
Ru took a deep breath and looked lovingly at her students. Even though she’d made the same prediction every year since she started teaching, she had had a feeling about this group of kids from the very beginning. And she was right. They were the best group of fourth graders she’d ever taught.
The bell rang and she wished them all a good weekend, gathering up the four students who went to daycare and walking with them down the hallway. It was her duty to make sure all of the fourth-grade daycare students got in the right buses or vans. She met up with a few from the other fourth grade classes and headed down the hallway.
On the way, she saw a familiar face. “Hey, Ira!” she called out to the fifth grader who also rode a daycare bus. “How was your day?”
“Great! You should see the project I’m working on in science class. It’s awesome.”
Ru couldn’t help but smile. He was doing so much better interacting with other people. “I’ll have to stop by and see it.”
“Did you have a good day today?”
“I did, thank you for asking.”
Ira beamed, and Ru was so happy to see the social skills lessons were working. Even a year ago, it never would’ve crossed his mind to ask her how her day was. Ira’s daycare bus was waiting outside of the double doors at the end of the hallway. “Have a nice weekend, Ira,” she called, holding up her hand. He gave her a high-five and headed out the door. Ru wished all of the rest of the daycare riders a good weekend by name and then headed back down the hallway.
The population of Reaper’s Hollow was growing quickly enough that she’d been able to take a position at Thomas Elementary without Cindy Lewis, the teacher who had taken her class over the year before when she’d gone to look for her mother, having to find a new position. Cindy had become a great friend, and Ru really enjoyed working with her and the woman who’d taken over for Cutter last year. Of course, it was great to get to work with Candace again. They were back to their old ways, squaring off against Jane Owen whenever they had the chance, though she seemed a lot nicer now than she had before. Either that or she didn’t bother to pick on Ru anymore since she clearly wasn’t the fragile flower she’d been a year ago.
Because of the increase in student numbers, fifth grade had needed another teacher, too, and Ru was happy to recommend a friend of hers for the job, one that was familiar to Mrs. Long. He had made the perfect fifth grade science teacher, and the principal was pleased with his performance. Ira and the rest of the students clearly agreed that his class was the best. Though it was a little awkward for Ru at first to see him every day, considering their past, she soon got used to it. Despite the fact that their relationship hadn’t turned out the way either of them had expected, she definitely counted him as a friend now, and it had turned out to be much better than the alternative.
On her way back to her classroom, Ru decided to swing by the fifth-grade hallway to check out Ira’s project and check in on her new friend. So far, he’d done a good job of fooling everyone into thinking he had some know-how at this even though his teaching experience was incredibly limited, despite what his resume said.
Finding his door open, Ru popped her head in. He had his back to her, studying something on his desk, and Ru couldn’t help but smile. Even though things hadn’t worked out, there was no doubt he was an attractive man.
He turned and their eyes met. A slow smile spread across his face. “Hey, Ru. How are you?”
“Good,” she said, stepping inside. “Glad it’s Friday. Did you have a good week?”
“Yeah, you know, I think I’m really starting to get the hang of this.”
She giggled at the merriment that danced in his eyes. He really did look truly happy. A year ago, she wouldn’t have thought that was possible. “I just stopped by to see if I could check out Ira’s project.”
“Oh, yeah. It’s right over there.” He gestured at a table in the back of the room and Ru headed in that direction. “Be quick though. I’ve gotta go.”
Ru saw Ira’s name in front of one of the experiments on the back table. A glance into the beaker told her they were growing sugar crystals, and he had a good start on his. She was impressed. “You have plans?” she called to the front of the room.
The screech of his desk drawer opening had her turning her head. “Yeah, I do,” he replied, pulling out his lunchbox. “Actually, I have a date.”
“A date?” Ru hoped she didn’t look too surprised. She walked back toward the front of the room. “With whom?”
Before he could answer, a voice at the door caught her attention. “Are you ready to go?”
Ru turned to see Candace standing there. “Candace?” If she was surprised before, now she was shocked, but she smiled nonetheless.
“Hi, Ru,” she said, a sheepish smile spreading across her face as she stepped inside. “Yeah. We’re just going to see the new Star Wars movie.”
“Cool,” Ru said, still not sure what to say. “Well, don’t let me keep you.”
“You’re… okay with this right?” Candace asked. “I mean, I would’ve mentioned it before. I just, wasn’t sure what to say.”
“What? Oh, yeah. I’m totally fine with it,” Ru assured them. And she knew on the inside she absolutely was. “We only went out a couple of times. Please! Go. Have fun!”
He grabbed his jacket off of the back of his chair and his attaché case out of the closet, and Ru followed him to the door. Once they were all out, he pulled it closed behind them.
Ru caught his eyes and saw a twinkle there. She never would’ve imagined he could be this carefree, this full of life. “Thank you, Ru. For everything,” he said quietly before taking Candace’s arm and heading off toward the exit.
“You’re welcome,” she called. “You two have a good weekend!”
They both turned and smiled over their shoulders, and Ru couldn’t help but let a grin spread across her face. They both deserved to be happy, and she was glad they had a chance of finding it together.
Before she turned to head back to her own classroom, she stopped to look at the placard outside of his classroom. “Mr. Kyle Dawson, Fifth Grade Science,” she read, letting out a little giggle. Out of habit, she gave the ring on her left hand a spin and headed off to collect her own belongings. She, too, had a date that night, and even though they’d been married for six months, she didn’t like to keep Cutter waiting.
* * *
Ru pulled her car into a spot between Rider’s car and Cutter’s truck and grabbed her purse and lunchbox. Angel Grove was looking better and better all the time, thanks to the hard work of her cousin-in-law. Someday, she hoped he’d finish the house he was building for himself out back, but for now, she was happy to have him on hand for the types of emergencies Cutter wasn’t so good at, like leaky faucets and clogged pipes.
Cutter greeted her at the door, taking her bags from her and hanging them on the hooks on the wall before his lips found hers. He took her breath away, and Ru would’ve forgotten their plans and let him sweep her up the stairs if they didn’t have an important engagement to get to.
“How was your day?” he asked, his hands encircling her waist.
“Fabulous,” Ru replied, meaning it. “And yours?”
“Not too shabby,” he replied. “Stocks are up, and I’ve gotten two more prospective clients.”
Ru couldn’t help but smile. It turned out shooting beams of light out of his palms wasn’t the only magic Cutter could perform. He was a whiz at day trading, as well, and had already built up quite a clientele teaching his skills to others. “That sounds amazing.”
“Are you going to change before we head to your parents’ house?” he asked, his hands still firmly in place.
“I think I better. One of the kids got ketchup on my skirt at lunch.” She glanced down at the crusted red splotch and shrugged.
“Such is life,” Cutter reminded her. “I thought I smelled something McDonald’s-esque.”
Ru giggled. “At least we’ll be driving the right direction at rush hour. I know how you hate New York City traffic.”
“Hey, I grew up in a town with one stoplight,” he reminded her. “Los Angeles is a little different than the Big Apple.”
She couldn’t argue with that. “Okay. I’ll change, and we’ll head out. Are Lyric and Ivy still going out tonight?”
“Yep. They’ll meet us at the in-between around 11:00. Lyric said they’ve got a lead on a Reaper near Poughkeepsie.”
“Cool. If we can get him, that’ll make eighty-seven since the portal closed.”
Cutter nodded. “That’s right. And so far, no new portals. Hopefully, we’ll have all of the Reapers claiming unmarked souls completely wiped out in a few years. And then… what will we do with all of our free time?”
A sly smile spread across her face as Ru took a step forward. “I have a few ideas.”
Cutter’s mouth found hers, and Ru parted her lips, welcoming him in, still feeling the tingling sensation from his touch she’d felt that first day in the copy room.
“Hey! That’s not what the foyer is for!” Rider’s voice boomed from across the room, and Ru jumped back, startled.
They turned to see him laughing as he headed for the stairs. “I’m just kiddin’,” he shouted. “I told you that Ru was a keeper, Cutter.”
“That you did,” Cutter agreed, rolling his eyes at the silly joke. “That you did.”
“It never gets old,” he shouted, now at the top of the stairs.
Ru laughed and rested her head on her husband’s shoulder, thoughts of who she was the day he’d met her lingering for a moment before she brushed them aside. With so much ahead of her, there was no longer any reason to dwell in the past. For Rune Roberts Michaels, the future was full of promise. If she was remembered for anything at all, she hoped it wasn’t for the portals or defeating Thanatos but for having the strength to take her fate into her own hands and creating the life for herself she’d always dreamt of, surrounded by her friends and family where any darkness that crept in was quickly banished with just the flick of her wrist. That was the legacy Ru wanted to leave for those who would follow in her footsteps.