Page 14 of Russian Daddy

“What kind of man would I be if I didn’t get up to see you off?”

“The sleepy kind?” I grin.

“No, the inconsiderate kind.”

“Will you be here when I come home or…”

He stops what he’s doing and looks at me. “I have to run into the city today. I’ll be back tonight, but it’s going to be late.”

My heart drops and all of the insecurity bubbles back up to the surface. He sees the defeat on my face and takes me in his arms. “I know the timing might seem strange to you, but I promise this is just about work. Last night was amazing, and I plan on having many more nights like that with you. I’m not distancing myself from you or pulling away. I just need to take care of some business.”

“You promise?”

“I do. In fact, I was planning to bring you back a gift from the city.”

“Will you come back here tonight?”

“It’s probably going to be very late. Are you sure you want me to?”

“Yes. Come back tonight. I don’t care what time it is.”

“Alright. I’ll be here. I promise.”

I drop Torin off at Marta’s house then head off to school. I wonder if I sounded desperate when I asked him to come back tonight, but I couldn’t help myself. This is all so new to me. I think this is what falling in love feels like.

When I arrive at school, I find a man seated in a black car in my parking spot. I consider asking him to move, but I’m already running a little late. Sometimes parents park in the teacher slots by mistake so I don’t think too much about it and pull my car into one of the visitor spaces.

As I walk toward the school, I can feel his eyes on me. I want to turn around to see if he’s gotten out of his car to follow me, but I’m frightened by what I might see. I pick up the pace and hurry inside.

Once I make it into the building, I turn and look out the tall, glass windows. There’s no man out there, just children coming off buses. I tell myself that I’m just being paranoid, but my heart is still racing in my chest. Maybe being back in the classroom with my kids will calm me down.

The day passes very uneventfully, and I forget all about the man in the car. When class is dismissed, Marta stops by my room.

“Torin didn’t come home last night. Was he with you?” she asks.

“Yes, he was.” I feel like a little kid waiting for a scolding.

“Good. Do you know if he’s coming home tonight? I just want to know if I should cook for him.”

“He said he had to go into the city for work and won’t be back until very late.”

“Some vacation, huh?” She shakes her head. “He’s too absorbed in his work. Maybe being with you will open his eyes so he can see that there’s more to life than his career.”

I wonder if she has any idea what he does for a living, but I don’t dare ask.

“How are the sets coming along for the Christmas program?” she asks me.

“They’re not. Torin and I dropped off the lumber, but with school being closed, no one has had a chance to do anything with it.”

“We’re running short on time. I wonder if you would mind plotting everything out this afternoon so the kids in the art department can get started on them tomorrow.”

I promised Torin that I wouldn’t stay alone past dark anymore, but plotting out the sets would take at least four hours. He’s out of town, though. What else do I have to do to pass the time until he gets back?

“Sure, Marta. I can do it,” I answer and think that maybe I shouldn’t have volunteered for this project in the first place. What do I know about theater production anyway? Note to self, this is going to be someone else’s problem next year.

The kids all line up to load the buses. Once the building is clear of everyone but me and the janitor, I go to the auditorium to begin my work. There’s so much to do that it overwhelms me and I find myself sorting lumber and sticking design plans on each numbered piece. It’s a time-consuming and mind-numbing task, and by the time I finish, the janitor has already left and locked me inside.

I collect my things and look out the classroom window at the pitch-black sky. A tinge of fear creeps up on me as I contemplate going outside.

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