Before the bell rang, Maeve and her class walked out of the school fifteen minutes early to catch the bus, where some of her students would be dropped off at their homes. At the same time, other parents waited patiently for their children. Maeve remembered that after lunch, the students returned to doing classwork that aligned with their IEP goals. Afterward, they continued with Christmas arts and crafts.
When the class left the school, the parents who waited were happy to see Maeve again; they were worried that she had quit. Maeve felt happy that the parents were worried about her well-being; they were sure she was well.
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
The school alarm went off; school was over. Students walked out of their classrooms and out of school. Maeve, Patrisha, and Persefone walked back into the school, but not before bidding farewell to the students and parents. The substitute aides entered the bus to ensure students got home safely. "Ah, your first day back was a success! How did it feel, Maeve!?" asked Patrisha.
"It was rejuvenating! Being with my students was what I needed! I still have so many IEP reports that I need to keep up with, but I'll get there. My mom texted me that she was going to visit and we're going to have dinner."
"That's great! Tell your ma that I said 'hi.'" Patrisha looked at her phone and smiled. "I wish I could stay longer, but I got to skedaddle!"
Maeve couldn't help but notice Patrisha's mood change; she was excited. The young woman knew that her best friend was still mourning the death of her partner, Jai'la. She remembered how Patrisha planned to ask Jai'la to get married, but those plans were dashed when Jai'la died due to a car accident. Since then, Patrisha had been heartbroken; Maeve has tried her best to motivate her friend to meet new people. "I wonder if she is trying the app or is dating someone." The urge to ask was daunting, but Maeve decided not to butt in Patrisha's personal life since she didn't want Patrisha to get into hers.
Patrisha got her things, hugged Maeve and Persefone, and went off. "You know, while you were gone, I noticed that Patrisha has acted a bit strange."
"Strange how? I doubt when she got caught spying on me."
Persefone chuckled as she shook her head. "I notice she's on her phone more, smiling and whatnot. I'm wondering if she's seeing someone."
"Ah ha, I'm not the only one who thought that!" Maeve grinned as she put her laptop and folders of IEPs in her bag. "Who knows? All I want for her is to be happy, but I hope she is trying to move on."
Persefone got her bag and contemplated whether or not to tell Maeve about Aidoneus. "I have to tell her; she helped me through so much. I don't think she will get upset." The young woman took a deep breath. "H-Hey, Maeve, there is something I want to tell you."
"Sure, what is it?" Maeve noticed that Persefone's fingers fidgeted, indicating that she was nervous. "Are you okay, Persefone? Is that bastard trying to-!"
"Oh no, it's not about him! It's about something else. Much or less, about someone else." Persefone took a deep breath, "I-I met someone."
Maeve slowly processed the information; Persefone was seeing someone. Her lips widened in a smile. "No way! You're started dating again!? Oh my goodness! Christmas miracles do exist! Tell me about him! What's his name!? What is he like!?"
"P-Please calm down! There's something you need to know about the guy."
"Okay, what is it? Don't tell me that he's like your-!"
"Please don't mention him. Anyway, this guy I'm seeing is different; he is kind, respectful, and outgoing." Persefone couldn't help but remember Aidoneus and their date; the thought of him made her feel warm. "He and I have a similar tastes in music and...he's handsome."
The older woman squealed and clapped. "That's great! I'm so happy and proud that you are moving on and you met someone who has similar interests. How did you meet him?" Maeve noticed Persefone's demeanor changed; she became nervous.
"Well, that's the thing. I met him at the ice rink while you were on your date. Does the name Aidoneus ring a bell?"
Maeve's smile slowly died down. The name sounded familiar. She remembered Trinidad having mentioned Aidoneus's name. "I remember the name being mentioned once."
"During our date, I told him a bit about our friendship, and I mentioned you. Come to find out, you are dating his Dad." The two became silent; Persefone got nervous when Maeve became expressionless. Her fingers fidgeted, and Persefone tried to calm her anxiety. "L-Look, I didn't know that you were dating his Dad. If I had then, I would have rejected his advances and-"
"Why would you do that?"
"Wh-What?"
"Why would you have rejected him? Sorry for making you nervous; I was just surprised, that's all. Anyway, don't feel guilty or nervous. Who would have thought that we would be dating men who were related."
The anxiety went away, and Persefone sighed. "S-So you're not angry?"
"Of course not! Why would I be? If I had to guess, you're afraid that if anything happened between you and this Aidoneus, it would affect my relationship with Treyton?" Persefone nodded. "Look, it could go both ways. My relationship and your relationship will not and should not affect the others. We are adults and should act like it. Whoever we date or have relationships with is our business; it should not affect others." Maeve went to the young woman and hugged her. "I just want you to be happy, Persefone. Get to know Aidoneus to see if he is a good man for you."
"Th-Thank Maeve. I needed that." Persefone hugged her mentor back; they eventually separated. "Well, I won't keep you then. I will see you tomorrow."
"Sure thing. Either way, I appreciate you telling me. I'm also happy that you have confidence in me. Just be careful with Patrisha, she would go crazy it she found out."
Persefone giggled. "I dread the day when she finds out."
ns 18.68.41.179da2
