The good thing is that I had my meeting with the school board and my case was dismissed. They were not happy about what happened, but after the union heard my case and saw for themselves the evidence against me was all false, they said I could return to work. And I would, just not at that school. I don’t want to work somewhere where the principal didn’t even give me a chance to speak, due to her own feelings and her own situation. I want to be somewhere that people know me and my character enough to realize I would never do what I had been accused of.
So for now, I’m a stay at home mom. I love having the kids, but I miss teaching. I have put in an application at the local middle school, and I’m waiting to hear back from them. So, things are going awesome, and we have all settled in. I’d thought that it would be weird living with Cash, but it isn’t; I love it. I love that the kids have each other. I love that I get to wake up to Cash every day. I love him coming home to the kids and me, and having family dinners. I love that his family has started acting more comfortably around me. The only thing that I don’t love is his ex. I know in my head that she is Jax’s mother, but my heart doesn’t like that very much. I hate seeing the disappointment on his little face when she is supposed to show up and doesn’t. When he does see her, I hate the way he acts when he comes back to us. I hate that Cash is subjected to dealing with her when she wants to act like she cares about Jax, then how he has to put up with the aftermath of Jax, and trying to explain to him why his mom is such a bitch. So if not for his ex, things would be perfect, and that is one thing that worries me. When Cash and I were together before, things were like they are now, minus the kids. I’m concerned about getting too comfortable, but at the same time, he makes it so easy to fall back into a place where I feel safe and loved.
“Mommy, where are we going?” Ashlyn asks for the fiftieth time since we got into the car.
“I told you, love bug, we’re going to the hairdresser.”
“Oh, yeah,” she sighs, making me laugh. I pull up out front of the salon, park, and hop out of my giant SUV. When I open the back door, both of the kids are standing and waiting for me to help them down. They each grab a hand as we make it into the building. The woman behind the counter greets us right away with a huge smile.
“Hi, I have a three o’clock appointment with Justin.” She looks over her shoulder into the back of the salon.
“He is just finishing up with his client; if you could give him about five minutes, he will be right with you,” she says, looking down at the kids. “Do you guys like to color?” she asks, and they nod. She ducks behind the counter and comes back up with some coloring books and crayons. We go over to the sitting area, and Jax and Ashlyn kneel in front of the table and start coloring.
“Lilly?” I look up when I hear my name being called. My eyes make contact with a very pretty Spanish man, and I say pretty because he has on more makeup than I do.
“That’s me.” I stand, looking down at the kids.
“You both be on your best behavior. I tell them, walking into the back of the salon. The reason I chose this place is because it is one of the only places around that allows you to bring your children with you, and while you are getting your hair done, they watch your kids.
“They will be fine,” the girl who was behind the counter when we arrived says, looking over at the kids.
“Thank you,” I say as my hand is grabbed and I’m dragged into the back of the salon.
“I’m Justin.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say as I’m sat down in a chair and a cape is tossed over my shoulders.
“I love this color, honey. Who is your stylist?” Justin asks, making me smile.
“That would be Nutrisse 6.60,” I say, and smile when his mouth opens and closes like a fish.
“This is from a box?” he asks breathily, lifting my hair and letting it run through his fingers.
“It is,” I confirm. “I came today to have you cut ten inches of it,” I tell him. Watching him smile.
“Ten inches will leave you hair here,” he says, holding my hair up to just below my shoulders.
“That’s fine.” I smile, looking at him in the mirror.
“Are you sure about this? I mean, your hair is so amazing,” he says quietly.
“Well, I really just want a change, and I think that a new cut is a good place to start,” I tell him.
“Let’s do this then,” he says, pulling a rubber band out from a drawer. I watch as he pulls my hair back into a ponytail at the base of my neck, and then pulls it down some before reaching over and grabbing a pair of scissors. “Last chance, love, then there is nothing I can do.”