Loving my fake Husband

First Impressions

❀ Amy ❀

The alarm blared at exactly six am sharp. An unwelcome intrusion into my already restless sleep. I groaned as I slapped at my phone until the noise died. Today was the day. Eva’s first day at Willow Creek Elementary. It was also my first day at my new job. There was no room to sleep in. No time for anything. I finally rolled out of bed and stretched lazily as I rubbed the last traces of sleep from my eyes. The house was eerily silent as I stopped by the bathroom. When I was done, I took a deep breath and entered Eva’s bedroom. I flipped on the light and admired my daughter’s sleeping form for a moment. I also let myself enjoy the quiet before the inevitable storm.

“Eva…time to get up,” I said rather loudly. Eva stirred, and I watched as she slowly sat up. “Time to get ready for school,” I added. Her little face scrunched up and I braced myself.

“I don’t wanna!” she cried out and I sighed softly. “I wanna go back!”

“Eva…come on, baby,” I coxed as I sat down on the edge of the bed. “We talked about this,” I reminded her. The look on her face told me that I had under a minute to calm her down. “It’s the first day for both of us,”

“I don’t like first days,” she whined.

“I know…but…come on, Eva, don’t make this harder than it already is…please,” I wanted to put my foot down. I wanted to be hard and tough on her, but I didn’t have the energy. We were both exhausted. Physically and emotionally.

“What if…what if no one likes me?” she mumbled, and I was relieved that she wasn’t on the verge of tears anymore. She didn’t look happy, but I could handle this.

“What’s not to like?” I asked as I playfully reached out and tickled her tummy. She fell back and giggled. “You are funny, super-smart, and you love playing outside…they are going to love you…just be your sweet, sassy self,”

“I don’t wanna be sweet. I wanna stay home,” she whined, and I smiled as I stood up and pulled the blanket off her.

“Nice try kiddo, but staying home alone is a big no,”

“I could go with you,” she suddenly suggested, and I flinched. This was another argument between us.

“Unfortunately, you can’t…as much as I would love to have you with me all day…” I said. “Come on, everything is ready for you,” I said as I grabbed the outfit we had settled on the day before. Eva dragged her feet, but I managed to get her face washed, her teeth brushed and her clothed within a few minutes. When I set the hairbrush aside, Eva looked much better. Even a bit excited. I got her situated at the kitchen table with her favorite cereal while I hurriedly went and got dressed. I then packed her lunch and her bag before we finally managed to leave the house. We weren’t late, but we weren’t early either and by the time I pulled up to the school, I could tell Eva was about to throw another tantrum.

“Mama –”

“Baby, I know this is a lot…and I’m scared too. I have to go to my new job today, and I’m worried my boss isn’t going to like me…or that I’m going to make a fool of myself,” I said as I nervously tapped my fingers against the steering wheel. “It would be such a big help if you could just…do this for me, please,” I glanced at her and she let out a soft sigh.

“Ok,” she said, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. The building was exactly what I had expected it to be. Brick walls, a big playground, and a lot of parents dropping off their kids. I stepped out and opened her door before she could latch onto the seatbelt in protest. She slid out reluctantly and clutched my hand. Inside, the hallways smelled of pencil shavings, floor wax, and something vaguely reminiscent of tater tots. Kids buzzed around us, already forming little groups and having fun. We made our way to the front office, where a tall, broad-shouldered man with salt-and-pepper hair greeted us with a warm smile.

"You must be Amy Winters,”

"Yes, and this is my daughter, Eva,”

"I’m James Smith, the principal. We spoke on the phone…but welcome to Willow Creek Elementary. We are happy to have you," he said with a big, welcoming smile.

"Thank you. She is a little nervous," I informed him, and he immediately nodded.

"That’s perfectly normal. The first day can be scary, but I promise she is in good hands," he said as he led us down the hall to a brightly decorated classroom, where a petite woman with short, auburn hair greeted us.

"You must be Eva!" she beamed as she crouched to Eva’s level. "I’m Miss Lewis. We are going to have so much fun today," Eva didn’t look convinced, but I didn’t have time to reassure her as I knelt beside her.

"Remember, one step at a time,” I whispered, and she hesitated before she slowly nodded. I pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and handed over her bag. "Be good. I’ll be back before you know it," Miss Lewis took Eva’s hand and led her toward the middle of the room. I didn’t have time to stand around and watch – no matter how much I wanted to. As I turned to leave, a woman stepped into my path.

"Hi there! You must be new!" she chirped as she extended a perfectly manicured hand. "I’m Karen Peterson. My son, Lucas, is in this class," I shook her hand and smiled.

"Amy Winters,” I said, and she eyed me curiously.

“And where are you from?”

“Harridale,” I answered cautiously.

"Oh! Big city girl. Welcome to small-town life. We are a close-knit community here, so don’t be a stranger,” her smile was friendly, and for a moment I wondered if we would become friends. I didn’t have any time to think about that though, as I checked my watch.

“I’m so sorry, I would love to chat, but I have to get to work,”

“Of course! We will be seeing a lot of each other,” she said with a wink. I nodded and hurried passed her before someone else could stop me. By the time I arrived at the law firm, I was five minutes late. The office was sleek but welcoming, and I barely had time to take it all in before a woman with short blonde hair and cat-eye glasses approached me.

"Amy? I’m Lisa. Welcome! We are thrilled to have you,"

"Thank you! I’m excited to be here," I said. Lisa introduced me to the rest of the team – paralegals, attorneys, and the receptionist, who grinned at me like we were already best friends. Everyone was warm, welcoming, and seemed easygoing. A stark contrast to my last job, where I was just another part of a machine.

"All right, now that you have met everyone, let’s get you started,” Lisa said as she handed me a stack of files and showed me to my desk. Thankfully, she didn’t hover, and I managed to settle at my desk pretty easily. While my mind was still at the school with Eva, I had to force myself to focus as I dove head first into the files.

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