A Big Argument
"Mrs. Stokes?"
Jackie looked up from her desk in her classroom and saw one of her little students standing there with his coat on as a tear slid down his face. Her class was out at recess and since she didn't have recess duty Jackie was using the free time to finish grading some worksheets she had neglected for a couple days. She wanted to finish them so she wouldn't have to take them home tonight because that evening Nick and she had dinner reservations at a nice restaurant, and then after that they were going to go see a movie.
"What's wrong Dayton?" Jackie asked.
"I think I broke my arm." The little boy said as he moved his am back and forth and side to side.
Jackie managed to suppress a smile.
"Sweetie if it was broken I don't think you would be able to move it like that." She said with a comforting smile.
"I know it's broken, I think I should go to the doctor and have a Z-ray on it."
Again Jackie suppressed a smile
"I think you mean an X-ray." She said.
"Yeah, that's what I mean." Dayton said shaking his head vigorously.
Jackie sighed inwardly, she really wanted to finish grading those papers but she knew her students were more important then going to a movie, but she really wanted that date night with Nick, the last two that the couple had planned had been canceled because Nick was needed last minute at the lab. She tried to think of a way to be caring to the little boy who was still staring at her with his big blue eyes and still be able to go with Nick later that evening.
"Dayton, did you finish coloring your pet picture this morning?" she asked.
"Nope" he said.
"Ok, then how about you come sit down at your desk and finish coloring it, and I'll grab you an ice pack that you can put on your arm while you work?"
"Ok" he said happily.
Jackie smiled, her idea had been successful.
"Ok, take your coat off and hang it up." She said as she opened the tiny refrigerator that she kept in her classroom.
In the refrigerator there was two ice packs for her students for when they get hurt as well as a couple sodas and some string cheese for her to snack on throughout the day if she got hungry. Dayton took his coat off and sat down and so Jackie brought him the ice pack. He put it on his arm and then began to color his picture in silence. Jackie smiled as she returned to her desk and continued to grade the papers. Jackie had made progress with the worksheets by the time her students came in from recess but she didn't get them completely finished, and after recess the students only had a few minutes before they went home. Normally Jackie would be able to finish the worksheets when her students went home but today her baby boy Houston had a check up with his pediatrician that she had to take him too. Jackie read her students a book and then had them get ready to go home.
After her last student had left for the day she hurriedly straightened up her classroom, put the ungraded worksheets in a folder, put the folder in her briefcase so she could take them home to finish and then she left the school and headed to her parent's house to pick up Houston and her little girl Jasmine.
The doctor's appointment went very well, Houston was developing right on schedule. When they were driving home Jasmine spotted the ice cream shop.
"I ceem." She said happily.
"Sorry Sweetie, not today." Jackie said.
"Pees" Jasmine said.
Jackie sighed "Alright" she mumbled as she pulled into the ice cream shop parking lot.
After Jasmine had eaten her ice cream Jackie and the two kids headed home.
"Hi" Nick said when she came through the door.
"Hi" she said tiredly.
"Bad day?" he asked.
"No, just long." She said.
"How did Houston's appointment go?" He asked.
"Good, he's right where he should be."
"That's good" Nick said with a smile.
She returned the smile and then said. "Nicky listen, I'm really sorry but I think we'll have to rain check our evening, I have papers to finish grading, and I'm tired."
"Oh come on babe, I already made reservations at Lampman's for 6 o'clock." Nick said.
"I know, I'm sorry" she said.
"Please, we haven't gotten to do this for a while." He said.
"I know" she said feeling guilty.
"So are we going?" he asked with a smile.
"Honey I really have to finish those papers, I promised my students I would have them done by tomorrow."
"So tell them you accidently forgot them at home, finish them tomorrow night and bring them in the next day."
"You want me to lie to a bunch of six year olds, Nick that's terrible."
"They'll never know, I doubt very much they'll be traumatized if you don't have those papers done by tomorrow."
Jackie gave him a dirty look and crossed her arms.
"Ok ok, how about if you tell them you just couldn't get them done and bring them cookies to make up for it?"
"What?" she asked confused.
"There are two unopened bags of cookies on the cupboard, bring them in for treats, they'll forget all about those papers." He said with a grin.
Jackie sighed "I'd like to do that but I promised them, I can't go back on my word now. If they tell me they are going to do something, I expect them to do it, they should be able to expect the same out of me." She said as she grabbed the folder out of her briefcase and carried it to the kitchen table. After grabbing a pen out of the drawer she sat down and began to grade the papers.
"So that's it, we aren't going?" Nick asked, as his voice grew a little angry. "I guess not, I'm sorry." She said with a sigh as she turned her attention back to the worksheets.
"I can't believe you, why do you always have to be such a work-aholic?" He demanded.
Jackie set her pen down on the table and glared at him.
"How dare you call me that. How many date nights have we had to cancel because you had an emergency at the lab. How many times have I gotten a phone call in the morning saying that you have to pull a double, how many times right in the middle of us trying to be intimate have you gotten a phone call and had to leave. I'll tell you how many, too many to count that's how many. Most women would not put up with her husband's incredibly attractive female boss calling him in the middle of the night saying Nicky, I need you at work but I have never said a word about it, so don't you dare go accusing me of being a work-aholic." She said angrily.
Nick opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off
"No, you know what, don't say anything, if you want to go so bad, I'll go." She said as she got up out of her chair and marched up the stairs in a huff.
She went upstairs and put on her cute black dress and her high heels. Then she combed her hair and brushed her teeth. She then got the two children ready. After she had placed Houston in his car seat and buckled him in she went to the kitchen table and grabbed her folder.
"What are you doing with those?" He asked.
"I'm taking them with me, I'd rather finish grading them then look at your face all night." She said.
To Be Continued…