"What do you mean he said, a pilot once told me?" Finn asked as he dunked his powdered doughnut into his hot coffee.
Offering a shrug, Rey swallowed a sip of tea and set her delicate teacup down upon its saucer. She had gone over that moment at least a dozen times in her mind since Sam's Open House. It still didn't make sense.
"Odd, right?"
"What did he say when you asked him about it?" Finn replied, taking a bite of his soggy pastry.
"I...I never had the chance! As soon as I opened up my mouth to ask him, he was pulled away by the other parents...I wasn't able to talk to him after that," Rey said with a heavy sigh, "do you...do you think he knew Poe?"
Finn pursed his lips together and tried to ignore the instant clinch of pressure around his heart. Seeing the glimmer of hope in Rey's eyes was too much for him to bear. Of course this would happen, just as soon as his best friend started to move forward with her life; Rey couldn't catch a break.
"I donno, Rey...maybe?" Finn offered.
Folding her arms over her chest, Rey averted her gaze from Finn's concerned face and stared at her chocolate croissant. She had met all of her husband's friends, it was utterly ridiculous of her to think that maybe Mr. Solo knew Poe. Rey definitely would've remembered the tall, handsome man. There must be another explanation to the odd comment. Suddenly hearing the familiar sound of thundering hooves, Rey turned her head towards the hallway; momentarily forgetting her unsettling interaction with Sam's teacher.
"Mummy!" Sam yelled, rounding the corner into the small dining room.
Rey smiled brightly at her energetic son and held out her arms; offering her tiny boy a tight snuggle as he lunged into her embrace. They were having one last 'lazy day' before school started the next morning and Sam was still cozy in his brightly colored pajamas. Seeing him with his dark curls askew instantly reminded Rey of the baby pictures of Poe she kept tucked away in the shoebox under her bed. They were spitting images, Sam and his father, in every sense of the word.
"Yes my love?" Rey asked, her voice squeaking towards the end.
Climbing onto his mother's lap, Sam gave Finn a wave with his free hand and lifted his small, freckled face towards Rey. Giving her a proud smile, the little boy handed his mother a white sheet of paper with a blue and grey fighter plane scribbled on the front.
"Look what I made! Do you like it?" Sam asked.
Lifting Sam's artwork to get a closer look, Rey let out a surprised gasp and nodded her head.
"This is brilliant, Sam...you're such a talented little boy," Rey said, showing the drawing to Finn, "look at this, Uncle Finn!"
Dropping his donut onto his plate, Finn brushed the powdered sugar from his hands and took the artwork from Rey's grasp. Inspecting the lopsided jet, Finn quirked his full lips into a pleased grin.
"This is great, Buddy! It looks exactly like the one your Daddy used to fly. Are you going to take it to him this weekend?"
Reaching across the round table and taking his drawing back, Sam shook his head 'no' and clutched his picture to his chest. Usually he drew his Daddy a picture to leave on his headstone every Saturday. Not this time, though, Sam had something else in mind for this.
"I'm gonna give my picture to Mr. Solo!" Sam said excitedly, "Daddy told me to!"
Darting her hazel eyes back and forth between Sam and Finn, Rey took in a sharp breath and squeezed her arms even tighter around her son. It was a common thing for Sam to say he spoke to Poe. Even when he was an infant, Rey would catch him smiling and cooing at the empty space above his crib. She wasn't sure if her husband really visited their son or if it was Sam's imagination, but Rey found comfort in the odd habit, anyway.
"Did he?" Rey asked, kissing the top of Sam's head.
"Yep! He also told me to tell you that you need to talk to Mr. Solo. Daddy said he's an important person," Sam said, wiggling himself from Rey's embrace.
"Well, I suppose he is an important person," Rey mused, helping her son off of her lap, "he is your Kindergarten teacher, after all!"
Sam looked at his mother and shrugged his slight shoulders. He knew that that wasn't the reason why Mr. Solo was important to them but Sam promised to keep that a secret for the time being. It was a big secret, one that made Sam so happy.
"I'm gonna unpack another box!" Sam exclaimed suddenly, running back to his room without a second thought.
Watching Sam quickly exit the room with amusement in his eyes, Finn picked up his coffee mug and brought it to his lips. He loved his Godson to the moon and back and knew Poe would be proud of the independent, headstrong boy he was becoming.
"So he still talks to Poe?" Finn asked before taking a drink.
Absentmindedly tearing her croissant apart with her fingers, Rey nodded her head and pursed her lips together. She couldn't help but feel jealous; Rey wished Poe would visit her, sometime.
"Mmmhmm," Rey offered simply, knowing that if she said more she would most likely fall apart.
Sensing that his friend was wrestling with something internally, Finn cleared his throat and reached over the table.
"Peanut, he's with you, too...I know he is," Finn said softly, squeezing his hand over Rey's, "now should we get to work?"
Pushing her intrusive thoughts of Poe from her mind, Rey turned her attention towards the various boxes filling the dining room and let out a sigh. It was her goal to be completely unpacked by the end of the day. If they started now, Rey figured they could be completely done by dinner time. Wiping her hands on her grey sweatpants, she glanced back to Finn and clasped her free hand over his.
"Yes, let's," she said.
Rey steadied a stack of collapsed moving boxes in her arms and carefully stepped her way towards the recycling bin at the edge of her apartment complex's parking lot. She, Finn, and Sam had spent the entire day unpacking and properly setting up her new home. Although the space was roughly about half of the size as their last house, Rey was pleased with how things were coming along. She knew she and Sam would be happy in their tiny, cozy apartment.
Tossing the boxes into the large metal container with a grunt, Rey smacked the dirt from her palms with a clap of her hands and closed her tired eyes. She was utterly spent from making five trips up and down three flights of stairs to the bin. Finn could take over and run down the last few boxes, she decided with a sigh. Wiping a line of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, Rey turned from the recycling container and began to make her way back towards her building.
Throwing his black garbage bag over his shoulder, Ben casually walked down the broken sidewalk towards the communal garbage receptacle. Everything was ready to go for the first day of school and he was just finishing up some chores before settling in for the night. Taking out the trash was the last thing on his agenda; then he could curl up on the couch and relax with a book and a cold beer.
Turning the corner, Ben blinked his brown eyes and clamped his jaw from hitting the floor as he noticed Rey walking his way. Stopping dead in his tracks, he gave the disheveled girl a nervous smile and attempted to suppress the sharp tension radiating through his limbs. He had been thinking of her all day, she looked even more radiant than what he remembered.
"Oh, hi there," Ben said, adjusting the black, plastic bag on his shoulder.
Offering Ben a bright smile, Rey brushed her hands down the front of her soiled, purple tank top and halted her steps. Of course she would run into the perfect statue of a man looking like a ragamuffin; it was her just her luck.
"Hello, Mr. Solo," Rey said softly.
"Uh...Ben...you can call me Ben," he stated while taking a step closer to her.
Nodding her head, Rey tucked a damp lock of hair behind her ear and tried to ignore the tickle of excitement dancing across her shoulder blades. Ben. He looked like a Ben, Rey thought. Handsome...sweet, yet rugged...climbable.
"Ben," Rey said, shaking her dirty thoughts from her head, "are you...uh...ready for the first day of school?"
"I am, is Sam?" Ben asked, loving the way Rey's face was suddenly flushing crimson.
"Oh he is so ready!" Rey said with a laugh.
"Good! I'm really glad to hear that...is mommy ready?" Ben asked, arching his dark brow.
"No...not at all," Rey said, shaking her head.
Giving the girl a knowing grin, Ben took another step closer to Rey and reached his free hand up to gently pat her upper arm. He knew he shouldn't be touching his new student's mother, but he just couldn't help himself.
"He's in good hands, I promise."
Sucking in a sharp intake of air, Rey dug the fingertips of her right hand into the side of her thigh to stop herself from squealing. Instant gooseflesh pebbled her arm where Ben was touching her, causing her heart to thrum wildly against her ribcage. Instantly, she was reminded of the first time Poe had touched her; it was the same sudden 'zing.' Unnerved and feeling guilty from the memory, Rey awkwardly moved herself away from Ben and gave him a shaky smile.
"Yes, I know you will teach him well Mr. Sol-I, uh…I mean, Ben. Well, I should get back. Pizza will be here any minute. I suppose we'll see you tomorrow?" Rey asked, already stepping away from the confused man.
"Sure," Ben said with a tiny nod, "I will see you and Sam tomorrow. Have a good night, Rey."
Taking a few more steps down the sidewalk, Rey glanced over her shoulder and gave Ben one last, longing look. She shouldn't be attracted to him. Not only was he her son's teacher, but she was still a married woman. How dare she have feelings towards another man that were on par with the feelings she had for Poe. It wasn't right.
Was it?
"You too, Ben," Rey said, her voice strained, "goodnight."
A/N Woah...and update?! I know, crazy right. My muse went away for a bit...and whispered randomly into my ear last night so...here's a little update! I have a feeling this story is going to tear me apart a little bit. How about you? How are you feeling? Is Rey wrong to be conflicted? Poe has been dead for quite some time...shouldn't she move on with her life? Oh and Sam...I wonder what Poe told him about Mr. Solo? I'm really excited to explore that avenue...let me know your feelings! The more feedback I hear, the stronger my muse speaks to me. Have a lovely weekend and may the Force be with you!