Fastest update in a very long time haha. I'm half way through the next chapter for It All Started At The Pawn Shop so hopefully that is up within the weekend! Enjoy.
The following day Brayden found himself sulking at a desk, Ms. French right next to him, helping him sound out words that he already knew how to read. He wouldn't have pretended to not know how to read for so long if he'd known he'd get stuck after school. He just thought that if his daddy saw him being sad, then he'd go out and get a mother for him. Reading stupid first grade books was starting to get too boring. Ms. French seemed to notice. She closed the book.
"Brayden?" He kept his eyes locked on the top of his desk. "Why are you pretending not to know how to read? I can tell that you're pretending." He didn't say anything, just shrugged his shoulders. "Is something going on at home?" Nothing. "You can tell me sweetie. I want you to tell me." Still, nothing. "Are your mommy and daddy fighting? Are you trying to get their attention?"
"I don't have a mommy" Brayden confessed, his voice almost a whisper, with a tear gathering in the corner of his eye. "My daddy won't get me one" he choked out.
Belle was shocked for a long moment. "Honey, sometimes it's hard for a daddy to find a mommy."
"But why? Aren't there lots and lots of mommys out there? Don't they want me?" he asked, his voice shaking.
"Oh sweetheart, I'm sure they'd all want you if they met you, who wouldn't?" He perked up a bit at that. "But it's not just about wanting you. They have to want your daddy too, and sometimes it's very hard to fall in love, especially when you're older."
"Why?" he asked.
Belle sucked in a breath. "Love is a difficult thing to explain. It's something that connects one person to another." Seeing his confused expression, she tried a different approach. "Have you ever had a birthday cake, where the candles took a really long time to catch fire?" Brayden nodded his head. "Was there ever a candle that just didn't want to go out?" He nodded his head again in excitement. "Well, love is kind of like birthday candles, sometimes it takes a while to light, sometimes it blows out fast, and sometimes it refuses to die. Does that make sense?"
Brayden nodded his head again. "So daddy needs to find a candle that I can't blow out?" Belle chuckled lightly at his interpretation, but agreed. "Are you in love Ms. French?"
Belle's eyes widened, "No, Brayden. I haven't found my candle yet."
"Maybe my daddy is your candle! And your his!"
"Brayden, I don't even know your father, and he doesn't know me. Let's get back to reading okay. I'll go get some more challenging stories for you." Belle got out of the desk to go get a different book for Brayden, taking a little extra time to try and wrap her mind around the conversation she just had with him.
Brayden looked back down at his desk. He liked Ms. French. He wouldn't mind at all if she was his new mother. Maybe his dad wouldn't mind it either. She is very pretty, and she knows how to explain things so he can understand, and she was nice to talk to. Before he knew it Belle was back next to him with a new book, a more challenging book.
"Alright Brayden, this is the level of reading your class is at, I don't want you to pretend anymore. Read as much as you can to me. Take as much time as you need to." She set the book down on the desk, and pointed to the part she wanted him to start on.
He read through the story with great ease, and Belle was impressed. "That was wonderful, Brayden."
"My daddy me practice reading before bed. We read about a prince" he stated proudly.
"Which prince?" Belle asked.
"The one who gets turned to a monster and the pretty lady comes and turns him back into a human! Then there was a big fight, and talking candles and clocks!" Belle listened intently as he continued to explain the story to her in full detail. Her mind did drift a little though. She couldn't stop thinking about the boys mother. 'How could anyone want to leave this boy? He's too perfect for his own good' she thought. She knew she shouldn't, but she had to know, when his father came, she would ask simply ask him. She would have to talk to him about Brayden's sneakiness anyway.
Richard arrived at three sharp to pick up Brayden. He was a little nervous about how it went. In truth, he had done most of the reading last night, while Brayden just followed along. He hoped his son would be able to catch up with his class as soon as possible. He didn't want anyone teasing him or anything like that.
He walked into the classroom to find Brayden at a desk, reading a story out loud to Ms. French who was sitting at the desk beside him. There was no way he improved so much over an hour. Belle noticed his presence, and without telling Brayden to stop, she got up from the desk and made her way over to him.
"I'd like to talk to you about Brayden." That didn't sound good to Richard, but he silently signaled for her to go on. "He's been pretending this whole time. He's actually ahead of his class, as far as reading level goes.
Richard blinked a few times, processing that information. "Do you know why?" he asked her.
"He confessed that, he thought by seeming sad and behind in class that you might be persuaded to find him... a mother." Belle sucked in a breath, and Richard's face fell. "I tried to explain that it wasn't as simple as that. I tried to explain what love was, and I think he grasped the concept, but I would still talk to him about it." Richard kept his gaze down at his feet, embarrassed. "I take it this isn't a big surprise to you, is it?"
"No" he choked, "no it's not. I knew that, that he wanted a mother, but I didn't know he wanted one that badly. I feel like such a failure." Belle rested her hand on his shoulder, in silent support. "I wish I was enough for him." Richard watched his son, still reading diligently at his little wooden desk. Belle felt a swell of tears get caught in her throat at his heartbreaking statement that he believed he wasn't good enough for his son. "Oh, God. I'm sorry I just sprung all that emotional baggage on you. I haven't gone to my shrink in a couple weeks, I've been... and now you know I see a shrink. I don't even want to know what you may be thinking."
He made a move to walk over to Brayden, but Belle stopped him. "I'm thinking, that you are a father who loves his son very much, and is doing everything he can to make him happy." Richard gave her a crooked smile, that she decided was the most beautiful smile she'd ever seen.
"Too bad he won't see those things until he's left for college" he said. He looked over to Belle, who still had her hand on his shoulder. "I suppose he won't be staying after with you any longer?"
Belle shrugged her shoulders. "The program isn't specifically for children with difficulties reading. I can give him more challenging material, keep him interested. I think part of the reason he doesn't read in class is because he's just bored. Of course it's up to you."
"I suppose him getting a jump start on things so early isn't a bad thing." Brayden finally noticed his father was there, so he closed up his book and grabbed his backpack.
"He doesn't know I told you about his secret. I told him he should tell you himself, so act surprised. I just wanted to cushion the blow." Belle whispered into his ear, before Brayden came over to them. "I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart. Don't forget to bring my book back, it's one of my favorites."
"I promise I will. Bye Ms. French." Brayden waved goodbye, grabbing his father by the hand and dragging him out of the room.
"Thank you Ms. French, for your help. I'll make sure he brings your book back."
Belle waved to them from the doorway, again watching him walk away. It was a bit alarming, this strange feeling washing over her. It felt like a crush. But none of her past crushes had given her such a tingly sensation in the pit of her stomach like Richard did. Maybe it was the way he was so unaware of how attractive he was. He wasn't the typical definition of handsome, but to Belle he was. It wasn't only his physical features that had grabbed her attention, it was the softness in his voice, the devotion he had to his son, and even the sadness in those chocolate brown eyes of his. She wondered if he maybe felt the same way about her.
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That night, after Brayden was in bed and Richard had gotten comfortable with a book in the small study he had added off of the living room, he found his mind wandering to Ms. French. She had comforted him and she hadn't thought he was weak. She told him he was a good father. Brayden still hadn't told him about the fact that he was, in fact, a very good reader. It didn't seem like such a horrible little lie, if it meant he got to talk with Ms. French again. God he wished he had asked for her first name. He bet it was something precious. Richard knew he was getting way in over his head. He felt like a teenager with his first real crush. Aside from being a fully grown man, the rest of that statement was true.
Richard had never really been with anyone before. He had a stupid high school relationship that lasted maybe six months at most and he'd only been intimate once in his life and that could be blamed on too much whiskey. To be honest, he couldn't even remember what happened. He liked to think of himself as an old-fashioned romantic. He wanted to wait for the right person to give himself to. A lot of people, especially throughout college, thought he was crazy. There were awful rumors spread about him and his 'manliness'. Despite all of that though, he knew that he was making the right choice. Sex didn't really mean anything unless it was with someone you cared about. Now, he finally thought he might have found someone.
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The next day Richard arrived at the school at quarter of three, a bit earlier than yesterday, but maybe he would get to find out a little more about Ms. French. He stood awkwardly in the doorway, not wanting to knock and disturb the children, but not quite sure what to do. Luckily Ms. French seemed to notice him. He felt his hands get sweaty as she got closer and inwardly screamed at himself to get a grip.
"Hello Mr. Gold. I didn't expect you until three" she said in that laced with honey voice of hers.
Richard gulped. "Well, I got out of work a bit early and thought I would just come straight here."
"Well, Brayden's doing wonderfully. He's by the bookshelf with Henry Mills. They're both very interested in fairytales." She looked over the classroom, making sure each child was doing what they were supposed to be doing, before turning her attention directly to him. "So, Brayden didn't fess up? I'm sorry, I really thought he would. Did you talk to him at all?"
Richard loved how concerned and sincere she sounded. "I tried, but he has an amazing ability to shut me out. He doesn't want to accept that I'm a difficult man to love."
"That's nonsense!" Belle protested. Richard's eyes went wide, as did hers. "I mean... I just don't see... this is embarrassing." Belle's cheeks reddened and Richard couldn't help but smile at her.
"Thank you" he told her. "For not thinking I'm hopeless."
She smiled back at him. "Well, one of us has to." There was a moment being created between them. Her crystal blue eyes, his chocolate brown ones, staring into each other. All of the noise around them, the bustling in the hallways, the turning of pages, the mindless chatter of gossiping eight year olds, ceased to exist. Just as Richard was about to open his mouth to say something, one of the kids ran in-between them, tugging on Belle's dress, complaining that she had to go potty. "Alright Grace, go ahead, the one straight across the hall so I can watch you." The little girl ran past them and into the bathroom.
"Well, um..." Richard trailed off, not quite sure what he was planning to say. "Brayden has a sleepover tonight, so I should probably take him home to get ready."
Belle's face fell a little. "Oh. So what are your big Friday night plans then?"
"I'm not sure" he said, "I might go see a non-animated movie." Belle nodded in approval. "Do you, know of anything good that's playing?"
Belle's smile brightened, "Well, I myself have been dying to see The Butler. It's going to be taken out of theaters soon. I heard it was fabulous" she gushed.
"Perhaps, you'd like to accompany me?" his voice was timid. He sounded so afraid that she would say no. Belle shot his doubts down immediately accepting the invitation. "Would you maybe like to get dinner first? Or after? Or just a movie is fine as well, whatever you want is fine."
Belle laughed lightly at him, "Dinner sounds perfect. I have your number, so I'll look up the movie times and after all the kids have gone home I'll give you a call."
"Great" he said softly, so only she could hear. "You know, I don't know your first name."
"It's Isabelle, but I prefer to be called Belle" she told him.
"Belle" he whispered. "It suits you."
Blushing for the second time that afternoon, she waved goodbye once again, watching Richard and Brayden walk down the hallway.
