Lauren Speedle, wife of Tim Speedle, began to tidy up her desk before leaving work. She was the music and theater teacher at Miami-Dade High School. She loved her job, of two years, and wouldn't trade it for anything. The students were wonderful and treated her with the respect she and the rest of the teachers deserved.
A soft knock sounded at the back of her class room. Lauren looked up and saw her fellow music teacher, Richard Dorfman. "Hello Richard. How were your classes today?" Lauren asked cheerfully. "I was going to stop by before classes started, but I saw a big group of kids in your room… like always."
Richard was a popular teacher at Miami-Dade High School. Every student who took his classes loved him. Even non-music lovers would take a class or two to see what their friends were talking about. Richard was incredibly passionate about the arts.
"Oh yes, I saw you. I waved, but you mustn't have seen me." He paused a moment and then remember she had asked him about his classes. "My classes are wonderful as usual. I have a few rowdy students, but other than that I think this will be a wonderful semester."
Lauren smiled. "Well that's good." Just then, her cell phone rang. She picked it up expecting it to be, Speed. She scrunched up her face when she noticed it was her mother. "I have to get this Richard, sorry." Lauren got up and exited to the room. "Mother, what do you want? I'm at work," she said somewhat annoyed.
"I know. But I just had to catch you before you left. I wanted to take you and Tim out for lunch, an anniversary lunch… that's if you didn't have plans already," her mother, Leslie Brooks said.
Lauren sighed. "Yeah mom we kind of had plans. Tim is going to take me out for lunch. He's working today."
"What about dinner?" her mother pressed on.
"Mom, I already told you we have plans. Tim is taking me out for lunch at Casa Tua, and I'm cooking him a romantic dinner. So I'm sorry not tonight. Maybe this weekend or something now that school has started." Her mother was silent. "Mom? You there?"
"Oh! Yes sorry honey. Your father asked me a question… Okay then maybe this weekend. Have a nice lunch at Casa Tua and dinner. Happy fifth anniversary, honey. Tell that lovely husband of yours hello for me. Love you."
"I will and thanks. Talk to you later. Love you too." With that Lauren ended the call and headed back into her classroom. Richard was still there. "Sorry about that. Parents… can't live with them, can't live without them." Richard didn't do much; he just nodded as he picked up something on Lauren's desk. It was a small syringe.
"What's this?" Richard asked. Lauren's heart skipped a beat. She thought she had put that back in her purse. "Are you taking drugs?" he asked calmly.
"No… no I would never do that."
"Then what is it, if it's not drugs?" he asked calmly again.
"They're fertility drugs. My husband and I have been trying for a baby for about four years. Nothing seems to work," Lauren's said taking the small syringe from her colleague. She quickly put it in her purse.
"I'm sorry," he said sympathetically.
"Yeah…" Lauren could feel tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Listen Richard, I have to go. I'm meeting my husband for lunch. See you tomorrow?" He smiled and nodded his head. "Okay, see you tomorrow then. Bye." Lauren left Richard alone in her classroom.