“We take security seriously, even here in a small town.”
“I hope you’re not in trouble.”
“No, it’s fine. Principal Schumaker loves me.”
“So I did get called to the principal’s office.”
She laughed. “New experience for you?”
“I might have had a little experience back in the day.” He thought about taking her hand but considered that probably wasn’t appropriate in her workplace.
They stopped just outside a classroom, and Mary Alice turned to face him. “What are you really doing here?”
“I missed you. Isn’t that enough?”
Her face softened in that way that said her Awww Meter was pinging. But, hell, it was the truth.
“Hang on to that thought.” She opened the door, and they stepped into chaos.
Kids were out of their seats everywhere. At least three were running. As Chad came further into the room, a paper airplane zipped inches in front of his face. And the noise. Good lord. Mary Alice waded in, clapping her hands. When that didn’t get any response, she stuck two fingers in her mouth and let out a whistle worthy of any major league umpire. Chad decided he was half in love with her. The kids immediately shut up and went back to their seats.
“That’s better. Class, I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Phillips. He’s here to help us out this afternoon with our ornament project.”
He gave an easy wave. “Maybe just Dr. Chad.”
A hand shot up in the back of the room.
“Yes, Aidan?”
“What kind of doctor are you?”
“I’m in emergency medicine. So, if you get hurt and have to come to the emergency room at the hospital, it’s me you see.” He didn’t see the sense in explaining that he was actually a trauma surgeon. That wasn’t his primary role here.
“Dr. Chad reattached somebody’s fingers last week,” Mary Alice told them.
This elicited a chorus of ooos and aaaahs and promptly led to at least four kids opening their mouths to ask questions, but Mary Alice skillfully intervened before they got completely off track.
Fifteen minutes later, he was sitting at a low table with a trio of the most curious as Mary Alice passed out portions of salt dough.
“This is not cookie dough, y’all. It’s made with salt instead of sugar, so it’s gonna taste terrible. But it’ll bake up nice and strong in whatever shapes you like.” She went over various suggestions—Christmas trees, candy canes, reindeer, angels, snowmen, and the like. “I’ll take them home and bake them tonight, and we’ll paint tomorrow.”
As they settled in to work, the little boy across the table, who’d introduced himself as Isaiah, fixed big, dark eyes on Chad’s face. “I’m gonna be a doctor when I grow up.”
/> “Yeah?”
He nodded, expression serious as a judge. “Gonna learn all about how to put people back together, so I can fix my Gramma.”
Chad felt his heart crack a little bit. He had no idea what was wrong with the boy’s grandmother, but suspected whatever it was, she probably wouldn’t make it through this child growing up to graduate med school. His own expression sober, Chad said, “That’s a good goal. I bet she’d be real proud of that.”
The other two interrupted with a rapid-fire series of questions about the biggest thing he’d ever reattached, the grossest thing he’d ever seen, and whether he could bring people back from the dead. They were surprisingly ghoulish for what he’d expected from eight-year-olds. He chatted and molded, helping when asked and otherwise braiding together several long ropes of dough to make a wreath.
Mary Alice peeked over his shoulder. “Nicely done, Dr. Chad. That’s gonna look really nice on your tree.”
He hoped she’d help him decorate it.
At the end of the day, the kids declared it best day ever and asked if Chad could come back tomorrow. He’d have been lying if he didn’t admit to feeling a glow of pleasure at their enthusiasm.
“Not tomorrow,” Mary Alice told them. “Dr. Chad has to go back to work at the hospital. But if you’re really good, maybe he can come back sometime when we get back from Christmas break.”