Esther shook her head at that. “What?”

  “Just trust me. You get this look on your face like ‘you are the most idiotic person around’ and it’s adorable, even when it’s aimed at me.”

  “I’ll have to take your word on that.”

  Chuckling, Melanie kissed her loudly. “We should go inside before they miss us.”

  “You. They won’t miss me.”

  “Yeah, but I’m betting Chris is having to do some major cover-ups for us being gone. Will you be at my house when I get home?” Mel asked.

  “Do you want me to be?” Esther tilted her chin up to look in Melanie’s eyes.

  “A million times yes.” Melanie kissed her again, this time passionately. She took her time, lingering for as long as she felt safe. “Please.”

  “Okay. I’ll be there.”

  “Good. Want me to go in first?”

  “You better.” Esther raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re the star of the show tonight.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Melanie grumbled. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “You were a voice for those of us who didn’t have one, Mel. That’s something huge. And it’s something to be honored.”

  Melanie paused a moment before she bent down and dropped another kiss on Esther’s lips. “And this is why I love you.”

  “Go inside before someone comes out here to find us and finds something they really shouldn’t see.”

  “Fine,” Melanie whined. One more kiss wouldn’t hurt anything, would it?

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Esther stayed in her classroom well after the majority of the school left. She couldn’t bring herself to look this stuff up at home on her own time, to bring that decision into the sanctity of her house. She’d pulled the papers up weeks ago, when Skip had threatened her outside during school drop-off, and still they sat in a saved file on her school computer.

  She only had a few more weeks to decide if she was going to file about that particular incident, and it would be a defining moment for her. This was not something Esther could easily decide. It would affect everything in her life, the very least but perhaps most would be ticking off Skip on purpose, something she hadn’t done since she decided to leave him permanently.

  That had been one of the scariest times in her life. She had feared every moment of it, she had changed her phone number so many times that she wasn’t even sure how Carissa had managed to keep up with it. She had moved apartments often, breaking leases, because she’d been so scared Skip would come find her and have his ugly way with her.

  Esther’s breathing stuttered as she stared at the paperwork again. She was just about to close out the document when there was a gentle knock on her door. Chris opened it, popping her head in with a smile on her lips.

  “Hey, I was just leaving for the day and saw you were still in.”

  Esther nodded slightly. “Skip has Anthony for the week.”

  “And you don’t want to go home?” Chris stepped all the way inside the room, shutting the door behind her. She walked toward Esther’s desk, stopping a few feet away.

  “That transparent?”

  Chris shook her head. “I did the same thing for a while when Katie was at Andry’s. But she lives there now, so I guess I’m always alone. I think it’s a bit different when they’re older, too, because they don’t need as much of that immediate attention.”

  Esther canted her head to the side as she looked Chris over. “Why is she living with Andry?”

  “Something about consistency. I don’t know. I wasn’t going to fight her on it. It’s her senior year of high school, and I want her to do what she needs to do, even if that means not being so close to me.”

  Esther detected the sadness, but there was something else underlying it all, as if regret and fear had taken over. She could tell that there was more to the story than simply allowing Katie to move, but it certainly wasn’t her place to press the issue. Melanie could probably do that, but Esther didn’t have the same kind of relationship with Chris.

  “Anyway, I did want to talk to you,” Chris started. “I know it’s been a while since we talked, and the end of the year is fast approaching.”

  “Six more weeks. My kids remind me everyday.”

  Chris laughed lightly, but then her look turned serious. “Have you given any more thought to filing a harassment complaint against Skip?”

  Esther’s throat went dry. It was as if Chris had some sort of sixth sense that she’d been debating the same thing for the last hour she had been sitting at her desk. Esther wasn’t quite sure what to say. She could answer honestly, but she still hadn’t made a decision about it. “Thought about it? Yes. I have.”

  “Any conclusion?” Chris’ dark eyes watched her carefully.

  “No.”

  “You only have two more weeks before that one incident expires. His messages to me have slowed down, but they haven’t stopped, so there is still time. Though I won’t lie, I had hoped the deadline would have pushed you toward making a decision.”

  “As Melanie might tell you, I’m not someone who moves quickly with these kinds of things.”

  Chris gave a wry smile. “No, but I don’t need Melanie to tell me that.”

  Esther was taken aback by that. She hadn’t realized Chris had been able to read and understand her that well either, though she probably should. Since coming to Irving, she had made her first concerted effort to get to know other teachers and staff, including her principal, in ways she hadn’t in years.

  “So what’s your hesitation?”

  “I don’t think it’ll do anything.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She wanted to stop them. It was so revealing for her to say that, for her to not put up another wall or barrier, for her to not try to talk her way around it. She’d answered honestly and blatantly without even hesitating.

  “It might not,” Chris agreed. “But it’ll be on record for the next time.”

  Esther frowned. “I don’t want there to be a next time.”

  “Then you need to do something to make sure there isn’t.” Chris sat on one of the desks and pinned Esther with a serious look. “You’ve done similar in the past.”

  “Not like this,” Esther murmured. “Leaving him was a feat, and I went back so many times that I lost count before I really left. It wasn’t easy, you know. And it’s the only reason I stayed at Elbert as long as I did. I needed to know I had a safety net if I did end up going back.”

  “But you didn’t. And that’s important to remember.”

  Esther drew in a deep breath, slowly releasing it as thoughts clicked through her mind. “What if he gets pissed off by it? Well, not what if, because I know he will.”

  “I will do everything in my power to protect you, Esther. He won’t be allowed in this school if I need to do it that way.”

  “Can you do that? He’s Anthony’s father…”

  “Well, I’ll have him escorted the entire time he’s here if he does need to be here, but there are other parents who aren’t allowed on school property.”

  “Felons and sex offenders. He’s not either.”

  Chris’ look told her otherwise, and it worried Esther that she had given away too much of what had happened. Still, her point stood, he wasn’t convicted or on trial in any way.

  “I don’t want to cause any more issues than I already have.”

  Frowning, Chris leaned forward on the desk, making sure to have eye contact with Esther. “You haven’t caused issues, and just to make this very clear, this is one issue I am willing to fight over. You deserve to be able to come to work without the weight of Skip hanging over you. I’ve tried to give you that as much as I can this year, but I’m worried I’ve failed.”

  “You haven’t failed,” Esther whispered, admiration blooming in her chest for this woman and all she had done, even what Esther hadn’t known about right away. “Skip has a lot of power—”

  “No, he doesn’t.” Chris pointed at Esther. “He thinks he has a lot of power, but he really doesn’t. He’s an elected official, and eventually, he has to answer to the people, but he can only do that if they know the real Skip.”

  Esther had already thought about that argument, and while she wanted to be the person to step out and let everyone know who he was behind closed doors, she had Anthony to think about, and she had herself to think about. She wasn’t sure she could do it. “Filing a complaint with the superintendent won’t do that.”

  “No, it likely won’t. But it is a start, and it’s one I hope you’ll decide to make. I’m here for you, no matter your decision, but Esther, you have a voice. And maybe it’s time you use it.”

  Chris stood up and touched Esther's shoulder lightly before she walked toward the door.

  “Oh, and Esther? Get your ass home. You shouldn’t be here this late thinking about this. Go talk to Melanie and see what she thinks. All right?”

  Except Esther already knew what Melanie would say. They had talked about it, but Melanie had never brought the conversation up. In the past three months they had been dating, they had talked about Skip many times. When it concerned how he treated Esther, it was mostly Esther who brought it up, and it was a struggle every time. After another minute passed, Esther turned off her computer and left her classroom. She was pretty sure she knew what she was going to decide to do, but the conversation with Chris had helped solidify the fact that she wasn’t alone in this mess.

  Melanie’s house was warm in the mid-April air as she sat on her couch and did some work late into the evening. Esther was supposed to come over for dinner that night and stay. Melanie had figured out very quickly that Esther hated being alone once it was dark outside. She would do it, but if she had a preference, it was always to be with someone else. Melanie had taken up that position with delight.

  She loved spending time with Esther, and over the last several months, their relationship and friendship had continued to grow and deepen. She found herself wanting to spend more time with Esther, and Anthony, although that time was limited in some ways.

  Esther didn’t knock as she let herself into the house with the key Melanie had given her. Over a month ago. The last three months of them being together had flown by, and the school year was nearly over. Melanie wanted to make more promises, but she had resisted and waited, following Esther’s cues as to when it might be the right time to do those.

  Plopping onto the couch, Esther rested her head on Melanie’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Melanie waited patiently, sliding the work she had been doing to the side so her full attention could be on Esther and what she was bringing home. Dropping a kiss into Esther’s hair, Melanie waited.

  “I talked to Carissa on my drive here, which turned into me sitting in the car for twenty more minutes while we continued to talk.”

  “Just a regular chat?” Melanie would normally assume so, but the way Esther seemed melancholy and somewhat closed off told her otherwise. “Did something happen?”

  “I made a decision.” Esther stayed completely still, her eyes remaining closed.

  Melanie brushed her fingers through Esther’s hair, the silky strands tangling as she pulled and undid the knots. Esther still didn’t move. Melanie paid attention to the silence, sensing it was filled with emotion and trust, so she waited it out to see what Esther would do or say next.

  “I’m going to file a complaint against Skip.”

  “With the superintendent?” Melanie’s heart soared, excitement filling her chest even though she understood Esther’s trepidation and worry about this decision. She’d seen it every time they’d discussed even the remote chance of Esther trying to change anything where it concerned Skip.

  “Yes, and I’m still considering talking to my lawyer about custody, especially if this aggravates him.”

  “That sounds like a good idea.” Melanie watched Esther carefully, taking in every change in her face, her breathing, the tension in her body. She seemed fine, but Melanie knew the turmoil and thinking that had gone into this decision. “I’m proud of you.”

  Esther smiled at that.

  “I mean it. I know this wasn’t easy, but I think it’ll be better in the long term.”

  “I want Anthony to know it’s not okay. That’s ultimately what pushed me to make the decision. He’s grown up with me standing by as Skip does this, and he needs to know it’s not okay. I’ll try to keep him out of it, of course, but he’s such an intuitive kid.”

  Melanie nodded. “He’s so caring, and I think he cares the most for you. He wants to protect you and make sure you’re happy.”

  “Sounds like someone else I know,” Esther commented, her tone suddenly light for the depth of the conversation they were having.

  Melanie kissed her head again. “Yes, he and I have those same ideals in mind.”

  “Chris stopped by my room today to talk to me about it. I can file anytime because his harassment continues, but—”

  “With the confrontation in the drop-off line, that would be a concrete moment.”

  “Yes.” Esther shifted, finally toeing off her shoes and taking her jacket off, as if she was ready to relax from the tense conversation they had been having into something far easier.

  “I’m still proud of you for doing it. I imagine if you file that more women might come out of the woodwork who have similar experiences.”

  “None as long.” Esther sighed. “My own damn fault for choosing to have a child with him.”

  “Esther.” Melanie waited until she had her full attention. “You chose to keep an unexpected gift. You didn’t plan to have a child with Skip, you were thrust into the responsibility of choosing whether or not to carry out a pregnancy and raise the child.”

  “Having sex—”

  “Stop.” Melanie gave her a hard look. “Stop being so self-deprecating about it all. You were handed a set of circumstances that were largely out of your control and you made the most of it. That is important to remember. I can’t imagine being where you were, and then having to make those decisions on top of it? I really can’t begin to imagine.”

  “Because you wouldn’t—”

  “Stop,” Melanie said again. “I’m serious. Listen to how you talk about it and your actions in it. You escaped him, Esther. You built a life for you and your son, and yes, you still have to deal with Skip, but you do it largely within the confines of your own space and rules. You don’t cater to him anymore, and you haven’t for months now, since before we started dating. You really have set boundaries with him, which has been amazing to watch.”

  Esther’s eyes teared up. “I did it because of you.”

  “No, I don’t think you did.” Melanie turned as Esther rested back down on the couch. She grabbed Esther’s hands tightly in her own and stared into her eyes. “I don’t even think I was the catalyst. I think you just finally found your voice and your limit of abuse in this way. You found support for the first time since you left him, outside of Carissa, and you needed that extra push to do this and more. You’re ready to live and to thrive.”

  “I think I am,” Esther answered, her voice small. “I’m so tired of it all.”

  “And you’ve been taking steps all year to live that dream. Can’t you see that?”

  Nodding, Esther squeezed Melanie’s fingers. “I want a future with you. I dream about it, honestly.”

  Melanie’s lips curled upward, peace filling her chest. She had hoped that was the case, but she hadn’t asked yet. She didn’t want to push Esther in one direction or the other, wanting her to come to the conclusion herself. “I think about it, too. I want you to be there when Ella is going crazy over having a newborn, when Preston screws up again, when Avery and Jeremy graduate and have to begin the search for a new job. I think you’ll have a lot more insight into all of those things than I will because it’s been so long for me, or never for me.”

  “Yeah, that’s true. I guess I do have a good insight into that, but they don’t have to get that from me, you know.”

  “But I want them to. I want my kids to look up to you, even if you’re not their parent, I want you to be who makes that influence on them. You’re such a good person, Esther. You have to see that.”

  “I’m starting to. Some days.”

  “Well, make it every day because you deserve it.” Melanie moved in and kissed Esther swiftly. “But I want more than just you there for my kids, you know.”

  Chuckling, Esther nodded. “Yes, I do think a relationship with your kids requires me to be in a relationship with you.”

  “It doesn’t. They’re free to be friends with whoever they want, but I do want to be in a relationship with you. More than what we’re currently doing.”

  Esther’s lips parted in surprise, her cheeks paling. “What are you talking about?”

  “Baby steps, I promise you. I was thinking, maybe when your lease is up, that you might like to move in here with me. You and Anthony.”

  “I would love that,” Esther whispered. “But Skip—”

  “Can’t control what you decide to do with your future. And yes, I suspect there will be fallout from it, but I promise you that I’ll be right there with you to deal with it in whatever capacity you want me to be. All right?”

  “Yeah. Okay.” Esther looked down at their joined hands before raising her gaze to meet Melanie’s. “Okay, let’s do it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Nodding vigorously, Esther grinned broadly. “Yes. I love you, and I think for the first time in my life I may understand what real love is because of you. I don’t want to give that up. I’ve thought about it before now, you know. I just…I was scared, honestly. But today seems like such a good day for big decisions.”

  “Well, you can always back out, and I promise no hard feelings.”

  “I won’t back out.” Esther moved in, taking Melanie’s lips.

  Melanie thought it was going to be a quick kiss to seal the deal, but Esther deepened it. Their tongues tangled, Esther wrapping her arms around Melanie’s neck as she held on. Melanie moaned lightly when Esther nipped at her lip and pulled away.