The Agent and The School Teacher

Chapter Twenty-Two: Simple

We went out to dinner at a beautiful restaurant, and we just talked. We talked about work, our likes and dislikes about our jobs, we told funny stories about our kids. But then we also talked about serious stuff, like Aaron told me all about Haley's death, and dealing with it as a single parent, and I talked about Ben leaving and having to put on a brave face for the girls.Once we finished the dinner, we left the restaurant and just walked around town.

"You know..." Aaron started, "You never cease to amaze me."

"How's that?" I questioned, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Well, from the first day we met, if you have a strong opinion about something you share it, especially if it involves people you care about, like the kids that you teach. Despite the many hardships that you have faced in your life time, you choose to look at life with optimism and joy. You love those around you intensely and would do anything for them, and you already know about my admiration of your selflessness." I smiled.

"Well, you know, you're pretty amazing yourself," I told him, "You're a great father in the midst of a demanding job, which is a difficult thing for anyone to do. You have dedicated your life to helping people that don't have the ability to help them selves, and when it comes to people you care about, or even people you've just met, you have this tendency to protect the people around you that need to be protected. I would know, naturally." He smiled, and I found myself smiling at the ground as he slipped his warm, calloused hand into mine and intertwined his long fingers with mine. "Aaron, are you making moves on me?"

"You started it with the whole kissing me thing." He pointed out.

"Oh, yeah." I looked up and smiled as I spotted a small park across the street. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"Just trust me." I pulled him across the street and up the sidewalk, straight to the swing set. 

"What are you doing?" He asked, laughing. I just sat down on one of the swings, lightly swinging back and forth.

"Sometimes, I just like to remember when I was a kid. Before everything got so complicated, and you just did what you want and didn't care about the consequences until you learned that there was such a thing." He laughed, leaning against the bar. "That's why I love being a teacher. Everything is just so simple with them. If they like somebody in their shallow, little kid way, they just tell them without a care in the world. And sometimes I wonder if...as an adult, life would be easier if we were like that. Like, if you could do whatever you wanted, right now, what would it be?" He didn't answer me. He just grabbed my hands, pulling me out of the swing before moving his hands to my waist.

"I would tell you a third time how insanely beautiful you are," I smiled, "And then I'd kiss you."

"That was extremely sappy." I stated, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Lucky for you, I like that kind of thing." He pulled me until I was flush against him and pressed his mouth to mine again, more firm than it had been the first time. I felt one of his hands slip up the the exposed skin on my back, causing me to shiver as his skin made contact with mine. I brought one of my hands up into the thick black hair that resided at the back of his head, and found that it was extremely satisfying to run my fingers through. I laughed in surprise as my back gently collided with the bar of the swing set and his hands slipped down to my hips. I smiled against his mouth, pulling away to catch my breath.

"I...again, speechless." I laughed.

"That really is saying a lot for you, isn't it."

"Shut up." He said, smiling. After a moment, his face turned serious, and he stared at the ground with furrowed eyebrows. I furrowed my own.

"What's wrong?" I asked, pulling back and running my hands along his wide shoulders. He shook his head.

"Nothing, it's just um...when Haley died...I was on the phone with her." I squeezed his shoulder supportively. "She knew she was going to die, and um...she asked me to one, make sure Jack understood love, and two, to show him how fun I used to be. Its just, that I think...I think until I met you, I had forgotten how to do that."

"Aaron..."

"I have been avoiding moving on," He said, "Even with our fight, it was like I was trying so hard to make you into her, so I wouldn't have to think about the fact that I was moving on from her, but...I know that she would want me to be happy, and I have been told that I deserve happiness."

"You do." I assured him, pushing his hair back.

"I know I do, I know and uh...what I'm trying to say is that having you in my life, whether its as a friend, as a romantic interest or...even just as Jack's teacher," I laughed, "You help me remember what its like to be happy. Truly happy, and...I don't think I've ever thanked you for that." I smiled.

"I um...I didn't think that I was going to be able to count on anyone aside from my parents ever again when Ben left. He was the guy that stood up in front of a crowd of our family and friends, and swore that he would stick by me...and then he left, and I thought 'Lizzie, you don't need anybody. You can do it on your own. Its easier that way, no one gets hurt'...but it took knowing you, and talking to you for me to realize that it still hurt, only relying on yourself all of the time. You showed me how to trust in people again."

"So, can we come to an agreement?" He asked. "An agreement that no matter what happens, if we break up or whatever, that we will stay in each others lives? Because I don't know about you, but this last month..."

"Sucked?" I prompted. He smiled.

"For lack of a better word, yeah, it sucked." I nodded.

"I think I could get behind that agreement." I paused, furrowing my eyebrows. "Wait, you said break up."

"Yeah."

"Well break up kind of insinuates official, legitimate relationship with labels and everything."

"You said you liked how easy things are with kids," He pointed out, "So, what do you say, if I'm not overstepping my boundaries here, that we do this elementary style and I say you're my girlfriend right off the bat?" I smiled wide, biting my lip.

"You know...actually, I think I like that idea."

"Great." I stepped forward, hugging him. He pressed his lips lightly against my shoulder."But you know, we should still see other people and-"

"Ok, now its your turn to shut up." I said, pulling away from him, both of us laughing.