First Class Hero (First Class Novels) (9 page)

Date: Tuesday, May 21
10:11 AM

To: Paul Lathem ([email protected]...

Paul,

I can’t say that I’m
overly thrilled to see you leave again. I’ve never really known anyone that has
gone off to war, so to speak. I mean, I’ve met lots of men in the Navy, what
with living in Norfolk, but it’s not like I
knew
them.  Please be
careful! I don’t like the idea of seeing anything on CNN again. ;)

I leave for New York
tomorrow. I am hopeful that this will be a good fit for me. Guess we just wait
and see.

On the phone the other
day you asked about my mom and I changed the subject. I could tell you were
curious about it and to be fair, you have every right to be. I’m the one that
brought her up and then didn’t tell you the whole story. It’s easier to write
it than to say it out loud so I figured this was the easiest way to share. Not
many people know my history. I keep it hidden, as it’s not something I’m proud
of. I didn’t have the idyllic childhood, and I certainly never really had a
mother. So I’ve always guarded it. Embarrassed? No, I don’t think so. Sad?
Yeah, a bit. Heather, my mother, left home at the ripe old age of sixteen.
According to her, her dad used to beat on her so she left one day and never
went back. I’ve never met my grandparents so I only have her word on it. I
don’t know why she would make something like that up but then I’m not her
biggest fan so I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. Anyway, Norfolk is as far as she
got on the bus. According to her, her parents never left home so the hundred
mile distance between them was plenty. She got a job in a restaurant and made a
few friends that she crashed with until she could afford a very small studio
apartment. About a year later she met a young man that she immediately fell
passionately in love with. She got pregnant and then he disappeared. She never
saw him again. I don’t even know his name. My birth certificate doesn’t even
have his name on it. My entire childhood I was reminded I was an accident; an
unwanted accident. According to Heather, the only good thing that came of it
was the government assistance that helped to pay for rent and groceries and for
her to go to school so she could become a paralegal. She works in the same job
she got right after she finished her education. Oh, and why do I call her
Heather? Because when she decided to start dating, she wanted the men to think
I was her little sister. She didn’t want to scare them off with the thought of
dating a single mother. And she didn’t want them to think she was actually old
enough to have a child. I think I can truly say that I have no happy memories
during my childhood that involved my mother. And she wonders why I don’t want
to have coffee with her. I basically raised myself. I put myself through
college and I bought my own car. I have been independent since I was about ten
years old. I always made my own meals and got myself up and ready for school.
My first day of kindergarten I walked myself, not knowing the way, just
following the ‘big kids’ and hoping I ended up in the right place. I started
babysitting when I was twelve for some neighbors and that’s how I bought my
clothes for school all through middle school and high school. Yeah, I’m
probably still a little bitter.

She told me father was in
the Navy and then she brainwashed me to believe that all men in the Navy were
scum; not to be trusted and worthless human beings. I think she must have
really loved him to feel so betrayed and deserted. It’s taken me up until just
a few weeks ago to realize how wrong she was. I have you to thank for that. I
see the world slightly differently now and it’s better, much better.

Anyway, that’s my story.
Pathetic, but it’s made me who I am and I don’t consider
myself
pathetic, not anymore. Sorry you asked? LOL

Well, I need to get
packed for tomorrow’s train ride to Manhattan. Wish me luck!

Nic

RE: Back in three
months

From: Lathem, Paul R.
LCDR (lathempr@nav...

Date: Friday, May 24
01:08 PM

To: Nic Stewart
(nicas821@out...

Nic,

I am kind of stumped for
a response here. I am humbled by the honesty you graced me with in sharing your
past. You are an amazing woman and you have a bright future before you. I can’t
claim to understand what you went through as a child, or even as an adult, but
I have enormous respect for you and the way you live your life. You are an
example of courage and determination to not let your past define you. And you
should never be embarrassed by the actions of others. It has no reflection on
you at all. Thank you for trusting me enough to let me in.

We made it to base,
obviously, and now we are just waiting for orders. I have no idea exactly what
we will be doing here so I guess we just wait and see. Nothing like spending
the summer in the desert! LOL

So today is the big day
right? Or was it yesterday? Anyway, how did it go? I’m sure you were brilliant.
:)

Hope to hear from you
soon.

Paul

RE: Back in three
months

From: Nicole Stewart
(nicas821@outloo...

Date: Saturday, May 25 02:41
PM

To: Paul Lathem ([email protected]...

Hi Paul!

Thank you for your kind
words. They are very much appreciated.

Now, as for the news!!
Yes I had my interview. Yes I took the train and it was horrible! LOL. BUT,
worth it, I hope! :) I headed to the school and was a few minutes early so I
peeked into some of the classrooms and was quite impressed. It’s a Catholic
school so all the children were in uniforms, which I just adore, and it seemed
very orderly and well-run. Not that a two-second visit can tell you much, but
my gut says it’s a good school.

Anyway, I met with
several of the board members and the Priest and it was a relaxed interview and
I think it went very well. There were a couple of the board members that I
really
like! Just felt a connection and think it was reciprocal. Hope so!! It lasted
for about forty-five minutes and then I left. They are interviewing three
people and I was the last, so they said they hoped to have a decision by next
week. Fingers crossed!

AND…when I got home I had
an email from Boston informing me I had made to the next round and they wanted
responses to the second lot of questions. I read through them and they are
mainly specific to teaching styles and questions about standardized testing. I
need to have them back to them by Wednesday, so I’m gonna take a couple of days
to mull them over and then type up my responses and send them back!

But for the first time in
almost a year I feel really optimistic; like everything is going to be alright.
School is out here next week, so Leslie and Wendy and I are going to go to Hilton
Head for a few days. Wendy has a sister who lives there, well, just a few miles
away, so we can stay there and it’s only a seven-hour drive, so we can go
pretty cheap. Plus, we can go midweek so Drew won’t have a fit that I’m gone on
the weekend! It all works out well. And hopefully, we can be celebrating my new
job! LOL. It’s all kind of exciting! :)

Take care of yourself and
please stay in one piece. Hope to hear from you very soon!

Nic

RE: Back in three
months

From: Lathem, Paul R.
LCDR (lathempr@nav...

Date: Monday, May 27
11:21 PM

To: Nic Stewart
(nicas821@out...

Hi Nic,

I was so happy to read
your last email. I am really excited for you and know that good things are
waiting for you. Have fun on your trip and good luck on your second round of
questions. I’m sure you will do great.

We are headed out to the
middle of nowhere for a while. Don’t know how long we’ll be gone. We are going to
train some of the Afghan military. Sadly, that can be more dangerous than a lot
of missions. Don’t need any ‘blue on blue’ thank you!

I’ll email you as soon as
I can but I really have no idea when that will be.

Take care and enjoy your
trip!

Paul

Nic closed her laptop and sighed. She had just hit the
‘send’ button and submitted her second round of answers to Boston. So many
applications had been rejected over the past few months and to have two really
good possibilities buoyed her spirits immensely.  She jumped off the bed and
went to take a shower. It was going to be a fabulous day. Of that Nic was sure!

While blow drying her hair she heard her phone ring. She ran
to her bed and pushed the button.

“Hello?”

“Nicole? Is this Nicole Stewart?”

“Yes it is.”

“Hello Nicole,” a warm voice greeted her. “This is Maureen
from St. Luke’s Prep School in Manhattan. I was one of the board members who
interviewed you last week.”

“Oh yes, of course! How are you?”

“I’m doing well dear. Thank you for asking. I wanted to call
you and ask a couple of questions if that would be alright?”

“Certainly! What can I do for you?”

“Good,” Maureen began. “Just a couple of easy questions
first. What do you consider to be the perfect class size for optimum learning?”

“Well, that would depend on the age of the students, but if
we are talking kindergarten, I personally prefer a ratio of ten children,
fifteen at the max, to one teacher. So I guess that would depend on the number
of aides assigned to a classroom.”

“So with one aide you would consider twenty-five students
not over-crowded?”

Nic thought for a moment. “No, but I would also like to see
parent volunteers in the classroom everyday as well. I believe that when parents
are involved in their child’s education it leads to nothing but positive
results.”

“Excellent,” replied Maureen. “Now for the next question
which will be much harder.”

Nic took a deep breath and waited for Maureen.

“Do you think that you will enjoy living in New York?”

Nic stopped breathing.

“Nicole? Are you still there?”

“Um, yes,” Nic stuttered. “Are you…is this a…”

Maureen chuckled. “Nicole, I have the great privilege of
offering you a position at St. Luke’s as a Kindergarten Teacher starting in
August of this year.”

“Oh, wow! Thank you! Thank you so much!”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes! Yes! That’s a yes! Thank you!”

“Wonderful. I will have the school secretary put the written
offer in the mail today. It will include all the benefit information too. I’ll
also attach my personal number in case you have any questions. Oh, and if you’d
like, I’d be happy to help you look for an apartment, seeing as though you’re
so far away. Just let me know.”

“Thank you so much!” Nic repeated.

“You’re welcome. And Nicole?”

“Yes?”

“You stood head and shoulders above the other applicants. We
are the ones who should be thanking you.”

Nic threw her phone on her bed and screamed. She screamed
again, letting go of all the anxiety her body had held in check for the past
several weeks. And then she screamed once more just because it felt really,
really good!

The door flung open and Evelyn bolted into her room.

“What’s wrong?” she demanded.

Nic laughed and threw her arms around her neck.

“Nothing’s wrong!” she grinned. “For once,
nothing
is
wrong!”

*****

Paul sat in the Hummer as the convoy drove through the
desert. He was trying really hard to keep his mind focused on the surrounding
hills and the threat of enemy attack. The problem was that his thoughts kept
drifting to a thirty year old woman in Virginia who he hoped would be
prominently featured in his future. He smacked his helmet and forced his eyes
back on the task at hand – getting to the village safely.

“What’s up? You okay?”

Paul gave the thumbs up signal to his buddy sitting next to
him. He needed to put her out of him mind, not only for his own safety, but the
safety of his team. The mission had always come first and it would now too.
There would be plenty of time to convince Nic that he was the man for her…in
August…when he was home.

*****

The trip to Hilton Head really did turn out to be a celebration.
Wendy and Leslie were thrilled for Nic and her opportunity to move to New York
and teach at a private Catholic school.

“Not the same kind of budget worries,” Leslie had said.

“Manhattan! A dreamer’s dream,” sighed Wendy. “You can go
find yourself a rich Wall Street guy and live happily ever after.”

Nic attempted a smile, but Leslie picked up on her
bristling.

“Is it the Manhattan comment or the Wall Street guy?”

Nic closed her eyes and exhaled. “Can I ask you guys a
question? I may need to talk this out.”

“Do we need to stop?” Leslie asked, taking the car off
cruise control.

“Oh no!” Nic shook her head. “It’s just that, well, I’m
emailing with a guy I met and I want to make sure that we are on the same page.
I’m not looking for a romantic entanglement and I need that to be real clear.”

“Entanglement?” giggled Wendy. “That’s sounds divine
actually.”

Nic chuckled. “Not for me. I’m not looking for anything more
than friendship. Now if I was, he would make it to the top of the list, but I’m
not ready for any of that, especially with someone in the Navy.”

“Why?” asked Wendy. “Why shouldn’t you embrace love if it
comes your way? And what’s wrong with the Navy?”

Nic realized she shouldn’t have brought it up. She quickly
back peddled. “I should wait and see what it is that he wants before making any
decisions and I was just making a general statement about the risks of becoming
involved with someone in a dangerous profession such as the military.” She
hoped that would squash all continued conversation on the subject.