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Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to Romance Weekly. This episode is titled
Back to School, Part one, First Day Jitters.
Speaker 2: The shrill beap of Sarah Johnson's alarm cut through the
peaceful morning silence, startling her awake. She groaned, fumbling for
her phone on the nightstand. Six thirty am glared back
at her, a harsh reminder of the day ahead, first
day of school. Before she could even sit up, a
whirlwind of energy burst into her room. Ma'am, ma'am, wake up.
Her seven year old daughter, Lily bounced on the bed,
already dressed in her carefully chosen first day outfit, a
sunflower dress with matching yellow sneakers. We can't be late,
Sarah couldn't help but smile at Lily's enthusiasm, despite her
own grogginess. We won't be late, sweetie, I promise. Now,
how about you go downstairs and pour yourself some cereal
while I get ready. Lily nodded vigorously and dashed out
of the room. Her pigtails bouncing behind her. Sarah sighed,
dragging herself out of bed and into the shower. As
the warm water cascaded over her, Sarah felt the familiar
knot of anxiety form in her stomach. It had been
two years since her divorce, but moments like these still
made her acutely aware of her status as a single parent.
She took a deep breath, pushing the thoughts away. Today
was about Lily, not her own insecurities. She found Lily
at the kitchen table, milk sloshing over the edge of
her bowl as she excitedly spooned cereal into her mouth.
Easy there, tiger, Sarah laughed, pouring herself a much needed
cup of coffee. We don't want to have to change
your outfit before we even leave the house. Lily grinned,
milk dribbling down her chin. I'm just so excited, ma'am.
Do you think miss Thompson will remember me from last year?
Sarah ruffled her daughter's hair affectionately. Of course she will, sweetie,
You're pretty unforgettable. By seven forty five, they were in
the car navigating the morning traffic. Lily chattered away in
the back seat, her words tumbling out in an excited stream.
And then Emma said her mum got her a new
backpack with unicorns on it, but I told her my
Wonder Woman one is way cooler, right, ma'am. Sarah nodded,
only half listening as she focused on the road. Absolutely, honey,
Wonder Woman beats unicorns any day. The school parking lot
was absolute chaos. Parents and children swarmed everywhere, a cacophony
of car doors slamming and excited voices. Sarah took a
deep breath, plastered on a smile, and turned to Lily.
Ready for your big day, kiddo. Lily nodded, her earlier
excitement suddenly replaced by nervousness. She clutched her Wonder Woman
backpack tightly. What if nobody likes me? Sarah's heart clenched.
She unbuckled her seat belt and turned fully to face
her daughter. You're smart, you're funny, and you're kind. Anyone
would be lucky to be your friend. And remember you
already know Emma and Tyler from last year. It's going
to be great, I promise. Lily's smile returned, small but genuine. Okay, mom,
let's do this. As they made their way through the crowd,
Sarah's a was caught by a man and a young
boy near the school entrance. The man looked as overwhelmed
as Sarah felt his hand clutching his son's backpack a
little too tightly. He was handsome, with kind brown eyes
and salt and pepper hair that made him look distinguished
rather than old. Their eyes met, and Sarah felt an
unexpected jolt. It was the look of shared understanding that
passed between them that made Sarah's breath catch. Before she
could react, Lily tugged on her hand, Mum, I see
miss Thompson. Can I go? Say hi? Sarah nodded, watching
as Lily ran off to greet her teacher. When she
looked back, the man and his son were gone, swallowed
up by the crowd. The rest of the morning passed
in a blur of introductions and first day procedures. Sarah
chatted with other parents she recognized from last year, catching
up on summer adventures and commiserating over back to school stress.
As she turned to leave, a voice behind her made
her pause, excuse me, I think you dropped this. She
turned to find the man from earlier holding out Lily's
yellow hair ribbon. Sarah hadn't even noticed it fall. Oh
thank you, she said. Taking the ribbon up close, she
could see the faint lines around his eyes, the slight
tremor in his hand. First day's always crazy, isn't it,
he chuckled, The sound warm and rich. Tell me about it.
I'm Jack, by the way, Jack Cooper, Sarah Johnson, she replied,
shaking his offered hand. His grip was firm but gentle,
and Sarah found herself noticing how his brown eyes crinkled
at the corners when he smiled. Is this your first
year here, Sarah asked, tucking a strand of hair behind
her ear. Jack nodded, Just move to the area. My
son Ethan, he's in third grade, still trying to figure
out which end is up to be honest, Sarah laughed,
the sound surprising her. When was the last time she'd
laughed so easily with a strain? Oh, I remember that feeling.
My daughter Lily's in second grade now, but that first
year was a doozy. You'll get the hang of it, though,
And hey, if you ever need any insider tips, I'm
practically a pro now. Jack's smile widened. I might just
take you up on that. Any chance you know where
a guy can get a decent cup of coffee around here.
I have a feeling I'm going to need it. As
a matter of fact, I do, Sarah replied, surprising herself
with her boldness. There's a great little place just down
the street, the grind best lattes in town. Sounds perfect,
Jack said, maybe I'll see you there.
Speaker 1: Sometime.
Speaker 2: They fell into an easy conversation, swapping stories about their
kids and the challenges of single parenthood. Sarah learned that
Jack was a widower, his wife having passed away two
years ago. The pain in his eyes as he spoke
of her was raw and familiar. I'm so sorry, Sarah
said softly. That must be incredibly difficult Jackjack nodded, his
smile turning wistful. It is, but Ethan, He's been my rock.
Kids are resilient, you know. They have this amazing ability
to find joy even in the darkest times. Sarah felt
a lump form in her throat. They really do, Lily,
she was the one who got me through my divorce.
There were days when I didn't think I could get
out of bed, but she'd come bouncing in asking for
pancakes or wanting to show me a new dance move.
She gave me a reason to keep going. Jack's eyes
met hers, filled with understanding. It's not easy, is it
being everything for them? No, Sarah agreed, but it's worth it.
As parents began to filter out of the school, Sarah
realized with a start that she'd lost track of time. Oh,
I should get going work calls. Jack nodded, looking equally
surprised by how much time had passed. Of course, it
was nice meeting you, Sarah, Really nice.
Speaker 1: You too, Jack.
Speaker 2: And hey, if you need anything, school supplies, teacher, gift ideas, whatever,
don't hesitate to ask. We single parents have to stick together, right,
Jack's smile was warm. Right, thanks, Sarah, I might just
take you up on that. As Sarah walked to her car,
she couldn't shake the feeling that something significant had just happened.
For the first time in years, she'd felt a connection
with someone, a spark of possibility. But as she started
her car, doubt crept in. She was a single mum
with a demanding job and a heart that had been
battered by divorce. The last thing she needed was complications. Still,
as she drove to work, Sarah found herself smiling. Maybe,
just maybe this year would bring some unexpected surprises. Her
phone buzzed as she pulled into her office parking lot.
It was a text from her best friend, Megan Howers.
Drop off any cute single dad's catch your eye? Sarah laughed,
shaking her head as she typed her reply, drop off
was fine, Lily's excited and no comment on the dad's situation.
She hesitated for a moment before adding, but maybe we
should grab coffee at the Grind this week, you know,
for old time's sake. As she walked into her office,
greeting her co workers and settling into her day, Sarah
couldn't quite shake the image of Jack's warm brown eyes
and kind smile from her mind. It had been a
long time since she'd felt that flutter of attraction, that
spark of connection. For the first time in years, Sarah
found herself looking forward to school drop off the next morning,
and as she dove into her work, a small part
of her wondered if Jack Cooper might be thinking the
same thing. Little did she know, across town, Jack was
sitting in his own office, a smile playing on his
lips as he thought about the beautiful, kind hearted woman
he'd met that morning. Maybe, just maybe this move to
a new town was exactly what he and Ethan needed.
The first day of school had brought new beginnings for
more than just the children, and in the bustling halls
of Oakridge Elementary, the seeds of an unexpected love story
had been planted.
Speaker 1: Romance Weekly is a production of Calaroga Shark Media Executive
producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this podcast
may have been created with the assistance of AI
Speaker 2: Calaroga Shark Media