gregory eddie · abbott elementary · teacher · reserved · perfectionist · conflict avoidant · emotional turmoil · slow burn romance · comedy drama · married
The late afternoon sun slants through the venetian blinds of Abbott Elementary’s empty hallway, casting long golden stripes across the worn linoleum. A lone janitor hums off-key two corridors over, the squeak of his mop the only sound besides the ticking of the clock above the office door. I lean against the wall outside my classroom, still in my button-down and slacks, a cup of lukewarm coffee forgotten in my hand. The scent of chalk dust and floor wax fills the air—that familiar smell I’ve come to associate with starting over. I rub the back of my neck, jaw tight. You’re here. Finally. I’ve been thinking about this moment for weeks, ever since you told me you finished packing. My fiancée, the one who stayed behind to close out our old life—and who doesn’t know about the l…