Martha was sitting in her classroom, patiently waiting for Gina Watson to arrive for their meeting. Thankfully Liz had tipped her off about Jeremy’s situation, which could have made for an awkward conversation with his mother.
Martha kept one eye on him the rest of the day. While she suspected some of Jeremy’s behavior was due to his father’s death, she still thought he was a little distant. She’d asked his previous teachers what he was like before May. They all said the same thing, give or take. Jeremy Watson was incredibly smart, but withdrawn and had only become more so since his father’s passing.
Gina Watson arrived at the school with time to spare. She walked through the building, curious as to why this new teacher had called this meeting. She herself was still reeling from her husband’s death. It was all so sudden. He’d just gone out of town with some friends for the Memorial Day weekend. They weren’t drinking, but the other driver had been. Since then, Gina had sworn off alcohol, and tried to put her life back together.
She was worried about Jeremy though. His behavior hadn’t changed since the day she told him. He never cried, never said a word. It was… concerning. Gina wondered if that’s what his teacher wanted to discuss.
Gina stopped to sniff the air outside Jeremy’s classroom. She caught the smell of a werefox, and saw an attractive woman with light brown hair sitting at a desk. She knocked on the door before entering. Martha looked up from the paper’s she had started grading to let Gina Watson in.
“Hello, Mrs. Watson I presume?” Martha said.
“Yes. And please call me Gina Mrs. Anderson. Or would you prefer Martha?”
“Martha is fine. Please, sit.” Martha said pulling an adult sized chair out for Gina. The two women were discreet in their sizing the other up.
Gina, while straight, had to admit that Martha Anderson was fairly attractive. She was unaware of Martha and William’s open marriage, so she chastised herself for having those kinds of thoughts about her son’s teacher. Martha on the other hand didn’t have any qualms regarding the steamy evening she envisioned with the attractive werecoyote in front of her.
“Was there anything in particular about Jeremy you wanted to discuss?” Gina asked.
“Sort of, but before we start, I’d like to offer my condolences regarding your husband’s passing. I’m sure it hasn’t been easy, on you or Jeremy.” Martha said.
“Thank you.” Gina said, used to the sympathy offerings. That was people’s general response. Offer condolences, support, or the like.
“How has Jeremy been, since his father’s passing that is?” Martha asked.
“To tell the truth, I’m not entirely sure. He hasn’t said much of anything. Why do you ask?”
“Well that’s the matter I wanted to discuss. I understand that some amount of his behavior is due to grief and sadness, but…”
“He’s still distant and shy?” Gina finishes the sentence. The story of her life, Jeremy was bright but introverted. Things had only gotten worse since her husband’s death. John was the only one who could ever bring Jeremy out of his shell.
“I take it this isn’t unusual behavior to you then?”
“Unfortunately no. Jeremy’s always been a socially awkward. I’ve tried to get him to open up in the past. But with recent events, I don’t want to pry or force him to do anything he doesn’t want to. John was always better at dealing with him than I was in that sense. He understood Jeremy…” Gina stops herself before she starts crying. Martha quickly offered a box of tissues.
“I understand, my own son Eric is a lot like Jeremy.” Martha said as Gina wiped the tears from her eyes.
“Really? How old is he?”
“Fourteen, he’s a freshman this year. Truthfully he could have skipped a grade, but I kept him in his normal year with the idea he would make friends easier. But Eric’s not a very approachable person, and prefers the company of adults, books, or himself. I must admit I was surprised when he started dating this year.”
“So, how did you deal with him? Or was he not always like this?”
“I think part of the solution was Nate, his older brother. Someone close to him, other than myself or my husband, to interact with in a familiar setting. Which brings me to the but of business I wanted to talk to you about. Jeremy’s incredibly smart, I’m sure you’re aware. He could potentially skip fourth grade and go straight to fifth. But I think he needs a little push in the right direction. Someone to act as a mentor of sorts.”
“An older brother?” Gina surmises.
“Essentially yes. I think it might do him some good to have a friend a bit older, and who understands the situation. I’m sure his classmates know he’s been going through a lot, but I doubt any of them can comprehend the true nature of his loss. And you say Jeremy hasn’t opened up to anyone about his father’s death? Not even you?”
Gina shakes her head, and then explained how she was considering taking Jeremy to a therapist or counselor.
“I’m worried he’s keeping whatever feelings he has bottled up.” she said.
“And that brings me to another bit of business. Do you know Francis Twist?” Martha asked.
“Samantha Twists’s wife?”
“Yes. She’s therapist, and the two have an adopted son, Ben, who is a high school junior. I talked to Francis, and she said she’d be willing to try and talk to Jeremy once a week or so depending on your schedule. But we both agreed Ben would be the best fit to get Jeremy to open up more. He also lost his parents at a young age.” Martha explained.
Actually it had been Ben’s idea. He was upstairs doing his homework when Martha and Francis were discussing the ideas over the phone earlier. Ben overheard their entire conversation, and then approached his mother with his plan. Martha could have sworn Francis started to tear up a little at Ben’s compassion and willingness to help.
“He’d make a great therapist one day too,” Martha thought.
“I… thank you. I’m not sure what else I should say.” Gina finally managed to say. Martha nodded and handed a piece of paper over to Gina.
“The first number is Francis’ office, the second is her home number, and the one below that is Ben’s number. She suggested having Ben babysit, as a way to break the ice without Jeremy feeling as if you were forcing Ben on him.” Martha said.
Once again, Gina had to wipe tears from her eyes. When she walked into the school, she hadn’t expected Martha Anderson to be so considerate and empathetic. She assumed she wanted to talk about Jeremy’s academics, not his well-being.
“Thank you.” is, again, all she could manage. Martha nodded again, and let Gina collect herself. She knew what she was going through. Martha’s parents divorced when she was twelve, and then her father died from cancer. She had her aunt to lean against, the same woman to encouraged her to pursue a career in teaching. Whereas her mother wanted her to do “something more productive” like engineering or chemistry.
“If things go well, I’d also like to start challenging Jeremy some more in class. He has no problems with third grade level work, in fact I imagine it rather bores him.” Martha said.
“Of course. I’m sure he’d enjoy something different. Lord knows he comes home complaining about how easy everything is.”
The two women share a laugh before saying goodbyes. Gina thanks Martha once more.
“Please, it was Ben’s idea not mine.”
“He certainly seems like an upstanding gentlemen. It’ll be good to have a role model like him in Jeremy’s life.” Gina bit back another wave of tears. Martha nods in agreement, and then offers a supportive hand. Gina accepts, letting Martha give her a friendly hug. The two are both left fighting back the growing warmth in their bodies. Martha is the one who breaks away first, but she does notice Gina’s reluctance to let go. At first she attributes it to the woman’s grief and needing a friendly shoulder to cry on. Then she catches a whiff of the werecoyote’s arousal.
“I’ll let you get on then. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” Martha said.
A bit embarrassed over the feelings starting to build in her body, Gina merely nods. She exits the school, and once in her car again lets everything out. It’s a mixture of crying, laughing, and pretty much the rest of the emotional spectrum. She wasn’t born in Moon Lake, she’d met John by chance. She’d never felt any particular love for the town, until today.
“Moon Lake is special. I can’t explain why, it’s just a feeling I get. I’ve lived here my entire life, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else.” John once said.
“I get it John. And I want Jeremy to grow up here too,” Gina whispered.
**This will serve as the primary Twist/Martha subplot - bj88