Rescue Me by Farrah Rochon Page B

the nights in the office poring over the books.
    In the midst of chaos a silver lining had emerged. His business had started to grow exponentially as a result of the constant pressure Chantal had put on him to provide. But that success had not come without a cost. Alex had spent less and less time focusing on his marriage, and soon after Jasmine’s birth, his wife had turned to other men.
    She’d been blatant in her infidelity, threatening to take Jasmine away if Alex so much as uttered a word about her affairs. It was at that moment Alex had considered his marriage over. Instead, he’d chosen to devote his energy to making sure his daughter wanted for nothing. Jasmine’s well being had become his reason for living. His own happiness was a nonissue.
    As his eyes fell on the ring again, a bitterness he’d suppressed for years stirred in his gut. He’d been a good husband to Chantal, but she had not been a good wife. And now—because of his injury, because of Jasmine— he refused to cling to this symbol of a marriage that had lost his respect long before his wife’s death had ended it.
    Alex hooked his thumb under the ridge of the gold band and gave it a push. He inched it up a few centimeters more, a weight gradually lifting off his shoulders with each shift of the ring. It fell to the table with a soft ping, rimming around a few times before finally falling still. Alex lifted the gold band from the table and stuck it in his pocket. He brought his mug up to his lips and took a drink.

Chapter Four
     
    “I want everyone to record their quiz score in their booklets before logging off the computer. You all remember how to properly log off, right?”
    The laconically sung chorus of “Yes, Ms. Moore” that resounded from the group of second graders brought a grin to Renee’s lips. She strolled around the computer lab, assisting those students who needed a little extra help logging out of the computer program while the others gathered their belongings. She had only a few minutes before she had to get this group back to their regular class and retrieve a set of fourth graders. It was test day for the fourth grade children enrolled in Accelerated Reader, just one of the programs that fell under her supervision as Special Projects Coordinator.
    “Ms. Moore?”
    Renee felt a tap on her knee. She looked down and grinned at the huge brown eyes staring up at her. She already knew what would come next, so Renee halted the student’s request before she had a chance to voice it.
    “No, Mariah, you cannot stay in the computer lab. The next session is for fourth graders. Second graders have to go back to Mrs. Pitts.”
    “I promise to be good,” Mariah said, laying on the puppy dog eyes with amazing effect. It’s a good thing a few of the teachers had already schooled Renee in refusal techniques.
    She was not used to students who didn’t reach her waist. Coming from the community college ranks, she had needed a few weeks to adjust to her much younger student base.Not surprisingly, the maturity levels were not all that different from some of the freshmen she’d dealt with in her last position teaching European history at a community college in Tampa.
    Renee took Mariah by the hand and guided her to the colorful chart taped to the door of the computer lab.
    “Look at the schedule,” Renee said. “When will you be back in the lab?”
    Mariah studied the chart with such concentration Renee had to bite back a laugh.
    “There it is.” Mariah pointed. “Thursday.”
    “That’s right. Your class will be back in the lab on Thursday.” Renee raised her voice for the rest of the students to hear. “Will everyone have their stories read by then?”
    A cacophony of “Yeah, Yes, ma’am, and Uh huh,” flitted across the room.
    “Very good.” Renee nodded. “Now let’s get you all back to Ms. Pitts’s classroom. I’m sure she misses her little angels.” Renee’s wink garnered the giggles she’d anticipated.
    By the