The Color of Love

Chapter 10

Lillian and Beth sat on the sofa in her apartment, halfway through a giant bowl of popcorn and their latest chick flick. They'd seen this one several times, so they were heavy on the commentary and interaction through it this time.

"So, how's James?"

"Good."

"How are James and Lillian?"

Lillian rolled her eyes. "Good."

"You've spent too much time with him. Your conversational skills are diminishing."

Lillian scoffed and whacked Beth across the arm with a pillow. "Rude!"

"Seriously though, it's been at least a month since you took me with you to Byerton. You two have been dating for a few months now, burning up the train tracks every weekend. What's next?"

Lillian sighed and leaned her head back against the sofa with a moan. "Oh Beth, I don't know. I care about him a lot."

Beth corrected her. "You love him a lot."

Lillian sighed. "Yes, I do."

"Okay, so, now what?"

"What am I supposed to do? I have a job and a life here. And he has a job and a life there."

"You know what your dad would have said."

"He'd say that God will give me a sign of what I'm supposed to do."

"Yup. What do you think of that?"

"I think I don't go to church nearly enough for God to care enough to give me a sign about what I'm supposed to do with my love life."

Beth frowned. "I know I'm not religious, I mean, it's been years since I've been to church and that was for Vacation Bible School when I was a kid, but I'm pretty sure that's not how God works."

"Well," Lillian said as she hopped up off the sofa and went to get another soda from the fridge, "I'll let you know if I get some big flashing sign, or even a whisper in the wind. In the meantime, I'm just going to be happy and content with what we have."

"You seem a little too miserable and restless during the weekdays to be 'happy and content with what you have.' But there's always the summer. You'll have more time to visit him then, right?"

"Yeah, but I need to find a summer job to pay the bills, you know that. And he still works through the summer."

"Speaking of summer, when is your end-of-year appraisal? Don't they usually have you sign next year's contract then?"

"Next week. They do my appraisal a few weeks before the other teachers. They wait until after exams for the general ed teachers, but go ahead and evaluate us elective teachers who don't give the vital end-of-year state exams to the students."

**—**—**

"Ms. Dillinger. As always, you've done a stellar job with your students this year. Your art program has always been a favorite in the school."

"Thank you, Mr. Kattan. It's a joy to teach the students and I'm glad they enjoy it as well."

Suddenly, Mr. Kattan and the others at the table looked awkwardly between each other. Mr. Kattan sighed, shuffled around the papers in front of him, and looked back at Lillian. "I'm sorry to say, Ms. Dillinger, but the school board has informed me that there have been major cuts made to the school arts' programs in the city. We will not be able to renew your contract for next year."

"What!? But—you mean the students won't be able to take art?"

Kattan sighed. "The students will have art, but a teacher will travel and be shared amongst several schools. I'm afraid you were not chosen as one of those teachers."