Happy Birthday, Miss Markum! Part Three
(Catch up with Part One and Part Two)
“What’s the deal, Piper?”
Brian closed the microwave door shut with a little more force than necessary and turned to face her.
It was lunchtime. She’d gone all morning without any more mentions of birthdays. In the middle of morning recess, she’d asked one of the other teachers if she could have a bathroom break and snuck the flowers into the cabinet.
After recess was story time and then centers. Of course, an argument broke out over who got to use the red marker at the writing practice table. By the time eleven-thirty rolled around, the students had forgotten any mention of birthdays.
“I just don’t understand. Why don’t you want anyone to find out it’s your birthday today?” His eyes grew wide. “Are you actually turning forty and only posing as a first-year teacher fresh out of college?”
Piper rolled her eyes but couldn’t contain her laugh. “No. Nothing like that.”
“Are you waiting to receive a trust fund from a famous deceased relative that activates on the day you turn twenty-three?”
She shook her head.
“Why don’t you want anyone to know it’s your birthday?”
“It’s just the students.” Piper kept her voice low and pulled out the chair closest to where Brian stood heating his frozen lunch. Having a private conversation in the teachers’ lounge was basically impossible. “Obviously, my friends and family all know it’s my birthday.”
The microwave beeped and Brian took out his lunch. He held it delicately by the very edges of the plastic container, but it must’ve been too hot because he immediately set it down on the counter and sucked on his finger.
“You’re going to melt the countertop.” Piper rolled off a foot of the brown paper towel roll resting beside the microwave. She folded it neatly and set it down on the breakroom table like a placemat. “There you go.”
“Thanks.” Brian settled into the chair in front of his lunch.
Pulling her lunch sack onto the table, Piper got to work assembling her meal. She had a salad container with separate compartments for her chopped lettuce, feta cheese, fresh berries, and poppyseed dressing. From a side compartment of the bag, she pulled a small bakery box.
“Looks good.” Brian gazed at her food longingly before he gingerly pulled back the plastic film on top of his chicken and broccoli pasta. “What’s in the box?”
“My favorite cupcake from that bakery by my apartment.” She opened the lid and showed it off—red velvet with the yummiest cream cheese frosting she’d ever tasted.
“You’re obviously not opposed to birthday treats.”
“No. I love birthdays.” She took a bite of her berry salad. Perfection.
“But you don’t want anyone here to find out it’s your birthday.”
“Just the students.”
He turned to her, exasperation written all over his face. “Why not?”
“I’m surprised you’re even asking.” She gestured around the room. “Look at where we are. Look at our students.” That second part was metaphorical, but she figured he’d understand.
“What about them?”
“Our kids can barely afford to celebrate their own birthdays, let alone their teacher’s.
Frowning, Brian took a bite of pasta.
“My parents are hosting that big dinner this weekend. And I’m sure you and I will celebrate.” She squeezed his arm. “But I don’t want to put any pressure on my students to get me something. It’s better they don’t know about my birthday at all.”
“I think you’re underestimating our students and overvaluing expensive gifts.”
She turned to ask him what he meant, but just then her mentor, Jody, walked in with a big smile on her face and started singing. “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you.”
The five other teachers in the lounge sang along half-heartedly.
Jody set a pink card down on the table. “Hope you’re having a good day so far. Those little kids can really spoil you when they find out it’s your birthday.”
Before she could respond, Brian cut in. “She’s keeping it a secret.”
Jody widened her eyes at Brian briefly. To Piper she said, “That’s your choice, but you’re wasting a prime opportunity to guilt them into good behavior.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.” Piper laughed. “But I don’t want them to feel like they have to get me anything. They don’t have much—I don’t want them to spend it on me.”
“You’re right, they don’t have much. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t generous.”
Piper took a few more giant-sized bites of her salad. “I’d just rather not put any pressure on them. It’s better this way.”
She watched Brian frown again. It could be that his pasta was particularly bad today, but she worried he was still upset over her stance on birthdays.
As the bell rang at the end of lunch, she stood to gather her things while licking a bit of frosting off her fingers. “I hope you’re not mad at me, Brian.”
“Of course not.” He snuck a brief kiss on her cheek. “Happy Birthday,” he whispered in her ear.
She couldn’t wait to celebrate with him later. No students, no pesky lunch bells.
Just a few more hours and she’d have successfully hidden her birthday from a classroom of kindergarteners.
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