The Educator novel Chapter 25

“How old is he now?” I ask

“I think tenor eleven? That kid is really something. He’s so passionate, smart, charitable, kind-hearted and very funny” he smiles to himself at the memory of the child. “I would love for you to meet him someday” he says.

“You allowed yourself to be a father figure to his child, Elliot. I think that’s the most generous gesture anyone has ever done.

I smile at Elliot. I think I’ve come to like Elliot more today. He’s not only a gentleman because he needs to. He actually is a gentleman as it is. “Elliot?” I call out his name.

“Yes?”

“Why did you help her?” I ask him.

He looks at me, “Because, she we have history. We shared moments, strengths and weaknesses, we grew together, Eli. So it matters to me that I help her” he says.

Elliot is the type of man that does not let situation come in between him and a person he’s had close ties with. I smile at Elliot and we both fall in silence.

“Eli” he says again

“Yeah?”

"Eli?"

"What are we exactly?" I ask him. He looks at me and I look at him. We are both frozen, we process this relationship that we have, thinking what best to call it. I honestly want it to be simple, to be mutual, that neither of us get hurt along the way. Neither of us longing for something the other could not give.

"What do you want us to be?" he asked me, "because if you ask me, Eli. I just want us to be married, act married and ..." he trails off.

"And?" I urge him to continue.

"And be in a relationship. Something we both want, a relationship where we are going to grow together" he says.