Chapter 2: New Beginnings
Alex rarely spent time at home, and Rick rarely left.  He stayed at school in the library for as long as he could, then went to the museum.  Alex's teacher, Miss. Cunningham noticed his odd behavior, and walked over to him as he packed up for the day.
"Alex, can you tell me what's been bothering you?  You've been here for about two week and have been acting strange.  What's wrong?"  
She was a young teacher, in her mid twenties and she adored Alex.  She was married, and loved the children that she taught.
"You wouldn't get it, I have to go now."  He tried to push past her, but she caught him.
"It's okay to tell people how you feel Alex, I'm just here to help."  She smiled at him, and he began to cry.  He threw his arms around her neck and sobbed into her dress shirt as she picked him up onto her lap, holding him close.
"Oh Miss. Cunningham, it's all my fault!  She'd still be here if I could only read from the book!"  he sobbed and she frowned.  She was aware of his mother's death, but wasn't sure of the story.  The tale was she was killed in a cave in of a tunnel that they wer digging in, but she wasn't sure that was the whole story.
"I have an idea.  Why don't you and I go for some ice cream, and we'll talk if you want to.  Do you want to phone your father and tell him where you're going to be?"
"Okay."  He sniffled, and lifted the phone dialing home.
"Ya?"  Rick's voice came over the other end, and Alex smiled.
"Hi daddy, I'm going to go for a walk with Miss. Cunningham my teacher okay?  I wanted to let you know."
"Okay son, you be careful, I love you Alex."  He set the receiver back down, looking at the picture in his hands as tears leaked from his eyes.  Evie and himself were on their wedding day, and she was beautiful.  "If only you were here Evie…if only."  He sobbed and lay it down to finish the chores of the day.
"Okay, we can go."  He looked up at her and hung up the phone, taking her hand as they walked from the school into the park.
"So, what do you want to talk about?"  she asked as she folded her skirt underneath her legs, sitting across from Alex watching the geese.
He sighed, looking up at her then down to his hands as he nervously pulle dthe blades up.  "Everything's so different since mum and uncle John died, I don't know what to do.  I have these dreams about what happened all the time, and I can't seem to get out of them.  It's like I'm trapped."
"I have those sometimes too.  The only way to make them stop is to tell someone.  Sometimes it helps, but it can still be hard."
"You remind me of my mum a whole lot.  The way you smiled and the way you laugh.  It's like she sent you here to be my teacher this year."  He smiled up at her, and thought that she even looked like Evelyn a bit.  Dark brown hair in a tight bun on her head, but not the nose.  She had a longer nose than Evie's.
She smiled and looked down at him.  "Thank you Alex…you're such a sweet little boy.  I hope that someday you'll feel up to telling me about her a little bit more, but I really have to be going.  Do you need me to take you somewhere?  Home?"
"No…I don't want to go home yet.  The museum would be fine."
She nodded, and they walked over to the museum together talking about different things.  Her husband seemed nice, and he was walking out right as they were walking in.
"Well, I figured you'd either be here or at the school."  He smile,d seeing the little boy with his wife.  He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and then squatted down to Alex eye level.  "Hello there young man, I'm Geoffry."  He stuck out his hand, surprised that Alex took it and pumped it up and down twice as he nodded his head.
"Alexander Jonathan O'Connell."  He smiled at the astonished look from the gentleman.  "My mum always taught me to be polite when meeting people."  He said sadly, then said quick goodbyes as he ran up the stairs to the museum, being greeted by Joe, the doorman.
"Hello there Alex, how are you holding up?"
"Okay Joe, okay."  He smiled, walking into the building with a final wave to his teacher and her husband.
"I knew you were seeing another man."  He laughed, looking down at her as he took her hand.
"He's one of my students, and his mother and uncle just died.  They were Egyptologists, and they were killed at work…but I think there's something more.  We've been waling and talking, and he seems to be almost ready to let some things out.  I hope."  She smiled as they walked home together, and she knew what the meaning of love was when she was complete with her husband, but felt bad for Alex's father; a person that she'd never met before.