Lariette stepped inside the teachers' lounge, brushing off the cold from her coat sleeves. The scent of fresh coffee, pastries and printer toner lingered in the air.
Not many teachers were there. Some might still be on their way to school, the others might be in their faculty rooms.
Outside, the trees lining the schoolyard had long turned hues of amber and russets, their leaves swirling against the wind in lazy spirals. The students' chatter and laughter rang from the front gate, echoing alongside the breeze.
"Look! Who finally returned from her honeymoon," Nora teased as she looked up from her mug of black coffee. She sat on a couch in the seating area, her shoulders wrapped in a tartan shawl.
Lariette laughed, taking her coat off, "It was just a weekend trip, plus leave on Friday. Not even a honeymoon."
Phoebe leaned over her stack of essay drafts, chiming in, "You look refreshed, Lari. Must've been a nice break. What did you guys do?"
