Michele Dunaway - Twins for the Teacher

About five minutes later Alli’s plaintive voice cut through the silence. “Stop it, Ethan.”

Jolie swiveled in her chair so she could assess the situation. Bored with playing games alone, Ethan had cleaned up and moved over to the reading area. He was currently humming some unidentifiable tune, distracting his sister from the book she’d chosen.

“Ethan, I need your help,” Jolie called. He came over to her desk and she pointed. “See all those papers? They’re for tomorrow. I would appreciate it if you’d put one of those on everyone’s desk. That way they’ll have them first thing in the morning.”

Jolie watched as Ethan did as she asked. Her brother Lance had often gotten bored easily and would torment her. Unfortunately, having Ethan pass out papers was only going to last a minute or two. And they had at least ten more minutes to kill before Hank arrived.

Maybe the truth is you wouldn’t make a very good mother.

This time her inner voice reflected something her ex-husband had said long ago, right before he’d filed for divorce. Sure, she’d wanted more kids, but she hadn’t been ready. Not so soon after the tragedy….

Jolie frowned, stood and pushed the painful memory aside. Ethan had distributed the last paper and was bringing the extras to her desk. The fact was, at this time in her life, she was no longer a mother. She was a teacher. Educators learned how to improvise. She clicked the mouse, closing her saved document. She’d finish it later. She turned on the SMART board. “Why don’t you draw me a picture?” she suggested.

“What of?” Ethan asked as he handed her the papers.

“I don’t know. What do you like to draw? Surprise me,” Jolie suggested. She walked over to where Alli sat reading an American Girl story. “Is that a good book?”

“I’ve read it before,” Alli said.

“So you like it?” Jolie pressed. Carrie had said that Alli was quiet. She’d made a couple of friends, but she was the shy one in the group.

“It’s okay,” Alli said. “It’s a Girls of Many Lands book. Cecile’s afraid of being put in the Bastille. She ends up banished, but she gets sent to school at St. Cyr, instead.”

“That’s how the book ends,” Jolie said, seeing the correlation Alli was making. “Do you think you’ve been banished?”

Alli shrugged. “I’ve been sent to school. I liked the first few days. But I thought it would be a lot different.”

Jolie’s concern rose. “You don’t like school?”

“I don’t know,” Alli said. Her lip quivered slightly and then she blurted, “Mrs. H is great. But some of the boys are teasing me. They say I’m freaky ’cause I never went to school before.”

“Does Mrs. H know?” Jolie said, not surprised when she saw Alli shake her head. Carrie would have quashed that nonsense immediately. Teachers received in-service training every fall on harassment and bullying, including how to spot it and stop it. One of the things Nolter Elementary prided itself on was its character-building program and being a place where everyone felt welcome.

“I don’t want to tell her,” Alli said. “Grandma told me this would happen, but I didn’t want to believe it. She didn’t want us to go.”

“Of course she didn’t,” Jolie said, sitting down on the carpet. “Your grandmother loves you very much. I’m sure she misses you.”

“I miss her.” Her face scrunched up and a tear escaped before Alli bit back the rest of the waterworks. “She and Dad fought a lot before we moved. She told him he was being pigheaded and stupid. I’m not sure how he can have a pig head, but I’m sure it’s not good. I know what stupid means.”

Jolie kept her tone compassionate. “Your dad thought this would be a great change for you and your brother. A way for the three of you to be your own family.”

Alli folded her hands in her lap. “I know…and we’re closer to Grandma and Grandpa Friesen now. They’re fun. We haven’t seen them yet, though. Dad’s been too busy. I liked his old job better. We saw him more.”

The voice in Jolie’s head told her not to get involved, but it was too late, she knew. She already was. “My dad was gone a lot, too,” Jolie said, her heart going out to the little girl.

“Really?” Alli’s blue eyes widened.

Jolie nodded. “Yep. My dad was a superintendent. That means he ran the whole school district.”

“So he was your boss,” Alli said.

“No, he worked at a different school district and I wasn’t a teacher yet. But he had to be at school-board meetings and community dinners. He also attended basketball games and school plays. He wasn’t around much.”

Alli stared at her hands. “Marissa says her dad works from home and she sees him all the time.”

“That’s because Marissa’s dad is a real-estate agent and his main office is in his basement,” Jolie said. “Lots of dads are gone. You know Joey in your class? His dad is in the army and he won’t be back until August. He’s in Iraq.”

Alli appeared to think about that, her chin coming up so she could study Jolie’s face.

“You still don’t have to like it, though,” Jolie said quickly.

Alli’s brow creased as she absorbed this piece of information. “No?”

“No,” Jolie confirmed. “You just have to know that your father loves you very much. That’s the most important thing. He does love you or he wouldn’t have called me, frantic, when he knew he was going to be late. Being a dad is hard work, especially in your case. He’s doing double duty.”

“I don’t remember my mom much anymore,” Alli confided. “I have pictures of her, though. She was blond, like me and Ethan.”

“I’m sure your mom loved you very much, too. She’s in heaven and probably very happy that your dad brought you here.”

“My grandma said she wouldn’t be.” Alli’s tone was matter-of-fact.

“Grandmas don’t always know everything,” Jolie said, not impressed that Alli’s grandmother had burdened a ten-year-old with such a message. “Your mom would want your dad to be happy. He likes his new job, doesn’t he?”

She gave a quick nod. “I think so. He said it’s what he’s always wanted.”

“Well, doing a job you love is important. I love my job, too. And see, I’m here late.”

“You don’t have kids,” Alli pointed out.

“No, I don’t,” Jolie said, the familiar pang of sadness washing over her. She brushed the feeling aside and concentrated. “But even if I did have kids, sometimes I would have to work late. Like Mrs. Monahan.”

“She picks up Kelly right before latchkey closes every day. At least my dad’s early sometimes. He tries to be there by five-fifteen,” Alli said, giving her dad some credit.

“See?” Jolie said. “In Kelly’s family, she lives only with her mom. Her mom has to work. You live only with your dad.”

“I don’t get why people have to work. No one seems to like it,” Alli said.

Jolie sighed. Her siblings complained that their children thought money grew on trees. “People work to pay their bills. Things like houses, cars, clothes and food aren’t free.”

“Dad uses a charge card.”

“You still have to pay that. Just all at once,” Jolie said.

“Oh.” Alli considered that.

“Dad!” Ethan shouted. “See what I made?”

Jolie swiveled her head to see Hank Friesen standing in the doorway, as usual impeccable in his dark blue suit. She panned her gaze from him to the SMART board, where Ethan had drawn a picture of a boy playing baseball. He had some raw talent for cartooning.

“I hope they weren’t too much trouble,” Hank said, his gaze assessing Jolie and making her self-conscious.

Alli clambered to her feet and rushed over to her dad. Jolie stood.