“Is he coming to class with us?”Logan’s question was as hope-filled as any question could be and just more proof that Fred was loved by one and all, because Logan was not easily impressed – by anyone.The thought made her smile and a tiny bit of the stress that this day had been slipped away.
“Yes, Logan, he is coming with us because I have some work to do, and he offered to help me do it.”
“Is he your boyfriend?”Mia asked.She was an inquisitive child with a love for fairy tales and Disney princesses.Her mom shared that love since Mia was named after a character in a movie about a princess.
“Nope.Just her friend,” Fred answered.“Since grade four.”
“Wow!”Logan said.“That’s a long time!”
“It sure is,” Fred agreed with a chuckle.
Esther frowned.It wasn’t that long!It wasn’t that short either, but she wasn’t as old as Logan made it sound like she was.
“Madison’s dad is Miss Adams’s boyfriend,” Savannah said.
“Is he?”Esther asked her.
Savannah nodded.“Madison has a babysitter tonight because you’re going on a date.”
Savannah was destined for some detail-oriented career in the future – probably an investigative journalist – because that child knew all the details, all the time, and never seemed to forget any of them.Not even when you wanted her to forget them.
“That makes him your boyfriend,” Savannah concluded.
“Nah,” Fred inserted.“That makes him her dinner date and possible boyfriend.It takes a bit more than one date to be firmly cemented together as boyfriend/girlfriend.At least it does for adults.I’d wait a few more dates before declaring him to be her boyfriend.”
Esther’s eyes were likely as wide as Savannah’s were.“Is that so?”
“Yep.That’s how it works.”Fred’s expression was confident.Just like it always was when he thought he was right.
“How many?”Savannah asked.
“How many what?”Fred asked.
“Dates.”Both Savannah’s voice and look added an unspoken “duh.”
“Oh, that can differ from couple to couple, but I’d say at least three with plans to have more.”
Savannah’s brow furrowed, then lifted right before she nodded and said, “That makes sense.”
Hmmm.No argument from Savannah?Fred was magic incarnate.Savannah was rarely without a follow-up question – or ten.“Well, then, now that we have that figured out, Mr.Fred – engine or caboose?”
“Caboose.”
“Excellent choice.Then, everyone, let’s straighten our train so that Mr.Fred can join it.Thomas, would you please come up here and be the engine?”
“Yes, Miss Adams.”
Several of the other children giggled softly, as they always did when she asked Thomas to be the engine.They weren’t making fun of him because he had the same name as a cartoon train engine.Oh, no!To this group, that was something that made Thomas cool, and a vast array of emotions for five-year-olds came out as giggles.Or pouts.Or tears.Giggles, at present, were perfectly acceptable.
Half an hour later, and with a little less stress than normal because Fred was the Pied Piper of Primary kids, all of Esther’s students had been delivered to their parents or the afterschool program, and Fred sat in one of the chairs next to the least glittered art table.
“The janitor isn’t going to like you today,” he said, as he drew his finger across the table and lifted it.“Sparkly doesn’t begin to describe it.”
No.No, it didn’t.That corner of her classroom looked like it had been hit by a sparkle storm.Probably, because it had been.A forty-hand sparkle storm.
“It was a disaster,” she said.“So much glitter and mayhem.”She shook her head.Never again would she do a project like the one she had attempted today.Or, at least, she wouldn’t do it in the same way she had done it today.There’d be far more controls in place next time.
“Believe it or not, I’ve already cleaned up most of it, and I’ll make sure to bring Mr.Brown a cupcake on Monday as an apology for the work he’s going to have to do in here.”She dropped into her desk chair and exhaled.“Maybe I should just take everything home.I could use some relaxation,” in a tub filled with warm water and bubbles, “before I have to get stressed over going out with Steve.”
