Air rushes from my lungs in a relievedwhoosh. “I thought she was going to cause trouble with the show after you told her I’m your girlfriend.”
“She’d look rather petty if she did that after the rest of the parent-teacher association approved it,” Landon says. “Even more so when they find out who’s helping with the show.” He nods at the two individuals leading the kids in a cheery rendition of “Frosty the Snowman.”
After Josephine callsit a day with the kids and thanks them for doing such an incredible job singing and playing their bells, Landon and I take our charges back to our classrooms.
The door between the two rooms is open a crack. Not because he needs my help with his class. He doesn’t.
It’s so he can do his real job, keeping an eye on me.
But with Adam doing his regular rounds of my classroom, and Jayden and Liam outside, there’s nothing to worry about.
As long as I’m in the school, I’m safe.
As though I’ve just summoned him with my thoughts, Adam wheels his bucket and mop into my classroom and approaches my desk. I stand to talk to him.
“Miss R,” Tommy says from his seat, “why do birds and bees make babies?”
He says it loud enough that everyone looks up from the Christmas craft they’re making for the classroom walls.
The undeniable twitching of Adam’s mouth gives away his thoughts.
Oh, boy.
Sex Ed isn’t for a few more years.
I plant a desperate smile on my face and ask Adam, “Is there something I can help you with?”
The replying grin is anything but desperate. “I can wait.” He nods for me to answer Tommy’s question.
Of course.
“Well…um…it’s just a saying. I mean, of course, birds have babies. They hatch from eggs. And baby bees hatch from eggs, too. Although in the case of bees, they don’t look like baby bees when they hatch. And why do birds and bees make babies? Well, to increase their population. Otherwise, the world wouldn’t have song and honey.” I sound like a rambling fool, but my years of education haven’t prepared me enough for this.
Tommy looks thoughtful for a moment, then nods. “Okay.”
And I release a hard breath. “Hopefully, I haven’t just screwed him up for life,” I mutter so only Adam hears me.
Adam laughs. “If this is what it’s like for Landon, I definitely got the easier job for this mission.” He says it low enough so the kids don’t overhear him.
“Mission” and “janitor” are two words you don’t typically associate together. Tom Cruise didn’t drop from the ceiling in his spy gear to clean toilets.
“You might be right about that,” I say. Although I don’t doubt for a minute that the regular janitor doesn’t have his hands full with the job.
“Is there something you need?” I ask Adam, glancing around the room to double-check that everything’s in order.
“Landon won’t be able to drive you to his place after school. He has to be somewhere else. So I’ll be driving you instead.”
An hour and half later,Adam drops me off at Landon’s town house. “Do you know how to reactivate the alarm?” he asks.
I nod.
“All right. Landon should be home in two hours. Don’t answer the door while he’s gone. I’ve been called in for the meeting, so I’m unable to keep an eye on the town house in the meantime.”
“Okay.” I jump down from his SUV, and he waits for me to enter the house before driving off.
I’m about to reactive the alarm, but my gaze lands on the living room. You wouldn’t know it’s the holiday season by looking at it.
It’s kind of depressing.
