Lynn Taylor set down her pencil. âSara?â
The child, the only one of Lynnâs kindergartners who hadnât left for the day, lifted her shining blond head from the picture sheâd been working on.
âWhat time is it?â Lynn asked.
Sara turned to look at the clock on the wall above the chalkboard. âLittle hand on the twelve. Big hand on the twoâ¦.â Her expression turned grave as she processed that information. After a moment she ventured cautiously, âTen minutes after twelve?â
âThatâs right.â
A sunny smile burst forth. âThat means my mommyâs coming real soon to take you for your birthday surprise.â
âYes, she is. And I think youâd betterââ
âItâs a big surprise, Miss Taylor.â
âI know. Your mother told me. And so did you. Several times.â
âAnd I canât tell you anything more.â
âYou told me that, too.â
âBecause Mommy said you have to wait. Thatâs what it means, when you get a surprise. You wait and wait.â
âYes, and I think youâd betterââ
âItâs like at Christmas, when you have a big present and itâs under the tree and your mommy wonât let you even tear off just a little bit of the pretty paper to see whatâs in there. And every morning you get up and you look at it and you know you canât open it till Christmas. And that kind of makes you a little bit mad, because you want to know what it is so bad. But you are etcited, too, because you know itâs something real special in there, maybe a great big doll orâ¦everything for a puppy that would grow up to be just like Jennyâs dog, Sugar.â
âSaraââ
âYou know, I mean, your mommy couldnât put a puppy in a box for all that time, so it would just be the puppy bed and some puppy food and bones for him to chew on. And your mommy would be keeping the puppy someplace safe so that, when Christmas morning came, you couldââ
âSara.â
The child caught herselfâfinally. âUh. Yes, Miss Taylor?â
Lynn mimed pulling a zipper across her lips.
âOh. Okay.â
âI think itâs time you put your picture away and got ready to go.â
âYes, Miss Taylorâ¦but you know what?â
âWhat?â
âI really hope I get a puppy someday.â
âAnd maybe you will. But right nowââ
âI know.â She giggled. âZipper my lip.â
âThatâs right.â
Holding her drawing in one hand, Sara flipped up her desktop with the otherâthen peeked around the top at Lynn. âAnd put my coat on.â
âYes.â Lynn closed her lesson plan book and stuck it in her top desk drawer as Sara tucked her drawing away, shut her desk and pushed her chair back.
Right then, there were three strong taps on the door that led to the outside hall. Sara chirped out, âIâll get it! Itâs probably Mommyâ¦.â She shoved her chair into place under the desk and darted for the door, grasping the steel knob and giving it a hearty push.
The door swung outward on its hydraulic hinge and a chilly gust of October wind blew in, ruffling the loose papers on Lynnâs desk. Lynn saw them start to fly. With a low laugh, she put her hand over the stack. âCome on in and close thatââ
âItâs not my mommy,â said Sara. âItâs a man.â
Lynn looked upâand right into a pair of dark, uncompromising eyes.