I’min the loft reading a book to the kids when I hear Jamie pull in. It’s later than usual, she had an extra house to clean that wasn’t on the schedule. I’m nearly done with the book. Tanner and Elijah are tossing a softball back and forth, listening to the story, and Shay is rolled up on the pillow next to me.
“The cat had a…” I point at the word. “What word is that?”
Shay looks at the page and frowns.
“Huhhh.” I make the H sound. “Sound it out.”
She shakes her head no, her pigtails swinging.
Elijah stops tossing the ball. “Shay doesn’t read. She just started kindergarten.”
I look from the book to Shay. Her lower lip quivers and she wrinkles her brow. “You don’t know this word?”
I point to the word hat.
“Rawr.”
Tanner lets out a big sigh, then looks at the door to make sure Jamie hasn’t come in yet. He leans forward like he’s telling a secret. “Ms. Crum said Shay is undisciplined and ignorant.”
Elijah scowls. “No she didn’t. She said we all are undisciplined. She said Shay refused to know her letters or to read and she was going to flunk her.”
There’s a spark of irritation in my chest, about to ignite into a big ball of anger. “Who is Ms. Crum?”
Shay drops her head to my shoulder and looks up at me with mournful eyes. I wrap my arm around her and squeeze.
Elijah gives me a loaded look. “She’s the principal. She doesn’t like us.”
I frown and chew on that information for a minute. “Why not?”
Tanner grins. “Because I make contraptions, and Shay pretends to be animals, and Elijah can’t sit still. We’re troublemakers.”
I narrow my eyes. “You are not. You’re good kids.” I’m feeling incredibly protective of them, and I’m not sure I like Ms. Crum telling my daughter she’s going to flunk kindergarten or telling my sons they’re troublemakers.
“We don’t like sitting still. It’s boring.”
I nod. There’s something deep inside me that tells me I was exactly the same. “I was just the same as a kid.”
Elijah’s eyes widen. “You were?”
I scratch my jaw and consider. “I can’t remember being a kid, but I’m certain. Yes. I’m certain. I could never sit still.”
“Wow,” Tanner breathes. He grins at me like I’m his hero.
I shake my head. “You still need to learn. You can’t dump rotten eggs on your teachers or—”
“We don’t do that,” Elijah promises.
Tanner nods. “We only pay bullies back for picking on Shay, or test out devices to open windows, or once, I played some music over the loudspeaker system because I wanted to see if I could.”
I fight a grin, then when I can’t hold it in, I hide it behind my hand. Finally, I say, “I think…hmmm…I think you boys better promise me you’ll try to behave during school hours. Then afterwards, we can do all the things you like. Building, running, playing.”
Tanner jumps up. “Can we go on a canoe trip down the river and go camping?”
All of them stare at me, like kids with their noses pressed against a toy store window, waiting for my response. The hope and expectation on their faces is almost too much for my heart to hold. I reach out and tug on Tanner’s red hair, so much like his mom’s. “Tell you what. If you boys get a good report on your next report card, we’ll take the best camping trip you’ve ever had.”
Tanner’s eyes go huge. “Can we have a campfire too? And roast hotdogs?”
“And go hiking?” Elijah asks.