“I need to talk to you about that teacher’s assistant position. Is it still open?”

“It sure is. I can’t afford to pay very much, and the two people I interviewed wanted more hours than I could give them. It’s only from noon to four, Monday through Friday.”

“That’s just perfect!”

Janice cocked her head to the side and stared at Hannah. “Perfect for you?”

“No, not for me. It’s perfect for Sue Plotnik. Phil works the swing shift at Del Ray, and he sleeps until midafternoon. She’d get home about the time he was getting up.”

“I’d love to hire Sue. She’d be absolutely perfect, but she’s way overqualified. Most of her time would be spent reading to the kids, helping them blow their noses, and cleaning up messes.”

“She’s the mother of a two-year-old. That’s what she does now.”

“You’ve got a point.” Janice took a couple of steps toward the table where six children were busily tracing around their hands. “Linda? Please get a tissue from the box on my desk and give it to Bradley before he drips on the paper. And Heather? Don’t color your thumb. That’s the head.”

“Thanksgiving turkeys?” Hannah guessed.

“That’s right. We tried pilgrims last year, but the kids really like the turkeys better.” Janice gave a little sigh. “Do you really think Sue would be interested in something like this? I talked to her after church on Sunday, and she mentioned that she was only a few credits short of her teaching degree.”

“That’s true, but she can’t go back to finish college until Kevin’s in school. She doesn’t want to leave him with a babysitter, and Phil wouldn’t like that either. Could she bring him along with her if she worked for you?”

Janice took a minute to think about that. “I don’t see why not. I’m not set up for kids who need two naps a day and aren’t potty trained, but it’ll only be for four hours, and the older kids will love having a toddler coming in every afternoon to visit. Shall I call Sue tonight and make her an offer?”

“Yes. Do it before Phil leaves for work. And I’ll stack the deck by talking to him when he drops by The Cookie Jar this afternoon.”