“Do a trick or something. Tell me what’s going to happen or reveal a secret you can’t possibly know. And make it a good one because now you have my hopes up.”

I look around and … aha! The chair. “You are sitting in the same rocker where your mother nursed you, and in exchange for having it, you had to give your sister Cora your parents’ wedding album. And then because you didn’t trust her not to try and snag it back, you had your own name carved into the underside.”

“Well, you’re half right.” Her eyes gleam with excitement. “Cora did fight me on this, and we settled on the wedding album swap, but I haven’t carved my name into it. Yet. I told myself it was a silly idea … but I guess I change my mind, huh?” She is on her feet, electrified. “Though I’m still not sure I like how much Future Me talks about her private life to her students.”

“Only the drama kids! We practically live at your house.”

“So First Secondary doesn’t cancel us?”

“Huh?”

“I just started Drama this year, and there are some parents who didn’t like my musical choice.”

This is a story I’ve never heard. “What was it?”

“Godspell. It’s a religious allegory, so I thought it was a good way to ease the school in.”

“It wasn’t?”

“Too much allegory, not enough religion. The board wants to end the program, and some want to end me.”

It’s impossible to picture ASA without her or drama club. “Not gonna happen. You’re the most popular teacher by miles. The board practically worships you!”

Now her eyes are really wide. “Just how far into the future are we talking?”

I hesitate. It occurs to me now that by my senior year, she will have been teaching for longer than she’s been alive at this moment.

She waits for an answer. “Now you’re shy?”

I do the math. “Uh … okay … would you believe thirty-six years?”

This lands just about as heavily as I expected. “I’m still teaching at First Secondary when I’m sixty?”

She goes to the window and gazes out at a setting she apparently didn’t realize would be permanent.

I try to make it okay. “Um, you’ve won all these awards, and drama club is like the big moneymaker for the school … I think you still kinda love it.”

“I hope so.” Her voice is soft a moment and then she shakes it off. “How can I complain? It brought me a time traveler.”