Lily could feel the angst in the car on Tuesday morning when she drove to the school. Of course Holly had dressed in a pair of her best jeans and the boots she’d gotten for Christmas. Her cute little pink hoodie was zipped up to her neck, so Lily had no idea what kind of shirt was under it—she just hoped that it was school appropriate. Her makeup was perfect, and her hair had been curled. Braden wore a pair of jeans—thank God they were pulled up to his waist and not showing his underwear—his oldest faded black hoodie, and a T-shirt with Blake Shelton on the front. Hopefully, the school didn’t have a problem with writing or pictures on kids’ shirts.

Braden and Holly were both wide-eyed when she pulled into the parking lot in front of the school. There were only somewhere between ten and twenty vehicles there, so she had her choice of spaces. She chose one closest to the front doors.

“Is this the whole thing?” Holly gasped. “Our science department was bigger than this.”

“It’s the whole enchilada.” Lily turned the key, undid her seat belt, and opened the door. “Just be thankful that it’s a small school. You won’t have trouble finding your classes.”

“I’m more thankful that Rose and Ivy ride the same bus as me so I’ll know someone,” Holly said as she and Braden got out of the car and followed their mother.

The last time Lily had been in this building was the night she’d graduated. A few things had changed, but not much. She had no trouble finding the principal’s office. She knocked on the closed door, and a woman’s voice called out, “Come on in.”

Lily eased the door open and let the kids go in ahead of her. “Ruth-Ann Becker? Is that you?” she asked when she was finally in the room.

The woman looked up and smiled. “Lily Miller. It’s good to see you again.”

“Only now it’s Lily Anderson,” Lily said.

Ruth-Ann held up her hand to show off a set of wedding rings. “Ruth-Ann Winkler. I married Justin Winkler. Remember him? He was the geek about two years ahead of us. He’s now the head of an IT firm in Fredericksburg.”

“Who would’ve thought it?” Lily shook her head. “I figured you’d end up with Adam Cooper.”

“I had a little more sense than that,” Ruth-Ann laughed. “I heard you’d moved back. Saw you in church on Sunday, but you were gone before I got to speak to you. Let’s get you two enrolled. The email from their old school with all their records came through just this morning. That’ll make things a lot easier. Y’all have a seat and we’ll get the ball rolling.”

“Are you the principal now?” Lily asked.