Teachers should not have to be concerned with gunmen while trying to develop the minds of the future. Children should not have to learn drills in case of an active shooter. Parents should not have to consider purchasing bulletproof backpacks for their children’s protection. Annika shuddered at the thought that there even existed such a thing as a bulletproof backpack. Children shouldn’t die because they had wanted to give their teacher a homemade birthday card.

Officer Keely flicked on the lights, looked around and must have found everything in order, because he beckoned her in.

The name of the school had been fresh enough in her parents’ minds that when she was offered the job here, they were solidly against it. She’d taken the job anyway. Hence the texting. She really did not do things that made her parents’ lives easier, did she? She pulled out her phone and texted Daniel.

I’m at school. Safe and sound.

The response was almost immediate.

OK. Great. I’ll see you at Phil’s. Good luck!

She could almost hear his sigh of relief.

It was no wonder Daniel had suggested the fire station instead of coming to the school. How could he ever enter this building again? Tears burned at her eyes, and her heart ached for him.

“I only hope you’re still teaching here when my little one enters kindergarten.”

Annika’s eyes flew open. “Meg is pregnant?”

He nodded, his happy grin filling his face.

“That is fantastic news! Congratulations!”

“Thank you. Well, you have a great day, Ms. Mehta. I’m sure all will go well.”

She watched Officer Keely leave and then turned to her classroom. The chairs were arranged in a circle for circle time, then the children would put them with the desks that were in groups of four around the room at different stations. There was the reading-writing area, the math area, the science area and the history area. Each area had materials for the children to use and work on. Annika would go over the lesson for each area, and the children would rotate throughout the morning. The feeling was almost Montessori, but it wasn’t true Montessori, as she—and not the students—determined when the children moved on to the next area.

Today they would work on the letter F, learn addition using beads, color frogs in science and build log cabins like Abraham Lincoln’s. She made sure each station had all the supplies it needed and all was ready to go when her first students started trickling in. The parents were asked to stay in the office until all the children had arrived and were ready for the circle.