Ashley took the class through a collection of other activities on the rug before having everyone reconvene at the tables for an art project. The kids eagerly retrieved their chairs and sat down, looking up at the woman as she passed out brown paper lunchbags.

  "Today we're going to decorate our very own kites!" She announced proudly. "Can anyone tell me what a kite does?"

  "It flies!"

  "Of course! Kites fly high up in the sky—when they're not getting stuck in trees, of course." Ashley giggled. "Say, can you think of an animal that flies like a kite?"

  "A bird!" A few voices chorused in unison.

  "A bird! Great job, friends." The teacher smiled. "Summer is the perfect time to fly kites—especially at the beach!"

  "I'm going to the beach!"

  "You are, Annie? That's so exciting!"

  "I am, too!"

  "I'm going to the beach for my birthday!"

  Sofia passed out markers as the children excitedly grabbed at their paper bag kites. Once again, she found herself amazed at how calm the class remained. Ashley's relaxed demeanor seemed to wash over all her students like an aura.

  That wasn't to say they were completely serene, however.

  "Let's keep our bags on the table," the woman gently reminded the class as one of the more active boys—Todd, if she remembered right—attempted to toss his in the air. "We have to decorate them first, remember? Then we'll fly them outside."

  The boy obligingly set his bag down but continued fidgeting with it. Sofia tried to emulate the more experienced woman as she approached. "Let's leave it on the table, ok?"

  He stared at her, the bag still clutched in his hands, before setting it down with a final crinkle. Instead, he began fidgeting with one of the markers.

  "Oh, fiddlesticks," Ashley muttered. "I didn't grab enough bags…"

  She turned to Sofia apologetically. "I'm sorry, but would you mind if I stepped out for a moment to grab more? I won't be long, I promise.

  Sofia shot her a thumbs-up. "No worries! Do what you have to."

  "Wonderful. Thank you! I'll be right back."

  Ashley glided toward the door, her patchwork skirt swaying as she moved. It clicked shut behind her, leaving Sofia alone with the class of three-year-olds.

  This isn't so bad.

  All in all, her first day was going better than expected. Sure, there was a ton to learn—so much that it felt a little overwhelming—but the job itself was simple enough. All she had to do was support Ashley and follow her lead. Simple.

  She's a great example, too. She's been great with the kids so far as I can tell.

  As she waited for the other teacher to return, Sofia continued passing out markers, giving a few to each kid. It was finally starting to set in that she was actually working here. This wasn't some one-off thing. This was what she'd be doing for the foreseeable future—at least, until she found a better alternative.

  Which might not be the easiest thing. And not just because of the job market, either. I'm honestly shocked at how well they pay at this place…

  "Teacher!"

  Sofia looked around for the source of the squeaky voice. A dark-haired little girl was raising her hand.

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  "Yes?" Sofia smiled. "What is it?"

  "I need to go potty."

  "Oh! Sure." She nodded toward the bathroom conveniently attached to the classroom itself. "Go ahead."

  The little girl stood up from the table and headed for the toilet. At the same time, another boy stood up.

  "What is it?" She asked the boy.

  "I want water," he explained, walking toward the bin where all the kids stored their water cups.

  Sofia nodded. I mean, I guess I shouldn't say no… if he's thirsty, he's thirsty.

  Then another kid got up to grab water. Then another. At this point, Sofia began to fear that everyone would stand up at once.

  "Ok, let's sit back down!" She headed toward the children gathered around their waters, ushering them back to their seats. "If anyone wants their water, I'll bring it to you. Ok?"

  "Me!"

  "Me!"

  "Teacher, I want a different marker!"

  In hindsight, it was difficult for Sofia to precisely determine the turning point in the state of the classroom. Maybe it had come when she'd allowed so many kids to get up from their seats. Maybe it was due to something else. But one thing was certain. Something shifted, some sort of unspoken agreement or restriction that she had failed to enforce.

  And then all hell broke loose.

  In what felt like the blink of an eye, the entire room had devolved into chaos. One kid had opted not to return to his seat and was instead running around the room. Another was drawing on his hands with marker. Todd had begun throwing his paper bag in the air again and one of the girls was crying because hers had gotten water spilled on it—by who, Sofia wasn't sure.

  All at once, the previously peaceful environment of the classroom devolved into a mass of screaming, crying, and shouting, with the sound of the bathroom sink underlying all of it. Sofia was stunned into inaction.

  What do I do?!

  It only took a moment before she shook herself out of her stupor. "Let's get back in our seats, everyone! Todd, put the bag down! Don't worry, we'll get you a new bag when Miss Ashley gets back…"

  Her head swiveled around the room as she rushed to put out fires one at a time. Yet for each one she addressed, two more seemed to start. Even worse was the fact that half of the kids she corrected went right back to doing what they weren't supposed to as soon as she looked away—when they bothered listening to her at all.

  I… I can't. There's too much going on, too many problems to address…

  "Oh! What is going on here?"

  Everyone froze, the entire room falling silent in an instant. Only the sound of the sink could be heard in the ensuing quiet. Ashley stood in the doorway to the hall, a stack of paper bags under one arm and a spool of yarn in the other. Her face was one of abject surprise.

  Relief flooded Sofia at the sight. For a moment, she'd feared the other woman had left her to die.

  Ashley's brow furrowed, expression clouding with disappointment as she took in the scene. "Is this how my friends are supposed to act?"

  Embarrassed silence followed. Ashley sighed, her gaze sweeping over the room. "I don't think so. We're supposed to listen to our teachers. Right?"

  There were nods all around the room. "Right. Then let's make sure we listen to Miss Sofia just like you would me. Ok?" After another round of nods, Ashley's shoulders relaxed. "Now, let's get back to our seats and show Miss Sofia how good we are at listening."

  Just like that, the little hellions fell right back in line. They took their seats, acting for all the world like the past few minutes had never happened. The sheer suddenness of the change nearly gave Sofia whiplash.

  "I… I'm sorry," Sofia felt the need to apologize as Ashley began passing out the rest of the bags. "I tried to handle them, but…"

  "Hmmm? Oh!" Ashley smiled gently at her. "Don't you worry one bit. You're still learning, after all! We all had to start somewhere."

  "Sure, but…" Sofia grimaced. The woman's reassurances didn't do much to assuage her guilt.

  Seeming to sense this, Ashley set a delicate hand on her shoulder. "You'll get the hang of it, I promise. Just have patience and give yourself some time to learn. Now…" Ashley turned to the class. "...Where's Naomi?"

  "Naomi…? Oh!" It took Sofia a moment to place the name. "She went to the bathroom. I thought she'd be done by now…"

  Ashley glanced over at the bathroom and strode toward it. Knocking twice, she swung the door open, revealing a shocked Naomi standing atop a steepstool at the sink. The floor around her was slick with water.

  "Naomi," Ashley admonished. "Are we supposed to play in the sink?"

  The dark-haired girl shook her head, more than a little sheepish.

  "What do you say?"

  "...Sorry," she squeaked.

  "It's ok," Ashley's momentary exasperation gave way to a warm smile once more. "Now, let's get this cleaned up. Miss Sofia, do you remember where the towels are?"

  "Oh! Uh, I think so."

  "Would you mind getting a couple and helping Naomi clean up this mess?"

  Sofia nodded, hurrying to do just that. As she rooted through the cabinets, she heard Ashley address the rest of the class.

  "Now, who's ready to decorate? Oh! Lina, I see you already started—what colors are you using…?"