She glanced over at the garbage. “Oh, I was thinking of a new game for my kids,” she said. “A way to teach them to count.”
His head tilted slightly. “Kindergartners don’t know how to count?”
She smiled, feeling special that he remembered that she was a kindergarten teacher during the day. Stevie only tended bar on the weekends for extra money. Teachers didn’t earn much and living in Seattle wasn’t cheap. Most teachers needed to supplement their salaries with a second, sometimes even a third job.
“They are starting to understand counting and math concepts. Some of them know how to count, but others haven’t started yet.”
“And the toothpicks?”
She grinned. “I have a bunch of straws in my classroom. I was thinking one student could make a tower while another student does jumping jacks until the tower gets too tall and tumbles.”
He laughed. “That way two kids are counting. One of them is active and the other…”
“Is working on their fine motor skills.” Her smile turned shy as she basked in his obvious approval. “Well, it’s an idea, anyway. I’ll work on the details tomorrow.”
His glass froze halfway to his lips. “Isn’t tomorrow Saturday?”
She shrugged. “Yes. Why?”
“Don’t you take any time off?”
Stevie chuckled. “The more experienced teachers have their lesson plans for the year all worked out and only need to tweak them slightly, maybe adding new information or adjusting the focus. But I’m a new teacher. I’m only in my third year of teaching. So, I have my lesson plans worked out, but there are details that I need to add still.”
He nodded and took a sip. “Is teaching hard work?”
Stevie nodded emphatically. “Yes. But it’s amazingly rewarding. Especially at this age. The kids are small and haven’t learned to hate school yet. Plus, we get to do fun stuff mixed into the learning and that makes a huge difference. Seeing a small child light up when they learn something new, or accomplish a task is…it’s amazing,” she whispered, her hand over her heart as she thought about the small faces she’d been teaching only a few hours earlier today. “Some of the kids even miss me over the weekend.”
He laughed and her heart flipped over with the re-emergence of that dimple. She doubted many people got to see that dimple, so it was extra special when it came out.
“That sounds wonderful.” He took another sip of his whiskey. “Do you want kids of your own?”
“Oh sure!” she replied, picking up a clean cloth and polishing glasses that were already perfectly shined. She needed something to do with her hands. Better to clean glasses than to reach out and run her finger down his cheek. Or touch that bump on his nose where the bruise was barely visible just under the skin. “I want lots of kids. The more the merrier!” She chuckled and put the glass down, picking up another. “That’s what I say now, at least. I don’t know how I’ll feel after I have a few. The number might go down once I know how hard it is to raise my own children.”
“Teaching is easier than parenting?” he clarified.
“Absolutely!” she picked up another glass. “Parenting is twenty-four seven. There’s no down time. Even when sleeping, I’m assuming that parents worry about their kids.”
“But you think it will be worth it?”
“To have my own kids? Absolutely!” She exchanged glasses again. “Don’t you want kids?”
Janus contemplated the innocent beauty standing before him. A kindergarten teacher! And kids? Oh hell no! But he wasn’t going to say that. She looked too hopeful.
“Kids are a big responsibility. I don’t think I’m ready for kids just yet.”
“You’re what…thirty?”
“Thirty-one,” he corrected.
“That seems like the age when most people decide they either do or don’t want kids.”
He shrugged, adding a smile to soften his words. “Well, I figure I still have time to decide.”
He could see the disappointment in her eyes and wasn’t sure how to fix it. He had to be honest, but the idea of pushing her away, for any reason, made his stomach tighten with dread.
“Well, I still have some living to do before I settle down.”
Her grin was back, as was the light in her pretty, brown eyes and his stomach muscles loosened.
“I agree. I have a lot of traveling that I want to do before I settle down. So far, I’ve only been to the states right around Washington. I’d like to travel a bit further afield. And a house!” Her eyes widened, and she sighed longingly. “Good grief, I’d love to have a house.” She laughed, rolling her eyes. “Having kids in my apartment would be truly difficult.”
“Small place, eh?”
“Tiny!” she agreed. “It’s not even a one bedroom. I live in a studio apartment.”
He shook his head. “I think it’s a shame how little our country pays teachers,” he grumbled. “It’s a crime that someone with a master’s degree, who works as many hours as you do, doesn’t earn enough for even a one bedroom place.”
“I hear ya,” she agreed. “But historically, once women took over the profession, the salaries dropped significantly.” Stevie leaned forward and sarcastically whispered, “We don’t need to earn as much money because we should just get married.”
He shook his head, taking a sip of his whiskey. “I’m sorry, Stevie,” he said with heartfelt sincerity.
She shrugged again. “Eh! Teachers don’t join the profession to become millionaires. We’re in it for the job satisfaction. And life balance. At least I’ll be able to sit down with my family every night for dinner.”
“I guess there are benefits.”
Someone must have signaled to Stevie because she looked over his shoulder and nodded.
“Time
