Free Hope at Dawn by Stacy Henrie

rush of footsteps interrupted her introduction for a second time. A boy and girl, still in their coats, hurried into the room and slid into their respective desks.
    “Sorry we’re late, Teacher,” the boy said as he placed his lunch at his feet. The smile on his face looked anything but repentant. “Our farm’s the farthest out. Plus we had to help Friedrick with his chores ’cause he got an extra job.”
    Friedrick? These had to be the half siblings he’d mentioned. “We’ve only just started. What are your names?”
    “Harlan Wagner, ma’am. And that’s my sister, Greta.” He pointed a thumb at the cherubic-looking girl across the aisle.
    Friedrick had sent his siblings to school—to her school—despite his sour opinion of her. Livy glanced down at her joined hands in confusion. The man was certainly a study in paradoxes. She pushed the thought aside to greet the newcomers.
    “We’re glad you made it,” she said.
    The older girl raised her hand.
    “You are?” Livy inquired.
    “My name’s Anna. And Miss Lehmann didn’t tolerate tardiness.” Livy read the unspoken challenge in Anna’s gaze—this was a test. If Livy pardoned Harlan and Greta, she might appear weak to the rest of the class. But she also didn’t want to punish them for what seemed to be a plausible reason for being late.
    “Thank you for bringing that to my attention, Anna.” Livy turned from her to Harlan. “Are you and Greta typically late, Harlan?”
    The boy shook his head. “Not really. It takes us longer to walk here. But now we’re helping Friedrick in the morning, too.”
    Livy bit down hard on the inside of her cheek. She had to maintain an orderly classroom and prove her mettle as a teacher, but she didn’t want to fault Harlan and Greta for helping their brother either. With no previous teaching experience to fall back on, she would have to use what she’d learned watching her parents raise seven children. As she considered what they might do in a similar situation, an idea popped into her mind.
    “I’d like to put this to the class,” she announced. “How can we promote punctuality and still do what we can to assist Harlan and Greta with their new responsibilities?”
    Several of the children eyed each other with uncertainty. Finally, the tall boy who’d spoken earlier raised his hand. “What if they got up earlier?”
    Livy nodded in acknowledgment of the suggestion, then looked at Harlan. “Could you and your sister wake up ten minutes earlier?”
    “I think so.”
    “Any other suggestions?” She let her gaze sweep the room.
    “Miss Lehmann always used the wooden paddle,” a short boy with round cheeks said, his brow creased with distaste.
    Livy fought a similar expression from seeping onto her own face. The sting on her backside and the humiliation of being paddled for making what the teacher deemed “smart remarks” in school felt as fresh as yesterday. She’d had to repeat the experience twice more during her school years, and she’d vowed never to use such discipline on any child—her own or someone else’s. Here was another way she would differ from Miss Lehmann.
    “Have you had the paddle before, Greta?” she asked in a soft voice.
    The little girl blushed. “Once.”
    Spinning on her heel, Livy went to her desk and searched through the drawers until she found the detestable paddle. She removed it and dropped the paddle into the nearby wastebasket with a satisfying thud .
    “There will be no paddle in this classroom anymore.” A few of the children clapped. Livy bit back a smile. Even Anna looked relieved. “Do we have any other suggestions for dealing with tardiness?”
    “What about a grace period?” a girl with dark brown curls suggested.
    Yvonne scrunched her face. “What’s that?”
    “It means you’re allowed a few extra minutes after school starts to be in your seat,” Livy explained, “before a consequence comes into effect.”
    “I like that one,” Anna said. “If