Page 73

“Anyway, that meant that the smaller schools couldn’t very well teach older kids, since they needed science labs and the likes. So secondary education moved more toward larger schools, having our kids bussed into towns for school. The primary kids stayed though.”

“Until recently,” cut in Caz. “Now it’s all about cost-cutting. People are having fewer kids, school sizes are shrinking, and it’s not economical to keep the small schools open, so they merge them.”

“It seems a pity,” said Ava. “I’ve got to say, I’ve vastly enjoyed teaching twelve children as opposed to the thirty that I’ve normally got. It’s easier to give everyone attention, the kids obviously profit from it.”

“It’s all about money though, nowadays,” said Caz.

Hope nodded in agreement. “And unfortunately, there’s not much we can do. If we were a richer town we could perhaps get sponsors and become a kind of charter school, but that won’t work here. We’ll just have to wait and see, I suppose.”

“What do you think our chances are?” asked Ava.

Hope smiled as she noticed how Ava used the word ‘our’. She was shrugging as Ava’s phone started to ring.

Ava dug into her pocket, apologizing, looked at the screen and pulled a face. “I’m really sorry,” she began.

“Oh, take it, take it,” said Hope, standing up. “I’ll get started on the cleaning up. Go out into the living room if you like.”

Ava went, phone already at her ear, and Caz and Hope began scraping plates.

“I like her,” said Caz.

“You do?” Hope asked. “You haven’t grilled her or anything. I’d have thought you’d have given her the third degree by now. Maybe the fourth and fifth as well.”

“Don’t be cheeky. No, I do like her. She’s honest and genuine, you can’t ask for much more in a person than that. She’s clever too, and Alice likes her. I’d say you’re onto a winner.”

Hope’s heart grew another size. She was an adult and definitely didn’t need her mother’s approval. But she was glad to have it anyway.

Ava came back into the kitchen and Hope turned to see that she was pale. “What?” she asked.

“That was Stan Gardener,” Ava said.

“Who?”

“From the school that wants to hire me,” explained Ava. “Um, there’s a problem.”

“What kind of problem?”

“The job’s been moved up. They need me starting from January.”

“But you’re supposed to be working here in January,” Hope said, stating the obvious but unable to think any further ahead than that.

“If the school doesn’t close down for good,” said Ava.

“Then… then you want to leave?” Hope asked, stuttering over the question.

But Ava didn’t answer.

In the doorway, Alice, dressed in her pink and yellow pajamas, began to cry.

Chapter Twenty Eight

It had hardly been ideal. And in her defense, Ava truly hadn’t meant to blurt out what she’d said in front of Alice. Even she wasn’t that heartless.

But Hope had looked askance and Ava had been in shock, and the words had just come tumbling out.

She hadn’t even answered Hope’s question.

Maybe because she didn’t know the answer yet.