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relief, Scott held out a sealed
envelope. "This is for you. It's from Mrs. Waxman."
    James raised his brows in surprise. He certainly hadn't expected
an issue to arise around his former middle school teacher. Mrs.
Waxman was his only part-time employee. She worked weekday
evenings and every Saturday, managing the library as efficiently as
she'd once run her classroom. A few months ago, James had become aware that Mrs. Waxman was moving slower and looking
more fatigued than she had in the past. She was nearly his father's
age and because he was worried that she might be overdoing it by
working so many hours, he'd asked her if she'd like to cut back.
    "This is my home," she'd responded with heat, waving her arm
around the library. "I love this job. No, I do not want fewer hours!"
    That was the end of the matter as far as James was concerned.
Mrs. Waxman knew her limits and since he felt exactly as she did
about their work, he'd accepted her answer without argument. But
now, as he tore open the letter and digested the first few lines, he saw that even though Mrs. Waxman would never retire by choice,
circumstance was now forcing her to do just that.

    According to the letter, her younger sister had recently been
widowed and was having a difficult time caring for herself due
to some complicated health issues. After giving the matter much
thought, Mrs. Waxman had come to the decision to move into her
sister's condo in Phoenix.
    "Therefore, it is with no small measure of regret nor shortage
of gratitude that I tender my resignation. This is my official twoweek notice," she'd written in her tidy script. "It has been an honor
and a joy to work as an employee for the Shenandoah County Library and to share these wonderful years with Francis and Scott
and with you, James Henry. For those who believe library work
is dull, they have never had the privilege of working in your employ. Thank you for making my Golden Years so fulfilling. I am
very proud that I had the chance to know you as a bright young
boy and now as a fine man, community leader, and father. I wish
you the very best."
    Mrs. Waxman's signature became blurred as James' eyes grew
misty. He sniffed and simultaneously inhaled a giant breath in an
attempt to gain control of his emotions. Folding the letter into a
small rectangle, he avoided looking at the twins for a moment in
order to fully collect himself.
    "What's that song our local Brownie Troop sings at the end of
their monthly meetings?" he asked the brothers. "The one about
friendship?"
    The twins answered in perfect unison. Without the slightest
hint of shyness, their bass voices lifted together in song, "`Make
new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."'

    James nodded. "That's it. Let's look at this as an opportunity
to make a new friend while keeping in touch with an old one. I'll
put an ad in the paper first thing. We only have two weeks to find
someone to meet our high standards." The brothers didn't seem
overly cheered by the idea of a new employee. "You two know as
well as anyone how much I dislike change. But the biggest surprise
of my life, finding out that I had a son, was also the most wonderful. Who knows? Your new coworker might just be a sci-fi loving,
video-game playing bibliophile. She might even be your age. That
wouldn't be so horrible, would it?"
    As he was already dating Milla's business partner, Willow Sin-
gletary, Francis just shrugged, but Scott instantly brightened. "You
raise an excellent point, Professor! We have the chance of a lifetime
to pick the perfect coworker. Can you put all the requirements you
just mentioned in the classified ad?"
    James swatted the younger man with a parenting book and all
three moved off to begin their daily duties.

    After prepping the coffee machine in the break room, James pushed
the brew button and went into his office to compose an ad for a
part-time librarian.
    "Wanted. Part-time library