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raised her eyebrow. She’d found it was an effective expression when dealing with students. “She made you not turn in your homework?”
    â€œNo, but…”
    Laura continued to stare at JT.
    â€œNo. But she didn’t mind handing out the detentions. Mrs. Lutz hates me.”
    â€œMaybe that’s not hate. Maybe it’s frustration. Teachers feel frustrated when they can’t reach a student. She wants you to excel. So do I.”
    â€œI don’t know about Mrs. Lutz. I think what she really wants is for me to hurry up and finish her class so she can pass me on to some other teacher,” JT replied, skepticism thick in her tone.
    â€œAnd you think I’m here passing the buck, too?”
    â€œNo. You don’t want me to do more detentions and brought my homework. Thanks.”
    Laura nodded. “That’s part of it.” She found herself adding, “And I was hoping if you caught up on yourschoolwork tonight, you’d have time to come over and start that mural in the baby’s room this weekend.”
    JT jumped and clapped. “You mean it?”
    Laura hadn’t intended to make the offer, but seeing JT’s excitement, she was glad she had. “I told you it was a great design. And I don’t mind being around the paints at school because we’ve got a great ventilation system, but at home, my only ventilation would be an open window. It’s too cold for that, and I’d rather not be around the fumes long enough to paint the room myself, so you’ll be doing me a huge favor.”
    It was more than paint fumes and Laura knew it. She wanted to be excited about this baby, but she couldn’t manage it. And she needed to get things done. Her pregnancy was close to term. “Really, you’ll be helping me out in a big way.”
    â€œOh, man, this is so cool. I’ve got to pick up some paint and I can be at your house first thing Saturday morning.”
    â€œWhy don’t you make me a list of the supplies you want and I’ll get those. And you’ll need your mom’s written permission.” And to be on the safe side, Laura would make sure the principal knew JT was coming over to do the project. Teachers had to be very careful about socializing with students. There were lines you couldn’t cross. “Spending time working on the actual mural is more than you should have to do as it is. I appreciate the favor.”
    â€œMs. Watson, this isn’t me doing you a favor, it’s you doing me one. I wanted to paint a mural in my room, but my mom and her decorator nixed that idea.Of course, I wasn’t planning on princesses. I outgrew that kid stuff a long time ago.”
    JT chuckled, but Laura thought it was a shame JT didn’t believe in magic. Laura had found magic the day she’d found Jay. Her magic had died with him, too, but she wished JT could have believed longer. “Well, you can paint at my house till your heart’s content, but the deal is, you do your homework tonight and catch up.”
    â€œOkay, you bet.” JT stopped and stared at Seth. “You didn’t say anything at all.”
    He shot them both a reassuring look. “I have sisters and I’ve learned that when women start talking a wise man gets quiet, unless he has something important to say, and even then, he should be quiet until they stop to breathe.”
    â€œOuch. This time he wasn’t picking on only me, he was picking on our entire gender.” Laura smiled when JT laughed. Without her normal black outfit and outlandish makeup, JT seemed like a girl. Maybe Laura couldn’t solve her student’s problems, but she could give her this—a bit of happiness.
    Laura stood. Well, that was a generous description. More accurately, she tried to stand. Her current girth made rising from couches less easy than chairs.
    Seth sprang to his feet and offered her a hand.
    She took it. “I’ve decided to