Chapter 7 - What Gets Canceled
"Not if I can help it," Nate told Josie.
He wished he'd said something less definite.
Ms. Bell called that evening while Nate was chopping onions. Parents who worked night shifts had asked for an earlier option. Some caregivers couldn't arrive until after seven. The book fair vendor required a minimum sales guarantee for evening staffing, and the group had only secured half the volunteers.
"Meredith says we should cut our losses," Ms. Bell said. "I get it. But the kids have practiced for weeks."
Nate turned off the burner. "Could we split the reading performances into two windows? Four-thirty and seven?"
"Teachers can't stay from four until eight."
"Right. Fair point. Could families send recordings?"
"Maybe for kids who can't attend, but the point was sharing a room."
He opened his notebook and started making columns. Shift workers. Volunteers. Library capacity. Buses. Costs. This was familiar territory, and his relief embarrassed him.
"I'll find a workable version," he said.
"Please don't promise me miracles. Just send a proposal we can actually staff."
Leah arrived to find him measuring the kitchen floor with a tape measure to estimate how many folding chairs could fit in a typical classroom. She stepped around him to reach the refrigerator.
"You're kidding."
"A little."
"Our water bill's on the counter."
"I paid it."
"You paid it from savings. I know."
Nate rolled up the tape. "I could call Martin about contract work."
Leah leaned against the counter. "Is that what you want?"
"I don't know what I want this week."
"Then don't take a job just to have an answer for Meredith Vale."
That night he built a volunteer grid, but before emailing it, he showed Josie two versions: one where everyone had to arrive at six, and one with a shorter early reading and a later open-house period.
She pointed at the second. "Maeve's grandma can come late. She works at the hospital."
"That's useful to know."
"Can Maeve still read with me?"
He couldn't promise that either.
The next morning, Meredith replied to his plan in the group thread: This is more complicated than an elementary-school event needs to be. We should listen to people who have actually run school nights before.
Two parents tapped a thumbs-up.
A minute later Ms. Bell wrote: The school will consider an adjusted schedule if the volunteers and supervision are confirmed.
May you like
For once, Nate had an invitation to contribute. Then he saw that Leah had been added to the parent thread by mistake, and she was reading every message.
