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school.”
    It was the first time Audra had really stood up to him. She had let him know in no uncertain terms that Bess Truman was a part of her life, and if he could not accept it, then he could be on his way. He had been surprised by her firm stance, and had never said another word against Bess. But he was embarrassed by her, that was plain to see. Audra could only hope that he would come to love Bess as she did.
    In a way, she could understand Gerald’s feelings. Bess was the same today as she had been seven years ago when she took a frightened young girl under her wing. She still wore the same baggy slacks and men’s plaid shirts, she still pulled her straight hair back into a ponytail, and even after all this time, she was still toothless. “Tried store-bought teeth once,” she had explained to Audra, “but they made my mouth break out somethin’ awful. Doc said I was allergic to ’em, so that was the end to that.” Audra was charmed by Bess, by her unpretentiousness, but she could see why Gerald might have a hard time feeling comfortable around her. If he would only try!
    She wondered now what Gerald would say when she informed him that she wanted Bess to take her mother’s place at the wedding—to be seated last and accept the traditional rose from them. She realized that she needed to introduce Bess to Gerald’s parents. Time was running short. They were nice people she supposed, but a little on the stuffy side—at least the mother. Well, Bess could hold her own with them. She didn’t have any doubt about that. If there was one thing that Bess could do, it was talk. She would have them laughing over some outrageous story of hers in no time. Everyone liked Bess once they got to know her. Everyone, that is, except her fiancé. But he would in time. She was certain of it.
    The last two years had been hard on Gerald. He had been so positive he would be offered the job of principal at William’s Academy. It was a much sought after position, carrying with it a great deal of prestige. When the job had gone to a much less qualified man, Gerald had been shaken, his confidence eroded. It was shortly after this disappointment that she and Gerald began dating. She, alone, saw how devastated he had been by the board’s decision. And now, two years later, the sudden resignation of the man who had beat him out left the position open once again. Audra had taught under Mr. Benson two of the three years she had been at William’s and had found him to be an outstanding administrator. She hated to see him go, even though Gerald was in line for his job. “I regret that I have to leave, Audra,” he had said to her, “but my oldest boy can’t take the climate here. His doctors tell us he would get along a lot better in Arizona, so we really have little choice but to move.”
    â€œI’ll be so sorry to lose you, Mr. Benson,” she had said, and meant it. “You have helped me a great deal over these last two years.”
    â€œYou’re a fine teacher, Audra,” he had responded. “You have a feel for these underprivileged children that is so important. You have a way of drawing them out of their squalor and making them believe in themselves. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how even the upper grade students seek you out for guidance, or just to show you some project they have been working on. You are what William’s is all about, and don’t you ever forget that.”
    She had been touched and pleased by his comments, and felt rather like a traitor when she found herself wondering if Gerald would have noticed those same things. That really wasn’t fair of her. Gerald seemed to be a brilliant, innovative teacher, for all his strict adherence to propriety. He would not have lasted at William’s six months if he approached teaching in the same manner in which he approached life. He was a good teacher, but whether