Arizona Pastor by Jennifer Collins Johnson

don’t look old enough to have a kid that age” would understand Kristy’s need to appear more mature.
    After scooping her briefcase out of the passenger’s seat, she stepped out of the car and then smoothed out the wrinkles in her peach pencil skirt. As she walked toward the community college, she hoped the rhinestone she’d hot glued back on to the top of her favorite sandals stayed in place. Even though Leah and Tim were determined to pay for the wedding, Kristy planned to help foot the bill or at least help with some of the baby costs. She wouldn’t have extra money for new wardrobe pieces for quite a while.
    Once in her classroom, Kristy turned on the laptop and pulled up the presentation software. She took the syllabi and first-class assignments from her briefcase, and then looked over her notes.
    A knock sounded at the door, and Kristy motioned for a young woman to come inside. She glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing the summer writing class would begin in fifteen minutes.
    â€œHi, Professor Phillips.” The woman ducked her chin and waved with her free hand. The other held on to a small boy, probably three years old. The little guy’s hair was a mass of red curls. His eyes were big and puffy from being awakened, and his mouth was turned down in a frown. “I’m sorry I had to bring my son. I hope it’s okay.”
    Kristy looked back at the young woman. Her light red hair was pulled back in a haphazard ponytail. Her expression appeared just as fatigued as her son’s.
    â€œMy mom couldn’t watch Jonah today. Normally, it won’t be a problem. I would have emailed and told you I couldn’t make it…” She lifted one shoulder. “I just didn’t want to miss the first class.”
    Kristy’s heart tightened as memories washed over her: missing class when Mel had been sick, asking family and friends to watch her when schedules had changed, begging one particularly grumpy professor to allow them to simply sit in the back of the auditorium. She’d promised to leave right away if Mel had fussed. The man had stood by his no-children-in-the-classroom policy.
    Kristy smiled at the young woman. “I completely understand. You’ll normally have child care?”
    The woman nodded. “My mom always watches him. She just had a doctor’s appointment today.”
    Kristy pointed to the back of the room. “Why don’t you just have a seat in the back beside the door? That way if he gets fussy, you can slip out without any disturbances.”
    â€œThanks.”
    â€œWhat’s your name?”
    â€œHannah Akers.”
    Kristy passed her a syllabus and the first assignments. “I’ll go ahead and give you these in case you have to slip out.”
    Hannah sighed. “I appreciate it. It’s not easy being a single mom and going to school.”
    Kristy nodded. She understood better than Hannah knew. Opening the top desk drawer, she pulled out a couple of suckers and handed them to Hannah. “These might help keep him occupied.”
    Hannah thanked her again and then made her way to the back as several students entered the room. Throughout class, Kristy tried not to look at Hannah and her young son, Jonah. She tried not to remember her own struggles getting through college while caring for a toddling daughter. She tried not to allow worry for Mel and her unborn grandchild to seep through her thoughts and distract her from the lesson.
    She exhaled a sigh of relief after she passed out the assignments and dismissed the class. Intellectually stimulated and emotionally overwhelmed, she contemplated going home, changing into shorts and a T-shirt and taking a walk through the White Tank Mountains.
    â€œProfessor Phillips?”
    Kristy turned. One of her students, a dark-haired young man, leaned against the door frame. “Yes?”
    â€œI’m Curt Earlywood.”
    He pushed away from the jamb and