The call came on a Tuesday morning while Mia was on her break at Target.
She was in the break room with a machine coffee and a protein bar, reviewing the deposition prep notes Patricia had sent the night before, when her phone rang with a number she didn't recognize — a 512 area code, Austin, not a law firm exchange.
She answered.
"Ms. Thompson." The voice was female, unhurried, the voice of someone accustomed to making decisions and comfortable with the weight of them. "My name is Carol Simmons. I'm the academic director at Riverside Charter Academy on the east side. I imagine you may know why I'm calling."
Mia set down the protein bar. "I'd rather hear it from you directly."
"Of course." A brief pause. "We have a junior and senior English position opening in January. Our previous hi
