“D’Andre? Can you hang back a minute?” Zach stood in the door, collecting homework papers as the students filed past and into the hallway.

D’Andre stuffed his hands in his pockets and frowned. “Yeah.”

A couple of his friends snickered and made comments as they squeezed through the door. None of them with papers to hand in. Zach fought a sigh. If they’d just try, they could be doing as well as D’Andre was. Even if math wasn’t going to be a major part of their future, a high school diploma wasn’t a bad thing to have. When the classroom had emptied, he jerked his head for D’Andre to follow and went back to his desk.

“Are you serious about your art?”

“Man, I told you, my mom won’t have it. I gotta do college for something that can be a decent career. She wants me to move across town to the fancy neighborhoods that might as well be suburbs.”

Zach grinned at the disdain in D’Andre’s voice. “What if you could do both?”

“Right. There’s so many rich art students out there.” The kid shook his head. “What’re you on, Mr. Z?”

“Here.” Zach handed D’Andre a stapled packet of papers. “This is information about a graphic design program, with an emphasis on advertising. The back sheet is the name of an advertising firm here in D.C. that takes on summer interns with the possibility of having them stay on part-time while they’re in school.”

D’Andre took the papers and looked down at them. Zach could see him blinking. When he finally looked up, his eyes were shiny and his shoulders hunched. “Why?”

Zach’s heart broke at the unasked questions that lingered in that one word. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Because you’re talented and you’ve proven to me that when you apply yourself to something, you go all in. You can do this, if you want it badly enough. I believe in you.”

“Thanks, Mr. Z. I’ll show it to my mom. She...she’s probably gonna end up calling you.”

Zach smiled. “That’s fine. I’ll tell her the same thing I told you. You’re a good kid, D’Andre. I can see why she wants so much for you.”

D’Andre folded the papers into quarters and stuffed the thick packet into his back pocket as he left the classroom. Zach shook his head. Couldn’t let his friends see college and job information. Though Zach suspected a few of them would rag on him, it was only because of a hidden dream in their own hearts for the same. Some of them could probably do it, too. Others could make a good life without college if they’d be willing to find a skill. And some...some would end up becoming the next generation of the bad influences that mothers everywhere warned their kids about. He couldn’t save them all. He couldn’t really save any of them—only Jesus could do that—so he’d just keep on trying to be Christ’s hands and feet to the best of his ability.

“David said his friend called him. Your student’s already been in touch.” Jackson grinned. “That’s some motivation.”

Zach’s eyebrows lifted. “No kidding. He must’ve gone straight home and told his mom. I figured he’d sit on it a few days. I’m glad. He say anything else?”

Jackson shook his head. “Not really. David said his friend sounded up though, which I gather is unusual when it comes to the internship program. Having just been sucked into helping with the internship program at our office...I kind of get that. I mean, having something on your college applications is a good thing. But you do actually have to work. Reading over the performance reports from last summer is making me nervous. You have any conservative, politically-minded students to recommend?”

“I’ll think about it, see if I can come up with some names.” Politically-minded wouldn’t be too hard. Kids who grew up in D.C. tended to have opinions on politics. The conservative part...that was trickier. A lot of the families clung to the culturally acceptable political leanings of their particular ethnic group, without giving anything else a lot of thought. And it was easy enough to construct an argument that made your side look right—regardless of what side you were on—and then cling to it no matter what got thrown your way. Add in the fact that teachers weren’t supposed to broach tricky subjects like religion and politics, and it made things a bit trickier. “You don’t happen to know a realtor, do you?”

“Who needs a realtor?” Ben dropped his work bag by the wall and flopped onto a seat at the table.

Zach raised his hand. “Since I don’t happen to be marrying the love of my life prior to getting kicked out of here, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to start looking for a place of my own.”

Jackson shook his head. “Sorry.”

“I don’t, either. Rebecca might. She always seems to know someone. Want me to ask her?”

“Would you?” Zach rolled his head around on his neck. Was he getting ahead of himself? No. This was right. The words one of his education professors had worked into nearly every lecture popped into his mind. Live where you teach. Not just metaphorically, but physically, so your investment in those kids reaches into the practical aspects of their lives, not just the educational ones.

Ben pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped out a text. “She’s usually pretty...and there she is. She wants to know if you want a man or a woman.”

Zach snorted. “Does it matter? I just want to look at apartments near my school. I guess I care more about what they know about D.C. than their gender.”

Ben’s eyebrows shot up and he tapped a response. “Moving into the city, huh?”

“Seemed to make sense. I poked around online a little, did some math—”

“You? How strange.” Jackson rolled his eyes.

“Ha ha.” Zach shook his head. “Anyway. With what I don’t spend on parking and Metro fees, the rent increase to something near school won’t really be that much. It’s doable, at least.”

“You’re serious.” Ben frowned. “It makes sense...but I kinda figured you’d still be in the area and we could all hang.”

“I’ll be in D.C. It’s not another country—accessible by Metro and everything. And if Paige is still going to allow us to hang out in her kitchen, I don’t think you’re going to get rid of me that easily. You’re the one who’s moving to Springfield. That’s practically the edge of civilization.”

Ben chuckled. “I’d say it was accessible by Metro, but having walked that myself...yeah, not so much. But we’ll pick you up whenever you decide to come visit.”

“That go for me, too? I’m not sure I want to deal with the interchange there at the Beltway and I-95.” Jackson grinned. “Or does the fact that Paige’s condo is only two miles away mean I don’t count?”

“Oh, I guess. If you’re going to be that way.” Ben laughed and looked down as his phone buzzed. “And here we go, one D.C.-based realtor. I’ll forward you her text.”

Zach’s phone chimed when the text arrived. He glanced down and nodded. “Tell her thanks. I think I’ve even seen this guy’s name on a few signs when I walk from the train.”

“Rebecca says you’re welcome and that she wants an invite to the housewarming party.” Ben tucked his phone away. “When are you thinking you’ll move?”

“I don’t know. When I find a place, I guess. Certainly by the time Jackson leaves. Why?”

“Just curious. Mostly. Should we see if we can terminate the lease at the end of March, Jackson? I’m okay to keep up my share through May if we need to, but if Zach’s taking on a new lease of his own...that doesn’t seem right.”

Zach shrugged. “I can make it work for a few months. I have some savings. If they’ll let us, that’s great. But I wasn’t counting on it. I did the math, remember?”

Jackson snickered. “It doesn’t hurt to ask. I’ll shoot them an email and see what they have to say. I’m gonna miss you guys.”

“No you won’t. Neither of you will. You’re gonna be married. That’s better than roommates any day.” He’d miss them though, for sure. Still, it was time. Living alone couldn’t be that bad, could it?

“Thanks for meeting me after school. I figured since I was down here already, it made more sense. And today’s the last afternoon I have free until after the holiday concert next Friday.” Zach zipped up his coat and patted his pockets. Where had his gloves disappeared to? It was finally starting to feel a little like winter.

“No problem.” Antonio Sandoval flashed his shiny teeth in a smile. “That’s the thing about being a realtor, you work when it works for your clients. If you don’t mind walking, there are three different units within a block or two and leaving the cars here will be easier than looking for street parking. None of them have any parking included, so street parking will become a fact of life, unless you work out a deal with one of the lots. Sometimes that’s what people do. Or they get rid of their cars.”

Get rid of his car? He’d look into a deal with a lot if the street parking became a problem. Even though he didn’t drive all the time, not having access whenever he wanted wasn’t appealing. “Walking’s fine. Lead on.”

“Okay. This first one is an upstairs apartment in a converted townhome. Four units total. Your place is slightly larger than the other three, coming in just under seven hundred square feet...”

Zach listened as Antonio rattled off the pertinent details, including rent and average utilities. At least with converted row houses you didn’t have condo fees or associations to deal with. They stopped outside the blue house and he smiled. Why hadn’t Amy said there was a unit available in her building?

“The owners of this building are particular. They bought the property as an investment and tend to see tenants as family. So renting the unit entails a personal interview. Not all landlords are quite that picky, but the price on this one is good and it’s the closest to the school.” Antonio unlocked the door and gestured for Zach to go on inside. “It’s been vacant for a little over a year at this point. I’ve tried—and I have a few friends who’ve brought prospective tenants to the landlords—but like I said, picky.”

Maybe that’s why Amy hadn’t said anything. Did she even know it was still vacant? Of course, he hadn’t mentioned that he was starting to look now. She probably thought he’d look over the summer. And maybe that was the smarter thing to do—moving during the school year might be a pain. Though if he could find something and move over Christmas break, that’d work out well. Or spring break, even. “Do they give you any feedback about why they haven’t taken anyone?”

Antonio shook his head. “It’s frustrating. I asked if I should stop showing it, but they said they wanted to meet anyone who had an interest. A lot of people shy away when I mention the interview though, so I haven’t had any takers for a while.”

Zach nodded. “I kind of like the idea of having landlords who care that much. This is a great space. It feels bigger than seven hundred square feet.”

“It does. That’s because they basically gutted the original house and then refurbished it into apartments rather than trying to shoehorn divisions into spaces that weren’t designed to have kitchens and bathrooms. Make sure you look in the bedroom.”

Zach left the open living-slash-dining-slash-kitchen area and went down the short hall that housed a stacked laundry area and a small closet behind doors and into the bedroom. It was a good size, room for more than a bed and a dresser. His desk would easily fit, and maybe even a chair for reading. The closet was fairly basic, but the bathroom. “Wow.”

Antonio chuckled. “This is why I keep bringing people to look. It’s on the smaller side, but they still managed to make it a retreat. Maybe not as important for a bachelor, but lady friends will enjoy it, yes?”

Zach offered a tight smile. No need to get into the fact that he didn’t operate that way. Still, he couldn’t help imagining Amy puttering around at the marble-topped vanity in the morning or sunk to her chin in bubbles in the extra-long tub. “The tub has jets?”

“It does. You don’t see oblong tubs with jets all that often, but it’s a better use of the space to do the combined tub and shower. Like I said, they made some good, higher end choices when they did the reno.” Antonio stepped out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. “Hardwood throughout is nice, too. Any questions?”

Zach shook his head. It was a little surreal. Almost too good to be true. Amy lived in the unit across the hall. It was an easy walk to school. The rent was on the higher side of the places he’d looked at online, but he could see why. “I think I’d like to apply.”

Antonio laughed. “Okay. You still want to see the other units nearby?”

Did he? “Not yet. I have a good feeling about this one.”

“All right. Let me give the landlords a call. Sometimes they can make it over in the evening. Then if they say no, we still have time to go look at other places.”

“Sure.” Zach stepped through the door and went into the kitchen. He wasn’t much of a cook, but he could picture himself working here. And the tiny seating area at the counter would be great for school work and meals. He wouldn’t need to bother with a table. That’d help the living area keep its large feel. He had bedroom furniture, so that was handled. He’d have to look into a couch, or maybe just a couple of easy chairs? Amy could help with that. A rug and some doodads...she’d help him decorate, wouldn’t she?

Antonio dropped his phone into his shirt pocket. “They’re on the way over.”

Zach nodded and stepped to the windows. The view wasn’t anything to write home about. But at least it wasn’t ugly. He smiled as Devon and Marisa strolled down the block, hand in hand. They must be going to visit Amy. Maybe he’d stop in after he finished up here. She’d been disappointed that he couldn’t walk her home, though she’d tried to hide it. If he got the apartment, would she go out to eat to celebrate? Even though it was a school night?

The door swung open. Devon and Marisa walked in. Zach frowned as they began to laugh.

Antonio cocked his head to the side but simply launched in. “Mr. and Mrs. Harris, this is...”

“It’s good to see you, Zach.” Devon spoke over Antonio as he crossed the room and gave Zach a hard hug. He looked over his shoulder at Marisa. “You see? I said if we waited and prayed, that God would bring us the right tenant.”

“You did. I’m still not convinced we shouldn’t have had a year of income from this place in the meantime though.” She crossed the room and patted Zach’s shoulder. “Though I suppose you wouldn’t have been able to see the place if we had someone in here. He’s going to be insufferable.”

Antonio frowned. “You know each other.”

“He’s dating our daughter. We’ll send the rental contract over this evening.” Devon eyed Zach. “Amy didn’t mention you were apartment hunting.”

“I hadn’t told her yet—hadn’t officially made up my mind about it until earlier this week, and it’s been crazy at school, so...” Zach shrugged.

“Ah. I can’t imagine she’ll be anything other than thrilled.” Marisa beamed at him.

“Hope so.” Zach turned to Antonio. “Thanks so much.”

Antonio chuckled. “I wish all my clients were this easy to please. Though I’ll admit, I’m going to enjoy telling my colleagues that I was the one to find an acceptable tenant for this place.”

Devon laughed. “I imagine there’ll be some money changing hands.”

The realtor looked aside and cleared his throat.

“Aha. I know we have a reputation. It’s okay.” Devon shook Antonio’s hand. “We’ll lock up.”

“Okay. I’ll, ah, be in touch when I have the rental agreement. It’s been a pleasure.” Antonio lifted a hand and disappeared into the stairwell.

Zach hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “You two did an incredible job with this place.”

“Amy did a lot of it.” One corner of her mouth poked up. “You stay here. I want to go tell her we found a renter.”

Devon’s eyes flashed with humor. Zach lifted his brows.

“That woman...she knows her daughter.” Devon strode to the windows and looked out. “This is a good building. And so you know, if there comes a point when converting it from four apartments to three makes sense, the landlords would probably be okay with that.”

Zach’s heart thundered and he aimed for casual as he joined Devon at the windows. “That’s good to know.”

Devon turned and searched Zach’s face before nodding. “Not too soon, mind you. Maybe in the summer.”

His mouth dropped open and Zach snapped it shut. What did you say to that?

Devon patted Zach on the shoulder and turned as the door slammed open.

“Dad. I can’t believe you. I thought you said I got to have some input on the renter for this...Zach?”

“Your mother and I didn’t think you’d have any objections.”

Amy flew across the room and wrapped her arms around Zach. “Really?”

Zach lowered his lips to hers. “Really.”

Marisa cleared her throat. “Would you like to join us for dinner to celebrate?”

Amy eased back, pink staining her cheeks. “I just need to go turn off the stove and grab my purse.”