Matchmaking is all about finding the right angle, how to untangle webs of uncertain feelings with seemingly natural serendipity. So when Mr. Wright resists my encouragement to take Ms. Hart and Jimmy to Principle Peeters’ housewarming party, the obvious solution is to suggest we all carpool together. And then dip early.

So on Sunday afternoon, I slip into the backseat of Ms. Hart’s Honda CRV with a mischievous smile on my face. A little boy with hair whiter than his mother’s sits in a booster seat next to me, staring at me with wide blue eyes he must get from his father. I can’t help but smile looking at him, imagining that with a big pink bow he could perfectly replicate one of Reese’s baby photos.

“Hello,” I reach out to tickle his neck. “You must be Jimmy.”

He squirms, curling inward with a shy giggle.

“I’m your Mommy’s friend, Mei.”

“Oh, so he gets to call you Mei?” Mr. Wright huffs, turning around from his spot in the front seat.

“I thought it might be easier than Ms. Huang,” I tease.

“H!” Jimmy suddenly shouts, pointing at me excitedly.

I blink in surprise.

“I might have mentioned you a time or two,” Ms. Hart admits with a laugh.

“I hope you mean warned him,” Mr. Wright whispers without actually trying to be quiet. He turns around, addressing the toddler urgently. “She’ll try to win you over Jimmy with gifts and candy, but don’t fall for it.”

“Prethenths!” Jimmy claps his hands together excitedly, completely missing the point.

“That’s right, Jimmy,” I snicker triumphantly. “We’re going to a party with presents and chocolate and toys.”

“Toy? Where toy?”

“At the party. We’re going to play together all night,” I promise.

“Don’t get his hopes up,” Ms. Hart says. “He’ll hold you to that and you’ll never get away.”

Little does she know that’s exactly what I’m betting on. “That’s alright, I’m happy to take care of him for the night, so you can just socialize and enjoy yourself.”

Mr. Wright shoots me a ‘you’re really planning on abandoning me with her?’ glare while Ms. Hart insists that I shouldn’t overexert myself. I smile innocently back at Mr. Wright with an encouraging thumbs up, reassuring Ms. Hart that Mr. Wright will escort her. His shyness is really so cute, a light pink dusting coloring his cheeks.

When we arrive at Principle Peeter’s home, we’re greeted with warm hugs and savory smells. The couple really went all out with the spread, to which Mr. Wright beelines with Ms. Hart in tow, who promises to bring something back for Jimmy. The patio is decorated for fall with yellow fairy lights and standing heaters lighting wicker tables and chairs. The landscape is a cut level mosaic stone design with a bubbling fountain curving around one end like a princess’ secret garden. Soft music floats between the inside and outside. I smile when I spot Billy and Rosa sitting together listening to the live pianist. I set down my housewarming gift, a carbon steel wok, on a receiving table, scoping out the room for Principle Peeter’s children.

“Who’s this cutie?” Aitan Schneider, the most eccentric chemistry teacher I’ve ever met (which is saying something), saddles up to me, gesturing to Jimmy snuggled in my arms against my side. “Did the Match Teacher finally meet her match?”

“This is Jimmy,” I laugh off his teasing, “He’s Evelyn Hart’s son,” I gesture to where she is in the food line next to Mr. Wright. “But where’s your match?” I ask when I don’t immediately spot his husband.

“Oh Hyman’s around here somewhere, probably psychoanalyzing Landon’s choice of art. Have you seen that Eric Gill, yet? I think it’s an original.”

“Not yet, but Ms. Hart might appreciate having it pointed out to her.”

Dr. Schneider glances over his shoulder at her, unexpectedly scrunching his nose and adjusting his oversized spectacles. “She here with Thaddeus tonight?”

“Yes, why? Do you not think they make a cute couple?”

Dr. Schneider snorts, “I’m glad to see you finally wrong about something, Mei. I was beginning to think your powers of prediction were almost supernatural.”

“I should have known better than to ask you.” I readjust Jimmy onto my opposite hip as he reaches for Dr. Schneider’s white poofy hair curiously. “You’ve never liked Mr. Wright.”

“I don’t have a problem with him.” He places a hand over his heart defensively. “He’s the one who broke my favorite scoopula.”

“As I’ve told you before, he was trying to repair a cello and it was an accident. Besides those things are like three dollars.”

“But it was my favorite. Marie Curie gave me that scoopula personally.”

“Sure she did,” I laugh. “And your house warming gift is Alexander Fleming’s microscope.”

“What on earth would Landon do with a microscope? No, I gave him and Benny my last flask of Dracula’s casket soil.”

No one makes me laugh like Aitan Schneider. “I suppose the man who welcomes death, lives forever without fear.” I pat his shoulder fondly. “It’s always lovely to see you, but I’ve got to get this little kid to the playroom. Have you seen…?” I trail off when I spot Melanie with her hands on her hips talking very animatedly to an older little girl, maybe eight or nine, sitting on a couch. After excusing myself, I make my way over to her, slowing to overhear their humorous conversation.

“I big dog too,” Melanie says with confidence.

“Really? I don’t see your tail anywhere,” the girl teases, making a show of looking around Melanie’s body on both sides.

“No tail. Big teeth.” She shows her smile, pointing proudly at her gums. “I bite you!”

“Ah! Oh no!” The girl cries theatrically as Melanie gnaws on her leg.

“Hello puppy,” I interrupt the pair.

“Mei!” Melanie’s face lights up when she sees me. “Who this?”

“I brought a friend,” I explain, letting Jimmy down to say hello. “This is Jimmy. I thought you could show us your new playroom.”

Melanie immediately latches onto the idea, grabbing my and Jimmy’s hands and excitedly dragging us along. “My room at Dad house super big! Come on! I show you! Faster! Faster!”

“Alright, alright. Are you going to invite your other friend too?”

Melanie pauses, noticing that she left behind the older girl. “You come too!” she orders. “I show everyone my new room!”

“Do you like your dad’s new house?” I ask.

“Yes! I like it a lot.”

“Who’s your friend?” I ask, gesturing at the girl following us now.

“Um…” She thinks for a moment, searching for her name. Maybe they just met? “She’s a witch. She said—” She gasps as she climbs up the stairs one at a time. “She said her house big too. Bigger than Dad’s house.”

“Really?” I chuckle.

“Witches aren’t real,” Jimmy overcomes his shyness for the first time since we entered the busy party to inform Melanie.

“Are too.”

“Nuhu. Tell her, H.” He pulls on my pant leg, entreeting me to agree with him.

“Why don’t we ask the witch if she’s real or not?” I laugh. I turn to her as we reach the top landing. “What’s your name sweetie?”

“I’m Jemma. My mom works with Mr. Johanson.”

“It’s nice to meet you Jemma. I’m Mei. Do you think you can help these kids settle their debate?”

“Um…” She fidgets with her nails, not meeting my gaze. “I’m not really supposed to say.”

I suppress a chuckle as Melanie pulls me down the hallway, already refocusing on showing me her toy room. “So what kind of witch are you?” When she cocks her head in confusion, I clarify, “Good witch or bad witch?”

“Just the normal kind?” Jemma answers with a shrug.

“She makes things go ‘boom!’” Melanie tells me as she opens the third door in the hallway.

“That’s not true,” Jemma says.

“Wow, look at this room!” I exclaim, stepping into the truly grandest little girl’s room ever. From the pink canopy bed to the dozens of shelves filled with toys, she looks like she has it all. “Oh, is this a piano?” I ask, sitting down with my legs crossed next to a miniature electronic keyboard. “Jimmy, look.” It lights up when I press a few notes, alternating between ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ and ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’. He experimentally tries a blue key, changing the tune to ‘Old McDonald’. He claps excitedly, slamming his palm on the keyboard which somehow flips the toy’s settings so now the keys make different animal noises.

“Look, Mei,” Melanie shows me a pretty doll in a ballgown with a tiara.

“Wow, it’s a princess, just like you.”

“I not princess. I big doggie like her friend.” She points at Jemma for clarity.

“Oh, right. I forgot. Apologies. What kind of dog do you have?” I ask Jemma.

She smiles, flipping her auburn hair over her shoulder, before announcing, “He’s a wolf actually, but he’s not really a pet. Just a friend.”

“A wolf?” Well that’s new.

“Woff, woff,” Melanie bounds up to me on all fours with tongue out like a dog, licking at my face.

I let her push me over, pulling her into my arms and squeezing her tight, sending her into giggles. I play with her for a moment while my mind works on a different problem. I’m not sure what to think of her friend. Jemma can’t be serious about being friends with a wolf, but it worries me that she might be confabulating a real memory. There are known to be quite a few wild wolf sightings in some of the forests just outside of town. I wonder how I can bring it up naturally again as she sits down next to Jimmy and helps him turn the electric keyboard to its standard notes setting. She plays a few arpeggios before helping him press the keys one at a time. His eyes light up just like the keys as he tries each note for himself. Maybe there is a musician in him like Mr. Wright. That would be cute if he taught him to read music later on.

“Jimmy, are you in here?” I hear Ms. Hart’s voice from the hall just before she appears in the doorway holding a little platter of dry snacks. Mr. Wright follows her into the room shortly after.

“Mommy,” Jimmy abandons the piano to hug her legs as if he hadn’t seen her for hours.

“You should have heard him playing the piano a moment ago,” I say. “I think you have a virtuoso on your hands.”

“Is that so?” Ms. Hart beams at Jimmy, patting his head lovingly as he picks at his crackers. “Mr. Wright better watch out for the competition.” She smiles up at him, and my little heart soars when he smirks back with a teasing twinkle in his eyes.

“There is no competition,” he says confidently, winking at me. Oh brother.

“I better, um, go find my mom,” Jemma suddenly stands up, scurrying towards the door.

“Wait,” I capture her attention before she can slip away. “Can I ask your mother’s name?” Maybe I’ll have the chance to mention it to her or warn her mother not to let her play outside alone.

“Maev Lynx,” Jemma says, looking down at her toes as she clicks them together impatiently.

“Oh, are you related to Sirena?” I ask, recognizing the last name.

Jemma nods. “She’s my big sister.”

I smile, filing away the information for later. “Your big sister is in my class. That means you’ll be my student someday too.”

“That’s cool,” she says in the way kids do when they have no idea how to respond to an adult acting excited about something they couldn’t care less about. It hardly matters to me though. I got a lot more out of today than I thought I would: an excuse to talk to Miss Lynx about her home life.

After expertly transitioning back to the topic of music, I mention the Rachmoninoff Piano Concert next weekend and encourage Ms. Hart to treat herself by letting me watch Jimmy. At first she declines, but on the way home, after I spent the rest of the evening proving my babysitting qualifications by entertaining her son so she could go back to the party with Mr. Wright, she relents.

“Why are you making me take Ms. Hart to this concert?” Mr. Wright complains to me next Friday during our preparation hour.

“I thought you liked Rachmoninoff,” I tsk, pushing away his chopsticks from my half with my own.

“I do, but why aren’t you going?”

“Because I have to watch Jimmy silly.”

“Evalyn already likes you. You don’t have to earn brownie points by babysitting her kid.”

“I’m not trying to earn anything.” Besides maybe another match in my record. “I just thought my two good friends deserved a fun night off doing something they both enjoy. So stop being shy. It really doesn’t suit you.”

He groans, head falling on my desk. “You confuse me so much.”

What’s there to be confused about? Lately Mr. Wright has been acting less like he’s shy, and more like he’s genuinely uninterested in Ms. Hart. Did meeting her kid freak him out? I didn’t think he was a commitment phobe. He practically begged me to find him a match during the homecoming dance last year.

“Are you chaperoning homecoming again this year?” I change the topic.

His wide grinning response is visible even with his head down. “Of course. You’ll be there.”

“You know me so well. Now go get to know Ms. Hart for me, ok?”

He must not be capable of denying me anything, as he even agrees to picking Ms. Hart up at her home like a real date, when I suggest he drop me off to babysit.

“There are pull ups in the top draw of his dresser. He may try to convince you he doesn’t need to wear one to bed, but he does. Snacks in the pantry. Help yourself to anything in the fridge,” Mr. Hart points out to me key locations around her home on the night of the concert. “Anything I’m forgetting? Are you sure you don’t need me to pay you?”

“Pfft, I’m not a teenager. Don’t worry about it and just go have fun.”

“Are you sure? I’m starting to feel guilty about this.” She bites her pink bottom lip nervously and tucks a wheat blonde curl behind her ear. She looks absolutely radiant tonight in her shimmery silver dress and matching pumps. No wonder Mr. Wright can’t take his eyes off her as he waits by the door patiently.

“Nonsense. You deserve a night off. Aren’t you the one who just told me the other day you hadn’t had a night to yourself since all the teachers went out for drinks?”

“But you already gave me a night off when you took care of Jimmy during the housewarming party. I’m sure this isn’t how you want to spend your weekend. I’d feel better if you were coming with us.”

How could I possibly intrude on their first date? “Well, we only got two tickets,” I shrug.

“That’s the other thing,” she leans in close, whispering as she peeks at Mr. Wright. “This feels too much like a date.”

Is she being serious? Nèi ge, these two are so oblivious. “Just think of it as two friends hanging out.” Like Rosa and Billy keep insisting they’re doing. “Now get going before you’re late.” I shoo her out of the door as she says goodbye to Jimmy who is thoroughly distracted playing with the rainbow xylophone I gifted him. He looks up as the room goes silent, noticing that his mother is no longer in sight. “Don’t stop on my account,” I tell him. He taps the keys with his mallets a few more times and looks up at me for approval. “Do you like your present?”

“Yeth!” He smiles, delighted. “I like H.” I sit down next to him as he hits the xylophone in a nonsensical melody. “Is H mommy’s fairy godmother?”

“Is that what I seem like?”

“Yeth! H is fairy! Mel is wolf! Jem is witch!”

Maybe the xylophone is bringing back memories of last week. “You like those girls?”

“Yeth. I like friends.”

“I like you, too,” I ruffle his white hair, settling in for the evening.