Why not

She was lucky, though.

They had all banded together to make this work. She’d overheard the kids talking one night that if they didn’t help her out or make this work, there was a chance they’d all be taken away. She wasn’t sure if that was accurate, but according to her father when she asked him, there was always a chance that if it didn’t look like things were working out, social workers, the police, and just about anyone else, could step in and take them away from her.

Laura couldn’t allow that. She loved these kids. They were hers, and she was going to give them the best damn chance she could.

With the kids in school, she often drove home and did a mad dash around the house, cleaning and putting everything neatly. She’d spend a short time studying as she’d taken up her classes again, and with her dad’s help, she’d arranged for all her work to be done from home. The lectures were already recorded, so it wasn’t so hard to watch them. If she didn’t get a chance during the day, when the