to worry about that now. She needed to give Johnny her full attention.
It didn’t help that she was more nervous about this tutoring session with Johnny than she’d been for the first one. The more she got to know the boy, the more she wanted to help him. He’d already faced enough challenges in his young life. But another part of her wanted to ease the stress lines that marred Tony’s face. If she could give Johnny the right guidance to turn his grades around, it’d certainly help all of the Grangers.
She’d just finished jotting a note in her day planner when Johnny walked in the door with his arms straining under a load of schoolbooks and his black backpack hanging from one shoulder.
“Wow. That’s a huge stack of books.” She jumped to her feet and moved to help him.
“Uncle Tony said to bring everything.” Before she could reach for the books, the boy dropped his burden onto the wooden tabletop with a loud thump.
She glanced around, hoping to see Tony, but the doorway was empty. “Did you come by yourself?”
“Uncle Tony brought me.”
“Where is he?”
“Gone. He had stuff to do.”
Disappointment rained down on her, surprising her at how much she’d been anticipating their meeting. Definitely not a good sign.
“Why do you wanna help me? Is it ’cause Uncle Tony dumped me on you?”
Ella strained to keep the shock from her face. “He didn’t dump you on me. He thought I could help you with your schoolwork.” She pulled out a chair. “Come sit down.”
Sadness pulled at the child’s face as he sat down. “I don’t think he likes having me around. He’s always too busy or too tired to do much. Now he doesn’t even want to study with me.”
“Oh, Johnny, I can promise your uncle loves you very much. He asked me to help only because I’m a teacher and I might know of other ways to aid your education.”
“My mom used to help me with my homework. Especially my math. She was really good.”
“You must miss your parents a lot.”
His head bobbed up and down. “They used to give me money for every A on my report card. Uncle Tony doesn’t. I don’t think he cares. I get in his way.”
“That’s not true. He loves you. I doubt your uncle knows about your parents’ reward system, or he most likely would do the same. Your uncle still has things to learn, but he’s trying. You could help him by telling him about what your parents used to do and what you’d like him to do, too.”
Again Johnny shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Let’s see what we can accomplish before your uncle returns to pick you up.”
Time passed quickly, and all too soon, Tony appeared at the doorway. While Johnny finished a math problem, she approached him.
“How’s he doing?” Tony nodded to Johnny, his eyes filled with genuine concern.
“He’s a very bright child, and I’m not saying that to be polite. I think part of the problem may be that he’s bored.”
Tony’s shoulders straightened like a proud papa bear. “I’ve always thought he was bright. So what’s up with the grades?”
She hesitated. She had to phrase this just right. She knew Tony didn’t take well to criticism of his parenting skills.
“What is it?” His agitated voice boomed through the quiet library.
Johnny glanced up, as did the other library patrons.
“Shh…you’ll get us in trouble,” she reminded him.
He crossed his arms and frowned. “You still haven’t said what you think the problem is with his learning.”
“He’s used to a different approach than you tried—the way his mother used to help him.”
She quickly filled him in on what she’d learned from Johnny about his mother’s tutoring techniques and her reward system.
Tony ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I had no idea.”
“Try talking to him more. Get him to open up about his parents. It’d help both of you. You’d have a better idea about what he expects from you.”
Tony took a step back. His eyes grew dark and unreadable. “I try
It didn’t help that she was more nervous about this tutoring session with Johnny than she’d been for the first one. The more she got to know the boy, the more she wanted to help him. He’d already faced enough challenges in his young life. But another part of her wanted to ease the stress lines that marred Tony’s face. If she could give Johnny the right guidance to turn his grades around, it’d certainly help all of the Grangers.
She’d just finished jotting a note in her day planner when Johnny walked in the door with his arms straining under a load of schoolbooks and his black backpack hanging from one shoulder.
“Wow. That’s a huge stack of books.” She jumped to her feet and moved to help him.
“Uncle Tony said to bring everything.” Before she could reach for the books, the boy dropped his burden onto the wooden tabletop with a loud thump.
She glanced around, hoping to see Tony, but the doorway was empty. “Did you come by yourself?”
“Uncle Tony brought me.”
“Where is he?”
“Gone. He had stuff to do.”
Disappointment rained down on her, surprising her at how much she’d been anticipating their meeting. Definitely not a good sign.
“Why do you wanna help me? Is it ’cause Uncle Tony dumped me on you?”
Ella strained to keep the shock from her face. “He didn’t dump you on me. He thought I could help you with your schoolwork.” She pulled out a chair. “Come sit down.”
Sadness pulled at the child’s face as he sat down. “I don’t think he likes having me around. He’s always too busy or too tired to do much. Now he doesn’t even want to study with me.”
“Oh, Johnny, I can promise your uncle loves you very much. He asked me to help only because I’m a teacher and I might know of other ways to aid your education.”
“My mom used to help me with my homework. Especially my math. She was really good.”
“You must miss your parents a lot.”
His head bobbed up and down. “They used to give me money for every A on my report card. Uncle Tony doesn’t. I don’t think he cares. I get in his way.”
“That’s not true. He loves you. I doubt your uncle knows about your parents’ reward system, or he most likely would do the same. Your uncle still has things to learn, but he’s trying. You could help him by telling him about what your parents used to do and what you’d like him to do, too.”
Again Johnny shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Let’s see what we can accomplish before your uncle returns to pick you up.”
Time passed quickly, and all too soon, Tony appeared at the doorway. While Johnny finished a math problem, she approached him.
“How’s he doing?” Tony nodded to Johnny, his eyes filled with genuine concern.
“He’s a very bright child, and I’m not saying that to be polite. I think part of the problem may be that he’s bored.”
Tony’s shoulders straightened like a proud papa bear. “I’ve always thought he was bright. So what’s up with the grades?”
She hesitated. She had to phrase this just right. She knew Tony didn’t take well to criticism of his parenting skills.
“What is it?” His agitated voice boomed through the quiet library.
Johnny glanced up, as did the other library patrons.
“Shh…you’ll get us in trouble,” she reminded him.
He crossed his arms and frowned. “You still haven’t said what you think the problem is with his learning.”
“He’s used to a different approach than you tried—the way his mother used to help him.”
She quickly filled him in on what she’d learned from Johnny about his mother’s tutoring techniques and her reward system.
Tony ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I had no idea.”
“Try talking to him more. Get him to open up about his parents. It’d help both of you. You’d have a better idea about what he expects from you.”
Tony took a step back. His eyes grew dark and unreadable. “I try
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