Page 13 of Candy Cane Dreams
"She's exceptionally intelligent, but... I just don't think she's working to her ability. She's at the lower end of the class, and I really feel like she should be much higher."
“She seems to be doing well in math."
"She's just average, maybe slightly below. But it's reading where she really is having problems. She really struggles, and she doesn't write anything at all."
"I thought that was how she communicated?"
"Numbers. She writes numbers really well. But not sentences. Words maybe. Her dad has taught her some hand gestures, and they seem to communicate that way some. But I don't know."
"She would definitely be a good candidate for counseling. Do you think her father would agree to it?"
"She doesn't have a mother."
"Divorce?" Kate asked, knowing that it might have been a little bit of a personal question, but it was something that she was going to need to know if she was going to counsel Lilly.
"She passed away."
"I see."
That made things even harder. "I think she was in the hospital some this summer too," Miss Jones's voice continued to be low and soft.
"I'll definitely want to get some information on her and see if her dad will allow her to spend some time with me."
"He should be here. He always comes to the classroom to pick her up. She doesn't ride the bus like the rest of the children."
"Is he overprotective?" That could be part of the problem. If she had never been allowed to do anything for herself, maybe speaking just followed in line with everything else.
"I don't think so. He's just a single dad doing his best." Miss Jones didn't elaborate, and she soon walked away, helping children who needed her, while Kate continued to stand in the back observing.
"All right, children. It's time to line up for the bus. Those of you whose parents are going to pick you up, don't leave.Remember you cannot leave until I give you permission." Miss Jones sounded like she'd said that a million times as the children moved to do what she asked.
Kate shifted as several parents came to the door—they were mothers. Several mothers came through the door, and their children ran over to them, still at the age where they loved seeing their parents in school.
She was still smiling over that when she glanced at Lilly, who was watching the door intently. Kate didn't have to see movement out of her peripheral vision to know that Lilly's father had arrived. Lilly's face lit up, and she grabbed her bag and speed-walked over to the door of the classroom.
He bent down and gathered his daughter into his arms, the movement natural, like that was the way he always greeted her. She hugged him like they'd been separated for years instead of a few hours.
Maybe that was it. Maybe she was afraid of being abandoned again; maybe she saw her mother as abandoning her and was afraid she would be abandoned again.
She looked a lot different now that her father was there—more relaxed, her shoulders not nearly as tight. Kate hadn't even noticed that she was sitting stressed until she had seen her relax with her dad's arrival.
Kate figured there was no time like the present to go over and introduce herself, although she had to admit she was a little intimidated. She had seen him in the shop working, and while she hadn't been spying on him, she felt like the glimpse made her seem like she'd done something a little bit underhanded.
"Hello. I'm Kate Woolbert. I'll be the new counselor after the holiday break."
She held out her hand as the man stood. His eyes were kind, although maybe a little careworn. His face was tan, and therewere several days' worth of beard growth. Just enough to make him look like a reformed bad boy.
Kate shoved the idea aside. She certainly wasn't going to think about the father of her potential student that way.
"I'm Jack Henderson," he said, grasping her hand in a strong, firm grip. But it wasn't so tight as to hurt. She'd shaken hands with her students' parents and felt like she needed to soak her hand in some kind of relaxing warm water afterwards. Jack wasn't like that.
"It's good to meet you, Mr. Henderson. I've been observing your daughter. She seems like a very intelligent and interesting young lady." She smiled down at Lilly, who pressed herself against her father, although there was no fear in her eyes as she looked up. It was like she didn't want to stop touching her dad because she was afraid he might go out of her sight, but she wasn't afraid of Kate.
"Call me Jack, please."
"All right," she said slowly. She typically did call teachers by their surname, but parents were a different case. She preferred that they use her title and last name, so the children didn't get too familiar. It was good to have a professional barrier between them.
"She's quite a young lady," he said, looking down at his daughter with pride.
