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Well, Beth knew a few things about marking trails. She’d start with flash cards, games, work sheets, whatever it took to get Corey more familiar with identifying sounds. And she had a stack of books for Nick so he could continue working with Corey at home in the evenings and on his days off. If he spent half an hour every day reading with Corey, it’d make a difference.
Beth’s mom even promised to help where she could. The only variable she couldn’t predict was Corey’s reaction. His willingness to learn was key.
She put away the sensitive papers, locked the drawer of her desk and then scooped up her stuff. Exiting her classroom, she spotted the other second-grade teacher, Julie, calling it a day, as well.
“So, Beth, are you up for sailing the Manitous again this year?” Julie’s husband was a hotshot attorney with one sweet sailboat. Gerry was more than the average amateur sailor. Sailing with them had become a tradition and a fun way to celebrate the end of the school year and the start of summer.
“I sure am.” Beth nodded. “Count me in, only please, no setups this year.”
Julie frowned. “Oh, come on, he wasn’t so bad.”
Beth tipped her head. Julie and Gerry had arranged a blind date with a guy from Gerry’s office. He was way too short and arrogant besides.
Julie smiled. “You bring someone, then.”
Beth’s mind immediately shifted to Nick, but that brown uniform he wore made her shake away any thoughts of sunset sailing with the handsome redhead. “We’ll see.”
When Beth made it across the street to her mom’s house, she was armed with phonics lessons. Walking into the living room, she expected to find Corey in front of the TV. Instead he sat at the dining room table across from her mom. The two playing a game of Battleship.
“B-3.” Corey’s hair hung in his eyes.
Beth’s fingers itched to brush the kid’s bangs back, but she remained quiet and watched.
“Nope. Miss.” Her mom wore an evil-looking grin. “My turn. F-8.”
Corey’s face crumpled into irritation. “Hit.”
“I’m home.”
Neither one acknowledged her. They were caught up in the game. And it was close. Each had only one ship left, and Beth’s mom dove in for the kill on Corey’s big destroyer. It made Beth smile as she slipped upstairs to change into jeans.
When she returned, Corey had put away the pieces while her mom started dinner. “Who won?”
The look of disgust on Corey’s face clued her in.
“Sorry. She always beat me, too. Are you ready to play some different games?”
The boy looked cautious. “Like what?”
“Sound games.” Beth spread out her flash cards.
“That’s schoolwork, isn’t it?”
Beth met the boy’s wary eyes. “Did your dad tell you that he asked me to be your tutor?”
“Yeah.”
“Did he say why?”
Corey looked down. “Because I don’t read good.”
Beth touched his hand and gave him a big smile. “You will, Corey. I promise, in time you will read much better.”
He looked at her with a lot of doubt in his face, but she spotted hope shining in his eyes.
* * *
Thursdays after school, Beth helped staff a kids’ art program. She milled between tables, helping where needed but mostly watching kids create. Corey sat at a table littered with paper, crayons and markers he hadn’t touched.
Grace Cavanaugh worked beside him drawing a house on a piece of yellow construction paper. She cut out trees made of brown and green paper and then pasted them on the yellow. She glued cotton balls for clouds.
“Don’t you like to color?” the little girl asked.
Corey shook his head.
“Why?”
He shrugged.
“This is our house. It’s for my mom.” Grace stuck the paper in Corey’s face.
“My mom died.” Corey flicked the edge of the paper away.
Beth sucked in a breath, but she remained quiet and watched the two kids interact.
Grace set her paper down and tipped her head. She considered what Corey had said for a few seconds and then shrugged her shoulders. “That’s okay. I don’t have a dad. Maybe you’ll get a new mommy. Want me to help you get started? I know where everything’s at.”
Corey nodded.
“C’mere, then.”
Beth’s eyes stung when Corey followed Gracie to the paper bins. She directed him to pick a color and he did. And then he followed her back to the table while she rattled off a host of things he could draw and she promised to help. God bless little Gracie. She’d broken into Corey’s shell.
“Hey, Beth, got a minute?” Diane, their school counselor, leaned against the door.
Beth scanned the room for the other teacher helping out. She spotted her assembling the supplies they’d need for tonight’s lesson in painting. The kids were busy chatting and hanging up their backpacks. She could duck out for a few. “Yeah, sure.”
Diane nodded toward the hall.
Beth gave the other teacher a heads-up and then followed Diane out of the art room. “What’s on your mind?”
“I understand you’re tutoring one of your students. The new boy, Grey, is it?”
Beth folded her arms. “Corey Grey. I cleared it through Tammy. The boy’s behind in reading.”
“Where are you working with him?”
“My mom watches him after school, so we work at home. Why?”
Diane looked concerned. “I had a long talk with Mr. Grey about his boy still grieving. Corey might latch on to you as a maternal replacement, so it might be wise to stay in teacher mode.”
Gracie’s words whispered through Beth’s mind. Maybe you’ll get a new mommy. And something deep inside twisted, wishing...
Not going there. Beth cleared her mind with a firm nod. “Gotcha.”
“We should compare notes in a week or so to see how he’s settling in. Check for improvement.”
“Sure. That’d be great.” Beth knew the routine.
Because it was a small elementary school, grade-level teachers worked together as a team sharing lesson-plan notes and progress reports. But Diane seemed more careful than usual with Corey. Was it because of Nick’s position or Corey’s transcripts?
Beth gestured toward the classroom. “He’s working with Grace Cavanaugh right now. And Thomas Clark has taken Corey under his wing, too. They’re all tablemates in the classroom.”
“Good.” Diane gave her a nod. “Good pairings there.”
Beth wanted to roll her eyes. That was why she’d placed Corey at their table. “I thought so.”
Diane nodded again. “Okay, then, I’m heading home. We’ll meet soon.”
“Sure thing.” Beth slipped back into the art room.
“Miss Ryken, can you help us?” Gracie’s hand was in the air with a tube of paint. “We can’t get this open.”
Beth popped the plastic top and handed it back. Both kids had donned aprons. Each one held a paintbrush.
Corey looked nervous as he stared at the blank white paper clipped to a tabletop easel.
Beth stood next to him and stared, too.
Corey looked at her, his eyes unsure.
“Let it fly, Corey.”
“I don’t know what to make.”
Gracie was busy painting big red flowers.
Corey seemed too tentative. He did fine coloring preprinted pictures like the tall-ship work sheets in class, but the blank page intimidated him. Was that the result of his previous school making too much of the dark pictures the boy drew?
“Sometimes playing with the colors creates something special all by itself. Give it a try.”
Corey thought about that a moment and then dipped his brush into Gracie’s red paint. He slathered the paper and then rinsed the brush to try another color. Blue.
“There you go.” Beth patted his shoulder. “Nice.”
Corey looked at her again and smiled.
“You got it, Corey. Now have fun with it.” Maybe he’d paint what was inside his heart.
Beth made her rounds, helping other kids and doling out encouragement. But she made her way back to Corey, curious.
“Wow!” She stared at his painting and smiled. “That’s beautiful.”
Corey had made a sloppy rainbow that ran off the page, but it arched over a corner painted black. None of the white paper showed. He’d filled it all with color. Did it mean something good? Beth couldn’t help but think it did.
“You can have it.”
Beth hesitated in accepting. Teacher mode, Diane had said. Her kids made pictures for her all the time. She had a slew of them in her desk. But this one was special. Like the boy in front of her. “What about your dad? He might like it, too.”
Corey shrugged and looked away.
Beth regrouped. She didn’t want to hurt the boy’s feelings by refusing. Nick wouldn’t mind, would he? “Thank you, Corey. I know right where it’ll go.”
His eyes brightened. “Really?”
“Really. Would you like to make another one?”
“Nope.” Corey gathered up his brushes and headed for the sink. “I’m done.”
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