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“Oh, it’s wonderful. Higher test scores in reading usually correlate with higher academics in other subjects. You just keep supporting her love of reading and you’re going to have a college scholarship on your hands.”
Luke smiled, but this one was different than the flirty one she could have sworn she’d seen earlier. This one was pride. And he had every right to be proud of his daughter. She was doing so well that there wasn’t much to be worried about.
Except perhaps one thing.
“For the most part, Molly is well behaved which is probably why her citizenship score is right about average. She’s close with her friends—”
“Wait a minute. Mostly well-behaved? That doesn’t sound good. In fact, it doesn’t sound like Molly at all. What’s up with that?”
She gave him a smile she prayed wasn’t as patronizing as she thought it might be. “Molly is a nine-year-old girl. She loves to chat with her friends, and often this occurs when I’m giving a lecture on a new subject. I’d love to see her paying more attention in math. And obviously, talking when she and the others are supposed to be learning isn’t how things should go.”
“I thought you said that her academic scores were high.”
“They are,” she hurried on to say. “But if you’ll see here, there are a few test scores that are a little lower than I think she’s capable of.” She pointed to the grade printout she’d prepared. “And there’s one missing assignment. If she could bring in that assignment it would improve her overall grade quite a bit.”
She glanced up from the paper to find Luke scowling at the document they were discussing, and her confidence wavered. She’d always hated giving bad news to parents and Luke was no exception. Already she could see the cogs in his head whirring and trying to come up with solutions for Molly, and possibly even an excuse or two.
Without thinking, she reached across the small table and took Luke’s hand in hers. His eyes locked onto her and he blinked once.
“Look, it’s not uncommon for girls her age to giggle and chat during class. It happens all the time. When it becomes a problem is when it starts to affect her grades.”
He gestured vaguely at the paperwork. “You have proof it’s already doing that.”
Allie glanced down at the document. “This is just a little update on where she is so far this school year. Her grades can definitely improve.”
Based on the way his features continued to darken, she wasn’t doing her best to help him see the positives. Dang it, she should have started with the bad news first. She’d done this the wrong way yet again.
It wasn’t until she squeezed his hand that she realized she was still holding it. Quickly, she snatched her hand away from him and clasped it with her other one in her lap.
“I know it probably doesn’t help to hear this right now, but Molly is a sweet girl with a mind that could conquer the world one day. She’s got the brains and the social skills to do just that. While her C in math is an indicator, she needs a little help and more focus there, it’s not the end of the world. This is only the first of the year. Work with her on her homework and encourage her. She’ll figure it out. You’ll both figure it out.”
Luke didn’t look convinced.
“I know this is hard to take, but as she gets older this won’t get a whole lot easier. Molly’s going to want to be with her friends and spend time with them instead of you. All you can do is sit back and let her live her life.”
As soon as she said these words she knew they were wrong. And oddly enough, she didn’t even believe this way. She’d never agree that children should be let go to just live their lives as they wanted. She was so flustered talking to Luke she was botching the parent teacher conference.
Luke got to his feet, gathering the papers as he did so. “There’s one thing you’re wrong about. She’s only nine. I’d rather run off a cliff than let Molly have free rein of her life. She’s not ready for that yet.”
“I didn’t say she is.”
He gave her a sharp look and she knew she had to clarify her statement if for no other reason than to let him know she wasn’t all about letting kids boss the world around.
“What I meant to say was that considering all the variables, Molly is turning out to be a girl with promise. If I were you, I’d stop being so worried about her and let her have a little bit of freedom—just enough to let her spread her wings but not enough to make her think there are zero consequences in the world.”
Luke glanced down at Allie, holding her gaze briefly before he nodded. “I’ll have a talk with her when I get home. There is no reason why she can’t stay focused for schoolwork. It may not be clear, but I do expect that of her. I’ll also make sure she apologizes—”
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” she laughed but stopped the second she saw the look on his face.
“It’s entirely necessary. I raised her to respect the adults in her life. You are one of those people who deserve her respect, if for no other reason than to set an example for her peers. We’ll make sure her grades are up by Christmas.”
“I’m sure they will be, but you don’t—”
“Is there anything else I should be aware of?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Then I thank you for your time today, Allie. I hope to see you again at church. It was nice running into you.”
