Paul finishes the call and sets the phone down. He lets out a breath and looks at me.
"She's coming in tomorrow morning. Around ten."
"Good. Her reaction?"
"What you'd expect. Worried about the grades — she said Dana's been struggling with fractions since last semester. Grateful for the offer, but cautious. She asked if you had any teaching credentials."
"And you said?"
"I said you were a volunteer, not a licensed teacher, but that you'd helped another student with similar results. I mentioned Hester by name."
"Good. Use Hester as proof. A known quantity. Concrete results."
He nods. "She said she'd think about it. But her tone told me she'd already decided. She just needed to sleep on it to feel like she was being a responsible mother."
"She'll agree. A woman in her position doesn't turn down help. Especially when it's free and comes recommended by the school administration. She'll show up tomorrow, and I'll close the deal."
"You want me to sit in?"
