‘Of course not.’ Howard didn’t even flinch. ‘But we can’t get funding for a teacher’s aide without a proper diagnosis—’

‘I don’t understand what this crap is for.’ Scott jerked his chin at all my carefully structured, painstakingly printed Home Help worksheets, which I’d tucked into a special folder with his name on it. ‘If Aaron acts up, just give him a clip on the ear. It’s not rocket science.’

‘It’s like you can’t handle a six-year-old.’ Joyce was staring straight at me. ‘Maybe that’s because you don’t have kids yourself.’

It was a low blow, but I wasn’t about to let her see how much it hurt.

Howard cleared his throat. ‘Aaron threw a stapler at Robyn,’ he reminded Joyce. ‘She could have been injured. We need to make sure it doesn’t happen again.’ Leaning forward, he shifted his attention to Scott. ‘We should be working together for an optimal outcome. Your son has a lot going for him and we need to make sure he doesn’t get left behind.’

Scott blinked. For the first time I sensed a crack in his shell.

‘Then maybe I should be there. In the classroom,’ Joyce said. ‘Don’t parents and grandparents come and read with the kids every morning? Maybe I should, too.’

I was horrified. ‘That’s a generous offer,’ I said. ‘Next term, perhaps. We’ve got enough parent helpers for kindy at the moment.’

Joyce flushed. She took a deep breath. Before she could let rip, however, Howard intervened. ‘Thank you, Joyce. What a good idea. We should give that a go.’ He shot me a warning look, daring me to say a word. Then he pushed my worksheet folder towards the Rooneys. ‘I think the more we cooperate, the better the outcome will be. If you accept Robyn’s help at home, Joyce, she’ll take advantage of your help at school. It’s a win-win. Especially for Aaron. I’m looking forward to seeing him blossom thanks to our combined efforts.’

I was furious, but I didn’t say a word until the Rooneys had gone. Then I laid into Howard.

‘Are you delusional? I don’t want that woman anywhere near my classroom!’

‘She’s a citizen volunteer. And a primary carer.’

‘She’s nuts.’

‘I don’t think it helps to be confrontational, Robyn.’ As I opened my mouth to tell him that Joyce was the confrontational one, he added, ‘Just give it a try. It might work. And if it doesn’t, we’ll pull the plug. We owe it to this kid to explore every avenue.’

Suddenly his landline rang. He reached for the phone with a sigh. ‘This is a scheduled call,’ he told me, then picked up his handset. ‘Celine! How are you? Rising to the challenge of the new year, I hope?’