Chapter five

Third Person Point of View

The morning come and the sunlight filtered gently through the windows, casting a soft glow over the estate. Emily took a deep breath and looking over her lesson plans one last time because today is the day. She is about to begin her official class with Lilliana.

The little girl did not been easy to approach yesterday when they met briefly. Emily have been introduce as her new tutor and Lilliana have been polite. she’d kept her responses to a minimum, mostly observing Emily with wide, curious eyes. Emily remembered Ms. Alvarez’s advice to take things slow, so she was determined not to push too hard and let Lilliana set the pace.

At precisely nine o’clock, Emily made her way to the small, beautifully lit study where she’d be holding their sessions. The room had been carefully arranged for comfort, and with a table set up by the large windows and bookshelves filled with age-appropriate classics and educational games. It felt cozy and warm and she was hoping Lilliana would find it a comfortable space to learn in.

A few minutes later, Emily heard small footsteps approaching followed by the familiar voice of Ms. Alvarez.

“Good morning, Ms. Davis,” Ms. Alvarez greeted her with a polite nod before turning to Lilliana. “Lilliana, this is where you’ll be spending some of your mornings with Ms. Davis. I trust you’ll enjoy your lessons.”

Lilliana looked around the room, her expression neutral but her gaze attentive. Emily offered her a warm smile and gestured to the chair across from her at the table.

“Good morning, Lilliana,” Emily said gently. “Are you ready to get started?”

Lilliana nodded shyly, taking her seat and glancing at the small pile of books on the table. Emily had carefully selected a few materials she thought might catch the girl’s interest—a mix of storybooks, some beginning math puzzles, and a notebook decorated with colorful animals.

Emily began with a simple icebreaker, deciding to start with something Lilliana might feel comfortable with. “I thought we could read a story together first,” she said, sliding a book toward Lilliana. It was one of Lilliana’s favorites, according to the notes Ms. Alvarez had provided. “Would you like to choose one of these pages to read?”

Lilliana looked up, a small hint of interest brightening her eyes as she reached for the book. She opened to the first page, glanced at Emily, and started reading softly, her voice steady but quiet.

Emily listened carefully, offering small encouraging nods here and there. When Lilliana stumbled on a word, Emily leaned in and quietly helped her sound it out. Bit by bit, Lilliana began to relax, her shoulders loosening as she grew more confident.

“That was wonderful, Lilliana,” Emily said after they finished the first few pages. “You’re such a good reader.”

Lilliana gave a small smile, barely visible, but Emily immediately noticed it. It was a start.

After they’d read for a while, Emily decided to switch gears and pull out a math puzzle. Lilliana hesitated at first but seemed intrigued by the colorful shapes and numbers on the puzzle cards. Emily demonstrated a few simple additions, using the colorful counters to make it fun and easy to understand.

“Do you see how, if we add these two together, it makes four?” Emily asked, arranging the counters in front of Lilliana.

Lilliana looked at the counters, then carefully moved one closer. “So…if we add another one, it’s five?”

“Exactly!” Emily said, her tone filled with encouragement. “You’re very quick with numbers, aren’t you?”

Lilliana’s cheeks turned pink, and she looked down, clearly pleased. For the next hour, they worked on similar activities, alternating between reading and math games, each one designed to keep Lilliana’s attention while easing her into the rhythm of their sessions.

Emily could see that Lilliana was still holding back, but with each small success, the girl’s smile grew a little wider, her voice a bit more certain. By the end of the lesson, Lilliana seemed comfortable enough to ask Emily a question about one of the animal pictures in her notebook.

“Do you like dogs, Ms. Davis?” Lilliana asked softly, tracing a finger over the picture of a golden retriever on the notebook cover.

“Oh, I love them!” Emily replied, her tone light. “My family used to have a dog when I was little, and he was my best friend. His name was Charlie. Do you like dogs?”

Lilliana nodded, her eyes lighting up a little. “I want one, but Papa says it’s a big responsibility. He’s worried I might get bored of taking care of it.”

Emily smiled, sensing the opportunity to keep building their connection. “Well, having a dog is a lot of work, but I think you’d be great with one. You seem like you’re very responsible.”

Lilliana’s face softened, a mixture of pride and thoughtfulness crossing her expression. “Maybe… I’ll ask Papa again.”

By the time their lesson ended, there was a noticeable shift in Lilliana’s attitude. She still seemed cautious, but she’d shown Emily glimpses of her personality—her curiosity, her intelligence, and the kindness that lay beneath her initial shyness. It was clear she was beginning to feel more at ease.

Over the next week, Emily and Lilliana settled into a steady routine. Each morning, they would read together, tackle math problems, and discuss fun topics that ranged from animals to outer space. Emily could see Lilliana’s confidence slowly growing as they worked through each lesson. She noticed that the girl became more talkative, sharing little details about her day or things she liked, like her favorite toys or what she had for dinner the night before.

By the end of the second week, Lilliana seemed to have formed a genuine attachment to Emily. One day, as they were wrapping up a math lesson, Lilliana looked up and said, “Ms. Davis, can I call you Emily?”

Emily’s heart swelled. “Of course, Lilliana. I’d love that.”

It was a small gesture, but to Emily, it felt like a huge breakthrough.

One rainy afternoon, Lilliana surprised Emily even more. They had just finished a reading exercise when the little girl looked over at her and said, “Emily, would you stay here forever?”

Emily froze, caught off guard by the question. She looked into Lilliana’s hopeful eyes and saw just how much trust and affection the girl had come to feel. It was an intense moment, and Emily struggled to find the right words.

“Well,” she began softly, “I’m here as long as you need me, Lilliana. And even when I’m not here, I’ll always care about you.”

Lilliana nodded as if thinking deeply about her words, and then, in a quiet voice, she replied, “I care about you too.”

The honesty of it made Emily’s chest ache a little. In such a short time, Lilliana had gone from a reserved child to one who was beginning to open up, showing her vulnerability and warmth. It was moments like these that reminded Emily why she’d taken this job, despite the nerves and the challenges.

As each day went by, she grew more attached to the little girl who now trusted her, who now called her by her first name, and who was making Emily feel like she was part of something greater than just a job.