The next generation

I stopped a little boy on the way into art today.
We had just finished a little math "check in" and I noticed that after 30 minutes of work he had answered 2 of the 20 or so questions.
I stopped him, test in hand, to make sure things were ok. He's a bright kid, not exactly a self starter. This leads to some idling.
"You wait here" I motioned to him as he walked by.
When the rest of his classmates were inside, he looked at me.
"I failed you"
What?
"I failed you didn't I?"
"What? No. I just want to make sure you understand everything."
I thought quickly of his home life. It's nothing I could ever know for myself. It's nothing I have ever wanted and if truth be told, it's nothing I could ever wish on anyone.

I sat with him on the floor in the hallway outside the art room. He did a page of his test with relative ease. I find that he loves for me to watch him do his math. "Soooo... it's 2+3=5 because they haven't used the 2 yet?????(!!!)"
His chocolate eyes reflected his inner joy. Successful math + extra attention.

"You know you could never fail me.
I'm very proud of you."

His eyes nodded.

And with that, he was off to art.