Miss Emily stood at the door to Madeline Brooks' office, awaiting a response to her question. As she did so, her eyes kept wandering to the black barn star that hung on the wall above Miss Madeline's desk. I hope it's on securely, Emily thought, If that falls, someone could get hurt...
Madeline was just finishing up some paperwork, when she glanced up at her protégé. "I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you today, Emily. I simply have too much paperwork to do..." She coughed, then blew her nose into an already used tissue. Roughly a dozen of them were lying about her desk. "And I think I'm getting a touch of something..."
Emily nodded. "I understand. If you need to go home, by all means."
Madeline sniffed. "I think I will...after all this is done." She glanced up at the clock that hung above her office's door. "The children should be arriving soon. You should be out to greet them."
Emily glanced upward and gasped. "Oh gosh! Alright," she replied as she stepped out of the doorway. "I hope you feel better," she called as she made her way to the main entrance.
Me, too. Do feel better soon...
"I know you usually go to your Grammy's house, but it's like I told you, she and Pappy are going away until Thanksgiving."
Kenny sat in the backseat of his mother's sedan, morosely gazing out the window, watching his new home-away-from-home, Babbling Brook Daycare Academy, come into view. He didn't reply to his mother.
His mother, Lindsay, glanced into the rearview mirror, turning it so she could see her son better. "C'mon, Sweetie Pie... It's only going to be for a few weeks. If you don't like it, we'll never have to go again."
Kenny softly responded, "Really?"
"Of course, Sweetie." As they pulled up to the gate, Linsday gasped, as if remembering something. "That's right! Roger said that Robbie would be coming here, too! I guess he's dating one of the teachers here, or something. Anyway, you like Robbie, right?"
Kenny smiled and nodded.
Lindsay laughed as she got out of the car to let Kenny out. As she opened the door and unbuckled his seatbelt, she replied, "I can't hear your brains rattling around in there, Kenny. You have to use words." As Kenny hopped out of his seat, Lindsay tousled his hair and said, "Try to make some friends, okay? I'm sure you'll love it here if you get the chance. Miss Madeline used to babysit me, you know?" She spied Emily stepping out of the entrance to the daycare and said to herself, "Oh, that must be the girl Roger's dating. She seems nice." Then, she waved to Kenny as he opened the gate (all by himself!) and called out to him, "Don't be too much trouble! G'bye, Sweetie Pie!" She then got into her vehicle and left as Kenny wandered over to Miss Emily.
Emily crouched down and waved. "Hi, buddy! You must be Kenny Connors." She held out her hand. "My name's Miss Emily, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
Kenny shakily grasped her outstretched hand and shook it. "Hello, Miss Emily..."
Emily let go of his hand and told him, "Your mommy's right, you're going to have a great time here, buddy. Once the other kids get here." She stood up and stretched her arms out to the sides. "Mi casa es su casa! The world is your oyster!" Seeing the confused looks Kenny was giving her, she coughed into her fist and chuckled, "Go nuts, kid."
Madeline was just finishing up some paperwork, when she glanced up at her protégé. "I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you today, Emily. I simply have too much paperwork to do..." She coughed, then blew her nose into an already used tissue. Roughly a dozen of them were lying about her desk. "And I think I'm getting a touch of something..."
Emily nodded. "I understand. If you need to go home, by all means."
Madeline sniffed. "I think I will...after all this is done." She glanced up at the clock that hung above her office's door. "The children should be arriving soon. You should be out to greet them."
Emily glanced upward and gasped. "Oh gosh! Alright," she replied as she stepped out of the doorway. "I hope you feel better," she called as she made her way to the main entrance.
Me, too. Do feel better soon...
"I know you usually go to your Grammy's house, but it's like I told you, she and Pappy are going away until Thanksgiving."
Kenny sat in the backseat of his mother's sedan, morosely gazing out the window, watching his new home-away-from-home, Babbling Brook Daycare Academy, come into view. He didn't reply to his mother.
His mother, Lindsay, glanced into the rearview mirror, turning it so she could see her son better. "C'mon, Sweetie Pie... It's only going to be for a few weeks. If you don't like it, we'll never have to go again."
Kenny softly responded, "Really?"
"Of course, Sweetie." As they pulled up to the gate, Linsday gasped, as if remembering something. "That's right! Roger said that Robbie would be coming here, too! I guess he's dating one of the teachers here, or something. Anyway, you like Robbie, right?"
Kenny smiled and nodded.
Lindsay laughed as she got out of the car to let Kenny out. As she opened the door and unbuckled his seatbelt, she replied, "I can't hear your brains rattling around in there, Kenny. You have to use words." As Kenny hopped out of his seat, Lindsay tousled his hair and said, "Try to make some friends, okay? I'm sure you'll love it here if you get the chance. Miss Madeline used to babysit me, you know?" She spied Emily stepping out of the entrance to the daycare and said to herself, "Oh, that must be the girl Roger's dating. She seems nice." Then, she waved to Kenny as he opened the gate (all by himself!) and called out to him, "Don't be too much trouble! G'bye, Sweetie Pie!" She then got into her vehicle and left as Kenny wandered over to Miss Emily.
Emily crouched down and waved. "Hi, buddy! You must be Kenny Connors." She held out her hand. "My name's Miss Emily, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
Kenny shakily grasped her outstretched hand and shook it. "Hello, Miss Emily..."
Emily let go of his hand and told him, "Your mommy's right, you're going to have a great time here, buddy. Once the other kids get here." She stood up and stretched her arms out to the sides. "Mi casa es su casa! The world is your oyster!" Seeing the confused looks Kenny was giving her, she coughed into her fist and chuckled, "Go nuts, kid."