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“And I call you Pugsly when the other kids and teachers aren’t around.”
“Right!”
Lucy said, “I reminded him on the way here that it was important for him to call you Miss Owen. And…umm…” Lucy grinned as she looked at Lucy’s outfit while PJ ran to the story circle and looked at the books. “Miss Owen, are we clad in a bit of racy attire that’s not found in the dress code?”
Maizy burst into laughter and said, “You hush. It was your idea.”
“You must really like it. I love the heels, by the way.”
“It feels great on.” Chaz popped into her mind. “And I needed…” She’d needed something to bolster her self-confidence. In the next instant, any hurt feelings over Chaz’s rejection were quickly displaced by the memory of three handsome faces. Three!
Lucy’s interest increased as she zeroed in on Maizy’s hot cheeks. “Judging by that blush, you’ve already had an interesting morning.”
“You could say that again,” she said as she went to her desk and grabbed Lucy’s coffee and breakfast taco. “Here you go. They’re both probably lukewarm by now.”
“That’s okay,” Lucy said as she took a sip. “It’s just fine. What happened?”
“Well, it was odd…” Her gaze was drawn by motion at the door and she smiled when she spied Ruby Porter peeking in the door. She had her thumb stuck between her teeth and a death grip on a large stuffed bunny.
Lucy winked at her and went to PJ, knelt down, and whispered to him while he stood there looking dejected. He didn’t want Lucy to leave.
She’d seen it a thousand times before. Kids didn’t always part easily from their parents on the first day, or the second day, or sometimes even the first week. But by the end of the first couple of weeks, most of them had adjusted and didn’t even need their parents walking them into the school anymore.
PJ’s lips trembled as Lucy spoke to him and a flush came to Lucy’s cheeks as she wrapped her arms around the boy. He nodded and she squeezed him harder.
Maizy tiptoed over to Ruby and her parents and greeted them. Ruby’s eyes were a little red-rimmed like she’d already cried once that morning.
“Is this your bunny, Ruby?” Maizy asked, stroking the fluffy bunny’s ear.
Mrs. Porter had already texted her that morning to let her know that Ruby was having a hard time parting from the stuffed bunny. Maizy smiled at her mother and then looked at Ruby.
“What’s your bunny’s name?”
“Buns,” Ruby said in a shaky voice and then sniffled, holding tighter to Buns.
“He makes you feel safe?”
Ruby nodded as she nibbled on her thumb and Maizy gently tugged her hand to remove it from her mouth and Ruby complied.
“Could he stay with us today and help me at my desk? He can have his own chair and everything. At naptime you can lay down with him.”
Ruby sniffled as she thought about it and then nodded. She walked over to look at the toys in the play area but kept a firm grip on Buns.
Smiling, Maizy stood again and to Mrs. Porter she said, “She’ll be fine. I’ll be keeping her hands busy this week so she won’t need to cling to Buns.”
“I’m really sorry,” Ruby’s mother said, looking a little misty-eyed. “I didn’t have the heart to take him from her before we left the house. Her Grandpa Woody gave him to her. She’s Grandpa’s girl.”
“Don’t apologize. You did the right thing. It needs to be her choice. By the end of the week she’ll be just fine.”
Lucy waved at her as she moved toward the door, looking a little teary-eyed. Maizy waved back at her, loving her just a little more for being so attached to PJ. Patrick was a lucky man. So was Beck, even if the man was a clueless doofus at times.
Maizy’s classroom volunteer arrived as several more parents showed up with kindergartners in various stages of readiness for the first day of school. Some gave a kiss and wave at the door and others clung tearfully to their parent’s legs. The volunteer drew each child to the group in the play area as the time to start the day neared.
One of her students from last year stopped by her room for a hug and to give her a pint-sized miniature rose bush.
