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“Look around.” She motioned. “You’re the only one paying attention to their kid. Everyone else is on their phones—see that man right there?”
“Mm.”
“This is his second year.” The woman gossiped. “Not his wife’s kid.”
“Oh!” I gasped.
“Yeah.” She extended a hand to me. “Sherry Martin. The little one in the neon yellow tutu is mine. Which one is yours?”
“Abeke.” I shook her hand then released it. “She’s not really my kid. I’m more of the—um—babysitter. But the one waving at me right now.”
Grinning, I blew Kennedy a kiss and she ran over to the group that had moved to sit without her.
“She’s cute.”
“Thank you.”
“I never understood why they sat around.” Sherry explained. “If you’re going to be on your phone, go home then come back when this is over.”
Her daughter stood and walked over to sit beside Kenny. The teacher brought out drinks for the kids and told them they could take a break.
“I think they like each other.” Sherry sighed.
It sounded like relief.
“That’s a good thing, right?”
Sherry nodded. “Very. Abigail doesn’t do well with other kids. She’s seven going on sixty. The other kids don’t know what to do with her. It’s my fault really—I work too much. Being a single mother is hard—someone has to pay the bills.”
“She’s by herself a lot.”
“Yeah. I’m terrified that by the time she turns ten she won’t need me.”
“I’m sure that’s not the case.” I assured her. “I’m almost forty and some days I still need my mother.”
“I’m slowing down some, though.” Sherry nodded with a smile while returning Abigail’s wave. “No working on the evenings she has dance and on the weekends. Those times are strictly for her.”
“Good.” I watched as the class went back to their activities.
Once the class was over, Abigail and Kenny had become fast friends. They walked ahead of Sherry and I toward the vehicles in the parking lot.
We arrived at Sherry’s vehicle first and the two little girls hugged.
“See you next class?” Sherry asked.
I nodded, offering a smile.
On the way home, Kenny couldn’t stop speaking about her new friend who has a name started with the same letters mine did. She seemed to get a kick out of that. We stopped to pick up some fruits, and chicken tenders before reaching the house.
Since Daniel had text me he would be late, I set up a snack for the little one then left her to her book.
I was sitting in the office when she poked her head in.
“Um—Ko—um, Abe—”
“Yes.” I smiled.
“Do you mind if I taught you my dance routine?” She asked. “My teacher said the best way for me to remember them is to teach someone else.”
