Aalayah and the Stars

Chapter 2

Charlotte's  POV:

Taking in the little girls overall appearance, I can tell that she's probably lacking nutrition due to her visibly washed out skin tone and the yellow-ish brown that has made itself a home on her under eyes.

I shake my head and focus my attention onto Kate, who seems to be analyzing the girls just as intently as I had been.

"Now who's the nosy one?" I point out with a slight laugh. It's honestly hilarious at the fact that she will tease me about a quality of mine, while also having that same quality.

"Oh, shut up." My wife laughs out while turning her head to look at me with an annoyed expression.

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As my lunch break had come to an end, Kate and I had made our way back to the daycare and finished up watching over the kids.

It had been twenty minutes since pick up time concluded and yet, Kate and I are sitting here criss cross apple sauce on the floor with a little girl who is currently laying on her stomach, coloring a picture of a puppy.

"Sweetheart, where's your parents at? They do know the correct time to pick you up, hmm?" I softly ask the unbothered little one who simply ignores my every word and just begins to prop her head up on her hand and kick her little legs back and forth.

I wait for a moment for an answer but when no response follows,  I give a deep sigh and glance at Kate, who is just as concerned as I am.

Don't get me wrong though, I'm glad we are watching over her rather than her be stuck waiting in the front desk area, where the desk lady, Susan, is as emotionally detached as a rock.

"What are you coloring, honey?" My wife tries.

Big brown eyes look up at us like we're stupid, catching me off guard. "It's a puppy. Duh." The little girl exasperated, rolling her eyes and looking back down to her coloring page.

My wife raises her eyebrows in shock of this five year olds very teenager like attitude. Trying not to laugh at the way that her face is so taken aback at the little ones attitude, I purse my lips together and wait for my wife's response.

"Mmm, I see." My wife drags out the last word in a cooing tone. "Well it look's amazing, you're quite the artist, sweetheart." My wife concludes smiling softly at the uninterested little girl.

"Thanks" the little one mumbles out looking up slightly at Kate but then quickly directing her eyesight towards the door.

Her eyes light up as she begins to sit up, making both Kate and I turn our heads to the door.

Standing there, was the same little girl who had been dressed so inappropriately for the weather, only now having changed into a flowery romper with a thin sage green jacket.

"Sorry I'm late, my um," she begins drawling the last word out awkwardly, "my um, dog got out and I had to find her before she got hit. So." She puffs a bit of air in her cheeks breaking the sentence while looking away toward, who I assume is her sister, who has now sat up and began to pull her winter jacket out of her book bag.

"That's alright, sweetheart". I warmly reply with a slight smile as Kate and I stand up to help the little one get up as well.

Crouching down to help the little one, whose name both Kate and I had very obviously forgotten due to her being mainly non verbal and also due to us not being near my attendance sheet.

I pull on her coat and help her put on her book bag.
"There we are, all situated" I say in a soft voice as she gives a tight smile and mutters a 'thank you'.

Turning around, Kate and I walk her to the door.

As we near it, the little girl whose name I remember to be Aalayah, reaches out to grab the little ones hand. Guiding the kindergartner to stand next to her. "I'm telling mom" the little one responds accusingly.

"You do that, zara." Aalayah responds uninterested with a quick raise of her eye brows and an annoyed eye roll.

There it is. Now it makes sense why this five year old is a miniature teenager.

"Do you have a jacket or anything warmer that you could put on, darling? It is pretty cold out there" my wife asks Aalayah softly. The little girl just quietly responds with a quick 'its not that cold, I don't really need one'.

My wife hums while nodding her head. "Well sweetheart, I think everybody would argue that it is actually very cold. Next time try to put on a warmer jacket, hm?" My wife responds while smiling softly as to not seem as intimidating as her voice can sound at times.

"Okay." I hear Aalayah respond back in a soft voice, slightly shying away.

"Well it was lovely to meet you?" I drag out, waiting for the answer to the question I already knew.

"Aalayah" she responds with a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Well, Miss Aalayah, I am absolutely obsessed with your name, as well as Miss Zara's" I smile at the light blush that tints both of their cheeks.

"Thank you.", Aalayah responds softly to me with a slight pause before adding "And your names?" She asks with an adorable confused expression.
Probably at the fact that my name isn't on the chalk board as it should be.

Hearing a sigh come from the visibly annoyed Zara, I glance over at her with a soft smile but quickly refocus my attention back onto Aalayah.

"My name is Ms.Heart but you can just call me either Charlotte or Ms. Charlotte, or honestly whatever you'd like." I respond, slightly laughing towards the end.

Hearing Aalayah giggle adorably at that forces a big smile onto my face. She nods slightly and looks over to Kate.

"I'm Kate, honey. It's very nice to meet you." My wife responds, softly smiling at the sweet little girl.

"You too", I hear Aalayah quietly say while shyly looking down toward Zara with a darkening blush.

"Well, um, I'm really sorry for being late, I'm not usually late. So I don't want you to like think that it'll be like that everytime I come to pick her up." I listen to the little girl ramble, a soft smile tugging at my lips.

The little girl grows quiet, assuming it's because she had realized that she had begun to ramble.
I let out a soft laugh,"it's alright sweetheart, I understand".

Watching as the little girl pursed her lips and nodded, grabbing onto Zara's hand. She whispered out an 'okay'.

Smiling at the both of them, and seeing as they're both fidgeting, probably ready to get out of here, I respond with a warm, "well you girls have a good evening, I'll see you tomorrow.".

"You too" I hear Aalayah respond politely, along with a quiet 'see you tomorrow' followed by Zara.

Watching as the girls walk away, as soon as they near the doors Kate shouts out "Don't forget a warmer coat tomorrow!" Toward the underdressed little girl, who just turns to us to smile and nod, making her way out the doors.

(Not edited.)

- A/n
if you are reading this and would like another chapter, please comment it down below because I probably won't write another one unless somebody says they want it. <3 also! If you like the story please vote, it would mean a lot to me! Thank you!