Emma

Emma's New Friend

It was a sunny afternoon in San Diego and the first half of the day had gone smoothly. Emma had been in her room all day and hanging on tightly to a small box of animal crackers and a grape bug juice bottle. Her babysitter Lucy was coming in today while her parents were off for the day and she was crying at the door with her mother earlier. Crying, "But I don't wanna babysitter! I don't wanna!" She was very angry when they told her she had to stay home and that she had board games and Buddy to play with and that there were plenty of snacks to ask for.

She complained that she wanted to help her mommy paint pictures. And when Marie said no she went and asked her father of she could go to work with him instead. He shook his head and said, "No Emma, you can't come to work with me." As much as he'd want his daughter to come to work with him, as much as he wanted to make Emma happy . . . he wasn't allowed to have her there with him. "What's wrong with having a sitter?"

"I don't like Lucy!" Emma complained.

"You haven't even met her yet." Carter reasoned. He didn't know how much longer he could keep up this argument with Emma.

She was there clutching her Teddy bear and fuming over their current argument. She wanted to go to work with them. She normally went with her mother to work and she'd play with the paints while her mother was busy drawing. The colors were hypnotic to Emma, so how could she resist drawing a colorful picture of her own? Her only problem was that she didn't have paper. That was the reason she needed a sitter . . . so said her mother.

"Lucy is the best babysitter we could get okay? And she's a family friend. You and Lucy will get along." Carter explained calmly. He didn't know what to say, he never had to have this argument before.

"But I wanna go with you guys!" She screamed. She drove her point in theatrically, mainly by stomping the ground and hugging her Teddy bear harder. She looked like she was putting that poor bear in a headlock. "ITS NOT FAIR!"

"Emma, you will be just fine. Now just stay here and hang out with Buddy for a bit. Lucy will be here in a couple minutes ok?" Carter spoke calmly. He tried not to make the situation worse.

Marie left the house an hour ago, and now Carter walked out the door. Emma sat in front of the door and waited. She heard paws clicking down the hallway and noticed a very sleepy Siberian Husky walking through the halls after his nap. He walked over and sat down beside Emma, when he did he huffed and laid his back up against her. He could already tell that Carter and Marie weren't home.

He turned and faced her with a look that exclaimed, 'good morning, Emma'. She wrapped her arms around Buddy and cried, "Buddy, they left without me!" He seemed sympathetic, considering how he turned around and licked her cheek as if hoping a big Doggy kiss would cheer her up.

"Buddy, you're the best." Emma stated with teary eyes. Then she heard the door unlock. She took in a deep breath and hugged her trusty adventure pal closer.

Buddy watched the door open and he stood up, curious to know what was behind the door. He barked and in walked a short girl, almost about the size of Buddy of he stood on his hind legs.

She had brown hair, and green eyes. She also had a completely odd sense of style. She wore a rainbow pin that said LOVE with a peace sign in place of the 'O'. She ran towards Emma quickly and picked her up. She spun Emma around for a bit before setting her back down.

"Emma! I haven't seen you since you got home from the hospital! You were so tiny!" Lucy squealed with joy. Lucy didn't have kids of her own, but she was always thrilled to help Carter and Marie. Lucy used to work in a daycare center in town, until she got a new apartment that costed much more than she was being paid. It sucked but it did get her an interview with a nearby school.

"Are you Lucy?" Emma asked.

"Yep, I'm Lucy!" She chirped.

Emma shrugged and watched Buddy as he sniffed the newcomer. He didn't have a problem with her so far and that was good enough for Emma.

"Okay, but rule number one! Buddy is the boss! If he doesn't like you I don't either!" Emma established clearly.

Lucy almost chuckled, she turned around and patted the dog on the head, "Okay Buddy, you're the boss."

Buddy didn't know just what kind of power he had, but he seemed pretty happy after being patted on the head.

He looked pretty happy, and Emma was satisfied with Buddy's evaluation of this new babysitter. With that Emma welcomed Lucy to the living room and showed her all her coloring books and her miniature rock collection.

It may be the start of an amazing friendship.