Orphan

-Sophia-

I sat up and pressed Mr. Frog's off button, rubbing my eyes sleepily. Mr. Frog was my alarm clock, a bright green plastic frog that woke me up with cheery tunes every morning. I was dressed in a blink and ran a brush through my long, blond hair before scurrying down the stairs for breakfast. Mom had made eggs and sausage, one of my favorites, and I inhaled it greedily.

"Whoa, slow down there, champ! What's your rush?" Dad said, chuckling softly.

"Daddy, my field trip's today! I gotta have lots of nenergy, 'cause we're going to the fire station!" I said, hardly pausing to talk between bites of egg. I heard Mom laugh from the kitchen before she corrected me.

"Energy, sweetheart. You want to have lots of energy," she said, bringing another plate of sausages out to the table.

"Yeah, nenergy. That's what I said, Mommy," I replied, grabbing another sausage. She just shook her head, smiling faintly as she returned to the kitchen.

~~~

When I had swallowed the last bite, I gulped down a glass of orange juice and put my plate in the sink. Then I raced back up the stairs to finish getting ready to go. I put my shoes on and laced them up carefully, just like Miss Alberts had taught me last year, in kindergarten. A grin spread across my face as I studied my neatly tied shoes. Miss Alberts would be proud. I had become the master of shoe-tying.

After adjusting the laces to the best possible angle, I jumped up and ran into the bathroom, brushing my teeth hurriedly. Finally, I was ready. I grabbed my lunch off the counter and stuffed it in my backpack, along with a water bottle and my stuffed snake, George. It was my show-and-tell day, after all. Zipping up my backpack, I slung it over my shoulder and thundered down the stairs, plopping myself on the couch. Daddy had gone upstairs to put his shoes on, but Mommy was still cleaning up from breakfast. Her shirt was light blue today, with little clouds and balloons speckled about randomly.

"I like your shirt, Mommy," I said, swinging my legs back and forth.

"Thank you, sweetie, that's very nice of you. I like it too," she replied, loading some plates into the dishwasher.

"Does the hospital ever get boring, Mommy? I think it would. You just take care of sick people all day. Isn't that boring?" I asked. "Plus, you have to stay late all the time. I think that would be boring," I added, gesturing broadly for emphasis. She chuckled.

"No, it doesn't ever get boring, Sophia. There's always someone that needs help, and that's what we're there for. Everyone that works at the hospital likes helping people, even if it means staying late," she explained patiently. I looked at her.

"Oh," I said. "Okay."

Mommy laughed, closing the dishwasher. Just then, Dad came sauntering down the stairs, whistling a light tune.

"Ready to go, Sophia?" He asked. I jumped off the couch, nodding vigorously. He smiled as I raced down to the garage, opening the car door carefully before tossing my backpack in the backseat and crawling in after it. I pulled the door shut, buckling the seatbelt across my chest and waiting for my parents.

~~~

Soon we were off, pulling away from the house as I wiggled excitedly in my seat. Mom and Dad were talking about something boring like work schedules, so I thought about my field trip. I can't wait to see a fire truck. I wonder if I'll get a fire hat like the first graders last year did. I remembered seeing all of last year's first graders come back from the field trip with hats and stickers, and I had wished desperately that I could be like them. And now I could!