What's Next?

I Dream of Preschool

"Mommy, I'm sick." The little brown haired toddler sat on her princess bed, pouting. "I can't go to preschool."

Rory touched the back of her hand to Haeven's forehead. "You do feel a bit warm. Let me take you're temperature." She left to get the thermometer out of the bathroom.

"I don't feel good." Haeven coughed.

Rory took her temperature. "98.6. You're in perfect health, my dear."

"But momma..." Haeven pulled up her pajama sleeves. "I got chicken pox."

Rory looked at the misshaped dots that were all across Haeven's arm. She looked over on the bed and saw a red marker. She's three years old. What the hell? Rory thought. How in the world? "You have chicken pox, do you?" Rory asked, playing along.

"Uh-huh." Haeven staged a cough.

"Okay, baby. If you're sick, you need to stay in bed 'till you're better."

Haeven frowned. "Can I watch TV? I'm up anyway."

Where does she get this? "No, Haeven. Sick people have to stay in bed and sleep. You're also going to have to take medicine." Rory got up and pretended to go get the bottle of Children's Tylenol. But before she left the room, Haeven jumped off of the bed.

"Mommy..." She looked regretful. "I feel better now."

"This quick?"

"Yes..."

Rory walked around and picked up the marker. "What is this all about?" She picked up Haeven and set her in her lap. "Why don't you want to go to preschool."

Haeven curled up. "I dunno."

"Yes you do, tell me." Rory pressed, wanting to find out what was making her so against going.

"I don't like it. I wanna stay home with you and daddy and Rosalyn and Adley." Haeven wiped her eyes.

"Sweetie, I want to be with you too. I wish I could stay with you all day forever. But I have to go to work."

"But why?" Haeven asked, looking up at Rory.

"Because that's how I make money. Me and daddy work to make sure we have a nice house and so you can have nice clothes and toys."

Haeven contemplated that in her head. "So if you didn't go to work, I wouldn't have clothes and toys?"

Rory laughed. "Honey, no matter what daddy and I will provide everything you need. Anyway, we have to get you to preschool."

Haeven sighed and and followed her mom to get ready.

*****

"Not so bad was it?" Rory asked as she picked Haeven up from school.

"I made this." Haeven handed Rory a cut out heart with sparkles.

"It's absolutely beautiful!" Rory took the heart.

They got in the car and headed home. On the way back, Rory was turning on the roundabout when a car sped by the opposite way. Haeven, who was holding her cup in one hand and cereal bar in the other, was not pleased when her mother swirled away from the car.

"Shit!" The three year old yelled, dropping her cup and cereal bar.

"Haeven!" Rory was appalled. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"My snack..." Haeven frowned.

Rory took a breath. "Where did you learn that word?" Rory and Jess were careful about what they said around their kids, and never said the 'bad' curse words.

"At preschool, Hannah says that her mommy says it when she is mad. Hannah said it funny."

"So, this Hannah says this a lot?" Rory inquired.

"Yep!" Haeven said, nonchalantly.

Rory assessed her thoughts, keeping silent for the remainder of the ride home.

"Hello, my babies." Rory walked into her house and saw her twin girls running towards her. "Where's daddy?"

"Over here." Jess walked up. "Hello, beautiful." He leaned in and kissed Rory. "And hello to my beautiful baby girl."

"I'm not a baby, I'm three years old. Remember?" Haeven held out her arms.

Jess chuckled and picked up his eldest daughter. "Of course I remember, how could I forget?" He gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Rory opened it.

"Hello, Rory."

"Grandma?"

Emily stood in the doorway, looking anxiously around; her forehead was burrowed with tension.

Rory had a puzzled look and gestured her grandmother inside the house. "What is it Grandma?"

Emily took in a deep breath and stared directly into Rory's eyes. "Your mother and Luke....are no where to be found..."

To be continued