You Outshine the Morning Sun

Pippa

The next morning, I was flustered yet again as I tried to get myself and Molly ready for the day. We were new to New York City and trying to adjust to the hustle and bustle. Molly was once again complaining of an upset stomach, but I was pretty sure it was just nerves. It was the second week of school and she was having a hard time adjusting. Instead of being the smartest kid in class, she was in a sea of smart kids. Everyone was gifted in the whole school. Molly felt intimidated for the first time, and she was already a shy, reserved kid.

"Molly, get going," I urged her as she pushed her cereal around. She was stalling. "Remember, you have art class today."

Art was her favorite. She loved drawing and painting. It was time to leave, so I took her bowl away and washed the remains down the sink.

"Mommy, I wasn't done!" She complained.

"Get a breakfast bar from the pantry if you're still hungry," I told her. "Get your backpack."

She complied, sighing, and a couple moments later we were out the door. I had some meetings that morning and Molly had to be at school by 8 a.m. It was a short subway ride. When we arrived, Molly insisted on me walking her to class. At this point, none of the other first graders were being walked by their parents. We stopped by her door and I knelt in front of her.

"You're going to be fine," I assured her. "It's just going to take some time to adjust."

"Can't I just come with you?" She asked hopefully.

"You know I can't do that," I told her gently. "You need to be in school. I'll meet you at 3:00. Love you."

I kissed her on the head and then quickly left so she wouldn't drag it out. My kid didn't do well with change. Her teacher was wonderful, though, and went out of her way to give Molly a little extra TLC. In a couple weeks, I'm sure Molly would be fine.

Later in the day, I picked Molly up and she had a smile on her face. Art had been at the end of the day, so she'd ended on a high note. I still needed to find her a little art studio in the city so she could take private lessons. Molly ran to me and hugged me. I took her hand and we walked to the subway.

"Am I coming to the theatre with you tonight?" She asked as the subway doors closed.

"No," I reminded her. "Remember, you're gonna go over to Lin's tonight and hang out with his daughter Camila."

"How old is she?"

"She's ten," I said. "She goes to Hunter too. She's in fourth grade."

"Does she like art?"

"I don't know. You'll have to ask her."

Molly bit her lip as we rode silently, and I knew her mind was churning over yet another new situation. She'd run into Lin and Cam a few times, but the girls had never really spent any time together. Since they were semi-close in age, hopefully they'd hit it off.

We relaxed at home for a while, then around 5:45, we headed out the door with a backpack for Molly. She would go to bed in their guest room, so I'd put in pajamas and her toothbrush. After the show, I'd take her home. I used my Google Maps to find his apartment building, then headed up the elevator to their apartment. I knocked on the door and Lin opened it, smiling.

"Hey! Come on in!" He said, opening the door. We walked in, Molly holding my hand tightly. She clutched her favorite bear, and looked around nervously. Cam walked over from the couch and stood next to her father.

"Molly, this is my daughter Cam," Lin said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "She goes to Hunter too."

"Hi," Molly said timidly.