The Way We Were

The Way We Day Care

"Where are we, Mommy?" Mickey looked around herself.

"This is day care." Marcy squatted down and took her daughter's hands in her own. "Mrs. Parks isn't going to watch you anymore. These people are. And next year, you'll be going to preschool. Isn't that fun?"

Mickey screwed up her face. "What's preschool?"

"It's a fun place where you can play games and learn things." Mal set Mally on his feet.

"It's like school where Daddy and I go but for kids your age." Marcy shook her arms.

Mickey looked at her twin and they silently communicated. She looked at her parents again. "Okay. When are we gonna see you again?"

"Right after Daddy gets out of football practice. He's going to come pick you up."

"Okay."

"Give Mommy a hug."

Mickey hugged her mother and gave her a kiss.

"Now Daddy." Mal picked her up.

She gave him a hug and a kiss and giggled when he tickled her.

Marcy opened her arms for Mally, who hugged her and put his face in her chest. "Stop it, Mally. You're a big boy now. You don't drink Mommy's milk anymore."

Marcy had finally weaned the twins off of her breast milk.

Mally pouted. "I hungry, Mommy."

"You'll have snack time. I promise. Now give me a hug and kiss."

He hugged her and kissed her cheek.

She peppered his face with kisses and let him go to Mal.

Mal tickled him, too. "Have a good day. Remember; I'll see you after football."

"Football!" Both twins yelled before running off.

Mal wrapped an arm around Marcy as she pouted. "It's okay."

"They'll be teenagers in no time and they won't want anything to do with us." She kept her bottom lip out.

"By then we'll have more kids so we can ignore them back."

She snorted with laughter. "Promise?"

He kissed her head. "Promise."

"Hello?" Both turned to face a tall blonde woman with an easygoing smile. She was at least fifty with plenty of laugh lines around her sparkling brown eyes.

"Hi." They spoke in unison.

"Are you dropping off siblings?" She eyed Marcy's cheerleading uniform.

"No. Are you Ms. Lynn? We spoke on the phone." Marcy relayed.

"Yes, I am Ms. Lynn. I'm sorry I don't remember your name, sweetie." Ms. Lynn plucked the glasses from around her neck and perched them on her nose.

"Marceline Anne Chang."

Ms. Lynn's eyebrows shot up and she reached out a hand to shake Marcy's. "How nice to meet you."

"This is my husband, Malcolm." Marcy gestured to Mal.

"You're the couple with the twins."

"Yes." Mal pointed them out.

"May I say you look much younger than I envisioned."

"We're fifteen." Marcy said.

"Oh my word." Ms. Lynn blinked.

"Is that a problem?" Marcy was used to it.

"No. But there're things you should know. We go on field trips and we put on plays. Will you be able to help out? Be a den mother?"