Jane Rizzoli
I sat with my legs up on the couch, my back resting against the armrest as Isa sat in my lap, focusing intently on the fairytale book in front of her.
Isa was a princess girl. She loved their stories, dresses and the magic that radiated from every fairytale. But most of all, she loved it when I read them with the voices. The stepmother had an evil, high, squeaking voice, the prince a low man-voice and the princess a sweet, singing voice.
I smiled every time Isa giggled, watching the girl tensing up at some parts, laughing at the funny parts, and sucking her thumb as the story slowed down. Isa needed some time with me after that morning.
When I finished the story, I closed the book and put it away to wrap my arms tighter around Isa's stomach. Isa rested comfortably against my front, contently sucking on her thumb. "I wanna be a princess too," she said with a small smile.
"Hm, you wanna sleep a hundred years?"
Isa giggled. "Nooo. You can't sleep hundreds years. Right?"
I shook my head. "No, you can't."
"If you sleep, you can't eat. And you can't go to the bathroom. You's gonna explode!" Isa laughed at her own words.
I chuckled and tucked a strand of hair behind Isa's ear. "Exactly."
"But... when you's asleep, everything's black. So you don't know when you explode." Isa furrowed her brow, lost in her own theorizing. "So maybe I can sleep hundred years."
"But then what would I do, huh?" I asked with a kiss on the top of Isa's head. "For the next hundred years? I'd be nothing without you!"
Isa chuckled. "Noo."
"Yeah." I nodded, my smile slowly falling. "I can't be without you for a hundred years; I'd be missing you."
I brushed my fingers through Isa's curly locks and shifted her so she could look at my face. "And I'd have to clean up the mess when you explode!"
Isa giggled, looking into my eyes as I cupped her chin.
"I'm your mommy, baby," I said softly, turning serious again. "I love you like crazy and I never want to be without you."
Isa averted my gaze and smiled a small smile. "I'm gonna be with Mommy forever, right?"
"Forever and ever!"
A small laughed escaped Isa as she moved back to her original position against my front.
___________
"She's alright, Jane," Maura said with a smile as we waited in front of the car. "She probably had a great day. She was so excited!"
"Hm." I hummed, my brow furrowed. "She was nervous."
"Of course, it's her first day in first grade." Maura leaned back against the side of the car, the late summer sun falling on her face. "She's highly intelligent and logical. I have high hopes for her."
"It's first grade, Maur," I smirked. "She'll be writing her first word today."
"I know." Maura smiled a bright smile. "I'm so proud!"
Isa was growing more and more into a miniature me. Her black curls were long and messy, her eyes dark as chocolate and her temper fierce. Her sharp features would come as she grew up, for now she had adorably chubby cheeks and the most beautiful smile in the world.
"I was in such a hurry getting Isa ready for school." I frowned, "That daughter of mine that insisted on two French braids at seven thirty AM."
Maura laughed. "And you did a beautiful job."
I was going to comment when I heard a familiar voice call out to me. "Mommy!"
I shot my attention towards the entrance of the school and smiled brightly. I kneeled down and opened my arms for Isa who came running towards us, almost knocking me over as she wrapped her short arms around my neck.
"Hi, sweetheart," I whispered, pulling Isa close in my arms. "How was your first day?"
"Good." Isa hid her face into the crook of my neck and snuggled impossibly closer.
I lifted Isa up from the ground and hugged her into my arms, followed by a kiss on her cheek.
"Mauri!" Isa reached out her little arms towards Maura, who gladly accepted her embrace.
Isa smiled at her but didn't move from my arms. "I learned math today, Mauri."
"You did?" Maura smiled proudly and pulled back to look at my little girl.
Isa nodded. "Yep. I can add almost up to ten."
"You're a genius!" Maura squeezed Isa's leg that was wrapped around my waist, the girl being tall enough now to hook her ankles together on my back.
"How about we go home to those cookies you and Nana made yesterday?" I asked softly, smiling as I tucked a strand of loose hair into Isa's braid.
"Cookies!" Isa started bouncing and I had trouble keeping her up.
Maura laughed, "Good idea."
I opened the car door and watched Isa buckling up in the backseat while Maura sat behind the wheel to drive us home.
Back home, I sat down on the couch, opening my arms for Isa who just put her new backpack away. Isa smiled and ran towards me, jumping on the couch and into my arms. "Did you have fun?"
Isa nodded, moving to snuggle into my arms. She let out a big yawn as her thumb snuck into her mouth. She was exhausted. "Gracelyn and I are best friends now," she said with a slight smile. "We decided today."
"You did?" I smiled, thinking about the first friend Isa had made.
"Yep."
"Well, she's welcome to come play anytime!" Maura said walking out from the kitchen, handing a banana to Isa. As if she's the one whose going to have to babysit the both of them.
"Banana!" Isa's face lit up as I helped her to peel the banana.
Maura hummed and smiled, finding comfort in the armchair.
I brushed my hand through Isa's hair and saw that she was lazily biting the last of her banana, her eyes seeming to close already. I chuckled softly and took the banana peel from my daughter, putting it on the table behind the couch before pulling Isa impossibly closer and kissing the top of her head. "I'm proud of you for doing so well in school, love."
Isa just hummed.
"Why don't you close your eyes for a bit?" I whispered quietly. "Take some rest before dinner, hm?"
My little girl was already gone. Her eyes closed, her mouth hung open as her breathing steadied against my chest. I smiled. I really was proud of my daughter. She was growing up. She had her own little character and that was a beautiful, sweet, caring little girl.
The young Rizzoli is indeed quite a handful. Just like her mother.
