Lonely Monsters

thirty-two

"Sweetheart?" A washcloth was produced as she rubbed my cheeks and forehead. Then neck, as Mom neatened me up. "You're gonna be late for school."

"Ugh! Get up!" Keenan stomped into the bedroom, toting his backpack and lunch bag, dressed for school and ready to go. "It's the first day of school and I have Mrs. Peters for homeroom! Everyone knows she's the meanest."

Mom tsked at him, "Go ask your father to drop you off. Mimi just woke up and--"

"I don't want to go to school." I said, voice small. I ran my tongue over my teeth. There was a gap. "M-mama! I'm missing a tooth!"

Keenan leaned over me in bed, looking into my mouth as I held it open for Mom to see. "You're missing your canine tooth. You probably swallowed it. Looks like you won't be getting anything from the tooth fairy."

I frowned, remembering how Keenan had toted around the whole dollar he got for one of his Rabbit teeth. The front ones, that Bugs Bunny had.

"What!" I felt my chest tighten and rubbed my face roughly.

"Now don't cry Sweetheart." The washcloth returned, gently combing over my cheeks and brows. "First day of school. First day of kindergarten. You're gonna be a good girl, right?"

A brush went through my hair, tugging a little harder than I'd like.

There was a knock on the door-frame and all eyes turned to look at the tall man standing there. "Erica, c'mon." he looked down at Keenan, me, then Mom. "We're gonna be late!"

"Mimi just woke up," she sighed, "Beside, Kindergartners get half days. You head on ahead."
I blinked, staring up at the man. Oh. "Daddy!"

Keenan groaned and stomped out the bedroom.

"I wanna come with you and Keen!" I felt my feet swing over the side of the bed, my limbs launched off the bedding and I was airborne.

"Woah woah woah!" Big arms caught me, "Mimi! We talked about this! You aren't an X-men. You can't fly like Storm."

Mom shuffled from the bed, gathering clean clothes and pulling them on me as Dad held me. "Lemme come with you and Keen!"

"Did you brush you teeth?"

"yes!"

"No."

"Did you eat breakfast?"

"Yes!"

"Nope."

"Honey."

I grabbed onto the bottom of his jacket. If he dropped off Keenan, that meant he was going to work right after. "Pwwwwweaaaase!"

I was swept up in strong arms and cuddled and smooched. "You get ready for school with Momma, and I'll come pick you and Keen up after work." He held eye contact with me, grinning some. The stark contrast of ivory next to brown was almost blinding.

I nodded, looking down at my hands that were a bit lighter than his. I flipped them over to stare at my palms, pinky-peach, the same color as his. He passed me off to Mom and we watched from the doorway as Keen and Dad loaded up into the car.

Mom gave me a sideway glance. "Sailormoon underwear, Pink ranger undershirt and your white short sleeve with a black skirt." she said walking with me back to the bedroom. "But you need to brush your teeth before you put on your clean shirt."

"Why do I have to brush my teeth if I'm just gonna eat breakfast?"

"Because you slept all night and got buggos in your teeth. It's gross." Mom picked up the clean laundry but shepherded me to the bathroom. "We'll use the sparkly tooth paste."