Our Friend, Mr.Sun

The next day....

Lana's POV

"Good news girls!" Mommy says, "I finally found a babysitter to take care of you."

"Does that mean we won't see Mr. Sun anymore?" Jade murmured.

"Exactly. And you won't have to go through that crowded pizza plex anymore," Mommy says, smiling.

I freeze at Mommy's words, my heart racing. No more daycare? I was just getting used to being with Sam and Klyde. Even if I hate Mr. Sun and how loud everything is, Sammy always makes things better. 

"But...Sammy..." I mumble, barely audible. 

Mommy doesn't seem to hear me, but Jade looks at me with wide eyes. I can tell she's thinking the same thing. Sam, Klyde... all the little things that made the daycare okay for us, even when it was too much. 

I try to swallow the lump in my throat, but it doesn't go away. I know I complained about Mr. Sun and the big pizza plex. I hate the noise, and I hate being around so many people. But Sammy...

"What's wrong, Lana?" Jade whispers.

I shake my head, not sure how to put it into words. Everything feels twisted inside, and I can't tell if I'm happy or sad. Part of me doesn't want to go back to that noisy place, but another part of me doesn't want to leave Sammy behind. 

Mommy's still talking, explaining something about the new babysitter, but I can't focus. All I can think about is that I won't see Sammy tomorrow.

Izzy's POV

I sit quietly in the backseat, clutching my bunny tight as Mommy talks about the new babysitter. It's not fair. 

I finally made my first real friend at the daycare, and now we're leaving. Maya was so different from my paper puppets. She was real. She talked to me, and I wasn't scared. And now, after just one day, I won't get to see her again. 

The car ride feels too long and too short all at once. I want to tell Mommy that I want to go back, that I need to see Maya again. But the words stay trapped in my throat, like they always do. My bunny doesn't say anything either, just sits quietly in my lap, its soft ears drooping.

Jade glances at me, like she knows I'm upset, but she doesn't say anything. I stare out the window, trying to hold back the tears. It's not fair.

Jade's POV

I sit in the car, glancing at my sisters. Izzy's holding her bunny tight, her face all scrunched up like she's about to cry. Lana is staring out the window, her arms crossed and her lips pressed together. They both look so upset, and I don't know what to do. 

I wish I could help them. I want to make it better, but I can't. I don't know how. 

Lana's always upset about something, especially when it comes to the daycare. And Izzy... she finally made a friend, and now we're leaving. I can tell she's really sad about it, even though she's so quiet.

I don't like seeing them like this. I feel a knot in my stomach, like it's my fault somehow. But what can I do? I can't change Mommy's mind. I can't fix what's wrong. 

I stare down at my hands, wishing there was something I could say, some way I could make them smile again. But I stay quiet, just like always, feeling as helpless as ever.

We walk up to the daycare, Izzy runs ahead, holding onto her bunny. I don't even have to guess where she's going-she's probably going to find Maya. Izzy's never this fast unless it's something important to her. I step into the daycare, and that's when I notice Lana, quietly slipping away, staying close to the walls like she's trying to disappear. She's always been good at sneaking off, especially when she doesn't want to be noticed.

I sigh, watching her for a moment. I don't know why she's so scared of the daycare, but she never tells me. I want to follow her, but I know better. If I get too close, she'll just get mad at me.

Instead, I follow Izzy, keeping my eyes on Lana from a distance. Maybe today won't be so bad. Maybe everything will work out... but I can't shake the feeling that something's off.

Izzy's POV

"Maya."

Maya turns her head toward me, her eyes cloudy but focused like she's listening really closely. "Izzy?" she says softly.

I clutch my bunny tighter, feeling my cheeks get warm. I shuffle my feet. "Hello," I mumble, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.

Maya smiles, and even though she can't see me, I feel like she knows how nervous I am. "Hi, Izzy," she replies, her voice calm, like she's happy I'm here. 

I shuffle closer, sitting next to her. I don't want to leave the daycare. I don't want to leave my new friend. 

"Maya," I whisper again.

"Hm?" she replies, tilting her head toward me.

I point over at Mr. Sun, who's happily bouncing around the room with a tray of waffles, placing a few on each plate. But I forgot-Maya can't see what I'm pointing at.

"Sun," I say, my voice small.

Maya raises her brow a little, confused. "What about the sun?"

I hesitate, feeling a little silly. "Mr. Sun. He's... making waffles."

Maya's face softens, and she nods. "I can smell them," she says, with a smile. "Waffles are my favorite."

I smile, a little. And for a moment, I forget about tomorrow. Forget about leaving. Just me, Maya, and the smell of waffles.

Klyde's POV

I look around the table. Lana's sitting there, looking upset, her arms crossed tight. Sammy, on the other hand, is holding his head like it weighs a ton.

"Am I the only one at this little table without a problem?" I ask, half-joking but also kinda serious.

"You are a problem," Sam grumbles, not even looking up. He's rubbing his forehead like it's got all his worries written there.

I stick my tongue out at him. "Nice to know you're still grumpy," I mutter under my breath. 

Sam just groans, and Lana doesn't even say anything. "Can't you stay awake until nap time?" I ask, nudging Sammy's arm.

He lets out a dramatic groan and drops his head onto the table. "Nap time is so many hours away," he mumbles into the table.

"But we need you to help us build our rocket ship," Lana says, her voice quiet but hopeful.

"Yeah. We agreed that I would draw out the plans for it and we would build it together, remember?" I try to remind him.

Sammy lifts his head just enough to give us a tired look and sighs. "Can't we just, like, pretend it's already built?"

I roll my eyes and grin. "Come on, Sammy. You can't be an astronaut if you're already half asleep. We need a real rocket if we're gonna reach the moon!"

Lana nods eagerly, her upset expression softening a bit. "Please, Sammy? It won't be the same without you."

Sammy groans but slowly pushes himself up, rubbing his eyes. "Fine, fine. But after this, I'm taking a nap."

"Okay!" I say, jumping up to grab the blocks. Looks like we're back in business!