Trying to remember where she saw them last, she shook her head slowly. “Honey, this is why I tell you to keep things in their right place.” One look at her daughter’s quivering chin and she bit back the suggestion that Colleen was just going to have to wear the blue ones. Dabbing underneath her eyes, removing the last traces of smeared mascara, she said, “Let’s see if we can find them in your room.”
With a twirl that sent the ruffled skirt swirling, Colleen darted out of Tara’s bedroom. Following, she glanced at the clock by her bed and knew that their morning was going to be rushed. It would have been helpful if Colleen had told her about color day the night before. Once inside her daughter’s messy room, she could not help but sigh as memories flooded.
Tara might have been the third child in her family, but she was the oldest sister, with three siblings younger than her, including two sisters. She remembered often having to help Erin and Caitlyn get ready for school, their room looking very similar to Colleen’s.
The bedspread was half on the floor, and she knelt nearby, pulling up the corner. Bending, she could see the toe of a pink sneaker peeking from underneath. Not so hard to find, after all. Snagging both shoes, she stood with them dangling in her fingertips. Before she had a chance to speak, Colleen squealed and rushed over, grabbing her around the waist and squeezing. Laughing, Tara bent to kiss her daughter’s head, leaving her lips pressed against her hair for a few seconds longer.
“Okay, munchkin, finish getting ready. I’ve got to do the same and then I’ll fix you breakfast.”
Hurrying back into her bathroom, she managed to swipe on her mascara, and with a quick brush of blush on her cheeks, she hurried into the kitchen. Colleen was a picky eater, but Tara managed to get her daughter to agree to cinnamon apple oatmeal on school days, leaving the sugary cereal for weekends.
The two bowls of oatmeal were quickly fixed and just as quickly eaten. Keeping an eye on the clock, they had little spare time. “Make sure to go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, and get your backpack. We leave in five minutes.”
As Colleen rushed out of the kitchen, Tara rinsed the bowls before heading into her own bathroom. Finishing her business, she glanced into the mirror as she washed her hands. A sigh slipped from her lips as she peered at the reflection staring back at her.
Her long, dark hair was pulled into a sensible, low ponytail at the back of her neck. Her pale-blue blouse was unadorned, and her neatly-pressed navy pants were more of a practical uniform than fashionable. Small, silver hoop earrings and a silver Celtic cross necklace were her only nods to jewelry.
Drying her bare hands on the towel, she could still remember the day she removed her wedding ring. At thirty-two, she was hardly old, and yet she sometimes felt ancient. “You’re no fun, anymore, Tara.” Those parting words by her ex-husband still occasionally rang in her ears.
“Mom!”
Startling at the shout for the second time that morning, Tara walked briskly out of the bathroom, tucking her maudlin thoughts away. We’re better off without him. Sliding her feet into her low-heeled pumps, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand and headed down the hall toward the front door. “You ready?” she asked while taking their coats from the closet.
“I forgot to have you sign my folder!” Colleen was kneeling on the floor, rummaging through her backpack.
“What have I told you about waiting until the last minute to do any of your schoolwork, including getting me to sign things?”
Colleen turned her expressive blue eyes upward, and Tara sighed once again. Kneeling next to her daughter, she quickly laid her hands on the bright red first-grade parent folder. Opening it, she could see that Colleen had brought home a reading sheet, a math sheet, and a parent permission form for an upcoming field trip. A quick glance showed that she had everything correct on the reading and math sheets, and she initialed in the top corners. Reading quickly, she smiled at the idea of a field trip to a science museum and signed the permission form. “Looks like you’ve got a fun trip coming up.”
With the papers signed and secured back in the backpack, Colleen was once again bouncing as she put on her coat. “Our teacher said that we’re going to get to see a cool exhibit on space! I told her that I already know all about space! Grandpa taught me everything!”
“I’m right here, sweetheart. You don’t have to yell even if you’re excited. Remember, indoor voice.”
“Oh, yeah,” Colleen whispered, still bouncing.
Opening the front door, they walked outside, and she locked the door securely. Turning toward their car, she observed a thick frost covering the windshield. Dropping her chin to her chest, she sighed heavily for what seemed like the millionth time that morning. “I wish we had a garage.”
Once Colleen was inside the car, Tara started the engine and blasted the heat. Grabbing the scraper, she scraped enough frost that she could safely see out the windows. Nurturing was easy. Independence was natural. But damn, a partner that cared would have been nice.
Now, five minutes late, she prayed that there would be little traffic getting Colleen to school. Hmph, right. The streets near the school were lined with cars and school buses, and there was nothing that could be done except get in queue and creep forward. As soon as they were at the drop-off spot, she leaned around as Colleen unbuckled. Her daughter popped through the opening between the front seats and gave her a tight hug. Kissing the top of Colleen’s head, she leaned back, and they held each other’s gaze. “Love you biggest,” they said in unison.
Colleen grinned and
