Tyler would face consequences, playground supervision would increase, and Sofia would not be forced to explain her condition to the class.
The school should have noticed sooner.
But none of that fixed what had broken between the girls.
Anna had written Sofia a note.
She’d erased it three times.
Finally, she handed it to me.
Anna had written Sofia a note.
Sofia,
I told someone you take your glasses off when nobody looks. I’m sorry. I didn’t tell Tyler to take them. I should have kept our secret.
I still want to be your friend.
Anna
I should have kept our secret.
At the bottom, she’d drawn two scooters.
One blue.
One purple.
With Sofia’s mother’s permission, Anna left the note at Sofia’s door.
Then she waited.
At the bottom, she’d drawn two scooters.
One day passed.
Then another.
She stopped riding her scooter.
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She stopped drawing chalk houses.
She even stopped asking when Harry would call.
She stopped riding her scooter.
On Friday afternoon, I found her sitting on the porch with the recorder in her lap.
“Did you send Daddy the summer recordings?” I asked.
She shook her head.
“Why not?”
“Sofia’s in them.”
“Did you send Daddy the summer recordings?”
I sat beside her.
“Yes.”
Anna ran her thumb over the recorder’s buttons.
“I don’t want to send her voice if she’s mad at me.”
I put my arm around her.
Anna ran her thumb over the recorder’s buttons.
We sat together until the porch light came on.
Then my phone buzzed.
It was a message from Sofia’s mother.
Sofia read Anna’s note. She says she’d like to see her tomorrow.
My phone buzzed.
I looked at my daughter.
“Anna?”
She raised her head.
“Sofia wants to talk to you.”
Anna’s eyes widened.
“Is she still mad?”
“Sofia wants to talk to you.”
“I don’t know, sweetheart.”
She hugged the recorder against her chest.
“What if she doesn’t want to be my friend?”
I wished I could promise her otherwise.
But this was one thing neither of us could decide for Sofia.
“What if she doesn’t want to be my friend?”
Saturday morning, Sofia waited beside her purple scooter.
Anna approached slowly.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Sofia adjusted her sunglasses.
“Why did you tell?”
Anna approached slowly.
“I wasn’t thinking.”
“I thought you were the only one who wouldn’t.”
Anna stared at her shoes.
“I know… I’m sorry.”
For a moment, neither moved.
“I wasn’t thinking.”
Then Sofia noticed the recorder.
“Did you send your daddy our summer?”
Anna shook her head.
“Not without asking you.”
Sofia considered that.
Sofia noticed the recorder.
“Can we listen first?”
They sat on the porch steps.
Soon, their recorded laughter filled the air.
Sofia giggled.
“Your scooter really does sound like a mouse.”
“Can we listen first?”
“A very fast mouse.”
Sofia nudged her.
“You can send it.”
Anna looked at me.
“Can we send Daddy the recordings now?”
“You can send it.”
“Of course, sweetheart.”
That afternoon, we transferred the files to my phone and sent them to Harry.
That evening, he called.
“I heard everything,” he told them. “Even that squeaky scooter.”
Anna beamed.
“I heard everything.”
“Did you hear Sofia?”
“Every word. Thank you both.”
Sofia smiled.
Afterward, rain began tapping against the porch roof.
“Did you hear Sofia?”
Anna grabbed the recorder.
“Ready?”
Sofia nodded.
Anna pressed the button.
“Do you think Daddy can hear the big drops?”
Anna grabbed the recorder.
“Only if you stop talking,” Sofia whispered.
Anna giggled.
From the kitchen, I watched them trying desperately to stay quiet.
Neither managed it for long.
“Only if you stop talking.”
