The Meaning of Family

The First Day

It finally came. Ava's first day of school. Everyone was nervous. Hailey threw up as soon as Ava started crying that morning, Jay went to get the little girl while Hailey calmed down and cleaned up.

Poor Ava eventually stopped crying and got dressed with Jay's help. "Whewe Haiwey?" She asked before slipping her thumb into her mouth.

"Hailey's finishing going potty, kiddo. Let's go downstairs and start on breakfast," Jay said, trying to keep Ava from seeing Hailey so stressed.

Ava whined and hugged her bunny to her chest. She wasn't hungry. Or happy. She wanted to stay with Hailey like normal, not go to school where anything could happen.

"Not hungwy, Jay," she mumbled and he sighed. Yup, Ava was definitely Hailey's sister.

"How about cantaloupe and half a smoothie or some applesauce?" Jay offered; smoothies were a newer thing for Ava, she loved them, and she tried cantaloupe the day before and was obsessed. They already had it packed in her lunch with crackers, lunch meat, black olives, and a cheese stick.

"Kay," Ava relented and he set her at the bar and went to get her breakfast ready.

Hailey came down before the smoothie was done and hugged Ava. "I know you're worried and nervous, baby, but it's gonna be okay. I'm proud of you for doing this," Hailey said and Ava whimpered a little but nodded before she climbed over to Hailey's lap.

Eventually, everyone was completely ready for the day, Ava's hair in two little half ups with bows, and they got into separate cars. When they got to the daycare/preschool, they managed to get a picture of Ava and with her before she started crying again, reaching up for Hailey to hold her.

"No go! Gonna be bad!" Ava wailed, clinging to Hailey, effectively breaking Hailey's heart.

"We're trying for two weeks, baby. Just two weeks. You can do it," Hailey tried but Ava just wasn't having it. She kept crying as they walked into the building.

"Deep breaths, baby. Deep breaths," Hailey reminded the little girl in her arms. "You met your teacher and you liked her. She's going to keep you safe!"

"Stay! Wif! You!" Ava got out between sobs, absolutely hysterical.

"Shhh, baby, I need you to breat. You're going to be okay. I know you're scared, I'm kinda scared too, but it's my job to go keep people safe and your job to come to school. Do how about we both do our jobs today, and I'll come get you at lunch time and then we'll go home and nap?" Hailey quickly switched to a new tactic, and Ava seemed a bit more receptive to it, although the tears didn't stop.

"I be safe? You an Jay be safe?" Ava asked, her small body trembling from her sobs.

"We will be as safe as we can be, Ava girl. You will be safe, I promise," Jay told the kid.

Ava nodded and they finally approached her classroom and set her down. Ava apprehensively walked in, sucking her thumb, gripping Jay's hand as tightly as she could.

"Hi, Ava! It is so nice to have you!" Her teacher said and Ava looked at her with apprehension.

"Your cubby is over here," Ava walked over to the cubby and hung her backpack (pack-pack in her mind) up then reached up for Jay.

Some kid noticed her wrist brace and pointed it out, asking what happened. Ava immediately tensed in Jay's hold and he and Hailey panicked for a moment, but Ava surprised them and pulled her thumb out of her mouth.

"I got huwt. Don't lika tawk about it," her thumb went back into her mouth when she finished speaking but the little boy seemed to understand that Ava did not want to talk about it and left it alone.

It didn't take long for Hailey and Jay to have to leave Ava at school. They both gave her hugs and kisses before setting her on the ground and leaving, hearts absolutely shattering as Ava's cries for them echoed down the hall.

Hailey cried into Jay's chest as soon as they got outside. She hated it and really wanted to go get Ava and keep her home with her forever. Honestly, if this didn't go well, it was her backup plan.

Jay held his tears in until he pulled Hailey into that hug outside the daycare, letting a few tears fall into her hair. "She's strong, I think she'll eventually get used to it," he tried to reassure both of them.

"I ha-ate hearing her cry-y," Hailey sobbed, basically forcing herself not to run back inside to get her little sister.

"I know, Hail, I know. I do too. Breathe with me, okay. Ava will be okay, and if we have to, one of us will go get her early," Jay did his best to calm his wife down. Hailey did calm down and took a moment to regroup before they left to go to the district.

Inside, Ava was sitting there crying, clutching her bunny. She was absolutely terrified and wanted to leave with Hailey and Jay. But they told her she had to try, so after her teacher's third attempt at getting her to do something other than stand there and cry, she finally agreed and put her bunny in her backpack with her elephant then went with her teacher to go play with magnetiles with other kids.

"Guys, this is Ava, she's new and she's a little nervous. Can you tell her your names?" Miss Allison asked the other 3 children.

A little boy with brown curly hair spoke first. "I'm Joey!" He grinned then knocked down his creation, the sound startling Ava a little. "I'm Irene," a little girl with light brown hair and bangs said, smiling. The final to speak was a little girl with a round face, very long lashes, and curly dirty blonde hair. "I'm Faif," she spoke quietly, and Ava sat down by her.

She talked to the other kids a little as she built, somewhat getting used to her environment. Ava didn't love it though. She still wanted to go home.

All in all, Ava did great until it was music time and the classroom got loud. Immediately, she was in tears, covering her ears and hiding under a table. Faith came over and sat down by Ava.

"Whas wong?" She asked quietly, but Ava heard her.

"Don't wike woud," Ava sniffled. "Wanna go home with Haiwey and Jay."

Faith got up and ran to get their teacher, who came over and talked to Ava about what was bothering her. Quickly, the music was turned down and the other children were asked to be a little quieter. This made Ava feel a little better, and she eventually followed Faith to join everyone else. Joey came on her other side. The three of them would become best friends, Joey's hyper and loud balancing out with Faith's quietness and Ava's timidness.

Ava stuck with Faith and Joey the rest of the morning and sat with them at lunch, but she didn't eat much. She was so ready to go home.

Over at the district, Hailey kept checking the updates about Ava in the app on her phone. "Her teacher sent me a picture, she's with two kids in the class in all of them, maybe she made friends," she showed it to Jay, who smiled.

"Maybe she did. The app doesn't indicate she's having a horrible time, just that she did not like music time because it was loud, which is expected," Jay commented, looking at his phone.

"It is. Okay, we need to stop looking and focus on work, I'm leaving in an hour to pick her up," Hailey said, shaking her head and moving her phone to the side.

The next hour was the longest of Hailey's life, and she all but sprinted from the district when it was time to go get Ava. She drove fast but safe and basically ran into the building to Ava's class.

"Hi, Hailey. Ava, Hailey is here," Allison said and Ava ran for the door, immediately jumping into Hailey's arms as she started crying. Hailey came back.

Hailey did everything to sign Ava out and got her stuff then took her home and held her in her room. "Did you have fun?"

"Fun with Faith and Joey. Don't wike it though, stay with you," she cried.

Hailey simply sat there, rocking Ava, untold the little girl fell asleep and she laid her down in her bed. They'd made it through the first day.