Thirty minutes or so later, and we are now ready to go. I approach a wooden table that is just beside the front door, and take the keys off the small tray on top of it, placing them in one of my pockets.

"Ready to go?" I turn to look back with a smile at Sora, who just reached the bottom of the staircase.

'Nn!" Sora nods as she comes running in my direction. Her boots make a scratching sound on the wooden floor of the entrance as she stops right in front of me. Her eyes meet mine as she raises her face to look at me.

Kyaaaa~! She's so smol! I'm not that tall myself, but she doesn't even reach my waist! It's cute, but it's no good to keep her looking up like this; her neck might end up hurting.

"C'mere, baby."

I crouch to her eye level and pull her close before starting to tidy up her outfit before going out. First, I close her navy blue coat from the front, making sure to clear out the wrinkled parts of it as I do. Ah, I'm talking about some minor wrinkles, by the way—those that appear from moving around. Even if I consider myself to be pretty lazy, I DO iron Sora's clothes every morning. She's my princess, after all. I can't have her look anything less than perfect! Ah, but not to the point of annoying her, don't get me wrong. I know it can be annoying sometimes when your mom focuses way too much on appearances.

Anyways, the next thing I did was properly adjust the white scarf around her neck, making sure that her small mouth is covered, because it's quite chilly outside. We're currently in summer, and it's usually warm outside, but today we've woken up to a cloudy day with a temperature of 10°C, so it's important to have protection against the cold.

"Boop!"

"Ehehe!"

I lightly tap her uncovered nose with my index finger in a playful manner, causing her to giggle happily. It's something my mom used to do when I was little, and I liked it a lot; I'm happy to see she seems to like it too.

I move on to her head, pulling her navy blue wool hat by the sides all the way down until her ears were barely visible anymore. It's important to keep one's ears warm, y'know? They are the window to the soul, after all. Hmm? You're saying I'm wrong? That eyes are the ones that are supposed to be the window to the soul? Geeeeez, don't sweat the details.

"'Kay, you're all set."

"Yay!"

"Ah, wait, I was missing this." I take out a pair of white mittens from my pockets, and put them in her hands one by one. I pat her hands once I'm done and rub them together to get them to warm up a bit. "There, now you're all ready."

"Hehehe, thanks, Mama!" She stands on her toes for a second, and gives me a peck on the cheek. She's so lovely.

"Fufufu, you're very welcome. C'mon, let's get going." If only we didn't need to go, we could've stayed all day here cuddling... it's a pity. Truly.

I open the door, and the moment I do, a cool breeze enters the house, making me shiver.

Sheeesh, that's one hell of a mean breeze. I'm wearing a thick black coat, some jeans, boots, and a bean hat, which, while not the warmest getup in my closet, isn't light by any means. So this means it really is fucking freezing outside. But Sora looks like she's alright... which makes sense, considering she also has 2 extra clothing layers below the topmost one.

...What can I say? I'm a bit overprotective, 'kay? Is there something wrong with that? Or well, I mean, I know there is, but I'm really scared of her catching something like pneumonia—again. It's a long story, 'kay? I won't go into details, just know that my worries are justified.

"We still have time left, but it's never a bad idea to get there early."

Right beside the small table I mentioned earlier, there is a small backpack that is light blue in color. It is pretty plain in terms of design, with only a couple of small patterns sewn into the front and sides of the bag. There are stars, hearts, happy faces, and many other small shapes and figures that Sora liked when she saw them in the mall—when we went to buy her school stuff.

I was hoping she would like some more fancy or 'shiny' stuff, as it was the first backpack I was going to buy for her, but she fell in love with this one the moment she laid her eyes on it. I don't really mind as long as she's happy with it, but I can't say I didn't want her to be the envy of all the girls in the classroom. Am I in the wrong? I mean, what kind of parent doesn't want their kid to shine, right?

"Nn!" She extends out her arm, allowing me to put the backpack on her. Then, I fully open the door and take Sora's hand on my own. Being careful that her scarf doesn't move off her face, I gently walk her outside, down the three steps that are in front of the door. Noticing how I can see my breath everytime I open my mouth, I take out the door keys from my pocket, closing and then locking the door behind me.

"Are you cold, baby?" Because I sure am.

I'm not wearing a scarf or mittens like Sora, because I simply don't own any. I should add a mental note to remind me to buy some next time we go shopping. I can no longer afford falling sick, after all. If I do, what would happen with this baby angel whose hand I hold right now? It sure is hard being a single parent.

"Nnn! It's not cold! It's fluffy!"

...Fluffy? Well, that's a first. I've never heard anyone answer that question like that, but... well, I guess that's just like Sora.

"Hahaha, 'kay, I guess it is fluffy." We start walking on the sidewalk, hand in hand.

The nursery school I chose for her isn't that far away from home, even by walking distance. We should be able to make it there in 15, maybe 20 minutes. Okay, you could say it is a bit far away, and there were other nursery schools closer in the area, but many moms online said this was the best in terms of installations, education, and everything. I know you can't always trust the internet, which is why I've also personally visited the place, and confirmed their words.

"My, my. Good morning, Sakura. Good morning, Sora. Where are you going so early?"

"Oh, Mrs. Green, good morning to you too. We are going to the nursery school that is a few blocks from here. It's Sora's first day there." This person is our neighbor from two houses away. She is a good-natured old lady that always says hello to us whenever we see each other down the street. She also visits us at our house sometimes, bringing things like cookies for Sora and myself.

"Fufufu, sounds exciting. It reminds me of when my boys were small, fufufu. Ah, but I shouldn't take any more of your time with old stories..."

"Not at all, Mrs. Green. It's true we are in a bit of a hurry right now, but please tell us more about it at some other time. Sora and I would like that. Right?"

"Nn!" Sora nods and smiles at our neighbor.

"Fufufu. I would like that as well." Mrs. Green has been living by herself for quite some time, so even though she smiles like the sun, she is actually pretty lonely. Her husband passed away a few years ago from a heart attack, and her children and grandchildren all moved away to the other side of the country. I feel pretty bad for her, which is why I'm careful with what I say.

We say goodbye to her, and continue walking down the sidewalk, arriving at the street across from the nursery school a dozen or so minutes later.

"Wooooow! Mama! Mama! Look! Look!" Fufufu, look at her. Sora's shining eyes are looking straight through the entrance gate, and into a green area that seems to be a playground. From here, one can easily see the many different structures and toys on it, like swings and slides. Sora has always liked playing with things like that, which is something I also took into consideration when choosing this place.

"I'm looking, baby. It looks fun, right?"

"Nn! Nn!" Hahaha, she's so excited, nodding quickly like that. 'Kay, I guess I made a good choice selecting this place. Phew, I'm seriously glad she seems to like it.

The woman in the entrance looks like the teacher in charge of letting people in. She greets the parents and their kids, and then lets them in with a smile...wait. Why are the parents getting in too?! Weren't we just supposed to drop our kids off?!

"Mama? Are you okay?"

"H-Hahaha, of course I am." Like hell I am!

I'm still not ready to interact with other parents! What if they don't like me, and end up telling their kids to not be friends with Sora?! You might think I'm overthinking it, but things like that DO happen! My Mom never allowed me to be friends with the daughters of women she had a feud with, for example! Parents can be quite petty! Humans can be quite petty!

Fuuuuuu, fuuuuuu, breathe, Sakura, breathe! If you keep.this up, you'll only end up worrying Sora! Kids are surprisingly perceptive creatures, you know?!

Besides, it's not that big of a deal! That's right, that's right, I just need to shut up and do it! It's just a bit of socialization between adults. There's nothing too bad about it, I can do it! If Sora's with me, I can do anything! On top of that, I'm wearing nice clothes, and I even brushed my hair and put on some makeup today! Everything'll be fine! Nobody's going to look down on me. I won't let anyone look down on me, not today!

"Wanna go in?"

"Nn! Nn!"

Crossing the street, we arrive in front of the gate, and I take a closer look at who I think is a teacher or something like that. She seems to be older than me, but not by much. She could be 24, maybe? She's shorter than me, though, so maybe that's making me think she's younger than she really is.

"Good morning, I came to drop this little girl off for her first day here." I smile at the teacher, and place my hand on top of Sora's head.

"S-Sora's name is Sora, S-Sora Saeki. He-Hello..." Awww, my little girl is nervous. She is playing with her small hands, fidgeting as she introduces herself to the lady.

"Ah~, nice to meet you, Sora. My name is Ms. Alice. I'll be one of your teachers from now on."

"...Nn."

"I was hoping we could become good friends, if that's okay with you?" She crouches down to Sora's eye level while smiling at her.

Sora turns to look at me, as if trying to ask me what to do. I shrug my shoulders in response with a smile. It's my way of saying, 'What do you want to do?" I could tell her what to do, but shouldn't it be fine if she figured it out on her own? I mean, I know she's still young and all, but she should learn how to choose things without my help. I can't be by her side all the time, even more so now that she's going to nursery school.

"Mmm...... Nn. Sora will be your friend!" And so that was my angel's choice.

"Thank you, I'm so happy!" The teacher really seems good at dealing with children. I mean, she's a teacher after all, it'd be hella weird if that wasn't the case. She did a good job in this situation; Sora doesn't seem to be as nervous anymore. Now she's even smiling at the teacher...

...

...

...

...Hmph! Not that I can't do what the teacher did. I can even do it muuuuch better than her! Sora smiles much more when I do it!

Hm?! What are you saying?! I'm not jealous, okay?! I'm just stating facts! F-a-c-t-s!

"Missy...Missy?"

"Ah, yes!" Ooops, I had to get dragged down to planet earth.

"Fufufu. May I ask if you brought her by yourself, or are your parents waiting nearby?"

"Ah, I brought her by myself." I mean, my parents are 6 feet under, so it'd be quiiiiiiiite concerning in many ways if they were waiting for me.

"Huuuu... how troubling. You see, since today's the first day, we are inviting the children's parents to come in so they can learn how everything works over here. It's not obligatory, but we feel it would also help the kids feel more at ease in what will be a new space for them."

"Ah, is that so?" Fuck, I knew I'd have to go in.

"Yes, but we were strictly told to only let the parents or legal tutors go in. It's a matter of space, to not overwhelm our capacity. So, I'm afraid I can't let you go in with your little sister, Missy."

...Now, how do I even start to correct this?

"Ms. Alice, I—"

"Are you going to be okay by yourself, Sora? Do you want me to ask your big sis to call your Mom, to see if she can come?" Without even giving me a chance to correct the misunderstanding, Ms. Alice crouches down once again and talks to Sora.

"Hm?" Sora tilts her head in confusion, and turns to look at me with a huge question mark on her face.

"But... Sora has no big sis?" Wait, wait, wait, Sora, if you say it like that, she will definitely—

"Ah... is that so?" Look! I told you! Now she's warily looking at me as if I was some kidnapper or something! I could also be her cousin, you know?! Why are you so precipita—ah, she's quite clearly moving Sora away from me!

"Wait, Ms. Alice, I can ex—"

"Sora, do you know how we can call your parents to pick you up? I'll wait here with you until they do." STOP INTERRUPTING ME, FOR FUCK'S SAKE! Wait, don't send eye signals to your coworkers! Don't call the cops on me, I'm not some suspicious person, I swear!

"Hm?" Sora tilts her head once again, but now with an even bigger question mark looming over her face. She turns to look at me, and then at the teacher. And then at me...and then at the teacher. And then at me... and then at the teacher. "But...Mama's here?"

"Ah, that's great, then. Should we go look for—"

"Mama, Sora doesn't understand what Ms. Alice is saying..." My little girl turns away from the teacher and looks at me with confusion in her eyes.

"Well... Mama doesn't really get it either, haha..." I laugh weakly as I scratch my head.

"...............Huh?" Oh wow, now that's a shocked face. Pfffft, the teacher looks like she was struck by thunder!

Her hands get frozen in the air as Sora moves toward me and clings to my leg, burying her head on it.

"...Huh?" Ms. Alice, still unable to understand it, moves her eyes from Sora to myself over and over again.

"Missy, are you... her mother?" I mean, it's just a matter of thinking a bit, Teach. Sora and I look pretty similar, you know? Even with our eyes differently colored, she still resembles me pretty damn well. If she's not my sister, I think it's quite obvious who she is.

"Hahaha...I think I didn't properly introduce myself, did I?" I laugh wryly, scratching my head in awkwardness. I then stretch out my hand toward her.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Sakura Saeki." I smile at her as she takes my hand.

'I'm Sora's mother."

— — — — — — —

Afterword

Yaahoo~ it's me, again. Thank you so much for reading Chapter 2 of this story. My sense of humor is a bit weird, but I hope this chapter managed to make you chuckle, at least. I'm doing my best! I promise!

Sakura and Sora are finally about to enter the nursery school. What's waiting for them inside? Will Sakura be able to properly keep her sense of dignity between all the parents that will be present? Will she lose it halfway through? Will there be any annoying characters that try to mess her up? What about Sora? Will she maybe meet a friend or too while she's there? Or will she be a mommy's girl who wants to be by Sakura all the time?

Even I have no idea what will happen. Like, really, I swear I don't.

When I write, I just have a vague idea of where I want to go, and write the things in between as they come to mind.

For example, my plan was for the mother-daughter pair to be inside the school during this chapter, I didn't expect to write so much about what happens between the house and the school. It's just that I thought, "Ah, this would be nice to add," and so I ended up writing it.

Well, that's all I have to say.

If you are liking this story so far, please consider liking it or/and saving it in your collection. It really means a lot to me.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you again next time. Ciao, ciao.