Topanga was a pretty young mother but that never stopped her from loving her daughter as much as she could. Even though it would be easier on them both if her husband Cory took their daughter Riley to daycare in the morning Topanga insisted that she be the one to do it. She just loved the time in the morning she could spend alone with Riley.
"You look gorgeous, sweetie." Topanga told her as she fastened the buttons on her red jacket over. When she reached the top button she pecked Riley on the nose.
"My turn." Riley announced to her. Topanga shut over her eyes and felt Riley softly peck her nose. "Now I'm ready for school." Riley announced.
"Do you have your lunch?" Topanga asked her.
"Uh huh." Riley squeaked as she held up a brown paper bag above her head. Topanga and Cory always found money scarce and couldn't buy Riley a proper lunch box. It broke their hearts really. They wanted the best for their daughter but couldn't always give it to her.
"Then I think we're ready to go." Topanga told her.
"I'm so excited to see my friends again." Riley chirped happily as she skipped down the stairs.
Today would be Riley's first day back to daycare after the Christmas break. Topanga and Cory had been saving since last February to ensure that Riley's Christmas experience would be to par with all the other kids.
The walk from the apartment complex to Miss Carrie's Daycare was relatively short but Riley only had small legs and downtown New York was paved with ice. Riley was always careful when walking on the icy sidewalks after she fell down a few weeks previous. Sometimes Topanga would carry her when she felt it was too icy for poor Riley too walk. No one in the city council thought that salting down this part of town would be worth the money.
They reached the indigo colored door leading into Miss Carrie's daycare. There was a rainbow and a sun with a smiley face painted onto the window. Miss Carrie's daycare was a small daycare she runner out of her house there was only 8 other kids in it but it was the best they could afford for Riley.
"Have a great day Pumpkin." Topanga told Riley and she kissed her forehead.
"I love you." Riley told her mom. Topanga grinned and pulled Riley into a hug.
"I love you too."
Then Carrie helped Riley take off her coat and boots. Riley giddily skipped into the daycare where the other kids happily played with one another. Topanga left for college.
Like most morning she took a shortcut through the back roads to the subway stop. Only this morning something was different. She could hear little sniffling. She looked around but couldn't find the source of the sniffling. She kept on walking, It's probably nothing, She told herself.
She heard it again. Her eyes darted around frantically trying to find the source of the sniffling. Then her eyes spotted a little girl.
She was no younger than Riley. She had long blonde hair that looked sticky at the bottom. She was only wearing a light red cardigan for warmth. The black leggings and yellow Mr. Men t-shirt couldn't of been helping with the bitter early January weather. There was an uneaten Tuna Melt on her lap and in her hand was a piece of paper with something Topanga couldn't quiet make out scrawled onto it.
Topanga felt unsure of herself about what to do about the young girl. "Hi." She said timidly putting a bright smile onto her face. The little girl looked up surprised to see Topanga. Topanga expected to see trails of tears down the girls face but instead was a steady trail of snot.
"Are you a grown up?" The little girl asked hopefully. Topanga nodded. "That's great! Do you know where this is?" The little girl asked and handed her the piece of paper in her hand.
Topanga was surprised. This was the address for Carrie's daycare. "Where's you're mommy?" Topanga asked her. The little girl shrugged her shoulders and sniffed again. Topanga reached into her bag and pulled out a tissue. She handed it to the little girl.
Topanga watched as she wiped her nose. Should I take her there? She asked herself.
"Mommy told me that I was to start big school there, but I can't find it." The girl told Topanga.
"What about your daddy?" Topanga asked. The little girl looked down at her feet guiltily.
"Mommy says that its my fault he's gone."
Topanga was shocked but didn't want the little girl to sense that. "C'mon I know where it is." Topanga said and held out her hand.
"Yay!" The little girl cheered. "What's your name?"
"Topa- Mrs. Matthews." Topanga told the girl. She felt the girls cold hand grasp onto hers.
"My name is Maya."
"That's a very pretty name." Topanga said and watched as a smile appeared on the girls young features.
"Thank you." Maya mumbled, Topanga noticed she had stuck her thumb in her mouth. The little girls nails were very short. Someone, presumably her mother had painted them red.
Their walk was quiet after that. Topanga dropped her off at the door at rang the bell. Maya shuffled awkwardly as she waited for Carrie to answer it. Carrie opened the door happily but her features went into a look of confusion when she saw Topanga again.
"Hi Mrs. Matthews is everything okay?" Carrie asked looking at Topanga not taking notice of the small blonde child standing behind Topanga's legs.
"Em, this is Maya. She say's that she's meant to be starting here today." Topanga informed her. Carrie looked down at the little girl and looked shocked.
"Are you Maya Hart?" Carrie asked the girl crouching down to her level. Maya nodded. "Where's your mommy?"
"At work." Maya answered, her thumb still in her mouth.
"Oh okay. Well why don't you come inside." Carrie suggested and led Maya into the daycare. She turned back to Topanga. "Thanks for taking her. Some of these kids just don't have the best home life's."
Topanga nodded sympathetically unsure of what to do. It was Carrie who shut the door over leaving Topanga to slowly walk back to the subway stop her mind flooded with what could possibly going on in the life of blonde little Maya Hart.
"Shit I'm late." Topanga cursed under her breath. She was never late to pick up Riley before and she wasn't too keen on making a pattern of it.
The subway stopped at third street and Topanga squished her was out through the floods of people. The icy paths had some what melted leaving them covered in the shallow puddles. Topanga's heeled splashed the water up staining the cuffs of her jeans.
She reached the indigo door of Carrie's daycare, 15 minutes late. "She's probably the only kid there." Topanga said to herself. She rang the doorbell. Moments later Carrie opened the door. Riley's little head perked up when she saw her mother.
"Mommy!" She squealed joyfully and ran towards the door.
"I'm sorry I'm late sweetie." Topanga told Riley as she hoisted her up onto her hip.
"It's okay, I got to play some more with the new girl." Riley informed her mother.
"You didn't see her mother anywhere?" Carrie asked Topanga hopefully. Topanga shook her head no. Just has she done so she saw a young woman, no older than 18 run towards the daycare door.
"I'm so sorry I'm late." She said. Topanga noticed she was wearing a waitress uniform. It must be Maya's mother she told herself. She fished in her pocket and pulled out the 7.50 she owed Miss. Carrie for her service.
"You must be Maya's mother." Carrie said and shook her hand. The blonde nodded.
"She wasn't bad was she. She's a demon at home." She asked.
"No she was perfectly fine." Carrie informed her. Topanga felt a little awkward listening in on them so she placed Riley down and started to put on her coat and boots.
"That's good. C'mon Maya. Gammy's at home waiting for you."
Maya placed down the blocks she was stacking and walked towards her mother.
"Now what do you say to miss Carrie?" She asked her daughter as she gripped onto her hand.
"Dank you." Maya mumbled. Topanga noticed that her thumb was still in her mouth. The woman fished in her pocket and pulled out a sucker.
"Look I got this for you so you wouldn't keep sucking that thumb of yours." She handed Maya the sucker.
Maya grinned happily and substituted the sucker for her thumb.
"Thanks so much." The woman told Carrie.
"Any time Katy." Carrie answered. With that the woman left with Maya close to her side.