The following afternoon, Alison was cleaning up after lunch when the telephone rang.
"Darya and I are at home with the baby now," Denny told her.
"We'll be right over!" she replied.
"Come on, Daisy." She reached for her daughter's hand. Daisy, who was jumping around, pretending to be a frog, came to her and took her hand. "We're going to see the baby!"
"Yay!" the little girl cried.
Alison drove to Denny and Darya's home. She rang the doorbell, and Denny let them in. She saw Darya sitting on the sofa, nursing the baby.
"Well, how is everyone ?" asked Alison.
"I am very sore!" Darya told her.
"She's having a little trouble getting used to breastfeeding," Denny explained.
Alison nodded. "Oh yeah, I remember!"
Daisy peered curiously at her nephew. "What is the baby doing?"
"He is eating," said Darya. "This is how he gets his food."
Daisy's eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at her mother.
"You ate like that when you were a baby, too," Alison told her.
"I did?"
Alison laughed and ruffled the blonde hair. "You sure did!" She looked at her son. "Does he have a name yet?"
"Joshua Dennis," Denny told her.
"That's a lovely name," said Alison.
Denny laughed. "Darya's already called him 'Joshua Denisovich' a couple of times."
Darya chuckled. "I just cannot get used to American names!"
Daisy stood at her side, stroking the newborn's soft, sparse hair. "Can I hold the baby?"
"You can when he is finished eating," Darya told her.
Daisy waited patiently until Darya was ready to place little Joshua into her arms. Darya showed her how to support the baby's head, and Daisy grinned as Denny snapped a photograph. Next, Alison held Joshua, smiling as his lips nuzzled the front of her shirt.
Alison and Daisy stayed for awhile, and then Alison told Daisy it was time to go back home.
"No!" Daisy sat on the floor with her legs stretched out in front of her, seemingly glued to the spot.
"The baby has to take a nap, and it's time for your nap too," said Alison. "We can come back and visit again tomorrow afternoon."
Daisy continued to glower at her, not saying a word.
"All right," Alison sighed. "We can stay just a little while longer."
Joshua slept in his mother's arms while Darya, Denny, and Alison chatted. Daisy watched him sleep and soon began to yawn and rub her eyes. A few minutes later, she curled up on the sofa and went to sleep.
She and her mother ended up staying until Alexei stopped by to visit after work.
Daisy started kindergarten several weeks later. On the first day, Alison got her up early, fed her breakfast, and dressed her in one of her new dresses.
"You are such a pretty girl this morning!" Alexei told his daughter.
"I get to go to school like the big kids today!" Daisy replied.
Alexei looked at Alison. "I think Mama is a little worried."
"She's just so much smaller than the other kids!" cried Alison. "What if they bully her?"
"You will be there to guard her today," Alexei pointed out.
"Yes, but I can't volunteer every day," said Alison. "What will it be like for her on days I can't be there?"
"Dayushka will be fine," Alexei assured his wife. "She can take care of herself."
"I wish I felt as sure of that as you seem to." Alison kissed her husband goodbye and then drove the short distance to Good Harbor Beach Elementary.
After they got out of the car, Daisy clung to her mother, looking up at her with frightened blue eyes.
"You're gonna stay with me, aren't you, Mommy?"
"Yes," Alison assured her.
Daisy smiled as she skipped along beside her mother into the school.
Once inside, the two walked to Mrs. Turner's class. The children from the bus were entering the building from the other end of the hall. Alison saw that one of them was Ryan Walker-Lane, the son of her friends Carol and Donna. He smiled and waved when he saw them.
"Hi, Mrs. Kolchin and Daisy!" he called to them.
"Hi, Ryan!" they replied.
Daisy looked up at her mother, grinning ear to ear. "Ryan's in my class, Mommy!"
Alison smiled. "So he is."