"Good morning, everyone!"
The exuberant voice penetrated the girl's ears, bringing her back to the world of consciousness. Creaking her brown eyes open, she was greeted by the sight of the dull, tan ceiling. Groaning a bit, she propped herself onto her elbows as she heard the sounds of others waking up. High-pitched yawns and a few giggles made her smile. The other children were stirring in their beds, rubbing at their eyes or stretching their arms over their heads. Swiveling her head to her left, she saw the human alarm bounding out of her bed, her messy, fiery orange hair bouncing with every movement.
"Be quick everyone, or you'll miss breakfast!"
"Emma, I need help tying my shoes!"
"My button is stuck, Emma!"
Emma gave a bright grin as she skipped over to the child who needed help tying her shoes. Once done with that, she made her way to the other kids who needed help getting ready, smiling and shining all the while.
The girl, still in her bed, sighed happily at the sight. Emma never failed to make her smile, those sparkling green eyes always a light in her day. Speaking of light, the girl looked out the window in the room, where the first rays of sunlight were finally peeking over the trees, lighting the room in a soft glow.
She reached to the desk next to her bed and grabbed the small hair tie atop it. Carefully maneuvering her messy bedhead out of her face, she quickly tied her brown mop into a ponytail. Just as she finished, she heard a familiar squeak.
Looking back to her left, she saw Emma grinning brightly down at her. She was gripping the handles of a wheelchair.
"Good morning, Sonia!"
Sonia smiled a bit sleepily. "Morning, Emma."
Emma released her hold on the wheelchair and gently moved the sheets off of Sonia. Maneuvering herself on her hands, Sonia turned until she was facing away from the wheelchair. She waited until she felt a pair of hands grip her under her armpits and she was dragged backwards off the bed and into the seat of the chair. Her legs dragged limply after her. After ensuring that Sonia was secure in her seat, Emma made her way around the chair and carefully grabbed Sonia's legs and placed them on the small steps in front of the chair. Sonia flushed a bit.
"Thanks for helping me o-out every morning, Emma. I-I know it must be a bother."
Emma shook her head fiercely. "Not at all! I'm always happy to help! It's not like you can help it, anyway!" She gave her friend a full-toothed grin.
Sonia stared up at Emma, mouth slightly agape. This girl was always so happy, so peppy and bright. It was like nothing ever bothered her. No matter if there was an inconvenience or an obstacle in her path, she always met it with a smile and a pep in her step. She was never angry or annoyed or frustrated.
There were no words to describe how much Sonia admired and looked up, figuratively and literally, to Emma.
Feeling that no other words need be spoken, Emma began wheeling Sonia out of the children's shared bedroom. In the hallway, other kids were rushing down the corridor and down the stairs, laughing and chasing each other in unmitigated glee. Sonia's lips curled up again. The smile only grew when she saw who was standing at the top of the stairs.
Mom was there, clothed in her black dress and white apron. A smile graced her features, just like always and her brown hair was pulled into a tight bun. Her dark violet eyes dutifully observed all of the children running past her and down the wooden stairs to the dining room. When her gaze landed on the girl in the wheelchair, she gave a pleased hum.
"Ah, Sonia, Emma. Good morning." She pleasantly greeted.
"Good morning, Mom!" The children replied in unison.
Emma continued to push Sonia until they were right in front of Mom. Just like every morning, Mom reached out and lifted Sonia from her wheelchair. She hooked one arm under the girl's knees and curled the other around her back.
"Emma, would you please bring Sonia's wheelchair to the bottom of the stairs?" She asked, though both of them knew it was more of a command.
"You got it, Mom!" Emma dutifully replied.
Emma thus hefted the wheelchair off the ground and began to carry it downstairs. Mom shortly followed after her, her gentle steps making the floorboards creak. Sonia closed her eyes and sighed, taking in the pleasant warmth of her guardian. She always felt good when Mom held her. Even though Mom did it for everyone, it made her feel special. Loved. Mom had never treated her any differently because of her condition and she had made sure that the other children knew to do the same. It reminded her that Mom loved her just as much as everyone else.
But the feelings of being a burden still got to her sometimes.
Mom looked down at the girl in her arms. "How did you sleep, Sonia?"
Sonia smiled up at their caretaker. "I s-slept f-fine, Mom."
"Good. I know it must not always be comfortable with your condition, so be sure that you tell me if anything is bothering you, okay?"
"Y-yes, Mom."
Mom reached the bottom of the steps, where Emma was waiting behind Sonia's wheelchair. The woman bent over and gently placed the girl back into her chair. After, she stood back up to her full height and smiled down at them.
"I'll see you girls in the dining room for breakfast."
With that, she turned and departed down the hallway into the kitchen.
Sonia heard Emma squeal behind her as she began to push her. "Oooh, I wonder what's for breakfast today. I hope we're having bacon again! I get hungrier just thinking about it! What do you think, Sonia?"
"That would be nice…I want sausage…"
"Oooh, sausage! You're making me so hungry, Sonia!"
The handicapped girl giggled at the enthusiasm. Emma always made her mornings better. Soon enough, they crossed the threshold into the dining room. Almost all of the children at the orphanage were there, either sitting, chasing each other around the room, or speaking with one another. Sonia blinked when Emma thrust her head into her line of sight.
"Think you'll be okay by yourself for a bit? I have to help set the tables."
"Y-Yeah, I'll be fine."
Emma nodded and ran to the other side of the room, where plates, forks, and glasses were stacked on a table. Emma promptly took a handful of them and began placing them in front of every seat.
Sonia took the time to distractedly look around the room, observing who was already here. In the corner of the room, Don and Gilda were conversing to the side. The tall, dark boy was excitedly gesturing, probably telling a story, while Gilda absentmindedly cleaned her glasses on her shirt as she listened quietly, giving a nervous laugh at the more outrageous parts of the tale.
Close to them, Thoma and Lannion were once again butting heads about something or another. The two were best friends, but fiercely competitive, even over the inanest challenges.
"Sonia!" A high-pitched voice reached Sonia's ears.
"Conny!"
The blonde, pigtailed child was waddling towards her. Once she got within range, she launched herself and her stuffed bunny at Sonia. She collided full force into Sonia's chest. Panic began to course through her veins when her wheelchair began to tip backwards, and she felt herself slipping out of the seat. She tightly closed her eyes, preparing for impact.
It never came.
She peeked one eye open as her chair was slowly pushed back onto the floor. Conny was still sitting in her lap, tightly holding onto her bunny, guiltily refusing to look Sonia in the eye.
"Conny, you know you have to be careful when Sonia's in her chair, right?"
Sonia looked to the source of the voice when a hand was placed on her shoulder. A white-haired boy gently smiled at her, sky blue eyes radiating friendliness and warmth, yet beneath was an undeniable intelligence.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
Sonia nodded timidly. "U-Uh-huh. Thanks for catching me, Norman."
He nodded before turning his gaze on Conny, who shrank at Norman's stern look.
He wagged a finger at her. "You did this last time too, Conny, even when we told you that you shouldn't. You need to be more careful, okay?"
"I know. I'm sorry, Norman. I'm sorry, Sonia. I won't do it again." Conny replied in a small voice, shame lacing every word.
Sonia sat silently for a moment before giving a small huff. She reached out and wrapped the tiny Conny up in a tight hug.
"I don't ever want to miss your hugs, Conny. Don't apologize for that. Just…be a little more careful next time, okay?"
Conny stared wide-eyed for a bit before returning the girl's hug, humming in happiness.
Norman let out a happy little sigh, his smile returning. He heard footsteps entering the room and he turned to the source.
"Good morning, Ray." He said pleasantly.
Sonia looked up from her hug with Conny to see Ray standing in the doorway of the dining room. He scratched at the back of his head with one hand, the other stuffed into his pocket. His black hair was as wild as ever, long bangs covering one of his black eyes. He gave a small sniff.
"Morning." He said simply.
Sonia flashed him a small smile. "Good morning, Ray."
He acknowledged her with a nod. "Morning, Sonia. Conny."
"Good morning, Ray!" Conny exclaimed.
"Ray! Norman!"
Emma came running over to their side of the room, where she skidded to a stop in front of the new arrivals. She threw her hands up in the air at the sight of her best friends.
Norman laughed. "Good morning, Emma. As energetic as always, I see."
Ray just raised a hand in greeting.
"You guys got here just in time! Mom should be coming in with breakfast any minute!
As if the mere mention of her existence summons her, Mom entered the room right at that moment, carrying a cart with breakfast. All of the children rushed to their seats, with Conny leaping out of Sonia's lap. Sonia looked up at Norman with a shy smile.
"Would…you mind wheeling me to my spot, Norman?"
He nodded. "Of course. Not a problem."
At that, he promptly began wheeling Sonia to her spot next to Ray and Emma at the middle table. Upon making sure her chair wouldn't roll away from the table, he made his way around and sat across from her. After placing the breakfast spread at each of the tables, Mom sat down at the head of the table in the center and clasped her hands together.
"We're grateful for this bountiful food and for the many meals that are to come."
All of the children repeated after her. Then, thanks given, everyone dug in. Emma, Norman, and Ray settled into animated conversation next to me. Well, Emma was animated. Ray and Norman mostly listened, Norman in amusement and Ray in slight irritation. But Ray was irritated by everything.
For Sonia's part, she was quietly dreading what came after breakfast.
Sonia sat nervously at the back of the classroom as the test scores came back in. Mom was scanning the papers quietly at the front of the room as everyone waited with bated breath.
Mom smiled as she looked up at everyone. "The top scorers were Ray, Norman, and Emma. Congratulations once again, you three. Very well done!"
At the news, Sonia looked down dejectedly at the floorboards.
"And Sonia came very close to scoring even with them. Well done, Sonia! If you keep at it, you'll be at the top of the class in no time!"
Sonia looked up with sparkling eyes. She…almost made it to the top of the class?
"R-Really, Mom?!"
She nodded. "That's right. You improved greatly over your previous score."
Sonia's eyes shined at the news. She had been struggling with the tests over the past few weeks despite her best efforts and Norman's help. It looked like her extra studying had paid off this time.
Speaking of Norman, he looked over his shoulder to smile at Sonia. "Congratulations, Sonia! I know you'll get us next time."
Emma had bounded out of her seat as the other children began to converse, mostly about how it was never a question of who were at the top of the class yet again. Don sat fuming in his seat. She ran over to Sonia's chair and hugged her from the side.
"You'll do even better next time, I just know it!"
Looking over at Ray, Sonia saw him roll his eyes, though he, too, smiled just a little bit.
Mom placed the papers on the podium. "Alright everyone. It's time for play time outside."
Sonia frowned.
The girl in the chair sat alone under the tree, enveloped in a slight darkness by the shade of the tree, while the others played. Kicked a ball around or played with their toys or chased each other across the grass. Sonia was hidden by shade as she watched everyone. She sat limply, the sound of fun and merry-making filling her senses. A wind swept across the field, blowing her hair into her eyes. However, it also revealed a bright flower sitting under the tree. The girl stared at it for a moment. It was a very pretty flower Sonia shifted in her seat a bit and reached towards the flower. Coming up short, she moved up and reached farther. Still too short. She shifted forward once again and stretched as far she could.
She only had a split second to comprehend that she was falling out of her wheelchair. She fell stomach first into the grass with an "oof!". After a moment to catch her breath, she looked up from her spot on the ground.
The flower was still out of reach, oblivious to the struggle taking place in front of it.
All was silent before the girl began to cry.
Mom, some distance away, heard it, and she looked towards the source. Sonia was lying prone on the ground, sobbing into the grass. Mom dropped the bucket of water she was using for laundry and rushed towards the child.
"Sonia! Are you alright?!"
She continued to cry as Mom lifted her into a sitting position. Sonia clung fiercely to the woman, fingers digging tightly into her dress. She shook something fierce in her arms. Tears dropped onto Mom's apron.
"Sonia, what's wrong, darling?"
"W-W-Why can't I b-be normal, M-Mom?" The girl hiccupped and sniffed. "I-I w-want to r-run around and p-play t-t-tag with everyone!" She let out a long wail. "I-I'm so t-t-tired of being l-like this! I h-hate my body!"
Mom immediately gathered up the anguished child in her arms, rocking back and forth as she shushed her.
"Hush, my baby."
The girl didn't stop crying.
Mom sat silent for a bit. Then, she began to hum. A lullaby that Sonia had heard her sing to the babies. Her voice was smooth and beautiful. She continued to rock back and forth, running her fingers through Sonia's ponytail. Sonia quieted a bit at the music, still letting out a few sniffs and hiccups here and there. She felt herself relaxing in the warm embrace of the woman. She let herself go loose in her arms.
When she stopped humming, Mom gently cupped Sonia's cheeks and moved her head to look up at her.
"Please don't say that, Sonia. You are so beautiful. And you're so strong." She leaned in and kissed the child on the forehead. "I know it's hard. But know that I love you, and so does everyone here. Your condition does not make you any less of a person, nor does it make any of us love you any less. In fact…" She moved her lips near Sonia's ear. "I think it makes you very special."
Sonia stared up Mom, absorbing what she had told her. Her tears had dried up now and she merely leaned more against her companion.
She had never thought of herself as special. Not with the way that she was. She thought it always made her different, made people think of her different. It was why she was such a shy girl. She didn't want to bring attention to herself or her condition. She didn't want pity. She didn't want people to think of her differently.
She just wanted to play.
"I just feel so lonely, Mom…" She mumbled. "Everyone gets to have fun at play time, but I have to sit under this stupid tree…"
"You know we don't say that word, Sonia." Mom lightly scolded. "And I know it can be lonely not being able to play with your siblings."
They sat in silence after that, just sitting there in the grass as Sonia continued to cling tightly to Mom. The woman continued rocking in place with a smile on her face.
"Hey, Mom?"
Mom blinked. That wasn't Sonia that had spoken. She turned towards the source of the sound and found Emma standing there, a sad look on her features for a split second before she shook her head and replaced it was smile.
"Yes, what is it, Emma?"
"Can Sonia come play tag with us?"
Sonia looked up at that one. Play…tag?
"H-how?" Sonia asked.
"I can carry you on my back! I'm strong enough!" Emma replied cheerily, flexing both of her arms.
Sonia looked up at Mom, who sat there with a contemplative stare. "C-Can I play, Mom?"
Mom blinked and looked down at the girl in her arms. "Well, if Emma thinks she can handle it, I don't see why not."
"Yay!" Emma exclaimed before rushing over to where Sonia was sitting. She turned away from her and crouched down. "Just put your arms over my shoulders, Sonia. Mom, could you move her legs around my waist, please?"
Sonia obliged, reaching forward and slipping her arms over Emma's shoulders. Meanwhile, Mom maneuvered her legs around Emma's waist.
"B-But Emma, what about my legs? They won't stay like this."
Emma grinned mischievously before revealing that she had been holding something in her hand that neither Sonia nor Mom had seen.
"Norman let me borrow his shirt for this. Sorry, Mom, it might get a little dirty."
Mom just let out a huff. "I suppose I can let this slide for now."
Emma just grinned and got to work. She stretched out the shirt and began tying Sonia's legs together, making sure the stayed locked around her waist. Giving it a quick tug to make sure it was secure. She then carefully stood, double checking that her arms were secured on Sonia's legs. She gave Sonia a bit of a bounce, making sure that she wouldn't slip.
"Are you okay back there, Sonia?"
"U-Uh-huh."
"Good! Now, let's go win tag."
With Sonia perched on her back, Emma began walking to the large group of kids that had amassed, just about to start the game of tag.
"W-Who's 'it'?"
"Norman." Emma replied simply.
"I-Isn't Norman really good at tag?"
"Uh-huh!"
Sonia didn't push it any further. Norman was immediately identifiable among the crowd. He turned his head and his gaze landed on Emma and Sonia. At the sight, he smiled. He moved from his spot to meet the two of them.
"We're just about to start. I'll be giving you all about a minute head-start."
"Who's keeping time?" Emma asked.
"Who else?" He gestured to a nearby tree.
Ray was sitting in the shade of a large tree, book opened in his lap. In one hand, he was holding a pocket watch. He looked up and gave a little wave to Emma and Sonia.
"Alright! You ready to win this, Sonia?" Emma called.
"I-I guess."
Norman cupped his hands around his mouth. "Okay, everyone! Tag is starting in three, two, one, GO!"
Everyone took off in a mass of laughs and giggles. Sonia let out a squeak as Emma raced into the forest surrounding the house, maneuvering around trees, branches, and rocks. Sonia's eyes were wide as wind whipped past her, blowing her hair out of her face. She had never moved so fast before. Everything was moving past her in blur as Emma pumped her legs as fast as she could. The orange-haired girl gave a victorious smile when she heard Sonia laugh gleefully. That's exactly what she was looking for. That beautiful laugh she had heard so few times.
She knew how much Sonia wanted to play. She had seen her sitting under that tree so many times, dejected and barely holding back tears.
Now, she was playing. She was having fun just like everyone else.
Emma would do this every day if she had to.
Just to see that smile.
Just to hear that laugh.