First Day Jitters
"You know, sweetheart, you don't have to do this," Grant says in a calm, reassuring voice, holding her hand and looking into her eyes. "If you have any doubts, any fears, we can go home now. We can wait another year."
Haylie rolls her eyes impatiently, a gesture he's sure she has learned from her mother.
"But daddy," she says, pouting slightly and an inch away from stomping. "I really, really wanna go!"
Grant lets out a defeated sigh.
"But if you change your mind…" he tries, adjusting the straps of her tiny, pink backpack as he kneels in front of his daughter.
"I won't," Haylie cuts in confidently. "Daddy, don't worry, I'll be okay," she tells him, patting his forearm as if their roles were reversed. He can hear Skye snicker from behind him.
"Remember what we talked about, baby," Skye steps forward now, drawing their daughter's attention to her. "Be nice to the other kids, pay attention, behave, and have fun. We'll come and pick you up in the afternoon. Now, come here, give mommy a kiss!" she tells Haylie, and the little girl does what she's been told; she steps into Skye's embrace, putting her little arms around her neck, and places a sloppy kiss on her cheek, then she turns to Grant and repeats the process, before running towards the direction of her new classroom. She stops at the door for a moment, turns back towards them, and waves, grinning wildly, before she steps into the room, disappearing from their vision.
Grant stays there, kneeling on the ground and looking after her for a couple of seconds. Damn, she is growing up too fast.
"I still don't like it," he says finally, standing up. "She is too young – she's just barely turned five. We should have waited one more year."
Hearing this, Skye just rolls her eyes, an eerie echo of what their daughter just did a minute ago.
"You might have missed it," she says, her voice dripping sarcasm, "but your daughter is freaking smart and more than ready for school. She reads, for heaven's sake!"
Grant swallows; yeah, there might be something true about that. Haylie got an alphabet book for her birthday from FitzSimmons, something she was really thrilled about. And it was almost scary how fast she was picking things up – now, three months later, she knows the whole alphabet, and now she is starting to read and write simpler words, which makes Grant simultaneously proud and frightened.
"It's just…" he sighs. "I can't believe she is growing up this fast."
Skye's playful smirk is replaced with a soft, earnest smile as she puts her hand on his arm.
"Hey," she tells him, "she might be going to school now – and I know this is frightening –, but she'll always be your princess, okay?"
Grant gives her a reluctant nod as he slides his arm around her waist.
"She'd better," he mutters under his breath, making Skye laugh as they start walking back towards their car.
"You know what?" she says after a couple of seconds; Grant gives her a little nod, urging her to go on. "Now I'm really glad we are onto project baby #3," she says in a teasing tone. "Because I remember what you did when Haylie started walking, and if we weren't in full baby-making mode, I'm afraid this would be the point when you finally convince me that we really need another kid."
He doesn't even try to argue with her as he opens the passenger side door for her.