Based on Hey Arnold! characters created by Craig Bartlett. Author claims no copyright.

"Who's gonna take me to pweschool?," asked four-year old Helga G. Pataki. Her parents were too busy doting on her piano-playing older sister Olga, and so neither of them did. So young Helga was forced to walk by herself to preschool on a gloomy and rainy day. Mud splashed on her face. A dog stole her lunchbox. It was one of the worst days of her life. Until the football-headed boy showed up with his umbrella and complemented her on the bow in her hair.

Helga had recounted this story to her elementary school psychologist Dr. Bliss, to group therapy sessions in rehab for alcohol abuse, and even to her sponsees in AA. That day going to preschool was the catalyst for her personal demons to take shape. Of all the parental negligence Bob and Miriam Pataki had displayed, that may have been the worst. It was also the day she first met and developed feelings for the one person that displayed kindness to her. Soon after she began hiding them in fear of embarrassment. Until they were older.

Becoming Mrs. Shortman may have been the best thing to ever happen to her. But Arnold and their two children could not vanquish her innate fear of abandonment. Nor did the occasional displays of recognition she got from her parents growing up. PTSD from that day going to preschool lingered.

Arnold dropped off four-year-old Phil at preschool. Grandpa Phil, the namesake of the elder Shortman offspring, had done the same to Arnold on that rainy day. It wasn't raining, but young Phil was not too keen on leaving his dad for the day. He wasn't prone to tantrums but did ask a few times for reassurance that he would get picked up. "Are kidding?," Arnold told his son, "how could mom and I forget about picking you up? We're not gonna get lost in the jungle like grandma and grandpa did. Just going to work and nursing your sister. You're not going to miss that much. Plus, you'll make some new friends."

Gerald and Gerald Jr. met Arnold and Phil in front of the Urban Tots preschool door as they checked in. "Your boy and my boy the same age, that was the dream, right?," said Arnold. "It sure was," said Gerald as they performed their signature thumb-wiggling gesture.

"You know how this was where Helga and I met. Well you and Phoebe too. Helg still gets nightmares about that day," Arnold told Gerald as they walked to their cars. "You still remember that day?," Gerald asked. "No, not really," said Arnold, "but she does. Part of it is that her memory has always been better. Or I guess those shrines she kept to me jogged her memory. It freaked me out a little at first but it was meant to be."

"You know how important you are to Helga G., it can't be that much of a surprise that she remembers that much," said Gerald, "I know how important I am to Phoebe, even if it means being a stay-at-home dad for a lot of the time unlike I expected. But it makes sense for her to be the breadwinner." "Let's talk more about that next time," Arnold replied.

Phil had survived his first day of preschool. Mostly playing with blocks and bonding with Gerald Jr. He and his dad walked into the front door of their place. Helga had been bottle-feeding baby Amber. "Good timing, football heads," she said to her husband and son, "about time for your sister to take a nap. How was your first day?" "Ok mom. I wanna take a nap too."

Later on when they had the living room to themselves Helga reminded Arnold of why she was hesitant about being the one to take Phil. She said, "Its like that movie with the clown. It. When we saw that I felt like that little boy walking in the rain and snatched by the clown under the sewer could have been me."

"You remember all of it?," asked Arnold. "Just the gist of it," said Helga, "Bob and Miriam wouldn't take me. I walked in the rain and then you came with your umbrella."

THREE YEARS LATER

Helga was driving both her kids to school. She had conquered the painful reminder of her ordeal as a tot and taken Phil to preschool a few times. Now Amber was preschool age and Phil was going into second grade. "I don't wanna go to school!", wailed Amber from the back seat. "Too bad," Helga told her daughter, "its the law. Your brother has survived it. I think you'll do fine too." Amber stuck her tongue out at her brother.

The issue for Helga was now dealing with two kids instead of one. She was determined to prove to herself and Phil and Amber that she was not going to pick favorites. Not like Bob and Miriam did with Olga. She had that in mind by taking them to school at the same time. But also because Arnold was at work with some therapy sessions earlier in the day.

Dragging Amber out of the car kicking and screaming was a chore. But Helga knew her daughter instinctively and that she would get over it. "Look at me," she told Amber as they reached the preschool door, "you're going to start school and you're going to have a good time. I will pick you and your brother up soon enough."

After she parted ways with Amber it was time to drop Phil off at PS 118. Phil toted his backpack as he got out of the car. "Criminy, your sister thinks she has it bad right now," she told her son, "but maybe some guy like your dad will make it better for her."