The Break

“Higher!” I shout, as Momma pushes me. 

“This is plenty high!” Momma argued. 

I laughed and giggled as the wind grabbed hold of my pig-tailed hair and waved it back and forth, back and forth, as I floated in the air. The afternoon sun was warm on my freckled face, and I could hear birds twittering a chirp-chirp song. I wondered what they were twittering to each other, what the birds talked about in the trees at the park. 

Momma picked me up from school today. She only does that when the nurse calls her to come get me if I have a fever or a sick belly, so today was a surprise. My teacher told me, “Maisy, go grab your backpack and jacket. Your mom is waiting in the office to pick you up early. Don’t forget the spelling test is tomorrow!” 

So, I grabbed my things and told my teacher “Bye Mrs. Thomas! And don’t worry, I will s-t-u-d-y for the test tomorrow!” That made her smile, a real big smile that made her eyes squinty and wrinkled. 

I went to the office and when I saw Momma sitting in a chair there, I ran right over to her. I gave Momma a big hug and we left the office of Lincoln Elementary. I saw my classmates walking single file to the cafeteria holding their lunchboxes. They all had one finger over their lips shushing themselves. It’s what Mrs. Thomas taught us to do on the first day of school so we’d remember to be quiet in the hallways. I smiled at Brittany and she used her shushing finger to wave bye over a little smile. 

“Why’d you come get me?” I asked once we got in the car. Not that I minded at all to leave school early with Momma. Daddy was probably at work. He worked a lot. That sometimes makes Momma mad. She’ll say to him “Why didn’t you come home last night?” and then he’ll say “I was working!” and then they both look at me looking and go talk about Daddy’s work out on the patio. I’m not even really sure what Daddy’s work is but I think he works in a bank. They must have a lot of money to count every night because he has to work late all the time. But Momma is always around to take care of me when Daddy has to work late. I miss him a lot when he’s working because when he’s home he makes me pancakes shaped like snakes and calls them pansnakes. And he plays hide and seek but he is just about the worst hider! I always find him out! Sometimes I wonder if Daddy can hide anything he’s so bad at that game! 

Momma stopped at a red light. 

“Oh, well, I didn’t think there was any harm in picking you up early on such a beautiful April day. The sun is finally out after all that rain we had. I thought we could go to the park.” 

“Yay! I love the park! Let’s go on the swings first!” 

“Sure, sweetheart. That sounds just fine,” Momma said. She smiled at me but it was only on her mouth, and not in her eyes, and I wondered why. But I didn’t say anything. 

“Higher! Please Momma! This is so fun!” I yelled with a smile. 

Momma was pushing me so I couldn’t see if she was smiling too, but I bet she was. 

“Maisy…” Momma said as her soft hands pressed against my back for another push. 

“Yeah?” 

“I wanted to tell you something,” she said and pushed me away. 

Up I sailed, and pointed my sneakers at a white cloud in the sky, and blocked it from view until I paused in the air and began to fall back down toward Momma. 

“You know that Daddy and I love you so, so very much, right?” 

Up to the sky. 

Down to the ground. 

“Well, sometimes me and Daddy don’t agree on things.” 

Up to the sky. 

Down to the ground. 

“And when we don’t agree on things, we fight about it and then that makes us sad.” 

Up to the sky. 

Down to the ground. 

“So Daddy and I decided that we are going to take a break.” 

Up to the sky. 

Down to the ground. 

“He left today. I’m not sure when he’s going to come back. But he does love you. We just need a break.” 

Up to the sky. 

I want to fly high. 

I’ll fly in the sky. 

I jump from the swing when my feet point to the clouds. My Daddy is gone. But where did he go? My daddy is gone but he loves me. What does a break mean? 

I’m in the sky. The sun on my face, the wind in my hair, the birds chirp-chirping. I hear Momma yell “Maisy!” But I don’t answer because I’m flying. I’ll fly to Daddy. And tell him to come home. 

Up to the sky. 

Down to the ground. 

“A break,” the doctor at the Emergency Room tells Momma. The room is cold and everything is white and the sun isn’t on my face anymore. 

Momma scoops me up into her arms as they talk about X-Rays and casts and I’m still thinking of the swings at the park. And the break. Momma and Daddy have a break. I have a break. Breaks hurt. A lot. 

I decide right then I hate the swings. I decide right then I hate breaks. And I bury my face in Momma and cry. 

Momma hugs me tighter. I think she’s crying too. 

Then the doctor tells us “A break can hurt. It can hurt a lot. But you both take good care of yourselves and that break will heal nicely. Pretty soon, you’ll be good as new. It’s just going to take a little time.” 

Momma thanks the doctor and squeezes me, and then whispers in my ear “You’re going to be just fine Maisy. It’s just a break. We are going to be just fine.” 

I look at Momma and she smiles, and it’s on her mouth and in her eyes too this time. I smile back and say “Let’s go home Momma. And let’s have pansnakes for dinner. I’ll show you how to make them.”