another day to daydream

》emma and moondrop

"emma! wanna come over to my place over school?

without hesitation, emma shook her head with a quiet but polite, "no thank you." and left without giving the girl a chance to respond.

her aunt is going to finally take them to the superstar daycare after that night and emma literally jumped in excitement when they heard the news.

it's been so long since they've seen sundrop and moondrop. especially after everything.

"ready to go?" the heterochromia child nodded in rapidly. their aunt chuckles at the excitement but it makes her happy since she barely see her niece this excited.
___

"you want me to hold your backpack?"

"no thank you! besides i really want to show sundrop and moondrop what i drew at class today. also i really want to show off my new backpack."

"okay okay," emma's aunt giggles. "i'll come pick you up later in the evening."

"bye auntie!" emma said before going to the slide.

___

it feels awkward the more emma stood there, watching the slightly new and improved sundrop playing with other kids.

but it didn't take long for him to notice his little sunshine.

"oh my emma! my little sunshine! how have you been?! it's been sooooo long! my you have such a nice outfit!" sundrop kept going on and on and it didn't fail to break a smile on the child's face.

"it's good to see you again sunny! i missed you so much!"

"we've missed you too!!" sundrop gave them the biggest hug.

"oh yea! sunny, how's moon??? is he okay after everything?" emma looked up with curious eyes.

sundrop gave them a reassuring smile. "yea!! even better. moony is actually here in the daycare!"

emma eyes widen in shock. "you mean..."

"weeellll... let's just say, moony and i now have our own separate bodies! so now you can get double the hugs!!"

emma's eyes literally sparkled.

"that's so cool! i can't wait to talk to them again! where are they?"

"oh! he's up in our room. you can say hi to them when it's nap time. i'm sure he'll be sooo happy to see you again sunshine!"

___

however, over the next few weeks, emma noticed how moondrop always seem to avoid them.

"moony!! hi!!"
"ah sorry emma... i need to help susie for a moment..."

"moony! look! I drew you a picture!"
"oh... um... thank you..."

"moony! can you draw with me please!"
"um sorry... i promise anthony something... maybe another time..."

they even keep hearing other kids saying how "moondrop can be scary" or "he can be a big meanie sometimes" or "I don't wanna be here because moony scares me".

they didn't understand.

"do you know why moon has been avoiding me?"

sundrop looked a bit worried as if he has been caught before sighing. he's pretty aware that their dear starshine can notice something off so quickly.

"i do sunshine... but it is something moon has to talk to you about himself... so please be patience with them, alright?"

"alright..."

___

"sun."

sundrop's attention immediately turned to emma. whenever emma calls him or moondrop by their actual name, they know it's something serious

"can you please take me to moondrop. please." Emma begged and knowing the situation, sundrop can't really deny it.

"sure sunshine. wait until it's close to closing hours." emma nodded, satisfied before heading back to their table with their drawing.

moondrop, who was watching from afar back in his and sundrop's room, sigh in regret.

he feels so bad, not for worrying emma but also how he might of hurt emma when the virus took control of him. he doesn't fully believe that the little starshine would look at them the same every again.

he thought back to the conversation with sundrop a while ago.

"moony, emma is really excited to see you! why not say hi to them? you always get so happy to see them."

moondrop hesitated to answer before saying, "i... don't think they'll handle it..."

sundrop tilted their head.

"well... even though it was the virus... i hurt some of the dear children... emma being one of them... as well as their friend..."

"oh moony..." sundrop wrapped their hands around moondrop. "emma isn't mad... i'm pretty sure they'll understand..."

"what if they don't?"

sundrop sadly smiled. "that's something you have to ask emma about yourself..."

"moony."

moondrop looked up to see sundrop in-front of him. "oh. is it naptime?"

sundrop nodded. "also... emma wants to talk to you when it's nearing closing hours."

moondrop understood. he cant keep hiding forever. after all, their little starshine is a very observant child.

___

as the day goes by and more and more kids leave the daycare, there was only a few kids left, including emma at the daycare.

sundrop helped emma up to their room as they made their way to see moon sitting by the porch, looking outside down at the almost empty daycare.

the child took a seat next to moon while keeping a safe distancing from the edge.

"emma... i'm... so sorry... for everything... i understand if you can never forgive me..."

"moon. it was not your fault. you had no control of it."

"but... if i--" "if you say that you were stronger to control it, don't" moondrop looks at emma and see a serious face. he smiled softly.

"you're so matured for someone this young."

"after everything... i guess i did... but i still like drawing and playing with you and sunny so..."

"yea... you're still our same little emma... our little starshine..." suddenly, he felt little arms wrapped around his body to see emma hugging him tight.

"i missed you..." moondroped wrapped their lang arms as if he wants to protect them, like he had always done. "me too starlight... me too..."