Cool Mom

59: McDonald's Picnic

The events that followed my last spa visit had left me shaken enough not to return to one until now. After a lot of persuasion from Daniel since he knows how much I love and missed spa days, I finally agreed to give it another chance, with the promise of a guard waiting outside for me.

"Thank you for visiting us, Mrs. Aaron." The lady at the checkout desk smiles at me as she hands me back my credit card.

I say goodbye and head out. It's almost noon by now and the road outside is busy. I spot the car parked across the street with the driver nearby waiting for me and this assures me that the guard is somewhere near too.

Hazel will get off from school in an hour so I decide to surprise her with McDonald's for lunch, as a first day of school present. There's a McDonald's a street over from the one I'm on. I decide to bypass taking the car and walk there.

I order food for Hazel and me. While I wait, I pull out my phone and scroll through pictures from this morning. I sigh and turn off the phone just as my number is called. I collect the packed food and head back to the car.

I instruct the driver to head to Rushmore Academy. The massage and facial I had at the spa has left me sleepy but all traces of sleep vanish from my body when we arrive at the school. The driver parks the car and I walk over to get Hazel.

There are still five minutes till school ends for Kindergarten students, so I stand to one side to wait when I spot Mia not far from where I am.

"Hey Mia!" I call out, walking up to her.

"Hi Emma!" She smiles at me as we embrace. "How was Hazel this morning?"

"Okay. A little nervous." I sigh at the memory of Hazel crying this morning and I'm scared to face something similar when she returns.

"Ben was bawling. He wouldn't even let go of me." Mia shakes her head and I laugh at the exasperated expression on her face.

"They're children." I remind her. She smiles and nods in reply.

Just then children start walking out the gates to parents almost all of whom wait on foot instead of in the pickup lane. We wait a few minutes before Hazel and Ben walk out together. I smile at the sight. Hazel is wearing her own schoolbag and another is tucked under her arm while she pulls along a tearstain-faced Ben.

Mia and I glance at each other and burst out laughing at the expense of our children.

"Thank you, Hazel." Mia says as she takes Ben's schoolbag from her and then takes Ben's hand before saying goodbye and walking away.

Where Ben was all tears, Hazel is beaming.

"How was your day?" I ask, taking her hand in mine as we walk back to the car.

"So fun!" She exclaims.

I tell her that I have McDonald's for lunch, so she insists that we make a picnic out of lunch. I have the driver take us to a nearby park where wooden picnic tables sit under green, shady trees. We choose one and Hazel catches me up on her day.

"Miss Hannah asked us to tell the class about ourselves." She tells me before taking a break to bite her nugget.

"And?" I ask, sipping on Diet Coke.

"I told everyone my name and then I told them about Vanessa and then swimming." She tells me, excitedly.

"Did you meet your swimming teacher?" I ask her.

"YES!" She screams and I cringe at the sound but laugh nonetheless, "I have to take my swimsuit with me to school from tomorrow and I will practice after school for one hour."

Any other student having to stay after school would be unhappy about it but Hazel at the idea of swimming for that hour is over the moon.

"How were the other students?" I ask, tense about the reply.

"Ben is my friend but he started missing his mom at the end." Hazel says and goes on to tell me of the three girls and one other boy that she and Ben played with during lunch break.

I guess I was worrying about her feeling left out for no reason at all. I smile at Hazel as I think to myself.

We're starting to collect the wrappers and tissues when my phone starts to ring. It's Jeremy.

"Hi Jeremy!" I say, answering the call.

"Emma, where are you?" He sounds tense.

My heartbeat immediately accelerates, "What's wrong?"

And his answer makes my heart sink, "Daniel is at the hospital."

Am I making good of my frequent update promise?

PLEASE COMMENT!! I would love to know what you all think of the story :)

-T