There, There & Fruit Snacks

We had a secret, sneaky mission, and it involved a red wagon.

The Dad and I, we're stand-in's for the lil' dude's neighborhood bestie, E., who lives across the street. On days her Mama or Daddy can't fetch her from daycare on time, we do it. We're all one village, after all.

So, the lil' dude and I left our respective work days early and went on our secret mission. Lil' dude kept repeating E's name on the way home- excited for a playdate after she hadn't seen her in over one whole week!

We wagonned up and rolled into E's daycare playground to get her. She was all smiles as she came running over and climbed into the wagon's passenger seat. We gathered her things from her daycare lady and away we went.

And, the screaming erupted.

Poor E. was all confused as to why her Daddy wasn't there to get her, and why she was leaving in a wagon. She cried the 500 feet to our porch. I pulled fast, while the lil' dude did what she does best, and comforted her sad, little friend.

Pat, pat, on her leg. She reached into E's bag and found her nigh-nigh and Nuk, her comfort items. She kept talking to her, and touching her. I imagine her babble translated into a toddlerspeak for, there, there, friend. There, there. It's gonna be OK. I'm right here.

It. Melted. My. Heart.

I got the girls in the house, the tears wiped, the shoes off. E. was still sniffling, but not so much.
The lil' dude asked for a 'nack, and for two of them. I poured fruit snacks into two bowls, as instructed, filled up pink sippies for water, and watched as everything was righted with the world.