“I have a special cubby in the back just for you. It even has your name on it,” I said, trying to encourage her.

Her eyes brightened for a moment, thin brows furrowing as she peered into the classroom, seeing the rowdy group of students picking over drawing supplies, most whispering and glancing at the ‘new girl’.

“It’s okay,” I said, gesturing to the classroom. “It’s a little loud, but that’s because everyone is excited to meet you. Can I introduce you?” I hoped asking for her permission would make her feel less awkward.

She shook her head.

“No? You don’t want to say hi to everyone? Just for a minute?”

Another shake, more defiant this time.

I thought for a moment, seeing the students start to take more interest, abandoning the war over markers.

“Do you want to see your cubby?” I asked, saying, “I can show it to you right after we say hi.”

She thought about it for a moment, finally giving one strong nod.

“Okay, we’ll do it together.” Standing, I outstretched my hand for her to take.

Her grip was so small and hesitant as I guided her into the room. I stood with her in front of the class saying loudly, “Okay, quiet down everyone! We have a new friend here. Can we all say ‘hello Maya’?”

There was an off-pitch chorus of “Hello Mayaaaa!”

Maya hid behind my leg, squeezing my hand tightly. It broke my heart a little.

This wasn’t just Maya’s first day at school. I had read the file and seen how many times she’d been passed over to different teachers. No one had wanted to give her the time and attention she needed to work through the awful grief she must have been feeling.

Today, making sure Maya felt comfortable and welcome would be my number one priority.

Throughout storytime, introduction to colors, and playing with blocks, Maya sat alone. I felt worry eat away at me as I saw how she ignored the other children, busying herself in her own tiny bubble that shut out the other children’s cheerful learning time. After several attempts at checking in with her, offering a snack, and helping her with her coloring sheet, I decided to let her be for the rest of the day.

I watched her, making notes of when she’d look over interestedly at what other children were doing, what she wanted to draw, or play with. I wanted to gain any insight I could on how to find a way to make her comfortable enough to at least entertain the idea of participating.

As I studied her expressions, the way her eyes lit up at the mention of puppies and her interest in learning the alphabet, there was a kind of familiarity that her mannerisms brought. I looked away for a moment, thinking about her last name. It was too familiar, and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a chance…

The end-of-the-day bell rang, startling me out of the thought. Students dropped whatever they were playing with, grabbing their supplies, and rushing for their bags. “Excuse me!” I called, clapping my hands. I gestured to their work stations, raising my brows and tittering. My serious expression caused a bashful giggle out of everyone but Maya. “Time to sing the clean-up song! Are you ready? One… Two… Three…”

When everyone had finished tidying, backpacks were zipped, and jackets were buttoned, I led the class outside to where eager parents and guardians were waiting. There were a few exchanges as parents checked in and collected their children. After watching and waiting for everyone to be picked up, only Maya was left. She clung to my work pants, looking around the emptying school-yard.

I looked down at her, realizing that her father wasn’t here yet. It was cold and getting dark quickly with thick grey clouds over the sky. “Hey, let’s go inside and wait for your dad,” I said, offering her my hand instead of my pant leg.

She took it quickly, sniffing. “What if he doesn’t come?” she whispered.

It was the first time I had heard her voice, heard her say anything at all. “Of course he will! I’m sure he’s just a little late,” I said, jiggling her hand a little for reassurance. “Why don’t we draw him a nice picture for when he picks you up? I’ll even let you use my sticker booklet.”

The offer seemed to put the tears on hold as we entered the classroom. I helped her back out of her coat, getting her seated with paper and crayons. “Now this is super secret extra special, okay?” I grinned, hiding the sticker book behind my back.

She nodded trying to sneak a peek around me.

I plopped it down in front of her, five-hundred pages of sparkled, textured, scratch-and-sniff, and glow in the dark stickers. “It’s all yours. Use as many as you want!”

I could see her joy as she flipped through the pages.

She didn’t look at me as she muttered, “Thank you Mista Nowan.”

I beamed at her, feeling my spirits lift in victory. “You’re welcome, Maya,” I said, trying not to let my excitement seep into my words; I didn’t want to risk ruining this step forward. After tidying the classroom properly, and organizing my files, I sat down beside Maya, privileged to have her tell me that she much preferred the glow-in-the-dark stickers to the textured ones.

As she cupped her hands around them, making sure they glowed, I could hear heavy bounding footsteps down the hall. I pushed myself off the ground, standing as I readied myself to talk with Maya’s father.

A tall blond man entered the room without knocking, looking frantic in a tailored suit and tie.

“Daddy!” Maya exclaimed with glee, the first real sign of enthusiastic happiness I had seen all day.

He grinned in relief as Maya ran to him, her small bounding footsteps ending in a giant hug.

My heart skipped a beat as his hazel eyes looked up at me through his windswept hair. He looked just as surprised as I felt, a blush filling my cheeks against my will. “Hey,” I breathed, completely stunned. It was informal and unprofessional...it had been so many years since I’d seen him. Remembering him like no time had passed, I let his name fall from my lips, “Simon.”