“Mommy! Mommy! I’m ho-o-ome!”
I run into the kitchen and stop. Sunflower, the older girl from next door, sits at the kitchen table with a big book.
I stare at her. “Where’s Mommy?” I ask.
She turns a page. “Your Mom’s at the hospital, having the baby.”
My eyes get real big. “She’s having the baby? Today?”
She sighs. “That’s what I said.”
“Mommy’s having the baby!” I scream. I run over to Sunflower and look up at her. “Did you tell Skittle already?”
“Yes, I told your sister,” she sighs again. She turns another page. “Now, pipe down and go play in the living room where I can see you.”
I skip back to my room. “Mom-my’s having the baby, Mom-my’s having the ba-by,” I sing to myself. I put my saddlebags on my bed, then grab some crayons and paper and skip back to the living room, still humming. Skittle’s already sitting on the floor and playing with her dolly, talking to it like she’s its real mommy. “Hi, Skittle,” I say. “What’d you do in kindergarten today?” She just shrugs and keeps talking.
I lay down on the floor next to her and put down a piece of paper. I want to draw a picture of our family for the new baby, starting with me. I open up my crayon box and and pull out a pretty yellow crayon. I draw my body first, with one two three four legs, and two pretty little wings. I pull out a pink one and draw my mane, nice and bouncy, then I get an orange one and draw my eyes. When I’m done, I lean back and look at it. It looks like me, kinda. Not as good as I wanted.
After I finish drawing me, I look up at Skittle. She’s still holding the doll in her arms and making baby noises. Everybody says we look just like each other, but I don’t think we do. I use the same yellow crayon for her coat, and the same pink one for her mane. I have to dig in the box for another crayon for her eyes. I pick one called “Aquamarine.”
Now that I’ve done her, I go back into the box for Mommy and Daddy. Mommy gets “Creamsicle Orange” for her coat, and “Periwinkle Blue” for her mane. I try to draw it long and curly, but it doesn’t turn out very good. Daddy is easy: “Powder Blue” for his coat, and “Lemon Meringue” for his short, wavy mane.
When I’m done, I look at the picture and gasp. I forgot Mommy’ and Daddy’s cutie marks! I grab the black crayon.
Daddy’s is easy. It’s a big square with a bunch of little squares inside. He says it’s a checkered flag, like they use in racing.
Mommy’s is harder. First I draw a funny oval, then two long ovals coming off of that, and then two little dots. When I’m done, I lean back and look at it, trying to figure out what it is. Mommy says it’s a “bunny,” but I’ve never seen one in real life before, so I don’t know for sure.
I’m almost done. I sign my name at the bottom in big letters, just like Mrs. Cirrus said.
“APRIL SHOWERS, AGE 6”
I look at the picture and smile. “Hey, Skittle, look,” I say, holding it up. She looks at it for just a second, then goes back to playing with her doll. I make a face. I worked hard on that drawing. She should at least say it’s nice.
I lean over and hit her on the arm. “Ow,” she says, and rubs it.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
She picks up her doll. “This is the baby. If she’s a girl, she’s Angel Bunny, an’ if he’s a boy, he’s Scratch Racer.”
I make another face. “You can’t use those names—those are Mommy’s and Daddy’s names!”
She sticks out her tongue. “Meanie face.”
I growl. “Oh yeah? Well, you’re a dumb meanie—”
“Girls.” Sunflower’s looking up at us over the top of her book. “Knock it off,” she says, looking back down.
I stick my tongue out at her. I don’t like it when she babysits.
We play for a long time. I get bored of drawing and go get my picture book about the weather. I’m trying to sound out the word cue-mue-low-nim-bus when I hear the front door open. I look up and squeal. Daddy’s home!
I run into the front hall. Daddy is hanging up his hard hat and factory uniform on the coat rack. I give him a big hug. He leans down and kisses me on the head. “How was school today, April?”
“ ’S fine,” I say into his shoulder.
Skittle comes running, and Daddy picks her up in a big hug. He kisses her too. He puts her down and sits on the floor with a sigh. Daddy always looks tired, but today he looks really tired. He’s smiling though.
“So,” he says, “Mommy had the baby, and they’re both doing fine.” He smiles a little bigger. “And, she’s a little filly.”
I squeal again. “I’m a big sister?” I ask.
He nods and ruffles my mane. “Yeah, you’re a big sister again. You too, Skittle,” he says, looking at her, “you’re not the baby of the family anymore!”
She pouts just a little. Daddy laughs, and stands up with a groan. “Alright, you want to go see them?”
“Yeah!” Skittle and I both shout.
Daddy smiles. “Alright, let’s get some dinner in you first.”
Daddy gives Sunflower a few bits, then makes us some macaroni and cheese. After we eat, I help Daddy find his camera and we walk to the hospital.
When we get there, I sound out the sign: Clouds-dale Gen-er-al. We get inside, and a nurse takes us up to Mommy’s room. She’s lying in bed, looking tired but happy. She’s holding something in her arms. Daddy pushes me forward, and I see her.
She’s so tiny, even smaller than Skittle's dolly, but she’s so pretty. Her coat is all yellow, and her eyes are shut tight. As I watch, she yawns. "What's her name?" I whisper.
"Fluttershy," Mommy says.
I don't know why, but I know it almost before she says it. I sigh. My sister Fluttershy. I’m so happy, I feel like someone has wrapped me in a great big blanket and kissed me goodnight.
I take another look, and I see a little poof of pink mane. I squeal.
Mommy and Daddy look at me funny. "She has Gran'ma’s mane!" I say.
Mommy smiles and nods. “Mm-hm,” she says, “just like you and Skittle!”
Daddy gets a nurse to take a picture of us all gathered around Mommy’s bed. After she takes the picture, I ask Daddy when we can put it in our album with all our really important pictures. He smiles. “It takes about a week to get the film developed,” he says, “but we’ll put it in there as soon as we can.”
He looks up at the clock and frowns. “Alright girls, it’s getting late. Kiss Mommy goodnight, and let’s go.”
I give Mommy a kiss, and I sneak a peek into the blanket. Fluttershy yawns again.
I lean in closer. “Hi Fluttershy,” I whisper. “My name’s April. I’m your big sister.”
Right then, Fluttershy opens her eyes. They’re big and warm and green. She looks confused for a minute, then she sees me.
And she smiles.
I feel like I’m glowing inside all the way home.