Chapter Text
Over one year had passed since Marianne’s mother had died from an illness. Even as a five-year-old, she knew something was wrong, and when her fears had been confirmed, the world around her shattered. But Mama only wanted one thing from her daughter. To keep on smiling. Easier said than done. At least Papa was there to help. Papa cried too, but he was always there for her. He wiped away her tears, made her food, tucked her into bed at night. Still, nothing felt the same without Mama. Little did Marianne know that her family would still grow.
One morning, Papa said, “There’s someone I want you to meet.”
“Who?” Marianne asked.
“Her name’s Perla. We’ve been seeing each other for a while. She’s… very nice.”
Marianne frowned. “I don’t want a new Mama.”
Papa sighed. “I know, sweetheart. You don’t have to call her that. Just… meet Perla, alright? See what you think. That’s all I ask.” Marianne was silent. “She has two kids of her own, so be nice to them too, alright?”
“Okay.”
“Now finish your breakfast or we’ll be late for school.”
Later at school, when Marianne was playing with Nasmira and Vega, Marianne brought up her father remarrying. Neither Vega nor Nasmira understood, but they still wanted her friend to feel better. “Maybe she’ll be nice?” Nasmira said.
“Papa said I have to be nice to her kids too.”
“So you're going to get new brothers or sisters?” said Vega.
“Maybe?” Marianne dug her shoe into the sand, not knowing what’s going to happen. Neither of her friends knew what to say either.
Playtime and learning went on like usual, but Marianne was still nervous about what would happen next.
After school, when Papa came to pick Marianne up, he said. “Perla’s going to come at 5 o’clock, so be ready for then, okay?”
“Okay.”
Part of Marianne had hoped 5 o’clock wouldn’t come at all. Her palms were sweating and her heart was racing. And this hadn’t escaped Papa’s notice. “Don’t worry,” he said. “It’ll be fine. Just take a deep breath.” This helped somewhat, as they heard a knock at the door. “That must be them.”
Marianne stood a short distance behind Papa, still unsure of what to expect. He opened the door to a tall woman with dusky skin, deep brown hair, and deep brown eyes, clearly pleased to see him. Behind her were two children, a boy about a year younger than Marianne and a toddler-aged girl holding her brother’s hand. The boy looked braver than Marianne was at that moment. Their eyes met, and the kids’ eyes lit up. It was then that Perla’s eyes met Marianne’s eyes. She knelt down to her level, and said. “I’m Perla. These are my kids Ricardo and Sofia. I hope we can all get along.” Marianne didn’t know what to say, but Perla smiled anyway.
“Mami, can we play with Marianne?” asked Ricardo.
“Of course, mijo. We’ll be in the dining room if you need us.”
“Stay in the living room, ok?” Papa added.
Marianne watched Papa and Perla leave. She promised she would be nice to the new kids, so she said, “I have some toys…”
“Cool!” said Ricardo. “Thanks, Marianne.”
Sofia chirped, “Mari!” and toddled behind her brother. It was at this moment Marianne’s expression softened. No one had called her that before. And it didn’t seem so bad.
“Haha, looks like you have a new nickname!” Ricardo turned to the toy box and his face fell. “Huh? There are only stuffed animals and dolls!”
Marianne pouted. “Yeah, these are the toys I like.” Then she had an idea. “We can play pretend with them, if you like.”
“Oh okay,” But despite Ricardo’s disappointment, he reached in for a teddy bear. He looked at it and smiled. “I know! Let’s pretend to be superheroes!”
Sofia giggled at the excitement and reached in for a doll.
Meanwhile, in the dining room, the two adults watched them and smiled. “I think this might work!” said Papa, hope brimming in his chest.