Kaden spent the entire day sulking. He wanted to watch his morning cartoon before preschool but when he couldn't, he screamed and cried at his mother. Now he felt bad, really bad.
"Are they your parents, Kaden?"
He didn't even look at the boy beside him, Oliver, and mumbled while pouting, "My mom, me, and Uncle Lucian."
"Why are you only drawing your mom and uncle? You should draw your dad too or he'll be sad."
"I don't have a dad."
"Why don't you have a dad?"
Kaden's lips pressed into a thin line. "I just don't have a dad."
Oliver didn't seem ready to let it go, his voice bouncing with childish insistence. "Why not? Everyone has a dad!"
"I don't!" Kaden snapped.
"But everyone has a dad! You should have a dad!"
Now the other kids in the daycare were staring, drawn by Oliver's loudness and Kaden's stubborn refusal to back down.
He knew everyone had a father, but he didn't. All his life, it had always been just him, his mom, and Uncle Lucian. The boy was confused as well, but instead of feeling sad, he seemed more annoyed than anything.
"But I don't!"
"But everyone does!" Oliver shouted.
Just then, Martha stepped over to stop their bickering. "Oliver, Kaden, let's focus on finishing your drawings, alright?"
"But Kaden doesn't draw his dad!" Oliver protested.
"I said I don't have a dad!" Kaden snapped.
"Oliver," the teacher said gently, "it's Kaden's drawing. He can draw whatever he wants. Today's theme is to draw your family, right?"
Oliver nodded slowly.
"Then why don't you focus on drawing your family? I'm sure they'd be happy to see it later, don't you think?" Martha suggested.
Oliver nodded again, excitedly.
After the calm intervention, the room quieted and the children returned to their work. Today was supposed to be fun, because Kaden loved drawing, but he seemed completely distracted.
"Miss Martha," Kaden whispered, his small hand clutching her pants. "Can I call my mommy?"
"Do you want to call her now?" she asked, smiling softly.
He nodded softly.
"Alright, come with me."
He was gently guided to the teachers' office so he could make his call. The room felt big and quiet. Most of the teachers were in the daycare room and only one teacher remained behind.
"Come sit, Kaden," Martha said kindly, helping him climb onto one of the chairs. His small legs dangled in the air. "Here, I'm calling her. Wait for her to pick up, okay?"
Kaden nodded.
The phone looked big in his tiny hands. He pressed it carefully against his ear, holding it with both hands so it wouldn't fall. His heart beat fast like when he ran too much during playtime.
He wanted to say sorry for crying and shouting this morning. He knew tantrums were bad. In cartoons, kids who screamed and stomped made their parents sad. He didn't want to be that kind of kid.
That was why he stayed quiet the whole day. He didn't feel like playing. He felt bad because he didn't get to say sorry to his mom this morning.
And the whole conversation with Oliver earlier made it worse.
But after a few long minutes, the call was still not answered.
Martha gently took the phone from him, "Maybe she's busy, we'll call her again later, okay?"
Kaden's shoulders slumped as she guided him out of the room. His mood turned even more sour. He looked down and walked quietly, his steps slow and heavy.
Then, in the hallway, he saw someone familiar. It was Emma, the young teacher from the daycare and also their neighbor.
"Oh, Kaden, hi!" She crouched down and lifted her hand, asking for a high five, but Kaden stayed quiet, staring at the floor. "What's wrong?" she asked gently.
"He's trying to call his mom, but she didn't pick up," Martha, currently holding his hand, explained.
"She's busy with work, Kaden. I'm sure she'll call you later when she's done, okay? So don't worry." Emma placed her hand on his small shoulder, trying to comfort him.
But Kaden pressed his lips together. He tried very hard not to cry. He kept looking down at his shoes, blinking fast so the tears wouldn't fall.
"Actually!" Emma suddenly said, her voice turning bright. "I was on my way to meet your mom."
Kaden's head snapped up at once. Now that he looked carefully, he noticed the backpack on her back and the jacket she was wearing, like she was about to go somewhere.
Emma smiled sweetly. "I'm done with my shift today, and your mom asked me to bring her something she left at home. Do you want to come with me?"
Kaden's eyes lit up right away. "I can, Emma?"
She raised one finger gently. "Only if you promise to come back here later. You can't ask to stay with your mom, okay?"
Kaden nodded quickly.
"Hey, you can do that?" Martha asked, sounding unsure.
"It's okay, Martha," Emma replied with a calm smile. "I've taken Kaden with me before when we had time. We're neighbors."
After that, they helped Kaden put on his jacket and made sure he was ready for the trip. The ride to his mom's workplace in Moncascia would take a while. It wasn't too far, but it wasn't very close either.
They needed to catch a train.
"Kaden, you've been there before, right?" Emma asked once they were settled on the train. Kaden sat snugly on her lap, his little legs swinging.
He nodded excitedly. "I big guy, Emma! I went there with Mommy before!"
The young teacher laughed. "Your mom would be surprised to see you there later."
Kaden giggled.
The train started moving. The scenery outside blurred and shifted, leaving the station behind and rolling past the familiar fields and houses of Ougena. The small village faded away as the trip began.
Then a thought popped back into his head.
"Emma… do you have a dad?" he asked, his small voice quiet and unsure.
There was a pause before she answered. "Yeah, I do. Why do you ask, Kaden?"
"I don't have a dad," he said, his words catching in his throat. "Oliver said everyone has a dad."
"Hmm… but not everyone."
Kaden looked up at her with wide eyes. "Not everyone? Is there someone like me?"
"Of course," Emma said, smiling softly. She reached down and patted his head. "Don't worry, you're not the only one."
Kaden pressed his forehead against the window, staring at the passing fields. He thought about what Emma had said. He wasn't alone. Not everyone had a dad.
Somehow that thought made the heavy feeling in his chest a little lighter.
He didn't feel quite so lonely anymore.