Laundry Day
Written by Olivia McKeon, Edited by Samuel Johnson
Lady with the Red Dress by Isha Sharma
On the tippity top of Mommy's dresser there's a blue vase. It has flowers painted on its side, big white ones with yellow middles. I think it's so pretty. I tried drawing it once with my crayons, but the colors weren't right, and Mommy asked what it was. I pointed up to the vase and Mommy got very quiet. She didn't say anything after that. She went straight into the bathroom, closed the door, and started running the water. When she came back her face was all red and blotchy.
"Mommy what's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing sweetheart. Mommy's just tired." She rubbed her eyes for half a second and ran her fingers through her hair.
After a minute she walked downstairs. I followed right after her. I skipped the last two steps and landed with a crash. Mommy usually yelled at me for doing that but this time she just laughed. "Do you want to help with the laundry, Ava?" I nodded yes.
Whenever it's laundry day Mommy throws me onto the bed and covers me in the clothes. Then I wiggle out of the pile and help her sort everything. The bed is big, so there's enough space for me, Mommy, and all of the clothes. She looks so little when she lies in it without me. The pillows make a purple fortress above her, and when it's nighttime and too dark to see I have to pull myself up onto the bed to find her.
"Why don't you find the matching socks?"
"Okay!" I exclaimed. Mommy just bought me new socks. My favorites are the lime green ones. They have froggies hopping all over them. Frogs are my favorite animal 'cause they can jump really really high! We're learning all about them in kindergarten.
By the time I made pairs from all of the socks, Mommy was almost done folding. She carefully slid all of her shirts and pants into the right drawers. She'd carry the rest to my room later.
We've done laundry every Saturday for as long as I can remember. After laundry Mommy and I watch a movie together in bed. Sometimes we get pizza and Mommy tells me to be very very careful not to make a mess at least ten times every five minutes. Mommy said she wasn't very hungry today though, so she just made me macaroni and cheese.
I spooned the noodles into my mouth, careful not to drop any onto the sheets. As the movie started my eyes wandered to the chair by Mommy's makeup mirror. Along its back was the blue plaid shirt she said wasn't ever supposed to go in the wash. She never told me why, but sometimes I'd catch her smelling it and pressing it against her cheek. One time she put it on, but it was way too big, and her arms got swallowed up in the fabric.
I must've fallen asleep soon after the movie started because when I woke up the next morning I was still in Mommy's bed, and I couldn't remember what had happened. Mommy was already up. I smelled banana pancakes cooking on the stove. Mommy hadn't woken me up yet, so I figured it had to be pretty early. I rubbed the sand out of my eyes and sat up. The vase on Mommy's dresser stared down at me. It was so beautiful. I wanted to look at it closer.
The dresser wasn't too tall, and I didn't want to bother Mommy, so I slipped out of bed and tried reaching up. My arms weren't long enough though, so I pulled out the bottom drawer to use as a step. My fingers could just barely reach the vase. I pushed it closer to the edge of the dresser, but suddenly I lost my grip, and it went toppling down. I tried to catch it, but I missed, and it smashed into the hardwood. Grayish-white clumps spilled out and dust flew everywhere. My Minnie Mouse pajamas were covered.
Mommy rushed up the stairs. "Ava! What did you do?!" she cried. She gathered a couple pieces of the vase in her hands and stared at them as if they'd magically glue together again.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. I wasn't sure what to say or if Mommy even heard me in the first place. "What is it?"