sneakin' out to see marie-claire

everyday papa picks up polly after school & takes her straight home. but sometimes he stops at the record store to look for records & talk to his friends. every day last week polly carried marie-claire's christmas card in her backpack because she knew if papa went to the record store she could sneak out when he was listening to records & go around the corner to the coffee house where marie-claire works. finally today she got her chance

polly saw marie-claire working the cash register & ran inside & threw her arms around her. marie-claire started crying & that made polly cry too. i’m sure gonna miss you sweet pea, marie-claire said. i’m gonna miss you too, polly sniffed.

i made you a card, polly told her.

that made marie-claire cry some more. i will always be there for you, she promised. forever. i gotta go, polly said & ran out of the coffee shop & back to the record store.

papa didn’t even notice she was gone. why are you crying, he asked as they walked home. polly didn’t want to get marie-claire in anymore trouble so she said she saw a dead pigeon.

that’s ok babe, papa said. now that pigeon can get reincarnated into something else. like maybe a rat or a subway alligator… polly knew papa was trying to make her laugh, but she didn't think it was funny.