Sam Walsh was no stranger to tragedy. He had lost his wife to a drunk driver when his son had been just an infant. He had raised Sam Jr. all on his own and could not have been more proud of his son as he grew into a fine young man. When he was eighteen, Sam Jr. had gone away to college, and four years later he returned not only with his degree but with a cute brunette in tow. Jamie had been a wonderful addition to their little family, and Sam felt like they all had been truly blessed when his son married Jamie the following year. Their union produced a daughter, Polly, who was a little ball of fire combining the best traits of her mom and dad. Things seemed to be going as perfectly in his world as a man could reasonably expect in this life.
Then came the late night knock on his door. When Sam opened it to find a pair of police officers standing there he felt a tightness in his chest that mirrored the one that had seized him all those years earlier when his wife had died.
The fire department speculated later that a faulty water heater was to blame for the fire. In an instant, Sam Walsh was cast adrift in a sea of grief, but this time he didn't have the luxury of wallowing. There was one small miracle amidst the horror of that night. Polly had been staying with him to give her parents a break. He pulled the tiny four-year-old into his arms and did his best to hide the tears that threatened to rain down across his face knowing she wouldn't understand.
Yes, Sam Walsh was no stranger to tragedy and on this particular morning one year after the fire that had claimed the life of his son and daughter-in-law he was finding that such things could come in all shapes and sizes.
"I thought you liked the red top? You said you wanted to wear it on your first day."
"Not the red one with flowers! I wanted the one with the puppy on it!" said Polly her arms crossed indignantly.
Sam took a deep breath praying for patience. Polly was doing her best to look intimidating though it was a tough sell when you're standing in nothing but a pair of pajama bottoms adorned with tiny unicorns. The drawers of the antique dresser creaked open one at a time while Sam hunted for the correct red top, and his grand-daughter fumed nearby. At last, he found the right shirt and Polly's face broke into a smile.
"That's the good one!" she shouted jumping up and down.
"I'm glad you approve, but if we don't hurry you're going to be late for your first day of school."
"At the Panda Garden?"
"Kindergarten, Sweetie. Panda Garden is where we get dumplings."
"Oh! Can we get dumplings?"
"School first, Kid. Then we can talk about Chinese food, o.k."
Polly managed to get her head moving into an armhole instead of where her head should have been, and Sam moved to guide her in the right direction. Her wide-eyed face was so much like his sons at that age it gave him the strangest feeling of deja vu` as he worked to get the shirt on correctly. Thankfully, the rest of her outfit slipped on without a hitch. He scooped her tiny body into his arms, and she laughed deliriously as Sam swung her around.
"Higher! Higher! Grandpa!"
Sam winced feeling a twinge in his back forcing him to settle Polly back onto the ground much to her disappointment. Parenting was strenuous enough for the young, and Sam was staring his fifty-fourth birthday right in the face. He knew he needed to pace himself for this marathon.
"Come on. Let's get you some breakfast."
"I want the frosty ones!" shouted Polly as he led her downstairs.
"The frosty ones it is then."
The milk in the fridge smelled o.k. and Sam poured it into the bowl where Polly had already placed a thick layer of cereal. He sat at the small kitchen table watching her scoop spoonfuls of food into her mouth. Unlike most kids, Polly was cautious about how she ate getting upset if she spilled even the most minuscule morsel onto the table. Thankfully, this morning she was showing admirably control of her utensil leaving Sam to ponder the headlines in the morning paper as he sipped his coffee. The news held little of interest, and he sat the paper aside glancing out the window at the lawn which was growing a bit long. He made a mental note that he needed to get after it this weekend before his neighbors complained to the city that he wasn't doing his part to make the neighborhood look beautiful.
"Did daddy like cereal?" asked Polly suddenly.
Sam cleared his throat, "He sure did. I think the frosty ones were his favorite too."
Polly smiled to herself stirring the cereal around in the bowl. She would sometimes do this asking questions about her deceased parents out of the blue. It led to tears on occasion, but for the most part, it seemed to make her happy to stay connected to them. The truth was, it was often harder for Sam to answer the questions however innocent they might be since it reminded him just as strongly of all that he had lost. He reached over and patted Polly on the head.
"Almost done Sweetie? We need to get you to school."
"Big kids school!" she said proudly.
They had been driving past the grade school for the past year on their way to Polly's daycare. She had been fascinated from the beginning with the lines of kids on their way to school in the morning. This had led to endless questions about what went on inside the large red brick building which Polly had quickly come to designate, "The Big Kid's School," and how soon she would be allowed to join.
Sam placed a backpack around his grand-daughters slender shoulders, and she stood proudly holding her lunch pail. He snapped a quick photo of her with his phone commemorating the moment. The act made him feel a wistful sadness that his son wasn't there to see his little girl grow up. The tear that threatened to tumble down his face was quickly squashed. Polly, he doubted, would have understood her Grandfathers sadness on what was supposed to be a happy day.
They drove over to the school with Polly in the passenger seat of his big, gray pickup truck. The radio played the local classic rock station, and Sam smiled listening to Polly belt out the lyrics to an old Bon Jovi tune in her high-pitched voice.
The school was a bit of a madhouse it being the first day and all. Sam parked a block away, and he let Polly walk beside him though he longed to carry her in his arms. He knew her dignity meant more to her at this moment than her Grandfathers need to feel protective. They found her classroom after a couple of fits and starts. It was surrounded by a large group of parents all jockeying for position to capture the perfect photo of their respective child. Polly stood wide-eyed next to his leg looking at all the children running in circles.
"Grandpa! There's Amy!" shouted Polly and she was off before he could move.
Amy was one of her friends from daycare whose parents had enrolled her in the same school as Polly. Sam was grateful they had also ended up in class together as it might smooth the transition for Polly to have a familiar face nearby. The two girls embraced banging their lunch pails together in the process.
"It's always nice to start school with a friend," commented a voice from just behind him.
Sam turned to look over his shoulder. The words had come from a woman who barely reached his chest in height with her small face almost hidden in a cascade of dark, curly hair. She brushed some of the more offending strands back revealing a pair of deep brown, and vaguely almond shaped eyes denoting a mixed heritage. The smile that adorned her face revealed rows of perfectly even white teeth that stood out against the backdrop of her soft, tan lips. Her skin all over was a light shade of brown, and Sam imagined she must have a bit of Asian blood.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. I'm Sam Walsh by the way," he replied automatically sticking out one meaty hand.
"Kate Ryan. It's nice to meet you, Sam."
Her tiny hand vanished into his, and he was careful not to grip it too hard. He was a carpenter by trade, and it wouldn't do to crush the bones of one of his fellow parents on the first day of school.
"Which one of these wild things is yours?"
"All of them," said Kate laughing at the look of surprise that showed on Sam's face.
