February 2nd 

Thursday 

3:00 PM 

David and some other students had finished another day at Little Hearts Daycare, which involved learning about the basics of adding and subtracting numbers, along with other fun activities such as making flowers with colorful construction paper. 

Andrew was escorting the children to a small school bus that was assigned to those who signed up for bussing services, occasionally checking to make sure that everyone in his line was present.  

The vehicle was light blue with the name Little Hearts Daycare printed on both sides in white bold letters, along with colorful flowers painted onto it. It was designed this way for appealing to children.  

When the group arrived at the parking lot, Andrew stopped to perform a final headcount of all the children. He didn’t want anyone being left behind, it was important to him that all were accounted for.  

“Let’s see... nine, ten, eleven, and... twelve!” said the wolf boy as he nodded.  

All the kids were chatting amongst themselves while waiting to board the bus, with the little tiger cub conversing with his leopard friend. This was interrupted when Andrew clapped his hands three times, which grabbed the attention of those in the group.  

“Okay everyone, I’m going to explain the basic rules before we start boarding. Please pay attention kiddos: There will be no pushing, screaming, or bullying of any kind. Snacks are prohibited, but water is acceptable. Juice isn’t allowed, and don’t move from your assigned seats while the bus is in motion. Any questions?”  said Andrew. 

One of the students, a young fox girl, raised her hand into the air since she was wondering about something. 

“What’s your question?” asked the fox girl. 

“Can we uuuuh... sing?” She inquired. 

“Singing is fine, just not too loud. It would annoy the bus driver.” said Andrew.  

The bus driver opened the entrance door; ready to bring the children back to their homes. She is a 29-year-old brown bear with light-blue eyes and short black hair. Her outfit consisted of an orange shirt and blue jeans, including a safety vest across her chest.  

“All aboard kids, remember your assigned seats!” the bus driver reminded.  

“Hey Miss Lina!” said the wolf boy while watching the students enter the vehicle. 

“Good to see you again, Andrew. I’d love to talk further, but I got kids to transport!” said Lina as she watched every student slowly walk onto the bus using the handrail.  

David followed behind Eloise as they boarded the bus, both were the last to board it since they were in the back of the line. These two are assigned to sit with each other in the front.  

When everyone was buckled in and seated, the bus driver shut the entrance door to the vehicle and drove out of the daycare parking lot. The children conversed with each other while waiting to be dropped off. 

The ride itself was relatively peaceful for the most part, except for a few of the children getting into an argument over who’s the best superhero. It was between a male wolf pup and a female hyena cub. 

“Robo Man is the better superhero! He’s got cool lasers that go pew pew!” said the wolf pup 

“No... Lady Elastic does better! She can stretch and stuff!” said the hyena cub.  

“Is not!” 

“Is too!” 

“Robo Man is stupid!” 

“Your stupid!” 

“Your lame!” 

Miss Lina pulled out a whistle from her pockets and blew on it for a few seconds to get the attention of the two kids. It wasn’t too loud, but enough to get their attention. She didn’t want a fight breaking out. 

“Don’t fight or call anyone names while riding the bus, please. Otherwise... I may have to call your parents.” said the driver in a gentle tone.  

“Sorry Miss Lina...” said the two in unison. 

“Thank you.” said Lina. 

The bus driver put away her whistle and focused back on getting the children back to their parents on time. She didn’t want to be late. 

Four of the students lived in a city apartment complex, with others living in suburban areas. The first four were dropped off near a building with the name of Greystone Apartment Complex: a light-grey brick building with many floors.  

“Thanks Miss Lina!” the students said as they got off.  

“Have a good day!” She replied.  

Miss Lina then continued her route once she had a clear opportunity, since traffic in the city was rather tricky to navigate at times. Especially during rush-hour when other people are trying to get home from their jobs.  

“Mon ami, I really had fun with you today. You’re so sweet!” said Eloise. 

“Grazie, mi amica! I had fun too.” said David. 

“I like the colors you did for your flowers.” said the leopard cub. 

“Ahuh! I used lots of colors!” the tiger cub replied. 

Both chuckled to themselves while sitting in their seats, waiting to arrive at their destination. It was going to be a bit before they arrived. David looked at all the street stores they passed, some of them being clothing stores.  

Eloise was more interested in seeing perfume stores, and flower shops that sold the most beautiful flowers on display.  

“I really enjoy using perfume, though my mother gets specific brands meant for children.” She spoke.  

“Cosa?” asked the tiger cub. 

“Mon ami, perfume is something that makes you smell good.” said the female leopard. “Even for different occasions.” 

“Wow!” said David. 

“I’d love a perfume set, with a variety of scents.” said Eloise. 

“I want toy dinosaurs!” said the tiger cub.  

His friend let out a short giggle as she looked out the window with him, seeing if they could spot anything interesting. Both spotted some fancy red sports cars and one flower shop, which had the leopard’s attention.  

For the rest of the route, it was peaceful without much incident. All the kids talked with each other and remained in their seats until it was their turn to get off.  

Thursday 

3:54 PM 

Red Leaf Way 

After waiting through a traffic jam, the bus driver arrived at David’s house. His mother was sitting next to a thirty-two-year-old male leopard in a light-grey polo shirt and blue jeans with dark-brown boots.  

“Okay David, your home sweetie.” said Miss Lina.  

The tiger cub got up, grabbed his dinosaur-themed backpack, and headed to the front of the vehicle. He didn’t notice Eloise following close behind him, who was smiling the whole time as she walked.  

“Grazie Signora!” said David as the driver opened the doors. 

“Awww... you’re welcome hun. Have a wonderful evening!” said the bus driver as she watched them head off.  

Marian walked over to her son and gave him a big hug, watching as his friend got off the bus before the driver shut the doors. Driving off to drop off the remaining students before she could finish working for the day. 

“Did you have a wonderful time at daycare today hun?” asked the mother. 

“Si madre, I made you this flower!” said the cub as he presented it.  

“Awww... how cute! Thank you, sweetie!” exclaimed Marian while briefly glancing at Eloise for a moment.  

David looked to the left and noticed a stranger that was sitting on their porch, which surprised and confused him. The boy even noticed a red minivan in the driveway. He wasn’t expecting anyone else, nor had he been told. He got anxious rather quickly. 

“Bonjour Papa!” said Eloise. 

“Cosa!?” asked David as he turned around. “What happen?” 

“Bonjour my beautiful daughter!” said the stranger as he approached them.  

Marian chuckled for a moment after seeing how surprised David was to see that his friend had been following behind him. She playfully ruffled his hair.  

“Davey, this is your first official playdate with your friend!” said the mother.  

“Oui, both of us planned it over the phone. It was a surprise for you, that’s why my daughter followed you off the bus.” the male leopard said while extending his right hand towards him. “My name is Russell, pleasure to meet you, David.”  

“Piacere, Signore...” said the tiger cub shyly as he shook his hand while staring at it. He was rather shy. 

David ran to Eloise and gave them a gentle hug, happy for his first ever playdate with a good friend. Russell was informed by Marian that David was rather different from other kids, so he didn’t mind if the boy didn’t directly look him in the eye when greeting him.  

“Shall we go inside now? I’d love to show you, my house.” said Marian. 

“Oui madame, go ahead.” said the male leopard. 

“Andiamo!” said David as he gently took his friend by the hand.  

They headed inside the house, with the children heading in first since Russell had to grab the light-pink diaper bag he left on the porch before entering. Eloise was the first inside, with David and the others following behind. 

Russ was intrigued by the small flags of Italy on both sides of the hallway walls, staring at them briefly for a moment before looking straight forward. 

“This may not be much, but it's our home. Always has been.” said Marian. 

“Is your husband Italian?” asked the man.  

“Yes, he’s from Sicily.” The mother replied.  

“Ah, that makes sense. I’ve never been to Italy before, not enough vacation days for a big trip.” said Russell.  

“You should meet my husband, he’s very nice.” said Marian.  

Everyone entered the kitchen and dining area, which is rather small. It was fitting for a family of three, the radio mounted on the wall was playing the same Italian radio station. It was a smooth love song.  

“Not bad for a kitchen/dining combination. Our apartment has a small kitchen like this, but it's smaller.” said Russ.  

“How is your apartment building like?”  said the mother.  

“It’s comfy at best, but with questionable maintenance records. While anything broken does get fixed, it tends to break after two years.” said the leopard man.  

“Have you asked your landlord to work on that?” asked Marian. 

“Oui, but alas... he’s usually late to get such things done.” Russell answered.  

Eloise walked to the dining room table, looking at the small vase of roses sitting on the dining room table. She was observing it’s beauty. David went to the fridge to grab something, pulling it open.  

“David? Do you want something honey?” asked the mother.  
 
“I want banana milk please...” said the tiger cub. 

“Banana milk?” asked the leopard cub.  

“It’s David’s favorite drink; I got it for him at a Korean Convenience Store in the city.” said Marian. 

“Oooh.” said Eloise. 

The mother walked over to the fridge and grabbed a baby bottle of banana milk from the top shelf. She handed it to her son, watching as he took it from her gently. The boy was eager to have it. 

“Grazie, madre!” said David as he took a small sip of his milk. “Can I go play with mia amica now?”  

“Sure honey, I’ll come check on you later.” said Marian. 

“Bellissimo!” exclaimed the tiger cub.  

Both kids ran towards the stairs and headed up to the second floor of the house, where two bedrooms were located, along with a secondary bathroom. Marian giggled as they did so, heading over to the coffee machine to pour herself a cup.  

“Coffee?” asked the mother.  

“Oui madame, merci.” said the male leopard.  

“Coming up.” said Marian as she got out a second coffee cup from the cupboard above her, pouring out some black coffee. Putting it in the microwave to heat it up, setting it on a one-minute timer.  

“So... how did you get this quaint home?” asked Russell.  

“It originally belonged to my husband’s grandfather and grandmother; the keys were handed off to him after they retired.” She explained.  

“Okay, that makes sense.” said the man.  

Upstairs in David’s bedroom, Eloise is rather surprised by how everything is themed to dinosaurs, including most of his toys as well. The walls had a dinosaur pattern with a dark-grey carpet. The tiger cub took off his backpack and placed it by his bed.  

“Wow... so colorful! Magnifique!” said the young lady. 

“Si, it’s magnifico!” the tiger cub replied.  

“I wish my bedroom was colorful like this, but it's mostly plain. The neighbors above us are also noisy too.” said Eloise.  

“Oh... I always wear my headphones when its noisy. Sometimes, I listen to calming music to help block noise.” said David. 

The little tiger cub went over to the toy-chest in his room and grabbed his toy dinosaur figures from it. One by one, he placed them on the ground next to his friend. Eloise was surprised by how many he had; there was fifteen of them. All of them being different dinosaur species.  

“So many of them...” She spoke.  

“Ahuh, I love dinos!” He replied.  

“I didn’t expect there to be so many.” said Eloise. 

“Let’s play!” said David.  

The children played with the dino figures, having fun with acting out random scenarios that they could think of. David would take sips of his banana milk while playing with his toys, not wanting to be thirsty while spending time with his friend.  

Back in the dining area, Marian was sitting at the table and conversing with Russell over a cup of coffee.  

“Where does your husband work?” asked Russell. 

“Rorkesburg Technical Support, it’s a company whose duty is to repair electronics. My son likes to watch him repair computers that he takes home from work sometimes.” said Marian.  

“Sounds like a busy job.” Russ replied.  

“It is, and he used to have a previous boss that was hated by many employees. It was a happy day when they got a new one.” said the mother as she sipped her coffee. 

“I’m happy for that, when I worked as a financial accountant in Paris... I had the most wonderful and caring boss. Even if the job itself was boring.” said the male leopard.  

“While it’s not fun managing financial accounts, it’s certainly important to those who need it most.”  said Marian. 

“That I can agree with.” said Russell as he heard footsteps coming down the staircase. The kids decided to go watch some television in the living room after playing with toy dino figurines for a couple of minutes.  

Marian was originally planning to head upstairs to check on them, but it seems she didn’t need to go very far to do so. The little tiger cub tried reaching for the remote from the coffee table, wanting to watch an episode of his favorite show. 

“Hey David, are you playing nice with your friend?” She asked. 

“Si madre, now I want to watch Dino Heroes with her.” said David.  

“Alright, just one episode.” said Marian as she picked up the remote and switched it to the exact channel it played on.  

David and his friend sat together on the living room carpet, watching as the show started on the television. Russell walked over after hearing the campy and cheerful theme of the Dino Heroes show. The little tiger cub was in his little child-sized sofa.  

“Quite the small living room you have here, and what television show is this?” He asked.  

“Oh, this is Dino Heroes. It’s a kids show that teaches important morals while having small lessons in Italian.” said Marian. 

“You have an Italian TV channel on your network? That’s very interesting...” said Russ as he sat down on the couch.  

“It’s part of the television service we pay for; It’s only seven ninety-nine per month for additional channels that aren’t included in the main package. This includes foreign channels like this one.” said the mother. 

“Pretty expensive, I remember having to pay five euros per month for basic service in Paris, and only one-thirty for exclusive channels.” The male leopard said.  

Russel sat next to Marian on the living room couch, watching as both kids enjoyed the educational television show. Eloise giggled and laughed at the silly monsters that the hero characters had to fight, which depended on the moral lesson of the day.  

David clapped his hands every time a bad monster was defeated, his mother chuckled at her son’s reactions. Eloise’s father found this show to be quite positive in how it taught its younger audience about different subjects. 

“Not bad for a kids show, it's quite wholesome. I wouldn’t mind my daughter watching something like this.” said the male leopard.  

“I agree, it’s quite wholesome.” the mother.  

“Go blue one, go!” exclaimed David.  

After the episode had ended, both toddlers clapped as the end credits were displayed on the screen. It showed all the people who voiced the characters, music design, and the artists behind the design of them. With the English subtitles on, everything was translated for easier understanding. 

“Wow... all those people made this show?” asked Eloise. 

“Indeed so, it takes a lot of work to create television shows like this one.” said Marian. 

“Neat!” said David. 

The mother got up from the couch, dusting herself off a bit as she went to the deck door to unlock it. She then said, “How about some time outside? Our backyard may be small, but it’s nice.” 
 
“Si mama!” said David. 

“Oui madame!” exclaimed Eloise.   

Both kids hurried over to the deck entrance, only to stop in their tracks for a moment. Russell followed behind them as he stopped to wonder what they were doing. It’s revealed after five seconds when both let out a sigh of relief, followed by an audible crinkling. 

“Warm....” the two said together. 

“Looks like you two need a diaper change before heading outside.” said Marian.  

“Good thing I packed plenty of them for my daughter.” said the male leopard. 

“My son isn’t interested in potty-training yet.” said the female tiger.  

“I like my diapers better.” said the tiger cub.  

Russ laughed for a bit as he picked up his daughter, while Marian did the same with her little boy. Making sure to grab the diaper bag that he brought. Both parents brought their children to the bathroom, which is across from the kitchen-dining area.  

The mother got some changing mats from the bathroom closet, laying them out flat. One is blue and the other is red. She then grabbed a package of diapers with the name, ‘Comfy Tot Diapers.’ written on both sides.  

On the box itself was a picture of what the diaper looked like up-close, it was white with some blue stripes.  

“All changing supplies are kept in the two bathrooms, and in my son’s bedroom.” said Marian as she laid her son down on the blue mat, Eloise got the red one.  

“Good thinking, you’ll always be ready if you need to change someone’s diapers.” said the male leopard while laying his daughter flat on her back. “To be honest... I’m average at changing diapers.” 

“That’s alright, my husband isn’t perfect either. I’ve seen him accidentally get baby powder on his clothing. I’ll help you out.” said the mother as she giggled a bit.  

“Merci, Marian.” said Russell.  

They got to work on changing their diapers, making sure to clean them with wipes before applying baby oil and baby powder. Marian assisted Russell with changing his daughter after finishing with David, which helped him speed up the process.  

When both were done, they disposed of the dirty diapers and cleaned their hands before exiting the bathroom with their children. It took only took five minutes to change them and put their clothing back on.  

“Thank you, madre!” said David. 

“Merci, papa!” said Eloise. 

“You’re welcome sweetie, now it's time to have some playtime in the backyard, don’t forget your shoes!” said Marian.  

“Indeed, there’s no need to hurt your feet.” said the male leopard. 

Both David and Eloise grabbed their shoes that sat by the front door, all while Russ unlocked the door that led to the deck. The mother opened the sliding door, and watched as the two children happily made their way into the backyard.  

The weather was a bit warmer today, it was in the sixties compared to yesterday when it was fifty degrees.  

“Oooo, nice playset mon ami!” said the female leopard cub.  

“Grazie, my papa bought it for me.” said the tiger cub.  

Marian and Russell watched as their children played on the blue and red colored backyard playset, having a wonderful time with each other. This surprise playdate had gone quite well, and Russ was pleased that nothing had gone wrong.  

While they were keeping an eye on their children, Jerald had arrived home from work after a long day. He didn’t know where his wife was, so he decided to check outside in the backyard just in case. The man was also aware of the surprise playdate since his wife told him about it.  

“Hello...? Marian?” asked Jerald as he walked onto the deck. 

“Over here Jerald.” said his wife said. 

“Ah, there you are mia moglie.” said the husband.  

Jerald gave his wife a kiss upon her cheek and looked over at the male leopard next to her. He wondered if this was the father of Eloise. 

“Bonjour, monsieur. You must be David’s father.” said Russell.  

“Si signore, I am Jerald Paziano Lavinzo. Piacere.” said Jerald as he introduced himself.  

“Pleased to meet you as well, you should meet my wife.” said Russ. 

Both men shook hands in a firm manner, all while watching over their children. They finished second after. David and Eloise were now playing tag with each other, with the young female leopard going first. 

“Tag! Your it!” said Eloise. 

“Cosa?” asked David as he chuckled and gave chase to his friend in the friendly game.  

The young children ran around the small backyard while being watched over, all while the parents talked amongst each other. David was enjoying this playdate, even if it wasn’t expected. Life itself is filled with many surprises that aren’t easily prepared for. But some can bring joy to another, depending on what it is.  

“I’m glad that our children are getting along,” said Russell.  

“Agreed, and I can see my boy getting many more friends along the way.” said Jerald.  

“Having friends is a wonderful thing, they can even help you in times of trouble.” Russ replied.  

“And sometimes... trouble does happen in ways unseen.” said male tiger. 

“Oui, and I wouldn’t be surprised if occasional fights happened between them. It happens with everyone, even husband and wives.” said the male leopard as he smirked a bit while chuckling. 

Jerald did the bit while nodding his head in agreement, there were indeed sometimes when he and his wife had arguments over different subjects. It was a familiar thing that happened, so he understood.  

“Both of them will have a wonderful relationship!” said Jerald. 

“Indeed, they will.” said Russell.  

 

5:30 PM 

Thursday 

After having so much fun together, David and Eloise were now getting tired. All the play time had expended most of their energy. The kiddos let out a small yawn, even though they still wanted to have fun. 

“Come my daughter, we have to go home now.” said Russell. 

“But papa, I wanted to play longer...” replied his daughter. 

“I know, but it’s almost time for dinner.” the male leopard said.  

“Today was fun!” said David as he hugged his friend. 

“Oui, oui, David!” Eloise replied as she did the same.  

When they finished hugging each other for twelve seconds, the young lady went off with her father to collect their things before leaving. Meeting them on the porch to see them off once they exited the house. Once ready, the two stepped outside the front door. 

“Arrivederci, Eloise!” said the tiger cub as he waved to her. 

“Au Revoir!” She replied.  

“Goodbye Russell, nice to meet you!” said Jerald. 

“Have a lovely evening!” said Russell.  

Russell and his daughter got into their vehicle, driving away from the neighborhood. David and his parents watched them leave from their own porch. The little tiger cub was a bit sad that he didn’t get to play a little longer. 

“Papa? Madre?” asked David. 

“Yes Davey?” said Marian.  

“Can we have another uuuh... play date?” He asked. 

“Maybe another time, sweetie.” said the mother. 

“We’ll be having Shrimp and Noodles.” said Jerald. 

“Fantastico! Shrimp!” exclaimed David. 

The three went back inside the house, with the mother heading into the kitchen to get started on making dinner. David spent some time in the living room with his father, who was reading some dinosaur kid books to him.