Alexandra decided to opt for a “wait and see” approach. All the adults were loud, some were irritated, some were even angry. She didn’t want any attention from large, frustrated people. But once all the children were checked in, presumably there would be a lull, allowing her to either explain herself or sneak away.
“Alice…” the boy muttered, looking at the attendance book. “The only Alice on the list is Alice Hattenfield. But it looks like she’s not supposed to be coming for a few weeks, since her family is on vacation.”
“Probably an old note then,” the girl said with a shrug. “We can double-check with Grandma when she comes back.”
“Yeah. Okay, Alice Hattenfield is two and a half, so put her with the toddlers.”
“Doy,” the girl sighed. “Obviously this little girl is a toddler!” She picked Alexandra up and brought her away from the check-in desk. They went into a large play room full of children, with baby gates separating the different age groups. The girl set Alexandra down with a group of children her current age. “Be a good girl, Alice! I’ll be back in a bit to check on you!” With that, she left.
Alexandra took stock of her surroundings. There were three other toddlers. All were boys. In the specific cordoned off area she was in, there were some toys and even a toddler potty. Alexandra was already dreading using that in front of everyone at some point. But even that would be less embarrassing than having another accident. A bored looking teenaged boy was keeping an eye on the children as they were brought in.
Alexandra sucked on the pacifier thoughtfully. Now that she was away from the crowd and chaos, she felt calmer, more rational. More mature. With her mind back on track, she had to decide her next move.