Chapter Three: Learning The day after their shopping spree was spent at home, Gabrielle sitting in front of the television with a stack of Disney DVDs Sora had talked him into buying while Leon indulged in his favorite pastime and read a novel -- something he rarely had time for when he was working. The leading child experts would probably read him the riot act for allowing the TV to act as a baby-sitter, but what else was he supposed to do? He had no idea how to entertain a five-year-old girl, and Sora was a no-show, presumably thinking it best to give them some private family bonding time. He decided it was best to enroll Gabrielle in school as soon as possible. The next morning, Leon got in contact with Jean Benigni, the set director at Kaleido Stage, who recommended the same elementary school his now-thirteen-year-old daughter Marion had attended as a child. Unfortunately, Jean informed him that it was a school holiday, so Gabrielle wouldn’t be able to start until the following day at the earliest. As he set the phone back in its receiver, Leon sighed. It looked like it was another day of singing mermaids and talking toys. He was about to start preparing breakfast for him and Gabrielle when the phone rang. “Hello, Oswald residence,” he said, cradling the phone between his ear and shoulder as he grabbed a few items from his mostly-barren refrigerator to make omelets and set them on the counter. “Hey, Leon, it’s me, Sora,” his partner said, sounding perky and energetic first thing in the morning. “I hope you don’t mind me calling so early. Mia’s busy working on the plans for the new show, and Anna just left to visit her father in Chicago on a comedy tour, so I thought I might come by and hang out with you and Gabrielle for the day. That is, if you don’t mind, of course.” Mind? More like he couldn’t believe his good luck! “Sure, come over if you want,” Leon said, keeping it cool. “In fact, why don’t you take Gabrielle out for a girls’ day? She really seems to like you.” There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. “I like her, too, but, Leon, she’s only going to be staying with you for a short time. Don’t you want to spend as much time with her as possible?” “We spent the entire day together yesterday.” “Doing what?” “Watching those silly movies you made me buy.” He omitted the fact that he had spent most of that time with his nose stuck in a book, ignoring both the movies and Gabrielle. “All day?” “She seemed to enjoy them.” “That’s not the point. Today, we’re going to the park,” Sora decided on her own. “It’s a beautiful day, so let’s enjoy it together! And, yes, you‘re going, too,” she added. “We’ll have a picnic lunch, then play on the playground. It‘ll be fun.” “Sora, I --” “No excuses. I’ll take care of everything. All you have to do is show up with Gabrielle at noon. I’ll be waiting by the fountain.” She hung up before Leon had the chance to refuse, leaving him no choice in the matter. Shortly before twelve, he and Gabrielle walked over to the nearby park. Sora was not there when they arrived at the main fountain, but a few minutes later, she jogged over, lugging a large cooler in one hand. The other she waved in greeting. “Sorry, I’m late,” she said. “The food took longer to prepare than I thought. I wasn‘t sure what to bring, so I made a little bit of everything. Come on, let‘s set up under that tree.” Sora wasn’t lying when she said she had brought a “little bit of everything”. For somebody who had admitted she wasn’t much of a cook, she certainly had put a lot of effort into making a great lunch for them. Even Gabrielle -- Princess of Picky Eating -- found enough she liked amongst the smorgasbord to fill up most of her paper plate. Leon took note, thinking he should probably take her grocery shopping later. “Not bad,” he said after taking a bite of some Chinese dish he didn’t recognize. “May helped me a little,” Sora admitted, somewhat bashfully. “I’m glad you like it, though.” After they finished eating, Sora took Gabrielle to play on some nearby swings, while Leon remained sitting under the tree, his back leaning against the trunk. He pulled out the novel he had started yesterday, but only managed to get halfway through the chapter before he was distracted by Gabrielle shouting, “Higher, Sora! Higher!” A sad smile crossed his lips, thinking back to the days when he and Sophie would play on the swings when they were children, before they were ever recruited by Alain Rubel for the trapeze. Just like Gabrielle, Sophie always wanted to go “higher, higher,” believing that if she just swung high enough, she might be able to see their parents in heaven. Does Gabrielle hold the same belief? Leon wondered, watching Sora push the girl even higher. Is she trying to see Emilie again? After a while, he set his forgotten book aside and walked over to the swing set. Sora, surprised by his sudden appearance, dropped her arms to the side, and Gabrielle dragged her sneakers on the ground, coming to a stop. “Papa?” Wordlessly, Leon walked up behind her and grabbed the two chains, pulling the swing backwards before releasing it again with a powerful push that sent Gabrielle soaring. She let out a happy shriek, her loose white- blonde hair trailing in the air behind her. Beside him, Sora smiled, obviously approving, then sat down on the empty swing to the left, kicking off on her own. It wasn’t long before she was swinging as high as Gabrielle, her form as graceful as it was on the trapeze. “Papa, higher!” Gabrielle squealed, not wanting to be beaten. “I want to touch the sky!” As he gave her another strong push, Leon thought of Sophie once again and couldn’t help but wish it was possible. ***** The next morning was Gabrielle’s first day of school. While Leon was drinking his coffee and reading the morning paper, Gabrielle entered the kitchen, holding a brush and some ribbons in her hands. “Um, Papa, can you braid my hair?” she asked, Though she still didn’t talk much, she seemed to be gradually breaking out of her shell. “What’s wrong with the way you have it now?” “Nothing, but…” Leon set the newspaper aside and stood up. “Fine, sit down and eat your breakfast,” he said, indicating the bowl of cereal he had prepared for her. “We’re already running behind.” Gabrielle sat down, but didn’t touch her cereal as Leon began brushing her long hair. Thanks to Sophie, he had a lot of experience styling girls’ hair. “You’re not eating,” Leon said, frowning. After their day at the park, he (and Sora) had taken Gabrielle grocery shopping specifically to buy foods she liked. “I thought you said you liked that cereal.” “Maman always put bananas in my cereal.” “I don’t have any bananas. You’ll have to do without for today.” “Okay,” she sighed, picking up her spoon and taking a bite. A few minutes later, somebody knocked on the front door. Since he was in the middle of French braiding Gabrielle’s hair and couldn‘t answer, Leon called out, “Come in, it’s open.” “Hi! I hope I’m not intruding,” Sora said, joining them in the kitchen. “Sora!” Gabrielle jumped up from her chair, intending to hug their guest, but was held back by Leon, who still styling her hair. “Ow!” “Hold still. I’m almost done,” he said, finishing off the plait. For a final touch, he tied one of the ribbons around the elastic band into a bow. “There.” The moment he finished, Gabrielle ran over and threw her arms around Sora’s waist. “Sora!” “Hey, Gabi, are you excited about your first day of school?” Gabrielle nodded. “Look at my hair,” she said, turning around so that Sora could see. “Papa did it.” “It looks great!” Sora glanced over at Leon, who had resumed reading his paper, and raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize you were so talented at styling hair, Leon. Most guys have no idea how to French braid.” He shrugged. “When you’re in our business, you pick things up,” he said dismissively. “Gabrielle, finish your breakfast. We’ll need to get there early to fill out the enrollment papers.” “Mind if I tag along?” Sora asked, causing Leon to glance up from the article he had been reading. “I don’t mind, but why?” “Hmm… Moral support, I guess?” “Suit yourself,” he said, turning his attention to Gabrielle. “Do you have your backpack packed?” “Almost.” “Go finish up.” Gabrielle went back to her room to finish getting ready while Leon cleaned up the kitchen, Sora looking on in amusement. “I never imagined I would ever see you looking so domesticated,” she said. “For a man who didn’t think he had what it took to be a father, you seem to be doing a good job so far.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said, frowning when he noticed Gabrielle’s new Barbie lunchbox sitting on the counter. “Damn, I forgot to make her lunch.” “Don’t worry. Do you have some peanut butter and jelly?” “In the pantry.” “Thanks,” she said, pulling them out and making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Leon grabbed a juice box, an apple, and a small bag of chips to add to the lunch and placed them in the lunchbox. They finished packing everything just as Gabrielle came back out, dragging her backpack behind her. “Ready?” he asked, handing her the lunchbox. “I guess.” “Then let’s go.” When they arrived at the school, they headed to the main office, where the secretary gave Leon some forms to fill out. “What’s your middle name?” he asked Gabrielle. “Nicole.” “Birthday?” “March 14th.” Leon filled the rest out on his own, hesitating only for a moment when it came to filling out the father’s name and information. When he finished, he handed the forms back to the secretary. “Thank you, and welcome to Cape Mary Elementary,” she said with a bright smile. “Follow me, I’ll take you to her classroom.” On the way to the classroom, Gabrielle reached for Leon’s hand, holding it tightly. Her grip became even stronger as they followed the secretary inside a brightly painted room filled with about twenty or so rambunctious kids. “Miss Jacobson, you have a new student,” the secretary announced. The teacher -- a rather plain-looking woman in glasses who appeared to be in her mid- to late-twenties -- came over to greet them. “Hello, nice to meet you,” she said, offering her hand. “I’m Diane Jacobson.” Leon accepted the handshake. “Leon Oswald, and this --” “No need for introductions, Mr. Oswald. I’m a huge fan of Kaleido Stage. What an honor to meet you and Miss Naegino in person!” She chuckled. “Oh, my, listen to me. I’m acting like a star-struck fan.” Sora grinned. “No need to apologize. It’s always great to meet a fan.” “And who is this?” Miss Jacobson asked, looking down at Gabrielle, who had half-hidden herself behind Leon’s legs. “My daughter, Gabrielle Paradis.” The teacher bent down and smiled. “Hello, Gabrielle. It’s very nice to meet you, too.” Gabrielle buried her face in Leon’s clothes. “She’s a shy one, isn’t she?” Miss Jacobson commented, holding out her hand. “Won’t you shake my hand? I promise I won’t bite.” She shook her head. “What’s the problem?” Leon asked, looking down at his daughter in mild annoyance. “This morning you were excited about coming to school.” Sora squatted down, placing a hand on the girl‘s shoulder. “Look, Gabi. See all these kids? I’m sure they’re all waiting to meet you and become your new friends.” “Miss Naegino’s right,” the teacher said. “We all love making new friends here.” Gabrielle still refused to let go of Leon, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I want to stay with Papa and Sora,” she said in a soft voice that Leon could barely hear. Miss Jacobson straightened back up, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “It’s a classic case of separation anxiety,” she told them. “I see it all the time. She’ll be upset at first, but soon she’ll be having too much fun to miss you.” At that moment, one of the kids called for her. “Sammy, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times not to eat the glue!” she scolded upon seeing one of the boys sucking on a glue bottle. With a roll of her eyes, she turned back to Leon. “Sorry, I need to take care of that. I’ll give you a moment to say your goodbyes.” After the teacher left to handle the glue situation, Gabrielle tugged on Leon’s shirt. “Papa, do I have to stay?” Sighing, Leon kneeled down in front of her. “Yes, you do.” “Why?” He said the first thing that popped into his head. “Because I said so.” Sora hid a smile behind her hand. “I think what your dad is trying to say is that school can be really fun, and he wants you to make lots of new friends.” “Sora, you’re my friend, aren’t you?” Gabrielle asked. “Well, yes, of course I am, but don’t you want some friends your own age?” “Maybe, but what if nobody likes me?” “Not possible. They’re going to love you.” Gabrielle threw her arms around Leon’s neck. “I still don’t want you to go, Papa,” she said. “Can’t you stay?” Leon looked over at Sora for guidance, but she simply shrugged and moved away to give them some privacy. “Gabrielle, you’ll be fine by yourself,” he said, gently breaking free of Gabrielle’s hold on him. “Like Sora said, I’m sure you’ll meet lots of nice people here.” “But Papa…” she whimpered, a couple of tears rolling down her cheeks. “Oh, please don’t start crying. I can’t handle crying girls.” Leon spotted a box of tissues on the teacher’s desk and took one. “Here, wipe your face.” Sora returned a few moments later with a little girl in pigtails in tow. “Gabrielle, there’s someone I want you to meet,” she said. “This is Melissa. I told her about you, and she wants to be your friend.” “Hi! Do you like to color?” the girl asked. Gabrielle nodded. Melissa pointed toward a table in the corner, where two other girls were sitting. “Me and my friends are coloring over there. Wanna join us?” “Go ahead,” Sora said, giving Gabrielle a light push forward. “It’ll be fine. I promise.” She still seemed hesitant, but after a glance back at Leon and Sora, she agreed. “Okay,” she said. Melissa grabbed Gabrielle’s hand and led her over to the table with the rest of her friends. After a couple of minutes, Gabrielle was laughing and smiling, having a great time. Sora grinned. “I think she’ll be okay now. Let’s sneak out while she’s not paying attention to us.” They left the room, Leon closing the door behind them. While Sora went ahead, he took a one final look inside the classroom before jogging to catch up with her. The two of them didn’t say anything until they had reached Leon’s car. “Thank you, Sora,” he said. “I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t there.” “I thought something like that might happen,” she admitted, glancing over at Leon. “She’s getting attached to you, you know.” “I don’t want to hear it.” He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. “And enrolling her in school just makes things seem more permanent. What’s going to happen when the month is up and she has to say goodbye to all her new friends?” Leon sped up, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. “I said I don’t want to talk about it.” “You can’t ignore things just because you don’t want to deal with them.” “I’m not ignoring it. I told you, I’ll tell her when I find the right time.” “And when will that be? When you’re at the airport?” “How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t want to talk about it?” he snapped, turning on the radio. After a few minutes, Sora reached over and turned it off. “Wha--” “I think there’s a reason why you haven’t told her,” she said, cutting him off before he could protest. Leon rubbed at his temple. “You know, you really try my patience sometimes, Sora.” “Do you want to hear my theory or not?” “Not really, but I have a feeling you’re going to tell me anyway.” “I think a part of you wants to keep custody of her,” she said. “I think you’re getting just as attached to Gabrielle as she is to you, and you don’t want to tell her because you think you may change your mind about signing away your parental rights.” “You’re delusional,” he scoffed. “You’re just seeing what you want to see.” “Am I? I saw you looking back into the classroom when we were leaving.” Leon’s eyes widened slightly, surprised Sora had noticed. “I was only checking to make sure she was okay.” “Because you care about her.” Inhaling a deep breath, Leon took a moment before responding. “I’m not some sort of heartless monster,” he said in a soft voice. “She’s my daughter; of course I care about her.” “Then why --” “Look, can we just drop this subject for now?” he asked, again turning on the radio and raising the volume. That time, Sora respected his wishes, remaining silent until the car pulled up in front of the Kaleido Stage dormitory. “Thanks for driving me back home,” she said, opening the door. Before she got out, however, Leon reached over and lightly grabbed her by the wrist. “Wait,” he said, releasing his grip. “I’m sorry. I know you’re only trying to help --” Sora shook her head. “No, this really isn’t any of my business. I’m the one who should apologize. I stuck my nose in where it doesn’t belong. This is a decision you need to make for yourself, not one to be pressured into.” “I have appreciated your help with Gabrielle these last few days, Sora,” he said. “Honestly.” She smiled. “It’s no big deal. We’re friends, and that’s what friends do, right?” She got out of the car. “See you later, and if you ever need anything else, don’t hesitate to call.” “Yeah, thanks. See you.” Leon intended to go back to his apartment after dropping Sora off at the dorms, but somehow he found himself driving to the public beach instead. As it was mid-January, the beach was pretty much deserted. Leon sat down on the sand and watched the waves of the Pacific Ocean crash against the shore, his long hair flapping in the breeze. It occurred to him that in the three years since he had joined Kaleido Stage and moved to America, this was the first time he had ever gone to the beach for his own pleasure. He never had the desire before, but he could now understand some of the appeal. With its white sand and green-blue water, it was quite the beautiful sight. He sighed, thinking of Gabrielle’s wish for the two of them to go to the beach. Was Sora right? Was the reason why he kept putting off telling Gabrielle that she would be leaving in a month because he subconsciously didn’t want to give her up? “That’s ridiculous,” he muttered to himself. “Sora’s just putting thoughts in my head because she disagrees with my decision.” But Sora was right about one thing. It was unfair to Gabrielle to let her get attached to him and her new friends without letting her know it was only a temporary situation. He had to tell her the truth, the sooner the better. Leon fell back on the sand, using his arm to shield his eyes from the sun. A brief vision came to mind of him, Gabrielle, and Sora playing together on the beach, but he quickly pushed it back, shaking his head as he sat back up. I’ll tell Gabrielle the truth when she comes home from school, he decided. ***** Later that afternoon, Leon stood in the parking lot of the school, leaning up against the hood of his car as he waited for the final bell to ring. Gabrielle, Melissa, and the two other girls he remembered from that morning were among the first to exit the building. Gabrielle’s face lit up the second she saw Leon. “Papa!” Turning to her friends, she waved goodbye and said, “That’s my dad. See you tomorrow!” She then ran over to the car, hugging Leon. “Papa, I had the best day!” she exclaimed, looking around. “Where’s Sora?” “She had some other things to do today.” “Oh.” Gabrielle was momentarily disappointed by Sora’s absence, but cheered right back up. “Anyway, I made lots of friends today,” she said as she and Leon got in the car. She began counting on her fingers. “There’s Melissa, Eva, Madison, Logan, Krystal, Alex, Sammy --” She paused, making a face. “Well, actually, Sammy’s kind of annoying. He kept pulling on my braid all day, but Madison says that’s ‘boy-code’ for him liking me.” Gabrielle tilted her head to the side, frowning. “Is that true, Papa?” “I suppose I must have done the same thing when I was his age whenever I liked a girl,” Leon admitted as Gabrielle got in back. “Well, that’s stupid.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “If you like somebody, you should just tell them, right?” “It’s not always that easy for somebody to confess their feelings.” “Have you told Sora you like her yet?” “What? No,” he said, closing the door and slipping into the driver‘s seat. “I told you. We’re partners at work. She’s a friend, but I don’t like her that way.” “Are you sure? Because I think you do.” Driving off, Leon decided to change the subject. “Tell me about the rest of your day.” That did the trick. Gabrielle gabbed the rest of the way home, telling him stories about her new friends. Leon couldn’t help but think she had talked more in one short car ride than she had the entire time he had known her up to then. He also noticed Sora’s influence in the way she kept repeating words whenever she was excited. “And then, and then, and then Miss Jacobson said I had the best handwriting in the entire class!” Gabrielle said as Leon pulled into his usual parking spot. “I even got an award for it.” “That’s great,” he said. “I’m glad you had fun.” “I love, love, love my new school!” They headed upstairs to the apartment. “Put your bag in your bedroom, then come back out here,” Leon told her. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.” “Okay.” While Gabrielle was putting her things away, Leon prepared a small afternoon snack for her -- a glass of milk and a cookie. She came back out a few moments later, waving a piece of colorful paper around. “Papa, can I hang this on the fridge?” she asked, startling Leon. “What? Oh, yes, that’s fine.” She hung her award on the refrigerator with the only magnet he had -- a Kaleido Stage one -- as Leon sat down at the table. “Gabrielle, have a seat. “What is it, Papa?” she asked, joining him. “You look kind of serious. Did I do something bad?” “No. There’s something I need to tell you,” he said after a brief pause. “You see, when you came here, I…” His hand clenched into a fist underneath the table. Despite the fact that he had rehearsed what he had planned to say to her all afternoon, no words came to him. Gabrielle stared at him, confused. “Papa? He shook his head. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth. Not yet, at least. “You know, it’s nothing important,” he lied. “We can talk about it some other time.” Leon stood back up. “After you finish your snack, you can play until dinner.” She shrugged and reached for her cookie. “Okay.” DISCLAIMER: Kaleido Star doesn't belong to me.