As usual, Sierra waits for her babysitter to pick her up from school. She watches her classmates get picked up by their moms and dads and feels jealous. From kindergarten until now, Sierra’s babysitter has always been the one who’s picked her up. Never has Sierra been picked up by her mom who works several jobs so that the family can be fed. While waiting for her babysitter, Sierra takes out the memo that her teacher handed out in class. It states that the class will have an upcoming party that invites parents to create artwork with their children.

“Sorry for being late.” Sierra hears in an apologetic tone. Sierra looks up from the memo and sees her babysitter.

“It’s ok. Here,” Sierra says as she hands over the memo. “Will you give this to my mom and return it to me as soon as possible?” Then Sierra adds as an afterthought, “ Since you see her more often.”

The next morning, Sierra’s babysitter returns the memo.

“Your mom signed it,” she says in a cheery voice. “She says that she will come to the party.”

“She did?” Sierra exclaims, staring at the paper in disbelief.

Sierra skips to school, gripping the memo in her hand. She feels ecstatic. All day she spends the majority of class daydreaming about her mom. At lunch, Sierra tells her best friend, Jennifer, that her mom has agreed to come to the party.

“Really?” Jennifer asks. She seems stunned.

“Mhm,” Sierra nods.

“That’s awesome. I have always wanted to meet your mom,” Jennifer says excitedly.

On the day of the party, Sierra wakes up extra early to decide on what she should wear. She wants to look lovely for her mom. After deciding on an outfit, Sierra skips to school. She can hardly wait for the day to begin.

At noon, parents begin to pour into the classroom, each bringing food for the class. Sierra stares at the doorway, waiting for her mom. As the minutes tick by, more and more parents flood into the room. But Sierra’s mom is nowhere to be found. Sierra starts to become anxious; she hyperventilates and swings her legs faster. Jennifer senses her anxiety and tries to calm her down, but when the drawing begins, Sierra knows that her mom is not coming. For a second, the trust she has in her mom breaks. Then, her teacher walks up to her.

“Umm, Sierra, where’s your mom?” she asks, concerned.

“She said she would come, but I guess she lied to me,” Sierra says, trying to fight back tears.

“Oh, gosh,” the teacher murmurs. Then, she gives Sierra’s shoulder a quick squeeze.

Sierra spends the rest of the party drawing flowers alone. After school, she walks home beside her babysitter.

“What’s wrong, Sierra?” her babysitter asks, sensing her despondency.

“Mom lied to me,” Sierra mutters, determined not to cry.

At home, Sierra is surprised to see her mom standing in the kitchen.

“Why did you lie to me?” Sierra queries in a tremulous voice. She stares into her mother’s eyes.

“I didn’t mean to,” her mom’s voice is apologetic. “It’s just that my boss called me suddenly so I had to go back to work.”

“But I barely see you anymore! I even spend most of my vacations with my babysitter. Did it ever occur to you that I don’t have motherly love?” Sierra asks, tears flowing down her face.

Sierra’s mom walks up to her and grips her daughter’s shoulders. “Listen to me,” she pauses, “I love you, but if I don’t work, how can we have enough money?” She looks at her daughter with an expression of regret on her face.

“How are you so busy that you can’t do the basic things that a mother is supposed to do?” Sierra asks, somewhat forcefully, while shaking her head. “Or is it that I am not as important as your job?”

Her mom looks down on the floor and breathes heavily. She doesn’t know how to respond.

Her mom’s silence is deafening. Sierra breaks away from her mother, tears pouring down her cheeks. Then, she trudges slowly into her bedroom, and slams the door behind her. Her mom’s explanation runs through her head. Seconds later, she hears weeping on the other side of the wall, and knows it’s her mom.