The next morning, Eleanor woke up earlier than usual. A quiet sense of nervous excitement hung in the air... it was Freya’s first day at school. She moved quickly and efficiently, preparing Freya’s schoolbag with the items she had already purchased: an extra change of clothes, socks, and the iPad required by the school. She double-checked everything... water bottle, wet tissues, and a small card with her phone number written clearly.
She gave a soft sigh of satisfaction as she zipped the bag shut. Just then, a sleepy voice called from the bed.
"Mommy... what are you doing?"
Eleanor turned to see Freya rubbing her eyes, her soft silver hair tousled from sleep.
"Your schoolbag is ready," Eleanor replied gently. "Now let’s eat breakfast and head out. It’s your big day."
Freya yawned and rolled out of bed with reluctant steps. After brushing her teeth and splashing water on her face, she followed her mother to the dining room where breakfast was already laid out.
As they sat down to eat, Freya kept glancing at her schoolbag on a chair nearby, clearly unsure about the new experience ahead. Eleanor noticed and smiled encouragingly.
"Everything will be fine, sweetheart."
Once breakfast was finished, Eleanor dressed Freya in the uniform she had carefully ironed the night before. They were about to step outside when they saw a sleek black car parked in front of the house and Ethan leaning against it casually.
"Daddy!" Freya shouted with joy and ran into his arms.
Ethan picked her up in a warm embrace and said, "Let’s go in my car today. I’ll drop you off at your office afterward."
Eleanor raised a brow but smiled. "Alright."
They all climbed into the back seat together, and the car slowly pulled away, the air inside filled with excitement and a bit of anxiety.
***
Outside the school, a long line of luxury cars snaked toward the front gate. Their car joined the queue, moving forward inch by inch until they reached the entrance.
"You stay in the car. I’ll take Freya to her teacher," Ethan said to Eleanor. He unbuckled both himself and Freya, then stepped out with her in his arms and her schoolbag slung over his shoulder.
He approached a uniformed security guard standing near the gate.
"Excuse me," Ethan said politely. "My daughter is a new transfer student in Class One. Where should we go?"
The guard nodded and pointed toward a young woman in a red dress standing beside the guard post. "That’s Miss Cooper. She’s the teacher in charge of Class One."
"Thank you," Ethan said, then walked toward her.
Miss Cooper, noticing the tall, handsome man approaching with a child in tow, momentarily forgot to greet him. But she quickly recovered when she saw the nervous little girl in his arms.
"Hello, Miss. My daughter is a newly transferred student for Class One. The guard asked me to come to you," Ethan said politely.
Miss Cooper had actually been expecting the new student today. The school administration had previously sent over the documents and even reminded her yesterday.
"You must be Freya," she said warmly. "It’s so nice to meet you! Aren’t you just the most adorable one?"
Freya’s anxious expression softened a little. "Hello. I’m Freya Raynor."

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