Lara Bergen: Sophie the Sweetheart

Kate held up her finger. “Hey, I think I hear a car!”

They peeked through the front window. Yes! A car was pulling up.

It stopped and the door opened.

“Who’s that?” said Kate.

“I don’t know.” Sophie shrugged.

Wait. Maybe she did.

She gasped. “It’s Ms. Moffly!”

Sophie and Kate looked at each other and clapped their hands over their mouths. Sophie could tell they were thinking the very same thing: I can’t believe that’s our teacher!

She had her hair up and everything! And shoes with high, pointy heels! The girls opened the door and ran out to meet her. Then they each grabbed a hand and dragged her in.

“Look who’s here, everyone!” Sophie cried.

All the grown-ups came out of the kitchen.

“Oh, dear,” Ms. Moffly said, looking around. “I’m overdressed. Aren’t I?”

“Oh, no! You’re not!” Sophie smoothed her own dress, then she glanced at her mom. “My mom looks as nice as she’s ever going to get.”

Kate nodded. “Yeah. Mine, too.”

The moms looked at each other. “Thanks a lot!” They both laughed.

Sophie sighed. “I think you look beautiful, Ms. Moffly. Just like a bride! Don’t you think so, Mr. Bloom?”

“Uh … yes.” He nodded. “Very pretty.”

A happy tingle bounced through Sophie. “And wait till you smell her!” she went on.

“Okay … well …” Sophie’s dad clapped his hands together. “I’m hungry!” he declared. “And that lasagna smells delicious, as always. Don’t you think we should eat, dear?”

He turned to Sophie’s mom. She was busy giving Sophie a funny look. “Hmm?” she said. “Oh, yes. Let’s go into the dining room, everyone.”

Sophie and Kate let the grown-ups go first.

Sophie sniffed. “I think I smell something else!”

Kate looked confused. “What?” She leaned in.

Sophie hooked her arm through Kate’s. “I think love is in the air!”

Well, it wasn’t the best date ever. Sophie decided. But it also wasn’t the worst.

Yes, the birthday candles burned out in two minutes. “Now we know how long they last!” her dad joked. But the dark gave Sophie’s bracelets a good chance to glow.

And Max stayed in his high chair almost the whole time. That was all thanks to Mr. Bloom, who had the idea to give him his phone.

“He’s going to eat it.” Sophie warned.

But to her surprise, he did not. Instead. Max figured out how to play a game and got the all-time highest score.

If only Sophie had remembered to have some music during dinner. Ugh! But she didn’t think of it till halfway through. Too bad.

To make up for it, she started to hum the wedding song: “Hummm hummm hmm-hummmm …” It was the most romantic song she knew. But that didn’t last long. She stopped when her mom shot her one of those slightly scary, “Stop that right now, Sophie!” looks.

Still, Sophie could tell the teachers were having a great time. And she could almost hear their wedding toast: “To Sophie the Sweetheart!” they’d say. “Without her, our Number One Flower Girl, we wouldn’t all be here today!”

Then Sophie would curtsy in her special dress — one with a long, poofy skirt. And she’d take Kate’s and Hayley’s hands and say, “Don’t forget! They were there, too!”

The meal went so fast, Sophie could hardly believe it when dinner was over and dessert was served.

“That was delicious,” said Ms. Moffly.

“And I love these brownies!” said Mr. Bloom.

“Yes, aren’t they good?” Sophie’s mom grinned. “Susan makes the best brownies in the whole neighborhood.”

If only this date could go on and on and on! Sophie thought.

Then she got an idea.

“Hey! Who wants to square dance?” Dinner and dancing. Now that was a date!

“Square dance?” her dad repeated. He shared a look with Sophie’s mom.

“That’s a fun idea,” said Ms. Moffly.

Yes!

“But I’m afraid I have to go.”

Aw!

Ms. Moffly looked down at her watch. “My boyfriend’s company’s also having a party tonight,” she said. “And I said I’d try to stop by.” WHAT?!

Had Sophie heard right? She spun to look at Kate.

Yep. Kate was making the same “No way!” face. And Hayley was, too.

Suddenly, all the pictures in her mind of Ms. Moffly and Mr. Bloom’s big wedding popped and fizzled away. Sophie was going to have some very, very disappointing news for her class on Monday.

And poor Mr. Bloom! His heart must be broken now, Sophie thought. She turned to him. Yes, he was about to cry.

Or … wait.

Was he about to laugh?

Was he telling Kate’s mom a joke? And was she laughing back?

Oh, who cared. Sophie pulled off her earrings. Looks like I got all dressed up for no reason at all.

No things had not turned out as Sophie had planned. But in the end, they weren’t so bad.

At least Ms. Moffly had a boyfriend. So maybe there would be a wedding after all. And maybe the whole class would still be invited. And Ms. Moffly would still need some flower girls…

Sophie grinned as fancy dresses swirled back into her mind. But then she noticed her mom’s smile. It was even bigger than hers. Why?

Sophie looked up from the sofa. Tiptoe was stretched out across her skirt. Her mom and dad had just finished a two-person job called Putting Max to Bed. Hayley was on the computer, pretty much ignoring all of them. She was probably chatting with Kim about dinner … and boys, too, of course.

“I just knew Mike and Susan would hit it off,” Sophie’s mom told her dad.

He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me that was your plan?”

Her mom shrugged a “maybe” shrug. Then she winked a “you bet” wink.

Hang on! Sophie stared at her mother. Had she been matchmaking, too?! No way! Sophie thought at first. Mr. Bloom and Kate’s mom? Ew!

But on second thought … Hmm. Kate and her mom did live all by themselves. And Mr. Bloom was kind of funny. And not bad at shaking hands.

And, hey! If they got married, that could mean two weddings in Sophie’s future … and Kate’s.

Yes!

Sophie guessed her only real problem now was the same one as always — her name. Was she still Sophie the Sweetheart? And did she still want to be? (And did that mean she’d have to be sweet to Archie Dolan one day?!)

“What are you thinking about, sweetheart?” her mom asked. She sat down by Sophie on the couch.

Her dad sat on her other side and hugged her shoulder tight.

“Oh, the usual,” Sophie said. She smiled up at them both.

Whoever she was, she was a sweetheart to them, and that was very nice to know.

Finding the right name isn’t easy!

See what else Sophie tries out…

1: SOPHIE the AWESOME

2: SOPHIE the HERO

3: SOPHIE the CHATTERBOX

4: SOPHIE the ZILLIONAIRE

5: SOPHIE the SNOOP

6: SOPHIE the DAREDEVIL

7: SOPHIE the SWEETHEART

Just like Sophie, Lara Bergenwould love to find a name that describes her perfectly … but for now she’ll settle with being the author of this great series and many other books for children — and, before that, the proud editor of many more. She lives in the Big Apple, New York City, with the best husband and two children in the world.