Lara Bergen: Sophie the Sweetheart

Oh.

Sophie nodded. “I see,” she said, thinking hard. “So do you think the note should be from Ms. Moffly instead?”

“No.” Hayley shook her head again. “Don’t you read or watch TV? People go on dates first, Sophie. They don’t just get married.”

“They don’t?” Sophie frowned. She thought that was exactly what they did.

“No.” Hayley rolled her eyes, and she grabbed some tights from her drawer. “You’ll know that when you’re ten.”

Sophie turned to Kate. She could tell this was news to her, too. But if Ms. Moffly and Mr. Bloom had to go out on a date first, then that was what they would do.

Sophie slapped the paper down on her lap desk. Then she took her pen and went back to work.

Dear Ms. Moffly, Lila,

I love you.

Will you marry me?go on a date with me?

Sinseerly, Mr. BloomMike

P.S. Then will you marry me?

When she was done, Sophie showed it to Hayley. “Better?” she asked.

Hayley slowly shook her head.

“Don’t worry,” Sophie said quickly. “I’ll type it up so it looks official.”

“Here’s another idea,” Hayley said with a sigh. “Ask Mom to invite them both to dinner.” Then she looked at the clock. “Now get out. I have to change or I’ll be late!”

“Whatever you say!” Sophie hopped off her bed. For once, she didn’t complain. She grabbed Kate’s hand and dragged her out the door. “We have a whole new plan to make!”

“Wow,” Kate said. “Your sister sure knows a lot about love.”

“Yep!” Sophie grinned proudly. “It must be in our blood!”

Sophie and Kate hurried downstairs.

“Mom! Mom !” Sophie cried.

“I’m in the kitchen!” her mom yelled back. “And remember, no yelling in the house!”

Sophie followed her mom’s voice and found her at the kitchen table with Sophie’s little brother, Max. That was no surprise. But what they were doing there was a big surprise.

“Mom!” Sophie gasped. “I didn’t think you were going to let Max have Play-Doh again!”

“I know.” Her mom sighed. “But he found it in the cabinet today, so I thought we’d give it one more try.”

Sophie looked down at the table. It was covered with blobs of bright dough. Then she looked at her two-year-old brother. He was covered with twice as much.

“Just as long as he doesn’t eat it,” Sophie’s mom went on. “Right, Maxy? No mouth!” she warned.

Of course, as soon as she said that, Max scooped up a big blue hunk of dough. Then he slowly lifted it near his mouth and flashed a sneaky look.

“Oh, Maxy, you’re too much!” Sophie’s mom gave him a hug. Then she turned back, smiling, to Sophie and Kate. “So, what do you girls want?”

One thing Sophie wanted was for her mom to stop spoiling Max. If only Max could have stayed a baby. He had been so cute and sweet back then! He had just sat there and held Sophie’s finger. Or played peekaboo. But now he ran and jumped and climbed on stuff and threw Cheerios and peas. He was turning into a regular maniac. He needed a trainer. And a leash.

But that wasn’t why Sophie was standing there with Kate.

“Mom?” she said, very sweetly. “I have a … request. I think we should invite Ms. Moffly and Mr. Bloom over for dinner. Could we? Please?”

Sophie squeezed Kate’s hand while she waited for the answer. And she thought about what sweet thing to say if her mom said, “No way.”

But to her surprise, her mom nodded. “That’s a nice idea, Sophie. Okay.”

Yes! Sophie swung Kate’s hand. It was a date!

“Let’s see,” her mom went on. “Maybe sometime after break…”

“Wait!” Sophie stopped her. They couldn’t wait that long! “How about tomorrow?”

Her mom’s eyes grew wide and scared. “Tomorrow?! No, Sophie. Definitely not.”

“Then how about Friday?” Sophie begged. She almost got down on her knees. But she knew better than to let her hair get too close to Max. She’d made that mistake before!

Her mom replied by laughing her you-crazy-kids laugh. But after a second, it turned into a regular smile. She rolled some Play-Doh between her hands and thought. “Ms. Moffly and Mr. Bloom … on Friday? Well, I guess we can see about that.”

Hooray! Sophie hugged Kate. Then she started to hug her mom. But before she could, Max jumped down with two handfuls of Play-Doh and took off.

“Come back with that, mister!” Sophie’s mom called. But by then, he was out of the room. She went running after him. “Don’t let that dough get on the rug! And don’t step on it! Oh, no …”

Sophie winced.

“That doesn’t sound good,” said Kate.

“It never is,” Sophie agreed. She sighed, then picked up some Play-Doh and slid into Max’s seat.

Kate sat down, too. “I haven’t played with this in forever. Mmm! Remember that smell? I think I’ll make a Play-Doh wedding cake, in honor of Ms. Moffly and Mr. Bloom.”

Sophie grinned. “You make the cake. I’ll make the bride and groom to go on top!”

It was too bad there wasn’t any clean dough left. Max had mixed all the colors up. But Sophie did the best she could. The bride’s dress was a little pinkish. And the groom’s tuxedo was blue. But Kate said that was just fine, since blue jeans were all that Mr. Bloom ever wore.

Sophie was working on a veil when she felt something soft brush her leg. She peeked under the table. “Tiptoe!” she said. It was her kitten’s fluffy tail.

Sophie gently scooped her up and held the tiny Play-Doh veil over her ears. “Tiptoe would make a lovely bride! Don’t you think, Kate?” she said.

Kate giggled. “Look out, Tiptoe. Sophie the Sweetheart’s going to find a husband for you, too!”

Sophie grinned and set the kitten on the table so that she could sniff around. After a minute, Tiptoe made her way back to Sophie, jumped down, and curled up in her lap.

“Aw! You’re so lucky,” said Kate. “How come Tiptoe never picks me?”

“Well, I’m the one who feeds her,” Sophie told Kate. She didn’t want her friend to feel bad. But inside, she did feel very lucky. And not just because of Tiptoe.

She was also very lucky to have a friend like Kate. And a mom who said yes. And a big sister like Hayley — with great ideas, like dinner dates!

Just then, the phone rang. It was Kate’s mom, saying it was time for Kate to go. Sophie made sure to be a sweetheart to Kate and let her cuddle Tiptoe before she walked home.

A few minutes later, Sophie’s mom returned with Max in her arms — kind of. He squirmed down and ran toward the table. Ack! Sophie whisked her Play-Doh bride and groom out of the way just in time.

“Sophie, will you be a sweetheart?” her mom asked.

Sophie grinned and raised her chin high. “That would be no problem at all!”

Her mom smiled. “Will you play with Max while I start dinner?”

Oh.

Sophie sighed.

“Yes, Mom.”

“And make sure he doesn’t eat any more Play-Doh. Okay?” her mom went on.

“Yes, Mom,” Sophie repeated. Then she suddenly remembered Kate’s Play-Doh cake!

She reached out to move it away from Max…

But she was too late.