Ένα αδελφάκι στην οικογένεια

Maria came home from school and found her mother in the kitchen. Her mother was smiling widely and holding a small box with a blue ribbon.

“I have something important to tell you,” she said. “In a few months, you’ll have a little brother or sister.”

Maria stayed quiet. She had expected to feel happy, but inside she felt something strange. On the one hand, she wanted to have a baby at home and take care of it. On the other hand, she was afraid that her mother and father would no longer have time for her.

“Will you love me just as much?” she finally asked.

Her mother hugged her. “Of course. Love doesn’t run out when a baby arrives.”

Maria smiled a little, but she still wasn’t sure. Then she looked at the box. Inside was a tiny pair of white shoes and a picture from the ultrasound.

“Can I choose the name?” she asked, reaching toward the picture.

Her mother smiled and sat beside her. “You can suggest a name. But we’ll all decide together when we find out whether it’s a boy or a girl.”

Maria looked at the picture again. “If it’s a girl, she could be called Sofia. If it’s a boy, maybe Nikos.”

“Those are very beautiful names,” her mother said. “Let’s make a little list.”

Maria took a piece of paper and carefully wrote down the two names. For a little while, she felt happy. Maybe she really could help with the baby. But then she thought of something else.

“Where will the baby sleep?” she asked. “In your room?”

“At first, yes,” her mother replied. “Later, the baby will need a room of its own.”

Just then, her father came into the kitchen. He was holding a measuring tape and looking toward the hallway.

“We need to see which room is most suitable,” he said.

Maria felt her heart beat a little faster. Did they mean her room?

Maria looked at him anxiously. “Are you going to give my room to the baby?”

Her father put the measuring tape on the table and smiled. “No, Maria. Your room will stay yours. We were thinking of getting the small room next to the living room ready. We’ll put the crib and the baby’s things there when the baby is a little older.”

Maria felt greatly relieved. “So I won’t have to move?”

“Not at all,” her mother said. “And we’d like you to help us get it ready, if you want to.”

This time, Maria smiled for real. She took the measuring tape and stood beside her father. Together, they measured the wall and chose a soft yellow color for the room.

Then Maria wrote on a piece of paper: “Sofia or Nikos.” She stuck it on the wall, next to a drawing she had made for the baby.

She still didn’t know if she was ready for all the changes. But she knew one important thing: her place in the family would not change. She would become a big sister without ceasing to be Maria.