Contents
Padawan
Overview
After his first day, August cuts off his Padawan braid, pleasing Dad but upsetting Via. During bedtime, Dad checks on his feelings about school while Mom reads The Hobbit. The quiet night turns emotional when August cries about his appearance, and Mom reassures him, deepening the family’s support dynamics.
Summary
That night, August impulsively cuts off the Padawan braid he has grown for years. Dad is relieved, but Via reacts with disbelief and irritation, pressing August for a reason he can’t articulate, which ends in her leaving upset.
At bedtime, Dad lies beside August and gently checks whether the first school day was truly okay. August affirms it was better than okay, and Dad reiterates the promise that if school ever feels wrong, August must tell them. Mom enters, and Dad yields bedtime reading to her, hinting that Via may also be struggling with her first day of high school.
Mom begins reading The Hobbit where they left off, which relieves August because he doesn’t want a heavy talk. As she reads about Thorin’s company, August suddenly starts crying, overwhelmed by feelings he has kept inside despite the day going well.
Mom holds and soothes him while he apologizes and whispers his fear about being ugly. She rejects that fear, kissing his features and offering soft reassurance. Words can’t change his face, but the moment underscores the family’s tenderness and August’s vulnerability after entering school.
Who Appears
- August (Auggie) PullmanCuts off his Padawan braid; says school was okay; breaks down about his appearance; seeks comfort.
- MomReads The Hobbit, comforts August when he cries, reassures him about school and his appearance.
- DadNotices the braid is gone; checks on August’s feelings; reinforces promise to communicate about school.
- ViaUpset that August cut his braid; tension hints at her own first-day-of-high-school stress.
- DaisyFamily dog; lies with August during bedtime, present for the comforting scene.