Of course now you’re asking, what kind of shoes go with that ensemble? The answer is, obviously, neon-green kicks that someone was generous enough to add a three-inch platform to before they donated them to Good Willing in Eureka, where I found them.

Really what you want as the finale to that sort of dressing routine is a slide down a banister, but our new house didn’t have one, so I settled for dancing down the stairs like the Beatles in their “Your Mother Should Know” from the Magical Mystery Tour movie. (You can view this sequence online without having to see the whole, not great movie. It’s not disco, but it’s very cool.)

Millie was in the kitchen, which was momentous because Millie is an artist who once told me that the whole point of being an artist is you don’t have to wake up early in the morning.

But it was the first day of school, so Millie was there with a pot of fresh coffee and a few inspiring words of encouragement.

“Finally! I’m getting you guys out of my hair.” She sighed with exaggerated contentment.

But Lucy didn’t catch said exaggerated contentment, as she was clearly very nervous.

“What time is it?” she asked, searching the counter for the phone that was right in front of her.

“You’ve got lots of time,” Millie said, filling up a travel mug and setting it next to Lucy’s phone. “I’ll take the kid to school. You go on ahead.”

I searched the fridge for the leftover fried rice, which is the best breakfast, especially when served with coffee.

“Does this look okay?” Lucy stood back and pressed her hands down the front of her green jacket and matching pencil skirt.

I thought she looked a little military-ish, but I was clearly in no position to criticize, as I was wearing what could easily be interpreted as the uniform of a psychedelic cheerleader from Jupiter.

Also there’s a time and place for thoughts about a person’s outfit. I think these things are always better noted in retrospect. Or internally.

Plus Lucy clearly needed a boost, so I gave her a whomp on the back and said, “HEY! YOU LOOK SUPER PROFESH!”

I also (mentally) noted she’d set her hair in a strange bob helmet that looked protective and maybe older? Also she was wearing eyeliner, which she normally didn’t.

“You look very. . .in charge,” Millie said, dropping an apple into Lucy’s lunch bag. “You’re going to knock them dead.”

“Principal Lynde already left six messages,” Lucy fretted, pocketing her phone. “She must have expected me to be there at the stroke of six.”

Millie looked at me with a silent Yikes Lucy didn’t see because she was already searching for the phone she had just slid into her pocket.