You and Emily sit side by side in the tiny chairs meant for preschoolers, knees nearly to your chests. The classroom smells faintly of crayons and sanitizer, sunlight spilling through paper snowflakes taped to the window. It feels strange being here without the girls — the room so still without their voices echoing off the walls.

Their teacher, Miss Patel, smiles kindly as she flips through four separate folders. “Thank you both for coming in. I know it’s a lot when you’ve got quadruplets, but I wanted to talk through each of their assessments and how they’re adjusting.”

You nod, half-nervous, half-curious. Emily gives your hand a quiet squeeze under the table.

“Let’s start with Olivia,” Miss Patel says, sliding the first folder forward. “She’s doing beautifully. Very advanced for her age — she knows all her letters, can recognize most sight words, and she’s starting to write her name clearly. She’s very confident, very curious. She also… sometimes tries to take over the class.”

Emily smirks faintly. “That sounds familiar.”

You elbow her lightly. “She gets it from you.”

Miss Patel smiles, continuing, “She’s not unkind about it — she just wants everything to go right. I think moving her up to the pre-K readiness group would be a good idea. It’ll challenge her.”

Your chest tightens a little. Pride, mostly, but also that flicker of worry — one of them moving up means separation. “Would that mean she’d be away from her sisters?” you ask softly.

“Part of the day, yes. Just for the academic rotations. The rest of the time she’d still be with them.”

You nod slowly. Olivia would probably thrive, but you can already imagine June’s meltdown when she realizes her sister’s gone for part of the morning.

Miss Patel flips to the next folder. “June is bright, very creative — she loves art, loves storytelling. But she gets frustrated easily. She wants to do things perfectly and gets upset when they don’t look the way she imagines.”

You can’t help but smile a little. “Yeah, that’s… that’s my kid.”

Emily glances over at you. “Definitely your kid,” she teases, but her voice is soft, affectionate.

“She’s doing fine academically,” Miss Patel continues. “I think she just needs more time and patience. I’d keep her where she is for now.”

The next folder is Clara’s. “Clara’s the social butterfly. She talks to everyone — sometimes a little too much,” Miss Patel adds with a small laugh. “She’s warm, friendly, very empathetic. But she can get distracted. If her sisters are nearby, she tends to focus more on them than the activity.”

You grin knowingly. “Yeah, that tracks. She’s always the one who starts the chaos.”

“She’ll settle with a bit more structure,” Miss Patel assures. “I think keeping her with June for now might actually help — they balance each other well.”

Then, finally, she slides over Phoebe’s folder. “Phoebe’s… very sweet. Very observant. But she’s quieter than the others. She participates, but usually only when prompted. She’s cautious — she watches before she joins in.”

You frown slightly, your thumb rubbing absently over Emily’s knuckles. “She’s always been that way. More reserved.”

“Yes,” Miss Patel agrees gently. “But she’s bright. I just think she’s overwhelmed by being around so many familiar faces. It might help to give her a little independence — maybe a smaller group for some activities. It could help her confidence grow.”