The girl sobbed all the way to school.
I ignored her. Went for the behaviorist approach. I suck at that approach.

I would only turn and offer her a muffin after she hadn't cried for a few minutes. 20 miles later, she'd finally take the muffin. By the time we walked in to her school, she wasn't talking to me, but at least she was done crying. Then, when we got to the classroom, she walked in. While I was signing her into class, her teacher asked her what was wrong and she burst out sobbing: "My dad wouldn't let me bring my mittens to school today." Then she fell into the arms of her teacher.

I smiled at the teacher, even though my heart was breaking, and said, It's not mitten weather. And the teacher, bless her, echoed that, and I said by bye and left.
I saw her peeping under her teacher's arm back at me as I turned.