Sept. 12, 2024

Back To School (Part 1) - "First Day Jitters"

Show Notes
Transcript

"First Day Jitters" kicks off the "Back to School" series with a heartwarming tale of new beginnings. Single mom Sarah Johnson navigates the chaos of the first day of school, balancing her own anxieties with her daughter Lily's excitement. Amidst the morning rush, Sarah encounters Jack Cooper, a widowed father facing similar challenges.

Their brief connection sparks an unexpected flutter of attraction, hinting at the possibility of romance. As both parents and children adjust to new routines, the episode explores themes of resilience, single parenthood, and the potential for love to bloom in unexpected places. "First Day Jitters" sets the stage for a series that promises both humor and heart.

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This show, along with hundreds of others from Caloroga Shark Media,

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is available commercial free on any player. Just look for

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the link in the episode or show.

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Notes Caloroga Shark Media.

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Hello and welcome to Romance Weekly. This episode is titled

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Back to School, Part one, First Day Jitters.

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The shrill beap of Sarah Johnson's alarm cut through the

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peaceful morning silence, startling her awake. She groaned, fumbling for

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her phone on the nightstand. Six thirty am glared back

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at her, a harsh reminder of the day ahead, first

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day of school. Before she could even sit up, a

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whirlwind of energy burst into her room. Ma'am, ma'am, wake up.

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Her seven year old daughter, Lily bounced on the bed,

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already dressed in her carefully chosen first day outfit, a

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sunflower dress with matching yellow sneakers. We can't be late,

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Sarah couldn't help but smile at Lily's enthusiasm, despite her

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own grogginess. We won't be late, sweetie, I promise. Now,

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how about you go downstairs and pour yourself some cereal

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while I get ready. Lily nodded vigorously and dashed out

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of the room. Her pigtails bouncing behind her. Sarah sighed,

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dragging herself out of bed and into the shower. As

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the warm water cascaded over her, Sarah felt the familiar

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knot of anxiety form in her stomach. It had been

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two years since her divorce, but moments like these still

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made her acutely aware of her status as a single parent.

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She took a deep breath, pushing the thoughts away. Today

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was about Lily, not her own insecurities. She found Lily

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at the kitchen table, milk sloshing over the edge of

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her bowl as she excitedly spooned cereal into her mouth.

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Easy there, tiger, Sarah laughed, pouring herself a much needed

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cup of coffee. We don't want to have to change

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your outfit before we even leave the house. Lily grinned,

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milk dribbling down her chin. I'm just so excited, ma'am.

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Do you think miss Thompson will remember me from last year?

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Sarah ruffled her daughter's hair affectionately. Of course she will, sweetie,

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You're pretty unforgettable. By seven forty five, they were in

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the car navigating the morning traffic. Lily chattered away in

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the back seat, her words tumbling out in an excited stream.

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And then Emma said her mum got her a new

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backpack with unicorns on it, but I told her my

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Wonder Woman one is way cooler, right, ma'am. Sarah nodded,

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only half listening as she focused on the road. Absolutely, honey,

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Wonder Woman beats unicorns any day. The school parking lot

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was absolute chaos. Parents and children swarmed everywhere, a cacophony

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of car doors slamming and excited voices. Sarah took a

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deep breath, plastered on a smile, and turned to Lily.

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Ready for your big day, kiddo. Lily nodded, her earlier

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excitement suddenly replaced by nervousness. She clutched her Wonder Woman

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backpack tightly. What if nobody likes me? Sarah's heart clenched.

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She unbuckled her seat belt and turned fully to face

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her daughter. You're smart, you're funny, and you're kind. Anyone

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would be lucky to be your friend. And remember you

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already know Emma and Tyler from last year. It's going

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to be great, I promise. Lily's smile returned, small but genuine. Okay, mom,

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let's do this. As they made their way through the crowd,

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Sarah's a was caught by a man and a young

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boy near the school entrance. The man looked as overwhelmed

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as Sarah felt his hand clutching his son's backpack a

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little too tightly. He was handsome, with kind brown eyes

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and salt and pepper hair that made him look distinguished

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rather than old. Their eyes met, and Sarah felt an

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unexpected jolt. It was the look of shared understanding that

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passed between them that made Sarah's breath catch. Before she

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could react, Lily tugged on her hand, Mum, I see

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miss Thompson. Can I go? Say hi? Sarah nodded, watching

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as Lily ran off to greet her teacher. When she

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looked back, the man and his son were gone, swallowed

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up by the crowd. The rest of the morning passed

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in a blur of introductions and first day procedures. Sarah

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chatted with other parents she recognized from last year, catching

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up on summer adventures and commiserating over back to school stress.

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As she turned to leave, a voice behind her made

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her pause, excuse me, I think you dropped this. She

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turned to find the man from earlier holding out Lily's

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yellow hair ribbon. Sarah hadn't even noticed it fall. Oh

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thank you, she said. Taking the ribbon up close, she

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could see the faint lines around his eyes, the slight

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tremor in his hand. First day's always crazy, isn't it,

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he chuckled, The sound warm and rich. Tell me about it.

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I'm Jack, by the way, Jack Cooper, Sarah Johnson, she replied,

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shaking his offered hand. His grip was firm but gentle,

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and Sarah found herself noticing how his brown eyes crinkled

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at the corners when he smiled. Is this your first

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year here, Sarah asked, tucking a strand of hair behind

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her ear. Jack nodded, Just move to the area. My

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son Ethan, he's in third grade, still trying to figure

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out which end is up to be honest, Sarah laughed,

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the sound surprising her. When was the last time she'd

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laughed so easily with a strain? Oh, I remember that feeling.

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My daughter Lily's in second grade now, but that first

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year was a doozy. You'll get the hang of it, though,

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And hey, if you ever need any insider tips, I'm

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practically a pro now. Jack's smile widened. I might just

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take you up on that. Any chance you know where

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a guy can get a decent cup of coffee around here.

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I have a feeling I'm going to need it. As

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a matter of fact, I do, Sarah replied, surprising herself

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with her boldness. There's a great little place just down

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the street, the grind best lattes in town. Sounds perfect,

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Jack said, maybe I'll see you there.

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Sometime.

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They fell into an easy conversation, swapping stories about their

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kids and the challenges of single parenthood. Sarah learned that

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Jack was a widower, his wife having passed away two

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years ago. The pain in his eyes as he spoke

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of her was raw and familiar. I'm so sorry, Sarah

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said softly. That must be incredibly difficult Jackjack nodded, his

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smile turning wistful. It is, but Ethan, He's been my rock.

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Kids are resilient, you know. They have this amazing ability

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to find joy even in the darkest times. Sarah felt

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a lump form in her throat. They really do, Lily,

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she was the one who got me through my divorce.

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There were days when I didn't think I could get

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out of bed, but she'd come bouncing in asking for

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pancakes or wanting to show me a new dance move.

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She gave me a reason to keep going. Jack's eyes

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met hers, filled with understanding. It's not easy, is it

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being everything for them? No, Sarah agreed, but it's worth it.

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As parents began to filter out of the school, Sarah

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realized with a start that she'd lost track of time. Oh,

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I should get going work calls. Jack nodded, looking equally

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surprised by how much time had passed. Of course, it

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was nice meeting you, Sarah, Really nice.

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You too, Jack.

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And hey, if you need anything, school supplies, teacher, gift ideas, whatever,

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don't hesitate to ask. We single parents have to stick together, right,

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Jack's smile was warm. Right, thanks, Sarah, I might just

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take you up on that. As Sarah walked to her car,

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she couldn't shake the feeling that something significant had just happened.

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For the first time in years, she'd felt a connection

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with someone, a spark of possibility. But as she started

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her car, doubt crept in. She was a single mum

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with a demanding job and a heart that had been

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battered by divorce. The last thing she needed was complications. Still,

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as she drove to work, Sarah found herself smiling. Maybe,

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just maybe this year would bring some unexpected surprises. Her

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phone buzzed as she pulled into her office parking lot.

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It was a text from her best friend, Megan Howers.

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Drop off any cute single dad's catch your eye? Sarah laughed,

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shaking her head as she typed her reply, drop off

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was fine, Lily's excited and no comment on the dad's situation.

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She hesitated for a moment before adding, but maybe we

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should grab coffee at the Grind this week, you know,

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for old time's sake. As she walked into her office,

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greeting her co workers and settling into her day, Sarah

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couldn't quite shake the image of Jack's warm brown eyes

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and kind smile from her mind. It had been a

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long time since she'd felt that flutter of attraction, that

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spark of connection. For the first time in years, Sarah

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found herself looking forward to school drop off the next morning,

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and as she dove into her work, a small part

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of her wondered if Jack Cooper might be thinking the

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same thing. Little did she know, across town, Jack was

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sitting in his own office, a smile playing on his

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lips as he thought about the beautiful, kind hearted woman

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he'd met that morning. Maybe, just maybe this move to

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a new town was exactly what he and Ethan needed.

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The first day of school had brought new beginnings for

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more than just the children, and in the bustling halls

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of Oakridge Elementary, the seeds of an unexpected love story

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had been planted.

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Romance Weekly is a production of Calaroga Shark Media Executive

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producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this podcast

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may have been created with the assistance of AI

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Calaroga Shark Media

Back To School (Part 1) - "First Day Jitters"

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