Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing!
She had woken up earlier than usual that morning. On a typical day, she would wake up when Atticus did and they would begin their days together. That morning, however, she noticed that the sun hadn't even risen yet when she arose. Turning onto her back, she pressed her palms into her eyes and tried to fall asleep again. But, nothing. After a few moments she reached over Atticus for the alarm clock and pulled it close to her face. It was only five in the morning. She laid there for a few more moments before she ultimately decided she wasn't going back to sleep and sat up.
"What's wrong?" Atticus mumbled tiredly.
"Go back to bed," she whispered as she slid out of the bed. Approaching their closet, she began looking for something to wear.
"You alright?" He asked.
"I'm fine, I'm just up." She said, pulling a dress out. When she turned around she noticed that Atticus was now sitting up. She chuckled at him amusedly. His hair was sticking up all over the place and he was squinting at her as a result of not wearing his glasses.
"Come back to bed, sweet." He said. "Where's the clock?"
Smiling, she crossed the room again to pick up the clock she placed on the floor. Gingerly, she put it back on his end stand and started to smooth his hair down. He picked up the clock and examined it and then looked at his wife. "It's five o'clock," he informed her as he wrapped an arm around her waist, causing her to stumble onto his lap. Chuckling tiredly to himself, Atticus kissed his wife. "Come back to bed."
She kissed him back. "I'm not tired," she told him, still attempting to fix his hair. "You just go back to bed, I'll get started on some things I need to do."
His eyes lit up as if he realized something. "Sweet," he said, pulling her closer. "Jeremy doesn't start school for hours, don't start frettin' now."
"I'm not frettin'," she replied. "I just have things I need to do."
"Like what?" He asked, a small smirk on his face. She froze.
"Well," she said, trying to think of something. "I need to clean the kitchen floor."
"Cal did that yesterday."
"I need to clean the living room."
"You can do that in the afternoon."
"Our silverware needs polishing."
"You can do that later."
"Jean Louise's clothes need to be washed and so do some of your shirts."
He pulled her closer. "Sweet, none of this needs to be done at five in the morning.
"It's nearly quarter after, now." She informed him.
Letting go of her waist, Atticus kissed his wife once again. "Do as you please," he told her. "Just don't get yourself all worked up."
"I'm not worked up," she said as she stood up. "For your information, I'm completely collected."
"Honey, I'm just going to remind you that you nearly cried last week when he lost his first tooth." He told her, smirking mischievously at his wife.
"I did no…" She started, putting her hands on her hips. "Don't hold that over me, he's my first baby!"
Laughing, Atticus said: "don't give yourself an ulcer," as he sunk back into the bed. Shaking her head, Jean grasped her dress and left the room.
She draped her dress over the bathroom door, and was about to get herself ready for a shower when she stopped. She knew the children were fine, but decided to check on them since it was so early (just in case). Slowly, she opened the door to Jeremy's room where she saw him sprawled out on the bed, his blankets strewn on the floor. She smiled to herself as she quietly crossed the room and put the blanket back on her son, since he was a baby he had always been a restless sleeper like his father.
But he wasn't a baby anymore.
He was six. Six. Instead of having those cute little rolls of baby fat Jean pinched every chance she could, he was a tall lean little boy. The chubby cheeks that had been his defining characteristic when he was a baby had thinned out as he grew. The soft, wispy curls that sat on top of his little head had flattened out and turned into thick tufts of hair. He used to love being held and kissed by his mama and would follow her around everywhere. Now, he spent his afternoons tossing a football with his daddy and when they would go inside, Jeremy would sit on Atticus' lap reading with him until it was time for supper. He idolized his father, wanted to know what Atticus was doing at all times, and could always be found where Atticus was once he came home from work. He was excited that his daddy was going to walk him to school on his way to work and he was excited to learn and make little friends. Jean, however, just wanted him to be her little baby and stay close to her forever. He was only six, but to Jean he might as well be a grown man. It was his first day of first grade, but Jean was going to shut her eyes for just a second and he'll be graduating high school and leaving her forever.
Sighing to herself, she left his room and slowly shut the door behind her. "What are you doing?" Atticus asked her from the bathroom door, making her jump.
"I thought I heard him cough." She lied, making him chuckle.
"Jean, it's not like this is the last time you'll ever see him." He assured her as she pouted.
"He's just so little!" She whispered as Atticus approached her and pulled her close to him.
"He's six." Atticus said simply as she buried her head in his chest. "Six-year-olds go to school."
"What if other kids are mean to him?" She asked, her voice muffled.
"I'm sure they won't be, he's a nice little boy." Atticus said.
"I don't want people makin' fun of him for bein' so nice." She mumbled.
"Sweet, you're worryin' about nothing. He's going to be fine." Atticus said as she lifted her head. He smiled at her and kissed her. "Don't go frettin' when he wakes up or you'll work him up."
"I'm not frettin'." She said, crossing her arms. Atticus simply smiled at her.
"Honey, just take your shower already so I'm not runnin' late." He said. "Though you probably won't mind if Jeremy is late for school."
"You devil," she said, kissing his cheek.
She showered quickly, making a mental list of the chores she had to do that day in her head. When she had gotten out of the shower and got dressed, the house was still quiet. Cal had arrived earlier than usual that day and was serving Atticus his usual breakfast of bread and milk (Jean always liked to tease him about how his breakfast choices were similar to that of a small child) while Atticus was reading the morning paper. Jean peaked her head in the baby's room, and found her sitting up sitting up in her crib. The moment Jean opened the door, Jean Louise's eyes lit up. "Mamamamama," she babbled, putting her arms out for her mama. Jean grinned at her baby. At nearly two years old, Jean thanked God her baby was still a baby. Her arms and legs were still chubby (and irresistibly pinchable) and Jean was amazed that the little girl could learn something new every day.
"Who's my baby?" Jean said cheerfully, coming closer to the crib. Jean Louise clapped her hands together. "Are you my baby?" She asked as Jean Louise nodded happily.
Jean scooped the baby into her arms. "Good morning," she cheered, pushing stray black hairs away from her face. "Do you want to go wake up Jeremy?"
"Jemmy!" Jean Louise cheered. "My Jemmy!"
"Yes, let's go get your Jemmy," Jean said, bouncing her daughter on her hip, making her giggle. "Jemmy's going to school today." She said seriously, wondering if Jean Louise understood what she was saying. "It's just gonna be you and me, baby."
Jean Louise babbled something as she buried her face in Jean's neck. Kissing her daughter's head, she opened the door to Jeremy's room, where she found him still sleeping (and the blanket was still on the floor). Jean Louise picked her head up and put a chubby finger to her face. "Shhh!" She hissed, a big smile growing on her face.
"Do you wanna get Jemmy?" Jean whispered. "Let's wake him up!"
Playfully swinging Jean Louise a couple of times, Jean gently placed the baby in her brother's bed. Immediately, Jean Louise began giggling as she attempted to tickle her brother. "Jemmy!" She called. "Jemmy!"
"Hmmm…" Jeremy groaned as he woke up.
"Morn, Jemmy!" Jean Louise cheered as she laid on top of her brother's face.
"Mama," he said in a muffled voice. "Mama, can you move her?"
Laughing, Jean picked up the baby. Jem groggily wiped at his tired eyes as his mother ruffled his hair.
"Are you excited for school, baby?" She asked him while Jean Louise clapped her hands.
"Mm hmm," he said, smiling as he climbed out of his bed and walked towards the dresser. The night before Jean had carefully picked out what he was going to wear, and although Jeremy thought that his mama picking out his clothes for him made him seem like a baby, he still let her do it.
"Do you need help?" She asked him as Jean Louise started pulling at her hair, making her head tilt to the side.
"I can do it, mama," He said, looking a little perplexed—he had been dressing himself since he was four, why would he need her now? She smiled sweetly at him before smoothing his hair.
"Alright, baby," she said as she started to walk towards the door. "Once you're done gettin' dressed you need to eat some breakfast, and then your daddy is gonna walk you to school." Jeremy beamed at her and nodded his head as she left. As she closed the door behind her, she sighed before she beamed at Jean Louise. "Let's go see daddy," she said cheerfully as the baby began babbling again.
Bouncing Jean Louise into the kitchen, she cheerfully said: "look who came early to see you!" As Cal came into view. The baby squirmed as Cal, who had been with the family since Jeremy was a baby, kissed the baby on the cheek before resuming whatever she had been working on.
"At, At!" Jean Louise babbled at her father as Jean sat across from Atticus. Smiling, he ruffled her hair.
"Good mornin'," he said happily as she grasped onto his finger. "I take it you're not going to let go of her today?"
"I always hold her in the morning." She responded.
"You usually put her in her chair when you eat breakfast." He pointed out.
"Aw, Mister Finch," Cal said as she handed Jean a cup of coffee. "You leave her alone now, she has one baby goin' off'ta school, you can't blame her for wantin' to keep the other one close."
"Thank you, Cal." Jean said, smirking at her husband.
"Is it normal for mother's to give themselves heart attacks on their children's first day of school?" Atticus asked after Cal. "Because I'm certain that's what's goin' to happen."
"You quit teasin' her!" Cal called back with a hint of laughter in her voice.
"Stop!" Jean Louise said with a grin on her face as she smacked her hand on the table.
"It looks like it's three against one, At." Jean winked as Atticus smiled at her.
"Jeremy would agree with me," he pointed out, making Jean scowl at him.
"My Jemmy!" Jean Louise cheered, clapping her hands against the table.
"That's right, baby," Atticus smiled, tickling under the baby's chin, making the baby laugh and squirm in Jean's arms. "Your Jemmy is going to school today." He told her, seriously.
"I go?" Jean Louise asked as Atticus shook his head.
"Not yet," Atticus said to her, smiling as Jean held her tighter.
"You can't leave me yet!" She said, kissing Jean Louise's head.
Atticus chuckled. "Sweet, you'll be just fine." He assured her.
"Oh, Mister Jeremy, don't you look handsome!" Cal called as Jeremy stood in the doorway. Jean and Atticus turned their heads so they could see him. Jean inhaled sharply—her baby looked like a little man! Jeremy thanked Cal and scurried to the table. Just like his daddy, he had a piece of bread and a cup of milk for breakfast.
"Are you ready for school?" Atticus asked seriously, smiling down at his son.
"Yes sir," Jeremy said proudly as he ate his bread.
"Do you think mama should be worryin' about you?" He asked, quickly winking at Jean who in turn scowled at her husband.
Jeremy shook his head quickly. "Mama, why are you worryin'?" He asked seriously, looking at his mama.
"Mamamama," Jean Louise babbled, giggling. She always tried to imitate what her older brother said. Smiling, Jeremy ripped a soft piece of bread off and gave it to his sister.
"Your daddy's bein' silly," she said, wiping some crumbs off of her sons face with her thumb. "Don't you mind him. Are you excited, baby?"
"Mm hmm!" He said excitedly, his mouth full of bread.
"Are you goin' to be polite and have a good day?" She asked as he nodded, finishing his milk in one sip. When he removed the glass from his lips, he had a little milk moustache. Jean Louise giggled at her brother as Jean wiped it off with her finger. Shortly after, Jem picked up a napkin and wiped his face—when had her baby become so self-sufficient?
"Alright, son." Atticus said as he folded his paper and stood up from his chair. "Are you ready?"
"Yes, sir!" Jeremy grinned as he jumped out of his chair and grabbed his schoolbag. Noting her brother getting ready to leave, Jean Louise clapped her hands together and called for her brother.
Jean stood up and for some reason felt tears stinging her eyes. Before she had children Jean almost never cried, she detested it. She always thought it made her look weak. However, the moment she had her children, she was amazed at how she didn't care about how weak she looked. She cried when they were born, and she found that as they got older she was more inclined to cry at milestones. She loved her babies and was proud at the little people they were becoming, but she didn't want them to grow up. She wanted them to be the little squishy things who were always happy to see her and always needed her.
Atticus noticed her rubbing at her eyes and smiled at her. He kissed her and said: "honey, he'll be home before you know it tellin' you all about his day."
"I know," she smiled weakly at him.
"Don't worry, sweet, he's always goin' to need his mama." Atticus smiled, kissing her again. Jean Louise giggled from her mother's arms. "Alright son," Atticus said, looking down at Jeremy who was eagerly standing at his side. "Let's go, so you won't be late."
"Bye, mama!" Jeremy said cheerfully, hugging at Jean's waist. Smoothing his hair down (no matter what it always stuck up in the front), Jean kissed his head.
"You have a good day, sweet." She smiled. She kissed Atticus' cheek. "You have a good day, too." She added.
"Bye, baby!" Jeremy said, grabbing at his sister's hands, making her laugh loudly.
"Cal," Atticus called out. "Make sure Mrs. Finch here doesn't fret too much."
"Oh don't worry," Cal said as she approached them, wringing her hands in a towel. "I'll take good care of her. You have a good day, Mister Jeremy." She beamed, gripping Jeremy's shoulder as the boy beamed up at her.
"Bye, bye, bye," Jean Louise babbled as Jem and Atticus turned to leave. As he was about to walk out of the door, Jeremy turned to look at his mother.
"Mama?" He asked quickly.
"Yes, baby?" She responded.
"Can you meet me at the corner when I walk home?" He asked sweetly, making her grin. Atticus raised his eyebrows and flashed her a smile.
"Of course, sweet!" She said. Jeremy beamed and he and Atticus left.
For a few moments, Jean and Cal stood in the doorway watching as Atticus and Jem progressed further down the street. Cal clicked her tongue and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, Mrs. Finch," she said, shaking her head. "They sure do grow up fast!"
"That they do," she said, hugging Jean Louise closer to her. "Cal, I don't even know what I'll do when it's time for them both to leave me!"
Cal smiled at the other woman and gave her a warm smile while she grasped Jean's hand. "Luckily you have years until that happens."