Chapter 1

Dinah was roused from her sleep by the mattress dipping as her daughter crawled into the bed with her. "Hey baby, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" she asked pulling her into her arms.

"No mommy, I'm just scared about tomorrow."

"Why are you scared, there's nothing to be scared about?"

"But I don't know anyone there, mommy. What if the other kids don't like me?"

"Sweetie, they will love you."

"As much as you love me?" she asked.

"No one loves you as much as I love you, peanut."

"I love you too mommy," Savannah said giving her a kiss on the lips.

"Alright baby, you have a big day tomorrow let's try to get some sleep."

Dinah smiled as her daughter cuddled up next to her and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She couldn't believe her baby was starting school tomorrow for the first time, where had the time gone to. It seemed like only yesterday she was bringing Savannah home from the hospital.

The next morning Dinah climbed out of bed letting her daughter sleep for a little while longer while she started breakfast. She had just started when Savannah stumbled into the kitchen in her Betty Boop pajamas; she still looked half asleep and was rubbing her eyes as she sat down in a chair to watch.
"I'm making your favorite," Dinah said as she flipped the pancakes in the pan.

"Choco chip pancakes?" Savannah asked as her face broke out in a huge grin.

"Yep, here you go." Dinah said placing a plate in front of her as she put some on a plate for herself as well.

Savannah reached for the syrup bottle, "Here sweetie let me do it," Dinah said before her daughter could spill it all over the table. After cleaning up the dishes she made her way down the hall to her daughter's room, "Sweetie are you all ready?"

"Yeah," Savannah replied picking up her schoolbag off the bed. Dinah had packed it the night before.

"Here's you lunch baby," she said handing her the Dora lunch pail she had picked out when they went school shopping a few weeks ago.

Pulling up in front of Springfield Elementary Dinah looked out at the sea of kids standing out front and then looked back at her daughter sitting in the backseat. She looked so tiny in the car seat and she couldn't believe she had to let her daughter go. She was growing right before her eyes. "Alright, Savannah Banana you ready?"

"You're going to stay until I'm ready right mommy?"

"Yes as long as you want me too."

They both climbed out of the car and made their way up the steps as Dinah looked at the paper with the classroom number on it. They needed to go to Ms. Evans class in Room 201. Savannah clung tightly to her hand as they stopped in front of the door to the classroom, "This is your classroom Room 201."

"I hope the teachers nice."

"I'm sure she will be why don't we go inside and see."

Dinah opened the door and ushered her daughter in, she still hadn't let go of her hand since they arrived. "Hello I'm Ms. Evans your kindergarten teacher, what's your name?" she asked kneeling down to Savannah's height.

"Savannah Marler and this is my mommy. She's staying until I'm ready."

Ms. Evans smiled at that, "She can stay for as long as you need. A lot of other parents are staying as well."

"Thank you," Dinah said with a smile.

"Take a seat anywhere."

Dinah looked around and spotted two open seats near the window, "Come on sweetie there's some seats over there." They made their way over to the table where some other kids and one other parent were sitting. Dinah took a seat next to the man while her daughter sat on the other side of her.
"Hi I'm Shayne Lewis," the man said with a smile as he reached out to shake her hand.

"Dinah Marler."

"This is my son Henry," he said pointing to the boy next to Savannah.

"Hello Henry, this is Savannah."

"Hi," Dinah heard the boy say so quietly you'd swear he never even said it.

"Henry were you as scared about today as I was?" Savannah asked looking right at him but he didn't answer he just turned to his dad.

"Sorry he's a little shy."

"That's ok," Dinah said with a laugh Savannah's definitely not shy she can do enough talking for both of them.

Savannah noticed the pile of toys in the corner where some of the other kids were busy playing, "Come on Henry, let's go play with those toys," she said as she grabbed his arm to drag him that side of the room.
Henry looked back at his dad as she dragged him to the toys, "Its ok bud. I'll be right here." Shayne said as he watched his son hesitantly sat on the floor with the other kids.

"They grow up so fast don't they?" Dinah said watching her daughter play with the other kids.

"They sure do."

"So Shayne, I haven't seen you around town before." Dinah said as she turned to face him.

"Oh yeah, I just moved back into town."

"Oh really, where from?"

"We were living in Bosnia, but we moved back because I have family here."

"What were you doing in Bosnia?" Dinah asked curiously.

"I was working for the Peace Corps."

"Oh what kind of work did you do?"

"I was clearing mine fields where kids played soccer," Shayne replied not wanting to get too much into it.

"Really, wow that sounds like dangerous work."

"Yeah well, I'm done with that kind of work anyway, so it doesn't matter anyways." Shayne replied trying to subtly change the subject.

"It does matter because what you did probably helped a lot of people," Dinah replied with a small smile.

Shayne couldn't help but think about the one person whom he couldn't help, that one person who truly mattered to him, because now his son would never know his mother and what a wonderful person she really was. "I don't really want to talk about that," Shayne replied glancing at his son before looking back at Dinah.

"Oh alright, I'm sorry." Dinah replied wondering what else he wasn't saying and what was truly bothering him.

"So…were you as nervous as I was about leaving your daughter for the first day of school?" Shayne asked coming up with something to change the subject

"Yeah defiantly, I think I was more nervous than she was about today. I mean they say it's gonna be hard but I didn't think it would be this hard."

"Yeah me either." Shayne replied with a laugh.

"Well your son seems to be enjoying himself now." Dinah said pointing to her son who was playing with Savannah and another boy.

"Yeah he does, doesn't he." Shayne said with a smile on his face he was glad to see his son enjoying himself. It had been difficult for him lately, growing up without a mother and always having to move around for Shayne's job. He was already a shy kid and he didn't want to make it any worse, he needed to make some friends to bring him out of his shell.