Even though Jamie and Eddie had opportunities to meet new friends at school they only played with each other helping their friendship grow stronger. They both remained in the center through three, leaving for prek at four in the school Joe, Danny and Erin attended. This first day luckily went smoother for Jamie knowing Eddie would be there too.

Following tradition of seeing the kids off to pre-k Frank and Mary walked the several blocks with Danny, Erin and Jamie, Joe graduating to the local high school. With a quick wave to their parents not wanting to be seen by their friends Danny and Erin rushed in ahead joining their class. Left with only Jamie, Mary gave her youngest a smile. "Want us to come in with you?"

Jamie gave a quick leek inside the classroom until he found Eddie. "No mommy I'm a big boy now. Love you, love you daddy." He left them with a quick hug hurrying inside to greet Eddie.

"Hi Eddie." Jamie slipped his backpack off onto the floor just until he said hi to his friend.

Eddie sat at a desk among three others connected together to make a square . She looked up with sparkling eyes at him, "Hi Jamie. The coats and backpacks go over there where your ne and picture is. Your desk is right next to mine."

Taking his backpack to the small open cubbies Jamie hung it up under his name. He quickly came back to the desks sitting next to Eddie watching her continue to draw. "What are you drawing?"

"I'm drawing superhero's with super fast speed and they can fly without a cape." Eddie stopped coloring to pass Jamie a paper and the crayon box to share. "Mommy and daddy got me the 64 crayons for being such a big girl and look it even has a sharpener in the back so I can make the crayons work."

They spent the next few minutes coloring until their teacher called everyone to the carpet for circle time. Making sure their papers were cleaned up Eddie and Jamie walked to the carpet holding hands. "Ooh they're holding hands," a group of boys mocked laughing.

Eddie clenched her fist and moved towards them, stopping when Jamie held a hand out. "Now that's enough. There will no hand holding in my classroom. We only hold hands with our families and you will leave them alone." The teacher flashed the boys a stern look that ended their laughing as Jamie and Eddie sat down together.

After circle the students dispersed back to their desks for an all about me activity. Eddie took the crayon box back out again on top of the desk for and Jamie to share. Looking up, catching the girl across from her Eddie smiled at her. "I'm Eddie, this is Jamie what's your name?"

"Kristina." The girl gave a shy smile as searched her desk for a box of crayons.

Jamie and Eddie exchanged a smile as their hands touched both reaching for the crayon box. Jamie pulled his back watching her, "Sorry, go ahead Eddie." His eyes stared as she carefully kept her hand over the box deciding which one to pick, her nose scrunching and how both pigtails bounced.

Finally taking out a sky blue Eddie pushed it against the white paper up then across, down and across. "I'm making my house with mommy and daddy."

"I'm going to make my house too with mommy, daddy, Joe, Danny, Erin, Pop and you cause you're always at my house." Jamie reached his hand out for the black crayon to draw a rectangle like Eddie did. He glanced at her paper on occasion smiling while making his picture. They happily drew together saying nothing to the other classmates, stopping when the teacher called for recess.

They cleaned up quickly joining their classmates on the carpet. "It's time to go outside but before we do I want to remind you to walk quietly in a line,"

The teacher Mrs. Fay scanned the circle calling kids up to the line. When they were called Jamie and Eddie walked online, following their classmates outside in an adjoining yard with a climbing structure. "Let's go play Eddie, can't catch me." Laughing Jamie started off running with Eddie chasing only several steps behind. He turned back, checking she was still there and ran around the open field.

"I'm going to get you," Eddie cut through the middle, around classmates also playing their own game looping her arms around him. The force of her stopping short pushed Jamie off his feet onto the gravel with Eddie over him both laughing. Quickly their eyes met neither moving apart for a minute smiling. Eddie made the first move offering a hand to help him up. "Are you okay Jamie?"

"Yeah I'm okay. Thanks Eddie. Now I'm going to get you." Eddie laughed taking off around the structure with Jamie right behind. She let out a squeal at Jamie jumping in front of her, eyes sparkling at him.

Soon they grew tired of running around, finding a spot in the shade to sit together. Their hands rested on the gravel in between only inches apart and slowly moving closer while they talked. Jamie smiled, "Eddie? You're my best friend."

"You're my best friend too Jamie and we will always be best friends right? No matter what, you promise?"

Flashing a smile Jamie hooked his pinkie finger around Eddie's making direct eye contact with her. "I promise Eddie, best friends forever no matter what. Eddie, what do you want to be when you grow up? I'm going to be a cop like grandpa and daddy. They go and help people a lot and that's what I want to do."

Eddie bit her lip at the question, "I don't know what I want to do. I can be a cop too. We'll still be friends right?"

"Yeah and I'll make sure nobody bothers you or I'll arrest them and put them in jail with all the other bad guys. " Jamie waved a hand through the air excitedly at the thought of being just like his daddy and grandpa.

They talked until recess finished, remaining by each other's side until early dismissal at noon. Lena and Mary waited right in front to pick the kids up, taking them to the house for lunch. Jamie quickly reached his hand out for Eddie smiling, "We aren't in school anymore so the teacher can't say anything."

"Nope." Eddie curled her fingers around his with a matching smile.

Giving them both a smile Lena and Mary walked the few blocks to the Reagan house, letting the kids play while they set up for lunch. Mary boiled some tea , quickly rushing to the ringing phone. "Hello? Yes, this is she? I will be right over."

With a sigh Mary replaced the phone into its cradle and turned to her friend. "That was Danny's school, he picked a fight with another kid and they're suspending him. I have to go speak with the principal and bring him home."

Jamie leaned over the chair whispering, "Danny gets in trouble a lot. He's really bad and mean sometimes.

"How about I take Jamie over for a playdate and then we can drop him later that way you can deal with Danny," Lena offered. "I don't think he would mind and I sure don't mind."

"Thanks Lena I really appreciate that. Jamie come here sweetie." Jamie obediently dropped Eddie's hand to meet his mom as she knelt down at his level. "Honey, I have to go get your brother from school so you're going to play with Eddie at her house all right. Mommy needs you to be a very good boy and listen to Lena okay?"

"Yes mommy I'll be a very good boy," Jamie leaned on his toes hugging her. "Love you mommy." He skipped happily back to Eddie smiling and took her hand again.

Lena offered her friend a smile walking by to catch up with the kids. "Don't worry. Go get Danny and take the time you need. Jamie will be just fine. Go on now. " In just four steps Lena caught up and started leading them back to the black car that was guarded by a driver. The older man opened the back door for them and nodded wordlessly to Lena while she got in.

From him car seat Jamie stared out the window at all the houses they passed into a neighborhood with wrap around porches and looming windows in front. Lena smiled, watching his face change. "You don't remember Jamie but when you were really little you came over to our house. You and Eddie were friends since you were babies."

"We're best friends mommy and we will always be best friends," Eddie smiled at Jamie from her seat by the window.

"Always," Jamie agreed. He turned to look out the window again in deep thought about what Lena said until the car pulled up in front of an open white painted house secured by tall black gates. His blue eyes rounded getting out, helped by Lena.

Eddie's hand clasping his turned his attention back to her, "Come on Jamie, let's go play with my toys. I'll show you to my room" He gave no answer, following her inside to an open hallway with crystal chandelier in front of large, winding steps with a white banister. She led him into the third room, greeted by Jamie's bear he gave her sitting prominently on the bed. The friends settled in to play the whole afternoon.