I don't write Franny enough.

It was by far the hardest thing she had ever done.

Franny had paced the house all day, trying to keep her mind occupied, but to no avail. She caught herself looking toward the clock in whichever room she found herself in, counting down the hours until she'd see him again.

Her baby had started school today.

She had made sure to pack his favorite lunch, let him help her lay out his new school clothes the night before, and put together the tiny backpack he'd picked out when they had gone school shopping.

The child had been delighted over the thought of his first day of kindergarten, chattering away over all the kids he would meet and how he was going to learn everything he could so he could one day be as smart as Mommy and Daddy.

He'd made such an innocent remark when Franny had shown him where she was going to put his lunchbox, she hadn't expected him to become so distraught.

"Mommy, there's not enough for us to share."

He'd looked up at her with large eyes as he snapped the lunchbox to the backpack, trusting his mother to know exactly what to say and have a response he knew both his parents always had to his tough questions.

"Oh, honey, it's only your lunch. I can't go to school with you."

Wilbur had blinked a few times while letting the information sink in, and Franny saw the oncoming tears long before they appeared.

"You're not coming?"

She knelt in front of him and picked up the backpack he had dropped dejectedly onto the floor.

"Grown ups can't go to kindergarten, love, only growing boys and girls."

She tweaked his nose playfully in an attempt to cheer the boy up, but Wilbur was having none of it. His opinion on the matter had drastically changed. The five year old shook his head resolutely, cheeks reddening and eyes watery.

"No, I don't want to. I want to stay here."

His little voice cracked as he spoke, and Franny wanted desperately to agree with him. She'd been dreading this day for weeks, the proof that her little boy was growing up, already in school, no longer her baby.

"Wilbur, it's ok honey. You'll make friends and meet your teacher. Before you know it, you'll be back home."

Still kneeling, Franny was eye to eye with the child. She reached out and wiped away the tears beginning to fall as her son stepped forward and clung to her neck. Wilbur's choked sobs and muffled protests were the only sound in the kitchen, his face hidden against her shoulder as she picked him up. She rubbed his back in an attempt to calm the boy down, and explained to him that this was a normal part of life.

"Sweetheart please calm down, everyone goes to school-"

"No! I don-...I don-...want to..." He took a shuddering breath, barely able to speak through his tears.

"You can't stay here, how will you ever get to be big and smart?"

"You-you...you can-...teach me..." He struggled as the hiccups set in. "You an-...an-...Daddy! P-...please, don'- make me go!"

Franny could only shush the child, concentrating on getting him to calm down before trying to explain to him once more. She rocked side to side until the hiccups subsided and the worst of his protests had faded. Her son might be growing up too soon for her, but for now he was still a child that needed his mother to calm his fears and make everything ok.

He was small for his age. She was sure he'd hit a growth spurt soon, but until then she could hold him against her shoulder, which was where he seemed intent on being at the moment.

"I want to stay with you." He mumbled finally.

"I know, love, but you'll have fun at school."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

He hadn't been thrilled with the idea the next morning either, but there was no tantrum or crying at least. Wilbur had kept a vice grip on his parents' hands as they lead him to his classroom and said goodbye. Franny had at least made it out of the building before she had lost her own battle, smiling sadly at her husband as her own tears had fallen. In recognition and understanding, Cornelius had lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of her hand before driving them home.

So now she waited, counting down to when he'd be home. Would he be upset? Did he have a good day? What were the other kids like?

The commotion that followed the sound of the door informed her that she didn't have long to wait before she found out. Standing, she straightened her dress in an attempt to look like she hadn't been worrying all day.

"Mommy! Look what we did today!"

The whirlwind sped around the counter, sheet of paper held firmly in one small hand. She immediately noticed the grass stained knees of his jeans and made a mental note to ask her husband if he could look into a remedy to that. There would be many years of grass stains, she was sure.

"What did you do today?" She asked excitedly. If he was excited, then it was a good day.

"Mrs. Myers had us make pictures of our favorite things!" He stopped abruptly, a look of concentration taking over as he straightened the crinkled paper out and held it for her to see.

"I asked if I could draw people, instead of things."

There on the wrinkled sheet, was a five year old's interpretation of their family. She studied it carefully as Wilbur's little fingers pointed to each family member.

"...and Uncle Art...Gramma and Grandad...and here's you and Daddy..." His voice trailed off and he looked up in search of approval, smiling widely when she took the artwork from him.

"I love it, honey. It's going to go right here on the fridge."

The boy gave it an admiring look briefly before he was off and running again, depositing his backpack and school shoes where she had shown him that morning. He appeared suddenly around the doorway again with a hand over his mouth to stifle childish giggles.

"This girl in my class named Morgan? She accidentally called Mrs. Myers, Mommy, today!"

Before Franny could respond, Wilbur had disappeared again. She watched the spot he'd last been seen with raised brows, speaking out loud.

"As long as you never call someone else Mommy."