Chapter 47: Ezra's new friend.
Kanan sighed and leaned back in his chair, he rubbed his tired eyes and got up from the chair and went to pour himself another cup of coffee. He took a salad out from the fridge and returned to sit down.
As he ate his salad, the detective examined the school brochures again; he still didn't know which school was good for Ezra, at first he wanted a school in Queens so when he came back from work, he could pick Ezra up and then, go home. But a few weeks ago, he had received a brochure from a school that was a few blocks away from the station and he liked it because if – God forbid – something bad happened to Ezra, he would be there in no time. Kanan sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Kanan?" A warm voice asked and he turned around.
"Hera." He said with a small smile on his face when he saw his girlfriend.
The CSI walked into the breakroom and sat down on the chair next to him. "Are you okay? You look tired." She said.
"I'm still looking over these school brochures. I haven't decided which school is best for Ezra." He said.
Hera looked at the brochures and grabbed one. "What about private schools? Have you thought about sending him to one?" She asked.
Kanan shook his head. "I don't want Ezra to grow up with just one kind of people, I want him to know there are many different kinds of people in this city." He said.
"Did you go to a public school?" Hera asked.
The detective nodded. "Yes, there aren't private schools in Bozeman." He said. "And you?" He asked. "Did you went to a private or public school?"
"I didn't go to either of them. I was homeschooled while I grew up in Ireland and when we moved to Gorse, my dad decided I should continue with my homeschooling." She answered.
"Wow."
"Maybe you should do an appointment to tour the school and see if you like it." The CSI said.
"I will, thank you Hera." He said.
"You're welcome, love." She said and left the breakroom.
A few days later, Kanan made the appointment to tour the school in Queens but as the principal showed him the school, the detective felt a cold atmosphere between the teachers and their relationship with others. Once the tour was over, Kanan thanked the principal for it and told him he would think about sending Ezra to that school.
"Coming!" Hera said when she heard a knock on the door. "Hi love." She said when she opened the door.
"Hey." Kanan said and kissed her cheek.
"Come in." The CSI said.
"Thanks." The detective said and walked into the apartment. He saw Chopper on the couch and the cat hissed at him.
"Daddy!" Ezra said and came running.
"Hey bud." The detective said and picked his son up. "How did you behave, huh?" He asked.
"Goo'!" The three-year old said.
"I'm glad." Kanan said and kissed Ezra's cheek and set him down.
The detective had left Ezra with Hera while he went to the school and since the young woman was in her day off, she happily accepted to babysit the little boy for a few hours.
"How was the tour?" She asked.
Kanan sighed. "The school's okay but there was something I didn't like about the teachers." He said.
"Daddy, daddy! Come! Loo' what Hera an' I made!" The raven-haired boy said grabbing his father's hand and led him to the dining table where there were papers and crayons scattered all over it.
"Loo'!" Ezra said and showed him a drawing he had made. "It a tiger." He said.
"It's beautiful, son." The detective said. "We will put it on the fridge tonight, okay?" He asked.
"'kay." The little boy said.
"So, what are you going to do?" Hera asked as they sat at the table and watched Ezra drawing.
"I went to the school that is near the station and they told me they're organizing a "Meet-and-Play" Day this Saturday." He said.
"What's that?" The CSI asked.
"It's a day organized by some schools where the kids can play in the classrooms while the parents tour around the school to see if they like it." The detective answered.
"That sounds incredible, love!" She said.
"I know." He said.
"But there's something still bothering you." Hera said.
The detective sighed. "If I don't like the school, maybe I should wait a year to send Ezra to school." He said.
"I know you'll make the best decision for him." The CSI said and took his hand in hers.
"Thank you, dear." He said and kissed her hand.
Saturday morning…
Kanan was cooking breakfast when he felt someone wrapping around his legs, he looked down and smiled when he saw his son.
"Morning, bud." He said. "How did you sleep?" He asked.
Ezra shrugged and buried his face in Kanan's pants leg. The detective chuckled and ruffled Ezra's raven hair.
"Still sleepy, son?" He asked and the little boy nodded, face still buried in the pants leg.
After having breakfast, Kanan took Ezra upstairs and changed him in a set of fresh clothes. He had chosen a blue sweatshirt with an image of a cat on it, orange cargo pants and black sneakers.
"Where we goin'?" The little boy asked as his father buckled him in the car seat.
"We will go to a "Play Day" a school near the station where Daddy works organized." The detective said.
"What dat?" The raven-haired boy asked.
"It's a special day where kids can play and the parents walk around the school." Kanan answered.
"It fun?" Ezra asked.
"Of course, bud!" Kanan said. "You'll meet and play with kids of your age." He said.
"'ou no go?" The three-year old asked.
The detective shook his head. "Nope. You'll only stay in the room for an hour while I tour the school, okay?" He said.
"'kay." Ezra said.
Kanan smiled and ruffled his son's hair. "Good." He said and moved to the driver's seat.
Forty six minutes later, Kanan parked his car in the school's parking lot and unbuckled the little boy and took him out from the car. They walked to the entrance and were greeted by a woman in her late thirties with black hair and wearing glasses.
"Good afternoon." The woman said.
"Good afternoon." Kanan answered.
"What is your name?" The woman asked.
"I'm Kanan Jarrus and this is my son, Ezra." The detective said.
The woman wrote something down on her clipboard and gave Kanan two stickers with their names on them.
"Please, put this and follow me." She said.
The detective put on the sticker and helped his son to put his sticker on, then, they followed the woman through the school.
"Your son will stay here while the principal gives you the tour, Mr. Jarrus. Miss Sidle and Mrs. Angell are taking care of the kids and they will take care of your son as well." The woman said as they stood in the threshold of the classroom filled with kids.
"Okay, bud." Kanan said and knelt in front of his tiny son. "I'll be back, okay?" He asked.
"'kay." The little boy said.
"And be good." Kanan said.
"I good, daddy!" Ezra said with a big smile on his face.
"I know you're a good boy." The detective said and left the classroom.
Ezra walked inside the classroom and looked around, there were many kids of his age playing with toys and others were drawing on the small tables that were around the classroom, the little boy also saw a door that led to a garden. He walked to the door and stood on the threshold until one of the teachers approached him.
"Hi, sweetie." She said.
Ezra looked up. "Hi." He said shyly.
"You can go outside if you want or you can stay inside." The teacher said.
The raven-haired boy walked out from the classroom and into the garden. He saw kids playing in the jungle gym and running around but he saw one of the sandboxes empty and walked to it. The little boy got into the sandbox and started to play with the sand and the beach toys, he never noticed a little girl with brown chocolate hair and amber eyes walking towards the sandbox.
"Hi!" She said happily.
"Hi!" The raven-haired boy said. "I Ezra." He said.
"I'm Sabine." She said.
"'ou wan' to play wif me?" He asked.
"Yeah!" Sabine said and they started to play together.
An hour later, the tour around the school was over and most of parents left with their kids, others stayed in the classroom talking and drinking coffee. Kanan was talking with the principal.
"The school is amazing, Principal O'Shay." The detective said.
"Thank you, Mr. Jarrus." The principal said. "I can guarantee you we are the best option for your child's education and future." He said.
"When will the school enrollment will be open?" The detective asked.
"They will be open this Monday at noon." The principal said. "You can ask my secretary for the list of papers you need to enroll your child."
"I will. I'll be here on Monday around noon." Kanan said and shook hands with the principal.
The detective smiled softly as he stood on the threshold of the door of the classroom and watched his son draw with a little girl with brown chocolate hair.
"Daddy!" Ezra said when he saw his father and ran towards him.
"Hey bud." Kanan said and picked his son up. "Have you been having fun?" He asked.
"Yep!" The little boy said and the detective set him down.
The raven-haired boy grabbed Kanan's hand and dragged him to the table where he was drawing.
"Loo'!" He said and showed his father the drawing he had made.
"That's beautiful, son." The detective said and ruffled Ezra's hair.
Then, a man a few years older than Kanan with brown hair, olive skin and dark brown eyes walked into the classroom.
"Daddy!" Sabine said and ran towards the man.
He chuckled and picked his daughter up. "There's my little artist." He said and kissed Sabine's cheek.
The little girl giggled and her father set her down, she grabbed his hand and led him to the table where she was drawing with Ezra.
"Daddy, he's my new friend!" She said excited.
"An' she my new friend!" Ezra said to his father.
The men chuckled and the kids continued drawing. "Hi, I'm Kanan Jarrus." The detective said and extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Kanan. I'm Alrich Wren." The older man said and shook Kanan's hand.
"And what is the name of this beautiful girl?" The detective asked.
"I'm Sabine!" The little girl said happily.
"That's a beautiful name." Kanan said.
"Thank you!" She said.
The detective smiled. "And how old is she?" He asked.
"She's three, right sweetheart?" Alrich said.
Sabine nodded. "Mhm, I'm three!" She said and held up three little fingers.
"Oh, wow." Kanan said.
"Me too!" Ezra said happily. "I three!"
The men chuckled again. "And what it the name of this little mister?" Alrich asked.
"I Ezra!" The raven-haired boy said happily.
"That's a very strong name." Alrich said.
"Fank 'ou!"
The men continued watching the kids drawing. "So, what do you think of the school?" Alrich asked a couple of minutes later.
"It's pretty amazing. It's way better than the school in Queens I had as my first option." Kanan answered.
"Well, I chose this school because it's near my work." Alrich said.
Before Kanan could say something, Ezra patted his hand. "Daddy, daddy!" The little boy said.
"What is it, bud?" The detective asked.
"I hungry." Ezra answered.
"Me too, daddy!" Sabine said.
"Okay, I guess it's time for lunch." Kanan said.
The men picked up the drawings their kids had made (which was easy since Ezra's drawings were streaks of color and the forms weren't defined and Sabine's drawings were colorful and the forms were defined). They thanked the teachers for taking care of the kids and left the classroom.
"I know this might sound dumb but, do you know a cafeteria around here?" Alrich asked.
"Are you new to the city?" Kanan asked.
Alrich chuckled. "I'm afraid so. My family and I just moved to the city a week ago." He answered.
"Well, I can show you where the best cafeterias and restaurants in the city are." The younger man said.
After having lunch, Kanan, Alrich and the kids went to a small park.
"Daddy, daddy!" Ezra said and tugged Kanan's hand.
"What is it, bud?" The detective asked.
"Can Sabine an' I play?" The little boy asked.
"Can we, daddy? Please?" Sabine asked and gave her father her best puppy eyes.
The grown-ups chuckled. "Okay, you can go." Alrich said.
"But be careful and don't talk with strangers, okay?" Kanan said. "And stay where we can see you."
The kids nodded and ran off to the playground. The men smiled and sat down on a bench that had a good view of the playground.
"I have to say that your son is full of energy." Alrich said as they watched the kids climbing the jungle gym.
Kanan chuckled. "Yeah." He said.
"How long have you been living in New York City?" The older man asked.
"Five years." The detective answered. "I live in Queens, Rockaway Beach to be precise."
"We live in the Nassau County." Alrich said.
"Where were you from?" Kanan asked.
"We used to live in Washington D.C." Alrich answered.
"Oh, why did you moved to New York?" The younger man asked.
"The builder I work for transferred me here and the company my wife works for decided to open an office here." The older man answered.
"What do you do?" Kanan asked.
"I'm an architect."
"Oh, wow. That's a very interesting job." The young man said. "Is Sabine your only child?" He asked after a while.
"No, I have an older son, his name is Tristan and he's going to start elementary school this year." Alrich answered.
"Oh."
"And what about Ezra? Does he have any siblings?" The older man asked.
Kanan shook his head. "No, he's only child. For the moment we are just him and me." He answered.
"Oh, so you are single father."
"Yes."
"I have heard it's quite difficult to raise a child when you are a single parent. No offense." Alrich said.
"Non taken and yes it's difficult, especially when I have to work extra hours but he's worth it. I never thought I could love someone like I love Ezra." Kanan said.
"It seems you had a very good role model while growing up." Alrich said.
"Yeah, my biological mother and my adoptive mother were great role models for me." Kanan answered with a smile on his face.
Thirty minutes later, the kids ran back to their parents when the blue sky had turned grey and black clouds of rain came in sight.
"Daddy! It gonna rain!" Sabine said as Alrich picked her up.
"Yes, I can see it, sweetheart." The older man said
A thunder clapped rumbled pretty strong and the kids flinched and wrapped their arms around their parents.
"I think we should go." Kanan said.
They walked to the place where they had parked the cars and started to say their goodbyes.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Kanan." Alrich said as he shook hands with Kanan.
"Likewise." The detective said and took out a presentation card. "Here is my number." He said.
"Thank you…detective Jarrus." Alrich said after glancing at the presentation card and he gave the younger man his own presentation card.
"You're welcome." Kanan said. "Say goodbye to Sabine, Ez."
"Bye, Sabine!" The little boy said.
"Bye, Ezra!" The little girl said.
"I glad 'ou my new friend!" The raven-haired boy said.
"Me too!" Sabine said happily.
The men chuckled and unlocked their cars and they buckled the kids in their car seats, after that, they said goodbye again and they went to their respective homes.
"Hey bud, did you have fun at the 'Meet-and-Play Day'?" Kanan asked as he drove through the streets.
"Mhm, I hab a new friend!" The little boy said happily.
"Yes, I'm glad you made a new friend today, Ez." The detective said and glanced at the rear-view mirror.
"Daddy, 'ou think Sabine will be wif me in the same school?" The three-year old asked.
"Definitely, her daddy told me she will go to the school we visited today." Kanan said.
"Really?"
"Yup."
"That good." The raven-haired boy said.
"Hey bud, are you excited to go to school?" The young man asked.
"Yep!" The little boy said.
Kanan smiled sadly, his little boy was growing so fast and he wished there was something he could do to prevent Ezra from growing up, but the best thing Kanan could do was to spend time with his son and tell him he loved him with all his heart.
"Daddy?" Ezra asked.
"Yes, bud?" The detective said.
"I goin' to be 'our baby boy eben when I a grow-up like 'ou." The raven-haired boy said.
"Really?" Kanan asked surprised.
"Yep, I love 'ou, daddy!" Ezra said.
"I love you too, bud." Kanan said with a big smile on his face. "Always and forever."
A/N: Well, after almost fifty chapters...Sabine made her debut. I know that in canon Sabine is older than Tristan but for story purposes, Tristan will be three years older than Sabine (I think we all believed Tristan was the eldest when we first saw him in the show but for me it's still difficult to belive he's the youngest of the two, seriously, he looks older than Sabine and Ezra!) anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!
