*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
"Jonah, are you ready?" I call out from the kitchen of the apartment I share with Seth. "It's almost time we're going to be late," I say as I pack up his little Cars backpack for his first day of preschool.
"Do you have everything?" Seth asks as he joins me in the kitchen dressed in a pair of black basketball shorts and a grey t-shirt with is half blonde and half brown hair pulled up into a messy a ponytail with a hint of a beard forming on his face.
"Yes," I say trying not to cry. "I can't believe my baby boy is going to Pre-k already. Where does the time go? I'm not ready to send him to school."
"He'll have a lot of fun," he says to reassure me, "and he'll make some friends. He needs to make some new friends. He's going to love it. He's a smart kid."
"I know but I'm not ready to send him to pre-k just yet. I wish I could keep him little forever. He's my little buddy now I have to share him with his teacher and all his new friends he's going to make."
"He went to daycare, J," he reminds me, "and it was all the same thing except this is a different school and a different classroom where he will be learning more and doing more things for the 3 hours he's there."
"I know but it's different like you said," I respond. "He's just my baby I'm not ready."
"I don't think any parent is really ever ready, J," he says with a smile. "It's going to be okay. When you hear all about his day you will be so happy that you sent him. It's no different than him playing t-ball this fall either our little slugger will make more friends there. He's a great kid."
"I know," I say as Jonah comes into the kitchen dressed in a striped blue and white polo with a pair of khakis on with a brand new pair of Jordan sneakers with his curly hair falling to his shoulders. He looks so handsome and precious. Tears fill my eyes as I see my little boy has grown up so much over the last 3 years. I still feel like I haven't had enough time with him with all that happened after he was born and now I have to send him to preschool giving up more time with him even though I have work and school to focus on as well and with Seth getting ready to travel with WWE I will be even busier with my life. I'm trying to depend on my grandma, Roman and Tayla less and less because I want to start doing things for myself but with work and school it makes it a bit more complicated for me. "Don't you look handsome?" I ask with a smile.
"Look at you," says Seth with a smile as I hand Jonah his book bag so I can take a few pictures of him before I leave the apartment to drop him off at school. "You're going to have all the girls after you," he says.
"He's definitely going to be a heartbreaker," I say with a smile. "Let me get some pictures of you before we leave," I say. "I can't believe my baby is in preschool." Tears fill my eyes as we make our way outside of our apartment for me to take pictures of him outside. I pose with him for a picture and Seth poses with him for a picture and then we start to walk him to the school down the street from our house. It makes me happy that the school is in walking distance of our apartment.
"You nervous?" asks Seth as we walk to his school stopping in front of the little building.
"Nah," says Jonah with a big smile. "I'm going to rock pre-k," he says confidently, "and I'm going to make new friends," he says. "A lot of new friends!"
"I hope so," I say with a smile.
"You're going to have so much fun," says Seth with a smile before we walk him into the school.
We walk down the hallways that are decorated with Welcome back signs and make our way to his tiny classroom. The door is decorated with apples with all the students' names on them and when we walk into the room we automatically feel welcomed. I see his preschool teacher greeting other students and parents. The room has a teacher's desk, an alphabet carpet, a calendar, weather chart with lots of learning centers. The tables are wooden decorated with a basket of a certain color. We walk through the classroom to find Jonah's seat. "Jonah, here is your seat," I say with a smile as we stand at the blue table. "And you're at the blue table your favorite color."
"Cool," he says as he starts to go through the crayons, scissors and pencils in the basket.
"Jonah, smile," I say with a smile before I take a picture of him smiling at his table.
His teacher makes her way over to us and introduces herself. "Hello, I am Ms. Tanya, who are you?" she asks Jonah. "Let me guess, Jonah?"
"I am Jonah," he smiles as he shakes her extended hand.
"Are you ready for preschool?" she asks with a smile.
"Yes!" he says excitedly and the tears fill my eyes. I don't know when he grew up but it all happened too fast.
"Wonderful," she says with a smile. "We're going to have a lot of fun and we're going to make a lot of new friends. What's your favorite thing?"
"Cars and Batman," he answers her.
"Do you like to read and color?"
"I like to read," he says with a smile.
"Well, you should go check out our classroom library we have a lot of books," she says with a smile before directing her attention to Seth and I. "Hello, I'm Tanya. I'm the lead teacher of the classroom. It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," I say shaking her hand. "I'm Jordyn and this is my boyfriend and Jonah's dad Seth."
"Nice to meet you," he says with a smile before shaking her hand.
"Do you have any questions for me?" she asks as Jonah runs off to play with other kids in the classroom. I smile through my tears as I see him introduce himself to a little girl in the class before they go off to play together.
"Not right now," I say. "I'm just really nervous about him. This is his first time at school and I don't know how he's going to handle it."
"Everything will be fine," she says, "this is one of the best preschools in the Tampa area. We're going to do a lot of fun things that he will enjoy. We have center time with art, reading, computer and science. We also start our days off with morning meetings, we have story time and do crafts. We also have lesson time and a snack time. Every day you will get a paper telling you about your child's day, what he ate for lunch, what he did for the day and how he behaved. We also have an open door policy here. You're more than welcome to come visit your child throughout the day. He will be fine I promise," she says to assure me that Jonah will be fine. "If there is a problem I will call you."
"Okay," I say grateful for her kindness and care.
"We should probably get going," says Seth, "it was nice meeting you."
"Nice meeting you too," she says with a smile before we make our way to the door. We tell Jonah bye but he's too busy playing with his new friend he doesn't even acknowledge us as we leave the classroom.
"He didn't even say goodbye," I say before I breakdown on our walk home. "He doesn't need me anymore," I say through my sobs. "He's a big boy now."
Seth wraps his arm around my shoulders and comforts me. "He will always need you. I still need my mom and I am an adult. He's always going to need you."
"He didn't even cry and he couldn't have cared less that we left."
"He was having fun," he says rubbing my back to comfort me. "He's going to be all right, Jordyn. You heard all the things he's going to do today."
"I know but still he's my baby," I cry. "I want him to stay little forever."
"He can't stay little forever because then you'll never get to see all the hard work and all the good you put into raising him into whoever he becomes. It's okay, J. He will be all right and he's only 3 he still needs you. You're going to be the woman that loved him first and the first love of his life. He's always going to love you and need you. He's just growing up." He says making me cry harder.
"He is growing up!" I cry. "Too fast!"
"I know," he says, "but look at how he acted. He could have been like those two kids that were crying or clinging to their mom and dad but he wasn't. He walked away from us, introduced himself to a friend in his class and started playing with her. That shows you've done a good job you prepared him to adventure out away from you. You're doing a good job, J. He's growing up."
"I know," I say wiping my tears away. "I just wish he would slow down, next it will be kindergarten, then middle school, then high school and then he'll be going off to college. I am not ready, Seth."
He let out a small chuckle as he held me close to him. "One thing at a time," he says. "Let's just get through this then worry about that. You ready for another one yet?"
"Not until I am out of school and married," I answer with a smile. "But I definitely want one more plus you need to get your WWE career started. I'm not sure I am ready for that change just yet but I'm happy you are finally going to do what you love and what you have worked so hard for."
"What aren't you ready for?" he asks as we walk home.
"You being away so much," I say. "It's going to be hard with Jonah, work and school plus I am going to miss you so much, Seth. I'm used to every day with you now I have to get used to seeing you 2 or 3 days a week depending that's not much."
"I know," he says. "I'm anxious about being away for so long but this is the job I have been waiting for. I signed a 2 year contract with WWE and the bonuses and pay are nice."
"I'm sure they are but having you home is nice too but I understand."
"I'm making $110,000 a year, plus I get paid for matches I wrestle in and merchandise sales so we're going to be living large but damn it I am going to miss the hell out of Jonah and you. I'm going to miss seeing you two every day."
"Me too," I say. "It's going to be a big change and it's going to be hard. I'm trying to figure things out for myself and trying to do things for myself but once you go on the road I'm going to need help when I work, when I'm at school and so on. How am I going to get my studying done with a job and a 3 year old?"
"I was thinking," he begins. "What if you didn't work? What if you focused completely on Jonah and school? I think it's great that you work but you don't have to do that anymore with me working for WWE then you won't have to worry about finding a sitter, you'll have time to study for school. I want you to focus all your attention on school and Jonah."
"What about the rent and the bills?" I ask. "I pay half of everything."
"Well," he says, "you don't have to pay anything. With my job with WWE I can manage the apartment and the rent. I would much rather you spend the next two years studying for school and focusing on school. I will take care of everything else. Your classes are in the day time right?"
"Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays," I answer. "4 hours each day then I will have an internship coming up in the next year."
"Exactly things are going to get busy. You're in school 12 hours a week, Jonah is in pre-school Tuesdays and Thursdays so you'll send him to daycare on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while you're in school then Tuesdays and Thursdays while he's at school you can use that time to study and focus on school work."
"That sounds like a plan, me not working isn't too much for you?" I ask.
"No," he says, "because what's important to me is your education. I want to see you succeed and I'm going to help you any way that I can. The only way I can help you is by taking over the house financially and letting you take the time for school."
"Okay," I say, "but I'm still going to miss you while you're gone."
"I'm going to miss you too but we can always Skype every day and talk on the phone every day," he says. "Do you have plans today?" he asks.
"To study," I answer, "why?"
"I was wondering if I could pick Jonah up from school today and take him out this afternoon maybe give you some free time. Is that okay?"
"That would be GREAT!" I say with a smile. "What are you going to do?" I ask.
"Oh nothing important just spending some time with Jonah," he shrugs which makes me feel like he's up to something.
"You're up to something I know it," I laugh.
"You're wrong, I'm up to nothing. I just want to spend the afternoon with my son. How does that mean something is up?"
"Because you're answering that with a question, that's how I know. I know you all too well, Seth so what's really going on?"
"Nothing, just spending time with my son," he says, "promise."
"Okay," I say but I don't' truly believe him. I know he's up to more than just spending time with Jonah. He has something planned and whatever it is I have no idea about it. I don't have a birthday coming up and our anniversary isn't anywhere near so I don't know what he could possibly be up to but I'll wait. I'll get the information from Jonah.
*A/N: How do you think Jordyn handled Jonah starting preschool? Was Seth right she has done a good job with him so far base on how he reacted in the classroom? What do you think of Seth telling Jordyn she didn't need to work anymore so she could focus on Jonah and school? Is that best for her? Will that help her while he's away? What do you think of her depending less on her nana and Roman and Tayla? What do you think Seth is up to? Do you think he has something planned? Please review and thank-you for reading.