Soda's POV

When I got home from work that afternoon, I did my usual routine of taking off my shoes and getting a glass of chocolate milk. I could hear Ponyboy in Brianna's room playing with her. As I drank my chocolate milk, I thought about how Ponyboy would be watching Brianna more if I went back to school the following semester. I wouldn't be able to spend a lot of time with Brianna and that was something I wasn't looking forward to. I enjoy spending time with her. And I didn't want to miss any of the firsts she still had coming such as her first step or her first word. Going back to school would be hard for several reasons but I knew it was the right choice.

"Hey, Soda!" Ponyboy called out from Brianna's room. "What's going on? You're usually in here by now."

I broke out of my thoughts and set my glass in the sink before walking to Brianna's room. I entered to find Pony and Brianna playing with a stacking toy. Well, it looked more like Pony was playing with the stacking toy. Brianna seemed more interested in trying to pull her socks off. Something she hasn't managed to do yet.

"How's daddy's girl?" I asked Brianna as I sat down with her. She looked up at me and smiled. "Are you trying to pull off your socks?"

Ponyboy laughed. "She's like you, Soda. Can't stand anything on her feet."

I pretended to ignore him as I shook Brianna's stuffed bear in front of her. She took it and gave it a kiss before dropping it on the floor and reaching for the stacking toy. It didn't take long for her to unstack it and start putting parts of it in her mouth.

Ponyboy's POV

Since Brianna was entertaining herself, I used the opportunity to talk to Soda. Not that I wouldn't have talked to him anyway. I tell him almost everything. But now I wanted to tell him what I found out about the evening classes.

"Soda?" I asked moving closer to him.

"Yeah?" Soda handed Brianna a block before turning to me.

"I got some information on the evening classes." I told him. "They start in the middle of January. Classes will be Monday through Thursday and from six until nine."

"Kind of like summer school." Soda mumbled.

"Well, yeah. This isn't exactly like regular school, Soda. There will be others like you who have families and really can't spend a lot of time attending class. They might even make child care available." I replied. "Of course, you wouldn't need that. I'd love to watch Brianna while you're at school."

Soda grinned at me. "How do classes work?"

I restacked the stacking toy which Brianna knocked down. She enjoys knocking stuff down. "It'll be like regular school or college. A book with the available classes will be available and you just pick the classes you want to take or are supposed to take."

"Are you going to tell Darry all this when he gets home?" Soda asked.

I nodded as I stood up. "I think I'll go start dinner. Darry will be home soon."

Soda's POV

I watched as Ponyboy left the room. I knew he was excited about the idea of me returning to school. And in a way it made me excited, too. Even though I also had a feeling of uncertainty.

"So, Brianna, are you glad to hear that daddy might be going back to school?" I asked pulling her onto my lap.

She giggled and looked up at me. Her two teeth showed when she giggled. And it wouldn't be long before the third one would be there too.

I took her hands in mine and sang 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' to her using her hands to do the motions. Which she found to be funny because she laughed when I finished. I continued to play with her until it was time to have dinner. We did 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' a few more times and also played with the stacking toy. I did the stacking. She did the knocking down with pleased laughter.