Soda's POV

"Be a good girl for uncle Pony." It was the middle of January and I was leaving for my first day of classes. Or to be more accurate, the first evening. For the first time in almost two years, I was going to school. And for the first time in months, I carried a back pack that did not contain baby supplies.

"Do you have everything?" Darry asked for the millionth time.

I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm going to the high school, Darry. Not to some far away college."

"I know." Darry sighed. "It's just been a while since you've gone to school. I just want to make sure you have everything."

"Darry, he has what he needs. If there's anything else, his teachers will say something tonight." Ponyboy said, picking up Brianna.

"Yeah!" I agreed then got serious, "Now you two are okay with Brianna, right?"

"We'll be fine!" Ponytold me. "Now go to school before you end up being late!"

I gave Brianna one last kiss before I stepped outside and went off to school for the first time in almost two years.

Ponyboy's POV

I stood with Brianna in front of the living room window, waving her hand as Soda off in the truck. As soon as he was out of sight, Brianna started crying.

"Uh oh." Darry said from the chair where he was trying to do the cross word puzzle in the news paper.

"Daddy will back." I told Brianna. "He won't leave you and not return."

"Unlike some people." Darry mumbled. I knew he was talking about Sandy. We didn't talk about her in front of Soda and he never mentioned her. But, it was clear that all three off us were not happy that she would just abandon her own child. Soda's or not.

"Come on, lets play with some toys." I said as I sat on the floor with Brianna who was still crying and looking out the window as if Soda was never coming back. "Maybe we can get uncle Darry to play with us."

I looked over at Darry who was giving me his best 'think again' look.

"Oh, you know you want to." I said with a wink. "Admit it, you enjoy doing things with Brianna."

Darry shook his head and grinned. "Alright. But let me finish this puzzle first."

I nodded and started to play with Brianna. We played with her stacking toy. And after a while, Darry joined us. When it was time to put Brianna to bed, all the tears after seeing Soda leave were long gone. In fact, most of the evening, she was happy and laughing. It was a good evening. Hopefully, the other evenings would go just as well and maybe without the tears.

Darry's POV

"You're still up?" It was almost ten-thirty and Soda was just coming in from his first evening of classes. "How was Brianna?"

"Brianna was just fine. Cried for a few minutes when you first left. But we all had a good time." I told him. "So, how was your first evening of classes?"

"Come with me to check on Brianna and I'll tell you." Soda said.

I walked with Soda to Brianna's room and he told me about how things went.

"It's going to be a challenge, isn't it?" Soda asked when he finished. "Not just the school thing, but also juggling a job and raising Brianna."

"You'll do fine." I assured him. He just looked over the edge of the crib.

"Look at her Darry." Soda whispered and I joined him. "If it weren't for her, I probably wouldn't be back in school. How can someone so small, have such a big impact?"

"I don't know, little buddy." I said quietly.

"Well, I think I'll go to bed. Good night, Darry." Soda said leaving me alone in the room with his daughter who slept peacefully.

"You really have made a big impact on our lives, Brianna." I whispered as I pulled her blanket over her that she had managed to wiggle off of her. Then I walked out of the room pulling the door until it was partially closed behind me. Across the hall, I could hear Soda and Ponyboy whispering about the evening's events. Sighing, I went to my own bed room where I laid on my bed and stared at the ceiling until I fell asleep.