I couldn't help wanting to look at all of this through the eyes of Nick's mum ... and we can all use more Sarah Nelson in our lives. Thank you for reading!

From her room, as she was getting dressed for work, Sarah Nelson heard the clattering in the kitchen as Nick made himself breakfast. She sighed. Another term of school. Not that many left before her baby was off to the world. She really didn't know what she was going to do without him.

Opening her door, she called down, "All right, Nicky?"

"Yeah, all right, Mum."

"You have all your work done?"

There was a silence, and she smiled as she imagined him rolling his eyes. "I'm just off holidays. I didn't have any work to do."

"Just getting in practise for the new term."

He came to the bottom of the stairs, looking up at her, smiling but serious, too. "I'm going to do better this term, Mum. You'll see."

"No more doing your homework in the corridor on the way to class?"

"Well … less."

"Less is good." She smiled down at him. "You'll do fine, Nicky. I'm not worried." She really wasn't. He wasn't a star at his academics, but he mostly got his work done, his teachers all had nice things to say about him, and his marks were solid, if not exceptional. She'd have liked to see him work a bit harder, take it a bit more seriously, but he was only sixteen, and nothing at school had really sparked his interest yet. "Does rugby start today?"

"Later in the week, I think. I'll text you the schedule."

"All right. Hurry up, don't want to be late. Anything new happening today?" she called over her shoulder as she returned to her room to find her shoes.

"Change-up in the forms. I'll have a new seatmate."

"Well, hopefully he'll be nice."

"Mm-hm. Bye, Mum!"

"Bye, baby." Sarah heard the door close. She went to the window, twitching aside the curtains to watch him go. Her beautiful son, so funny and thoughtful. So suddenly tall and athletic and independent. She missed the cuddly little boy he had been with a sudden fierceness.

She was lucky, she knew—Nicky still loved spending time at home, and he talked to her about his day, and they kept up their regular movie nights. He still let her call him "Nicky". Most boys his age would think of themselves as too old to let their mums get away with babyish nicknames like that.

Peeking in his room, she found it not too bad. By Friday, it would look like a cyclone struck it, she knew—papers and clothes everywhere. Nick was good about picking up over the weekend, but during the week he did toss things about in here. Nellie lay on the bed. She looked up, wagging her tail, as Sarah pushed the door open further so she could get out. "All right, old girl. Have a good sleep."

Nellie tucked her nose back in, sighing as she slid into sleep. Nick had already walked her and fed her. He was good about that, and so gentle with her. Sarah thought Nellie probably knew him better than anyone else these days.

If there was anything Sarah wished for her son in the next few years, it would be for him to make a really good friend. He had his group of rugby lads that he spent time with, but they were loud, boisterous boys, and as far as Sarah could tell, not particularly nice. Not awful, as far as teenage boys went, but … Nick never seemed himself amongst them. Happy Nick was a chatterbox, always with something to say. But when his mates were round he was so quiet, joining in here and there, but seeming really comfortable only when they went outside to play a game. Nick needed the outlet of exercise, always had, so naturally his friends would be from the rugby team, but Sarah would have liked him to find friends he could really talk to, share more of himself than just that one part.

Well, perhaps that was a lot to ask from sixteen-year-old boys, she thought, locking the door behind her as she headed for work.

Life got busy with school back in session, and it wasn't until the following week that Sarah remembered to ask about the new seatmate in Nick's form.

"Charlie? Yeah, he's all right," Nick said. Sarah thought that might be the end of it, because he picked up his dinner plate and carried it to the sink, but once he'd rinsed it off he turned round and added, "I actually got him to join the team today."

"The rugby team? Does he play?"

Nick chuckled. "Not at all. He runs—he runs really fast—but otherwise I don't think anyone would look at him and say 'there goes a rugby player'." He frowned for a moment, and Sarah thought he might add something, but he went for the cupboard to make a cup of tea instead.

"You did," she said encouragingly.

"Well, we needed a reserve, or we couldn't play any games."

"Not much of a reserve if he can't play."

"Mostly he won't have to. But I'll teach him the rest. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"And the other lads? What do they think?"

Nick busied himself preparing the tea and didn't look at her. "They're just glad we have enough players now. You want some tea?"

"Yes, thank you. Well, I hope he enjoys it. Do you have a schedule of your matches yet?"

"No—Coach Singh is going to make one up now that we can play proper games." Finishing the tea, he picked up her cup and brought it to her, then went back to his. "Homework time."

"Need any help?"

"No, I've got it. Thanks, Mum."

"Sure." She watched him go by, wishing this new boy, Charlie, had been a different sort, someone who might have introduced Nick to something new rather than the other way around. Still, it was like Nick to want to include him, and to offer to teach him how to play.

She worried too much, Sarah concluded, and got up to start clearing the rest of the supper dishes.