Stronger

Chapter 3

By the time 3:30 p.m. rolls around I am absoultly exhausted but I know that I cannot thinking of resting until all four of my munchkins are in bed tonight. Honestly I am happily exhausted though since I found a job, working at the mechanics garage Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. so I have time to drop off and pick up the kids from school and have weekends with them.

I start my new job tomorrow and I'm nervous yet excited for this since I know I need this for our family yet I am terrified that someone will figure out our situation. Walking inside the elementary school, heading toward the preschool classrooms so I can fetch Ernie and Doris; hoping that not only them but Phoebe and Daisy had a good day.

The classroom door opens and one of the assistant teachers starts calling kids out when she sees their parent, sibling or sitter that is there to pick the child up.

"Doris and Ernie your," she stops probably not knowing what to call me; the emotions battle across her face as if she isn't sure I'm their dad, brother or sitter.

"Brother," I fill in for her and she smiles greatfully as my cheeks flush a light pink at the attention that I'm now recieving from the others around me.

The twins exit the room with big smiles once they see me; running right at me and each clutching a leg while giggling loudly.

"Hi guys, good day?" I ask them as they tigthen their holds around my legs when I begin walking towards the kindergarten hallway to fetch the older twins.

"Yesh!" Doris replies with a loud giggle as my leg with her steps forward as Ernie remains quiet.

Glancing down at him quickly to see him pouting, guessing he wasn't a huge fan of today. "Ernie?" I ask him as we stand in front of Daisy and Phoebe's classroom.

"No going back, want to be with you," he states stubbornly.

Sighing interelly knowing that until he becomes used to school, this might be an everyday battle. I'm hoping that if all three girls have a great day than perhaps he will want to willingly try again tomorrow. After waiting for about five minutes, the clasroom door finally opens and the students exit the room to the hallway toward whomever is picking them up.

Grinning broadly at my sisters as they bounce over toward us, huge smiles gracing their lips giving me hope that they enjoyed their days.

"Have a good day girls?" I ask happily as the five of us make our way outside.

"It was great Lou!" Daisy tells me as we head toward home.

"We're going back tomorrow right?" Phoebe asks as we walk the sidewalk with wide hopeful eyes.

Nodding as I can't help my growing smile. "Of course you guys are! The four of you have school Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday's."

The girls giggle with wide smiles as Ernie kicks a pebble on the ground with the toe of his shoe with a small pout.

"School is fun, I promise Ernie," I tell him lightly swinging his hand that I'm holding.

He looks up at me tears swimming in his eyes as his pout grows and his bottom lip wobbles. As we come to the front door of the house, I unklock the door allowing the girls to enter before us and I squat down in front of him to talk to him privetly.

"How come you don't like school, you seemed excited for it yesterday?" Searching his eyes in hopes I can find out the truth in them.

"I want to be with you," his eyes mist over even more as he takes a shuddering breath. "You and me all day."

Smiling softly at him as I pull him into a tight hug but not hard enough not to hurt him, whispering softly into his hair; "I want that too buddy but you need to go to school to become smarter than me. I want you and the girls to become smarter than me and be whatever you want to be in life."