The teacher called Fabio to the front of the class and introduced him to the other children. She stood
and watched as Fabio immediately befriended the rest of the class.
She watched over the children for some time before getting back to Ashley. "Fabio is getting along with
the other children really well," the teacher happily reported to Ashley.
Ashley watched Fabio play with his classmates through a window. The boy seemed to enjoy his time
with the class a lot.
The teacher looked towards the same direction as Ashley. After some time, Ashley smiled and said,
"He's such a good boy. I can already see that he likes being in class with the other children."
"I just met him today, but he is one of the best kids I have ever seen. Usually, new kids cry and make a
scene during their first day in school. Time and time again, those children prove to be difficult to handle!
It really takes time and patience for them to feel comfortable," the teacher said.
"These kids are so used to having their parents near them for many years. I do understand why they
would react that way towards a whole new environment. But they get more and more comfortable
through time, right?" Ashley said politely.
The teacher nodded and said, "Yes, that's right!
Everyone seems quite obedient...
How old is Fabio?"
"Four and a half years old."
"Is this his first time in kindergarten?"
"Yes, he actually did not want to come today. Fabio has an older brother, who would teach him from
time to time. Seeing that, I didn't feel the need to urge Fabio to attend kindergarten."
"It is actually beneficial for a child to attend kindergarten for some time. That way, he will be able to
socialize with children of his age. Knowing how to make friends is essential in the coming stages of a
child's life," the teacher replied.
Ashley nodded and answered, "Yes, we do believe that. That's actually why we decided to bring him
here."
Richard stood idly beside Ashley, and so did Andrew. Neither of the two spoke.
The teacher looked at Richard and asked Ashley rather curiously, "Is this Fabio's older brother, the one
you were talking about?"
Ashley looked at Richard. She smiled and replied, "Yes, he is."
"You have a very beautiful family!"
commented the teacher, smiling at Ashley and Andrew.
"Thank you, teacher."
After some time, Ashley began to feel a bit tired of standing up. She decided to sit on a chair nearby, as
she continued to watch Fabio mingle with the other kids in class.
Seeing how silent Richard was, Ashley stroked his head and said, "Don't you want to go and play with
your brother?"
Richard intently shook his head and said, "No. I'd rather stay here with you, Mommy."
In reality, Richard didn't want to play those games anymore. To him, they were games, appropriate for
toddlers only.
Ashley looked at Richard, who sat quietly and said nothing. She then looked at Andrew, who sat next to
Richard and was also rather silent. She raised her eyebrows and thought, 'They are like two peas in a
pod...'
Andrew sat there quietly. Ashley knew that her husband would remain silent as long as nobody talked
to him. The same was true for Richard.
She found the boy's demeanor somewhat peculiar. 'I wonder how Richard matched Andrew's
personality, ' Ashley thought.
She had raised Richard from the moment she met him. 'He had always been this reserved. But it is
strange how he acts like Andrew, '
Ashley pondered further.
Ashley wanted to spend her day-off with her children so she was happy to sign them up for school
today. Her heart began to melt as she saw how happily Fabio played with the other children.
After all, this would be Fabio's school for more than a year.
Suddenly, Fabio approached Ashley. The boy had stopped playing with the other children. He said,
"Mommy, I don't want to play anymore. Let's go home."
Ashley pulled Fabio into her arms. She wiped the sweat off her child's forehead and asked, "Why do
you want to go home now? Are you not having fun?"
Fabio pursed his lips and said, "It was fun at first, but things got boring after a while. I want to go home
and play there instead."
Ashley didn't know whether to cry or laugh at Fabio's decision. 'It turns out that a child's interest only
lasts for 3 minutes.
Would he be able to keep coming here for more than a year? Especially now that he had lost his
interest in it.'
"You'll be coming here every day, starting tomorrow. You must listen to your teacher and behave well.
You'll be here except for weekends. Do you understand?"
Ashley said helplessly as she looked at Fabio's little face.
Fabio nodded his little head and said, "Okay, Mommy. I understand. But can we leave now?"
"Okay, let's go." Ashley was amused by the funny look on Fabio's face.
The boy was already excited to get back home.
Ashley said goodbye to the teacher and took the kids home, with Andrew still reluctantly tagging along.
They still had a lot of time to spare. After the kids were enrolled, it was only ten o'clock.
Suddenly, a delightful idea sprang into Ashley mind. She decided that the rest of the day would be
spent on fun activities for the boys. 'Might as well grab this time for the family. Andrew and I can return
to work tomorrow. The boys, on the other hand, will have to go to school, ' she thought.
"How about we go to the amusement park today? What do you think, kids?" Ashley suggested
gleefully. Ashley smiled and stared at the kids, waiting for their response.
Fabio blinked his eyes and quickly answered, "Yes! I'd love that!"
"How about you, Richard? Do you want to go to the amusement park?" she urged.
Richard nodded and said, "Yes, Mommy. I want to go."
"Okay, let's head to the amusement park then," Ashley said as she smiled from ear to ear.
"Honey, you agree, right?"
Ashley didn't forget to ask Andrew. She immediately turned to the man, still with a huge smile.
Andrew was rather speechless.
He looked directly unto Ashley. There was no way he would ruin his wife's good mood.
"Yes,"
Andrew said rather flatly.
Having Andrew in agreement with her plan, Ashley chuckled to herself.
Ashley secretly intertwined her fingers with Andrew's, in a way that the kids would not notice.
Andrew's hand looked gigantic next to Ashley's.
Ashley leaned on Andrew's shoulder and looked over the kids.
Ashley closed her eyes. A smile slowly formed on her lips. Everything felt perfect.
They were headed to a very large amusement park, where there were all sorts of rides, attractions,
shows and food!
The family immediately got out of the car as soon as they were parked. Fabio was evidently excited.
The boys rushed towards the entrance.
"Fabio, wait for your father and hold his hand,"
Ashley called out after Fabio.
"I want to hold your hand, Mommy," the boy replied.
"Listen to me. There are lots of people here. Some stranger might try to take you."
As soon Ashley said those words, Fabio stopped insisting and reluctantly walked to Andrew to hold his
hand.
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda