{Your POV}

I married the love of your life at 20. Leon Vaughn. Within the year I had your first baby, Gideon, he’s now in first grade (7). Then came your second, a daughter named Madaline. She’s in kindergarten, just turned 5 1/2. After those two I wanted to be done with kids, I was fulfilled. But Derrick wanted another one. Like they were some sort of accessory. That’s probably because he never sat with the kids long enough to know how much work they really are.

Derrick changed after Maddy was born. He worked more, drank more. He got angry a lot. I usually tried to keep the kids away but it wasn’t always successful. On days I would ask if he could watch the kids while I went to get groceries or to the doctors or even maybe a couple days a year to spend time with my parents (oftentimes they came to me), he would tell me “You’re their mother, why is it so hard to just be one? Take them with you.” He never helped. Even when they were babies and I was drowning in my own tears or so sleep deprived I collapsed.

Then it got worse. Glass started to shatter across rooms, my skin carried bruises beneath sleeves. Leon only ever showed affection when he was in the mood. I felt like he wasn’t attracted to me anymore. I started wearing different clothes, I tried to thin out, but nothing worked. Then my third baby happened. My youngest son, August. Who’s now just turned 3. I love him, even though I didn’t exactly have the option to have him.

I’m isolated, never going anywhere but to the store, kids schools, doctors, and home. No friends, no family came by (Leon broke that relationship with them), I am desperate.

Well, today the school called about Gideon misbehaving in class. Something about pulling a girl's hair? So, being the mother you are, you go to the school.

{T… POV} Gideon, Gideon, Gideon. Red head, curly hair with freckles. He’s adorable. I’ll give him that. But he’s not exactly friendly to the girls in his class. Now, being a teacher for this long and taking a human behavior studies class in college, I learned a lot about kids behaviors and how a lot of the time, they stem from things they see at home.

I had saw Gideo grab a little girls pig tail in class and pull her to the ground. I obviously reported it to the principal and the girls parents, but he did it because she asked him if she could borrow a crayon for a color activity. He said no, and tugged her to the ground. He didn’t cry or whine when I told him off. Which for a 7 year old is strange for him not to do when they get in trouble.

So now, at Gideon's lunch time, he’s inside for recess, and I’m waiting for his mother. Who, on the phone, sounded very stressed, worried and strung out. I had only met her once. It was the beginning of the school year. She wrangled the kids alone, a curious 2 year old, a fresh 5 year old, and Gideon. How did she do it? I’m clueless, but then again I handle a class of 20 6-7 year olds. In the meantime while I waited I kept an eye on Gideon on the trouble chair and sorted out lesson plans for next week.

I saw my classroom door open, one of the sweet office ladies held it open while his mom walked in, carrying a little boy.

“I’m so sorry I’m tale. August is in his independent toddler phase.” She said tired and so extremely sorry it was unbelievable.

“It’s alright,” I chuckle, “I’m used to parents being late, especially when they have littles.” I got up from my desk and pulled a chair out for her. “I have some wood blocks if he’d like to play with them?”

“Oh um.” She looks at Autem and asks him if he’d like to play, to which he obviously nodded.

I smiled and grabbed the bin out of the cupboard for him, opened the lid and he was digging right through them. I walked back over to where she sat across from my desk and sat in my chair.

“So… Today a student, a young girl, asked to borrow one of Giddeons crayons because hers was missing. Gideon said no. Now usually, that's good. But instead of leaving it at ‘no’ he grabbed one of her pigtails and pulled her to the ground.”