The flat was dim and chilly, I heard the leafless autumn trees rustling outside the kitchen window as I trod silently past Daniel's old bedroom, slowly approaching the door that used to lead to my studio. I depressed the handle and the door creaked open slightly. I saw him sleeping on the bed with his arms stretched over his pillow above his head, his nose made a little noise when I stepped inside. I tiptoed over to him, and I immediately started tickling his ribs with gusto.
'First day of big school! First day of big school!' I yelled as he bolted up and started chuckling hysterically.
'Mum! Stop! Stop!' He tried to wrestle away from me, but I lifted him up and swung him around.
'First day of big school! I'm so excited! Are you excited?'
'Mummy, help!' His excitable yelps called out for Esti, who eventually appeared in the doorframe.
'Esti, tell him how excited I am.' I spun around, with Daniel in my arms; he was so heavy now.
'Mum has been very excited, Daniel.' Esti sighed with a tired grin. 'At least you didn't have to try and sleep next to her all night, darling. Tossing and turning constantly.' She had walked into the room and kissed my shoulder.
'Well forgive me, but I am just so excited that someone is starting big school today! Are you excited?' I asked Daniel again.
'I'm hungry.' He yawned and touched my face.
We made breakfast, buttered toast and cereal, and both Esti and I tried to ask him what he was most looking forward to, if he was looking forward to seeing his friends, if he was excited to meet his teachers, but we didn't get much out of him. He was at a peculiar age now, where he didn't talk much about himself but mostly made up stories and told us all about superheroes he loved.
Esti got him dressed in his uniform while I packed his lunch. His new school wasn't far from our flat; but it was one of the best primary schools in London. Esti and I had decided on it years before; we both agreed it would be best if he didn't go to her school.
Esti showered and dressed first, while I helped Daniel choose a book to take in; his first piece of homework was to bring in one of his favourite books, that his teacher would eventually read out to the whole class.
'What about this one?' I said, holding up a Spider-Man comic that he adored.
'No.' He shook his head. 'That's too angry.'
'Mummy said that, didn't she?'
'No. I said it.' He said, and I laughed.
'Sorry, that just really sounds like something mummy would say. What about the dinosaur book?'
'No, that's for babies.'
'Oh, but you loved that book.'
'When I was a baby, mum.'
'You'll always be my baby. What about this one?' I held up another comic, but he ignored me.
'I want this one.' He had picked up Are You My Mother? The book about the baby bird who lost his mother; after his obsession with it, Esti had bought him his own hardback copy.
'You want to take this one?' I asked, slightly surprised; we hadn't read it in a while.
'Yes.'
'Okay, entirely your choice.' I packed the book into his backpack along with his water bottle and lunchbox.
Esti came out of the bedroom, wearing a baggy jumper and jeans; her hair was still damp.
'How do you manage to look so beautiful in that?' I kissed her as I passed her on my way to the bathroom. I got washed and dressed, and soon we were walking Daniel to school; I was by far the giddiest. He was in between us, holding our hands and jumping over the cracks in the pavement.
