Some Days We Tread Lightly

He begged me. "I don't want to go".
He kicked his shoes off as soon as I put them on.
He refused to seat in his booster to be buckled in.
He pouted all the way there.
He dragged his feet down the path toward the door.

Once inside, I tried to steer him through his normal routine of finding his name to put on the board, and hanging his bag under his photo. 
We greeted the teacher.
Uh oh ... relief teacher.
He took a step back from the unfamiliar face.
Luckily the teacher aide rushed in. "What would you like to start with today? How about you join in playing with the trains?"

He never took his eyes off me, so I sat down near the train tracks. He slowly lowered himself to the floor next to me.
He surveyed the other boys playing with the trains and the track they had already created. He spied a train not being used. As he reached for it, a little boy grabbed a piece of track and whacked it across his hand "No!"
He was instantly in my lap, his little arms around my neck. He sobbed for a good ten minutes.

He is not usually clingy. He is usually eager to join in. Not today.

Today he is fragile. Today he wants his Mum. Today he doesn't want to be a big boy at Kindergarten.

The teacher's aide came to my rescue again with a game with Dragon's on it. This woman is worth her weight in gold.
Other boys crowded around and wanted to play too.
He slowly sat in the chair pulled out for him.
He concentrated on the games for a while, and I saw his shoulders relax.
The teacher's aide gave me a nod as I stood.
He looked up as I closed the door behind me.
His eyes looked longingly into mine, but he stayed in his chair as I smiled and waved through the window.

My heart is heavy as I head along the path to the gate.