The Only One Left
Written by Meghan Foley
Luke was the youngest of the five kids in his family. He had three older sisters and one older brother. His three sisters had all been to school before, but today his older brother John Paul was going to be starting his very first day of kindergarten.
John was so excited, but Luke was a little sad because he was going to have to play by himself all day. He used to always play with John when the girls went off to school, but today he would be the only one left behind.
Everyone was busy eating breakfast and making sure their backpacks were all ready for the first day when Luke woke up and walked downstairs. He saw his mom making and packing lunches for all of his siblings and he really wished there could be a bag with his name on it.
“Maybe if I get all ready and show my mom I’m big enough and ready to go to school she will let me go with John Paul and then I won’t have to be alone all day.” He thought to himself as he ran back upstairs to get dressed.
A few minutes later Luke came barreling down the stairs with an old Batman backpack on his back that he found in the back of his closet, which he filled with some of his most favorite toys.
He sat down at the kitchen table and gobbled up fruit loops faster then ever before, anxious and excited to hopefully get to go to school with his brother and sisters.
As everyone started to head outside for the bus Luke put on his backpack and followed his siblings like a little puppy out the door to the end of the driveway.
The girls one by one got on the bus, then followed behind by John Paul so excited to leave his house behind and go to his first day of school. Then Luke’s mom noticed a tiny little boy with a ratty Batman backpack trying to climb up the bus steps.
She picked Luke up and put him down on the grass beside her. “You’re not old enough to go to school yet Lukey, you have to stay home with me.” She said. Luke stomped his foot and pouted the whole way back into the house where he threw down his backpack and flopped down on the couch.
Luke was sad and wished he could be big enough to go to kindergarten with John Paul. It was going to be so boring and lonely at home now with just him and his mom all day long.
As Luke laid there upset, his mom came in with a blanket, pillow, and book and laid beside him on the couch and turned on Luke’s favorite morning cartoons. “Luke, we are going to have special mommy Luke time now while your brother and sisters go off to school. You are very special.” She said
“I guess I am.” Luke thought. “Mommy, can we have cuddle time every morning with pillows and blankets and watch cartoons together?” He asked
“Of course” his mother replied. “Every single day until it is your turn to go to kindergarten.”
Luke smiled and realized just how lucky he was to get special cuddle time with his mom that none of this other siblings has ever had. Maybe it wasn’t going to be so bad after all being the only one not going to school every day.
Luke just smiled and got comfy under the blankets to watch some morning cartoons with his mom and couldn’t wait to do it again tomorrow morning.