Moments

**Time Jump: Austin is now 5 years old**

**Tammie's POV**

I kept up with the pictures and videos, and I kept up with my letters.

"Momma, I don't wanna go!" Austin cried, his eyes swimming in tears. "Baby, you have to." I told him, grabbing his hand. He shook his head, holding his arms up for me to pick him up. I sighed, lifting him and setting him on my hip. He dug his head into my shoulder and wrapped his little arms around my neck.

"It's just kindergarten, don't you want to make more friends?" I asked him, smiling at him. I'm now 22 years old, my 23rd birthday is coming up, and it's September. Meaning that Austin has to go to kindergarten. He looked up at me. "There will be more kids like me in there?" He asked, I pursed my lips. When he says, 'like me' he means exceptionally smart. I have no idea where he got it, but according to the doctors he uses an extra percent of his head than the rest of us. So, he's already extremely smart.

"Maybe," I told him with a smile. He smiled and jumped down from my arms and took my hand, walking into the building. I heard my heels click and clack against the floor and Austin let go of my hand when he found someone playing with blocks. I saw the teacher and smiled at her, walking over and shaking her hand. "Hi," I said to her. "We talked on the phone a few days ago. I'm Tammie Young, Austin's mum." She nodded, smiling brightly and she shook my hand.

"I guess we'll see just how smart he is today, huh?" She said, smiling. I nodded and waved to her, starting to walk out of the building. I looked back to see Austin playing with some kids. He looked over at me, as if he knew I was looking, and jumped up, running over to me. I squatted down, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Momma." He said, kissing my cheek. I smiled down at him. His blue eyes were filled with tears and his brown hair was getting long, he'd need a hair cut soon. He is the spitting image of Lou. "I love you too, baby. Now go play, I'll be back in a few hours. And make sure you listen to Mrs. H okay?" I said to him. He nodded, smiling widely and showing off his baby teeth. I poked his nose before getting up and watching him run off to join a few other boys playing. I smiled sadly before turning and walking out of the building.

I went home and put all the pictures I took into the manila folder. I put it in the mailbox with a small letter. "Austin's first day of Kindergarten." It read. I knew Lou was getting the photos, Jackie told me. I smiled, thinking of the video I took this morning of Austin getting ready. He'd smile at me every time he looked and say, "Momma, why are you video-ing me? I hate being on video!" I'd laugh and tell him that he's a handsome fella, and that he deserves to be on camera all the time. He'd just stick his tongue out at me and continue to get ready.

"You're late, Momma." Austin said when I showed up at the Kindergarten to pick him up. I was a minute late. "Oh, shush you. Only by a minute." I said with a smile on my face as he hugged my legs. I smiled at Mrs. H who waved me over. I took Austin's hand and we both walked over.

"I think he should start first grade early." She told me, a completely serious look on her face. I bit my lip and looked down at Austin. He was smiling and nodding. "Um.. okay. What do I need to do?" I asked her. She smiled and said that she'd take care of it all and that tomorrow morning I'd have to just go to the elementary school tomorrow and talk to the principal a bit. I nodded and we walked out of the building and over to my car.

My phone was in my hands, should I call him? I have to tell him. I have to tell him about his brain, about the first grade and Kindergarten. I closed my eyes, pressing the send button. "Momma?" Austin called. "Give me a minute, baby. Start the movie." I called to him and listened to the phone ring. "Hullo?" I heard Lou's voice ring, he obviously hadn't paid attention to the caller ID.. or the ring tone. Or did he change it and delete my number?

"L-Lou?" I asked softly. I heard him choke on something and something was knocked over. "Tam!?" He shouted and I winced a bit. "Yeah.. I actually have something to tell you.. about Austin." I said, sitting down in a chair in my kitchen. Two years ago I moved out of my moms place and into my own house, I have a stable job now so I can afford it.

"What? Is he okay!?" He asked and I heard movement. "Lou, come on! We go on soon!" I heard Harry shout, I winced. "It's Tam." Lou said to him and he didn't stop, I heard his footsteps. I'm guessing Harry nodded because Lou was soon in another room and I sighed. "He's fine. He's.. more than fine. Which is what I want to talk to you about." I said, biting my lip. "Well, what is it?" Lou asked.

"A few years ago.. Austin started being early for everything. Development wise. Crawling, sitting up, walking, talking.." I told him, trying to think of everything else. "So, I went to the doctor. They sent me to this fancy place in New York. They did some tests. First a DNA sample and they looked at some brain cells and then they just.. let him play and do things." I told him softly. The movie played in the background and I closed my eyes. "I should have told you sooner, I'm so sorry.." I whispered. "It's fine, you're telling me now." Lou said softly and I imagined him next to me, wrapping his arms around me. A tear fell from my eye and I hastily wiped it away. "Yeah, well.. They found out that he uses more of his brain than the average human being." I told him, smiling a bit.

"What does that mean?" Lou asked, and I laughed a bit. "It means that Austin.. Well, Austin's a genius. He uses the same brain capacity as Albert Einstein." I told him with a smile on my face. "Oh my God.." Lou said, his eyes wide. "Yeah, but the doctors say that it comes with a price. Most geniuses get Dyslexia, or ADHD. So, we need to bring him in for check-ups every so often." I told him, looking at the ground with a smile on my face.

"Momma!? It's the best part!" Austin shouted, his head poking through the door. I heard Lou's breath hitch and I bit my lip. "Momma's on the phone, sweety. If you want we can start the movie over when I get in there, okay?" I said softly. He nodded, eyeing me weirdly before walking out. "That... That's him?" Lou asked. I nodded. "Yeah, that's Austin. He.. He's absolutely brilliant. Yesterday we spent three hours counting up to 1,000." I told him, playing with the hem of my shirt. "When we reached it he told me that it was easy because numbers just.. repeat themselves." Lou chuckled, and I could hear the smile in his voice when he said, "Can.. Can I meet him?"

I pursed my lips. "I don't know, Lou.. I think it's too early." I told him. I closed my eyes. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I'm so stupid. I heard him sigh and he said, "Alright. But I have to go. Will you call me again soon? Or can I call you?" He asked. I pursed my lips. "You can call me once a week." I told him. "MOMMA! MOVIE!" Austin shouted. "Seems like he's impatient?" Lou asked. "He's exactly like you." I whispered, a tear falling from my eye. He sighed. "I have to go, bye Lou." I said. "Bye Tam, I love you." He said before the line went dead.

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