Another lil Benley collection

Namesake

Miranda glanced around Tuck's room, feeling a mixture of pride and sadness as they began packing. Tuck was headed off to college, and while she was excited for him, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of melancholy at the thought of him leaving home.

"Tuck, do you really need to bring all those video games with you?" Miranda asked, eyeing the stack of game cases on his desk.

Tuck looked up, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Well, you never know when I might need to unwind, right?"

Miranda chuckled. "Fair enough. Just make sure you leave some room for your textbooks."

"I got it Mom" He nodded as he moved to pack his clothes. Miranda watched as Tuck tossed his clothes into a suitcase with careless abandon

"Slow down, Tuck," she said, stepping into the room. "You're going to wrinkle all your shirts at this rate."

Tuck rolled his eyes playfully. "Mom, relax. It's not like I'm packing for a fashion show. Besides, I'll have plenty of time to iron everything out once I get to school."

Miranda shook her head in exasperation but refrained from scolding him. He was grown now and she had to let him go and be grown.

"Have you packed your toiletries yet?" she asked

"Uh, not yet. I'll get to it."

Knowing her son, she began gathering up the toiletries and neatly arranging them in a travel bag.

"Here," she said, handing the bag to Tuck. "Make sure you don't forget anything. You don't want to be stuck without toothpaste on your first day."

Tuck grinned and accepted the bag. "Thanks, Mom. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Miranda smiled back, feeling a swell of pride at her son's gratitude. "Just promise me you'll call me at least once a week, okay? And don't forget to do your laundry regularly."

Tuck chuckled. "I promise, Mom. I'll be the cleanest and most communicative college student you've ever seen."

Tuck rummaged through a stack of old books, he stumbled upon his baby book. Curious, he opened it up, and Miranda couldn't help but peek over his shoulder as they flipped through the memories together.

"Look at this" Tuck said, his voice filled with wonder as he traced his fingers over the photographs and handwritten notes.

"Your grandma gave it to me when you were born. Your father and I filled it out together, documenting every milestone and special memory."

Tuck chuckled as he came across a picture of himself covered in spaghetti sauce during his first attempt at eating solid food. "Looks like I used to be
a messy eater."

Miranda laughed, her heart swelling with love for her son. "You still are" She chuckled remembering the spaghetti dinner night with Tuck and Joey shoveling food in their mouths as if she never fed them.

As they continued to reminisce, Miranda couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the thought of her son leaving for college. It seemed like just yesterday that he was a little baby learning to crawl, and now he was all grown up and ready to spread his wings.

Tuck noticed his mom's somber expression and reached out to hug her. "Hey, Mom, don't worry. Even though I'll be miles away, I'll always carry these memories with me in my heart."

Miranda hugged him back tightly, her eyes brimming with tears. "I know, Tuck. And no matter where life takes you, you'll always be my baby boy."

They held onto each other for a moment longer, finding comfort in their shared love and memories. As Tuck continued to flip through the pages of his baby book, he came across a series of photos taken in the hospital where his mother worked. In one of the pictures, he saw himself as a toddler, smiling brightly while sitting on the lap of a young surgical intern.