The Strength of a Family
Two
I decided to make macaroni and cheese for lunch as it was one of the boys’ favorites. I started a pot of water and got some chicken patties out so that they could have those with the pasta. It wasn’t long before I had a meal on the table and was yelling for all of my boys to come down. The twins were first, as usual, and sat in their seats waiting for Daddy to join them before they started to eat.
I had poured the boys Hawaiian punch and water for my husband and I. By the time I sat down, Casey was already seated. We all dug in and ate in pretty much silence between bites. Once the boys finished, they asked to be excused and were. That left my husband and me alone in the kitchen. I got up to start cleaning, but Casey stopped me.
“I can clean up, you did make the meal,” he offered. I shook my head.
“I’ve got it, I’m sure you can catch a hockey game on TV if you wanted?” seeing as it was Saturday, there should be a game or two on.
“Babe, why are there five stockings on the end of the bed?” he asked as I started to soak the pot in warm soapy water. I had grabbed a washcloth and was about to start wiping down the table when I finally answered.
“Our family has five people in it,” I said nonchalantly.
“There are only four of us,” he said without catching my drift. I stopped wiping the table and placed a hand on my barely there tummy. He noticed this gesture and immediately stood. “You’re pregnant?” his eyes held the smile that his lips showed. I nodded as I dropped the washcloth on the table. He came and picked me up before slowly spinning me around and then as he set me back on my feet, he connected our lips. It was sweet and slow. We were only interrupted by the boys arguing over who got to use the remote in the room over from the kitchen. We separated but neither of our smiles diminished. “Was it our anniversary that did the trick?” he asked in reference to the conception of our newest addition. I nodded.
Our anniversary is in early November, but we celebrated early this year because the boys were at a Cub Scout event overnight. With no family being in the area, we didn’t think that we could have a night alone on our actual anniversary, so we celebrated in late October. Now with only a couple of weeks until Christmas, we are expecting.
“When is your first appointment?” he asked as he nuzzled my neck with his face. I could feel his stubble against my soft skin that had been exposed when he moved my shirt’s collar.
“Thursday, your day off, I wanted it to be before the boys got out of school for break. That way we can go during school hours and not have to drag them with us, they would be easily bored.” He just nodded and kissed my exposed skin.
“How have you felt?” he asked quietly. When I was pregnant with the boys, I was extremely nauseous all the time in the first trimester and most of the second.
“Better in the last couple of days,” I had been going to bed when the boys did the last couple of days and I think that it helped with the nausea because I have barely felt like that all week.
“Do you think we will make it this time?” he asked in reference to the two miscarriages we have had since the twins were born. The first miscarriage I had before I even knew I was pregnant. The second happened the day before my second trimester started. We hadn’t told anyone about either because it was our burden. Our closest friends were people who had at least four to five kids, at least one at the twins’ age. We were the only ones with two kids and it definitely showed when we all went out. Our kids were the best behaved because they got all the attention and teaching that they needed when they needed it. There was never any other kid running around that needed attention besides the two, so it was much easier.
“It feels different this time, like it did with the boys,” I told him as I subconsciously rubbed the place that housed the fetus.
“Let’s hope,” he kissed my cheek and fixed my shirt so it was where the collar should be. My husband and I weren’t old by any definition. But we knew that if we didn’t have another baby soon, it might never happen. We were only 28, having had the twins at 21. But life sometimes has its own agenda.
I had poured the boys Hawaiian punch and water for my husband and I. By the time I sat down, Casey was already seated. We all dug in and ate in pretty much silence between bites. Once the boys finished, they asked to be excused and were. That left my husband and me alone in the kitchen. I got up to start cleaning, but Casey stopped me.
“I can clean up, you did make the meal,” he offered. I shook my head.
“I’ve got it, I’m sure you can catch a hockey game on TV if you wanted?” seeing as it was Saturday, there should be a game or two on.
“Babe, why are there five stockings on the end of the bed?” he asked as I started to soak the pot in warm soapy water. I had grabbed a washcloth and was about to start wiping down the table when I finally answered.
“Our family has five people in it,” I said nonchalantly.
“There are only four of us,” he said without catching my drift. I stopped wiping the table and placed a hand on my barely there tummy. He noticed this gesture and immediately stood. “You’re pregnant?” his eyes held the smile that his lips showed. I nodded as I dropped the washcloth on the table. He came and picked me up before slowly spinning me around and then as he set me back on my feet, he connected our lips. It was sweet and slow. We were only interrupted by the boys arguing over who got to use the remote in the room over from the kitchen. We separated but neither of our smiles diminished. “Was it our anniversary that did the trick?” he asked in reference to the conception of our newest addition. I nodded.
Our anniversary is in early November, but we celebrated early this year because the boys were at a Cub Scout event overnight. With no family being in the area, we didn’t think that we could have a night alone on our actual anniversary, so we celebrated in late October. Now with only a couple of weeks until Christmas, we are expecting.
“When is your first appointment?” he asked as he nuzzled my neck with his face. I could feel his stubble against my soft skin that had been exposed when he moved my shirt’s collar.
“Thursday, your day off, I wanted it to be before the boys got out of school for break. That way we can go during school hours and not have to drag them with us, they would be easily bored.” He just nodded and kissed my exposed skin.
“How have you felt?” he asked quietly. When I was pregnant with the boys, I was extremely nauseous all the time in the first trimester and most of the second.
“Better in the last couple of days,” I had been going to bed when the boys did the last couple of days and I think that it helped with the nausea because I have barely felt like that all week.
“Do you think we will make it this time?” he asked in reference to the two miscarriages we have had since the twins were born. The first miscarriage I had before I even knew I was pregnant. The second happened the day before my second trimester started. We hadn’t told anyone about either because it was our burden. Our closest friends were people who had at least four to five kids, at least one at the twins’ age. We were the only ones with two kids and it definitely showed when we all went out. Our kids were the best behaved because they got all the attention and teaching that they needed when they needed it. There was never any other kid running around that needed attention besides the two, so it was much easier.
“It feels different this time, like it did with the boys,” I told him as I subconsciously rubbed the place that housed the fetus.
“Let’s hope,” he kissed my cheek and fixed my shirt so it was where the collar should be. My husband and I weren’t old by any definition. But we knew that if we didn’t have another baby soon, it might never happen. We were only 28, having had the twins at 21. But life sometimes has its own agenda.