by Sharon Coady
She stopped wiggling and settled back with a sigh. “I’m scared, Kyle.”
“What are you scared of?” He placed a kiss on her neck.
“I don’t know what to expect. What if it hurts so much I can’t do it?”
“If you hurt too much, we’ll ask the doctor to give you something. You don’t have to do natural childbirth if you don’t want to. It’s fine either way.” He slowly rubbed her arm with his hand.
“I know… I just want to experience everything. Gram did it, and she said it was the most beautiful experience she ever had. I want that with this baby. He’s my first and I just want to do everything right for him and for me. I hope he comes close to his due date. That way, I get to have Thanksgiving at home, and I should be doing fine by Christmas.”
“I know, honey. The first time for me, you know how that went, it was so different from this time. I’m so in love with you and with this child we’re having together. But I don’t want you to feel like you have to tough it out.”
“I love you, and I’m so happy we are having our own little baby. Thank you for giving me this, for giving us this.” Their door clicked closed. “What was that?” Anne glanced at the door.
“I don’t know. I closed the door tightly when we went to bed last night. Did you get up?” Kyle leaned up onto one elbow so he could see over her to the door.
“No, I slept through the night last night. Melanie knows to knock, and Pop would never open the door without knocking.”
“I bet Melanie was coming in to see if we were awake. She isn’t supposed to just open doors.” He flung the covers back and swung his legs off the bed. “Come on, sleepyhead. She must want breakfast. I’ll remind her of the rules.” He chuckled. “Kids.”
“It’s okay. Really.” Anne all but rolled off the bed, feeling awkward in her advanced pregnant state.
“Right now it might be, but I don’t want her walking in on anything after this little man is born, if you get what I mean.”
“Kyle! Shh.” She giggled and felt the heat cover her face. Good lord, they had been married long enough to have a baby, and he could still make her blush talking that way.
He helped her up, slid the robe over her arms, turned her, and loosely tied the belt around her tummy before pulling her in for a quick kiss.
“Let’s go before they are both busting in wanting breakfast.” When they walked into the kitchen, Melanie was sitting with her head down and her lower lip pushed out.
“Good morning.” Anne kissed Pop’s cheek and waddled over to Melanie. “Good morning, sweetie. Are you hungry?” She leaned over to kiss her cheek. Melanie turned her head, jumped off the chair, dodged around Anne, and ran from the kitchen.
“What just happened?” Anne asked, feeling at a loss for words.
“I don’t know. I’ll go talk to her.” Kyle shook his head and started for her room. “Anne, you sit down and I’ll make breakfast in a minute.”
“I’m not broken, Kyle. I’ll get it started. Pop, what do you want this morning?”
“Are you making eggs for Kyle? Because if you are, I wouldn’t mind eggs and toast this morning.”
“Good. How many eggs do you want, and do you want them scrambled or over easy?”
“Over easy like your gram made them. You make them as good as her, girl. Oh, and plenty of butter on that toast.”
Anne started the cast iron pan her gram had always used for her eggs. It made her smile, knowing he thought she made them as good. She heard Melanie’s door open and Kyle was scolding her as they made their way to the kitchen.
“You sit right there, and I want you to apologize to Mommy right now.”
Anne turned to see Kyle’s lips drawn into a thin line. She looked down at Melanie and saw tears spilling down her face.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry for running away. Daddy said it wasn’t right that I ran when you went to kiss me.”
“AND,” Kyle said sternly tapping his foot.
“I’m sorry I opened your door without knocking on it.” She rolled her eyes.
“Melanie, would you like to spend the morning in your room with no breakfast?”
“Yes Daddy, I would.”
Kyle’s eyes went wide at her answer. He pointed toward her room. “March right now, young lady. I’ll be in to talk to you after we eat!”
Melanie looked from Anne to her father, slid off her chair, and marched out of the room without looking back.
“What was all that about, Kyle? Why are you so mad at her?” Anne was perplexed at what had just transpired.
“She got rude to me when I went in the room to talk to her. She’s never done that before, and I won’t tolerate it.”
“She’s just a kid. Remember what you told me?”
“Yes, but this was different. She was being defiant.”
“About what?”
“About everything. I told her it was wrong, she rolled her eyes. I told her she needed to apologize to you, and she rolled her eyes again and said, ‘like she cares.’ That doesn’t even sound like her.”
“Why would she think I don’t care? Did I do something to upset her?” Anne started wringing her hands. “Pop, did she say anything?”
“No, she said she was going to see if you all were up. She came back and sat down without saying anything. You guys came out, and then all this happened. I don’t know anymore than you do.” He scratched his head. “Not like her, though. You want me to talk to her?”
“No, I think she needs to sit in her room for a bit and think about how she is acting. She is old enough to know better. I raised her better than that and this is the second time.”
“Kyle?”
“No Anne, please don’t make this harder than it already is. I’m not having her act like a brat. I’m sure neither Gram nor Pop would have let you act that way, and my mother would never have let me get away with it either.”
“You’re right, but I just hate to think of her sitting in there hungry.”
“Sometimes you just have to use tough love. Trust me. Now, if you want to sit down, I can finish up here.”
“No, let me make the eggs. Pop wants them how Gram made them. If you want to make the toast that would help.”
“Sounds good.” Kyle got the bread and butter then headed to the toaster. He shook his head and mumbled under his breath.
Anne glanced at Pop; he was shaking his head mumbling under his breath as well. Isn’t this just a lovely way to start the day? The one thing Anne had never been able to stomach was dissension in the house. Even though she knew Kyle was right, it still broke her heart for her daughter. She hated seeing Kyle so upset about her actions, she could tell Pop was upset that Melanie was being punished. He loved that little girl so much. Anne flipped the eggs over and watched them closely so as not to overcook them. Just as she finished and slid them on the plate, Kyle placed two pieces of toast beside them and took the plate from her for Pop.
“Thanks.”
Kyle nodded as she cracked the next two eggs and slid them into the pan.
“I wish you would let me talk to her,” she said softly.
“Just finish making the eggs, please.”
She glanced at him and saw the muscle in his jaw twitch. Anne was taken back by his tone. He had never spoken to her like that before.
Just then, Melanie’s bedroom door opened. She walked out with her pint-sized overnight suitcase in her hand. “I want to go to Grandma’s house. Now, please.”
“Honey, why do you want to go to Grandma’s house?” Anne saw her roll her eyes and turn to her father, completely ignoring her question.
“Daddy are you going to take me or not?”
“Melanie you will answer your mother, she asked you a question.”
“She’s not my mommy.” Melanie stomped her foot, startling the cat who scurried under Pop’s chair.
Anne’s heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. “Melanie, I am your mommy. Remember, we talked about it befor
e the wedding?”
“Melanie, Anne is talking to you.”
“I don’t want to talk to her, I just want to go to Grandma’s house. Please.”
“You can march right back into the bedroom, and I will be in to talk to you in a little bit. You are not going to Grandma’s house. Until you change your attitude, the only place you’re going is to your room, the bathroom, and the kitchen to eat.”
“You are so mean! I hate you, too.” Tears streamed down her face as she turned, ran into the room, and closed the door.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s going on with her.”
“Kyle, why don’t you let me try talking to her? We get along just fine, and she didn’t say anything about being mad at me.” Pop rubbed his hand down his face.
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt for you to try. Was she okay when she got up this morning?”
“Yes, she was. She was laughing and smiling. Let’s see if she’ll talk to me.” He got up and shuffled to her room. He knocked on her door. “Melanie, can I come in please?”
Anne heard her answer, “I don’t care, Poppy.”
Chapter Nine
“What do you think they’re talking about?” Anne paced around the living room, tears streaming from her eyes. “I don’t know what I did. Why would she say I’m not her mother? She wanted me to be her mother. I don’t understand.”
“Honey, sit down. I don’t know what’s going on with her. I just don’t get this attitude of hers.”
“I think it’s me. What if she doesn’t love me anymore?” Anne turned when she heard Melanie’s door open.
Pop walked out of the room shaking his head. “She won’t tell me what’s wrong. She’s just crying and saying she wants to go see her grandmother. Maybe you should let her go for the night to give her a chance to settle down. Maybe Nancy can talk to her and find out what happened.”
“Do you really think that’s smart? I don’t like the idea of giving in to her like that. I don’t want her to think every time she throws a fit or doesn’t get her way, she can run to my mother’s house.”
“Well, it’s up to you. Kyle, can you give me Mavy so I can take her to Melanie. She calms down when she has her kitty.”
“Speaking of that cat, did you notice she’s getting a little chubby?” Anne swiped her hands over her face, trying to wipe away her tears.
“What?” Kyle turned his head and raised one brow.
“She’s getting chubby.”
“Oh no.” Kyle wiped his hand down his face. “Why didn’t I think of that? I didn’t notice. She’s probably going to have kittens.”
“What?” Anne and Pop replied in unison.
“When she got out, she probably ran out because she was in her first heat. Surely, you both noticed how much more she was meowing. She must have smelled a tomcat. Darn, now we’re going to have kittens to worry about.” He threw his hands up. “Some vet I am. Didn’t even pick up on the fact that our cat was pregnant.”
Anne giggled. “I think you’ve been a little pre-occupied lately with a new family and a baby on the way. We’ll get this figured out, won’t we?”
“I hope so.” Kyle sighed heavily, the drama of the day apparently getting to him. He shook his head once more before turning to Anne. “I can’t believe Christmas is almost here. I really wish you could go with us to get the tree. But I don’t think you can wander around the lot in your condition. Will you trust me to find the perfect tree?”
“Yep. I wish I could go, but at least we’ll be able to decorate it together.” She had told him the evening before that she was worried about how unsteady Pop was getting.
“As long as this little guy stays put for a few more days!” Kyle knelt down and placed his hand on her tummy.
“See, Poppy!” Melanie sniffled as she scurried back into her room.
“What was that all about?” Kyle stood, confusion spreading over his face.
Pop stood and shuffled to her room. “I’ll go find out.” Anne and Kyle stood waiting for him to return. Pretty soon the door opened, and Pop came out shaking his head.
“Well, seems like she went to open your door this morning and heard you all talking about the baby. She has it in her mind that you won’t love her anymore because you’ll have your own baby to love.”
“Well, that’s just silly. I love her. She’s my daughter.” Anne’s eyebrows shot up nearly to her hairline in surprise. “Kyle, what are we going to do?”
“First off, what did you all say about the baby?” Pop asked, his hands crossed over his tummy.
“We were just talking about having a baby and how happy we were. Kyle told me I’m a great mother. We were talking about how afraid I am because I don’t know what to expect with the labor.”
“Oh no.” Kyle ran his hand down his face and sat down hard. “I can see why she thinks that.”
“What?” She clasped her hands together, trying to stop them from shaking.
“Because I just remembered what you said.” He turned and glanced at her.
“I said something wrong?”
“No Anne, nothing wrong. But I can see how it would sound to a child. Remember you told me you were so happy that we were having our child?”
“Yes. But I didn’t mean anything bad by it.” Anne stopped and thought of how that would sound to a child. “Oh, bless her heart. She thinks I’ll love this baby more than I love her. What are we going to do?”
Pop shook his head and mumbled before he lifted his head and looked at both of them. “You’re going to let me talk to her and handle this. It may take a while, but I’ll get her to see that you won’t love this little guy more than her. I’m pretty good at talking to people you know.”
“I’m fine with letting you try.” Anne wiped her eyes. “I’m so tired of feeling like I can’t get this right. Everything I do seems to be wrong. What if I’m not a good mother?” She stood and waddled quickly to her room, closing the door behind her.
Anne sat on the bed sobbing. She felt something touch her leg. Looking down, she saw Mavy sitting and staring at her. “What are you doing in here? I thought Pop took you to Melanie?”
Mavy tilted her head to the side. She patted Anne’s leg again and meowed.
“I know. What a mess we have, right? I’m having a baby, and I don’t know anything about babies. You’re going to have kittens, and you’re still pretty much a kitten yourself. Melanie hates me. What if I can’t do this?”
Mavy stood up and put both her front paws on Anne’s leg, she stretched her face up as if she were looking Anne in the eyes. She meowed and shook her head.
Anne blinked. “Did you just shake your head at me?”
Mavy meowed again.
“Are you trying to tell me something?”
Mavy jumped up, lay across Anne’s lap, and started purring.
“I think you’re trying to tell me everything is going to be fine, aren’t you?”
The cat stretched and yawned, turning on her back for Anne to rub her tummy.
Anne heard the door open, looked up, and saw Kyle standing with his hands in his pockets. “Do you mind if I come in?”
“Sure, come on in.” She sniffed and wiped more tears off her cheeks. “I’m so sorry for hurting Melanie. You know I love her.”
Kyle sat down on the bed and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against him. “I know you do. You didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t understand her sometimes, but she shouldn’t have been listening for one thing. She’s supposed to knock on the door before opening it. I’m also sorry I snapped at you in the kitchen earlier.”
“It’s okay. You’ve never done that before.” She leaned into him, loving the feel of his arms around her. “She’s just a kid. It makes me sick thinking that she believes I would love this baby more. I didn’t give birth to her, and I know I just came into her life a year ago, but I swear I love her as if she was my own. I think of her as my daughter.” The tears started spilling from her eyes again. “All I do is
cry anymore. What if I can’t do this, Kyle?”
“Can’t do this? Honey, you already are. You’re a wonderful mom and we’re lucky to have you. I think Pop will be able to get through to her just fine. Like he said, it may take a while, but I think he will find the right way to get through to her.”
“It’s times like this that I miss Gram so much. She would know just what to say and what to do to get Melanie to understand. She had a way with kids.”
“She’s still here with us. Pop lived with her for many years, and I’m sure some of that rubbed off on him. I have faith that this will work out. You need to have faith as well.”
“I’ll try, but I’m not as sure as you are.” She closed her eyes and sighed.
“What is this silly cat doing?” Kyle asked as he watched Mavy stretch and purr. “Look at how big she is getting. It won’t be long until she’ll be having her little ones.” He gently felt around her stomach.
“What are you doing?”
“Feeling for the kittens. It feels like she only has two, nope maybe three.”
“You can feel them?”
“Only because I know what to feel for. I’m glad there are only a few. Sometimes when a cat is this young, if they have more than two or three, the kittens don’t do as well.”
“It’s nice having a vet in the family. Pop and Gram have had so many cats through the years. Once, when we had a very young cat get out and a tom got her, Gram called me into the bathroom. One of the kittens was stuck. She was upset and she told me to do something. I was so scared. I sat down on the floor and the mommy cat came to me and lay down between my legs. I talked to her and stroked her fur softly, trying to soothe her. I could tell she was in pain, and every time one of her contractions hit she would push, but the baby wasn’t moving.”
“What did you do?” Kyle ran his hand up and down her arm softly.
“I tried to get a hold of it, but the sack was slippery. I told Gram to give me some toilet paper, and I used that to hold onto the kitten. The next few times the mommy pushed, I prayed and gently pulled. I was so afraid they were both going to die, but suddenly, the kitten moved. The next thing I knew, it was lying there on the floor, and she was starting to push another one out. I broke the membrane around the kitten’s face and moved it up to the mommy. She started licking it while I had to help the next one. She had four, one didn’t make it.” Anne shivered at the memory. “Gram said if it hadn’t been for me, all of them would have died.”
