Welcome To The Family

Time to Tell

 Gabe finally let me leave our room. It was actually nice to be able to return to the monotony of everyday life. I would clean with Jenny, and even though she would ramble it was nice having company throughout the day. I was building up the nerve to ask her the question burning on my tongue. I had the courage to do it while we were at the kitchen counter cooking dinner.

"Jenny," I said. "Did you have any daughters?"

Jenny stopped cutting the carrots that she was chopping. She sucked in her bottom lip and set down the knife.

"I heard you shouting the other night," she said. "I assumed that Gabe had told you."

"Why did you not tell me?" I asked.

"It's not my place to intrude."

Jenny knew this the whole time and she was keeping it from me. I wondered what other traditions she must be hiding.

"I had two daughters," she said. "One after Gabe and one after Dylan."

"And Noah killed them?" I asked, knowing the answer.

She nodded.

"He had to," she said. "I didn't realize that he had to until I had Dylan. He was so sick when he was born. If he was a girl he would have never survived the illness. It was hard to lose a child but it would have been even more difficult after you have held and loved your child."

I swallowed past the lump forming in my throat. I could already see myself holding my tiny baby in my arms. I could see myself clinging to my daughter and begging for Gabe not to take her away.

"Do not worry about it yet," Jenny said. "You are still early in your pregnancy."

The back door opened and Noah stepped in. Jenny rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. I continued to chop up the vegetables. I glanced up as the other boys entered the house.

Gabe came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He placed his hands over my stomach. He leaned down and nuzzled his face into my neck. My nose filled with the smell of dirt and sweat coming off of Gabe. I tried to ignore him as I kept cooking.

"It's good to see that you are feeling better," he said.

"It's nice to be out of bed," I said.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay."

"I'm going to wash up."

He kissed my cheek before letting go of me.

--

Uneventful weeks passed by. My thoughts were consumed by the thought that my baby could be a girl. I did not want to have Gabe's children, but I did not want my children to be murdered by Gabe.

He made me go to bed right after I helped Jenny wash the dishes. While my hands were dunked in the hot soapy water, Noah was talking to Gabe in the living room. Their voices were mumbled and I could not understand what they were saying.

I was lying in bed and was listening to Noah continue to argue with Gabe. My hand was over my stomach and I was curled in a ball on my side in the dark room.

"Not yet?" It was the only words of Noah's that I could make out. "You need to tonight."

Gabe muttered some defense, but it caused Noah to raise his voice louder. A few moments later, the stairs creaked as Gabe came upstairs. He pushed the door open and I pushed myself up to sit. My hand stayed over my stomach.