Norma Louise

Chapter 2

It's later morning when Franny wakes up. To her surprise, the alarm clock read 10:30. She never got to sleep that late, not with her husband working early and always poking at her for his morning coffee.

She rose from the bed and placed a hand on her stomach. "One more week, baby girl," she whispered, her fingertips running along the skin's surface.

The moment she walked to her vanity and looked in the mirror, her heart dropped. Andrew's work was able to identify all over her fair skin. Brown bruises on her cheek and purple one's coating her arms.

Her head snapped up once she heard the voice of Scooby Doo permeating throughout the house. Caleb must have been up. If she listened closely, she could almost hear the snap, crackle, pop of his cereal.

With a sweet smile she walked to the living room, her predictions correct as she saw her son sitting on the sofa, his Spider-Man onesie still dawned and bed hair wild.

"Morning, baby," she cooed, running her hand through his hair. Goosebumps started to flare on her skin when she saw the plaintive look in his eyes.

"Caleb, is everything okay?".

His little head shook as he clasped into her hand, "Mummy, are you okay?".

He must've gotten sight of the bruises, he had to have, he was sitting right there when his father initially hit his mother.

"Yeah honey, mommy's fine. Daddy just got a little mad," she lied, biting her lower lip anxious to change the subject.

The little boy went back to his cereal without another peep. Francine breathed a sigh of relief and walked to the bathroom. The moment she sat however, water gushed out of her. She knew what this was.

"Oh shit," she murmured, standing up to identify the issue. It was what she suspected. Her water had broke and this baby was coming.

Puzzled, she called out for Caleb. He was little and he wouldn't understand but there was no one else. She was inherently grateful once he appeared in the bathroom doorway.

"Honey, I need you to go to the telephone and call a number for me, okay? 9-1-1. Tell them your mommy is pregnant and the baby is coming," her voice was breaking out in sheer panic.

He nodded and ran into the kitchen to do what she said. A few minutes later, the ambulance came. She was happy her son knew the address, if not she'd be screwed.

Her already contracting body rose from the toilet and she pulled up her panties, waddling out in plain sight.

An EMT took her out into the truck and soon enough they were at the hospital. Caleb was at her side in the backseat, an anxious look on his face as he clutched his mothers hand.

Francine looked to the EMT helping her, "This isn't right! She's not supposed to come for another week," she howled, worried about the state of her daughter.

"Ma'am this is completely normal, okay? She's coming now and we have to get you inside."

She shut her mouth and placed a hand on her tummy. This was going to happen now.

X

7:18 pm. She's risen from the hospital table and absolutely beautiful. Her small body is 6 pounds 8 ounces, the doctors say it's a healthy weight for a newborn.

Francine was so tired, her body was drained. Labor was hard, painful. But once she held her daughter it was forgotten. Her little blue eyes lit up the dim hospital room.

Caleb was still out in the waiting room, doctors said it was best he waited outside for a bit. Andrew was no where to be found, the hospital said they called his workplace but still no one showed up.

It wasn't a surprise. He wasn't present for Caleb's birth, she didn't expect anything less with this baby. Still, it didn't phase her. She was too exhausted to deal with him.

Now she held her baby girl close and kissed the top of her head, silently promising that she would fix all the cracks in the foundation of her shitty life. This baby would be so much different.

Her eyes shined up on her mother as a tiny coo escaped her lips, the first of many. Her fingertips ran through her tiny, new, non-existant hairs. She was so new, every move she made a gift to the world.

Franny had already made so many mistakes, one's she couldn't fix. But her daughter would be a change. She swore that her presence would make everything better. Everything.

She lowered her lips down to the baby's scalp with a small smile.

"I love you, Norma Louise."