Hope

Chapter 2

"Skyler! Skyler! Guess what!" Clyde Grey excitedly shouts as he returns to his lovely one story red brick house after work on a fine Friday afternoon. It had been a week since his wife found out about their son's life being cut short but she was still carrying him, for Skyler wasn't due for another 21 days. The July air is unusually cool and Clyde was hopeful that Autumn would come early. Autumn has always been his favorite season with the colored leaves and Thanksgiving on the rise. Even though he isn't much of a cook, he loves visiting his brothers and their families and watching the wives do the preparation for the feast.

"What is it honey?" Skyler appears at the kitchen doorway off to the right of where Clyde just entered their house, one hand on her bloated belly and the other supporting her 5 and a half foot frame in the doorway. The look on her face says worry until Clyde rushes over to envelop her in a hug and tells her the good news.

"My boss asked me to see him in his office first thing Monday morning. You know what that means?" He asks hurriedly.

Sky pushes a lock of rust colored hair that escaped its braid behind her ear and asks what it could mean. Clyde responds with more enthusiasm than before, "It means I'm getting a promotion! Or he's firing me but that's obviously not going to happen, I mean I have the best sales record of all the employees."

They pull away and Skyler's pale green eyes brighten as happiness courses through her. "That's amazing Clyde! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks honey," Clyde replies and places a kiss on his beautiful wife's lips.

After they pull apart he asks her if the mail has come yet. "Uh huh," answers Skyler and turns to lead Clyde into the kitchen.

"There's a bank statement, a mortgage bill, and another letter from the military."

As Clyde opens the mortgage bill, he stops and looks at the letter from the military with sadness in his eyes.

"It's probably another thank you note for Dad's service in the Air Force. They've sent at least five since his death."

Clyde's father, Luther Grey, served for 21 years in the Air Force before retiring when he was 39. He died two months ago from a brain tumor at the age of 68.

Clyde suddenly throws down the halfway opened mortgage bill on the kitchen counter making Skyler jump.

"Screw the mail. Let's celebrate my promotion and get our minds off of sad things."

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The weekend passed slowly. The Greys got an unexpected visit from Clyde's mother. She had heard about Sky carrying a stillborn and was absolutely devastated.

Samantha Grey was in bad shape. Her gray hair had turned completely white in the past few months and her health had been declining. First her husband's death and now her grandson's. She felt like she was being punished for something she didn't do. Now unless it was because she cheated in the Gardenerz Club annual contest last March. It very well could be that.

When Samantha arrived suddenly Saturday morning at about 6 AM, Clyde was baffled and before she entered the kitchen he hid the unopened military letter about his father in the flour cabinet from his mother to not worry her. She's quite nosy even in the weakened physical and emotional state she is in now.

Saturday passed painfully for the young Greys and they even had to leave the church service early Sunday morning because Samantha burst into tears at the mention of her dead husband who was being honored in the service that gray morning.

The sun was no where to be seen that day mirroring the three adults' moods.

Skyler saw her best friend since high school, Hollie Maddix, at the service for the first time since she learned of Jackson's already decided fate. Hollie with her four kids and successful husband. Hollie with her golden blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes so full of life. Hollie with her MD but decision not to work until her kids get bigger. Sky always envied her best friend for her ability to be a mother but that feeling disappeared 6 months ago when her pregnancy test came back positive. Hollie had been so happy for her and was the first person Skyler told after Clyde.

The women made eye contact across the aisle of pews that day. Hollie was sympathetic but little did she know the real reason Skyler had tears in her eyes ready to spill down her face at any moment. Then Hollie had to break their stare for her youngest had gotten on the floor again and Skyler only felt worse.

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Clyde's alarm for work went off at precisely 6:30 every morning. Monday morning was no different.
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He slowly opens his eyes as his phone keeps buzzing. Looking over at Skyler, he realizes she's still asleep so he quietly turns off his alarm and creeps to the bathroom to get ready for work. By the time he's dressed and ready, Sky is already out of bed and cooking breakfast despite her large belly and swollen ankles. Clyde fixes his grape colored tie in his wife's vanity mirror and waltzes down the hall to the cream colored kitchen where a plate of steaming bacon sits on the island in the middle and Skyler perched on a stool eating it.

He sneaks up behind her and grabs the bacon from her hand getting a protesting yelp in return. Sky turns toward him to grab it back but he had already placed it in his mouth busily chewing. She gives him a condescending look and Clyde notices her green eyes rimmed with eyeliner and her lashes big and black as night.
Her hair is loose and wavy falling just below her shoulder blades and she has a dark green maternity sundress on.

"Well don't you look pretty? What's the occasion? I can't remember the last time you wore makeup in the house." Clyde asks surprised and amused.

She just smiles and replies with a simple, "I'm meeting Hollie at the coffee shop downtown at 8."

"Well you look amazing as always. Also this bacon is perfection." Clyde said and grabbed some more slightly cooler bacon off the platter.

After breakfast the couple parted, Skyler venturing off to relay the sad news to her best friend and Clyde to finally get his long yearned promotion.

Chapter 2 yay!

Hope you guys enjoy! What do you think is gonna happen next?

-Pip