Army Boots and Baby Bonnets (Sequel To Rainbow-Colored Knee Socks)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Monday's child is fair of face

Tuesday's child is full of grace.

Wednesday's child is full of woe

Thursday's child has far to go.

Friday's child is loving and giving

Saturday's child works hard for a living.

But the child that's born on the Sabbath day,

Is bonny and blithe and good and gay.

July 3rd 2016, Our One Years Anniversary

"Honey!" I called from the master bathroom. "Can you come here, please?"

"Yea, I'll be right there." Griffin called from the living room. I had some good news to tell my husband, and what better way to tell him than by showing him on our anniversary.

I stood in the bathroom, leaning up against the shower stall. Griffin and I had been trying for a baby since we said our "I do's." But as I stood waiting for him, I couldn't help but look down at the test and worry. What if he's not happy? What if we aren't ready for another baby? Thoughts came barreling through my mind, overwhelming me. And apparently, I was too deep in thought, for when he came in, he placed an arm on my waist and I jumped suddenly, startled.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. What's up Laura?" He planted a kiss to my neck. At nineteen, soon to be twenty years old, the anxiety I had seemed to suck the air out of the room. I ended up forgetting how to speak, just gawking in the middle of the bathroom. He took the pregnancy test from my hands and looked at it with precautious eyes. I couldn't see his reaction, my back to him. But soon, I felt myself being spun around and then... he kissed me. I opened my eyes, which I incidentally had squeezed shut, to see him teary eyed and smiling.

"Griffin, I'm pregnant." I whispered softly. He embraced me in his arms, detecting my pain. I knew he was ready, I just didn't know if I was.

We had already had a daughter, Madelyn. Madelyn was conceived in me by my father when I was in seventh grade, the end result of a series of unspeakable acts he had inflicted upon me since my existence began. But all that changed once Madelyn was born. People started talking and eventually, the truth came out. Currently, my father was in prison for child pornography and DUI. Madelyn essentially was a blessing from God. Her saving me from possible death and rescuing me
from myself, helping me realize my true place in this world, her mother.

At the time of my abuse, Griffin was just my neighbor across the street. He was home schooled and wasn't really much of a social butterfly. Over time, we developed a liking for once another, and eventually, he asked me out. He mainstreamed into public school just to be with me, and on the day of graduation, he proposed. We got married soon after because we just couldn't wait to start our lives together.

Now, here we are one year later. Griffin is a college student at Brown University and Madelyn is entering first grade at the local elementary school. I am a stay-at-home mom during the day to make ends meet, and I volunteer at my local church. Griffin has a steady job at a local restaurant washing dishes. Not something your average Ivy League student does for work, but it helps. And now, we are going to have another baby.

While the two of us cried together, Madelyn noticed our disappearance. She wandered around the house looking for one or both of us and eventually stumbled upon our bedroom. She poked her little head in our bedroom and saw us crying. She walked over to the bed and tapped me on the shoulder, "Mommy, why are you crying?" Griffin looked up and saw her standing by. He patted a spot next to him and she climbed up onto the bed and sat down, her light pink jumper fanning out over the bedspread. She smiled a little and poked me again. "Mommy it's ok. Daddy and I love you."

I chuckled a little at her innocence. I gazed into my husband's eyes, my body language asking if we should tell. He nodded and turned to Madelyn. "Madelyn sweety, mommy and I are going to have a baby!"

She looked up at us with her big blue eyes, confused. "Where's the baby?" Her eyes searched the room, as if we had hidden it somewhere.

"It's in my tummy, honey," I spoke up softly, "It's not ready to come out yet."

"Oh ok. Just be sure to tell me when it gets here." She hopped down off the bed and skipped off down the hall. Griffin and I looked at one another and smiled, leaning in for a kiss.