Act Naturally

Luck of the Irish

YEAR: 1973

"Mum and dad get back today," Zak said to Jason as they sat in the bay window, awaiting our return.
"I know," Jason mumbled.
"Do ye miss 'em?"
"A little," he shrugged. "I miss mum makin us breakfast and havin her welcome us when we get home from school. I miss dad playin games with us and makin us laugh," he pouted.
"Me too," he twisted his face. "Did ye hear what mum and dad said at their wedding?"
"No,"
"They said that they want another baby,"
"Really?"
"Mhmm,"
"I don't want another sibling," Jason pouted.
"You'll warm up to the idea," Zak sighed. "I did," he smugly looked to his younger brother, "I mean, I hated you when ye came home,"
"Shut up," Jason chuckled as he playfully nudged his brothers shoulder.
"Are ye boys still waitin?" Eleanor asked as she walked in.
"Mhmm,"
"Ye done throwin up?" Zak asked with a snobby tone in his voice.
"I don't know what yer talkin about," her face flushed. Soon, the two eager boys heard a car pull into the rocky driveway.
"THEY'RE BACK!" they yelled as they hopped out of the window a f rushed to the front door.
"Boys! We- Oh!" We chuckled as the two boys clung to our legs and hugged us as tight as they could.
"We missed ye," Jason mumbled.
"We missed ye more," Ringo replied.
"So how was Ireland?" Eleanor asked as she held her arms open for a hug.
"Fun," I smiled as I hugged her.
"Well, Mike and I should go,"
"Alright. Thank ye so much for takin care of them for the week,"
"Oh it was no trouble. Bye," she waved.
"Bye."
"So what should we do mum?" Jason asked.
"Let us unpack for 10 minutes then we can have all the fun ye want," I smiled.
"Okay," they pouted and walked into the living room. Ringo and I walked upstairs and threw our luggage onto the bed.
"Do ye have it?" Ringo asked.
"Mhmm," I mumbled as I dug through my purse for the test. I quickly did the test and the agonizing wait began. After 10 minutes it was time to check. Ringo and I held hands as we took a deep breath. "Ready?"
"Yeah..." I flipped the test and sighed.
"It's negative," I pursed my lips and threw the test out.
"It's okay. Remember how long it took us last time?"
"Richie, I don't know if I can do this again," I sighed.
"Are ye havin second thoughts?"
"No...I just don't know if I physically can,"
"What do ye mean?"
"Richie, I'm gettin old! It's gettin harder to do things like this," I sighed.
"We don't need another kid," he sighed, "we can stop tryin if ye want,"
"I don't know...come on, the boys want us,"
"Okay,"

So we walked downstairs and had a fun day with the boys. After that we just carried on with our normal lives. Ringo went to work, I stayed home and took care of the kids. One day, after I sent the kids off to school, Eleanor decided to pay me a visit; she looked like she was going crazy.

"Are the kids gone?" She asked as she rushed to the breakfast bar.
"Yeah...why?"
"I need to talk." She scowled at me for a moment before she smiled.
"What are ye smilin at?"
"Congratulations,"
"Honey I got married 2 weeks ago...and you were there..."
"That's not what I'm congratulatin ye on," she smiled.
"Then what?"
"Nothin, forget it. But seriously, I need to talk,"
"Then talk,"
"I'm pregnant," she cried.
"No!"
"Yeah..."
"It's John's isn't it!"
"I don't know!"
"How can ye not know!"
"Mike and I fucked later that night so I don't know who's it is!"
"How, after all these years and all my warnings, ye still do shit like this!"
"Don't yell, it's not good for the baby,"
"Why do ye care? Yer not the one yellin!"
"All the pieces are there Lucy...put them together," she pursed her lips and headed for the door. "Bye Luc...thanks for the talk,"
"Bye..."

I twisted my face in confusion and walked back to the living room and thought about what Eleanor said; then it hit me. I ran upstairs and searched for the box with the rest of the pregnancy tests. I sprinted into the bathroom to use one; the 10 minute wait was worse than before. When the time came, I flipped over the test and there sat a little pink plus sign. I sat there in awe for a few minutes before deciding to take one more, just to be sure; it was positive. I got up from my seat and made my way over to the phone in my bedroom. I was smiling ear to ear as I dialed Eleanor's number.

"Hello?"
"How did ye know?"
"Honey, I've see ye pregnant 3 times. Yer face is slightly pale and yet it still has a little glow. Yer finger nails are starting to grow rather fast may I say. And you've also gained like 5 pounds,"
"Well...thank ye...I'd say congratulations to ye too but-"
"I understand...bye Luc,"
"Bye Ellie," I smiled.

I walked back downstairs and started making lunch for when Jason came home.

"Hi mum," Jason said as he walked in.
"Hi honey," I mumbled as I handed him a sandwich.
"Ye okay mum?" He asked as he took a bite.
"Yeah, better than ever," I smiled.
"Hi," Ringo said as he walked into the house.
"What are ye doin home so early?"
"We finished early," he said as he got an apple.
"Jason honey, we'll be right back," I said as I pushed Ringo upstairs.
"What's wrong?"
"Sit," I pointed to the bed as I walked into the bedroom.
"Are ye okay? Lucy!" I walked back in and leaned against the wall, test in hand. "I thought ye threw that out,"
"I took another one," I said as twirled it in my hands.
"And?"
"We were blessed with the luck of the Irish," I gave him a cheeky smile.
"Are ye really..." he trailed off.
"Yeah," I teared up.
"Oh my god," he fell to his knees and hugged my waist. "I'm gonna be a father again," he cried.
"Yes ye are," I started crying too.
"What are we gonna name her?"
"Richie ye don't know the gender," I chuckled.
"I've always loved yer mothers name...Lee,"
"And if it's a boy?"
"I know its not," he smiled.
"Then Lee it is."