1956: A Kennedy Story

Chapter 16

February 20, 1956 Kennedy Residence

Jack had been back at work for a week now, always leaving early and returning late.

Arabella missed her father terribly, and Jackie missed Jack more than she usually did because of the way Bella always seemed to try to stay up and wait for Jack. Though most people would say it was just because Arabella was a baby and babies did strange things, but Jackie felt in her heart, that her daughter was waiting for Jack.

Jack knew it too. Everyday he came home, if Bella had managed to stay awake, he'd spend time with her until she fell asleep, reading books to her or playing stuffed animals with her until she grew drowsy. Well scratch that, if she did stay up long enough she would be drowsy as heck so Jackie supposed the appropriate term would be MORE drowsy.

During the day Jackie and Bella spent time in the kitchen cooking and baking or were in the living room cuddling while Jackie read a book to the infant.

Bella had started crawling yesterday, Jackie had been reading to Bella while she was on the floor, playing with some building blocks Jack had gotten her, when a star shaped one fell a few feet out of her reach.

Jackie had stood up to get it for her, but the infant had idea's of her own.

Jackie watched in amazement as Bella crawled unsteadily toward the wooden star and after five minutes managed to be close enough to close her chubby hand around it and return back to her main building spot.

Jackie had ran to the phone after seeing this, she dialed her husband's work number, and he picked up after three rings.

"Hello? Senator John F. Kennedy here."

"Jack! Jack it's Jackie! You won't believe what Bella did!" Jackie suddenly felt slightly embarassed she was calling her husband while he was at work just because their daughter was crawling, but she knew she had to finish what she started.

However Jack sounded excited over the phone though,"What? What did she do?"

Jackie proceeded to tell Jack the whole story, Jack felt sad that he wasn't there but he was VERY optimistic, so much so that Jackie felt the reciever shaking with energy, though it was probably a mental trick on her.