June 5, 1974 | The Outsiders Story BOOK 2

E6

THREE MONTHS LATER (September 1975)

The due date for the baby is coming closer and closer. My job and I agreed that I shouldn't start the school year, as I'm due right after it starts. I'll be back in the second semester though, right after Christmas break for the kids.

"I'm so bored, so bored!" I sing loudly through the house. I'm the only one home right now because Pony and Soda went to work already. Soda said he'd bring me home some lunch though, so I'm looking forward to interacting with someone finally today. The boys left before I woke up.

I start to do some laundry, as I remembered Thursday is laundry day here. I read 'Gone With the Wind' between loads. I wasn't in the class that read it at school, and Pony talks about it all the time.

Soda walks in while I'm ironing Pony's work shirts. "Hey sis."

"Hey. Do you want your jeans ironed?" I asked him, not looking up from what I'm looking.

"Sure." He says. I grab them from the dry pile I need to fold. "How was your day?"

"Borin'." I say. "Bein' on maternity leave sucks when there's no one to be a mother to."

He laughs at me. "I brought burgers."

"Uh, I'm starving." I say. I half walk, half waddle over to the table to eat with Soda. He tells me a funny story with some customers at work today. I laugh at the end of the story. I have to use the bathroom, so I try to get up. It's hard to move recently, my belly getting in the way.

"Here, let me help you. You look like your havin' a hard time." He jokes and pulls me up. I glare, then smile at him.

I finish in the bathroom right before he leaves to make it back to work when my water breaks. "Soda!" I call while looking in the mirror. He runs into the bathroom and looks worried. "My water just broke."

"Oh," He says, then runs out of the bathroom. I move out of the bathroom, my hand on my lower back. "Ummm..." He looks flustered.

"Soda." I say. He turns to me. "Listen, call Pony and tell him what happened. You should probably call Steve at work too. And get my bag please."

Soda does as he's told. "Steve," He says on the phone. "I'm takin' the rest of the day off. Sarah's water just broke." He listens for a second then hangs up and dials Pony's classroom phone. While it's ringing, Soda says. "Steve says congratulations. Oh Pony, it's Soda. Sarah goin' into labor. Imma bring her to the hospital." He hangs up after a few seconds.

He grabs the bag and guided me out the door and into his car. "Pony?" I ask, breathing heavily.

"He's gonna meet us there. Hold on Sar'." He says.

-

A/N I figured you wouldn't want all the gory details of childbirth, so it's skipped until after.

I hold our baby girl tightly in my arms. She's so beautiful, so innocent. I can't stop staring at her, she's mine and Pony's. "Pony, she looks like your Mom." I can't help but whisper around the baby, as she hasn't even opened her eyes. I hand her off to Pony.

He starts to tear up a little bit. She sniffles and quietly laughs. "She does look like Mom huh?

"Hi guys." Darry says. Him and Soda walk in after Pony told them the baby was born.

"It's a girl." I say. "Lacey Jane Curtis."

"Do you wanna hold her?" Pony asks. Both of the boys nod, but Pony gives her to Darry first. "Doesn't she look like Mom?"

Darry laughs a little. "Yeah she does. You know she's goin' to be a beautiful girl."

"Hey girlie." Soda says over Darry's shoulder and gently glides his finger over her cheek. Darry gives Soda Lacey. Soda laughs and plays with her.

"So why Lacey?" Darry asks us.

"Well," I explain. "That white lace shirt I have has been worn over multiple big points in my life: the proposal, my job interview and my first day, as well as on our wedding day. Pony found it in our bag, and we thought was a sign."

"Oh, well it's a beautiful name." Soda says, not looking up from her. Soda changes his voice to a high, baby one. "Who's your favorite uncle? I am, yes I am."

"We'll see about that." Darry challenges. Everyone laughs.