"Mommy! Let me feel again!"
The almost-middle-aged woman smiled and chuckled, then took her daughter's hand and put it to her pregnant stomach. The young girl was silent for a moment, then she giggled.
"I feel her, mommy! I feel her! She kicked!"
"Yes, Carys, she did."
The young girl looked up at her mother.
She looked much younger than her actual age. She had long, curly brown hair, brown eyes framed by glasses, and a slight tan.
The young girl looked a lot like her mother, but she had red hair and her father's deep blue eyes.
The woman noticed movement in the doorway, and when she looked up, she saw a slim figure run from the room. She smiled softly and called out.
"Jeremy?"
Jeremy, her stepson, appeared in the doorway after a few moments. "Yes, Gwynnie?"
"Are you alright, cher?"
Jeremy hesitated. "Yeah, I'm fine."
The woman, Gwynnie, frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Yes ma'am, I'm sure."
"Well, where you headed?"
"To hang with Freddy."
"Oh, alright. Have fun, cher."
"I will, thanks."
Before Jeremy could duck back out, the young girl, Carys, jumped off her parents' bed and ran over to Jeremy, wrapping her tiny arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. "Say hi to Al for me, Big Brother!"
Jeremy chuckled and hugged her back. "I will, kid."
Carys let go and smiled up at Jeremy, then returned to her mother's side. Gwynnie smiled.
"Don't get into too much trouble, Jer-bear, alright?"
"Heh, no promises."
"You'd better promise or no TV for a month."
Jeremy rolled his eyes teasingly, then kissed Gwynnie on the cheek. "Love ya, Gwyn."
"Love you too, cher."
Jeremy left the room, then Gwynnie and Carys could hear him heading downstairs, then the front door opening and shutting.
Gwynnie sighed. "That boy. Such a teenager."
"Mommy? Isn't he actually a teenager?"
Gwynnie smiled and ruffled her daughter's hair. "I'm afraid he is, Ginger."
"Mommy?"
"M'hm?"
"Why do you and Daddy call me that?"
"What, Ginger?"
"Uh-huh."
"Because, silly," she ruffled her hair again, "have you never seen your hair?"
Carys giggled. "Oh."
Gwynnie chuckled and pulled her hand away. "Why, do you not like your nickname?"
"I do, I was just curious."
"Ah."
"Mommy?"
"Hm?"
"Can you call me Ginger all the time? Instead of Carys?"
"Aw, sure sweetie."
Ginger grinned. "Yay!"
Gwynnie smiled softly, then turned to the doorway when she heard the front door open and close again. She turned back to Ginger with a mischievous smile.
"Ginger, chérie?"
"Yes, Mommy?"
"Why don't you go get Daddy, hm?"
Ginger grinned again. "Okay Mommy!"
The little girl jumped off the bed and ran downstairs. Gwynnie chuckled when she heard her husband cry out and her daughter giggle, then squeal happily.
She slowly stood up, clutching her stomach, and headed downstairs, smiling at the sight she saw.
Her husband was holding their squealing daughter above him, spinning. Ginger had her arms out.
The man stopped spinning and brought the girl to his eye level, then kissed her nose. "And how was your day today, Ginger?"
"Fun! Mommy and I went shopping today, then we came home and watched movies and ate a bunch of stuff! It was fun!"
"That sounds wonderful, darling. What about your brothers and Yvonne?"
"Avery and Jeremy mainly stayed in their rooms all day, and Yvonne was mean as always. They're boring."
"Ah. A shame."
"Yeah."
Just then, the man noticed his wife standing in the doorway watching. He smiled and walked over to her, still carrying Ginger, and kissed Gwynnie gently.
"I missed you today, love."
"Mm. Welcome home, Arthur dear."
"Aw, you didn't miss me too?"
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."
Arthur chuckled and kissed his wife again.
"Eww! Mommy, Daddy, stop it!" Ginger cried, wrinkling her nose.
The couple pulled away, both chuckling.
"You'll be doing this with your future husband, Ginger," her mother said.
Ginger made a puking noise. "I don't want a husband! I hate boys! They're bullies!"
"But you love Daddy and Jeremy and Avery, don't you?" Gwynnie said, taking her daughter from her husband.
"Yes, but they're different! They're not boys!"
Gwynnie raised an eyebrow. "Then what are they?"
"Men!"
Gwynnie and Arthur both laughed.
"That's right Care-Bear," Arthur said, kissing his daughter's forehead. "Men."
"So we have a Jer-Bear and a Care-Bear now?" Gwynnie asked sarcastically.
"Yes, we do." Arthur smiled wearily and kissed his wife once more, wrapping an arm around her waist and his other arm around his daughter.
Gwynnie smiled into the kiss and hugged him back, still holding Ginger close.
Wow.
A hot guy as a husband, two charming step sons and a darling step daughter, a beautiful daughter, and another on the way.
How the hell did this happen to me?
