Gone Through Life

Chapter 1: New Life

It had been a long night for the McGrady family, which consisted of Mr. McGrady, Mrs. McGrady, Jacob, who was 10, Cory, who was 8, and Caleb, who was 7. The mother was about to give birth to another child. They were awaken in the middle of the night by her cry saying "It's time! It's time!" They were all so very worried because she is in the back with their father, who is hoping everything is okay. They had no clue what is going on in the back with their beloved mother. There was an another reason for the oldest boy, who was 10, to be worried because he knew they were very poor. How were they supposed to pay for this?

They lived in a small apartment just outside of New York City. It was the cheapest they could find in the big city, but the worst thing was that the mother was the only one who could work. However, she only got a little money at the cafe, and since she was having a baby, she couldn't work for a while.

The worry was growing in all of the children, but when their father came out into the hallway they became on the edge of their feet. They wanted to know if their mother was ok or not.

"Your mother..........she is doing fine now. There was a little trouble, but she is ok now," their father said.
"May we see her please?" the oldest asked. Their father hesitated, as he always did before he had to answer a question. He was a man with beautiful brown eyes that sparkled with wonder, he also had brown hair that spiked upward upon his head. The children has always thought he was perfect for their mother in every way possible. She has glowing, blue eyes and black hair that falls perfectly just past her shoulders. They couldn't be more perfect for each other and for the children, and they knew they couldn't live without her or their father.

"Um.........umm.........I,I think that's not such a good idea right now. She needs to rest right now, but you can see your new sister!" their father said excitedly.

"A sister! Really!" the children all exclaimed. They all began to change into their shirts that said "I am a BIG BROTHER." They quietly ran into the room where their mother laid. Jacob went and sat in an uncomfortable chair when Cory went and sat in his big brother's lap. Caleb went and sat in their father's lap beside their sleeping mother. Jacob almost threw his little brother in the floor when he saw a man dressed in scrubs holding a pink blanket.

He spoke with gentleness,"Who wants to hold her first?" You would have thought Jacobs seat was on fire he jumped up so hastily. He just beat his father by a second.

"I will," Jacob spoke softly. He carefully took the little bundle and cradled it. Tears were building up inside of him when he saw how small and fragile his little sister was because she was born five months early at one pound seven ounces. He wondered why he was getting to hold her at such a small size, so he looked up at his father. His face was sad and disappointed with fear written all over it. Then it hit Jacob that it was because they thought she wasn't going to make it. The look on his face told his father to come remove her from his arms.

When the baby was removed from his arms, he motioned for the nurse to follow him.

"Um.....don't let her die. You can not give up on her. If you have to, hook her up to a ventilator that will keep her alive," Jacob spoke with a stern voice.

"We will do everything we can. I promise," the nurse said. They walked back into the room like nothing ever happened in the hallway. The next day their mother awoke and the doctor released her, but not Caiden, which was the new baby's name. Two weeks passed and they had got a call from the hospital. When their father answered the phone they were all on the edge of their feet.

Their father began to speak into the phone, "Yes.......... I understand......really! That is great we will be there in a bit, ok. Great,bye!" They all stared at Mr. McGrady until he started to speak.

"She's coming home!" he spoke with excitement. They all jumped up, took off their pajamas, threw on some clothes, and raced to the car with excitement glowing. They made it to the hospital and started to walk where the pediatric ward was located. As soon as they entered they saw some nurses getting little Caiden ready to leave. Jacob ran over to see his little sister, who was no longer fragile as before, and he gave her a big kiss upon the cheek. Everything was perfect at that one moment.

When they got home they got Caiden into her new bed, for she was far in a dream. The room was painted a soft pink with flowers lining the walls. Just above the bed was, in big, purple letters, the name Caiden. They had that made while the baby was still at the hospital because they knew she was going to live to see it.

In the middle of the night Jacob was awaken by a cry from his new sister because they had to share a room, as did Caleb and Cory. He raced out of bed to see what troubled his sister, and knew exactly what it was when he became closer. "What a smell for such a little thing like that," he thought. To make sure he didn't wake up his parents, he quietly changed Caiden's diaper without making a sound. Thankfully, Caiden stopped crying before anyone else awoke from their sleep.

Jacob knew why his parents didn't get up. It was because they knew he was responsible enough to take on the job of his little sister. "They probably did get up," he thought," just knew I was capable." Soon he was once again far in a dream of great beauty and wonder. It was Caiden and him, in the future, playing in the yard together. Jacob figured he was about twenty years old and Caiden was about ten. After a while of playing, Jacob got in his car and left to go some place and Caiden went inside for lunch.

Then the dream switched over to Jacob and followed him to a plane and all of a sudden he was in Boston. He apparently was running in the Boston race they have every year.Later on his sister appeared on the sidewalk silently and began to yell for Jacob as he ran. She began to say go Jacob but was cut off by an explosion. Scared, Jacob awoke from his nightmare and didn't know what to think of it. What a terrible thing to dream about, with concern he got up and went to check on his sister. Why would he dream of that? That question continued to burn deep in his mind, and he never forgot the dream or the question.