On May 26, 1967, Janet Pfaff gave birth to her first child. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she was proceeding to give natural birth. She was beginning to overcome the terrifying yet magical experience of her life. Janet let out every emotion that she had whether they were bottled or shown. As she was giving birth, Janet was losing faith in herself. She couldn't do it anymore. The pain was atrocious and unbearable for her to take.
"Janet you need to push darling! You're almost there!" Janet's obstetrician yelled. She gulped and let out a disquieting shriek. Her bottom half was on fire. It felt as if she were pushing out a heavy object that had flames on it. Her hair stuck to her forehead and sweat continued to rush from her face like a streaming waterfall. Janet gave her all on the last push that the doctor shouted and the room went quiet. Abruptly, the baby wailed as loud as thunder that can be heard miles away.
She did it. Janet waited nine months to receive her bundle of joy. Janet was overwhelmed. She cried tears of happiness, sadness, stress, and additional emotions she couldn't put a finger on. It was like heaven on Earth. The walls in the room jumped with bright colors in her eyes. The pain that she felt was pushed to the back of her head. The doctors laid her baby on Janet's chest and the room was filled with cheering from the doctors and crying from the mother and her infant.
Janet looked down at her chest to see her baby. "Kristen." She said softly. "Kristen Marie." She smiled then turned to her right to see Kristen's biological father smiling down at his daughter. The day the family of three return to their home, other family members were excited to see Kristen. Everyone bombarded the family with gifts and love and they seem like the most perfect family.
That was until four years later Janet and her husband got into a heated argument. "You don't do anything for the house anymore! It's always me providing for three fucking people god damnit!" Janet yelled at her husband. She was infuriated with the lack of care he did for the household. Ever since he had got fired from his job, he did not want to get back up to seek a new one.
"Janet I'm not having this argument again! It's always the same shit! You need to do this or you need to do that! All you do is nag and complain, this is a going on cycle for Christ's sake!" He stated back. That was all it took for Janet to be on her final straw with him. She was done.
"I want you out of my house now." Janet said calmly. They were unaware that Kristen was up the stairs listening and watching how her parents interacted with one another. Kristen was more confused yet scared at the same time because she wasn't used to her parents being angry at each other.
"You're not gonna do that Janet. I know you wont do such thing."
Janet closed her eyes, sighed in frustration, then head towards the stairs. Kristen ran to her room before she was caught snooping on her parents. Janet went to the room she and her husband shared and removed his clothes out of the closet. She then grabbed them and threw them down the stairs.
Her husband looked at her as if she had two heads. He was in shock that she was actually doing it. He was used to her forgiving him since this was an on and off cycle. He thought that he had Janet wrapped around his fingers still but boy was he wrong.
"Janet are you shitting me?"
Janet didn't say anything in response but head back to the room and took out his belongings. Kristen was done peaking through the door and wanted to fulfill her curiosity. She walked down stairs to see her parents still bickering at each other.
"Mommy what's wrong?" Kristen soft voice spoke. Her parents argument died down and they turned to see their little one.
"Kristen baby go back upstairs." Her mother said to her.
"No. Stay down here to see what your mother is doing to me."
Kristen looked up at her mother and Janet looked at her husband with eyes that were filled with rage. If her four year-old daughter wasn't standing right next to her, she would have spat some filthy words at that man. Kristen then took a step back and hid behind her mother's leg and hugged it.
"I want a divorce." Janet said. From that day on, Kristen has never spoken to her biological father. Through the months, she did ask Janet where was her father but Janet respond in the simplest way. "He's not coming back anymore Kristen."
On Kristen's fifth birthday, she was familiar with the people in her surroundings except for one person. He always stood next to her mother yet she remained puzzled. Until, Janet approached her with the man next to her. Janet explained to her young one on who is this man and how she met him.
"This is your step-father, Norman." Janet smiled.
Kristen looked up at him with joy. She missed the feeling of having such father figure in her life. She felt as if she fixed a glass bottle with glue. Though there may be some imperfections, it can still be satisfied for temporary reasons. Kristen got up from her seat and gave Norman a hug. Norman scooped her in his arms and held her closely. As Kristen was carried by Norman, he turned around to ask Janet a question.
"How would you like it if I adopted her?" He suggested. Janet smiled to his request. A week and a half later, Janet and Norman Pfaff changed Kristen last's name from her birth given last name to Pfaff. Kristen Marie Pfaff would be her new name. Little did Kristen know, there was going to be another Pfaff in the family soon.
