The Reason I Love Daycare

Chapter One Part One

Clarke has her window down, enjoying tbe way the wind brushes her hair around and the nice summer air. On the radio plays a repeat of baby shark. She's heard this song about four times already, but it's the only thing that keeps Madi calm in the car.

"Mama, mama, mama" Madi babbles from the back carseat.

Clarke adjusts her mirror so she can get a better look, she smiles. Granted that it's only been a few weeks; Clarke will never get tired of hearing those words come from the Nine month old's mouth.

"What baby?" Clarke asks.

Madi's only response is to stick her fingers in her mouth and squeal in delight. Clarke's heart swells at the sound of a happy baby. It's much better than the inevitable tears of departing for her nurse job at the hospital.

Being a single mother is difficult, but Clarke wouldn't change a thing. She made it work, even without Finn's help.

--

"Maybe you're pregnant."

Clarke can't help the laugh that escapes her, she clutches at her belly and nearly rolls to the floor. Pregnant, what a silly thought.

Clarke controls her fit of laughter, wiping a stray tear away from her cheek. "You've got some jokes, O." She says.

Octavia looks at Raven, who gives her a grim look. They both shake their head before Raven says, "You have all the signs, get your head out of your ass and think!"

Raven raps her knuckles on top of Clarke's head. Clarke rolls her eyes, waving her friends off.

"I'm the one in medical school, I think I'd know if I was pregnant."

Clarke is usually able to get a rise from her friends, but not today. The two look at each other, then Raven pulls something from her back pocket. Clarke looks at her, eyebrow quirked.

"Will you just take a damn test then? If it's negative we'll drop the whole topic."

Clarke sighs and rips the test from her hand, "Fine, if it will shut you two up already."

Clarke walks confidently towards the bathroom but with each step she feels less and less stable. She pauses outside the door, hand shaking on the knob, "You guys are so extra."

Clarke takes a seat on the toilet, after pulling her shorts down. She pulls the cap from the test and relieves herself. She sets the test on the counter and washes her hands, she waits.

The wait for the results are the longest ten minutes of her life. She sits on the closed toilet lid, knee bobbing up and down. The test will be negative, why is she so worked up about this?

Finally her phone rings, deeming the appropriate time reached. Clarke takes a deep breath and reaches for the test. Her heart races when she reads the result.

"This is a fake test!" She shouts from behind the closed door.

--

It was in fact not a fake test.

After the first result, Clarke demanded they go to the corner store and buy another test. Just to be safe Clarke buys at least six different brands. She sets each one meticulously up on the counter, and waits the allotted time.

The results made her lose her dinner.

Raven held Clarke's hair while Octavia runbed her back. Clarke finally is able to stop her heaving and leans back against the door. She pulls her knees to her chest and tries to iron out the wrinkle in her forehead.

"How will I tell my mom?"

--

"Clarke?" Abby asks, pulling back the curtain. Clarke grimaces but let's her mother poke and prod her. "What's wrong? Why are you in the ER?"

Clarke rolls her eyes, just what she wanted to avoid. This was probably for the best though. Just as Clarke opens her mouth, her doctor strolls through the curtain, flipping through her chart.

"Well Ms. Griffin, you are indeed pregnant. Congratulations." He says, looking up at a wincing Clarke and an open mouthed Abby.

"Pregnant?" She repeats, looking straight at Clarke.

"Surprise?" Clarke says, shrugging her shoulders.

--

After not much of a debate, Clarke moves back home. Deciding not to fight her mom on this one. She was in her last semester so there wasn't much college life she would miss out on anyway.

Her mom keeps her active, no matter how much she wanted to just laze around all day.

"Clarke you need to get up and exercise, it's good for the baby-" Abby starts.

"And it keeps away gestational diabetes, I know mom." Clarke replies.

Abby gently pats Clarke's growing belly, "Good girl." She says.

--

The months go by, Finn was excited when he found out he was to be a dad. It wasn't until Clarke hit the third trimester where everything went wrong.

Finn cheated on her. Clarke was crushed.

It really was for the best. Like Abby had told her, Finn was never as attentive as he should have been. Finn slowly faded from her life and Clarke was glad.

She decided that it wouldn't be worth the trouble to fight him for child support. He agreed to terminate his rights as a father.

--

Clarke was watching a movie the day it all went down. She balanced a bowl of popcorn on her belly, legs stretched out before her. Octavia and Raven found purchase on the recliner next to her.

Her stomach tightened, she squeezed her eyes shut until the pressure disappeared. Raven was the first to notice.

"You okay there Clarke?" Raven asks.

Clarke nods, eyes still shut tight and let's out a soft breath.

Octavia eyes Clarke then asks, "Should we get your mom?"

Clarke shakes her head as another contraction hit, she sits up and places the popcorn on the table where it belongs.

"They're not close enough together, I don't want to worry her yet." Clarke says, as sweat begins to bead against her forehead.

Just as Clarke finishes her sentence, a rush of warm liquid spills from her.

"Clarke, you either just peed yourself or your water broke." Raven says, alarm evident in her voice.

"Okay," says Clarke, "now you can tell my mom."

--

After 10 hours of labor Baby Madi Griffin was born with not a dry eye in the room. Abby cut the cord, seeing as Clarke was a little occupied with the new baby in her arms. Clarke wouldn't change a thing. All the pain, swollen ankles, tender breasts, it was worth it.

Even through the waterworks as Clarke tries to hand of Madi off to one of the daycare workers.

"Baby, I'll be back, mama has to go to work."

Madi screeches when the worker picks her up. She leans towards her mom, reaching her arms out, begging to be taken back.

Clarke turns away from her daughter, brushing a tear away from her eye. It's never been easy dropping her off, maybe it's her own fault for coddling her. But she can't say no to that cute little face.

As she turns, she notices a mother she's never met before. Very attractive in her book. Long brown hair, plush lips, perfect for kissing.

Clarke's eyes widen, where did that come from?

They're eyes meet, Clarke nods and she nods back, straightening out her son's hoodie jacket. Clarke's eyes drift to her finger, a ring glinting brightly. Clarke deflates, of course she's taken.