The Secrets We Keep

in September 1 -dafts

Hailey POV*

It's the day before Amira's first day of 8th grade, Auggie's first day of 1th grade, and Ry's last year in preschool. I'm already at nine months and one week past due date. My feet are swollen, my back hurts so much that I can't sleep and no sleep makes me cranky.
I get up earlier than I would because of a sharp pain in my lower back. I brush it off and try to sleep again. I wake up an hour later to the same pain. This time Jay catches me grab my stomach in pain. "You okay is that a contraction" he asks wiping the sleepy feeling from his eyes. He hated seeing his wife in pain and he couldn't do anything about it. "No it's nothing go back to sleep I'm fine" I says lying. "okay" he goes back to sleep and I go downstairs.
Its 9am when I hear foot steps walk down the stairs. Amira doesn't notice me because when she turns around she drops the plastic cup on the floor spilling the the water inside of it on to the floor. "What are you doing up" I say trying to get up from the chair to help her but I can't . "Are you okay" she asks sitting next to me at the table after clean the spilled water . "Yeah I'm good but why are you up its early" . "I never really went to bed just got lost in thought ya know" she says. "Tomorrows the first day at your new middle school you excited" I asks trying to keep a straight face as another one hits.

"You sure you good" she asks. "not really but talking helps distract me from this so go on talk to me what's keeping you up at night" I ask her. "I don't know what's wrong, I guess I'm nervous for the new school. My routine has been the same for 3 years and now everything's changed. I've never taken a real school bus. I've never been to an away soccer game because I had to be home to make sure Auggie went to bed on time. I don't know how to make friends. I guess I never really had any to begin with, there was never any time to hangout without Auggie being the third wheel." she says. "Well some things change for the better, now you don't have to pick up Auggie because me and Jay can do that, we can hopefully make it to all you soccer games when you make the team and there will be time if you want to hangout with friends and no little kids around after you do your homework" I tell her.

After everyone wakes up and eats breakfast, we all decide to do our own thing. The day went on as we thought it would. The boys are playing with dinosaurs in their room and Amira in her room playing video games. Jay and I are downstairs watching TV on the couch. "You falling asleep on me old man" smacking him awake. "I'm not asleep and 36 is not old" he says. It's almost lunch when the door bell rings. "Who is it" I yell at Jay from the couch. He walks back to the couch with Valentina in his arms. I take her out of the car seat and play with her.  "Hi sweet girl" I say in a baby voice. "Why is she here" I ask looking back at Jay. "You know that Kev is undercover. Vanessa was talking fast but I heard something about court and her calling you but she'll be back." Said Jay. "Can you make the kids some lunch babe" I say as Jay walks to the kitchen.
"I'm hungry" I hear a little voice say behind me. "Kitchen" is all I say.
The rest of the day was okay the pain in my back stoped and Vanessa came back before dinner to pick up Val. After dinner we gather the kids to go over everything they will need for school. "Amira, Auggie  grab you school stuff and come downstairs" I yell from the bottom of the stairs. I walk back to the kitchen and feel the pain again, it had been going on almost every hour since I woke up. "Hailey you should sit"" Jay says as I take my hands off the couch to grab his. I sit back and watch with Ry as the kids and Jay go through their supply lists and helps Amira set up her binders while Auggie put his folders in his backpack. "Alright tomorrow we have to wake up early so we can get pictures and then Amira we drop you off first, then Auggie your next, and last is Ry. But before all that we are going somewhere special" I say. "Where?" they ask. "It's a surprise". To end the night we all watch a movie together as a family.

Hope y'all like this chapter.
-Cici