One: Brand New Day

It was almost impossible for me to sleep the night before. Liam, my now almost four month old baby boy, stirred in his crib that was located right next to my bed.

 

It was July fourth and our nation had grown one year older. I had celebrated this holiday by sitting on the computer all day long while the house stirred with life.

 

Sonny and Violetta had come by and mom was swooning over her. Somehow it was ok for Sonny to bring not one, but two new babies into the household and yet my one was seen as a blemish on this family's good name.

 

Some days I wished I could disappear, but other days I reveled in the fact that I was doing my parenting on my own.

 

Of course this was all by choice. Langston had called me several times to see if he could 'come over and talk,' but I wasn't having any of it.

 

My life was different now. I was a mother and nothing could take me away from that.

 

I felt a buzzing sensation by my leg and I brought my phone to my face so I could read the caller ID. I answered the phone gingerly.

 

"Hello," I said in the receiver.

 

"I think my water just broke," Violetta said with pain coursing through her soft voice.

 

"Is Sonny there?" I asked hastily.

 

"No, he's somewhere celebrating. I couldn't go out today," Violetta told me before she let out a long groan.

 

I knew there was nothing I could do for Violetta, but for sure mom would go and rescue her.

 

"Do you want me to get mom?" I asked Violetta.

 

"Please," Violetta who was now barely audible spoke into the phone.

 

Liam was still stirring in his crib, but I knew the news of Violetta's impending twins would have mom bolting out of the house so quickly that my baby wouldn't miss me for a second.

 

Down the stairs I went until I was outside of mom and Arthur's door. I hadn't been inside her bedroom since last summer when I'd stolen that pregnancy test from her. Crazy times.

 

"Mom," I said banging on the door, "mom come out! Violetta is in labor."

 

The huge oak doors swung open and it smelled like a torture chamber inside of that room. My mother, who I inherited my height from, stared back at me wild eyed with a blanket wrapped around her porcelain toned body.

 

"Where's Sonny?" Mom spoke in an unusually husky voice.

 

"Don't know, but she needs a ride, now," I said urgently.

 

"Let me get dressed," mom said fixing the sheet that separated me from her lady parts, "I'll be there in fifteen, hold on honey."

 

The door closed so quick that I only caught glimpse of a glowing red light bulb.

 

"Ugh," I said before I put the phone back to my ear, "mom says she'll be there in fifteen."

 

"Ok," Violetta said and the line went dead against my ear.

 

This truly was an exciting time because we didn't know whether they were having two boys, two girls, or a boy and a girl. For some reason the happy couple wanted this to remain a surprise.

 

I climbed the stairs up to my room, but I was greeted by my homely step-sister and arch enemy, Celia.

 

"What's this I hear about labor?" Celia asked me as if she hadn't been listening to the entire conversation.

 

"Not that it's any of your concern, but Violetta is having her babies," I said excitedly.

 

"Oh," Celia said lifting her nose in the air as she spoke, "what is it with all these unwed teenagers having babies?"

 

"That's rude," I spat at her and she only rolled her eyes.

 

"I'm glad I'll be happily married before I give birth to my first," Celia said and it wasn't until now that I noticed the magazine in her hand.

 

"Is this what you fill your head with," I asked snatching the reading material out her hand before she could react, "fluff about how to keep a man?"

 

"Give that back!" Celia screamed.

 

"Ooh seven erotic positions that'll drive him wild," I said laughing as I read.

 

Celia was able to snatch part of the magazine away, but not before ripping some pages.

 

"What would you know about men, you've never been able to keep one," Celia said to me and now my claws were about to come out.

 

"Yea, well at least I didn't have to steal one because I can't get my own!" I said to her.

 

Celia darted her eyes away from me. I could tell she was embarrassed. Little to nothing had been spoken between us when it came to David, the one guy I had hoped would save me from my chaotic life. How stupid could I have been?

 

"Mom and dad say you need to find a job or they're kicking you out," Celia said, totally ignoring my last insult.

 

"Yea right," I told her as I reached the top step and turned left to my room.

 

"It's true, they said they'll keep Liam, but you've got to go," Celia announced as she skipped merrily to the place I'd once called mine.

 

"I'd like to see them try," I told her before opening my door and slamming it behind me.

Reviews

[Tina Kline]

This was great. Now Sonny will be a father. And was Celia telling the truth about kicking Myra out if she didn't get a job and keep Liam? That's just mean. I know Myra won't go for that.