Matt worried over Nikki's exercise, diet, and general health while Nikki protested and tried to sneak treats. Christy and Nikki bought maternity clothes at the local Goodwill and the Salvation Army in the city. For the last month of pregnancy, the doctor ordered bed rest. Matt managed to get off work for most of the month to ensure Nikki followed orders.
On the day of the delivery, Matt paced in the waiting room while the women all argued their way into the delivery room. At 8:03 PM, on March twenty-ninth, tiny Claire Nancy Monroe was born. She had her mother's blond hair and her father's bright green eyes. The grandmothers, Christy, and her mother all proclaimed her the perfect angel one would expect from such a lovely couple.
"You were my seventeenth birthday present -- born on the same day. We raised you like any normal kid. We worried over you when you were sick. We rejoiced when you said your first word and took your first steps. We were ready to pull our hair out when you started teething. And through it all, we were a normal family, with a father, a mother, and a baby. Nobody dared to break what seemed, at first, like a fragile spell. Nobody spoke of the incidents that had brought you about, except in very vague terms. Eventually, everyone came to realize what Matt and I knew from that day I walked down the aisle: this was no fragile magic. This was real life. We had made a mistake, but God forgave us and blessed us with true love, a wonderful marriage, and a darling child anyway."
"That's so beautiful, Mom." Claire was reluctant to leave. The words of the story seemed to press her into her seat.
"There was one other thing that came from my pregnancy. My mother and I started speaking again -- honestly speaking. We still disagreed on a lot of things, but I opened up to her, and she... well, it seemed like she changed, too. She even quit working to help me with the baby. Matt had to stick with his job at the post office and was unable to go to college; the local elementary school did eventually hire him as a music teacher since he had such a natural talent. That still didn't offer the best pay. There were times when I had to get at least a part-time job to make ends meet, and Mom was our daycare and babysitter. She and my dad also helped us out financially whenever we just couldn't get through, although we only accepted the money when we absolutely had to. I'll never be sure, but I'd say my mother and I truly bonded that night in the kitchen, when I first told them about the pregnancy."
The sound of a car horn interrupted. Nicole looked out the window. "Your friends are here, sweetie. You'd better hurry and not keep them waiting."
"Yeah." Claire sighed. Why had she never realized how sweet her mom could be? They really did love each other, even if Claire wasn't the emotional type. "I guess we'll keep in touch."
"Write often, 'kay?"
Claire smiled as her mother wiped away a tear. College seemed much farther away than it had minutes ago. "Definitely."
The horn blared again.
"Run on now, sweetheart."
Claire stood and walked out of the room. At the doorway, she turned to get one last look at her mother. They held eye contact for a minute until the horn sounded a third time, and Claire whirled around and ran to the kitchen to wave goodbye to her dad. Nicole called out after her, "And don't talk to strange men!"
Her father made a mock-serious face. "Oh, yes, no strange men. In fact, don't talk to any men. I don't want you to even think about them!" Then he smiled and pulled a protesting Claire in for a hug. "Study hard and come back for a visit as soon as possible, okay?"
Claire laughed and pushed away before he could start crying. "Yeah, yeah!"
She pulled the front door shut behind her, heading for the elevator. Her future held just as much uncertainty as it had been that morning, but it suddenly didn't seem so foreboding. As for her mom… maybe the two of them understood each other more than Claire
On the day of the delivery, Matt paced in the waiting room while the women all argued their way into the delivery room. At 8:03 PM, on March twenty-ninth, tiny Claire Nancy Monroe was born. She had her mother's blond hair and her father's bright green eyes. The grandmothers, Christy, and her mother all proclaimed her the perfect angel one would expect from such a lovely couple.
"You were my seventeenth birthday present -- born on the same day. We raised you like any normal kid. We worried over you when you were sick. We rejoiced when you said your first word and took your first steps. We were ready to pull our hair out when you started teething. And through it all, we were a normal family, with a father, a mother, and a baby. Nobody dared to break what seemed, at first, like a fragile spell. Nobody spoke of the incidents that had brought you about, except in very vague terms. Eventually, everyone came to realize what Matt and I knew from that day I walked down the aisle: this was no fragile magic. This was real life. We had made a mistake, but God forgave us and blessed us with true love, a wonderful marriage, and a darling child anyway."
"That's so beautiful, Mom." Claire was reluctant to leave. The words of the story seemed to press her into her seat.
"There was one other thing that came from my pregnancy. My mother and I started speaking again -- honestly speaking. We still disagreed on a lot of things, but I opened up to her, and she... well, it seemed like she changed, too. She even quit working to help me with the baby. Matt had to stick with his job at the post office and was unable to go to college; the local elementary school did eventually hire him as a music teacher since he had such a natural talent. That still didn't offer the best pay. There were times when I had to get at least a part-time job to make ends meet, and Mom was our daycare and babysitter. She and my dad also helped us out financially whenever we just couldn't get through, although we only accepted the money when we absolutely had to. I'll never be sure, but I'd say my mother and I truly bonded that night in the kitchen, when I first told them about the pregnancy."
The sound of a car horn interrupted. Nicole looked out the window. "Your friends are here, sweetie. You'd better hurry and not keep them waiting."
"Yeah." Claire sighed. Why had she never realized how sweet her mom could be? They really did love each other, even if Claire wasn't the emotional type. "I guess we'll keep in touch."
"Write often, 'kay?"
Claire smiled as her mother wiped away a tear. College seemed much farther away than it had minutes ago. "Definitely."
The horn blared again.
"Run on now, sweetheart."
Claire stood and walked out of the room. At the doorway, she turned to get one last look at her mother. They held eye contact for a minute until the horn sounded a third time, and Claire whirled around and ran to the kitchen to wave goodbye to her dad. Nicole called out after her, "And don't talk to strange men!"
Her father made a mock-serious face. "Oh, yes, no strange men. In fact, don't talk to any men. I don't want you to even think about them!" Then he smiled and pulled a protesting Claire in for a hug. "Study hard and come back for a visit as soon as possible, okay?"
Claire laughed and pushed away before he could start crying. "Yeah, yeah!"
She pulled the front door shut behind her, heading for the elevator. Her future held just as much uncertainty as it had been that morning, but it suddenly didn't seem so foreboding. As for her mom… maybe the two of them understood each other more than Claire
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