A Belly-Laugh
It was noon and I had just gotten out of the shower. I got dressed in my navy-blue, long-sleeved shirt and my jeans. I brushed my hair and it curled on its own. I still wore the ring, I looked down to it and smiled.
"Jo," I heard Kity call to me. I looked in that direction and walked out of my room into the kitchen.
"Yea?" I asked.
Darren was looking to me and Martha was standing near the door, looking to something else. Kity stood in front of her.
"There is someone here for you," she said.
I was confused. Then, I realized something. My eyes were wide and I rushed passed them. She stood outside of the door.
Mom.
"Mom?" My voice broke. I stood there, weak at the knees.
She came forward and caught me, I held onto her. An embrace. "Mommy?" I fell weak in my voice again. I hadn't called her that since I was six but that was the age I felt when I saw her again. I felt like I was a little girl again, finding my mom after some tragic incident.
"I'm here, Jo," She whispered in my ear.
It was a few hours later. We sat outside on the steps.
"Where's Dad, now?" I asked.
"He never came back. Well, only once with his pregnant hooker, for his stuff," she explained. She looked down to her hand. She looked at her wedding ring and then to me. But, she didn't look to my face. She looked down. Then suddenly, she was excited and looked to my face.
"The baby! You had the baby? Claire, right?!" She was smiling.
I laughed and nodded.
"How did everything go during..." she didn't say the last few words.
"Good, painful, but good," I said.
We got to our feet and went inside. I showed her into me and Darren's room. (I didn't tell her about me and Darren yet.)
Claire was sitting up in her crib and she looked up to me. She smiled and kicked her legs. Her big eyes were curious, looking to my mom. Mom faced her back towards the door. I faced in the direction of the door.
Darren came in as I handed Claire to my mom. Mom talked to the baby and bounced her in her arms. Claire laughed, it coming all the way from her toes. 'A belly laugh.' I smiled as she looked back to me.
"God, she is so adorable," my mom said, looking to me from Claire. I laughed. She handed Claire back to me, as she reached for me. I let her sit up on the bed. She kicked her legs again. Darren laughed and then my mom turned around to see him.
"Oh, hi," she said. She looked back to me. I was smiling at him and then looked to my mom again.
He came forward and held out his hand. "I'm Darren," he said.
"Darren," she said, repeating the name, "I'm Claire." We named Claire after my mother.
They shook hands. I sat down on the bed next to Claire. She was trying to stand but kept falling. Whenever she did, she would laugh and try again. Determined.
Mom sat on the other side of Claire and was watching her. She laughed and then my mom did, too.
"She will just fine back home," my mom said.
I quickly stood in front of her and Darren came forward, still behind me, "WHAT?!" We both said at the same time.
