Handprints ( #2 BOOK IN SERIES )

March (Part Two)

"Come on, you can do it," I encourage Erin who is on her hands and knees in front of me and so close to crawling.

"It's her left leg, she can't quite figure out how to use," Cory muses from the other end of the rom.

Both of us are sat on the floor with Erin in between the two of us. She repositions herself so that she is no longer on all fours but instead is sitting up, still facing me though. I try clapping to gain her attention hoping that she will try again but instead she opens her mouth into a wide smile and begins to laugh. Not really what I had in mind.

"I don't think it's going to be today," Cory says to me, picking up one of Erin's toys as he does so.

"You don't say," I reply to him while still trying to encourage the eight-month old child in front of me.

Cory moves so that he is no longer behind Erin but is now lying down beside her, showing off the toy in his hand. This turns her attention away from me causing her to swivel around on her bum so that she is facing him. Her laugh still fills the room as attempts to take the toy off of Cory only for her to not be able to reach. She falls forwards so that she is on all fours again and I watch hesitantly as she moves her right arm in front of her, and then followed by her left. Her legs trail behind her though, not moving in the way she wants them to.

"So close," I say to Erin, lying down so that I am in a similar position to Cory.

I lay down so that I am on my back and pick Erin up so that she is straddling my waist. Keeping a tight hold of her body, I begin planting kisses all over her face and arms, causing her to laugh even more. It doesn't take long for her to star grabbing onto my hair which mistakenly I left down today. As soon as she gets a tight enough grip, she lowers her own face down so it is close to mine before nuzzling against my neck.

I close my eyes, savouring these precious moments, enjoying the feel of my daughter against me. While I have my eyes closed I feel my hair being stroked so I look up to see Cory facing down at me. He kisses the top of Erin's head before directing his lips to mine.

"Sorry to break this apart but these have just come in the post," my mother's voice breaks the brief silence.

Slowly I start to sit up, carefully so that I don't wake Erin up who had apparently fallen asleep in a matter of moments.

"What is it?" Cory asks her.

I noticed that my mum is holding two envelopes in her hands.

"They're from your school. Progress reports. I didn't open yours Cory because even though technically I guess I'm your guardian it just didn't feel right. You on the other hand," my mum cuts her sentence short before handing me the letter.

I take the letter out of the already opened envelope to read what it has to say. All it is, is a brief summary of how my grades currently are and what I am predicted to get in my exams. And it's not looking good.

"D's Kristen? They are predicting by the end of the year you will come out with three D's? You told me you were on top of everything, that classes were going well," she sighs at me.

Cory takes Erin out of my arms, realising that this is probably not the best time for me to be holding her.

"You had no right to open this letter," I raise my voice back at her, trying to deflect the subject.

"It was addressed to the parent or carer of Kristen Mason which is me, so yes I did. Now back to the three D's. Why didn't you say something before?" my mum asks me with her hands resting on her hips.

I don't know what to say so I don't say anything at all. I reread the letter again, still in shock because I didn't even realise I was doing this poorly.