12

meave mae kennedy

"Hello?" Jackie Kennedy arose from her bed to the phone ringing, looking to the alarm clock that flashed 3:08 AM.

"Mommy!" A sweet voice came from the other end of the line. A voice of a girl who she hadn't heard from in too long.

"MK?! Is that you my girl?" She smiled slapping Jack's shoulder, him sitting up in bed quickly.

"It's me mommy, loud & clear! Oh I missed your voice, how are you?" She came from the other end sounding so relieved to hear her mother's raspy voice again.

"Meave Mae Kennedy was born in August of 1952. She was our first baby. Life was quiet and simple for us back then. One baby and all the happiness in the world. All throughout her childhood she excelled in music, violin especially. She is known as a leader, as the oldest of 12 of course it makes sense, but it's always been different for her. Now she's training to become an Blue Angel pilot off in Pensacola, 22 years old and engaged happily. That women gives 110 percent into everything, often described as self-disciplined, easygoing, & hardworking. She can do just about everything at the tip of a hat, and do it well for that matter."

Both of her parents missed her oh so dearly and looked forward to the day she came home. But with that, they prayed for her over abundant happiness and blessings that would come her way.

Growing up with 11 sisters Meave had to mature faster, she had to skip her childhood because of her little sister's. And she was fine with it, it seemed okay in that situation. But both parents always felt guilty. She deserved so much success and happiness in her future, and truly, that's all they ever wished for her.

"I'm great baby! How are you? I- we, we haven't heard from you in so long!" Jackie stumbled on the sentence, being so so happy to hear her daughter's voice.

The mother daughter duo definitely felt the same way on finally hearing each other again.

She didn't show it often, but the mother always worried about her oldest.

Of course she did, she was human.

"Actually mommy- is papa there?" Meave seemed to drop some of the happy in her voice as Jackie looked to Jack.

"Oh yes, of course. We're both here baby" Both seemed a little worried as she pressed the button to echo out the 22 year old's voice.

Both parents stomach's where in knots.

"I have good & bad news." She sighed as her parents held hands tightly in bed.

"Okay, well, give us good news first." Jack spoke up, never wanting to hear bad news from one of his girls.

Definitely a worst nightmare of his.

"So we know I've been certified for about 8 ish months now. And I finally got news that I'm being promoted to head pilot. I'll be out in shows soon."

The news was big, well, actually huge, it- it was celebration worthy, but the way the young adult said it made the parents not even crack a smile.

"Bad news now baby." Jackie added, wanting to get it over with.

"I'm being put on leave for awhile." She mustered up the courage to say it after a little silence which had the parents questioning.

"Why might that be MK?" Jack used the girl's pet name, actually sounding concerned.

Not a sound that came from the man often.

"Me & Harrison, we- we we're excepting. I lost the baby yesterday. I hoped to call today and tell papa it was a boy. A little boy."

You could hear the sheer pain in Meave's voice.

The line & the room went silent as nobody knew just what to say.

What could be said?

"Will you be coming home?" Jack asked trying to change the subject, never wanting to think of the pain his girl was going through, mentally & physically.

He had to watch Jackie go through that pain, and he- he didn't wish it on anybody.

"I'd like to. Can I?" She asked quietly.

"Oh baby, of course you can. We'd absolutely love to see you and your sisters- oh they'll all be so excited. Maybe we can even get Tori and Lucy down, everybody back at home!" Jackie tried to lighten the mood as Meave smiled on the other end.

Jackie sure always tried.

"I'd like that mommy. I'd like to keep it to myself though. Just between us, I don't wanna make a big deal about it, okay?" She added.

This was Meave's personality, never wanted herself to make a big deal of anything.

"That's fine with us, whatever you'd like MK." Both parents nodded together before "I love you's" & goodbyes were said.

And within that week, Meave was at home with her parents and 11 other sisters. The whole family was back together & it seemed like it hadn't come fast enough.

One night, in that weekend, she laid in her mother's bed, in pain, mentally and physically.

"Do you have room for one more?" Jackie asked, walking in, slowly getting into bed with her oldest.

"Everything just. Hurts mommy." She laid on Jackie's chest, starting to cry.

"I know baby, oh trust me I know. After that first miscarriage before you I laid in this bed for almost a month. Your father brought in your Grana, Granpa, therapist after therapist, doctor after doctor. I'm still not sure what got me out of bed." She rubbed Meave's back slowly talking gently to her.

"But look at me now baby, 12 babies later. 12 beautiful girls. It's all in the right time MK." Jackie soothed the girl as her tears stopped abruptly.

Jack headed into the room, kinda barging in, but stopping in the doorway.

"Sweet girl." He sighed as Jackie looked up to her husband.

These moments, the little things were what made having 12 girls so sweet.

"She's out kid." Jack smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed, trying not to wake up the, now fully grown, women.

"I still remember what it was like when we lost Ari." He looked off into the distance.

"13 girls. That's crazy to think about Bunny. If Arabella would've made it into the world we would be parents to 13 girls. I think I like our even number though. It would have to be an even number." She tried to lighten the mood.

"Oh so that's why we stopped at 12?" Jack teased looking at Jackie with that "Kennedy" smile.

Acting like Jackie hadn't forced a vasectomy on him a couple years before. 12 was it.

Truthfully, Jackie's poor body could've & probably should've stopped at around 5.

"Lord have mercy Bunny, this definitely isn't the time." She laughed slightly as he eyed her before looking back off into the distance.

"All the girls asleep?" She spoke up playing with Meave's hair in the bed.

"Well everybody is in bed. Maybe not asleep, but my job is done." He laid back on the bed groaning, after 12 girls and still having Addison's, life was a little painful at times.

He should've stopped at 5 too.

"I know you don't wanna hear this, especially after that delightful groan. But looks like you're on the couch tonight." Jackie laughed a little bit as he nodded.

"Yeah, I've picked that up. She always ended up in our bed." He stood to his feet and made his way to his wife and oldest daughter.

"Goodnight you two" He grinned and pecked both of their foreheads before grabbing a throw blanket and heading downstairs to the living room for the night.

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