1950's Emstone

Chapter Nine

3 months

Emilie was sitting the table.She hoped that Gladstone remembered that she told him to be home by 6.Not that Gladstone had anywhere to go as he spent his days around town finding lost jewelry,wallets without IDs, and random $20.But Emilie had a good reason to want Gladstone home by 6.She had something to tell him.
She was pregnant.
Emilie had no idea how Gladstone would react.Children,especially babies,were a lot of work, and Gladstone hated work.But Gladstone grew up as an only child,so he might not realize this.He may focus more on the "fun" of parenting than the responsibility part of parenting.But Emilie was about to find out soon.
"Em's!I'm home!"said Gladstone when he walked through the door.
"Gladdy!"said Emilie,running up to kiss him hello. "How was your day?"
"I won a few prizes,found gems,lost wallets,jewelry, and random $20.Basically the same thing as usual.What about your day?Didn't you take the day off?We could have done something together."
"You know that I had a doctor's appointment today."
"Well,did everything turn out alright?"
"Yeah. I'll tell you more about it at dinner time."
"Okay."said Gladstone,uncertain.
Emilie said everything turned out alright,but it didn't seem like it.She seemed nervous about something.
'Maybe I'm overthinking it.' thought Gladstone as he sat down.Maybe he should try to find out by asking some questions about Emilie's day.After all, Gladstone had luck on his side,so he'll probably be able to guess.
"What did you do after your doctor's appointment?"asked Gladstone.
"I went to the grocery store to get the food for dinner."answered Emilie.
"What's for dinner?"
"Prime rib,mashed potatoes, and peas, and carrots."
"You know I can get us a housekeeper."
Emilie didn't say anything,which struck Gladstone as odd as whenever he brought this up Emilie usually dismissed the idea.
'Maybe she's stressed out.' thought Gladstone.
But that didn't explain the elaborate dinner.Maybe Emilie quit her job?And she wanted to use Gladstone's luck to find a new job?But if it was stress,then Gladstone wasn't going to let Emilie get a new job.
"Gladstone!Dinner's ready!"said Emilie from the dining room.
Gladstone got up from where he was sitting in the living room, and went into the dining room.Emilie said it was dinner time, and if Emilie didn't mention her doctor appointment first,he would.Gladstone was worried.
"Everything looks delicious."said Gladstone as he sat down at the table.
"Thank you."said Emilie.
"So,are you going to tell me about what happened with your doctor appointment?"
"Yes."said Emilie.She was hoping to put it off as long as possible, but she should have known that was impossible.
"Well,what happened?"asked Gladstone,hoping to keep his voice light, and casual.But in fact Gladstone was nervous about what Emilie would say as every negative scenario was going through his mind.
"The doctor said I was pregnant."
Gladstone dropped his fork.This wasn't what he was expecting.
"Gladstone?Are you okay?You're not upset are you?"asked Emilie.
Gladstone began to laugh.
"Huhhh....Gladstone?"
Gladstone suddenly got up, and hugged, and kissed Emilie.
"I'm guessing that you're not upset?"
"Of course I'm not! I'm happy!You know how worried I was! I thought something was wrong!But nothing's wrong!"said Gladstone as he kept hugging, and kissing Emilie.
Emilie simply smiled.

6 months

Emilie had no idea why she had to go to the Principal Brown's office.Especially on a Monday morning.All Emilie knew was that the night before she got a phone call from him asking her to meet him in his office on Monday morning.Which was where she was going now.
"Hello,I'm here to see Principal Brown."Emilie said when she arrived at his office.
"He's in there waiting for you."said Principal Brown's secretary while typing something on the typewriter.
"Okay,thank you."said Emilie before entering Principal Brown's office.
When Emilie entered Principal Brown's office,she saw that he was at his desk, and next to his desk was a young red headed duck.
"Emilie.First of all,congratulations on your pregnancy."started off Principal Brown.
"Thank you.A lot of people have been congratulating me, but haven't you already congratulated me?"said Emilie.
"Yes.But...this school has received some complaints about you being pregnant-"
"And?"
"For the sake of the children,I've decided that it's for the best that I terminate your employment at this school, and replace you with Miss Sylvia Duckson."
"Seriously?You're firing me?!Because of a few complaints?! And replacing me with some blonde who probably doesn't know how to handle children!"
"I know how to handle children!"protested Sylvia.
"Emilie,please,it's nothing personal."said Principal Brown,rubbing his temples.He should have known Emilie wouldn't have taken her termination well.
"What do parents do when they're expecting another child?Have the mother hide the pregnancy?"asked Emilie angrily.
"Okay,okay.You make a valid point.So,why don't we make a compromise?You go on maternity leave,Sylvia takes over for you, and you come back when you're good, and ready. Okay?"
"Alright."said Emilie before leaving Principal Brown's office.
When Emilie left Sylvia turned to Principal Brown in anger.
"I thought you said that I was going to take over her class!That you were going to fire her!"said Sylvia in anger.
"Oh,don't worry yourself darling. I assure you,motherhood will make her want to stay home with the child."said Principal Brown to his young lover.
Too bad neither one of them knew Emilie very well.

9 months

Emilie woke up in extreme pain.She looked at the clock on her nightstand,it read 2:17 a.m.Emilie knew by the pain that she was in labor, and had to wake up Gladstone.Unfortunately,due to the time period,they slept in separate beds meaning that Emilie had to walk over to Gladstone's bed while in extreme pain.
"Gladstone,Gladstone,wake up."said Emilie,gently nudging him.
Gladstone didn't wake up.Emilie decided on a different tactic.
"Gladstone!Wake up!I'm in labor!" screamed Emilie while shaking him awake.
"Alright!Alright!I'm awake!"snapped Gladstone,clearly upset about the way he was woken up.
"Well,I'm sorry, but I need to go to the hospital!Do you know how much pain I'm in?"
Gladstone didn't say anything.He just got out of his bed so he can take Emilie to the hospital.

-

Gladstone was waiting in the maternity waiting room while Emilie was in a hospital room laying the egg she had been carrying for nine months.Thankfully,he wasn't alone.
"I'm guessing this is your first child?"said the man next to him.
"How did you know?"asked Gladstone.
"You keep falling asleep."
"Yeah.My first....child...."said Gladstone going in, and out of sleep.
"Hey,wake up.The nurse could along, and tell you that your wife had laid the egg."say another man next to Gladstone as he poked him awake.
"Or eggs."said the first man. "My wife, and I have 15 children."
"What?"said Gladstone in shock,suddenly awake.
"You do not you big fibber."said the second man.
"It's true!"
"How?If I was your wife I would have killed you by the fifth kid."
"My wife comes from a family of 11 kids."Gladstone added in.
"See!Having more than two children is normal!"said the first man.
"But 15?"said the second man.
"Yes,three sets of triplets,two sets of twins, and two single egg lays."
"Seriously?You honestly expect us to believe that?"said the second man.
Gladstone didn't say anything.Even though he was excited to be a father, and was looking forward to all the fun things he, and his child will do together,Gladstone sincerely hoped that Emilie only laid one egg.Multiple births were on both sides of their families.On his side was Donald, and his twin sister,Della, and Della's kids,Huey, Dewey, and Louie.On Emilie's side was her twin brothers,Bill, and Joe.
'Maybe it'll be only one egg.'thought Gladstone.But then he remembered what the first man said about the multiple births his own wife had.
'You're lucky,Gladstone.It'll probably just be one egg.' Gladstone thought to himself.
That thought was reassuring.But that reassurance began to dwindle as time went on.At 3:30 in the morning the two men that were with him originally were called away by a nurse,only for some other men to take their place as other expectant fathers.It wasn't until 4:00 that a nurse came for Gladstone.
"How many eggs did Emilie lay?"asked Gladstone.He didn't mean for that to be the first question that was asked.But that one man's claim about having 15 kids due to multiple births freaked him out.
"You were with Mr.Turkey,weren't you?"said the nurse.It wasn't a question,it was a statement,like Gladstone wasn't the first first time father who asked that question.
"Is he the guy who said he, and his wife had 15 kids?"asked Gladstone.
The nurse suddenly banged on a door.
"Hey,Turkeys!Learn how to use birth control or keep your yap shut!" the nurse yelled at the door before she led Gladstone down the hallway.
"Your wife only laid one egg."said the nurse,as she, and Gladstone walked down the hallway together.
"But how come it took so long?"asked Gladstone.
"She needed a C-section."
"Oh,is she okay?"
"Yes.Still a little groggy though."said the nurse as she opened the door of Emilie's hospital room.
When Gladstone entered the room he noticed that Emilie looked a bit out of it.But she seemed fine enough to hold the egg that the doctor took out of her.
The egg.
It seemed so fragile for something that was holding a child, and put Emilie in surgery.
"Gladstone,is that you?"asked Emilie in a groggy voice.
"Yes.Sorry for just standing here."said Gladstone as he approached Emilie. "Just shocked at how fragile the egg looks."
Emilie looked at the egg.It did look fragile, but Emilie knew what was inside of it was even more fragile.
"You know that what's inside the egg is more fragile than the egg,right?"Emilie asked Gladstone.
"Yeah."admitted Gladstone,smiling at the thought. "When is the egg suppose to hatch?"
"In approximately 28 days."
"28 days,huh?"
That was actually shorter than Gladstone thought.