Hearts Of Glass #AdultFiction

Chapter 50

Within five minutes she cramped again, then it was accompanied by another cramp, this one searing across her lower belly and taking away her breath.

Her mother took her to the hospital and followed her into the labor room. She helped coach her through her pains...

"Do you think he's finally settled down?" Jane's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Sarah sighed, "I doubt it. I don't think he will ever do that. He's enjoying the life of a rock star, Mom. It's the life he wanted."

Sarah heard the front door open and called out. "I'm in the kitchen, sweetheart, talking to Grandma. How was your date?"

Shannon knew Cody from school. They were both seniors at the local high school. But just about a month ago, Cody had shown up at their door, offering to shovel their drive. Shannon asked him in for hot chocolate afterwards and the two had been inseparable since.

Sarah felt an uneasiness about Shannon and Cody dating. She saw the attraction between the two and it made her nervous. She wanted Shannon to go away to college and get a degree.  She thought the separation from Cody would be good. But now the couple had been talking about going to the same college, even.

Shannon danced into the kitchen, swirling around and sliding across the tile floor to end at her mother's chair. Her long honey blond hair flew out in an arc behind her and her bright blue eyes sparkled as she laughed.

Since the day she found out that she could get places quicker by running, Shannon had been practically non stop. The day they moved into this home, she had slid across the floor in the kitchen, and declared it her dance floor.

Sarah held her breath many times, as Shannon twirled and slid across the floor, coming close to the counters or the walls. But the girl had a grace to her as she danced and slid, knowing just when to turn or stop, to keep from colliding into things.

"It was perfect. Oh, Mom, he is perfect! We went to the movies then he took me to get pizza. It was so great!" Shannon was overflowing with the exuberance that only teenagers in the beginning stages of their first love seem to have. The combination of innocence and happiness that radiated from her face warmed Sarah's heart, even as it clenched tighter with worry.

She never wanted her daughter to go through the pain of having her heart broken. But if it happened, Sarah could only hope that she would follow the example her own mother had set, standing by and supporting her through the misery and pain of all that followed.

"Hi, Grandma." Shannon sang out. She grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruit on the table, dropping a kiss on her mother's cheek, as she went into the hallway.  "I'm going to bed now."

Sarah held the receiver closer to her mouth. "She's in love, Mom." She said, softly.

"That's only normal, Sarah. She's going to be eighteen, your baby is growing up." Jane said with the wisdom of experience in these matters.

"What if she takes after me? I don't know if I can handle it like you and Dad did." Sarah said.

"You turned out just fine." Jane said firmly.

"Yeah, after running away from home with a musician and coming home pregnant! That's a hard way to learn about life." Sarah said, dryly.

Shannon stood just around the corner, in the hall, listening. She had been about to go into her room when she heard her mother whispering and she crept back to hear what she was saying. Somehow, this conversation sounded like it was something she wanted to hear.

"Maybe you should tell her about you and Sam." Jane suggested.

"If Sam would just settle down and live a normal life, I could tell her. So far, he hasn't shown that he is fit to be a dad to an eighteen year old daughter. His last wife wasn't that much older than her. And you know Shannon. If I tell her about Sam, she's going to want to meet him. She's been curious all her life about who her father is."