"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" I awoke to the alarm clock. A soft groan escaped from me due to my nauseous stomach. It's really irritating to continuously wake up this way. I dragged myself out of bed and was met with the lovely smell of bacon and pancakes. I walked down the spiral staircase to the kitchen.
"Good morning booby head." I greeted him with a kiss on his cheek.
"Morning sleepy head. You seemed so deep in sleep, I didn't want to disturb you. Did you get any sleep at all during your trip?"
"A little. What kind of pancakes are we having?"
"Banana pancakes. You bought so many bananas yesterday I thought it would be a great idea." When he finished cooking breakfast, I put some ice cream on top of my pancakes with syrup. That banana pudding ice cream came in handy after all. "Wow! I didn't know you liked banana pudding ice cream let alone like it on your pancakes." I just nodded at him and kept eating. I was really hungry. After we cleaned up the breakfast dishes, we went upstairs to get cleaned up and dressed. Luckily we made it without stopping to make out. "I got her seven teddy bears and a gift certificate to build-a-bear work shop."
"Cool! I bet she'll love it. Maybe she'll even say thank you or smile at you. She might even hug you. Who knows! She smiled at me the other day at the meeting. It was pretty amazing."
"Wow! Are you serious? Did anyone else see?"
"Yeah! Everyone did. We were reaching for the same banana but I let her have it. Then I looked away for five seconds and she makes a little cry like noise. Everyone looks at her and she is handing me half of the banana. It was very heart warming." We relished in the thought and then went to pack up my car. I wanted to drive my car since I had been without it for awhile. As we drove, I turned on the radio to Hot995. It was my favorite station. They were playing Blurred Lines for the fifth time today. I listen to it in the house as well. We soon arrived at my cousin's house. They live only two blocks away. But who wants to walk two blocks in a sun dress and heels. Its 90 degrees outside! When we stepped out the car, I saw Sophie run around the side of the house.
I decided to go after the birthday girl after I drop the stuff off inside. I walked straight inside without knocking or ringing the doorbell. "Don't you think we should have knocked or something? I mean, we just walked into their home uninvited."
"Technically we were invited. Like three months ago." He nodded understanding that I had a point. "Hey Lizzy! I'm going around the house to go see the birthday girl okay?"
"She's outside? She was just in her room getting dressed?" She pondered this for a moment then shooed me away. I gave Jonathan a kiss on the cheek and changed into my flats that I always kept over their place. As I walked around the house outside, I heard a lovely voice. I was curious.
"See Samantha? I told you I could chop that cinder block in half. I learned it on my own. Cousin Clary told me that it takes practice. I didn't even do the brick yet! I also have a secret Samantha. Something that Cousin Clary doesn't even know about..." She stopped. I had already peeked around the corner. She looked at me a little surprised.
"Rule number one of being a Sylvania spy; always keep an up to the millisecond observation of your environment." She nodded at me. "Now I want you to be truthful with me. How long have you been able to talk?"
"Two years and three months."
"Okay. I promise not to tell until you are ready to tell everyone but, why won't you tell anyone?"
"Because I don't like talking to people. They make me nervous. And they all think the same thing. 'Who colors the best?' 'Who can color in the lines?' 'What should me and my husband do later?' 'Last night was awesome but I don't think I should screw him again.' It's all annoying!" I had no idea how she knew what people were thinking but it sounded like a curse. "I know I'm not ready to know what sex is and yet, I know most of the things that go on between a man and a woman, a man and a man, and a woman and a woman! I don't need to know yet! I don't want to know yet!" I was sympathetic with her.
"Well, it is your birthday so why don't we get off this depressing topic and go inside so you can open my present?" She looked at me with an awed expression and then nodded at me with a big, bright beautiful smile. When we walked back inside, everyone stopped and gasped at the sight that was me and Sophia walking hand in hand. She had a huge smile on her face. Elizabeth spoke.
"Okay Sophie. Are you ready to open your birthday presents?" She nods. "Who's present do you want to open first?" She pointed to me. "Okay." She gave her my gift. She squealed in delight. I knew she secretly wanted one. We went to the mall once and she was staring at it.
~Past~
I had agreed to babysit Sophia for the week plus the weekend. Lizzy and Christian were going on a cruise and it was for couples only. It was a great opportunity for me to try to bond with her. She is way too shy. I brought her to the mall to get her some new things because her sixth birthday is in five months."So, any toys or clothes that you want? Are you into those kinds of things?" I looked down at her but she wasn't there. I started to panic. I looked around trying to get a handle on the surroundings. I was in the toy section of the target along the second isle. I went back to the first toy isle and found her staring at an easy bake oven.
She looked around a little scared at first until she noticed me. She looked relieved, almost as if she thought I saw her gazing dreamily at the pink machine. I smiled at her and decided to let her pick whatever she wanted as long as she didn't pick up the easy bake. "Come on Sophie. You can pick out whatever you want today. I'm feeling like a spoiled brat today."She grinned at me and we filled up two shopping carts with toys, clothes, two new phones, movies, music, two new laptops, and two new tablets, two pairs of Hello Kitty headphones and phone cases, and two new iPod touches. She giggled as we brought our new stuff to my car. Then we went to the hair salon and got our hair braided as well as to the nail salon to get a manicure and pedicure.
We were going past a pet store that she was gazing intently at. I pulled into the parking lot and we got out. She looked at me with wide eyes. I nodded at her and she smiled again at me. Nobody would ever believe me if I told them. She ran around the store coming to settle with a bunny rabbit with long, floppy ears. "Excellent choice! This bunny really loves honey on celery." She nodded at the store clerk enthusiastically. "So what do you want to name her?" She gave him an exasperated look. He looked at me worriedly.
"She likes the name Honey. Why don't you spell it H-u-n-y? It's unique." She nodded. That was the first time she ever smiled and laughed. I will never forget this day. Also, I am so going to get her that easy bake oven.
~Present~
Sophie came over and hugged me. Then she went to open Jonathan's gift. As she opened it, Jonathan started to bite his bottom lip. It made me think briefly of last night and what he could do with that mouth. I saw Sophie flinch out the corner of my eye. She looked quickly at me and then back at the big box. After she put the bow down, she ripped the paper off and took off the lid and squealed again. She ran up to him and hugged him around his waist. He looked a little shocked but quickly recovered and hugged her back. It went like that for the rest of the present opening ceremony. Now it was cake time. We had dinner first and then we had cake and apple pie.
"That was a great pie Clary. I'm going to have to get your recipe."
"Oh it's nothing fancy Lizzy. I just add a little something extra, that's all." Lizzy and I talked a little more and exchanged a few recipes. I felt a little tug on my skirt. I looked down and it was Sophie. She beckoned me to follow her. I excused myself and followed her. She was leading me to her room. When we walked in she shut and locked the door. "What's up sweets?"
"I need to take a blood sample. Do you mind?" I shook my head and gave her my arm. They recently started teaching her about biology and health. She drew my blood and then gave me a band aid. She also gave me a sugar free lollipop like a doctor gives a little kid. I smiled at her and left her room.
"See you tomorrow. I'll be watching you so your parents can go on their cruise." She nodded and waved me on. Soon the party ended and Johnathan and I went home. We went straight to bed after changing into our pajamas. This is the first time in a long time that I fell asleep without feeling sick to my stomach. I was in complete bliss.
Not soon after, I started to dream. I was walking through a field of violet and blue morning glories. There were some pink and yellow ones to but not enough to pop out at me. I was looking for something but it felt more like someone? I wandered aimlessly around until I saw Johnathan sitting on a picnic blanket with something squirming in his arms. I thought it was puppy until I got a closer look. It was a baby! It was cute. Just when I was about to ask what it was and what its name is, I woke up to Jonathan telling me to wake up.
"What the hell do you want? Can't a woman get some rest after coming home!?" I didn't realize that I was shouting nor that there was someone else in the room besides us and that someone else being a child. It was Sophie! "What is it Sophie? Are you okay?" She didn't answer. I sighed and told Jonathan to go call Lizzy and Christopher. She looked to have been crying so I just held and hugged her. She calmed down and fell asleep in my arms. I wonder what was the matter? Her parents soon arrived to take her home.
"Thank you Clary. I don't understand how she could have gotten out the house without us knowing."
"In this family Lizzy, we always find a way out of the house and away from the parental units. It's like a birthright." She laughed and then they left.
"That was weird, wasn't it Clary? I mean, how did she get in?"
"Easy. She has her mom's copy of the house keys."
"Elizabeth has a copy of our house keys?"
"So does the rest of my family." I shrugged it off and went back to bed. I slept the rest of the night dreamless. The next morning, I scheduled a doctors appointment for 5 this afternoon. Of course I'll have Sophie with me but I need to make sure that I'm not sick or anything. That would take me out of the field. After picking up Sophie, we went to Dr. Rowland's house. We always had our check ups at his house instead of his office. It's to keep us separate from the other people that come to see him and so we could be finished faster.
"Hello Clarissa. Hi little Sophia."
"Hello Dr. Rowland. I am here for my blood work that Sophie sent you as well as my physical."
"Yes yes yes. Right this way my dear. And as for you Sophia, go into my lab and print out Clarissa's file." She nodded and left. "So, have you developed any special talents?"
"Nope. Still the same old me."
"How about any unusual feelings? Have you developed any strange habits?"
"Now that you mention it, I have recently become addicted to bananas and anything with bananas in it. Also waking up nauseous and throwing up sometimes. That's another reason I came by. I think I might have picked up a bug or something on my last mission." Sophie returned after the personal part of the physical. Not like she wouldn't have to see naked bodies later on in life. And since the Doc was gay and single, she was his prodigy. But I guess her talent does hinder her a bit.
"Now let us see." He studied my chart with Sophie pointing out things and him nodding. "Well Clarissa, you aren't sick." Just as I was about to sigh with relief he spoke again. "You're pregnant."
"Huh?" He repeated it a few times until I finally stopped him. "How far along?"
"Let's go check." We walked into a different room in his house that had a sonogram machine. He put some cold gel on my belly and rubbed a device around in it. "Well according to this image, you are about three months along in your pregnancy."
"She's what!" We all turned around to see my, ever so bad timing, big sister. "When did this happen?" I thought for a moment and realized it happened the second time I slept with my husband. I looked down shyly.
"About a month before we went off on the last mission." I spoke in a little voice.
"You mean to say that you were experiencing pregnancy symptoms the entire mission? You could have jeopardized the whole mission or your baby's health!"
"If I remember clearly, which of course I do, you were the one making me and Olivia eat all those energy bars when we were too late to grab a proper meal! Plus all I did was get nauseous constantly and throw up a few times! Don't start yelling at me for things that were beyond my control!" I felt a little dizzy but I was soon able to shake it off. I soon noticed that everyone was staring at me. "What?" Gabby spoke.
"You never lose your temper at someone. You barely yell. You've never even talked back to someone. Its just..."
"Shocking?"
"Yeah! Thanks Doc. Anyway I'm sorry I yelled at you. It was unfair of me to just go off like that. Anyway, are you gonna tell the family?" I thought about it for a moment and decided not to just yet.
"Naw. Not yet anyways. I'm gonna wait till Lizzy and Christopher get back. Until then, everyone in this room is sworn to secrecy until I tell them it's okay to talk about it." Everyone nodded. After Sophie and I left, we went to get some banana splits. I checked my phone while we were eating and saw a message from Jonathan saying that he was gonna be late tonight. "Hey Sophie, I got an idea. Let's go get some black or brown furniture to put in the baby's room." She smiled and nodded.
We went to multiple different stores just to get a crib, dresser, changing table, diapers, wipes, Johnson's baby products, and more. I also bought a new doorknob so I could lock the room. I didn't want Jonathan to know yet. We made quick work of getting everything set up. We got into our pajamas and I then prepared dinner and we ate. I fixed pizza and a salad. Then we went into the living room with some popcorn and watched Frozen until we fell asleep. The only reason how I knew I was asleep is because I woke up to Jonathan waking me up.
"Come on babe. Let's get her into the bed and let's go to bed ourselves. I ate on the way home." I just nodded. I carried Sophie to her bed and Jonathan carried me to ours. He tucked me in and I fell fast asleep again.