Generation 2- Chapter 12: 1+1= +

I was on my way home from work one night after treating a home for a particularly stubborn pair of poltergeist when I was hit with a wave of nausea.

Now granted the Banshee Banisher can create a not-so-lovely aroma when it captures poltergeist but it had never bothered me before, much less made me feel as though I were about to loose my dinner.

Suddenly it hit me--Juniper and I have been happily married for about 2 1/2 months now and I had not been visited by my friend Flow.

Uh oh.

I quickly swung my trusty rusty truck into the Berry Mart and ran inside to buy a pregnancy test. I felt more than a little self conscious as I handed the clerk my shopping basket. Once home I locked myself in the bathroom followed the directions on the box and waited....and waited. Never has 5 minutes felt so long. As I picked up the test and the moment seemed very surreal.

A plus sign....where did I put the box....I'm pregnant.

The word swirled about in my brain and even the thought of swirling made me nauseated again. I'll admit I stood there for several minutes before I rejoined reality. I looked down and realized I had both of my hands on my belly.

I slowly made my way from the bathroom to the backyard where I could hear my beloved tinkering away at his workbench.

I must have looked a little zombie-like because he did a double take when he glanced at me and quickly dropped his hammer.

"What's wrong honey? Are you sick? Did something happen?"

"I'm not sick...exactly." He gave me a puzzled look.

"Well..." I began slowly, "I'm the sort of sick that lasts for about 10 months..."

He looked at me with one eyebrow raised and then broke into a huge grin. He hugged me tight and laughed.

"Candy this is wonderful...we have to tell your parents and my brothers and Bubbles and Honey and Pepper and oh good grief, we'll have to turn Honey's old room into a nursery...." he babbled on excitedly. I couldn't help but be amused. He was going to be such a great dad.

****

I wish I could have said life was exciting during my pregnancy but it was pretty uneventful. Juniper and I were both miserably disappointed when the doctor told me that I could not work halfway through and that I had to be on light bedrest. So instead of catching ghosts I was catching up on my reading including some new paranormal research.

My mother had been honored as master chef of Sugar Valley and had achieved her lifetime goal of becoming an executive chef at La Maison de Pomme, a four star restaurant. When I told her the news she was very excited. Then told me that with another grandchild on the way, this one to live with her, she had thought about retiring soon. 

We had also decided to keep the baby's sex a surprise but I had a feeling it was a little girl and had already pulled out and washed a few sets of mine and Bubbles' old crib sheets.

Pepper and Bridget's son Amos was turning 14 and mom had insisted that this big birthday be done at our house.

Amos and Honey were the first to arrive. I noticed Honeydew was not feeling so well herself and she confided to me that she was pregnant also.

That evening at the party the baby gave be a big kick. Next thing I knew the floor was soaked around me.

My water had broken, Juniper jumped up like his bottom was on fire, everyone was panicking and I tried to tell them I was fine, but about that time I was doubled over by an awful contraction. Time to go to the hospital!

Twelve and a half hours later our daughter, Margarita, was in our arms. Two days later we were discharged home and the three of us were greeted at the door by my mom and dad.

They were so excited to be grandparents again. As I tucked my daughter into her crib for the first time I was overwhelmed with happiness.

Juniper and I soon decided that I would take a leave of absence from work to continue with the research I had begun while I was on bedrest. Juniper would also be at home and continue inventing from the house. I was very relieved to have him nearby.

I was both excited and nervous to be a new mom. Everytime Margarita cried I would feel anxious but once she was in my arms she would calm down and I would too.


As I stared into those eyes that so much resembled my own, I thought about the future of our small family and wondered what was in store...