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Ella looked down at her bulging belly and patted her stomach. She knew it wouldn’t be long now until the baby was here. She had taken the week before her due date away from her small veterinary practice. Kit had wanted to take the time off form his multimedia company, but Ella convinced him that as the new CEO he shouldn’t take too much time off before the baby arrived. She knew he wanted to be at home with her, but she know she would need him more after the baby was born. There wasn’t much left to do anyway and should herself restless and calling her office to make sure everything was running smoothly. “Everything is fine Ella, don’t worry. You just need to rest now,” Her partner and friend Gus reassured her after the third time she called.
Ella found herself pacing the baby’s room tyring to think if there was anything they had forgotten. The room was painted green after they decided to wait to find out the gender. Ella thought it would be nice to be surprised and found out when the baby was born. Kit had been more hesitant because he thought he would crack and ask the doctor the sex. The longer they waited, the more excited Kit was to find out later. They decide on a name Jaime, after Ella’s father James that would work for either a girl or a boy. They wanted to name the baby after their fathers so the middle name was Alex, for Alexander, after Kit’s father. The name appeared in green and yellow letter above the new crib. The thought of her and Kit’s fathers brought tears to her eyes, emotions that pregnancy couldn’t be blamed for. She let herself feel doubt, fear, and sadness.
The thought of her and Kit’s parent not meeting their baby was almost too much for Ella to bear. As she wept beside the crib she didn’t hear the door open to the baby’s room. Kit ran over to her and pulled her in his arms.
“Are you alright? The baby?” he asked with fear in his voice.
“The baby’s fine I promise,” Ella managed between sobs, “I’ll be okay.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I was just thinking about my parents – both of our parents.”
Kit squeezed her close and Ella let the embrace soothe her. He knew instantly what had brought her to tears.
“I wish they could meet their grandchild too.”
Ella looked up at Kit and saw the tears in his sapphire eyes. The sight of his emotion put a catch in her throat. She wasn’t sure how to comfort him other than just to sit with him and cry together. They hearts were broken the same place. Ella thought about how wounds don’t heal as fast as you would like. In that moment, they both new they would have to rely on each other through this change.
….
Ella needed to get out of the house, she was becoming stir crazy. She wanted some air and had to buy last minute things for Jaime’s arrival. She called Jacqueline, who had worked for and was friends of her parents. She lived with Ella and her family until Mrs. Tremaine, fired her for buying the wrong brand of dish soap shortly after Ella’s father had died. Jacqueline had always tried to take care of Ella and helped her to get to the Governor’s Ball that she attended to stop her stepmother from selling her father’s art to keep her extravagant lifestyle. It was there she Kit. She always considered Jacquelin her fairy godmother since that night.
“Hi sweetie,” Jaqueline said as she hugged Ella outside the baby store. Her chestnut hair was in a mess ponytail and the sunlight hit the graying hair that was starting to come in. She was a little shorter than Ella and had a stocky build. Ell love that she always smelled like vanilla and flour.
“You are so big!” Jacqueline exclaimed as she touched Ella belly.
“Yeah, I feel like as big as a submarine right now,” Ella smiled, “It won’t be long until Jaime is here.”
“No, it definitely won’t!”
They went into the store and looked around for some more clothes and toiletries that Ella needed. After they left the baby store they went to a nearby coffee shop for lunch. They sat outside on a beautiful autumn day. Ella breathed in the air that smelled like apple spice and felt at peace.
“How are things Ella?” Jacqueline asked and Ella felt her words were like a truth serum, she knew she couldn’t help but be honest.
“Good, busy trying to keep the practice going, getting things ready for Jaime, and trying to keep Kit from fussing over me too much.”
“He loves you very much sweetheart,” Jacqueline responded knowing that Ella was still not being used to being fussed over.
“Oh, I know. He understands me like no one else,” Ella took a breath and told Jacqueline what had been hurting her and Kit, “The hardest part for both of us right now is not having our parents here, Ella explained as she tried not to let her throat catch, she didn’t want to dull this gorgeous day, but she needed her friend.
“Sweetie, you parents would be so proud of you for stopping Mrs. Tremaine, for making your own life, and finding love.”
Jacqueline’s words calmed Ella and she had needed to hear them. A small weight lifted off her shoulder. She got up and hugged her friend.
“Thank you,” Ella said.
“Ella, you have always been stronger than you’ve ever believed.”
“Now there is just so much I don’t know about being a mom,” Ella said as she let some tears fall.
“Sweethearts, that’s how we all feel at first, when I first had my son I was scared everything I did would almost kill him. You will learn, you both will. And you know I am always here for you.”
Ella got an idea from the sweet words and without hesitation she asked, “would you be Jaime’s godmother?”
Jacqueline took a moment to let the question sink in and responded with tears in her eyes, “Of course!”
Ella had tears in her eye as well when they hugged again. They spent the rest of their afternoon reminiscing about Ella’s escapades as a child and hope filled Ella once again.