The Bad Side of Things

Chapter 30

Hayley and Eli squeal as Hope chases them in the pool, I have to stay on the side with my stomach making it harder to move around. Hope swears up and down that I look cute with a belly, but it makes me feel fat. Lady sits on the window seal watching us all creepy like, Lady freaks me out all the time and I asked Hope if we could get rid of her but no dice. 

"Mommy, guess what?" Eli babbles while coming to sit next to me. "I held my breath for five seconds!" He holds up five fingers for emphasis. 

"Whoa! No way! Are you ready to go to preschool next year?" 

"I want to stay home with you and mama."

"Aww, it'll be okay baby. You'll have Hays with you so you won't be alone, and you'll get to come home on weekends remember?" 

I hug my tightly as tears rim his brown eyes. He hates the idea of going to school, Hayley on the other loves the idea of being gone. Hope tosses Hayley up in the air letting her splash in the water with her floaties keeping her above the water. Her brunette curls cover her eyes, but she squeals and laugh as Hope grabs her tickling her sides, Eli stays next to me with his hand on my stomach. 

"I really want a baby brother." He says. 

"Why's that?" I ask combing his auburn hair out of his face. 

"Then Hays can't pick on me, I can have another boy in the house."

"Well, we'll see. What if it's a girl?" 

"Then I'll be scared, girls are scary mommy."

"Well, I'm a girl and mama's a girl are we scary." 

He shakes his head quickly. 

"No, I love you." 

"Hey Eli!" Hope calls.

"Yes mama?" 

"I was gonna take you and Hays out so Mom can go have some fun with Aunt Lizzie today." 

"Can we get ice cream, mama?" 

"If you and your brother get along and you get ready right now, possibly." 

The two scramble out of the pool and run inside. 

"Don't run while you're wet!" Hope calls.

"Yes mama!" Hayley says.

She smiles with a shake as she walks up to me, and climbs out of the pool helping me stand up. 

"Thank you for watching them today, Lizzie has something important to tell me." 

"It's okay baby. I'll get them a toy or something, and maybe take them to the bookshop."

"Good idea. Eli really likes Dr. Seuss." 

"Yeah, somehow our kids are polar opposites. "

"Not completely, they just like their own things." 

Hope and I stop walking inside, she sets her hands on the sides of my stomach. I kiss her a few times feeling the cold droplets of water stick to my hand. 

"How's the baby?" 

"Good. Our next appointment is next week with Aunt Elena so we can see the gender. Eli says he wants a brother since girls are scary." 

Hope chuckles. 

"Yeah, well he does have Hayley as a sister poor thing." 

"Mom? Mama?" We look at the stairs and Eli is crying. "Hayley said I can't speak as good as she can."