iBeautifulDisaster

Chapter 16: iWhatADay

Chapter 16: iWhatADay (updated spelling and grammar)

HELLLLLOOOO! :)

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SAM POV:

"Alright, now that we've cleared up all the questions, it's time to team up with your partner and tackle the assignment. This involves drafting a one-page paper outlining your aspirations for this journey, naming the baby, and establishing a budget to adhere to. Inside your diaper bag, there's a letter detailing your monthly budget. We've got six months left of senior year, folks; you'll be parenting for the next three. Your monthly salary will be provided, along with opportunities to earn extra income, so you'll need to strategize to make your budget work. Remember, this assignment is non-negotiable for graduation. The last three months of senior year will be filled with celebrations to mark your success in this project. I have faith in each of you. I'll be at my desk if you need guidance. Discuss amongst yourselves and get started," Miss Briggs announced.

The classroom buzzed with chatter as everyone began planning, but I found myself lost in thought, gazing at the baby in Freddie's arms.

"Sam, let's begin. Can you grab the envelope?" Freddie prompted. I silently retrieved the envelope and started reading.

"Dear new parents, congratulations on your bundle of joy!" I couldn't help but roll my eyes before continuing.

"Partner 1 – congratulations on becoming a teacher! Your monthly salary will be $3,000... Oh no, I don't want to be a teacher. You take the teacher role," I said to Freddie, earning a chuckle from him.

"What about Partner 2?" he inquired.

"It says, Partner 2 – congratulations on becoming an engineer, with a monthly salary of $5,000. Ugh! That's not fair! I don't want to do that either," I protested, stealing a glance at Freddie as he gently rocked the baby. It melted my ovaries just a little bit. This boy was going to be the end of me.

"Well, I can handle both roles and you can be my beautiful stay-at-home wife and mother," he suggested, winking at me. His words sparked a fire within my soul that I didn't know was there. I questioned what our future would actually look like. Would I be content staying at home while Freddie provided? I couldn't let him shoulder all the responsibility. Not anymore.

"No, I'll take on the teacher role, and you handle being the engineer. I don't want you to have to work two jobs, while I do... nothing." I quickly rushed out.

Without giving Freddie a chance to react to or question my sudden determination to split the workload evenly, I pressed forward.

"Anyway, according to the assignment, we need to figure out how to budget our salaries to cover essential expenses and plan for times without the baby, like during labs. Math isn't my strong suit, so could you guide me through your thoughts?" I reached for a pencil from my bag, ready to fill out the assessment page. But Freddie remained silent. I turned to look at him and he was just gazing at me.

"What?" I questioned, my tone sharper than intended.

"Sam... are you alright? I mean, yes, I'll help, but this is... I don't think I've ever seen you tackle an in-class assignment like this before. I didn't even know you owned a pencil," he remarked with a smile.

"Maybe I just don't want to fail that piece of plastic in your arms. Okay? Can we just... can we just do this." I was getting irritated and I didn't mean to lash out at him but I can't help it, it's going to take time for me to figure out how to properly express myself in non-angry ways.

"Okay, okay. So, we have $8,000, What does it say about monthly expenses for baby essentials?" he asked.

"Uh..." I started, searching for the information.