Royally Rebellious

Chapter 32

~America's POV~

"Celeste!"

"What?"

"You know what!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you DO, so stop putting your smelly feet on me before I flip you off our couch!"

Celeste laughs thinking it's so very funny that her stank feet are bothering my poor, sensitive nose. For such a beautiful model, she has the worst case of smelly feet.

Celeste smirks, and thankfully, she takes her crusty toes off my legs, but her eyes still glint with mischief and amusement for making me upset. Finally satisfied, I grab my steaming cup of hot cocoa off the living room table, and take a huge sip. I sigh in complete bliss as the warm, chocolatey liquid floods my mouth and I'm met with this warm, fuzzy feeling in my belly.

Celeste chooses this time to pop up out of her spot on our L-shaped couch and rushes to the kitchen. I smile when I hear her little reindeer house shoes squeaking on the hardwood floor.

"Im gonna see if the popcorn's done already!" She hollers from the kitchen. I nod even though she physically can't see me. I hear the sound of what I'm guessing is the door to our vintage "movie-theatre popcorn maker" opening up. It sounds like a waste of money, but it comes in handy when we feel like having a real, authentic, movie night.

"Uggghh!" Where'd we put the salt last! I swear, you'd think we'd be more organized now, without a kid around!" I giggle silenty at Celeste's whining- which is a very frequent occurrence- and almost on instinct turn to our living room mantle and look longingly at one of the propped up pictures there.

It's of me in a hospital bed, hair tied in a messy bun, my face covered all in sweat and looking quite tired, but still being able to muster the strength to see my beautiful, newborn, baby girl, who sits in my arms, wrapped in her pink hospital blanket. And beautiful she was. With her crystal blue eyes, her dainty noes, pudgy face, and that light tuff of golden honey brown hair, it was inpossible for me not to break down crying when I looked at her for more than 5 minutes. Celeste stands to the side of the bed peering in awe at her adorable niece. Even though I can't see him in the photo, I do distinctly remember seeing August close to tears at the site of his new-found cousin's baby. That makes me laugh now, but i didn't blame him. Angie really was worth all our tears.

Everything up to me going into labor and giving birth was a mess. When I went into my 3rd trimester and really was starting to show, I took a hiatus from my singing career which took all of Illea and the media by surprise. There were thousands of rumours and speculations floating around and it was very stressful not to be seen in public. I also was feeling very discouraged beacuase the northern rebels at the time didn't have that much faith in me becoming a good leader. I didn't even have my family to lean on at the time, which was probably my own fault. They supported me through all my endeavors and my choice to keep my baby but I couldn't help still feeling ashamed everytime I was around the house with my family toting my obvious baby bump, and I was paranoid that they were talking about me behind my back, which was not the case, but I still tried avoiding spending time with them as much as possible. That part of my life was awful, and if I'm telling the truth, I was probably depressed.

And then, right when I thought I was going to crumble from the weight of it all, when I thought the hurricane was finally going to drag me away, my sunshine came. Angelina Magnolia Singer. When I saw her for the first time, her red and pudgy face, scrunched up as she wailed and screamed in the doctors arms, i couldn't help but cry in joy. Because I knew that I was complete. This may have not been what I planned my life to be like or what I had hoped for when I was a kid and dreamed of being an adult, but everything would be okay. Better than okay actually, because she was here. When the nurses had finished cleaning her off and taking her medical information and handed me my long-awaited baby, I laughed. How could I, nine short months ago, think for a second that this little angel was a mistake or an accident? How could something so beautiful and innocent ever be unwanted? My relationship with her father might've been destroyed, but it didn't change the fact that she was made out of love, and now that love transfired right down to her. She was MY daughter, and I would be damned if this baby wasn't taken care of with the utmost care.