Bread, Love and Promises (On going)

Chapter 3 Life and Lose. The Beginning of Alexis

The Rosewoods

Helen made sure she had everything ready as she waited for Cooper to get home. Her heart was racing and her hands were shaking badly.

She was checking her reflection in the mirror when she heard his truck pull in the driveway. Her olive-green eyes gleamed and her cheeks held a pink glow. Helen fixed her hair then smoothed out the waist of her dress.

"Helen, I'm home." Cooper announced as he hung his keys on the key holder by the door. Jubilation engulfed him in anticipation of her welcome as she always did. "Helen..." he called again as he shrugged off his jacket, his eyes swinging repeatedly between fixing his jacket on the hanger and the entryway. She didn't come. Cooper walked in calling, "Where are you, darling?" He was met with silence.

Cooper was on his way to the kitchen when his eye caught a slight movement in the living room. He spun around and the excitement he had on his face froze for a moment then turned into a full on surprise. His wife was sitting on the couch with a breathtaking smile on her face. On the coffee table in front of her was a set of white clothes. Tiny white clothes. Tiny newborn white clothes. Beanie, mittens, booties, socks and a onesie that had a red heart then the word 'Daddy' written underneath it. His eye widened when he finally processed the message.

"I thought both of us would welcome you home this time." Helen laughed.

Cooper could hear his heart knocking madly on his rib cage. "For real?" His voice came out in a whisper and his eyes welled up..

Helen gave up holding back any tears and let them flow freely. She nodded, laughed, cried, and wiped her eyes. "The blood test I did yesterday at the hospital came back positive. It wasn't stomach flu as we thought."

Cooper rushed to where she stood and collected her in hug. He couldn't stop his tears either. He held her face between his palms looking into her eyes lovingly as his thumbs wiped away her tears. "That's why you were feeling sick the past days?" She nodded. Cooper pressed his lips to her forehead in a long kiss then laughed in contentment.

They've been trying to get pregnant for six years, and for six years nothing happened. They did many checkups and consultations. The doctors told them they were both healthy and their results always came back good. They've been told that it was a matter of time. Helen took countless pregnancy tests. Whenever her period was late she would rush to buy one of those home pregnancy test sticks. Cooper would be stalking back and forth with her until the result appeared.

Every time the result came out a single, and every time Cooper would hold her in his arms and say "Our baby isn't ready to be with us just yet." His words were the gentle embrace Helen needed.

After numerous fails and countless tests- Helen and Cooper agreed on stop everything, the tests, the waiting, and the expectancy and just let it happen when it was meant to be. The yearning of completing their family with a small human never parted their hearts for a single moment during those years. They went on with their lives supporting, caring and loving one another. They never fell apart; instead they grew stronger and closer.

Cooper wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and cleared his throat a few times, "Have you told anyone yet?" He asked.

"You're the first to know." Helen smiled shaking her head.

"How are we going to tell them?"

"Ah, I thought about that..." she slipped out of his embrace and reached for a bag she was hiding under the table. She held it open for Cooper to look inside and laughed when she saw him melt as he started to pull out three onesies. 'I love my Nana', 'Grandpa's sweetheart', and 'Grandma's the best' written on them.