Your Word Is Law Chapter 2

Your Word Is Law: Chapter 2 A Simon Says...

Being pregnant and taking care of a rambunctious toddler do not mix well, and I frequently find myself in my bedroom, yearning to take a nap. Henry's work hours are very demanding, and I understand that I have to accept that, it's just sometimes I wish I had a helping hand in basically raising Kim. I also wouldn't mind knowing what my husband actually does for a living, but he swears that what he does is top secret and he isn't allowed to reveal his occupation. But I can't complain, afterall, the bills are getting paid.

Every winking moment from when I'm awake I'm constantly tending to Kim's needs, not that it's necessarily a bad thing. Whether it's preparing a bottle, playing with her, or teacher her a life skill, I'm with her almost the entire day. Lately, I've been teaching her how to walk and she's thankfully picking up rather quickly. Let's just hope it's this way for everything, since I'll be teaching her everything she needs to know at this stage in her life. Often times, when I think about our lives, I wonder if Kim even knows that Henry is her father or if he's simply the man who sleeps in the same bed as her mother.

We may be paying the bills okay, but we certainly don't have enough income to provide our growing family with an extension. We've unfortunately had to settle with the cribs being in the living room, being on constant display. I feel like a horrible parent when I realize my children don't have a place to call their own, but I know that Henry and I are doing the best we can with what we're earning.

Thankfully, I'm rather sure Henry's been picking up the hints I've been dropping regarding his neglect towards Kim. I walked in the other day only to discover Henry impatiently attempting to teach Kim how to use the potty. I honestly can't ask for more, as long as he's making an effort that's enough to keep me smiling.

Some days when Henry comes home extremely late and I wait up for him, I can't help but interrogate about his whereabouts. Every time though he somehow manages to make me forget about my question and sweep me off my feet just like the first time we met. I don't protest though, every woman wants to feel loved.

Occasionally, Henry will come home excessively late, too late for me to remaine awake. A good portion of these nights, he'll emerge from a taxi arguing into his cell phone, cussing and using violent language. I awaken every time this occurs, and listen intently to the snippets of the conversation I manage to understand through the bedroom walls. It's nothing recognizable though, I'm unable to conclude about which type of career Henry has persued, so I guess I'll have to trust him...

I'm not the only one who worries when Henry's shouting outside our house, Kim senses that something is amiss and begins bawling in response. I groggily pull myself out of bed to comfort her, but Henry always hastily ends the discussion and is at Kim's side in a hearbeat. It's nice seeing the two of them together.

The other day, a heavily pregnant woman stopped by the house just after Henry had left for work.

"Aren't you adorable," she said ruffling Kim's ginger hair. I laughed as she turned into my shoudler, unsure how to react to the stranger's kindness.

"What can I do for you?" I inquired, smiling warmly.

"Is Henry Isle here?" she asked.

"You just missed him, sorry. Want me to relay a message?"

"Oh no, that's fine. This is something he needs to here from me," she placed a hand on her stomach. I couldn't decide if this was an intentinional move or a force of habbit. "And who might you be?"

"Me?" I restated, baffled by her sudden mood change. "I'm Grace, Henry's wife." I watched as her eyes widened and then as she shook her head, confirming what I had said. With that she turned around and piled in her car, not even bothering to mumble a goodbye.

I didn't bother mentioning the strange meeting with the woman when Henry returned home from work early that evening. I simply acted normal and allowed him to carry on with his usual routine for the afternoon. I couldn't help but wonder if Henry could possibly be the father of that lady's child, but then I remembered that Henry was more than faithful to me. Besides, I couldn't even think that straight considering Henry was working out right in front of me...

A few months later I was finishing some dusting around the house before I was going to head off to bed when I got a call from my partner at work, Blair. Blair is awesome, I truly love her. I couldn't have asked for a better person to work with on a day-to-day basis. Not only is she skilled at what she does, but she also has countless ties, meaning she gets the latest town gossip practically as it's happening.

"Have you heard?!" she squeeled when I answered.

"Heard what?" I laughed at her contagious excitement.

"Claire Ursine! She just went into labor! She's headed down to the hospital right now!" Blair spilled. Births were rare in Sunset Valley due to the heavy elderly population, so the news was remarkable.

"I didn't even know she was pregnant!" I gushed. Despite my few trips to town, you usually see, or at least hear, these types of things. But then I remembered the woman who asked for Henry the other day! She was definitely pregnant. "Wait, Blair? What does Claire look like?"

"Well she's on the heavier side, she has red hair that's usually tucked under a ratty old hat, and-"

That's all I needed, "Thanks, Blair. I have to go."

"What? Why?"
I fumbled before setlling on a lie, "Kim, she's crying her poor, little eyes out."

"Give her a kiss for me!" Blair begged.

"Will do. Night."

"Bye."

Slowly, I crept out of our bedroom and into the living room where Kim sat in her crib, awaiting sleep to overwhelm her. Henry's cell phone chirped from the kitchen, and Kim immediately began a light sob.

"Shhh!" I cooed, pressing a finger to my lips as she shot me a worried glance. I tip-toed over and caressed her cheek, before putting my plan into action.

I curled up in the corner of the room and began to cry hysterically, a trick I had picked up in my drama class in high school. Rocking back and forth, I felt the warm tears trickle onto my hands and I continued to produce more and more. I brought my knees to my chest the best I could due to my circular stomach becoming a bit too much to overpower. Finally, Henry heard my weeping and came sprinting out of the kitchen, murmering a goodbye into his cell.

"Grace, Honey, what's-?" he stuttered, but I cut him off.

"Can't. Take it." I stammered in between sobs.

"Sweetie, what do you mean?"

"I. Always. Kim." the fragments helped make the preformance more belivable, especially when I shot a glance at our confused daughter.

"I want to help, Grace, I do. But I really need to be somewhere right now," he explained.

"Pregnancy. Too. Much." I exclaimed before falling back into a session of tears.

Henry rushed over and kissed me on the head before sharing a few words of reassurance, but then bolted for the front door. "It's an... Erm..." he stumbled for an excuse, "Work emergency. Amazing opportunity! Can't miss out on!" Those were his last words before he left me bawling in the corner. That is, until I heard the taxi he had leaped into speed away, where I stood up, brushed off my clothes, and pondered if Henry was on his way to see the birth of Claire Ursine's child. His child.

I simply declared the evening an anxiety attack (which it wasn't) and told stories of how I'd had them often had them throughout high school (which I hadn't). The final months of my pregnancy went smoothly, and I felt the first signs of labor the day before my due date. I could tell right from the start that this delivery wouldn't be as proper as Kim's, and I figured it was a result of the unusual stress that had piled up in my life.

Painful hours of a difficult birth trudged by, but little Tauny Urna was well worth it. Spectators gathered around and marveled over the town's new addition, and Henry and I nearly pushed our way through the crowd to meet our taxi.

Henry and I had previously agreed upon 3 children being the stopping point for our family, and I was certainly going to follow through with that arrangement. Once little Tauny was safely in her crib, we proceeded to do some "adult things". Henry looked at me, unsure if this was the best decision due to my episode a while ago, but I merely ignored it and conceived my final child.

Kim was growing up rapidly, and was becoming quite the independant young lady simultaneously. Although I still kept a watchful eye on her while she played with her toys, I tended to focus on Tauny a little bit more, wanting her to feel welcomed and loved by her mother. Henry swore I was the best mother there was, I just blushed at his comments and gleefully played with my daughter.

However, I didn't want Kim to feel as if she were forgotten, and I made sure I set aside some special time for the two of us to bond each day. Kim alternated between the xylophone and shape sorter, and I was eager to assist her with which ever task she decided on.

Morning sickness felt that him and I weren't getting enough quality time, and I found myself in the bathroom much more often then I wanted. Although it was uncomfortable, I knew it would all pay off as little Kim came in and began patting her mother on her back. How did she know that that was just what I needed?

Weeks later, a trip to the doctor revealed I was indeed pregnant, and I couldn't have been happier. I awoke each and every morning only to rub my stomach or study its growth in the nearby mirror.

Time moved on quickly, too quickly in fact, and little Tauny's birthday had soon approached us. I reluctantly brought my child to her birthday cake, not wanting to watch her grow up before my eyes. My, I need to cherish these baby days a little bit more next time around!



Tauny grew up to be absoultely stunning. She inherited her father's skin tone and gorgeous hair color, but my vivid blue eyes. What am I to do? I might go crazy being surrounded by all this cuteness!