Mama, lookie!"
My sweet angel holds a ladybug up to show me. "I see, Baby," I reply quietly.
Its so amazing that such a little girl is so curious about the world around her. I hear the rumbling of my husbands pickup…he's home early.
"Dada!" she screams excitedly.
"Hey, Booger, were you a good girl for mama today?"
He picks up our little miracle and spins her around as she laughs happily into the air.
How can a little girl's laugh make someone's world? I remember when I first found out I was pregnant. God was I scared out of my mind! I constantly thought, "Am I going to lose this one too?". But, 6...8...24 weeks go by, and before I knew it I was 40 weeks pregnant and 4 days past my due date. On Christmas Eve, our little girl made her way into the world. Head full of charcoal colored hair and my big ocean eyes. Evangeline Mireille Abernathy, our angel miracle.
Evey (which is what Haymitch insists on calling her, because "The kids name is a mouth full") is so full of wonder and questions. She melts my heart every time she asks, "Dat mama?". The look on her face when she sees one of her "cousins" and how she plants a sweet little kiss on Rye's chubby cheek and exclaims, "You baby, Rye" is so endearing. She positively lights up when Kaiden calls her "squish". Kaiden is almost 17 now, and poor Annie is panicking about her baby growing up. After going through hell and back, I am so very thankful for my wild and wonderful life.
My name is Effie Abernathy. I am 34 years old a I am a wife, mother, and teacher. I am a survivor, even if they took one of my best joys...music. The doctors think I will never fully regain function in my hand, so I haven't touched an ivory key in 15 years.
Tears threaten to spill over, but I refuse to break around Evey. I shake my head and muster all of my strength to smile