Mary gave a groan as she straightened up, rubbing at her lower back as she tried to work out the knots.
"C'mon kiddo, you're the size of an apple right now." she sighed, looking down at the slight bump on her stomach. "You can't be doing this to me like that."
Sighing she shook her head, looking down at the mess of parts that were supposed to come together to be a crib. It was early for it but she wanted to get it down before she couldn't bend down anymore, or have to ask her dad for help.
She wished that she hadn't sold off Deans old crib but the truth was that she got good money for it and she hadn't expected to become pregnant so soon again.
Looking up at the sound of padded feet on the ground she smiled when Dean peered into the room and then came in, holding onto a juice box. "What's up kiddo?" she asked, she had left him in the other room, more than content to just color in his book.
In an answer Dean held the juice box up to her, straw already in it. "Snack time." he told her, holding out a handful of animal crackers in his other hand as well.
Mary laughed and felt her chest warm at that. "Alright, snack time." she agreed, sitting down on the ground. Dean climbed onto her lap and held everything out for her. Taking a cracker she snapped it in half and handed him a piece back, popping the other into her mouth. Dean chewed on his piece, holding the juice box to her incessantly.
She kissed his forehead and took the juice box, taking small sips before she offered him some as well. Together they slowly ate crackers and drank the juice until it was gone and Mary just wrapped both her arms around him, tucking him under her chin.
It was getting harder and harder every day and Mary wasn't sure if she was going to be able to do it anymore. She loved Dean unconditionally and she knew that she was going to love the next one just as much, but this was hard. It was almost impossibly hard.
Money was the biggest issue here. She had a nest egg that she could depend on but it wasn't going to hold forever. She wasn't able to go hustle at the bars anymore, doing so required her to be drinking and that was against the rules for multiples reasons now. She did have a part time job at the supermarket as a cashier but it wasn't really bringing that much money into her life.
Then she had to go into the money that John had been leaving her and oh she hated it, hated even having to use a dime of it, but in the end...she needed to keep Dean fed and a roof over his head. Before she became pregnant again she sometimes skipped over some meals to make sure that Dean had enough but she was no longer able to do that, little baby to be named needed her to eat too now.
Her parents helped out too and she couldn't say no to them. They didn't leave money, they knew she'd get mad at them for that, but once a week they broke into her apartment to restock her refrigerator and cabinets of food.
Her parents had also been edging her into coming back to live with them instead of on her own in the little apartment for her and Dean. She knew that the both of them, three of them soon, needed the space and needed to be away from her parents. They were always halfway demanding to know who the father was, just barely satisfied at the least that both kids had the same father.
They also were demanding that the father step in and do the right thing, it bothered them that their grandchildren were going to be bastards in the eyes of the law. They threatened, they pleaded, they even outright bribed her to find out who the father is but Mary refused to budge.
Dean was in on it, just enough. He thought that they were playing a game in which the rules are, not to talk about daddy in front of other people. He wasn't supposed to talk about him to anyone or even mention that he had seen him.
He was confused about it but listened, that was a better part of him, he was so obedient and it made her happy and just a little sad about it.
Looking around the room and at the crib on the floor, she wavered and not for the first time. A part of her wanted to move back into her parents' house, it would take so much pressure off of her financially and emotionally. Despite the circumstances her parents loved Dean, how could you not, and were ready to do anything they could to help.
Sighing Mary pulled Dean closer to her, he nuzzled back in return, more than happy to just cuddle for as long as they wanted to, one hand going down to her stomach.
They could do this, they could do it together, her and Dean. Yeah she'd need help from her parents and sometimes John but she could do it.
"Hey kiddo, want to help me put the crib together?" she asked, looking down at Dean who looked back up at her. "We can figure out how to bake a pie later too."
Dean brightened and nodded, getting off of her lap and to the pieces of furniture on the ground. "Kay!" he said with a grin. "Now?"
Mary nodded and stood, brushing her front off. "Now." she agreed, picking up the instructions. "Now we're smart, we can figure this out."
She could figure this out, she could make it work. She might have to cut some corners and do a few other things but they were going to be fine.
Smiling down at Dean as he handed her piece by piece, or at least dragged them over to her, and slowly they built the crib together. Hands on her hips she nodded and looked down at Dean, grinning at him.
"C'mon, pie time." she said, taking his hand in hers and going to the kitchen.
They were going to be fine.
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