CH 5
"Ok, Martin I spy with my little eye something that is blue." Beth happily pushed the stroller, as she entered the park with her mother and baby Martin. "Can you find something that's blue sweetie?"
Beth watched as Martin excitedly pointed to a blue toy truck on his shorts.
"That's right honey! That truck is blue." She smiled taking him out of the stroller. "You are so good at this game."
Ms. Wallace took a seat on a nearby bench, and watched her daughter and the toddler.
"I spy with my little eye something that is E-V-I-L, and it's you Bethie." She mumbled.
"Shut up Edna." Beth shot her mother a look. "There is nothing wrong with a mother happily playing a game with her beautiful son."
"Uh, excuse me yooo-hoo! You are not Martin's mother!" Ms Wallace reminded her daughter.
"Ya well, the last time I heard, that's what he was calling me." Beth smiled rubbing suntan lotion on Martin's arms.
"The only reason that Little Martin is calling you that is because he doesn't know who is real mama is." Ms Wallace spat, moving closer to Beth's ear. "But every time that Sheridan is near, that little bambino senses her and even you see how he quickly bonds with her."
"Whatever mother," Beth rolled her eyes. "The only reason why he bonds with her is because of when she used to breast feed him. Besides, Martin is using his bottle now, so he doesn't need her and her breasts. Furthermore, I don't have to worry about my darling bonding with her, because as you can see Sheridan isn't here!"
Beth turned back to Martin, ignoring her mother's sly remarks.
"Ok honey, here's another one." She cleverly looked around for another clue. "I spy with my little eye something that is---"
"Dadda!" Martin squealed excitedly as he spotted Luis coming near to them.
"Hey buddy!" Luis picked up Martin and gave him a hug as he approached them. "How's my little guy doing?"
"Luis! What are you doing here?" Beth asked, immediately beginning to fix her hair at the sight of him.
Ms. Wallace nudged her in her side.
"Don't bother." She whispered. "Luis never cared for how you looked in the past, and he certainly isn't going to start now."
"Oh hey Beth," Luis smiled over at her and Ms Wallace. "Sheridan and I decided to bring Emma out for a nice afternoon in the park."
"Sheridan's here?" Beth angrily pouted.
She really didn't feel like seeing blondie, especially now that she finally had the chance to spend some time with Luis and Martin. But sure enough, Beth spun around and saw Sheridan approaching them with baby Emma in her stroller.
"Hi everyone!" She beamed. "Beth I didn't know you were going to be here! Hi Ms Wallace."
"Hello honey," Ms Wallace grinned at the beautiful blonde. "Don't you just look radiant!" Ms Wallace admired Sheridan's white flower print skirt and tank top.
"Thank you." Sheridan smiled, as her eye immediately cast on Martin standing beside Beth. "Oh, is that Martin! He's gotten so big!"
Beth vengefully watched as Sheridan made her way over to Martin.
"You look so cute in your little shorts!" She smiled, almost mesmerized by the sight of the tyke. She gently rubbed her fingers over his soft skin, and gave Beth a concerned look. "Beth did you make sure to put suntan lotion on Martin? The sun will surly burn his tender skin."
"Yes Sheridan," Beth snapped at her. "I think I know how to take care of my own son."
Beth's sharp words snapped Sheridan back to reality.
"Oh yes," She sadly smiled. "He is your son isn't he? I'm sorry Beth, I guess I'm just so attached to the little guy from when I used to breast- feed him." Sheridan apologized, not taking her eyes off Martin.
"That's alright Sheridan honey. Everyone can see the connection that you two share!" Ms Wallace grinned receiving a hard nudge from Beth.
"Hey everybody!" Theresa Lopez- Fitzgerald Crane called approaching the group carrying baby Maggie, with Fox close behind with Little Ethan. "Looks like it's going to be a party at the park today!"
"Hey sis," Luis laughed, giving Theresa a kiss. "Is this my little niece getting so big?" He gently rubbed Maggie's cheek.
"Hey Theresa, Fox, Little Ethan how are you guys?" Sheridan hugged them.
"We're great, but you can't call Ethan 'Little Ethan' anymore." Theresa winked at her son. "He's going to be starting grade three soon so he's not so little anymore."
"Yeah, and he can't stop talking about it too." Fox laughed playfully rubbing Ethan's hair.
"Wow, everyone is growing up so fast!" Sheridan smiled. "Ethan's starting grade three soon, Maggie's already getting so big, Martin is already three, and my little Emma's turning one in a couple days. Where does the time go?"
"Tell me about it. But we're all going to get a chance to catch up at Emma's birthday." Theresa smiled down at her niece.
"That's right, and you all better be there!" Sheridan giggled.
"Ok, enough chit-chat." Fox announced. "I promised Ethan we'd play some ball. Hey Luis why don't you bring Martin, and us boys can have some manly fun!" Fox laughed, as Theresa rolled her eyes.
"Manly fun?" Theresa looked up at her husband.
"Yup, and this can give you ladies a chance to catch up and talk about whatever women talk about." Fox winked at them, and gave his wife and daughter a kiss.
As the four boys ran off, Sheridan, Beth, Ms Wallace and Theresa sat down on the bench to talk.
"Well someone's tired." Sheridan smiled at Maggie fast asleep in Theresa's arms.
"Oh yeah, she sleeps now and is up all night long!" Theresa moaned. "I don't know how I'm ever going to get used to these morning calls, and afternoon calls, and night calls! It's funny I don't remember Ethan being this much trouble when he was a baby."
"Don't worry Theresa, it'll get easier." Sheridan laughed." They're always a lot of trouble when they are small. And even more trouble when they get bigger." She joked looking over at Luis and Fox play with the two young boys on the monkey bars.
"Tell me about it," Theresa giggled. "I also noticed that I gained a lot of weight since Maggie was born. Fox says he can't see it, but I know he's just saying that."
"Oh yeah, I gained some extra pounds too when I was pregnant with Emma. It's such a pain, but after a while with exercise it goes away." Sheridan looked over at Beth.
"Beth, you've been quiet. I don't remember you gaining any weight when you were pregnant with Martin."
Beth nervously bit her bottom lip, as she felt her mother pinch her.
"That's because you were never pregnant." Ms Wallace whispered in her ear.
"Shut up mother." Beth mumbled underneath her breath, turning to the two women. "Oh, well that's because I used to do a little bit of exercising while he was in my stomach."
"Maybe I should try that, because Beth you don't even look like you gained a pound." Theresa examined Beth.
"Well, Theresa not every woman gains weight when they are pregnant." Beth responded defensively.
"Oh, I'm sorry Beth. I didn't mean to offend you. I just found it weird that's all." Theresa apologized. "But I guess you're right. Women do have different body types."
As Theresa and Sheridan continued talking, Ms. Wallace pulled Beth aside.
"You may have talked your way out of that one missy, but I wouldn't get too excited if I were you." Beth pouted as her mother continued. "You see, soon people will start to realize that you know nothing about what it is like to have a baby. You can never relate to the morning calls, or the weight gain or any of that because you were never pregnant. And soon everyone will start to put the pieces together and you my evil daughter will finally be exposed!"
"I don't have to worry mother because no one will find out." Beth tightly held her mother's arm. "You certainly are not going to tell because if you do, you will find yourself eating puréed peas in the worst nursing home I could possibly find."
Ms. Wallace pouted as she tore her arm away from Beth's grasp.
"I just feel sorry for that little Martin. If he has to stay in the care of a psycho like you, then he has more and more chances of getting hurt." Ms Wallace whimpered.
"Martin is fine and he is not going to get hurt because I'm a good mother, unlike someone I know." Beth coldly stared at her mother.
Beth was suddenly interrupted by an agonizing scream in the distance. She looked up at the horrifying sight of the toddler's lifeless body lying on the pavement below the monkey bars.
"Martin!"
"Ok, Martin I spy with my little eye something that is blue." Beth happily pushed the stroller, as she entered the park with her mother and baby Martin. "Can you find something that's blue sweetie?"
Beth watched as Martin excitedly pointed to a blue toy truck on his shorts.
"That's right honey! That truck is blue." She smiled taking him out of the stroller. "You are so good at this game."
Ms. Wallace took a seat on a nearby bench, and watched her daughter and the toddler.
"I spy with my little eye something that is E-V-I-L, and it's you Bethie." She mumbled.
"Shut up Edna." Beth shot her mother a look. "There is nothing wrong with a mother happily playing a game with her beautiful son."
"Uh, excuse me yooo-hoo! You are not Martin's mother!" Ms Wallace reminded her daughter.
"Ya well, the last time I heard, that's what he was calling me." Beth smiled rubbing suntan lotion on Martin's arms.
"The only reason that Little Martin is calling you that is because he doesn't know who is real mama is." Ms Wallace spat, moving closer to Beth's ear. "But every time that Sheridan is near, that little bambino senses her and even you see how he quickly bonds with her."
"Whatever mother," Beth rolled her eyes. "The only reason why he bonds with her is because of when she used to breast feed him. Besides, Martin is using his bottle now, so he doesn't need her and her breasts. Furthermore, I don't have to worry about my darling bonding with her, because as you can see Sheridan isn't here!"
Beth turned back to Martin, ignoring her mother's sly remarks.
"Ok honey, here's another one." She cleverly looked around for another clue. "I spy with my little eye something that is---"
"Dadda!" Martin squealed excitedly as he spotted Luis coming near to them.
"Hey buddy!" Luis picked up Martin and gave him a hug as he approached them. "How's my little guy doing?"
"Luis! What are you doing here?" Beth asked, immediately beginning to fix her hair at the sight of him.
Ms. Wallace nudged her in her side.
"Don't bother." She whispered. "Luis never cared for how you looked in the past, and he certainly isn't going to start now."
"Oh hey Beth," Luis smiled over at her and Ms Wallace. "Sheridan and I decided to bring Emma out for a nice afternoon in the park."
"Sheridan's here?" Beth angrily pouted.
She really didn't feel like seeing blondie, especially now that she finally had the chance to spend some time with Luis and Martin. But sure enough, Beth spun around and saw Sheridan approaching them with baby Emma in her stroller.
"Hi everyone!" She beamed. "Beth I didn't know you were going to be here! Hi Ms Wallace."
"Hello honey," Ms Wallace grinned at the beautiful blonde. "Don't you just look radiant!" Ms Wallace admired Sheridan's white flower print skirt and tank top.
"Thank you." Sheridan smiled, as her eye immediately cast on Martin standing beside Beth. "Oh, is that Martin! He's gotten so big!"
Beth vengefully watched as Sheridan made her way over to Martin.
"You look so cute in your little shorts!" She smiled, almost mesmerized by the sight of the tyke. She gently rubbed her fingers over his soft skin, and gave Beth a concerned look. "Beth did you make sure to put suntan lotion on Martin? The sun will surly burn his tender skin."
"Yes Sheridan," Beth snapped at her. "I think I know how to take care of my own son."
Beth's sharp words snapped Sheridan back to reality.
"Oh yes," She sadly smiled. "He is your son isn't he? I'm sorry Beth, I guess I'm just so attached to the little guy from when I used to breast- feed him." Sheridan apologized, not taking her eyes off Martin.
"That's alright Sheridan honey. Everyone can see the connection that you two share!" Ms Wallace grinned receiving a hard nudge from Beth.
"Hey everybody!" Theresa Lopez- Fitzgerald Crane called approaching the group carrying baby Maggie, with Fox close behind with Little Ethan. "Looks like it's going to be a party at the park today!"
"Hey sis," Luis laughed, giving Theresa a kiss. "Is this my little niece getting so big?" He gently rubbed Maggie's cheek.
"Hey Theresa, Fox, Little Ethan how are you guys?" Sheridan hugged them.
"We're great, but you can't call Ethan 'Little Ethan' anymore." Theresa winked at her son. "He's going to be starting grade three soon so he's not so little anymore."
"Yeah, and he can't stop talking about it too." Fox laughed playfully rubbing Ethan's hair.
"Wow, everyone is growing up so fast!" Sheridan smiled. "Ethan's starting grade three soon, Maggie's already getting so big, Martin is already three, and my little Emma's turning one in a couple days. Where does the time go?"
"Tell me about it. But we're all going to get a chance to catch up at Emma's birthday." Theresa smiled down at her niece.
"That's right, and you all better be there!" Sheridan giggled.
"Ok, enough chit-chat." Fox announced. "I promised Ethan we'd play some ball. Hey Luis why don't you bring Martin, and us boys can have some manly fun!" Fox laughed, as Theresa rolled her eyes.
"Manly fun?" Theresa looked up at her husband.
"Yup, and this can give you ladies a chance to catch up and talk about whatever women talk about." Fox winked at them, and gave his wife and daughter a kiss.
As the four boys ran off, Sheridan, Beth, Ms Wallace and Theresa sat down on the bench to talk.
"Well someone's tired." Sheridan smiled at Maggie fast asleep in Theresa's arms.
"Oh yeah, she sleeps now and is up all night long!" Theresa moaned. "I don't know how I'm ever going to get used to these morning calls, and afternoon calls, and night calls! It's funny I don't remember Ethan being this much trouble when he was a baby."
"Don't worry Theresa, it'll get easier." Sheridan laughed." They're always a lot of trouble when they are small. And even more trouble when they get bigger." She joked looking over at Luis and Fox play with the two young boys on the monkey bars.
"Tell me about it," Theresa giggled. "I also noticed that I gained a lot of weight since Maggie was born. Fox says he can't see it, but I know he's just saying that."
"Oh yeah, I gained some extra pounds too when I was pregnant with Emma. It's such a pain, but after a while with exercise it goes away." Sheridan looked over at Beth.
"Beth, you've been quiet. I don't remember you gaining any weight when you were pregnant with Martin."
Beth nervously bit her bottom lip, as she felt her mother pinch her.
"That's because you were never pregnant." Ms Wallace whispered in her ear.
"Shut up mother." Beth mumbled underneath her breath, turning to the two women. "Oh, well that's because I used to do a little bit of exercising while he was in my stomach."
"Maybe I should try that, because Beth you don't even look like you gained a pound." Theresa examined Beth.
"Well, Theresa not every woman gains weight when they are pregnant." Beth responded defensively.
"Oh, I'm sorry Beth. I didn't mean to offend you. I just found it weird that's all." Theresa apologized. "But I guess you're right. Women do have different body types."
As Theresa and Sheridan continued talking, Ms. Wallace pulled Beth aside.
"You may have talked your way out of that one missy, but I wouldn't get too excited if I were you." Beth pouted as her mother continued. "You see, soon people will start to realize that you know nothing about what it is like to have a baby. You can never relate to the morning calls, or the weight gain or any of that because you were never pregnant. And soon everyone will start to put the pieces together and you my evil daughter will finally be exposed!"
"I don't have to worry mother because no one will find out." Beth tightly held her mother's arm. "You certainly are not going to tell because if you do, you will find yourself eating puréed peas in the worst nursing home I could possibly find."
Ms. Wallace pouted as she tore her arm away from Beth's grasp.
"I just feel sorry for that little Martin. If he has to stay in the care of a psycho like you, then he has more and more chances of getting hurt." Ms Wallace whimpered.
"Martin is fine and he is not going to get hurt because I'm a good mother, unlike someone I know." Beth coldly stared at her mother.
Beth was suddenly interrupted by an agonizing scream in the distance. She looked up at the horrifying sight of the toddler's lifeless body lying on the pavement below the monkey bars.
"Martin!"