A/N: Thanks so much for the replies: lysser8312, Aiesha, Sara,
Haleyx3xLucasx3x, OTHlover04, volleygrl710, auggy1984, Alison, EmW05!
October 23, 2006. Twenty-three days since I've had a decent night's sleep. It's been twenty-two days since I've heard from him. Twenty-two agonizing days. The shrill ring of the telephone pulls me out of my stupor. I hope against all hope that it isn't the phone call I've been dreading. "Hello?" The shakiness is apparent in my voice.
"Haley? Are you okay?" It's Brooke. I take a deep breath- a sigh of relief.
"Huh? Oh, uh... yeah. I'm fine." I mutter, still not sounding totally convincing.
"I'll be there in five minutes. Want to meet me out front?" I nod into the phone, not even realizing that she wouldn't have any clue as to my answer. "Haley? Out front? I've got Alex in the car. I don't really want to have to get him out of the car seat."
"Oh... uh... sure. Out front." I hang up hastily, ready to get on with the morning. The thought of today has been bugging me for a while now. I still haven't told him about his baby. And now, after today, it's going to be even harder not to. I've got my six month appointment today. Today, I'm going to find out if we're going to have a son or a daughter in three months. And by finding out, it's only going to be that much harder not to share the news with him. To not share the excitement we should be sharing. I grab one of his hooded sweatshirts and pull it over my denim overalls, trying to keep warm against the biting fall air.
"Hi Aud Hay-yey." The little boy yawns in his car seat, beaming at me as I settle myself in to the front seat. "Mommy telled me we tan go a McDona's for yunch aday.
"We can, can we?" I raise my eyebrows at my nephew. In the last few months he's really taken off talking. Luke tells me it takes all they can just to get him to be quiet at bedtime.
"Yu-huh!" I turn and smile at Brooke. If there's one thing Alex can do, it's take away my worries.
"He looks more and more like Lucas every day." I tell her. I can see she's relieved that I'm out of my stupor for the time being. She nods in response, obviously dazed by something else.
"So... you're ready to find out for sure today?" The doctor tried to tell me last month but the baby just wouldn't cooperate. He said no matter what, he'd be able to get the baby in position today.
"Yeah. I think so..." I smile lightly at her.
"Come on Hales. You've got to enjoy this..." She pleads with me. "You know, if you'd just tell him it wouldn't feel like such a burden on you. He's ready for a baby Hales. I've read the emails he's sent Luke. You don't even know how much he wants this..."
"Yes I do Brooke. And that's why I'm not telling him. He'll be too distracted. He'll worry that I'm not taking care of myself. If he's distracted and worried then he's not going to be paying attention to anything around him and then he'll end up getting hurt. I just can't do it..."
She should know better than anyone else that you don't try and persuade a pregnant woman into doing anything she doesn't want to do. So I change the subject off of me. "How about you? Any word on whether it's a B-O-Y or a G-I-R-L?" I have to spell it out. They've decided against telling Alex for the time being that he's going to be a big brother. She beams up at me and instantly I know she's been hiding some kind of news. I raise my eyebrows as if to question her.
"The later. A girl!" She practically shouts, forgetting her son is in the backseat with us.
"Who a dirl, mommy?" Alex speaks up from the backseat curiously. "Who a dirl?" I chuckle at his comments, wondering how she's going to worm her way out of this one.
"Aunt Haley's baby, Al. I think Aunt Haley's gonna have a girl." And once again, Brooke pulls through and saves herself! I turn around and pay attention to my nephew, who is obviously in the mood to talk.
"How's Daddy Alex?" I try and imagine what he could have to say about his father.
"He's dood. He binged me to bafketbaw dane wif him!"
"He did?"
"Yu-huh!" He's kicking his legs eagerly, glad to have someone listening. "An, Aud Ay-yeh, Daddy telled me donna tiss Mommy and div her a mond. I on't know what dat is dow. Mommy won't not tell me and Daddy say it a prize." I raise my eyebrows at what Alex is talking about. It's crystal clear to me, but obviously Brooke remains clueless.
"Alex sweetie. Mommy told you she has no idea what you're talking about." Brooke says, referring to herself. "You're going to have to ask Daddy what he meant." I sit there quietly, amazed at what my nephew has just revealed to me.
To: nscott23usmc.us.gov From: hscott23usmc.us.gov Subject: News! Sent: October 23, 2006 1:38pm
Hey Honey!
I know you probably don't have time to write and that's okay... but I just wanted you to know this... I can't keep it a secret any longer. I'm pregnant Nate- five months. We're going to have a baby!
I'm sorry I've kept this from you so long. I found out the week before you left for Iraq and it was too upsetting, knowing I was pregnant and that you were going to miss out on the whole thing... Brooke went with me to the doctor today... we're having a son Nathan- a little boy!
I've been debating whether or not to tell you since your last email... telling me about Tucker. You seemed so excited but I was afraid that by telling you, you'd be distracted, worrying about me and the baby and that you wouldn't be thinking clearly to make sure you were safe yourself. Promise me that you'll focus on keeping yourself safe so your son can mee you. He'll probably almost be here when you get home... I'm due the middle of March, so we'll both be awaiting your arrival! Anyways, I wanted to know... What should we name him?
I've got to go honey. Alex and Brooke are waiting for me to go to lunch. McDonald's... Alex's new favorite! Love you!
October 23, 2006. Twenty-three days since I've had a decent night's sleep. It's been twenty-two days since I've heard from him. Twenty-two agonizing days. The shrill ring of the telephone pulls me out of my stupor. I hope against all hope that it isn't the phone call I've been dreading. "Hello?" The shakiness is apparent in my voice.
"Haley? Are you okay?" It's Brooke. I take a deep breath- a sigh of relief.
"Huh? Oh, uh... yeah. I'm fine." I mutter, still not sounding totally convincing.
"I'll be there in five minutes. Want to meet me out front?" I nod into the phone, not even realizing that she wouldn't have any clue as to my answer. "Haley? Out front? I've got Alex in the car. I don't really want to have to get him out of the car seat."
"Oh... uh... sure. Out front." I hang up hastily, ready to get on with the morning. The thought of today has been bugging me for a while now. I still haven't told him about his baby. And now, after today, it's going to be even harder not to. I've got my six month appointment today. Today, I'm going to find out if we're going to have a son or a daughter in three months. And by finding out, it's only going to be that much harder not to share the news with him. To not share the excitement we should be sharing. I grab one of his hooded sweatshirts and pull it over my denim overalls, trying to keep warm against the biting fall air.
"Hi Aud Hay-yey." The little boy yawns in his car seat, beaming at me as I settle myself in to the front seat. "Mommy telled me we tan go a McDona's for yunch aday.
"We can, can we?" I raise my eyebrows at my nephew. In the last few months he's really taken off talking. Luke tells me it takes all they can just to get him to be quiet at bedtime.
"Yu-huh!" I turn and smile at Brooke. If there's one thing Alex can do, it's take away my worries.
"He looks more and more like Lucas every day." I tell her. I can see she's relieved that I'm out of my stupor for the time being. She nods in response, obviously dazed by something else.
"So... you're ready to find out for sure today?" The doctor tried to tell me last month but the baby just wouldn't cooperate. He said no matter what, he'd be able to get the baby in position today.
"Yeah. I think so..." I smile lightly at her.
"Come on Hales. You've got to enjoy this..." She pleads with me. "You know, if you'd just tell him it wouldn't feel like such a burden on you. He's ready for a baby Hales. I've read the emails he's sent Luke. You don't even know how much he wants this..."
"Yes I do Brooke. And that's why I'm not telling him. He'll be too distracted. He'll worry that I'm not taking care of myself. If he's distracted and worried then he's not going to be paying attention to anything around him and then he'll end up getting hurt. I just can't do it..."
She should know better than anyone else that you don't try and persuade a pregnant woman into doing anything she doesn't want to do. So I change the subject off of me. "How about you? Any word on whether it's a B-O-Y or a G-I-R-L?" I have to spell it out. They've decided against telling Alex for the time being that he's going to be a big brother. She beams up at me and instantly I know she's been hiding some kind of news. I raise my eyebrows as if to question her.
"The later. A girl!" She practically shouts, forgetting her son is in the backseat with us.
"Who a dirl, mommy?" Alex speaks up from the backseat curiously. "Who a dirl?" I chuckle at his comments, wondering how she's going to worm her way out of this one.
"Aunt Haley's baby, Al. I think Aunt Haley's gonna have a girl." And once again, Brooke pulls through and saves herself! I turn around and pay attention to my nephew, who is obviously in the mood to talk.
"How's Daddy Alex?" I try and imagine what he could have to say about his father.
"He's dood. He binged me to bafketbaw dane wif him!"
"He did?"
"Yu-huh!" He's kicking his legs eagerly, glad to have someone listening. "An, Aud Ay-yeh, Daddy telled me donna tiss Mommy and div her a mond. I on't know what dat is dow. Mommy won't not tell me and Daddy say it a prize." I raise my eyebrows at what Alex is talking about. It's crystal clear to me, but obviously Brooke remains clueless.
"Alex sweetie. Mommy told you she has no idea what you're talking about." Brooke says, referring to herself. "You're going to have to ask Daddy what he meant." I sit there quietly, amazed at what my nephew has just revealed to me.
To: nscott23usmc.us.gov From: hscott23usmc.us.gov Subject: News! Sent: October 23, 2006 1:38pm
Hey Honey!
I know you probably don't have time to write and that's okay... but I just wanted you to know this... I can't keep it a secret any longer. I'm pregnant Nate- five months. We're going to have a baby!
I'm sorry I've kept this from you so long. I found out the week before you left for Iraq and it was too upsetting, knowing I was pregnant and that you were going to miss out on the whole thing... Brooke went with me to the doctor today... we're having a son Nathan- a little boy!
I've been debating whether or not to tell you since your last email... telling me about Tucker. You seemed so excited but I was afraid that by telling you, you'd be distracted, worrying about me and the baby and that you wouldn't be thinking clearly to make sure you were safe yourself. Promise me that you'll focus on keeping yourself safe so your son can mee you. He'll probably almost be here when you get home... I'm due the middle of March, so we'll both be awaiting your arrival! Anyways, I wanted to know... What should we name him?
I've got to go honey. Alex and Brooke are waiting for me to go to lunch. McDonald's... Alex's new favorite! Love you!