The Guard To My Sanctuary - Chapter 20: Chapter 20
You are reading The Guard To My Sanctuary, Chapter 20: Chapter 20. Read more chapters of The Guard To My Sanctuary.
I hadn't realized my birthday was so soon because I hadn't actually celebrated it in a decade. I used to see the date may be a week or two after my birthday had passed and figured out that I was a year older than I had thought I was. Sometimes it would be months after my birthday that I'd learn that I was no longer eleven or fourteen. Birthday's weren't celebrated while London had me mostly because it brought attention to you which was something you didn't want in the environment. Attention was like placing a sign on your back saying rape me.
I hadn't told my family I was expecting and had remained in my room when my Dad would come home so he wouldn't notice me throwing up every hour. Morning sickness was a misleading name because it didn't end in the morning. I preferred the name Nausea and Vomiting while pregnant (NVP). I didn't want my family to know mainly because I knew that they would freak out on me. This was a serious new development in my life and I was scared of how they would react.
Marco was already baby crazy and I had to tell him to wait until we were, further along, to start buying baby clothes because we could have complications at any time. He was treating me more like a delicate flower than ever which was grating on my nerves. I couldn't have coffee or sodas, or run like the average person was able to do. If he was around I was barely allowed to lift a finger or do anything for myself
"Uncle Ewum Grandaddy said to come downstairs and eat," Cartier said toddling into my room with her hand in her mouth. She was so cute I hoped that my child would look just as pretty and have a similar personality to her's.
"Come here Car," I said holding my arms out for a hug. She ran into my arms squealing and I picked her up and gave her a bunch of small kisses.
"Aww you're so pretty and you're going to be so smart when you grow up. Always remember that smarts a better compliment than pretty, anyone can be pretty naturally or with the help of science and well-placed strokes of makeup but not everyone can be smart," I said and she began playing in my hair not understanding what I was saying.
"Now your uncle is going to have to use his smarts to figure out how to get out of drinking on my 21st birthday," I said leaving my room and making my way downstairs where everyone was in the living room drinking. I was really jealous since I had waited so long to drink. London would drug me but he didn't like his boys drinking so u never tasted it before. Thalia walked over to me and looked me deep in the eyes before squealing and taking Cartier out of my hands running to sit her on Pine who smiled at the little girl who was plopped in his lap. She ran back over to me and pulled me upstairs back into my room and closed the door quietly.
"So he finally broke that back down huh," she said smiling.
"What," I played like I didn't understand the question. Usually, with phrases like the one she had used, I could feign ignorance but she wasn't dumb and we both knew that.
"Marco put his penis in you? You're pregnant, nigga you're almost luminescent. You could glow in the dark," she said and I blushed at her statements.
"Oh my god how far along," she asked smiling and placed her hand on my flat stomach.
"Three weeks," I said.
"And you haven't told your dad and brothers," she asked in disbelief.
"No I'm scared, I'm going to tell them today I mean I really don't have that much of a choice since I can't drink anything. I only found out two days ago. I'm waiting for Marco to get here for support," I answered.
"Support for what? Those men down there love you no matter what. Do you know how happy they were when they figured out that I was having Cartier, your Dad loves grandbabies? Are they going to be scared for you and a little angry well, of course, they are but by the time you go to bed they will all be on your ass about doctors visits and your chemical intake? Probably argue about if you can have cake or not. Plus I got your back so that's one huge consign," Thalia said kissing my cheek. I like her being around she was like the cool older sister I never had but always wanted as a young child.
"Alright, I'll tell them when Marco gets here that's if he hasn't already traded in his car for a van or something," I laughed.
"While you playing he might just have. He's head over heels for you. I can imagine how happy he was when you told him," she said to me.
"He was giddy as a kid in an all you can eat candy buffet," I said.
"I bet, now let's get downstairs and I'll take your drinks for you till Marco comes," she said pulling me back downstairs.
"Darling," my Daddy said hugging me tightly as he usually did. The rocking he was doing wasn't helping my nausea.
"Your twenty-one now. God, I'm so happy to be sharing your birthday with you for the first time in ages. Here," he said handing me his beer and walking to the couch. Pine watched me hold the bottle and I quickly put it to my mouth but using my lip to cap it and raised it to make it seem like I was drinking.
"So where's your boyfriend," he asked he'd be here thirty minutes ago. I want to eat some cake," Alder said a glass of wine in his hand.
"It ain't about you," Thalia said grabbing the bottle from me and downing it then went to sit down next to him. He immediately pulled her into a playful barrage of kisses.
"Careful on my couch," my Dad said which made me laugh.
Ding dong!
The doorbell rang signaling Marco was finally here. I went to the door and looked through the peephole after standing on my toes and saw nothing but his hunter green shirt. I opened the door and let him in. He hugged me gently and kissed my forehead the moment he could get his hands on me.
"Happy birthday Honey," he said and walked in holding a lumpy gift bag.
"Nice of you to show up," I said more annoyed than I should have been. It must have been the hormones is all I could think off. Marco didn't seem offended he just smiled down at me.
"Hello everyone," he said dapping all the guys up and hugging Thalia before Cartier begged for him to hold her. I walked in and my Dad immediately brought in the marble ice cream cake just like the one I had my last birthday with the family. It had exactly thirty-one candles the ten extra being for the years that I was missing.
"Now's the time," my Dad said with a huge smile. He got up and started handing everyone champagne flutes the came in with a bottle and poured everyone a glass. Marco looked at me like I was really going to drink it. Everyone had something to drink in their hands even Cartier who was given a party-sized can of ginger ale.
"Alright now a quick toast," my Dad began, " ten years ago our lives were turned upside down by your disappearance but since you've come back it's like the light has been restored in our family. We love you so much and wish nothing but prosperity, wisdom, strength, understandings love, and riches for this trip around the sun. To Elm!"
"To Elm," everyone repeated before taking their glasses to the head. I just held mine knowing I would have to explain. I gave Marco dirty eyes for drinking it since I couldn't.
"Elm drinks up your legal," Alder said switching back to his glass of wine. I guessed they were spending the night because of Thalia and Alder both seemed to be buzzed.
"I can't," I said in a softer voice than usual.
"What," Pine said beginning to slur his words already.
"He can't drink that," Marco spoke up for me.
"Why not it's his twenty-first," my Daddy said confused.
"You guys really don't pick things up quick do you," Thalia rolled her eyes and grabbed for Cartier from Marco.
"It's not like your pregnant... Whoa," Alder said finally catching on to what I was trying to say.
"Wait what," Pine said sitting down from shock and from his balance being off.
"I'm pregnant, three weeks along exactly," I said and I could see the men of my family's face change into confusion than anger.
"How did this happen," Alder asked.
"Well when a man and a man love each other very much and one of them is a fruitful intersexual," I said sarcastically at him and he snarled at me.
"When did you two start having sex," Pine asked with his head tilted.
"Three weeks ago," Marco answered sitting down and pulling me down with him. He hand went and rested on my stomach. My Dad sat down stunned.
"You know the risks of you being pregnant right. Did you not wrap up or did the condom break. I hope it's the latter because the former would just be stupid on both if your ends. How are you two going to afford a baby I know you do that make enough money to support a family Marco," my Dad started to ramble.
"Yes Dad I know the risks, well most of them I'm still a little fuzzy on the details but I scheduled a doctor's appointment. And no we didn't wrap it up it was kind of a spur of the moment thing and we're still deciding on the last part," I answered honestly.
"Jesus, you're going to get fat," Alder laughed which caused Pine to laugh. Thalia swatted Alder for me since I couldn't fight him while carrying not that I would have won. My dad got up and walked over to me and crouched down in my face.
"This is a big life-long responsibility Elm and you too Marco. Are you two sure you're ready for it," he asked.
"Daddy if you're asking me to give up a baby I can't do that I can't," I started to cry. Marco quickly pulled me I to him. I wanted to blame it on the hormones but I was normally this quick to cry.
"No no no, darling I'm just saying parenting isn't easy you two better have a plan laid out before you have to start winning it, okay?"
"Okay," we both responded. My Dad smiled then put his ear to my belly.
"Hi baby, this is your Grandpa who's going to spoil you rotten. I can't wait to meet you so I can take you and your cousin out. If you end up being a girl I'd get to show the little boys my gun collection and if you're a boy I'll get to go on boring fishing trips with you," he said and rubbed my stomach.
I looked up at Thalia while my brothers, Daddy, and Marco began googling if I could have cake or not. She mouthed the words 'I told you so' to me with a smile before taking a sip of Alders wine.
'Of course, I get pregnant right before my birthday,' I rubbed my stomach thinking of just who I might be creating.
Marco cleared his throat next to me and handed me my gift. I quickly opened it and pulled out a sweater with the words world's best dad. The hormones got to me and I immediately started crying.
'God I hate him for making me so emotional.'
I hadn't told my family I was expecting and had remained in my room when my Dad would come home so he wouldn't notice me throwing up every hour. Morning sickness was a misleading name because it didn't end in the morning. I preferred the name Nausea and Vomiting while pregnant (NVP). I didn't want my family to know mainly because I knew that they would freak out on me. This was a serious new development in my life and I was scared of how they would react.
Marco was already baby crazy and I had to tell him to wait until we were, further along, to start buying baby clothes because we could have complications at any time. He was treating me more like a delicate flower than ever which was grating on my nerves. I couldn't have coffee or sodas, or run like the average person was able to do. If he was around I was barely allowed to lift a finger or do anything for myself
"Uncle Ewum Grandaddy said to come downstairs and eat," Cartier said toddling into my room with her hand in her mouth. She was so cute I hoped that my child would look just as pretty and have a similar personality to her's.
"Come here Car," I said holding my arms out for a hug. She ran into my arms squealing and I picked her up and gave her a bunch of small kisses.
"Aww you're so pretty and you're going to be so smart when you grow up. Always remember that smarts a better compliment than pretty, anyone can be pretty naturally or with the help of science and well-placed strokes of makeup but not everyone can be smart," I said and she began playing in my hair not understanding what I was saying.
"Now your uncle is going to have to use his smarts to figure out how to get out of drinking on my 21st birthday," I said leaving my room and making my way downstairs where everyone was in the living room drinking. I was really jealous since I had waited so long to drink. London would drug me but he didn't like his boys drinking so u never tasted it before. Thalia walked over to me and looked me deep in the eyes before squealing and taking Cartier out of my hands running to sit her on Pine who smiled at the little girl who was plopped in his lap. She ran back over to me and pulled me upstairs back into my room and closed the door quietly.
"So he finally broke that back down huh," she said smiling.
"What," I played like I didn't understand the question. Usually, with phrases like the one she had used, I could feign ignorance but she wasn't dumb and we both knew that.
"Marco put his penis in you? You're pregnant, nigga you're almost luminescent. You could glow in the dark," she said and I blushed at her statements.
"Oh my god how far along," she asked smiling and placed her hand on my flat stomach.
"Three weeks," I said.
"And you haven't told your dad and brothers," she asked in disbelief.
"No I'm scared, I'm going to tell them today I mean I really don't have that much of a choice since I can't drink anything. I only found out two days ago. I'm waiting for Marco to get here for support," I answered.
"Support for what? Those men down there love you no matter what. Do you know how happy they were when they figured out that I was having Cartier, your Dad loves grandbabies? Are they going to be scared for you and a little angry well, of course, they are but by the time you go to bed they will all be on your ass about doctors visits and your chemical intake? Probably argue about if you can have cake or not. Plus I got your back so that's one huge consign," Thalia said kissing my cheek. I like her being around she was like the cool older sister I never had but always wanted as a young child.
"Alright, I'll tell them when Marco gets here that's if he hasn't already traded in his car for a van or something," I laughed.
"While you playing he might just have. He's head over heels for you. I can imagine how happy he was when you told him," she said to me.
"He was giddy as a kid in an all you can eat candy buffet," I said.
"I bet, now let's get downstairs and I'll take your drinks for you till Marco comes," she said pulling me back downstairs.
"Darling," my Daddy said hugging me tightly as he usually did. The rocking he was doing wasn't helping my nausea.
"Your twenty-one now. God, I'm so happy to be sharing your birthday with you for the first time in ages. Here," he said handing me his beer and walking to the couch. Pine watched me hold the bottle and I quickly put it to my mouth but using my lip to cap it and raised it to make it seem like I was drinking.
"So where's your boyfriend," he asked he'd be here thirty minutes ago. I want to eat some cake," Alder said a glass of wine in his hand.
"It ain't about you," Thalia said grabbing the bottle from me and downing it then went to sit down next to him. He immediately pulled her into a playful barrage of kisses.
"Careful on my couch," my Dad said which made me laugh.
Ding dong!
The doorbell rang signaling Marco was finally here. I went to the door and looked through the peephole after standing on my toes and saw nothing but his hunter green shirt. I opened the door and let him in. He hugged me gently and kissed my forehead the moment he could get his hands on me.
"Happy birthday Honey," he said and walked in holding a lumpy gift bag.
"Nice of you to show up," I said more annoyed than I should have been. It must have been the hormones is all I could think off. Marco didn't seem offended he just smiled down at me.
"Hello everyone," he said dapping all the guys up and hugging Thalia before Cartier begged for him to hold her. I walked in and my Dad immediately brought in the marble ice cream cake just like the one I had my last birthday with the family. It had exactly thirty-one candles the ten extra being for the years that I was missing.
"Now's the time," my Dad said with a huge smile. He got up and started handing everyone champagne flutes the came in with a bottle and poured everyone a glass. Marco looked at me like I was really going to drink it. Everyone had something to drink in their hands even Cartier who was given a party-sized can of ginger ale.
"Alright now a quick toast," my Dad began, " ten years ago our lives were turned upside down by your disappearance but since you've come back it's like the light has been restored in our family. We love you so much and wish nothing but prosperity, wisdom, strength, understandings love, and riches for this trip around the sun. To Elm!"
"To Elm," everyone repeated before taking their glasses to the head. I just held mine knowing I would have to explain. I gave Marco dirty eyes for drinking it since I couldn't.
"Elm drinks up your legal," Alder said switching back to his glass of wine. I guessed they were spending the night because of Thalia and Alder both seemed to be buzzed.
"I can't," I said in a softer voice than usual.
"What," Pine said beginning to slur his words already.
"He can't drink that," Marco spoke up for me.
"Why not it's his twenty-first," my Daddy said confused.
"You guys really don't pick things up quick do you," Thalia rolled her eyes and grabbed for Cartier from Marco.
"It's not like your pregnant... Whoa," Alder said finally catching on to what I was trying to say.
"Wait what," Pine said sitting down from shock and from his balance being off.
"I'm pregnant, three weeks along exactly," I said and I could see the men of my family's face change into confusion than anger.
"How did this happen," Alder asked.
"Well when a man and a man love each other very much and one of them is a fruitful intersexual," I said sarcastically at him and he snarled at me.
"When did you two start having sex," Pine asked with his head tilted.
"Three weeks ago," Marco answered sitting down and pulling me down with him. He hand went and rested on my stomach. My Dad sat down stunned.
"You know the risks of you being pregnant right. Did you not wrap up or did the condom break. I hope it's the latter because the former would just be stupid on both if your ends. How are you two going to afford a baby I know you do that make enough money to support a family Marco," my Dad started to ramble.
"Yes Dad I know the risks, well most of them I'm still a little fuzzy on the details but I scheduled a doctor's appointment. And no we didn't wrap it up it was kind of a spur of the moment thing and we're still deciding on the last part," I answered honestly.
"Jesus, you're going to get fat," Alder laughed which caused Pine to laugh. Thalia swatted Alder for me since I couldn't fight him while carrying not that I would have won. My dad got up and walked over to me and crouched down in my face.
"This is a big life-long responsibility Elm and you too Marco. Are you two sure you're ready for it," he asked.
"Daddy if you're asking me to give up a baby I can't do that I can't," I started to cry. Marco quickly pulled me I to him. I wanted to blame it on the hormones but I was normally this quick to cry.
"No no no, darling I'm just saying parenting isn't easy you two better have a plan laid out before you have to start winning it, okay?"
"Okay," we both responded. My Dad smiled then put his ear to my belly.
"Hi baby, this is your Grandpa who's going to spoil you rotten. I can't wait to meet you so I can take you and your cousin out. If you end up being a girl I'd get to show the little boys my gun collection and if you're a boy I'll get to go on boring fishing trips with you," he said and rubbed my stomach.
I looked up at Thalia while my brothers, Daddy, and Marco began googling if I could have cake or not. She mouthed the words 'I told you so' to me with a smile before taking a sip of Alders wine.
'Of course, I get pregnant right before my birthday,' I rubbed my stomach thinking of just who I might be creating.
Marco cleared his throat next to me and handed me my gift. I quickly opened it and pulled out a sweater with the words world's best dad. The hormones got to me and I immediately started crying.
'God I hate him for making me so emotional.'
End of The Guard To My Sanctuary Chapter 20. Continue reading Chapter 21 or return to The Guard To My Sanctuary book page.