3 Weeks Earlier

The sun shining through the window blinds wakes me up from a restful sleep. I can hear the sound of Franklin, my oldest son laughing at something. I raise myself up and look at the clock. It is 6:00 a.m. and for me sleeping in this late is a luxury. Gabriel's back is facing me, and I lean in and wrap my arms around him.

"Good Morning Hunny Bunny." A simple term of endearment I've called him since we had gotten married 8 years ago.

"Morning" he says through his teeth. Somehow, I've angered him.

"I'm sorry" I apologize quickly.

He rolls over and he looks at me. Brushes my hair to the side and pushes me onto my back. He rolls over on top of me, pulls up the oversized t shirt I'm wearing and plunges his cock into me. Without a warning, without any emotion, without passion. It's over as fast as it begins, and I sit up and try to gather my thoughts. It hurt a little, mainly because my body was not ready.

"You should clean up; the boys will be hungry". He groans from the side of the bed. Using tissues to wipe off his own juices. I know there was not any of mine on there.

"Sure, eggs and bacon sound ok?"

"Fine." He huffs.

He walks out of the bedroom and I bring myself to the edge of the bed. I stretch and walk to the bathroom. I can feel his liquid start to run down my leg and I make a dash for the bathroom. He has never been the romantic type, but he's never really been that cold either. Same thing every morning and usually it lasts a little longer. Usually, he prepares me.

I clean myself up and get dressed. I put on a black pencil skirt with my favorite lavender shirt and a black blazer. I secure my long hair in a quick low bun.

"Professional enough." I say to myself in the mirror.

The boys are awake and sitting watching cartoons by the time I got out there. He had already gotten them dressed, unusual, but maybe this was his way of apologizing. Gabriel never apologized.

"Where's your daddy?" I ask.

"He's in his office, working again." Franklin says as he follows me into the kitchen.

I prepare breakfast and everything was fine until I was placing the eggs on the plates. I could smell them. I quickly put down the pan and I ran to the bathroom, heaving. After I cleaned myself up, I just knew. It has happened with all 5 of the boys. When I am pregnant the smell of eggs is just intolerable. I return to the kitchen and start preparing breakfast once again

Gabriel walks into the room and I think for a moment to tell him about my thoughts. I catch myself though. I want to be sure when I tell him. He grabs his jacket that is sitting on the chair beside me. Glances at me, turns and walks out the door. I walk over to the door and open it.

"I love you, too" I yell out the door as he's getting into his truck.

He nods.

I turn to finish feeding the boys. After breakfast I load them all into the minivan and drive to my mother's house. She's waiting outside as I drop them off holding out some new toy that she got them. I pay her a normal daycare rate, but she just ends up spending it on the boys. My dad tinkering with something in his shed, looks up and waves as I get back into the car.

I sit at work fidgeting waiting for the clock to strike 12:00. I have so many profit and loss statements to get done, but I can't focus. As soon as my lunch alarm goes off I jump out of my chair and head for the doors. My boss smiles at me as I leave. He just gave me a promotion yesterday and I am so thankful.

The air smells like sewer. There was an issue with some pipes and the city was fixing them, but the smell was offensive. The clinic was only 4 doors down in the plaza I worked at. So at least I did not have to smell it for long.

I walked in greeted by the warm receptionist. She hands me the clipboard and I fill out the information hurriedly. She takes my insurance. She tells me it will be a $30.00 co-pay. I hand her my debit card. Declined. I just got paid today, maybe it hadn't posted yet.

I fumble through my purse and pull out my emergency $50.00 bill and hand it to her embarrassed. It's been a long time I've had a card declined on me. Gabriel was good about telling me how much money was available for me to spend and I knew I hadn't spent it.

The receptionist stares at me curiously as she enters the number of children I have. 5. Then she looks at my age, 25.

"You don't look like you have 5 kids." She smiles at me and continues to type.

" My husband and I started as soon as we got married and had one almost every year since." I smiled standing unashamed.

"Maybe another one on the way too?" She says curiously.

"Maybe". I smile

It was a reoccurring thing; people would ask me all the time if I knew how pregnancy happens. If I knew what caused it. When we would go grocery shopping people would watch us pass like we were in a parade. In this small town, not many people had more than the usual 2 kids.

Soon I was led down a long hallway. Placed in a room. They drew blood, checked my vitals, and told me to pee in a cup. When the doctor came in, it was exactly what I had expected. Positive.

"The shot didn't work for you either?" Dr. Henry said as he straightened his bow tie.

" It didn't" I sigh.

I've tried all the birth controls, none seem to work for me. I take it and then a few months later I am back in here with a positive pregnancy test. I am thankful for my kids, everyone of them. Though I instantly start thinking about how people are going to react to be being pregnant, again.

I take finish out the workday and I head to my parents' house. I pick up the kids and I say nothing. I can already see my mom now updating social media about a new grandchild. She could never hold a secret. It just was not in her. I park in the carport beside my house and unload the kids. Playing with them as we walk up the stairs to the kitchen. I pass the pumpkins sitting on the porch waiting for next week's Halloween activities. I wonder how I'm going to handle that next week, since the nausea is already settling in. I unlock the door and see a note on the fridge. It's Gabriel's handwriting.

Marie