She Ate the Baby

It was Christmas morning at Chris's house and his entire family had come over. Everyone was dressed up for the festive gathering. Persephone wore a black satin shirtdress; her hair brushed and pinned back on one side of the head while the other half cascaded like a graceful waterfall. She wore strappy black sandals with a four-inch spiky heel.

The women decided to work together and make a feast for the whole family, and volunteering the men to clean up after everyone was done eating. Now, with festive or hot beverages in hand everyone gathered around the Christmas tree seeing the two young kids opening the many gifts they received from the extended family.

Feeling a little inadequate over Maggie's disappointment-laden reaction at the gift she got her, Persephone chose to stand apart from everyone as the Christmas magic took place near the tree while Chris stood by with a large trash bag for all the discarded wrap.

She leaned against the kitchen doorway drinking coffee as she tried to focus on the joy that Braden and Olivia filled the home with this morning, but the remnants of Maggie's reaction overshadowed everything else. Paul had looked at Persephone with a look comprised of both pity and embarrassment which had given her comfort.

She was taking a sip as Lisa came over to her and smiled. "I'm feeling a little worn out. Do you mind sitting in the den with me?"

Persephone gave the fellow family interloper a smile and shook her head as she pushed away from the thresh hold. "I would love it," she said with relief. The two women walked past the kitchen to the back of the home and into the spacious room full of windows aimed toward Puget sound. Lisa sat in the sofa facing the windows as Persephone grabbed the fireplace remote control from the mantle to bring some warmth to the scarcely used room.

"Do you want me to bring you anything?" Persephone asked as she replaced the remote control on the mantle. "A snack? a blanket?"

Lisa shook her head ignoring the hospitality. "I had moments where I felt out of place in the beginning," she started. "I still have them here and there."

Persephone placed the cup of coffee on top of the stone mantle and walked to the large round ottoman in between the sofas pulling it close to Lisa so she could rest her legs on them. "I hate to admit that your words make me feel better," she said taking a seat next to her sitting sideways so she could look at Lisa comfortably. "Did you see Maggie's face when she opened my gift?"

Lisa nodded. "It was a beautiful bracelet."

Persephone nodded. "Shame she much preferred a stick I peed on."

Lisa chuckled. "It's not too late." She grabbed the gray throw blanket on top of the sofa and placed it on her outstretched legs. "On that note, don't open the gift I got you in front of her."

"Why?" Persephone asked suspiciously.

Lisa rubbed her belly lovingly, smiling mirthfully at her counterpart in the Ericson family. "When I suspected this little nugget was on the way, I bought all the pregnancy tests in the pharmacy. After the fourteenth positive test denial gave way to acceptance. I had a bunch of tests left over that I thought they would be a good gag gift for the childless women I know."

Persephone snickered. "And it would be funny if Chris's mom wasn't so desperate to see a gynecologist up my lady bits constantly during a nine-month period." She motioned to her body. "How do I tell her diplomatically that it's my baby factory, and not hers or Chris's?" She shrugged. "As it is I go back and forth on whether the factory is under construction for future use or if I'm just going to condemn it for all eternity."

Lisa nodded. "I get it," she agreed. "It's your body and you should not feel forced to bring kids into this world if you don't want any."

Persephone nodded. "Thank you!"

"What does Chris say on the subject?" Lisa shifted. "He's always been a notorious momma's boy, you know?"

Persephone rolled her eyes and sighed. "I've heard." She crossed her arms and looked outside at the gray sky as rain began to fall hard. She noticed the surface of Puget Sound began getting choppy. She shrugged. "I'm putting my foot down," she said. "Kids are a lot of work and I don't want that stress in my life right now," she looked at Lisa's belly leaning over to rub it softly. "No offense little one."

Lisa's belly shook. "You do have a certain warmth to you where kids are concerned," she added with a gentle tone. "Your sisters don't have kids, right?"

She shook her head standing to grab the coffee cup she had left on the mantle. "I was a babysitter and a live-in nanny through the bulk of my teens," she sat back down with the cup in hand. "I know what it takes to care for children. It's a massive commitment and your life essentially revolves around a science project that you need to keep alive for eighteen years." She brought the cup close to her lips. "I hated science," she took a sip of coffee. She motioned to the woman's belly with her head. "Are you ready?"

Lisa crossed her legs easing into to the sofa. She nodded. "I have my parents ready to help, and of course, Micaela," she leaned her head against the back of the sofa. "And now that I know you have experience, it makes me feel better knowing I have someone else I can count on for advice if I need it."

Persephone smiled at her. "Of course. I love kids, but I love giving them back to their parents at the end of the day more."

Lisa kicked off of her flats. "Did you ever have to take care of an egg like a baby for Child Development class?"

Persephone chuckled. "I was given an egg, but I threw it against the class roof as soon as class ended," she admitted. "I was babysitting real kids already. Caring for an egg was ridiculous and I didn't want to deal with it. Unfortunately, the teacher saw me do it and gave me another egg."

"Did she take points off for killing the first egg?" Lisa queried.

"Well, that wasn't the end of the story," Persephone added. "I told the teacher babies weren't as fragile as eggshells and as I was already caring for kids afterschool, I told her I would gladly take the fail for the project before cracking the egg over the trash can next to her desk."

"Ooh, you rebel, you!" Lisa added commentary. "What happened next?"

Persephone stretched an arm along the back of the sofa. "She was so steadfast on me getting a baby that she went to the pantry and gave me a five-pound sack of flour instead. They were harder to break," she commented. "So, next day in class, I walked in and told her how fun it had been to bake with the kids I took care of and with my baby, I handed her a bag full of cookies we had made which she begins to eat right away." Persephone drank the rest of the coffee. "Then she begins to call all the students up one-by-one to check on the status of the babies, and then its mu turn. Naturally, I walk up to her empty-handed."

Lisa frowned. "Wait- what do you mean naturally? what did I miss?"

Persephone looked into Lisa's eyes and somberly said, "She ate the baby."

The raven-haired woman began to laugh. "Oh my god! did she fail you?"

The buzzing sound announcing there was a visitor at the gate disrupted the conversation. "Let me get that," Persephone stood at once. I'll be right back."

She walked the path back to the living room seeing Maggie standing by an open front door looking out.

Chris immediately walked to Persephone's side. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Assuming he was apologizing for Maggie's earlier reaction Persephone smiled at Chris, nodding. "Not your fault," she whispered back as she cupped his jaw.

Her eyes went back to Maggie widening as she gasped at the sight of his mom escorting Michelle Sato into Chris's living room.