As soon as the ring made a nice home on her left ring finger, Elenna officially called things off with Arlo and a divorce was set in motion. Arlo became depressed and angry... a side of him Elenna had never seen before. He was such a kind, gentle, and caring creature... to see him anything less than that was nothing short of frightening. Elenna wanted out, and she wanted out fast. After nearly a year of dealing with his depression and anger toward their broken relationship, she moved out. She packed their son, Stephen, in her car with all of their things, and moved it all straight into Cooper's small home.
After a few weeks of settling in and learning how to take care of the baby, it was time for the wedding.
The night of the wedding, Cooper and Elenna drove separately with co-workers and friends to the far-north side of town. They gathered in the grass, underneath the stars. A tall, majestic waterfall played soundtrack to their vows, and everyone watched in silence, momentarily paralyzed in such a magical scene.
It was a perfect celebration. Nearly 20 people showed for their vows, and Cooper invited everyone back to the beach where he'd proposed for dinner and drinks afterward. The crowd was intimate and lively, and Cooper and Elenna... well, they couldn't keep their eyes off each other.
It was nearly 3am when the crowd dispersed, and the newlyweds decided to head home. They paid the babysitter that had watched little Stephen for most of the night and began to settle into bed.
"Wait," Cooper said, as he fidgeted with his tux jacket.
"What is it?", Elenna questioned.
"I just need to see Stephen," he replied in a hush.
Elenna smiled and laid back down on the bed as he left the room, waiting for his return.
Cooper walked into his office, which had now become a rough version of Stephen's new nursery. Stephen was sitting up in his crib when Cooper walked in, and lifted his arms to be picked up.
"Hey there, buddy," Cooper cooed in a soft tone. He lifted him gently from his crib and cuddled him close in the crook of his neck.
"You know, Stephen, I know I'm not your true daddy. But I'm gonna try and be the best step-daddy and role model you could have ever hoped for. I love you. You're my son now," he smiled. Stephen watched his lips move and stared at his eyes. He was too young to understand what Cooper had said, but Cooper knew he'd understand someday. "I love you, buddy," he whispered, laying the sleepy boy back into his crib.
As he turned around to leave the room, he bumped right into Elenna.
"That was very sweet of you," she whispered, teary-eyed.
"I meant every word of it," he smiled.
He pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss, and they made their way toward the bedroom.
"I know we can't afford a honeymoon," Cooper said as they slid into bed, "but I promise I'll make up for that tonight." He had a sly grin on his face, as did she, and with a laugh, they turned out the lights. It was the first night of the rest of their lives.
A few months passed, and the new couple tried to work into a routine. Cooper was slowly climbing the ladder at his work. He was still a Stagehand, but a valued one. He couldn't ask for anything more than the love and support his co-workers provided.
To Cooper, Elenna seemed to have come down with the flu. She was throwing up every morning and becoming picky with her eating habits. Having gone through this once before already, she knew what was coming. And it definitely wasn't the flu.
To make matters more interesting, Elenna and Cooper received a letter in the mail one day inviting them to a funeral.
Arlo's funeral. The invitation was labeled, "Death from a broken heart".
"They're being dramatic," Cooper insisted, as Elenna's eyes watered with the invitation in hand. "Really, sweetie. I'm sure it was... just old age... or something," he stammered.
Instead of giving herself time to mourn, Elenna instantly went to City Hall, Stephen in hand. She left a few hours later making sure all papers related to Stephen were signed in the Baron name. He was no longer Arlo's child... well, at least not on paper.
While Cooper was away at work, Elenna spent her days at home teaching her son how to walk, talk, eat, sing, play, and use the potty. Being a mother was a full-time job, and, in all honesty, she didn't really plan on going back to work now that she had Cooper. She knew his job paid much less than Arlo's, who was a CEO at the biggest company in town, but he had so much potential. Things would be okay eventually, and if she didn't have to work, why would she? The materialistic and lazy sides of her began to show, and she decided to forever be a housewife and stay home to 'control the finances'.
Money was tight, and it would only get tighter. Their main concern from the start was always Stephen, but Elenna couldn't hide the news any longer.
She was definitely pregnant with Cooper's first child.
Cooper was beyond thrilled at the news. He was so excited to finally have a true family, and to have another child to carry on the Baron name.
But the strain of their finances soon began to show, and all Cooper could do was worry.
The house was a wreck. It was old and falling apart. The bathroom appliances were always broken, and the kitchen sink had a habit of constantly flooding their main living area. The stress was beginning to wreak havoc on their relationship.
"We need to move out!" Elenna cried. "I can't take this anymore!"
"Just give me time!" Cooper groaned back. "I can fix it all, I just need time!"
"We need a better house," Elenna snapped.
"Well I'm sorry I'm not a CEO of some fancy company! This house was all I could afford!"
Like any normal newlywed pair, they fought, fought, and fought some more as they struggled to find solid ground.
Their home soon became the punchline to many of their personal jokes, and whenever something went wrong, they just shook their heads and moved on. The house was old. There was no sense in stressing over what couldn't be fixed.
So Cooper would come home at night and play his guitar, while Elenna and Stephen danced in the puddles on their kitchen floor.
Disfunctional? Maybe.
But one man's trash is another man's treasure. And Cooper wouldn't have this time with his family any other way.
The next few months seemed to become easier. The Barons were on a schedule. They had a routine. Money wasn't terrible, and they had enough to get by. Stephen was sleeping through the night.
Elenna was being serenaded at breakfast.
Life finally seemed under control, until a cold spring night brought a rush of excitement and nervousness to the family once more.
Elenna went into labor with their first child. Cooper did everything a new-daddy could: He took her to the hospital, waited by her bedside, fed her ice by the handfuls, and accepted the blame for everything that had ever gone wrong in his wife's life. It didn't last long, though, and by the early morning, they were able to leave with their bundle of joy.
It's a boy! Welcome to the world, Edison Marshall Baron, a strong name for a strong little boy. Born 7lbs 3oz, with his daddy's emerald eyes and sweet sandy brown hair.
Elenna loved him just as much; He was a sweet tempered little man, and always quiet. Something felt wrong, though. He wasn't like her Stephen. He wasn't anything like Arlo.
And of course, why should he be? Arlo was long gone, and Cooper was her man now. But why did it feel so wrong to hold this little baby in her arms, and not feel what she did for Stephen?...
This feeling will pass, she thought. I love both of my sons.
'
But every morning, she felt the same. She'd wake up, hold Edison in her arms, and feel empty.
She saw the pride in his eyes as he left for work each morning. She couldn't be the one to shake that.
She wouldn't be the one to shake that.
No comments:
Post a Comment