Chapter 8- Big News
January 1920
I had been feeling very under the weather lately. I was surprised... Charles hadn't hurt me at all since his arrival home. To tell the truth everything about him had changed. He seemed to truly care about my well being. Something I'd never thought I would see. This morning I told him I wasn't feeling well. He made an appointment with the doctor. Again... this doctor was nothing like the one human being I truly longed to see. Dr. Cullen. My personal angel.
I sighed at the moment I was at the doctors office waiting for the results of my many tests. There were a few other people in the waiting room. Some with sick children, others with their spouses. I looked down at my feet and folded my arms letting my thoughts take up the time. Before I knew it there was a nurse standing over me. “Mrs. Evenson?” she said my name. I looked up at her curiously. “The doctor would like to see you again. Just for a few moments,” she told me. She was smiling.
“Alright. Thank you,” I stood up and she led me back to the examination room. I sat alone for a bit then the doctor walked in. He was beaming. I was confused. Why was everyone so happy? I saw no reason for anyone to be so exceptionally happy. I mean. I had no problem with happiness.... it was just the fact that I hadn't felt happy for quite a while.
“I'm sorry we kept you waiting so long Mrs. Evenson,” he said sitting in the chair that was reserved for the doctor. “There's no way to lead up to this... so I'm just going to say this. Congratulations. You're going to be having a baby,” I looked at him. “A baby?” I repeated. “Really?” I now understood the reason for everyone else's happiness. A baby held quite a bit to be excited about. I couldn't help but smile myself. A baby.
I started to walk home. I began to think..... what was Charles going to say? How would he react? Would it be good or bad? Millions of thoughts ran through my head all at the same time. I had no idea how I was going to handle this. I decided to head to Tom's house first. To tell him the news and see what he said. I turned onto the street where he lived and knocked on his door. I smiled as he opened it. “Hello Tom,” I greeted him.
“Esie! I didn't expect to see you today, what's wrong? Did he hurt you again?” he asked looking me over for any noticeable injury.
“No. I-i want to tell you something,” I said in a small voice. “May I come in?” I asked.
“Of course you can Esme, what is it?” he led me into his warm living room.
“Um.... could you get Abigail to come in too?” I looked around nervously and sat down.
“Yeah. One minute, ABBY!!!” he called. “Esme's here. She wants to tell us something!” he sat next to me and a moment later Abigail was in the room.
“Good afternoon Esme,” she smiled warmly as always. “How are you today?”
“I've been better actually. I'm not feeling very well,” I smiled back as much as I could bring myself to do so.
“What is it Esme?” Tom asked. “What do you need to tell us?”
“Well. I like I said. I'm not feeling the best today. So.... I went to the doctor, and they ran some tests and I found out.... I'm pregnant,” I couldn't help but smile as the words escaped my lips. It brought a kind of satisfaction that was almost impossible to come by under any circumstances.
Abigail immediately had me in her arms hugging me. “Oh Esme! That's wonderful news!!” she was beaming just like everyone else.
“That's great Esie!” Tom smiled. He seemed truly happy. “How did Charles take it?”
“Well.... I haven't told him yet. He's still at work. I had to tell someone. I will tell him I promise I will but. It will take a lot of courage. I don't know if I have that much. I don't know what his reaction will be,” I started shaking. “That's what I'm afraid of.”
“Don't worry Es,” he smiled. “We're always here for you,”
“Thank you Tom,” I told him. “That's all I needed to know,”
January 1920
I had been feeling very under the weather lately. I was surprised... Charles hadn't hurt me at all since his arrival home. To tell the truth everything about him had changed. He seemed to truly care about my well being. Something I'd never thought I would see. This morning I told him I wasn't feeling well. He made an appointment with the doctor. Again... this doctor was nothing like the one human being I truly longed to see. Dr. Cullen. My personal angel.
I sighed at the moment I was at the doctors office waiting for the results of my many tests. There were a few other people in the waiting room. Some with sick children, others with their spouses. I looked down at my feet and folded my arms letting my thoughts take up the time. Before I knew it there was a nurse standing over me. “Mrs. Evenson?” she said my name. I looked up at her curiously. “The doctor would like to see you again. Just for a few moments,” she told me. She was smiling.
“Alright. Thank you,” I stood up and she led me back to the examination room. I sat alone for a bit then the doctor walked in. He was beaming. I was confused. Why was everyone so happy? I saw no reason for anyone to be so exceptionally happy. I mean. I had no problem with happiness.... it was just the fact that I hadn't felt happy for quite a while.
“I'm sorry we kept you waiting so long Mrs. Evenson,” he said sitting in the chair that was reserved for the doctor. “There's no way to lead up to this... so I'm just going to say this. Congratulations. You're going to be having a baby,” I looked at him. “A baby?” I repeated. “Really?” I now understood the reason for everyone else's happiness. A baby held quite a bit to be excited about. I couldn't help but smile myself. A baby.
I started to walk home. I began to think..... what was Charles going to say? How would he react? Would it be good or bad? Millions of thoughts ran through my head all at the same time. I had no idea how I was going to handle this. I decided to head to Tom's house first. To tell him the news and see what he said. I turned onto the street where he lived and knocked on his door. I smiled as he opened it. “Hello Tom,” I greeted him.
“Esie! I didn't expect to see you today, what's wrong? Did he hurt you again?” he asked looking me over for any noticeable injury.
“No. I-i want to tell you something,” I said in a small voice. “May I come in?” I asked.
“Of course you can Esme, what is it?” he led me into his warm living room.
“Um.... could you get Abigail to come in too?” I looked around nervously and sat down.
“Yeah. One minute, ABBY!!!” he called. “Esme's here. She wants to tell us something!” he sat next to me and a moment later Abigail was in the room.
“Good afternoon Esme,” she smiled warmly as always. “How are you today?”
“I've been better actually. I'm not feeling very well,” I smiled back as much as I could bring myself to do so.
“What is it Esme?” Tom asked. “What do you need to tell us?”
“Well. I like I said. I'm not feeling the best today. So.... I went to the doctor, and they ran some tests and I found out.... I'm pregnant,” I couldn't help but smile as the words escaped my lips. It brought a kind of satisfaction that was almost impossible to come by under any circumstances.
Abigail immediately had me in her arms hugging me. “Oh Esme! That's wonderful news!!” she was beaming just like everyone else.
“That's great Esie!” Tom smiled. He seemed truly happy. “How did Charles take it?”
“Well.... I haven't told him yet. He's still at work. I had to tell someone. I will tell him I promise I will but. It will take a lot of courage. I don't know if I have that much. I don't know what his reaction will be,” I started shaking. “That's what I'm afraid of.”
“Don't worry Es,” he smiled. “We're always here for you,”
“Thank you Tom,” I told him. “That's all I needed to know,”
BELLA'S PROM DRESS
Knowing all eyes would be on Bella's prom look, Chuck had to choose carefully. The bolero was a vintage piece that she cut, restyled, and re-sequined. The dress was a little more serendipitous: ''It was miracle find!'' exclaims Chuck, who picked up the Max and Cleo silk dress at discount store Ross — and for $20. (Fun fact: Chuck also purchased the only other one left in the store so she could use the extra material to create one long dress. But, in the end, she left the dress as-is, using the second for a photo double.) ''I always say I channel clothes, I don't necessarily design them — it's divine sometimes the way it happens!''
Knowing all eyes would be on Bella's prom look, Chuck had to choose carefully. The bolero was a vintage piece that she cut, restyled, and re-sequined. The dress was a little more serendipitous: ''It was miracle find!'' exclaims Chuck, who picked up the Max and Cleo silk dress at discount store Ross — and for $20. (Fun fact: Chuck also purchased the only other one left in the store so she could use the extra material to create one long dress. But, in the end, she left the dress as-is, using the second for a photo double.) ''I always say I channel clothes, I don't necessarily design them — it's divine sometimes the way it happens!''