8.65 We’ve Got the Power

“HOLY LLAMAS,” Viviana shouted from the bathroom. “HOLY LLAMAS!!”

She ran out to the kitchen to find Brady. He was in there cleaning up and Callie was having breakfast. They heard her excited outburst all the way in the kitchen. She had a huge grin on her face when she rushed in.

“What in the world is it, angel,” Brady asked.

“I’M PREGNANT!”

“Whaaaaaaat? No way! NO WAY!!”

“I haven’t been feeling well for a while. I thought it was just stress from studying for the board exam. But, then I started getting nauseous a few days ago. I thought it was strange, but not impossible…so I took the test!”

Callie was shocked to overhear this news. She knew her parents had a very amorous relationship, but she assumed things had slowed down since Brady’s birthday. She never thought they would have another child at their age.

“Sweet Watcher,” Brady yelled. “That is amazing! Another little Pruett!! I’m so happy! Are you?”

“I’m…,” she hesitated, “…yeah! I’m a bit surprised and a bit concerned about how my boards now, but…I’ll figure it out.”

“Don’t worry about anything here! We’ll take care of the house. You concentrate on studying. You were BORN to be Dr. Viviana Pruett!”

“Thank you, sugar bear! I can always count on you to make everything right.”

“Wow! I hope it’s a boy,” Brady beamed. “I mean, I don’t think we have anything to worry about with Julian, but it would be nice to have an eligible spare.”

Just after Julian’s birthday, Brady and Julian went to Alayna’s house to get schooled on all things legacy. He was so proud to finally know how his family worked although he was upset at himself for never caring to find out until now.

Viviana felt a bout of nausea coming on after standing near the smelly trash.

“Ugggggh. Can you clean up this mess??”

As Brady cleaned up the mess, Callie was coming to terms with the idea of yet another younger sibling.

Ahhhh, yes, she thought. Another young, innocent sibling! I shall teach this one to play cards and how to clean thoroughly. My reign will never end!

Viviana sat down to gobble down some food quickly before she had to be at work.

“Callie,” Viviana said with hope in her voice, “are you happy about the news?”

“Of course, mother. New little siblings are fun. Although, I’m quite horrified to know what you and daddy have been up to!”

“Oh, my sweet daughter,” Viviana laughed. “Daddy and I love each other! Why wouldn’t we–

“Because you’re old,” Callie shouted. “Ewww! Just, ewww!”

Viviana laughed. She remembered thinking the same thing about her own parents.

“When you’re my age, which ISN’T that old FYI, and you have a husband whom you love, we’ll see what age you think is appropriate to stop spending time together in that way.

“Speaking of woo hoo,” Viviana continued, “your birthday is coming up soon, and we haven’t–

“It’s ok, mother…they tell us this stuff in school now.”

“I know, but I have a bit of perspective I’d like to throw in.”

“Oh no…”

“Have I ever told you about how me and daddy met?”

“No,” Callie said flatly.

“I was fresh out of high school, and I had just moved to town. I wanted to get as far away from my parents as possible. It had always been my dream to compete in and win a body building competition. I was as thin as you, and everyone laughed at me and told me I would never win if even got to compete. I never gave up though. Anyway, when I got here, I started hanging out at the gym. I didn’t really know what I was doing, and I wanted to find a good trainer that understood what I was trying to do and would actually help. I saw your dad there, and I thought he was so gorgeous. He wasn’t even a trainer then, but he was so helpful to everyone and definitely on his way to becoming who he is now. Anyway, needless to say, I developed a little crush on him.”

“Just because he was cute?”

“No! I observed him, and I saw that he had character. I thought he was sweet, and I wanted to get to know him but I didn’t know how. I was afraid to approach him.”

“Why?”

“Because…I don’t know! I liked him so much, and he was like…like a celebrity or something. I didn’t want to get rejected. Besides, he had a reputation around the gym as a ladies’ man. At first, I didn’t like that because it didn’t match the image I had of him in my mind. I would hear the other girls talk about their rendezvous with him in the locker room, and…I’m not gonna lie…I began to want a rendezvous too. At least that was the only way I could muster up the courage to approach him. He was certified by then and was taking clients out of his house. So, the next time I saw him at the gym, I asked him about becoming a client and he invited me over. Things didn’t happen right away, but we were romantically involved very quickly.”

“So…you and daddy were together together before you got married?”

“Yes, we were. Do you think that’s bad?”

“I don’t know. Aunt Alayna says it is.”

“And that’s totally fine. I can see value in waiting, but it just didn’t happen that way for me. Whatever you decide is right for you is fine with me, but that’s kinda why I’m telling you this. We–women–possess great power when it comes to men. Some women wield it like a weapon, slaying every man who comes in sight. Some women learn to tame it. Some women, like me, use it like a defense mechanism. I was afraid to talk to him, so I used my power to get to your dad, but I didn’t need to. I know that now. I don’t want you to misappropriate that power by using your body to get to or control a man. See, I was in competition with all the other ones, and for a while, he was having fun with all of us. But I kept coming back to him. All the others wanted was a stamp in their passport that said been there done that. But, I didn’t want that. I wanted the man that I knew he really was…the father whom you know now. I saw that he was more than a string of one night stands. And that’s what I’m saying to you. If you think a man is special, and you want to get to know him, go for it! Don’t be afraid. Be different from anyone he’s ever met. Don’t feel like you have to sleep with him to get his attention. If you want to, that’s different–and just be careful–but don’t feel like you have to and don’t let him pressure you! I don’t regret how me and daddy got started, but I’m older and wiser now and can see how I could have done things differently.”

“So, you’re ok with woo hoo before marriage…”

“I mean, even if I’m not, I’m not in a position to frown upon it. I did it! What do you think, Callie?”

“Well, from observing you and daddy, and Aunt Alayna and Uncle Roland, and all the kids in school who are in relationships, I think it would be prudent to delay the joining process until one has found someone worthy of joining to married or unmarried.”

“I’m glad you think so! And I agree. If you choose to be unmarried, it should be a calculated risk. There’s always the possibility of getting pregnant, so you have that to think about as well. You’re a very beautiful girl, Callie. I can imagine that you’ll have a lot of admirers so…just be careful and remember what I said.”

“I will. Gee, mother…I didn’t know any of this about you! You and daddy are just so perfect, I thought it had always been that way. You were kind of a bad girl!”

“Child…there is a bad girl inside of all of us! Even you. How do you think we keep having all these children?”

“Ok, ok, I get it!”

“That’s right, Callie. Keep being grossed out by woo hoo, he he he. Don’t open that door until it’s time. But once it’s open, you won’t want to clooooose iiiiiit,” Viviana sang.

“OH. DEAR. WATCHER!”

Later that evening, when Viviana arrived home from work, she sat in the kitchen and had a bite to eat as she took a moment to breathe. Studying for the board exam was really tough, and being pregnant was going to make it tougher, but she was almost at the finish line and needed to press through these last few days of studying.

Julian came in from christening the new hot tub and joined Viviana for dinner.

“Hey mom,” he said from the refridgerator.

He got a plate of leftover breakfast scramble and put it in the microwave.

“Hi, Julian. You’ve been in the hot tub?”

“Oh yeeeeah. It’s nice! You and dad should try it out sometime.”

“We’ll do that.”

He took his plate out of the microwave and joined his mother at the table.

“Jumping freezer bunnies! Ummmm…is there…more of you than usual, mom?”

“Yes, son,” she laughed.

“You’re pregnant??”

“Yes! Does that make you uncomfortable?”

“Yeah, a little, actually. I mean, I’m 21. It’s weird to know that I’m about to have a baby brother or sister.”

“I understand. It’s a bit of a shock to me too, but…it’ll be nice to have a baby in the house again…

“…and if you and Jeannette have a baby, my grandchild and my new child can play together! Wouldn’t that be cool?”

“…what?!”