Softly at Sunrise

Chapter 3

Rachel paced the confines of the living room, the wait for Rusty to return an eternity. She checked her watch and then looked anxiously out the window. She didn’t expect Ethan for a while yet. The compound was across the lake, and he’d no doubt get sidetracked talking to his brothers before they made their way back over. But Marlene could show up at any time, and while Rachel loved her dearly, she wasn’t ready to tell anyone of her suspicion yet. The last thing she wanted was to build anyone’s hopes only for it to be a false alarm.

And she didn’t want the inevitable questions and concerns that would surely accompany the knowledge that she and Ethan were trying for a baby. For now it was their own precious secret. Only now Rusty knew, and Rachel hoped that Rusty would keep it in confidence.

Her pulse bounded when she heard a vehicle in the drive. Her gaze jerked to the window, and she sagged in relief when she saw it was Rusty’s Jeep.

A moment later, Rusty hurried in the door with a plain, brown paper sack in her hand.

“I bought two,” she said as she began pulling one out of the bag. “I figured it would be better to take two no matter what the first result is, just to make sure.”

Rachel smiled and hugged Rusty tight. “Thank you. I appreciate you doing this for me.”

Rusty pulled carefully away, her eyes dark with concern. “Is this a good thing or a bad thing, Rachel? I mean if you’re pregnant.”

“It would be a very good thing,” Rachel said in a low voice.

Rusty smiled. “Then I’ll cross fingers and toes the test is positive. You better hurry, though, if you don’t want the entire world to know. If Marlene shows up and finds you peeing on a stick, the entire family will be gathered in short order.”

Rachel laughed but took the box from Rusty and hurried toward the bathroom. “You be my lookout,” she called back.

“I’ll guard the door,” Rusty said in an amused voice from just outside the bathroom.

Rachel’s hands shook as she hastily tore into the box. They were shaking so badly that she nearly dropped the stick once she freed it from the packaging.

After reading the instructions twice to make sure she did everything accordingly, she forced herself to calm down and focus on the task at hand.

And then, so she wouldn’t drive herself crazy waiting for the first test’s results, she squeezed out just enough to go ahead and take the second test.

She straightened her clothing, washed her hands, and then checked her watch, all while avoiding the little indicator windows on the sticks lying on the counter.

Then she looked.

“Rachel?”

At first she didn’t respond.

“Rachel, is everything okay in there? It’s awfully quiet.”

“Y-you can come in,” Rachel managed to get out.

The door opened, and Rusty stuck her head in and then looked down at what Rachel was obviously staring at.

“They’re both positive,” Rachel murmured.

Then she looked up at Rusty, a rush of fear, excitement, and pure adrenaline pumping through her veins.

Rusty smiled. “That’s good, right?”

“It’s wonderful,” Rachel breathed.

Tears filled her eyes, and then Rusty was hugging her, holding on tight as Rachel fought the wave of emotion engulfing her.

“Congratulations,” Rusty said in a fierce voice. “I’m happy for you, Rachel.”

“Thank you,” Rachel said, giving her a watery smile as she pulled away.

Rusty shook her head and made a tsking sound. “You so better get rid of the watery, red eyes before Mama Kelly gets here. She’ll be on you faster than a duck on a junebug. I’m assuming you want to tell Ethan before the rest of the family.”

Rachel grabbed a washcloth and ran cold water over it. “Yes, of course I do. I appreciate you keeping it secret, Rusty. It’s such a shock. I mean, it’s not completely unexpected. I certainly knew it was possible. It’s just that I never imagined it would happen so fast. I figured with everything that’s happened, that it could be months or even years after we started trying before I got pregnant. I want some time to get used to it myself, and I want to be able to tell Ethan at the perfect moment before we tell everyone else.”

She wrung out the washcloth and pressed it to her eyes and face. When she pulled it down, she grimaced.

“There’s also the fact that I miscarried once before, so I don’t think it’s wise to bust out with the news until a little further along in the pregnancy.”

Rusty’s face wrinkled in sympathy. “I’m sure you’ll be just fine this time. You know the family will close ranks around you. You’ll be fortunate if they let you lift a finger at all.”

Rachel bunched up her nose. “Ugh. Ethan was already not happy about me going back to work. He’ll really flip out now.”

Rusty’s soft chuckle echoed through the bathroom. “I’m sure you’ll straighten him out in no time. It’s not like you don’t have him wrapped around your little finger.”

Rachel grinned, and then a giddy rush fizzled through her veins much like a shaken up soda.

“Oh my God, Rusty, I’m pregnant!”

She wanted to do something ridiculous like squeal and twirl around in circles.

“Yay!” Rusty shouted.

She grabbed Rachel’s hands, and they both jumped up and down like little girls skipping rope. Rachel dissolved into laughter, and then Rusty joined her.

“Hello? Rachel? Rusty? Are y’all here?”

“Oh crap, it’s Marlene!” Rachel whispered.

Rusty clamped her lips shut and made a show of zipping them and then winked at Rachel. Rachel impulsively hugged the other girl and squeezed her in gratitude.

“Thank you,” she whispered urgently in her ear.

“No problem,” Rusty whispered back. “Now let’s go see what Mama Kelly brought us to eat.”

The evening was a flurry of activity. Marlene had come, and as Ethan had predicted, had brought enough food to feed an Army. Or at least the majority of the Kelly clan.

Ethan showed up not long after with all his brothers in tow, plus Swanny, a family friend and member of KGI, and Ethan’s dad, Frank Kelly, as well. Not that anyone was going to allow Frank to do anything, but he could organize and oversee at will.

He’d had a heart attack a few years earlier, and it was still very much on the minds of all the family members. The mere idea of losing him had them all in terror.

Though Rachel packed her share of boxes, Rusty always stepped in, making sure she never lifted anything too heavy. Rachel could hardly contain her smile. Rusty was already acting fiercely protective of Rachel, knowing she was pregnant, even though she never let on so much as a hint that she was objecting to Rachel carrying anything heavy.

“How was your first day, sweetness?” Garrett asked as he pulled Rachel into a hug.

She returned the hug and squeezed him tightly. Garrett had always been one of her favorites. He’d been there during her first miscarriage, and he’d been a steadfast friend and shoulder to lean on during her return and recovery.

“It was great. I was terrified and nervous, but it went so well. The kids were terrific. There were several teachers still there from when I taught before, and they all welcomed me back. It was really nice. I loved it.”

Garrett smiled and ruffled her hair. “That’s wonderful. Glad to hear you sounding so happy.”

“Hey Garrett, more working and less talking,” Sam called from across the room.

Garrett rolled his eyes but let his arm drop from Rachel’s shoulders and ambled toward his brothers.

Rachel smiled as she took in the big, noisy Kelly family. Ethan was right in the middle with three older brothers and two younger brothers. Sam was the oldest. Garrett was a year younger. Then there was Donovan, or Van as most of the family called him. Then Ethan and then the twins, Nathan and Joe.

Of the six, four were married. Only Donovan and Joe hadn’t settled down yet and were showing no signs of doing so. Rachel wasn’t even sure they had a steady woman in their lives. They were so busy with KGI that it didn’t leave them a whole lot of free time, and what time they did get was usually spent with the family.

She placed a hand over her belly, a flutter of excitement deep in her stomach. So far, Sam and his wife, Sophie, were the only ones who’d had a child. Charlotte. An adorable toddler who was doted on by every single member of the family.

Garrett and his wife, Sarah, had only just married as had Nathan and his wife, Shea, and neither couple had voiced any desire to start a family yet.

Of them all, she and Ethan had been together the longest. She often wondered if she hadn’t miscarried their first child how different their lives would be. Perhaps Ethan would have never left his SEAL team. Maybe he’d even now still be in the Navy. Maybe she wouldn’t have gone on the mercy mission to South America. At the time, she’d done it as much to escape the awful reality of her marriage as she had for the cause it supported.

Losing their baby had been the catalyst for so many things. It was foolish to play the what-if game, but she couldn’t help but wonder how different things might have been if only…

“Everything okay, Rachel?”

She blinked and looked up to see Joe standing in front of her, his eyes dark with concern. Then she glanced rapidly around, hoping that she hadn’t attracted attention from the others. To her relief they were too busy loading furniture onto the truck.

“Everything’s fine,” she said with a genuine smile.

And it wasn’t a lie. Everything was okay. More than okay. Maybe even perfect.

He smiled, relief edging out the worry on his face.

“Time for dinner break,” Marlene called from the kitchen she’d been packing up just moments earlier.

There was a whoop from her sons, and Rachel stood back, enjoying the very normal way of life in the Kelly family. Lots of love, unconditional support, always a helping hand, and plenty of food, thanks to Mama Kelly.

It was a family she’d bring a son or daughter into, and she couldn’t wait. How fortunate her child would be to grow up under the umbrella of so much love and loyalty.

Ethan walked up to her, sliding his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him.

“Hey, you hungry? Let’s go grab something to eat before the hyenas get it all.”

Rachel laughed, allowing some of the bubbling joy to surge right out of her soul. She caught Rusty’s grin from across the room and shared a secret smile with the other girl.

She let Ethan lead her toward the kitchen as she dreamed of the perfect way to tell him he was going to be a father.