Chapter 1 July, 2001 Stella put the last cupcake topper on the cupcake she was holding. Putting the cupcake down next to the other nineteen cupcakes, she stood up and placed the crystal serving tray on the kitchen island. Stepping back, she glanced around and admired the newly remodeled kitchen. She loved the way Analise’s mother had decorated the kitchen years ago, but she had to admit the changes Analise made were refreshing. The white walls, white cabinets and stainless steel appliances gave the room a modern look. Analise had topped it all off with trimming the room in red, then added a red accent wall to the side of the room where the French doors led out onto the deck. Pulling herself back from her musings, she left the kitchen and headed upstairs to get ready for the baby shower. If she hurried she could be done before any of the guests arrived. She finished her shower in no time. Sitting at her vanity she brushed out her shoulder length brown hair. At forty-four years, old, she was still an attractive woman. She knew this but she also knew that her age was starting to show with the small lines now accenting her green eyes. She never thought of herself as a vain person. In fact, she had been raised to avoid anything that resembled vanity. Despite this she always took care to apply just the right amount of make-up to reduce the appearance of those pesky fine lines. Hearing the knock at the door, she ran the brush through her hair one last time. Opening the door, she was grateful to see that it was Analise’s three friends from San Antonio and not the ladies from the country club. She was not ready to deal with them women just yet. In fact, she had thought seriously on not inviting them. However, for Analise’s sake she invited them. Ushering the three women into the house, she pointed toward the living room. “You can sit the gifts right over there on that table. I brought it in for that reason. With the high back chair, right there, Analise can sit there and someone can hand her the gifts.” Stella told them. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. How is she holding up?” Elle asked. “She probably looks like a beached whale by now,” Meredith offered. “She is holding up really good. In fact, she has barely gained any weight. First pregnancy and all it is expected that she would stay small longer.” Stella told them. “By the way, where is she?” Suzy asked as she unloaded her arms of the gifts she was carrying. “Matt took her and the baby into town for lunch. That allowed me to finish everything up and hopefully all the guests to arrive before they get back.” “I was not too shocked when she told me that she wanted to adopt that baby. I remember how she acted after I told her that the baby’s momma died during surgery. We sure do miss her at the hospital,” Elle said. “Analise adores that little boy. Matt sure did jump right into fatherhood with that baby. Too watch the two of them you would never know the little boy was not biologically their own.” Stella said as she straightened the food on the buffet table. “At some point, little Matthew and the new baby will look like twins. After all they will only be around 8 or 9 months apart. It will be sweet because they will have each other to play with. There is an upside to twins.” Suzy commented. Her hand went to her stomach. Stella did not miss the other woman’s tone or actions. “You’re pregnant!” “How did you know? I was waiting to tell anyone,” The other two women began to talk at once. Stella was caught up in the moment and even hugged the other woman. Suzy was a good person and Stella wanted her to have the happiness she deserved. The knock at the door pulled her away from the other women. In no time, all the guests had arrived and were conversing while waiting on their guest of honor. *** Noise from the doorway had Stella looking, she spotted Matt and Analise coming into the room. Smiling she made her way over too them. “The guest of honor has arrived.” “Stella look at all this. Everything looks perfect.” Analise hugged Stella. Pulling back from the hug, Stella moved out and took the little boy from Matt. As they made their way into the room for Analise and Matt to greet the guests, Stella snuggled the little boy close. Kissing his cheeks, she placed him into his baby swing. A press of the button and the baby was content to swing away while the grown-ups visited. The baby shower went along smoothly as they played various baby shower games. During this time the ladies all made quick work of the appetizers on the buffet table. Stella had always found that when she set up food for any party, there was never very much left over. It was an ego boost to know that everyone enjoyed her food so much. When it was time to open the gifts, Stella had Analise sit in the chair by the gift table. Stella had offered to let Matt hand the gifts to his wife. Matt however, declined and was happy to sit away from the women and just observe. So Stella stood next to Analise and passed her the gifts one at a time. The gifts Analise had received so far were lovely items fit for any little baby princess. Everyone had gone all out on their gift shopping and appeared to be having a good time today. Even baby Matthew sat contently in his baby swing. Handing another gift bag to Analise, Stella found her mind wandering. To another time, another baby shower. “Emma, open this one,” Lacey said. She held up a small box neatly wrapped in baby blue wrapping paper. “If I know you Lacey, this is going to be good.” Emma said. Opening the box, Emma pulled out a pair of white high-top baby shoes. “For when he is old enough to start walking. You want his ankles supported,” Lacey told her. “This are really nice, Lacey. Thank You.” The other women present agreed that Lacey was right. She needed to make sure that her son’s ankles were supported. Always make sure he has high tops on when he is walking. Lacey, passed Emma another gift. Inside, Emma found baby socks and one piece body suits. Stella was pulled away from her musings by the sounds of baby Matthew crying. Before she could get to the little boy, his daddy grabbed him up. Matt settled down in one of the chairs to feed Matthew. Stella started to hand another gift to Analise. “Really Analise, why do you insist on doing this. You really need to hire a nanny,” Nancy Peters said. “Matt and I both agreed that we would raise our children hands on. No nannies.” Analise informed her. “Well I understand the raising of your children hands on, but Analise seriously that is not your child. That is some ethnic charity case. So, hire the nanny and let her tend that boy.” “Mrs. Peters, that boy is not a charity case. He is my son.” “I honestly think she just needs to send him back to Mexico, where he belongs,” Grace Jenkins said. “He was born in the United States, he is a U.S. citizen.” Stella informed the women. “Well I can tell you right now Analise, that boy will grow up and kill Matt and you. Poor Stella here is the hired help and would probably end up getting the blame.” Grace Jenkins continued. “Get of my house! Right now!” Analise was standing in front of the three former friends of her mother. “Why I have never in my life!” Nancy Peters huffed. “Yes, I know that you have probably never ever anything in your life. So, take your never ever butt out of my house!” “Analise, you can consider yourself unwelcome at the country club. I will personally see you and Matt are removed from the membership.” With that all three women marched out of the room. “Oh my, what have I done?” Analise turned to face Stella. “You did what any mother would have done when someone insulted their child.” Stella smiled at her. Stella turned when she heard Analise’s three best friends begin to laugh. Looking over at Matt she saw him smiling at his wife. There was even a bemused expression on Savannah’s face. If she was lucky she would never have to deal with anymore of those snobbish country club women again. With Analise’s outburst, she felt luck was surely on her side in that area.
July, 2001
Stella put the last cupcake topper on the cupcake she was holding. Putting the cupcake down next to the other nineteen cupcakes, she stood up and placed the crystal serving tray on the kitchen island. Stepping back, she glanced around and admired the newly remodeled kitchen. She loved the way Analise’s mother had decorated the kitchen years ago, but she had to admit the changes Analise made were refreshing. The white walls, white cabinets and stainless steel appliances gave the room a modern look. Analise had topped it all off with trimming the room in red, then added a red accent wall to the side of the room where the French doors led out onto the deck. Pulling herself back from her musings, she left the kitchen and headed upstairs to get ready for the baby shower. If she hurried she could be done before any of the guests arrived.
She finished her shower in no time. Sitting at her vanity she brushed out her shoulder length brown hair. At forty-four years, old, she was still an attractive woman. She knew this but she also knew that her age was starting to show with the small lines now accenting her green eyes. She never thought of herself as a vain person. In fact, she had been raised to avoid anything that resembled vanity. Despite this she always took care to apply just the right amount of make-up to reduce the appearance of those pesky fine lines. Hearing the knock at the door, she ran the brush through her hair one last time.
Opening the door, she was grateful to see that it was Analise’s three friends from San Antonio and not the ladies from the country club. She was not ready to deal with them women just yet. In fact, she had thought seriously on not inviting them. However, for Analise’s sake she invited them. Ushering the three women into the house, she pointed toward the living room.
“You can sit the gifts right over there on that table. I brought it in for that reason. With the high back chair, right there, Analise can sit there and someone can hand her the gifts.” Stella told them.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea. How is she holding up?” Elle asked.
“She probably looks like a beached whale by now,” Meredith offered.
“She is holding up really good. In fact, she has barely gained any weight. First pregnancy and all it is expected that she would stay small longer.” Stella told them.
“By the way, where is she?” Suzy asked as she unloaded her arms of the gifts she was carrying.
“Matt took her and the baby into town for lunch. That allowed me to finish everything up and hopefully all the guests to arrive before they get back.”
“I was not too shocked when she told me that she wanted to adopt that baby. I remember how she acted after I told her that the baby’s momma died during surgery. We sure do miss her at the hospital,” Elle said.
“Analise adores that little boy. Matt sure did jump right into fatherhood with that baby. Too watch the two of them you would never know the little boy was not biologically their own.” Stella said as she straightened the food on the buffet table.
“At some point, little Matthew and the new baby will look like twins. After all they will only be around 8 or 9 months apart. It will be sweet because they will have each other to play with. There is an upside to twins.” Suzy commented. Her hand went to her stomach.
Stella did not miss the other woman’s tone or actions. “You’re pregnant!”
“How did you know? I was waiting to tell anyone,”
The other two women began to talk at once. Stella was caught up in the moment and even hugged the other woman. Suzy was a good person and Stella wanted her to have the happiness she deserved. The knock at the door pulled her away from the other women. In no time, all the guests had arrived and were conversing while waiting on their guest of honor.
***
Noise from the doorway had Stella looking, she spotted Matt and Analise coming into the room. Smiling she made her way over too them. “The guest of honor has arrived.”
“Stella look at all this. Everything looks perfect.” Analise hugged Stella.
Pulling back from the hug, Stella moved out and took the little boy from Matt. As they made their way into the room for Analise and Matt to greet the guests, Stella snuggled the little boy close. Kissing his cheeks, she placed him into his baby swing. A press of the button and the baby was content to swing away while the grown-ups visited.
The baby shower went along smoothly as they played various baby shower games. During this time the ladies all made quick work of the appetizers on the buffet table. Stella had always found that when she set up food for any party, there was never very much left over. It was an ego boost to know that everyone enjoyed her food so much.
When it was time to open the gifts, Stella had Analise sit in the chair by the gift table. Stella had offered to let Matt hand the gifts to his wife. Matt however, declined and was happy to sit away from the women and just observe. So Stella stood next to Analise and passed her the gifts one at a time. The gifts Analise had received so far were lovely items fit for any little baby princess. Everyone had gone all out on their gift shopping and appeared to be having a good time today. Even baby Matthew sat contently in his baby swing. Handing another gift bag to Analise, Stella found her mind wandering. To another time, another baby shower.
“Emma, open this one,” Lacey said. She held up a small box neatly wrapped in baby blue wrapping paper.
“If I know you Lacey, this is going to be good.” Emma said. Opening the box, Emma pulled out a pair of white high-top baby shoes.
“For when he is old enough to start walking. You want his ankles supported,” Lacey told her.
“This are really nice, Lacey. Thank You.”
The other women present agreed that Lacey was right. She needed to make sure that her son’s ankles were supported. Always make sure he has high tops on when he is walking. Lacey, passed Emma another gift. Inside, Emma found baby socks and one piece body suits.
Stella was pulled away from her musings by the sounds of baby Matthew crying. Before she could get to the little boy, his daddy grabbed him up. Matt settled down in one of the chairs to feed Matthew. Stella started to hand another gift to Analise.
“Really Analise, why do you insist on doing this. You really need to hire a nanny,” Nancy Peters said.
“Matt and I both agreed that we would raise our children hands on. No nannies.” Analise informed her.
“Well I understand the raising of your children hands on, but Analise seriously that is not your child. That is some ethnic charity case. So, hire the nanny and let her tend that boy.”
“Mrs. Peters, that boy is not a charity case. He is my son.”
“I honestly think she just needs to send him back to Mexico, where he belongs,” Grace Jenkins said.
“He was born in the United States, he is a U.S. citizen.” Stella informed the women.
“Well I can tell you right now Analise, that boy will grow up and kill Matt and you. Poor Stella here is the hired help and would probably end up getting the blame.” Grace Jenkins continued.
“Get of my house! Right now!” Analise was standing in front of the three former friends of her mother.
“Why I have never in my life!” Nancy Peters huffed.
“Yes, I know that you have probably never ever anything in your life. So, take your never ever butt out of my house!”
“Analise, you can consider yourself unwelcome at the country club. I will personally see you and Matt are removed from the membership.” With that all three women marched out of the room.
“Oh my, what have I done?” Analise turned to face Stella.
“You did what any mother would have done when someone insulted their child.” Stella smiled at her.
Stella turned when she heard Analise’s three best friends begin to laugh. Looking over at Matt she saw him smiling at his wife. There was even a bemused expression on Savannah’s face. If she was lucky she would never have to deal with anymore of those snobbish country club women again. With Analise’s outburst, she felt luck was surely on her side in that area.