Chapter One

Sara and Adam met in high school, he was a junior and she a sophomore, he tutored her when her grades were slacking, and she fell for his beautiful personality. She was a cheerleader and he was a loner, at first her friends thought he was just a pity date, but when their relationship lasted a year they became the schools most popular couple. They were both of average height. He had curly blonde hair which fell to his wire framed glasses that framed his blue eyes. His face wasn’t beautiful, but interesting. He had sharp cheek bones and a strongly dominating chin which jutted out and a large thin nose. His pale skin was the color of fresh squeezed milk, and he was a very quiet guy. Sara was like night and day to him, she had sun kissed skin, which always seemed to glow, golden-brown hair which she commonly wore half back and tied with a ribbon. She had hazel eyes that seemed to soak in everything she saw. Her lips were large and pouted a bit but they seemed to fit her face perfectly. Her athletic body was very appealing to everyone, and when she started flirtations with Adam he thought she was just messing with him. Soon, though, they were both very much in love with one and other.
He waited for her to graduate before going off to college, and it came to no one’s surprise that after graduating from college, they were married with a quiet ceremony of only close friends in a very small church. They spent their honeymoon at a local resort on the beach, sunbathing and relaxing, now it was time to start their lives as man and wife.





"Oh the house is beautiful," Sara was heard saying to her new husband on the day they closed on the house and were moving in. They had furnishings, since they had been living in an off campus house together for the past year, but they were sparse. They had jobs, a bit of money saved, and their whole lives a head of them.
"Not as beautiful as you darling," Adam replied as he whisked her up over the threshold of their new home. It was your typical suburban house, in your typical suburban neighbor hood. The two story, white sided, house was constructed the generation before them and its age allowed the newly married fresh out of collage couple to get into it with mortgage payments they could both afford, despite its close proximity to the beach. It felt whimsical to the young lady, because of the simple green door and the windows which matched it with their green frames and shutters. The roof was also shingled in green, it was pretty since the white of the siding was so white. She couldn't have been happier about it. The house was situated in the middle of a modest yet roomy yard, fenced in with what else, white picket fencing. It was small; two bedrooms, one bath an eat in kitchen, den upstairs, and an unfinished garage. There wouldn’t be room for much, though that didn’t matter to them at the time. There was just a tree in the front yard and patches of dead grass all around the lawn but the couple would soon fix that problem. The cabinets needed updating, possibly the floors needed redone, but it was theirs.
After the movers dropped off their furnishings from their college home, Sara busily set out to get things the way she wanted, as her husband went through the house with a pad and pen to write a list of things that would need to be done to make it a home, supplies needed and such. They were so happy things couldn't have been better for them even if someone gave them all the money in the world, they wouldn't have been happier than they were at that moment.
She was to be an English teacher, she'd start that August. He had an entry level position at a small law firm open for him to start the following week. Their salaries were meager, but they could afford all of their bills. They were doing things right, they'd live within their budget unlike their parents did.
They had big plans and intended to see them through.




Years later, Sarah found herself pregnant in the late fall. Adam was smitten that he was to be a father. He was now higher in the company with an office and an assistant of his own, and couldn't wait to be a dad to the child he shared with the woman he loved.
"I want to stay at home with him or her," Sara told him.
"Of course, I would have it no other way," Adam held her hand over the table while they waited for their order in the restaurant they celebrated their good news in.
"I'll finish out the year, I should be due during the summer anyways, and it would be unfair to my students."
"Yes, they need you now. You are such a great teacher, Sara. I love you."
"I love you too, Adam."

They spent that evening loving each other. A couple married three years, about to approach parenthood for the first time.



At the end of that year, Adam was promoted again, close to getting the partnership he dreamed of almost as much as the unborn child nestled in his wife's womb. Life was great for the couple. They celebrated this news as they did the news of the news of the baby. The same way they celebrated any great accomplishment in their lives. It may have been boring to some, but to them it was comfort. Sara was growing with the life in her belly and glowing as they danced in the dimly lit restaurant. You could see the happiness all over both of their faces. They ate lobster and drank sparkling wine, only one glass for the mother to be. They came together that night as they did most nights as this fire didn't fade with time.





"Its a boy!" the doctor proclaimed. The new parents wanted to be surprised. Sara wept, Adam's smile grew. He held his new born baby boy, freshly cleaned of the muck that all babies are born covered in and put in a tiny diaper. He had his father’s green eyes and his mother’s complexion. His bald head gave no sign of the color of his hair, but his eyebrows gave the new parents the impression that he would inherit his mother’s brown hair.
"It's a boy, Sara." He repeated, as if she did not hear the first time. She lay in her hospital bed, tired from the twenty hours of labor she just went through. The pain she felt through the delivery process forgotten, the love welled in her heart. She held out her arms for the baby, and dad passed him to mom.
"What should we name him, Adam?" she inquired.
"I like Xavier."
She smiled, "Yes, I like that name." She looked down at her baby. "Hello, Xavier, welcome to the world it is nice to meet you," the baby eyed her. "I think he likes it," she told her husband.

They brought the baby back home three days later.



"He's walking!" Sara exclaimed to her husband as he came through the door.
"He's wal-really? He's walking, my little man is walking?" He scooped the toddler up in the air. "My little man is growing up way to fast on me." He told Xavier. He kissed his wife then set the newly walking Xavier on the floor, "Take a few steps for daddy." The boy got up on his wobbly two legs and walked three steps before falling on his bottom. The parents chuckled.
"So what other great news do I get?" He asked his wife.
She stuck her tongue into the side of her cheek pondering before she spoke, "Well today was pretty normal except the steps our little boy did. We ran errands this morning, didn't we baby?" She looked down at Xavier who was sitting at her legs with his arms up wanting to be held. She picked him up, "We went to the store and bought groceries, We'll have ribs for dinner, then we paid the bills. He took his nap after we came home and then we had lunch. When I set him down to play with his blocks he got up and walked over to them instead of crawling as he usually did. I was so ecstatic. I'm so happy I decided to stay at home with him, but I do miss working. How was your day?"
"Well, pretty boring, I have a light case load. I'm working on a divorce case simple matter, there was a prenup. Its sad, I don't understand why people marry if it will just result in divorce. They probably could work things out its over something petty, but they were never in love." He sighed, brushed a hand over his wife’s cheek. "I have a little research to do for another case, but that can wait for another day." He took the baby from Sara. "I want to play with this little guy for a bit, while you start dinner." He pecked a kiss on her cheek and walked the baby to his play room.


Sara walked to the kitchen and pulled the ribs out of their marinade from the refrigerator. She took out her special rub for them and gently massaged it into the meat.
As she worked on the ribs, Adam played with Xavier in the play room, the boy busily drew and dad sat by and watched, "Are you going to be an artist?" he asked.




"Art!" Xavier cooed as he scribbled on the paper. The drawing was no genius, but to a parent any thing their child creates is art. Adam ran his hand down the boy's back as he studied the drawing. He was so proud of his family, what they've accomplished. Two cars, a nice home, the landscaping was coming along nicely, with lots of sweat and love poured into it by himself and his wife, they had a beautiful baby boy, life at this point was perfect and would only get better, he knew it.
"Dinner's ready!" came the call from the kitchen.
"Hey X, din din's ready, lets eat."
"Num num." Xavier shouted as he sat back from his drawing and reached up to his daddy.
They walked into the kitchen, the smell of the ribs a trail all the way from the hall, "Dinner smells great, hon." he said over his shoulder as he placed Xavier in the high chair, "It always does."
"Why thank you, sit-eat." She placed a bowl of dinner in front of Xavier and sat across the small table from her husband.


Half way through the meal, "I want more kids," Adam announced.
"Me too, I almost said the same words to you when I was telling you about X walking." The baby giggled at his nick-name. "I just wasn't sure if you were as ready as me. I'm glad."
Adam grabbed his wife's hand, kissed it and placed it back on the table. "We'll work on it tonight," he winked at her.
"Well you know its not as simple as that. It could take months, even years because of the birth control I've been on." She glanced at the gleam in his eye, "It won't hurt to start trying though." A giggle escaped her lips as he reached over to her hand once more and started nibbling on her wrist.
"Dada no no." Xavier scolded, thinking his daddy was hurting his momma.
"Oh X, its ok, I would never hurt your mother." He ruffled the boys hair, "Eat up, Champ you need a bath before bed."



It did take years before the couple found themselves with child once more. A hardship at first, but the couple figured that nothing was not to happen before it was meant to be. Xavier was already in his second year of school when Sara found out the good news. Again a celebration was to take place, this one a little more kid friendly then their last major celebration. Pizza. Sara decided to order it in, she was setting the table with festive settings when Xavier came in from his play date with their neighbor.
"Mom, what's going on?" he asked, "Is it my birthday?"
"No, hon." she laughed, a nice belly laugh that hadn't been heard in the house often enough since she and Adam started trying for a child again, "I have a surprise for you and dad. Go wash up he'll be home soon. I ordered pizza."
"No onions right?" Xavier hated onions like most kids...but his passion was so deep Sara wasn't even able to sneak the tiniest bit of onion into anything in the years he taken to hating them.
"No, pepperoni your favorite. Now go." She waved him off as she finished preparing. She was particular about little, but at the same time everything she did had to be perfect. She stepped back from her work once she was finished, "This'll do," she muttered to herself. She heard the car door shut and ran to the bedroom to change and freshen up.


"Honey, I'm home."


Adam announced as he walked in through the garage door. He noticed the dining room's decorations and wondered what was up, but decided he'd find out. He searched his memory for a minute to make sure he wasn't forgetting a special day, but being unlike him he realized that there was nothing he'd forgotten. He made his way up the stairs, knowing that she'd be there, since she didn't greet him at the door as he normally did. He got to their bedroom door as she was walking out.
She kissed him on the cheek, "How was your day?" she asked innocently.
He cocked an eyebrow, "Same old same old, and yours, love?"
"Well, you know," she brushed a hair away from her face, "X had a play date, I ordered pizza for dinner. I have some news."
"Yeah, I figured something was up," he slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her deeply.


"Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww," came out of Xavier who was just walking out of his room after changing out of his play clothes. "Stop that guys."
They broke from the kiss and turned toward their son, "This is a natural thing son, one day I hope you find a woman who you can't resist kissing every time you're near her," Adam informed his son.

When the doorbell rang Xavier was grateful for the interruption. "I'll get it." he told his parents.
The family migrated to the dining room. Xavier placed the pizza on the counter and sat down, "So, mom, what's the big deal?"
A huge smile crossed her face, "You, my boy, are going to be a big brother!"


"That is fabulous news, Sara." Adam stated, "It deserves a lot more of a celebration than pizza and balloons, not that this isn't great too." He stood up and grabbed his wife up and pulled her into a loving embrace, he kissed her cheeks her nose her forehead, and landed a noisy kiss on her mouth.
Xavier was still silent to this point, wondering how this news would affect him, but the kiss triggered a grunt, followed by, "I guess that's good news, right? You guys look like your happy about it, so yay."
"Well don't be so enthusiastic about it, son." Sara replied to the remark, "I didn't expect you to be that excited about it just yet anyways. Wait until my stomach starts growing then' you'll be a bit more into it."
"Why's your tummy going to grow, mom?"
Adam looked at his wife and then his son before looking back to his wife, "Dear, I think its time we explain a bit of the birds and the bees to our big brother here." He sat down next to Xavier and told him the science of pregnancy, leaving out the tid-bits the child was too young for at this point.
After he was done, Xavier was shocked and sat there dumbfounded with his jaw near the floor. He at his pizza in silence. After he was finished he quietly excused himself and left for his room.

Sara and Adam were silent for a moment, just gazing at each other when it occurred to Adam that they’d be needing more room if they intended to have another baby, “Sara, where do you suppose we’ll be putting the baby once he or she comes?”
“Well, I hadn’t thought about that,” she covered her mouth to giggle, she knew they could afford a larger mortgage but she didn‘t want to part with this house.
“I guess we should start looking for a new place,” he suggested, “It’ll be kind of hard to let our first home go, but we can’t live in a cramped house, and I don’t think either of us have time to watch over a remodeling project.”
“We’ll just talk about it later,” she replied. She didn’t want to let this house go, she loved it so much, but she knew he was right. She sighed, “We’ll have to talk with Xavier about it, I’m sure as long as he goes to the same school, he’ll be fine with it but it is quite hard to part with this place.”
“I agree, we’ll sleep on it and think more about it in the morning.”






“I found it,” Sara proclaimed, in her sixth month of pregnancy she waddled when she walked, Adam found it cute and wished he could keep her pregnant forever.
“What did you find dear?” He asked walking over to pat her stomach as he was doing habitually since the baby started kicking her mother.
“Well, a new house silly, come see,” She pulled on his hand and led him up to their bedroom computer.
Adam looked at the photograph for a long while, he was enamored with it. It was a two story, brick for the bottom, golden wood for the top. There was a two car garage with a bit of storage space inside. The yard was fenced in brick and had a beautiful yard with a few trees and a couple of flower beds. He read the description and found it had three bedrooms with three private baths, the kitchen had a breakfast area and there was more than enough room for their growing family. It was even located just a few blocks away from their current home so Xavier wouldn’t even have to change schools.
“Can we afford it?” Sara asked impatiently.
Adam scrolled down a bit to see the asking price and did the math quickly in his head, “Yes, we can more than afford it with the savings we have not to mention the sale price of our current home.”
Sara squealed in delight, and rubbed her belly, “I hoped we could. Its just perfect for us!” They called the realitor and placed an offer right away.



By the time the baby came, they were already as settled as they could be in their new home. When, on a sultry summer night, Sara's water broke they were more than ready to get the show on the road. Adam called their neighbor, they had already arranged for Miss Manning to take Xavier when the time came, after a brief congratulations while Adam rushed Xavier over to them and a muttered apology from him for the lateness the couple were off to the hospital. This delivery went so much quicker than the previous and within three hours, Adam was holding their new born baby girl, Justiça. She was pale as her father with the hazel eyes of her mother. The girl was in all other areas a nice mixture of the parents.
"A little girl to dote on," he told his wife before he handed her over to Sara.
"I always feel as if I couldn't be happier and again I feel that way. Thank you, Adam."
"Why on earth are you thanking me? All I did was...." he blushed, as talking about their lovemaking often made him a little shy, "You did all of the work, dear, so thank you." He kissed her forehead and the forehead of their baby girl. "I'll bring Xavier by in the morning to see his new sister. He was so amazed at all of the kicking the girl did while you were pregnant, but I think he still didn't believe there was a human in there."
Sara laughed at this comment, "I don't think he believed either. He's really going to find this a shock, even though we've kept him informed during the whole process."