Home Run by Bernadette Marie

kids were getting settled. She’d hung up Ali’s new art work on the refrigerator and given Sam a few Cheerios to hold him until dinner.
    She took the bag of groceries and began to unpack them, putting away each piece. When she got to the pregnancy test, she just stared at it as if she’d forgotten she’d bought it.
    Her nerves twisted inside of her. She looked up and the kids were building something with the old toilet paper tubes they’d decorated one day. It would only take three minutes. She had three minutes.
    Quickly, she took the box up to her bathroom and shut the door.
    It would be quick and painless and it would be over. Then she could go on with her life.
    She read the instructions, more than once, and then took the test.
    As soon as she was done she set the test on the top of the toilet and went to wash her hands. But the faucet this time nearly came off in her hand. With water spewing all over she reached under the sink and turned off the water source.
    She let out a sigh and grabbed towels to sop up the mess just as she heard a crash and a cry from down the stairs.
    Without hesitation she ran down the stairs.
    “What was that?” She turned the corner to see that Sam was holding his hand over his forehead and all around him were scattered cars.
    She scooped him up. “Are you okay?”
    He nodded with a tear dangling from his long, dark lashes.
    She looked at Ali. “What happened?”
    “He was stacking cars up high and he stood on the Lego bucket to get higher on the shelf and it fell over.”
    Assessing the room she could now see the big pre-school Lego set all over the floor with all his cars. But he seemed fine.
    In the midst of the commotion the doorbell rang and she set Sam on the floor and ran for the door. There stood Scott in his lawyer-man suit looking very handsome and in his hand he carried a bag. She tried to steady herself when she realized it was the bag he’d have packed all his things in to stay the night.
    He stepped into the house and pressed a kiss to her lips. “This was one of the longest days of my life.”
    “Why?” She gulped back.
    “I couldn’t wait to get to you.”
    The moment was quickly over taken by Sam tugging on Scott’s leg. “Car tower!” And then he ran back.
    “He wants you to see it.”
    Scott nodded with a smile as he set his bag by the stairs and followed him.
    It was comfortable having Scott around as she started dinner and he played with the kids. He was a good role model and so good with them.
    Dinner wasn’t fancy. Spaghetti and meatballs, but she’d made some garlic bread to appease the adults at the table.
    After dinner it was time for a movie, which she and the kids sat and did every Friday night. Scott was right along for the ride, having changed out of his suit and into a pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt which accentuated his very nice biceps. It was then she noticed he had a tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve. She hadn’t noticed that when they’d gone swimming or even this morning when he was pressed up behind her.
    “What is this?” She reached over and pushed up the sleeve.
    He smiled shyly. “Tribute.”
    The tattoo was very small, but it was a set of angel wings and the word mom.
    She had to swallow back tears. The Kellers had a tattoo. Clara had hers on her wrist. The infinity symbol and the word family.
    Victoria had lost her entire family. Her mother had died of cancer years ago and her father a few years later from complications with diabetes. Then her sister died in that horrible accident. She’d been alone for years and now here was this man…
    She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek, drawing him closer for a kiss.
    “What was that for?”
    “I really like you. I’m glad you’re here.”
    There was a tingling in her body now and the movie they were watching couldn’t end fast enough. When it did she announced bed time and they didn’t even have to pick up their toys first. That at least made the walk up the