Braeley and the New Year's Baby

It was almost New Year's. Braeley Murrow was in bed. She wanted a cup of water. She tiptoed out of bed and into the bathroom, but there were no cups. She called out for her mother and father, but nobody came so she scurried over to their bedroom door.  She opened her mouth to speak when she heard them talking and stopped to listen. She leaned up to the door and tried to hear what they were saying. She couldn't quite make out the words. All she could hear was something about the new baby.

Braeley froze in her tracks. A new baby?! 'I don't want a new baby.' she thought miserably. 'I want to be the baby.' She ran back to her room and hid her face under her blanket.

The next morning at breakfast. Braeley was very quiet. "What's the matter? "asked Mommy.

"Nothing." replied Braeley. "I was just thinking. Don't you think we have a very nice just family just way it is?" she asked. "You and me and Daddy is just right. We don't need anybody else." 

Mommy smile and patted Braeley's head. "Sure." she replied. Then, she noticed that Braeley was starring at Mommy's stomach. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Oh nothing." replied Braeley looking away. She couldn't imagine how there could be a baby in Mommy's tummy. Mommy looked very skinny in her pretty blue dress. 

"I'm glad. I don't have any brothers or sisters." declared Braeley.

Mommy gave Braeley a puzzled look. What was this all about she wondered. "It might be nice to have a brother or sister someday." she replied. Mommy had grown up an only child, and she thought it was kind of lonely. She had always wanted someone to play with.

Braeley shook her head vigoroulsy. "No!" she stated firmly. "It would not." She could not imagine the thought of sharing her Mommy and Daddy with anyone else."

"It might be nice to have a brother or sister to play with sometimes." said Mommy.

Braeley shook her head. She went into the den to watch TV. As she watched, she noticed how happy all the families in the commericials seemed. The kids all seemed to be having fun together and having a good time. Braeley could have fun by herself, but sometimes it was lonely. Mommy and Daddy were busy a lot. She could have friends over, but they always eventually had to go home. Maybe, it would be nice to have a playmate right in her house. "A new baby!" she thought excitedly finally warming up to the idea.  She felt bad for giving mommy a hard time about the baby. She wanted to do something to make it up to her.

After thinking about it for a while, Braeley came up with a brilliant idea. She would make a nice card to welcome the baby. She ran off to her room excitedly and pulled all her arts supplies out of her drawers. She sprawled out on the floor and spread out all her supplies around her and began working. She worked all the rest of the morning and when Mommy called her for lunch, she yelled down."I'll be there soon!"

A few minutes later, she finally finished. She didn't bother cleaning up. She put the card behind her back and hurried down the stairs.

"What's going on?" asked Mommy noticing Braeley's hands behind her back. 

Braeley smiled proudly. "I have a surprised for you." she announced. "I'm really sorry about before." she said sincerely. "I am really excited about the baby. See, I made this card for the baby." she declared taking the card out from behind her back and shoving into Mommy's hands. 

Mommy really was surprised, but not in the way Braelely  thought. "What baby?" she asked confused.

"The one in your tummy!" declared Braeley matter of factly. She couldn't undertstand why Mommy didn't know what she was talking about. How could you forget a baby in your own tummy?

"Oh, honey." replied Mommy sadly. "There isn't going to be any baby."

"There's not?" asked Braeley in confusion. "But, I heard you and Daddy talking about the new baby."

"You did?" 

"Yes. Last night when you were watching TV."

"Oh." said Mommy thoughtfully as she realized what Braeley was talking about. "We were talking about the New Year's Baby. The New Year's baby represents the new year." she explained as she saw Braeley's confused look.

Braeley still wasn't sure she understood, but she did understand that there was not going to be a baby sister or brother. She suddenly felt really sad and look down at her feet.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." her mother told her. "Maybe, someday you'll have a baby brother or sister, but for now isn't it nice having Mommy and Daddy all to yourself?" 

Braeley thought about it for a minute, and she had to admit that it was. She smiled.