bennetfamilylegacy

When we last left off…
Leah and Dennis married. Also, the first fourth generation child, Christian, was born.

Leah is ecstatically happy with her new life. Dennis is a stable provider for her and their small family, and she is surrounded by love.

A few days after the marriage, Zoe ages into a young adult. She moves out to start her own life.

After a few hectic months with the newborn, Leah finds herself vomiting again. She knows the signs now, and takes another pregnancy test. Sure enough, she’s pregnant for a second time.

Max paints his first masterpiece! It’s some deer. Jealous? (Obviously, he’s shirtless.)

Dennis comes home very late every night, and Leah writes it off as work business. When he is home during the day, he spends the time looking at himself in the mirror.

Leah starts to show, her bump forming on her stomach, but she has an intuition that she needs to hide it from Dennis. The backaches are killer, but she doesn’t mention it.

Leah and Meagan are swimming in the pool when Dennis comes home (he immediately walks to the television). Leah quickly goes inside, carefully staying away from Dennis, to take off the very revealing bathing suit and change into baggier clothing. Meagan is very concerned. Leah is constantly taking care of the baby, for Dennis is never home. Leah and Christian both grow.

Eventually it becomes unavoidable. Leah tells Dennis the news.
“Another baby?! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!” Dennis yelled, even though Christian is sleeping upstairs. “I’m already not making enough money, Leah. I can’t believe you put this on me.” Leah quiets him with a “shhh”, and he glared.
“You were never home,” Leah defended herself, crossing her arms over her belly.
“I can’t deal with you anymore, Leah. You’re impossible,” he glared at her, his fists clenching in anger.
“It’s not just my fault, Dennis! It was as much me as it was you, you know!” Leah cried with tears in her eyes.

“This is your fault,” he snapped. “Not mine.” Dennis glares at her. He leaves and doesn’t come back until the next morning.

The next morning happened to be Max’s birthday, and the couple carefully bended their broken ties for show.

An elder Max. Poor guy.

The next day, Meagan’s aging follows. Dennis doesn’t show up for the party, and doesn’t come back after work. He doesn’t show his face for two months.

He finally returns in a drunken stupor, launching himself through the front door.
“Dennis?” Leah gasped in surprise.
“We’re done, Leah,” he hissed. “I have someone else.”
“You’re just a coward!” Leah cried out. “A filthy coward!” They glare at each other, fuming. He turns on his heel, thundering down the stairs.
“But what about the children?” she asked quietly to the empty air.
She watches him walk away, throwing the wedding ring in the grass.

Leah is heartbroken. She thought she loved Dennis, the boy she used to play with in elementary school. The boy she calmed after he fainted from the grim reaper. The father of her children.

Leah picks up Christian and hugs him tight.
“Oh baby… oh beautiful boy,” she hums in his tiny ears, her tears dropping on his forehead.

Max and Meagan wake up to find Leah sobbing over a crying Christian. Meagan picks up Christian, taking him back to the nursery, while Max stays to console Leah.
“Oh, Dad, what am I supposed to do?” Leah cried.

“You’re supposed to keep living, meet new people, and take care of your children… with our help of course,” Max replied calmly with a playful wink. “Aren’t we little boy or girl?” He reaches out to rub her stomach gently. “Oh, yes we are!”

Leah doesn’t look so convinced. Her parents are elders, and they are tired. Essentially, she is a single Mom with one baby, and another on the way.

Leah calmed dramatically, waiting out the last two weeks of her pregnancy heavy and in bed. She gets up to celebrate Christian’s birthday into toddlerhood. He has his Dad’s eyes, and his Mom’s hair.

Leah picks up Christian and cuddles him, worried about the next few years but hiding it. She carries him upstairs and to his room. When she leans down to set him on the floor, her water breaks.

The contractions are worse than the last labor, and Leah cries out repeatedly. Max and Meagan are out having dinner on the town, and it is just her and Christian. Christian watches his Mom with worried eyes. She paces, clutches her stomach, muffles her screams as best as possible, and eventually lies down to have the baby on her bed. She does it all alone.

Little girl Bella is born with the traits artistic and daredevil, but it is etched with the sadness of a lost lover.

CONTINUED ON GENERATION 3 (PART 3)

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