Tuff as Nails

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"Thank you," he echoed.

The next morning, at the breakfast table, as they ate the apple pecan pancakes and scrambled eggs that Britney made, Cheryl started crying.

"Cheryl, what? What's wrong?" Tuff asked, going to the other side of the table.

He crouched down and hugged her to him.

"No, no, it's not, Ezekiel, no, it's just..." Cheryl snuffled, wiping her flannel sleeve across her face.

"You can tell that crazy ass mother of yours that prayers really do work," Cheryl finally gurgled.

She clutched Tuff's hand tightly.

"I have prayed and prayed that one morning, I would get to see you, sitting right there, in your home again," Cheryl confessed.

A few more tears slid down her face. She patted Tuff's hand in a matronly gesture.

"And seeing you there, enjoying your breakfast? Ezekiel, I'm just so happy," Cheryl said.

"Yes, you can tell Miss Marie that prayers really do work, Sweetheart," Britney said, rubbing her mother's back.

She mock-glared at her mother.

"Uh, might want to leave off the 'crazy ass' part, though," Britney said.

Nine months after the banquet, Kendricks Engineering had all three hundred and four of their employees and their spouses and children in Mouton Park for the Fourth of July celebration. Half of the staff of Cowboy's BBQ was catering the event. There were two clowns entertaining the children, making balloon animals, juggling. A disc jockey kept music playing; the tennis court had been converted into a dance floor.

"Aw, don't you do it, Britney Theresa Kendricks Richards, don't you dare," Tuff warned as Britney waddled over to the dis jockey.

As 'Hey Baby' by No Doubt finished playing, 'Nights In White Satin' began to play.

"I told you don't do it," Tuff laughed as she pulled him onto the dance floor.

They danced, gently swaying together. It was hard for her to press herself against him; her nine month pregnancy making her belly too big.

"Gazing at people, some hand in...Oh! Oh, oh, Tuff, oh!" Britney sang, then gasped.

"Baby?" Tuff guessed.

"Uh huh, I think so," Britney gasped.

"Cheryl, Momma? Guess what?" Tuff said.

"Claude, you're in charge," Tuff called out as he slowly assisted his wife toward his reliable pickup truck.

"Ja, but nice you recognize that," Claude Ivernek said.

Cheryl Marie fussed slightly, but allowed Cheryl to scoop her up and carry her to the Mercedes-Benz.

Marie insisted on being in the delivery room. But she was in the way, and was driving the nurses and Dr. Roger Pilleur crazy, so Tuff ordered her to wait in the waiting room.

"Or, here, mother, here's a twenty, you can call Rapid, have them come pick you up," Tuff barked.

The three people in the waiting room took only ten minutes of Marie's shrill complaints before telling her to put a sock in it. None of them cared how ungrateful, how inconsiderate her heathen son was.

"And, despite what you might think, ma'am, your son does not need to find Jesus," one grandfather to be snapped. "Jesus ain't lost."

At seven fifteen that evening, Tuff sent out a text message to all KE employees that Ezekiel Aaron Richards, Junior was twenty inches long, was eight pounds three ounces, had all ten fingers and all ten toes, and was looking forward to running the company one day. Britney was also doing fine. Tired. But fine.

"See? I told you," a nurse said to Britney.

"Huh?" an exhausted Britney said.

"You said you wouldn't be having no more last time you was here, and I told you you'd be right back," the nurse reminded Britney.

"Oh, oh yeah!" Britney giggled. "Well, this time I mean it."

"Uh huh, you'll be back," the nurse prophesized.

THE END

**Author's Note: I write these stories for my pleasure; I post them here for your enjoyment. I do thank you for reading my stories.

I especially thank those that take the time to rate my stories, those that take the time to leave comments.

I do know that the 'Burn The Bitch' crowd and the 'Scorched Earth' crowd will not be happy. Email me your bank account and routing numbers and I'll refund every penny you paid to me to read my stories. And, since I don't read emails? You may be waiting a while.

Have a great day.