Chapter 1:
It was a warm end-of-summer afternoon. Mrs. Clown sat on the swing of her porch, watching her husband cut the corn stalks. Lee was a soft-spoken man. He spent most of his days tending the land and loving his wife. He especially loved his wife lately, as she has been carrying his first child in her belly. Lee was a humble man, living off the land and raising cattle. Living in the farm town of Fairfield, Mr. Clown had always looked forward to raising his children. Mrs. Clown rocked back and forth on the swing with her hands crossed over her round belly, thinking about possible names for her child. While enjoying the view of her husband work, their cat, Smooth, jumped on the swing and cuddled up against her owner Michele Clown. Michele had been hoping for a daughter, but she knew her husband had been preforming secret boy rituals. Either way Michele was excited to add to her lovely family.
Suddenly Smooth jumped up. Instantly, Michele felt a small pop, and both she and Smooth knew it was time. Michele called to her husband. Lee whipped his head around. He knew he had moved too fast because his neck stung; however, he ignored the pain because he had been waiting for this moment for a week. He dropped his tools and called to his work companion, his dog Ted. Ted obediently raised his head. Once Ted saw his owner sprinting toward the house, Ted took off after him. Ted caught Mr. Clown at the base of the porch steps and had passed him at the top. Ted and Smooth returned to the house with Mr. Clown. Michele was already in her coat holding the keys to the Ram 1500. As Lee was helping his wife out the door, he noticed the Ram was still towing the camel manure-based fertilizer he has bought for the carrots. He thought of asking his wife if he should remove it, but when he turned to face his wife, he saw rage and pain racing to the surface and thought better of it. With his wife securely in her seat, Lee started the drive to his parents house. His parents had planned to host the birthing since there was no hospital within realistic distance.
I won't scare you with the non-epidural facts of a farm birth, but after a few hours, a baby boy was being held by Michele. Lee knelled next to his wife, holding her hand and rubbing his son's arm. He looked at his wife and said, "He looks just like Ron Weasley." Michele never took her eyes off her son, but asked if that was to be her son's name. Lee considered it, but thought that name may get his son picked on. "How does Reginald Bilius sound dear?" For the first time Michele looked away from her son. She smiled at her husband and said, "I love it."
