Chapter 8

Nine months later, Gabrielle gave birth to an eight pound baby girl. The family on both sides were delighted. She was showing already when Chris and her flew to Chicago from Detroit for Matt's marriage to Erin. Now the Cro-Magnon brothers didn't know how to treat her now that she was in the family way. She wore maternity clothes so they were more fearful of her than anything. Gabrielle's little method of putting her legs up to her shoulders worked. Before even giving birth to her daughter, she was already planning her next pregnancy.

Mark had a girl friend he was serious about. Her name was Sara Branch and she was a beautiful brunette. With Sara, and Gabrielle as Erin's lovely bridesmaids; they formed a strong bond between them. Luke and John were the ushers while Mark was the best man.

"You look like you swallowed a watermelon seed," Mark remarked seeing his sister in her present state of pregnancy.

"I did, it was a special seed," she looked at her brother in amusement. "You're goimg to see that if you marry Sara she'll swallow one too."

"I'm never getting married," he waved her off.

"You don't grab that girl, she'll clamp onto someone more deserving than you and you'll end up as a homeless bum wandering the streets panhandling for your next drink. Then Matt will arrest you and throw you into the drunk tank to sleep it off. Next thing you know you will shoplift something from a store so they can throw you in jail for the winter. What a great plan for you to spend a bachelor life."

"He's getting married and it's going to be to me," Sara stared hard at him. Mark looked away not wanting to get into an argument with the girl he was crazy about. Sara was almost six feet tall herself. It was hard for her to find a guy as tall as herself and she was not about to let Mark get away.

The wedding was a rousing success and the tall redhead started bossing Matt around almost instantly.

Gabrielle named her daughter Elizabeth Anne Cunningham. The dilemma now was she had committed herself for the upcoming Republican candidate for the seat in House of Representatives. In anticipation of Gabrielle's victory, Chris arranged for an office to be set up in D.C. whereby he could run his Grand Rapids business from the nation's capitol. The polls showed the unknown wife and mother ahead of Hugh Abbot and she only made guest appearances on television, talk radio, and one televised debate which she demonstrated a lot of political savvy for a woman so young.

Chris held Elizabeth in his arms off stage where Gabrielle would hold her first of many political speeches. She was a bundle of nerves when she stepped before a group of union people. Most of whom were Democrats. These were Reagan Democrats and if she could just win them over like Ronald Reagan did, the election would be hers. Abbot had been bullshitting them for years and he had little love from these people.

The podium had to be lowered due to her height. She wore five inch stiletto heels which she practiced for days walking in them without falling flat on her face. She didn't wish to appear as a tiny girl. The taller the better. And even a 5'3" in her heels, she felt uncomfortably small. Having Elizabeth didn't cause her to gain too much weight. Once their daughter was born, she returned to her 97 lbs quite easily without dieting.

"Good evening," she smiled at the group of somewhat leery Democrats. Her heart was pounding like it was going to burst through her chest. "I'm your Republican candidate for the congressional seat in this district."

Polite applause.

Gabrielle sensed a feeling of apathy in the tension filled room. "I hope you ladies and gentlemen will be kind to little old me," she smiled.

"You Republicans are pigs," came a voice from the back of the union hall. Others clapped in agreement with the heckler.

"You're right!" she said, after the laughter and applause for the heckler died down. "I am a pig. Sir Winston Churchill said that he liked pigs. 'He said that dogs look up to us, cats look down upon us; but pigs treat us as equals'. So since I am a pig, I am your equal."

With that the hall exploded in laughter. Soon she was being applauded resoundingly. Gabrielle had to smile warmly for over five minutes before she could resume her prepared speech. She tore it up and tossed over the podium and started to talk to them like person to person. It was to be a half hour speech. It turned out to be an hour. At the end people filed up on stage most of whom promised they would vote for her.

"Gaby, you won them over. No one did what you did tonight," Chris praised her as they drove back home. She had her blouse open feeding Elizabeth who slept through most of the meeting despite the noise. "Did Churchill really say that or did you make it up?"

"He actually said that. I've got a lot of quotes of his on my computer back home. Some of many great American politicians too."

"Remember them, he was a genius," Chris advised.

"The doctor said we can start having sex again," she told him.

"I thought you would have a little depression once the baby was born. Something like after baby blues, you sure you want to?"

"Shit yes," she affirmed. "I'm not like most women. I'm special."

"That you are," Chris laughed.

Two nights later, Gabrielle stood before another union crowd. They didn't look as rowdy as the first ones. This was her last speech in front of a Democratic union hall. Reporters from the Grand Rapids Press were in attendance. Word reached them how she wowed the union people a few nights ago and wanted to see what this half pint woman had to say what she was all about. She came out of nowhere and now was creating a political storm in this district.

Gabrielle wore her black satin blouse with the pearl buttons and on the cuffs. She had on a white tube skirt to the knees. Her high heels were the five inch stilettos. This time she had her hair up. The crowd grew restless as she paced the stage back and forth. Not even Chris knew what she was up to. She kept pacing until a few shouts came from the audience. Even the reporters were getting antsy.

"Say something," a woman's voice shouted from the rear. A few also shouted for her to give her rotten speech.

She pointed to herself in mock surprise. She stepped to the podium and again pointed to herself. "You want me to give you a speech?"

"Well we sure didnt' come here to see your cute little ass strutting back and forth all night long. Although it's a nice one," a man said.

"I was silent because Abraham Lincoln once said, 'It is better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt.'"

Again the people roared in laughter then applauded her.

Smiling, she tore up some paper as if it was her written speech.

"Okay, enough of the theatrics. I'm here to answer your questions. Throw some my way and I'll see what I can do?"

Two hours went by as she fielded all kinds of queries. Most of them she received applause. Some they booed her pointing their thumbs down. Again, most in the audience gave her a standing ovation. She stood at the entrance shaking hands as if she were a minister after the church service were over. Most said she had his or her vote upon departing making disaparging about her 'do nothing opponent' and they reckoned his son was the same way.