Babies 91-100

Baby 85-90- Friday, I'm In Love

"Are you going to be okay?" asks Paisley tersely. She had been panicked for a while as I had been giving birth but apparently we were back to being frosty. "Pais. I'll be fine. But I need you to listen to me, please." she doesn't say anything, but she doesn't pull her hand away either and I take it as a good sign. "I love returns ore than anythinginto  the world. Every day I go without speaking to you or seeing you breaks my heart and I don't know what I'd do without you to rely on. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I need you to forgive me."

Paisley stands up and turns away, holding a hand to stop what I assume to be tears. "Okay," she sniffs quickly and turns with a jaunty grin on her tear-stained face. "Besides, I still need a hot date to my cousin's wedding." I break out with a grin which could light up a thousand stars.
"Good because I need one for Jesse's too. And I was hoping there'd be another wedding sometime soon. There's this couple and they're really close. You might have heard of them. It's Skye and Paisley." I bite my lip anxiously. "Did you just ask me to marry you?" she says, quietly.
"It depends if you're accepting it or not." I say, and Paisley nods happily. "We'll do it properly later, but I just... I want you to know that I love you, Parker. And I never want to let you go." She jumps into my arms and I swing her round as I press a kiss to her lips. The night continues around us as we stand, unaware of time passing, completely absorbed in each-other.

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Alistair and Cailan are the neediest babies I have ever had. I would have been grateful for the pills stopping my nightmares- if I ever got a chance to sleep! As soon as I got into even a light doze then something would pop up with the twins which required my attention. It was getting to the point where I regretted ever teaching them to talk.

Willow did her best to help. After her homework was finished she would dash around after her siblings while I took a nap. It was always short lived of course, on account of how I had wrangled myself a job.

The reason Paisley had come to visit was that one of her relatives had asked her to ask me (since apparently it's well known that I sculpt- seriously, what does she tell her family these days?) whether I could make a few topiaries and sculptures for their wedding. It seems there is a lot of weddings this time of year. I was never one to refuse a harmless request and had accepted. It was nice to have something for my hands to do every once in a while. Of course, Jesse and Georgia had already roped me into planning their wedding on top of that, and asked me to sculpt for THEM as well. I had no idea how I was going to keep on top of it all.

I had grabbed a moment's peace to sculpt for a while when Cailan calls out to me from the nursery. "MAMA! Alistair pulled my hair." I sigh and put down my chisel.
"Coming Cailan." I call and head out of my room. In  the nursery I find a scene of complete mess, and immediately put Alistair in time-out. "In your crib mister, and don't even think about escaping." I say it in my mom voice and so even Al doesn't make a comment as he craws over the bars and into bed. I have long-since given up on trying to carry him as his independent spirit complains every time.

Cailan walks over and hugs my leg. "Thank you Mummy." he says with a shy smile. I pick him up and hold him at arms length. "Oh no, mister. You are not getting off free here. You're helping Mummy clean up your toys and then it is time for beddyboos for my little squishy." His face visibly falls with every word I say, but he complies none-the-less when he hears that if he helps then it can be his birthday tomorrow.

As my children lie sleeping in bed I take a few minutes to myself to read the newspaper, only to discover that I've made front page news. There is a long article detailing how I had a child out of wedlock and I make up my mind to go and sue whoever wrote that article for slander. It's common knowledge that I'm a challenge mother and really the stigma surrounding unwed children should have stopped by now.
I throw down the paper and stalk into the bathroom where I consider drawing myself a bath, but decide not to. I've had far too many baths and showers lately. Instead I just wash my face in the sink and brush my teeth, deciding to get an early night so I can read for a while. The TV emits some background noise but I am not really listening as I curl up in the corner of the couch next to a lamp and reach for the closest book to me.

Only a half our later I am fighting to keep my eyes open, despite the exciting adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson and so I decide to check my texts and then just head to sleep, never mind tat it's only nine o'clock. To my surprise, there is a text waiting for me from Erik. I open it and am shocked at what I see.

Hey Skye. I wanted to let you know myself before the cast lists are released publicly but you got the part you auditioned for. Have fun playing Meg Giry. -OG
While it seems that Erik has not yet outgrown his love of signing things sent to me with OG, I am still extremely glad to be taking part in his production. The rehearsals will be starting some time next year, and I hope to have finished my baby challenge by then. 

Of course that is never going to happen if I don't get a shimmy on, so I head out first thing I can this morning and get myself sperm-banked by this lovely specimen of genetics.

The day after, I stop by the city hall and sue the pants off whoever wrote the article about me, and I win! It seems the nines are smiling on me today and I leave with a hefty compensation amount in my possession. When I return, I am remarkably surprised to see Paisley, standing in my room painting, in some short shorts and a nyan cat t-shirt. "You know," I say flirtatiously, "You can come around twice as often, as long as you wear the shorts." I continue, pressing a hand to her butt.

She turns in mock horror. "Everard. I thought you were better than that. You told me you weren't like other men." Paisley throws an arm over her eyes and collapses on my bed in a heap of fake tears which quickly dissolve into laughter. I find myself hyper-aware of each of the movements of her clothing, from the small strip of her stomach which grows visible when she lifts her arm to the long, lithe tendons in her legs. I swallow uncomfortably but force out some laughter.

She turns over and stares unabashedly at me for several seconds, before reaching a hand out to me and grabbing a fistful of my shirt to pull me down and press her lips to mine. A kiss. It can have so many meanings. Forgiveness. Hope. Sorrow. An end or a beginning. But sometimes a kiss can mean all of these things and more.

She drags me down, deepening the kiss and I land with my knees splayed around her hips. I slide my hand under the hem of her shirt and trace a finger over the pale skin. She shudders and I stand up, forcing myself away from her. She whines and I look over at her with a firm expression. "This isn't the right time. We promised that we wouldn't do this until we got married and I really don't think we should break that just after a fight."

She pouts for a second, but shrugs and jumps up. "I'm craving some pasketti, and I think it's time to find out if you look as hot as I do when you make it. Go minion."

We make dinner together and then I head to bed while she returns home. I settle into one of what have now become innumerable nights of uninterrupted slumber and awaken the next morning to the sight of my future children poking up inside my pyjamas.

I stretch out languidly, twisting my back around with a satisfying crack and then stretching down towards my feet. The dull pain which had been present since I woke was a distant memory. It was a Saturday and so breakfast was very simple as Willow was sleeping in after a long week of school. Alistair and Cailan appear behind me. "Mommy. Is it time for cake yet?" I pause for a minute to think.
"Okay. You can grow up."

My youngest children manage to put aside their differences and share a birthday, which I stand by and watch, realising that my kids are nearly all grown up and soon most of them will be leaving me. Willow joins us around half way through, and jumps at the chance to become a teenager.

Alistair is a quiet child, with an unusual addiction to computer games. I worry that staring at the screen will damage his chances to make friends, or cause problems with his eyesight. Luckily, he also enjoys running around and playing pretend with his brother.

Cailan is a willful child, though he means well. He is surprisingly withdrawn around other people, though once he grows to know them he becomes friendly and sociable.

Willow is a hopeless romantic, determined to find her prince charming and have her perfect wedding. She constantly pesters me to tell her about the plans for Jesse's wedding, offering her own (admittedly useful) suggestions.

Together, Willow and myself spend the weekend planning the final details of Jesse's celebration. It is small as they want only myself and some small family there. The Sunday evening finds me heavily pregnant and returning to Madame Mimi's to help Georgia choose a wedding dress. She settles on a simple gown in a pale lilac and white combination.



Okay, here's the thing. I've gotten this far through the post and all I want to do is finally finish Skye's challenge. So here's pictures of all subsequent kids, and I'll see you on Truly Madly Skyeley soon.

Baby 83 Part 2: If you got it, definitely DON'T flaunt it

"Are you down to your last drop of love 

Even so you should give it away 

Let it sail with your dreams to the sun 

And return to you laden with promise 

And you can't let go 

I won't let you fall "

I am singing quietly to Willow as she drifts off to sleep. I am now heavily pregnant and bound to give birth soon, I simply hope it is a time when someone can come and look after Willow. She is curled up against my chest and I find myself reluctant to let go of her sleeping form. I comfort myself with the knowledge that we have all of tomorrow to spend together and that I also have another child on the way to love and care for.

I'm also reluctant because once I put her to sleep I have to go and bathe Isis and Lucifer. Let me tell you, there is a reason we gave him that name, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I have a warped sense of humor. I manage to catch Isis and Fuzznugget, but find myself unfortunately lacking in the Lucifer department. There was no real reason I was bathing him other than all the others were having one, but I decide not to bother. Isis and Fuzz are getting older now, and more often than not they only want to lie by the fireplaces or on their beds.

With all the kids gone I find myself once again enjoying the chores which plague all mothers. I stroll around humming Some Nights by FUN and completing these tasks. As I fill up the cats' food bowl I happen to glance up at the clock. I had been doing laundry for two hours and it was getting late. I headed to bed, trying to get some sleep because I had to get up early the next morning for a doctor's appointment.

I had finally given in and decided that the sleepless nights were getting to me. I have a legendary hatred of doctors, but one I hide very well on account of my fabulous powers of fabulousness and so I'd delayed the appointment for as long as possible. 
Of course in a shocking fit of irony I manage to sleep the night through and am awoken at eight by my alarm clock as Isis and Fuzz look up and chirp sleepily. I scratch their ears as I walk past to get Willow up, and lay a hand on my abdomen as I feel the child inside kick. I get the feeling this one is going to be an athlete with all the kicking and punching it does.

Willow yawns as I walk in and sits up. "Mornin' Mama." she says with a tired smile. 
"Hello sweet-pea. What do you want for breakfast?" She thinks for a second but I know the answer she is going to give- oatmeal. The kid has a legendary appreciation for it, and I'm thankful that she is easy to feed.

With Willow having been fed I dress her and then put her in the stroller. My appointment is in an hour which should leave us with enough time to reach the hospital and get Willow settled down in the waiting room play area.

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"Well miss Everard, I have both good news and bad news. The good news is that you have a healthy baby and will be giving birth at some point today, and the bad news is that you suffer from Chronic Nightmare Syndrome. About 1 in every 100 adults gets it, and it is easily treatable, either with behavioural therapy or with some sleeping pills to take which should prevent all dreams." he offers me a list of the side effects and I instantly know that it's going to be what I opt for- I simply don't have the time for therapy. The best news is that these pills are safe to take when pregnant as well, which I find to be a massive bonus. 

I leave the hospital with a bottle of the pills in my pocket and set off home. I plan to spend the day baking and decorating a cake for Willow's birthday this evening and maybe phone Paisley later that night. As it happens that is exactly what happens and when dinertime rolls around I grab Willow and we head into the kitchen. 

She is a real cutie when she grows up, and I notice that her skin has a faint grey tinge to it from her father and that her hair is actually closer to ginger than the purple I had previously seen. I only need to take one look at her eyes to know that my little fairy baby is also a werewolf! 

Unfortunately for her it is not a full moon and she has no reason to be awake at such a late hour and I send her trotting off to bed. It seems that motherhood is an endless cycle of laundry and just as soon as you think you have gotten it all in the machine with a load running, you find a pair of dirty underwear in a room not used for months. Thankfully I am rescued from my drudgery by a pair of hands on my hips. "Guess who?" she quips and I bring a hand to my face. "Santa Claus?" I ask , as Paisley spins me into a hug. 

"Hey. I heard Jesse talking about how he saw you today, and how you were pregnant. I didn't know you were going to be this pregnant. Jeez Skye, this must have happened...on...the night...of our fight." she trails off into the end of the sentence. "So that's where you went? You got drunk and screwed around with a random guy. Wow. Jesse really did learn from the best."
"Pais... Look, what I did was out of anger, and I wasn't thinking. I was irrational and drunk and I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better I've spent the last few days trying to think of a way to tell you. I didn't plan for this. It just all happened so fast."
"Oh, and you what, just happened to fall onto his dick? Yeah Skye, I believe you. How many times has this happened? Once, more?You're not still seeing the asshole are you!?"
"WHAT!? NO. Yes, we had a long, long night of passion and yes, maybe on that night it may have happened..." I pause to count for a second before realising how horrid that must look "once or twice, but it was just that night. I would never betray you like that. Pais... I love you."

Tears bead in my eyes, oddly reminiscent of a similar argument with Eloise and I find myself crumpled around her legs. "I love you. With all my heart and soul and I will never stop loving you. You're my best friend, hell pretty much my only friend, and if I ever lose you then I don't know what I'll do. You're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I... argh." my speech, though heartfelt is clearly not enough for little baby kicker in there who decides that it's their time to make an arrival. "Paisley. The baby." 

She looks worried for a second, but helps me make my way into the sauna where I lean on the floor against one of the heated baths which are now pooling steam. "Don't, don't go." This is my first home birth in a while and I want her there with me, even if this is going to be the last time I see her. "I promise, I'll never let go." she whispers as she takes the hand closest to her.  

Despite the pain I giggle at her accidental quoting of Titanic but find myself interrupted by the arrival of Baby 83- Cailain Everard and Baby 84- Alistair Everard.