Hypothesis incorrect chapter 25

Hypothesis Incorrect – Chapter 25 ‘It’s a nice day to start again…’ … it’s a nice day for a white wedding.  When we last left off, the Psychologists had just finished a very busy week, and now face Monday morning, with school, work, a wedding, and much more. 

Early on Monday morning, after a long and busy weekend filled with birthdays and drama, the Psychologists all woke up to an important day.
The oldest four children of generation three were starting school that morning, growing up fast and facing responsibility and learning already. As they lived farthest from school, the first to be collected by the bus were Melody and Leo.
Both of them had woken up early in the morning, preparing themselves both for the day at school, and for Jamie’s wedding later on in the afternoon.

Although he had been apprehensive, when it actually came to the moment of going to school, Leo was filled with excitement. He got on the bus before his twin, brimming with ideas of the day ahead and its possibilities, ready to learn and socialise. While he knew that Melody would be spending the day with Olive, he would be able to put his all into enjoying the day, and meeting as many new people as possible.
When he climbed up the steps, the bus was only half full, with most of the children still at home waiting to be collected. With so many places to choose from, Leo picked a seat near the front, waiting for his cousin Lucas to join him and for the day to really begin. Melody followed him onto the bus, sitting near enough to keep an eye on him, and placing her bag on the seat next to her, so that Olive could join her when the bus reached her house.

Behind the twins, Latané was also leaving the house, ready for work at the army base.
Preoccupied with the twins and their big day, he barely gave a thought to his work review, the looming promotion being cast to the back of his mind in the face of his children growing up and going to school. He remembered his first school day, as the oldest of his generation and the only child on the bus that morning. He was glad, despite their differences, that the twins had each other and their cousins to spend the day with, and that they weren’t facing this big day on their own.
Facing the car he took to work, he forced himself to focus on the day that he had ahead of him. Melody and Leo were on the bus now, and able to fend for themselves. For him, it could be just as monumental a day as it was for them.

Inside the house, this left Felicity and James on their own together, for the first time since those quiet weekends when Felicity had been a teenager and Ariella had gone off to work overtime at the business, believing that the weekends were for getting ahead of others and proving her work ethic, rather than spending time with her family.
The house was very quiet with just two of them; every little noise was echoing round the house without the excitable voices of the twins and the constant music that Latané made. Even when Melody and Leo had been spending the day with their cousins on the Sunday, Latané had been at home to fill the space. But now with just the two of them, Felicity felt uncomfortable, knowing that her Dad’s thoughts must be turning to his absent wife.
With a few more slow and silent bites of the grilled cheese, James cleared his throat and forced a smile.

‘ Do you remember those fun weekends we had when you were young and it was just the two of us?’ he asked. ‘All those hours of dancing, painting, working and enjoying ourselves.’
Felicity relaxed, hearing the happy note in her Dad’s voice, rather than worry at the present. ‘I loved all that activity.’ she replied. ‘I learnt to paint with you, and to appreciate having time to spend being creative.’
‘ And now I have more precious time to spend with my daughter. While my grandchildren, lovely as they are, aren’t monopolising my time.’ James smiled. ‘Shall we paint, Felicity?’ he asked, mind focused on who he was with, rather than who was absent. If Ariella wasn’t there and it was just him and his daughter, then who was he to complain? He’d had many days like this in the past, all of them wonderful.

After the school bus had collected Melody and Leo, it made its way across Pleasantview, picking up tens of children and building a happy collective of friends as it drove through the streets.
By the time it collected Lucas, the twins Isabella and Maya were awake, and his parents were able to focus on their daughters instead of missing their son, and worrying about him on his first day at school.
Donnie didn’t start work until mid-way through the day, so he and Mehrissa spent the morning with the girls, before the toddlers inevitably wore out and needed a nap, giving the proud parents time to spend together in happiness, before Donnie put on his uniform and went to join his SWAT team.

With Donnie gone and the twins waking up again, Oatley and Deanna then took over and cared for them while Mehrissa was able to relax and prepare the house for Lucas’s return home from school later.
Oatley usually taught Maya her skills, as with her mean streak she was a lot harder to handle than her mild-mannered siblings, and was prone to tantrums if she didn’t learn as quickly as she wanted to. While she attentively hung on Oatley’s every word and paid him her undivided attention, Isabella grinned up at Deanna and sung along with the nursery rhyme they were being taught, enjoying herself and happily dancing on the spot, whiling away the hours until her Dad and brother returned.

The last house to be visited by the school bus, and the nearest one to the school, was the main Psychologist House, where Olive had run outside at full pelt as she heard the deep engine approaching, and the chatter of children coming from the open windows.
‘ Hiii Melody! Lucas, Leo, hi!’ she called as she raced to the bus, galloping in and rushing to sit next to Melody, full of the news of the night before.
With all of the children then collected, the bus roared off the lot and carried them all to the school.

Twenty minutes later, Bandura came downstairs to find Elle determinedly pacing the front corridor, looking at the front door as if hoping to magically open it, a scowl on her small features.
‘ And what’s got you so upset, hmm?’ Bandura asked her granddaughter.
‘ School.’ Elle sighed.
‘ You miss your sister?’ Bandura asked, remembering her parents’ reports of Penny’s antics when she and Oatley had gone to school without her.
Elle considered the question. ‘Yes...but I want to go.’ she replied, looking affronted.

Bandura’s expression softened. ‘Oh Elle, you know you can’t go yet. Your birthday’s tomorrow, and you can go the day after.’
‘ But I’m ready.’ Elle pouted.
‘ I know. But in the meantime, you have two younger siblings that need you.’ Bandura consoled her, picking Elle up as she spoke. ‘You can be ready all you like, but school won’t take you until you’re old enough. Let’s enjoy the next few days for what they are, hmm?’
Sighing and resting her head on her Grandma’s shoulder, Elle gave in and nodded. ‘Ok.’ she replied as they began to ascend the stairs.

While Chloe and Piaget ate breakfast and Shaun flew to work again, Bandura got all of the toddlers up and into the playroom, providing Zara and Mihaly with smart milk, and leaving Zara in Elle’s care.
As Mihaly was outgoing and energetic, Bandura began to teach him to talk first, getting word after word from him as he babbled away at her.
Casting her eyes over to the girls as Mihaly tried to master double syllables, Bandura watched as Elle worked with Zara. The older girl was giving out instructions and happily talking to her sister, but other than smiles and nods, Zara was giving no reply at all. Wondering if it was just that she hadn’t learnt to talk yet, Bandura put the worry to the back of her mind, and listened for Piaget and Chloe coming upstairs to join them.

A few hours later, as the sun shone brightly outside, Bandura had finished talking to Mihaly, and was giving the toddlers some space to play while she relaxed in the teddy-bear chair she had moved in from Elle’s room.
Mihaly was bashing away on the xylophone, singing nonsense happily to himself, while Elle was giving blocks to Zara and telling her what to do with them in the towers they were building.
When the door opened slowly and carefully to reveal Piaget and Chloe, Zara looked up with a huge grin on her face, clapping her hands happily and dropping all the bricks in the process.
‘ Hey kids!’ Piaget called, before turning to Bandura. ‘How have they been, Mum?’

‘ They’ve been fine.’ Bandura replied, stifling a yawn. ‘I’ve taught Mihaly the basics of talking and Elle has been working at the table with Zara. They’ve all stood up fine on their own, but the twins still need to learn how to walk; and Zara needs to be taught how to talk, too.’
‘ That’s great.’ Chloe enthused. ‘Thanks for looking after them this morning.’
‘ No problem.’ Bandura smiled, before the yawn inevitably took over, and she couldn’t help but rub her eyes with tiredness.
‘ You look worn out, Mum.’ Piaget said softly. ‘It’s been such a busy morning for you already.’

‘ Do you want us to take over for the rest of the day, let you have a sleep and some relaxation time before this afternoon?’ Chloe asked.
Piaget looked over at his intuitive wife and nodded. ‘It’s about time we spent the day with the kids.’
‘ Well, I could use a nap.’ Bandura admitted. ‘It’s a big day today, with Jamie’s wedding later, and I wouldn’t want to be nodding off during the ceremony!’ she laughed, picturing Penny’s indignant face if anyone slept through her daughter’s wedding.
‘ No, exactly.’ Piaget said. ‘You’ve been wonderful and a great help, Mum. We’ll keep the kids happy and give you some peace.’

And for the rest of the morning, Piaget and Chloe spent time with their youngest three children. Although Zara and Mihaly weren’t technically hers, Chloe still saw herself as their mother; and with Mihaly being the only boy, she made the effort to bond with him that morning, showing him the dolls house and listening to his chatter.
Elle was very self-sufficient, playing with the blocks and starting up conversations with her parents when it got quiet. She was well into learning her mechanical skills already, and had taken her younger sister and brother under her wing.
This left Piaget with Zara, his youngest daughter and the most unknown to him. Her deep black eyes were constantly roving and searching, and he tried to engage her attention to get her to learn to talk. The task wasn’t an easy one.

‘ Come on now sweetheart, let’s say…..Toy.’ he tried first, going with a word she would know the meaning of quite easily.
Zara didn’t say a word, looking lovingly into Piaget’s face and tilting her head slightly as if assessing him and his attachment to her. Piaget tried again.
‘ Toy. It’s a nice, short word, and there’s plenty of them in here. Look, there’s a toy, and there, and there….toy?’
Zara looked at the objects Piaget pointed to and nodded, before turning back to him expectantly.
‘ Right.’ Piaget said, wondering how to proceed.

‘ Um, toy? Can you say the sounds with me, just try to spell it out, like this: tuh-oy?’
Zara nodded.
‘ Toy?’ Piaget asked, hoping that she would then know it was her turn, and have a go.
Zara looked around for her twin, seeing Mihaly happily bouncing along as Chloe spoke to him, putting on the deep voice of the male doll. Following Zara’s gaze, Piaget looked across to his wife and son.
‘ Chloe, are you having this trouble with Mihaly?’ he asked.
‘ No, quite the opposite.’ Chloe laughed, as Mihaly replied ‘Talk, doll, house, chat, play!’
Piaget shook his head and turned back to Zara.

Looking imploringly at his little girl, Piaget tried with a different word.
‘ Ok. This one’s really easy, you’ve been with her all morning. Can you say….Elle.’
Zara looked across at her sister and pointed.
‘ Yes, that’s her! Can you say it?’
Zara screwed up her face, confused by the game.
‘ Elle?’ Piaget asked again, waving his arms with the syllable. He could see Zara’s comprehension; her nods and pointing were exactly right. Sometimes she even moved her mouth a little, accepting the word he wanted her to say. But no noise came out.

Taking her cue from hearing her name, Elle called across to her Dad.
‘ She’s not said anything today, Daddy. Not one noise.’
‘ Nothing?’ Piaget asked, not wanting to take his eyes from Zara in case he missed something. She looked up at him, eyes wide with worry at his distress, and she lifted an arm out, as though to reach to him and cheer him up.
Elle picked up her brick. ‘Nope. Mihaly has said lots though.’ she added, hoping that this news might make Piaget happier.
‘ So I gathered.’ he sighed in reply.

Steeling himself against his worry at Zara’s lack of noise, Piaget put all his effort into trying again. Wracking his brain, he tried to think of another easy word for Zara to master, going round the room in his mind and thinking of all the objects that she would have seen and played with that morning.
Pleading with her, leaning forward with his hands unconsciously clenched, wishing for a response, Piaget asked again. ‘How about milk?...Milk?’
Zara looked at Piaget’s beseeching stance and sat back in surprise at the strong emotion emanating from him. In her worry about Piaget clearly wanting something from her that she couldn’t give, a small sigh escaped her mouth.
‘ You made a noise. You did, didn’t you? Oh Zara, just say something, it doesn’t have to be daddy, just yay or hi would suffice!’

‘ Piaget.’ Chloe called softly from the other side of the room, hearing the desperation in his voice. ‘You’re bombarding her with requests.’ she reminded him.
Sighing and throwing his arms up in defeat, Piaget’s posture sagged and he sat and watched as Zara stuck her thumb in her mouth and mimicked his gestures.
‘ I’m just worried about her. How can Mihaly be so far ahead with his speech already and Elle be on full sentences when she won’t even say toy?’ he asked, shaking his head.
Struck with sadness at her husband’s plight, Chloe was relieved to smell the familiar hot, sticky aroma of grilled cheese coming from downstairs. If anything could allay his worry, it was grilled cheese.
‘ Right, nap for the kids and a lunch break for us.’ she advised. ‘Smells like your Mum got bored and wanted to cook.’ she smiled at Piaget, before picking Mihaly up with her right arm and holding Elle’s hand with her left, leading them out of the room and to bed.

With all the toddlers then asleep, and a few hours to go until Olive and Shaun returned home and Jamie’s wedding took place; the three adults currently in the main house sat down to a leisurely lunch.
But after a few bites, Bandura couldn’t help but chat to her son and daughter-in-law. ‘So, how have the kids been?’ she asked.
‘ Well, Mihaly’s been happy, really outgoing and chatty already.’ Chloe enthused. ‘Elle made an amazing tower of blocks which she promptly knocked over, and Zara…’ she trailed off, knowing that this was not her subject to begin.
‘… I’m worried about Zara.’ Piaget finished.
Remembering her thoughts of the morning on her granddaughter's silence, Bandura’s smile faded. ‘Worried?’

‘ Well, she’s been very…quiet. Silent, in fact. I’ve been trying to teach her to talk since you left the room, and I’ve not got one word out of her.’ Piaget explained. ‘I know it’s early days, but I just want to make sure she’s ok. If she’s mute, or having problems speaking, we need to help her, and make sure she’s happy and well.’
Bandura nodded. ‘Yes, I noticed she didn’t say anything this morning; Elle was chattering at her and asking her things, talking about the blocks, and all she got were smiles in reply.’
‘ But that’s the thing.’ Chloe added in. ‘She seems so happy all the time. If she was having problems surely she’d show other signs of it?’
‘ That’s the strange part, she’s so happy and inquisitive, and she looks at me with such adoration. Yet she won’t talk.’

‘ But what if she is mute? Would we be able to do anything?’ Bandura panicked.
‘ I don’t think she is, to be honest.’ Chloe reassured her. ‘If she was, she’d be panicking about not being able to reply, she’d open her mouth a lot more, and she’d be a lot less happy and content than she is.’
‘ But why won’t she say anything?’ Piaget moaned. ‘She’s intelligent, I can see it in her, and she’s fully aware.’ Sighing and looking down at his grilled cheese, he admitted one cause of his worry. ‘Maybe I’m just being hard on her; the other three all learnt to talk in one day each.’
‘ Yes, and they haven’t stopped since!’ Chloe laughed. ‘Perhaps a quiet child would be a refreshing change.’ she smiled, thinking of all the noise that Olive, Elle and Mihaly made.
‘ You took two days to learn to talk, Piaget.’ Bandura added.

‘ So maybe she takes after me a bit more and she’ll talk in her own time?’ Piaget theorised. ‘Or…maybe aliens don’t talk, or have a different language? Maybe she’s sort of saving the skill, and putting her brain power to use elsewhere?’
Chloe sighed at all of her husband’s ideas. ‘It could be any, or all, or none of those things though. How can we tell if she won’t talk to us and get her feelings across?’
‘ Good point.’ Piaget replied.
‘ So where do we go from here, then?’ Bandura asked, seeing that they were getting nowhere with just worrying over the problem.

‘ Well, we’ve still got plenty of time to teach her to talk. She’s only been a toddler for half a day, after all, and her and Mihaly have got lots of other skills still to learn. What if Mihaly doesn’t want to walk, and we have the same worries over him? We mustn’t get hung up on this, but cope with everything as and when it arises.’ Chloe summarised.
‘ But if she doesn’t talk by the time she’s ready to be a child?’ Bandura asked.
‘ Well, there’s got to be some noise she makes.’ Chloe tried.
Piaget chipped in with his experience. ‘She sighed at me earlier. Surely she can make noises even if she won’t use human speech?’

Upstairs, Elle could hear her parents’ and Grandma’s voices booming up through the floor, and told Mihaly to sing quieter if he could, so she could listen to the adults.
She heard Zara’s name a lot, and the word talk was mentioned even more often. Looking at her sister to see if she had noticed all this, Elle was calmed to see that Zara was happily going about her day as normal. Either she wasn’t listening to the adults conversation, or she wasn’t worried about it all like they were.
Picking up a block and beginning a new tower, Elle considered the situation. Well, if Zara wasn’t worried about not talking, then she wouldn’t worry about it either. After all, Mihaly did enough talking for both of the twins.

‘ Well, all children make certain noises.’ Chloe suddenly thought. ‘They laugh and cry and babble even if they don’t talk.’
‘ Yes, she did cry as normal as a baby, and there was no difference in her then compared to her sisters and brother.’ Piaget realised. ‘So if she cries like our other children, hopefully she’ll laugh and sing and eventually talk too.’
‘ It does seem that way, when you put it like that.’ Bandura added. ‘Maybe she’s just nervous, or shy, or both.’
‘ We could just try and make her laugh.’ Piaget wondered. ‘She was smiling readily earlier.’
‘ That could be a good idea.’ Chloe and Bandura agreed.

Cheered by the fact that they had a plan and that with all the evidence looking as it did, Zara was at least a happy and content child, Piaget leaned back in his seat, most of his worry gone.
‘ Well, whether she talks or not, I’ll always love her. She’s my youngest daughter and like all of our other children, she means the world to me. If they’re all happy, then so am I.’ he smiled.

Meanwhile, across the road, Jamie had invited her big sister around to her house, ahead of the wedding that afternoon.
Knowing how eager Jamie had been to get married and how much she loved Daryl, Marie had expected their house on their wedding day to be full of joy and excitement, and instead she found her sister in the bedroom upstairs, sitting on the sofa, deep in thought.
Sitting down next to Jamie, Marie peered into her sister’s pensive face. ‘Heya. What’s got you so worried?’ she asked.
Jamie said nothing at first, her light complexion not helping the fact that she was even paler than usual in her worry.

‘ I’m starting to think it was a bad idea to invite so many people.’ she finally admitted, casting a glance to the window behind Marie, and outside to the rows and rows of white and gold chairs set out for the wedding guests. ‘I’m more concerned about walking down the aisle in front of everyone than the wonderful man stood at the end of it!’ she sighed.
Marie acknowledged that she should have seen this coming. Shyness was always the first thing anyone commented on when meeting her sister, along with how pretty and sweet she was. ‘Well, they’re invited now, we can’t really un-invite them. Which bit are you most worried about, the walking?’
‘ No, it’s more what I’ll look like and what they’ll all think of me.’ Jamie tried to explain.
Suddenly hit with a consideration, Marie jumped ahead. ‘Please tell me you have a dress? You’re not going to have to wear Mum’s big pink dress like I did?’

‘ No, no, I’ve got a dress!’ Jamie corrected her, almost laughing with the thought of wearing Penny’s pink wedding dress. It had been perfect for their Mum, and it had suited Marie, but it would not work for Jamie.
Marie smiled at her sister’s slight change in mood. ‘Good, because I’ve actually got attached to that dress. I have to admit, I’ll be wearing it later.’
Jamie smiled. ‘Well you can look good in anything, I just look awkward.’
‘ You won’t in a dress that you picked out though. Are you happy with it?’
‘ Yes, the dress is beautiful!’ Jamie replied, a swooning look on her face when her fortune sim side pictured all the expensive detail of her wedding dress.

Noticing that Jamie had stopped on an upward tone, meaning her sentence wasn’t finished, Marie prompted her. ‘…but?’
‘ It’s my hair.’ Jamie sighed. ‘I want to look like me. I’m so comfortable with my hair like this, with this headband. I’ve had it for years, decades even, as you know. But it just isn’t wedding material. I don’t know what to do with it, and I’ve just been staring in the mirror at it, unable to change myself. Any wrong hairstyle and I’ll never feel ready to get out of that door.’
Marie watched as fortune and timidity warred in Jamie’s mind, and considered. ‘Well, you wore the headband to my wedding.’
‘ Yeah, but I was a guest. Here I’m the bride, and everyone will be looking at me.’ here Jamie’s face froze, focusing on the panicky aspect of being the centre of attention.

Jumping in and interrupting Jamie’s downward spiral, Marie stepped up to the challenge.
‘ No worries. The only reasons anyone will be looking at you will be because you’ll look stunning, and you’ll be about to marry the love of your life. Do you think, deep down, Daryl cares what your hair’s like? As long as it’s you, he’ll be over the moon to stand under that arch.’
‘ So what are we going to do about my hair?’ Jamie worried.
Marie grinned. ‘Show me the dress, and I’ll do my best. By the time we’re done you’ll be the same old you, only more shiny and formal.’
Encouraged by Marie’s smile, Jamie relaxed. ‘I trust you Marie. Make me look like a bride.’ she decided.

Back at the Main House, the adults had finished lunch, and while Bandura was sitting downstairs watching Elle, Piaget and Chloe had taken the newly awakened twins back into the playroom.
This time, Chloe was with Zara, and was holding her for the first time as a toddler.
Up close, she was surprised by the amount of movement and emotion Zara showed, her face constantly changing and her eyes always looking round the room. Looking down and catching her daughter’s eye, Chloe watched as Zara went red and embarrassed, hiding her face in Chloe’s shoulder.
‘ You’re very different to your siblings, aren’t you sweetheart?’ she asked gently, as Zara smiled and nodded.

The quiet moment was broken by the sound of Mihaly’s giggles from the other side of the room; Piaget was dangling his son upside down and making him laugh at the top of his voice.
Zara clung closer onto Chloe’s arm, and watched her twin brother with awe.
Mihaly had barely stopped making noise since he had transitioned, much like Olive had been at that age. As soon as the outgoing children learnt to talk, they wanted to share their thoughts with everyone, and the constant noise was something that Piaget and Chloe had quickly got used to as parents. Olive was outgoing and mature, Elle was strong and said what she thought, and Mihaly seemed to be the happy, chatty, smiling one. So that left Zara as the silent force that held them all together, Chloe reflected.

On the other side of the room, Piaget had righted Mihaly after dangling him upside down, so that his circulation would go back to normal. Smiling as he noticed the left-over Smart Milk glow around Mihaly’s head, Piaget regarded his son and the impish smile on his face.
Mihaly giggled at his Dad, fully expecting the game to recommence and to be hung upside down again and have that fun sensation of the world being the wrong way round. He loved spending time with his parents, he’d learned so much about them this morning, along with his Grandma. His family seemed like such a happy bunch to be with, and he wriggled in Piaget’s arms with happiness, pleased with his lot.

Meanwhile, Zara had sensed her brother’s happiness, and agreed with his sentiments. As he chattered to Piaget about ‘nice parents, happy Mihaly’; Zara echoed his feelings by hugging her Mum.
Taken aback a little at the unexpected force of the sudden hug round her neck, Chloe took a step back and placed her hand on Zara’s head, to support the change in Zara’s weight placement, and keep their balance. The toddler’s strength was enormous for her tiny size, and Chloe could almost feel the happiness radiating from Zara as she hung on to her mother, arms wrapped around her neck.
Eventually, though, Zara could feel Chloe needing to breathe more freely, and she loosened her hold, leaning back so that Chloe could look at her.

For a moment neither of them said anything, Chloe looking inquisitively at Zara’s expressive features, and Zara smiling adoringly back.
‘ You’re going to be so important, with emotions and awareness like that, aren’t you?’ Chloe asked.
Zara nodded again.
‘ You ok for me to try something?’ Chloe asked, receiving another nod. ‘Daddy said this might help.’ she explained, before balancing Zara more firmly on her hip, and unleashing the tickle monster.

At first not much changed, Zara’s breathing got faster and she squirmed in delight from the funny sensation of being tickled. Slowly, as Chloe increased the tickles, Zara’s throat moved more, working up noise and struggling with the effort of trying to release the pent up air.
Suddenly, as Chloe caught the top of Zara’s stomach, it happened.
‘ Hahaha!’ Zara burst out, a wonderful high pitched child’s laugh, pure and innocent, and one of the most magical noises Piaget and Chloe would ever think they’d heard. After almost a day of silence from Zara, to hear her laugh and to know the complete happiness she was feeling was such a relief, and a moment that would be savoured long after Zara had grown.

Struck with happiness, Piaget threw Mihaly into the air in celebration, adding his laughter to that of his twin’s, along with the random words that Mihaly was already getting a habit of using.
‘ Yay! Tickle, Zara, laugh!’ he cheered as he was bounced from Piaget’s hands, into the air, and back again.
‘ Your sister laughed! Isn’t it wonderful?’ Piaget laughed too, all tension released from his worry at Zara’s silence of that morning.

Zara stared wild-eyed at the hand that had forced a noise from her, and her big black eyes became even larger as she comprehended what had happened.
Chloe was fascinated as two tiny white lights appeared in her daughter’s eyes, like stars in a vast dark space. This was most definitely a special little girl they had, she considered, as she heard a loud engine pulling up outside bringing her eldest daughter home.
This was then followed by the whoosh of Shaun’s boots as he flew home and landed on the front lawn, impressing all of Olive’s friends on the school bus and instantly doubling his granddaughter’s popularity.

By the time Shaun had got out of flying mode and made his way into the house, Olive was already sat in the entrance corridor doing her homework.
‘ Hi Olive, good day at school?’ he asked.
‘ Yeah, it was great!’ Olive replied, ‘I learned loads of stuff, and talked to tons of people, and we had grilled cheese at lunch, and I got to sit next to Melody in all my lessons.’
‘ That’s brilliant.’ Shaun smiled, before eying the exercise book Olive was holding and gesturing behind her. ‘You know there’s a study to do your homework in, don’t you?’
‘ I know. But I need to do it fast, before the wedding.’ Olive explained.

‘ Oh, don’t worry about that, your homework’s not going to disappear.’ Shaun smiled. ‘We’ve only got half an hour before the wedding starts, and I bet you’ll want all of that time to get your dress ready, won’t you?’ he asked.
Olive considered. ‘Well, I guess I should do the homework later, when I’ve got lots of time to think about it. We don’t want to be late for the wedding.’
Shaun nodded. ‘You’ll have all evening to work on it, and if anyone asks, I gave you permission to leave it until later. Family is more important today.’ he insisted.
‘ Thanks Grandad!’ Olive replied, before racing upstairs to grab her formal dress.

And as all of the extended family got ready, Marie made her way to the back of the house at Jamie and Daryl’s, ready to take on her roles of usher and bridesmaid, and to help her sister’s day to go as smoothly as possible.
She was pretty pleased with how she’d done Jamie’s hair that morning; her sister still looked recognisable and had said that she felt comfortable looking the way she did. The dress that Jamie was wearing was stunning, so Marie had been given an easy job, really. There was a lot to work with, and Jamie was a beautiful bride.
Marie gulped as she saw the huge wedding layout as she rounded the corner, though. Now there was just the task of getting her sister out of the house, and under the arch in front of tens of people.

Inside, Jamie scrutinised her reflection in the mirror. She had made it down the stairs, dress intact and not a hair out of place, but she had noticed the mirror at the bottom of their stairs, and stopped to take a look.
She blinked into the mirror, unable to believe that this happy bride in front of her was her reflection. Marie had worked wonders, styling her so that she felt comfortable, and even adding an expensive tiara to replace the headband that Jamie had worn all her life.
Hearing the chatter of the guests arriving outside, Jamie tried to calm her nerves. What was there to be worried about? she reasoned with herself; the guests were all family members she knew, she looked just right, everyone she loved was here, and most importantly, she was marrying the love of her life.

Turning around and away from the mirror as she heard Daryl’s voice over the babble from the guests, Jamie banished her nerves and focused on the sound of the man she was about to marry. She loved Daryl’s voice; deep, calming and reassuring, it had got her through her university years, and she knew that she wouldn’t be at this point without him and his caring words and loving presence.
Daryl was just calling to everyone to be seated, working with Marie to get the family in their seats in time, and Jamie smiled as she heard him say her name and mention her imminent arrival. She knew that it was time for her to join him.
As the last of the chatter died down and Jamie felt ready, she walked towards the front door, and round the outside of the house to where the wedding set up was in the back garden.

The walk down the aisle was relatively easy in the end, with everyone’s eyes not only watching her, but also looking at Daryl and at his best man Tommy, who was standing behind the arch in wait.
As Jamie took her place and turned to her fiancé, Tommy started to walk round the arch to take his seat. ‘My job’s done now then, congratulations in advance, both of you.’ he told them, melting into the background and leaving the shy couple to conduct their day in their own style.
‘ You look absolutely stunning, Jamie.’ Daryl then told his bride, almost swooning with happiness and making Jamie blush. ‘Truly gorgeous.’

And as Tommy sat down, the vows began. Unlike the rest of the generation, who had got married to the sound of music and Latané singing, Jamie and Daryl’s ceremony took place in near-silence.
Both of them were shy, and neither had anything to declare that they didn’t already know for certain about each other.
The quiet suited them to a tee. The summer weather was flawless, a light breeze broke up the heat and the sky was crystal clear. Cale, Penny and their three other children had got seats near to the front of the congregation, and Cale was beyond happiness as he watched his youngest daughter get married.

Jamie went first, placing the ring on Daryl’s finger as she promised to love him for the rest of her life. As Daryl would be taking the Andersen surname, Jamie was in charge and leading the ceremony. She didn’t mind, it was tradition and it suited their relationship; she had been the one to propose after all.
Once Daryl’s ring was on, he held up the ring for Jamie and for a few long seconds they stood looking at each other in complete admiration, in their last moments before becoming husband and wife.
Jamie smiled from ear to ear, savouring the moment and unconsciously leaning in towards her man; then it was Daryl’s turn to speak.
‘ I Daryl Ternynck take you, Jamie Joule Andersen to be my wife, to love, respect and cherish you for the rest of my days.’ Daryl told her, before sliding the ring carefully onto Jamie’s finger and completing the marriage.

As the assembled audience began to clap, Jamie took another moment to gaze at Daryl.
She had been waiting for this day for so long that it almost seemed dreamlike, and too perfect to be real. Everyone had been worried that she was forcing this day, fitting it into her brother’s life, but in these wonderful moments she had never felt so sure of herself, so confident in who she was and what she wanted, and as she looked at her new husband she felt on top of the world.
He was so handsome, so caring and understanding that it brightened Jamie every day she was with him, and she felt totally happy standing with him under that arch.

Just as she leaned in to tell Daryl how happy she was feeling, she heard a low coughing noise, and she and Daryl turned to the crowd to see Tommy standing in the aisle, facing them.
‘ To the bride and groom!’ he announced, starting the cheering. ‘May they have many happy and fulfilled years ahead of them, and a wonderful marriage!’
‘ To the happy couple!’ everyone called.

And with everyone cheering for them and her brother at the centre of the amassed crowd, Jamie felt confident enough in herself and her situation to kiss her husband in front of all her relatives without the slightest embarrassment.
Everyone began to clap, and there were a few ‘aw’s as the newly wed couple celebrated their love, while Tommy stood motionless and tried to comprehend his twin sister’s new status.
Jamie was married, and he couldn’t have been happier. She had gone through so much for him, put her life on hold, and now she was finally getting what she had always deserved; a happy ending.
Sighing wistfully, Tommy felt his mind beginning to wander and think about his own situation.

Taking a deep breath, and knowing that the ceremony was over, Tommy forced on a smile and walked back to his seat as everyone stood up around him and applauded.
He was genuinely pleased for his sister, and had enjoyed the day so much. Daryl was going to be a wonderful addition to the family, and the whole wedding had been so heartfelt and true that it warmed the hearts of everyone there.
It was just that other people’s happiness tended to put Tommy’s life into dramatic perspective. Changing his mind and wandering past his seat, he made his way into the house to be alone with his thoughts for a while. No-one should have to help him shoulder his burdens on a day like this, and after all, none of them could do anything to help him until Lydia gave birth to his child the next morning, so until then, it was just him and his demons.

‘ How are you feeling?’ Daryl asked Jamie as the cheering and clapping died down and the guests began to chat amongst themselves.
‘ I’ve never been happier. Truly. This is the best day of my life and I am so glad to be your wife.’ Jamie said honestly.
Daryl relaxed a little more, gazing into his lovely wife’s eyes, before admitting the main point. ‘I’m glad we waited.’ he told her. ‘It was the right thing, to have your twin here with the rest of your family; it would have felt like something was wrong if we’d done it before.’
‘ Thank you for understanding.’ Jamie smiled in return. ‘I know we had our own opinions on the matter, but I am so, so grateful to you for waiting. Today has been perfect.’

Stepping back from each other and taking one last look at their guests, the couple closed the ceremony and watched as everyone dispersed and discussed the wedding. Daryl turned back to Jamie and asked ‘So, what now, Mrs Andersen?’
Jamie grinned. ‘Now, it’s time for the honeymoon.’ she giggled, and they ran down the aisle, past all their relatives who were circulating and talking to one another, and into the waiting limo for their one night honeymoon.

That night after the wedding, one guest at least was excited enough about the day to recount the whole event to her younger sister.
Elle listened attentively as Olive told her all about how lovely the wedding had been, what Auntie Jamie’s dress was like, how happy everyone had been, how Uncle Cale had cheered and almost cried with happiness, how nice the weather was, how well everyone was dressed, and what the vows had been, roughly remembered.
Olive had thoroughly enjoyed the day, knowing that it was the only wedding she would go to for a long while. As her parents had smilingly told her, the next wedding in the family would be hers, a long long time in the future.

For now, Olive was content to live through others, and after telling Elle about the final kiss under the arch and Jamie and Daryl running off to their honeymoon, she finished with ‘Oh, I wish you could have been there, Ellie.’
Elle smiled. ‘Me too, but your story is as good.’
‘ Aw, thanks.’ Olive grinned at the praise. ‘Hey, tomorrow you will be old enough to do everything with me!’
‘ Yup, school, friends and fun.’ Elle agreed.
‘ You looking forward to your birthday?’ Olive asked.

‘ Oh yes!’ Elle bounced up and down. She couldn’t wait to catch up. Ever since Olive had grown to a child and had three cousins to spend her time with, Elle had been impatient to be the same age. Her parents and grandparents were always telling her to make the most of this life stage, that she would age when the time came; but with her whole life ahead of her, she just couldn’t wait to get started.
‘ I’ve loved having you as a toddler sister as well, though.’ Olive reminded her. ‘I know you like being grown up, but you’ll always be my little sister, and I’ll always look after you.’
Elle nodded in acceptance, and then the sisters were interrupted by Grandma. ‘Right, bed time Elle, and Olive, you do need to finish that homework before morning.’
Both of the girls moaned good-naturedly, but they knew Grandma was right, and they did as they were told.

Early the next morning, as the rain drizzled down and the close summer thunderstorm threatened on the horizon, Tommy marched up to his sister’s front door.
He felt guilty interrupting Jamie and Daryl’s new married life, especially right after their very short honeymoon, but he really needed someone to talk to that morning. Lydia was due to have his baby, and he needed company. He had spent a few hours at Heidi’s house where he was currently living, whiling away the hours, but he wasn’t distraction enough from his own thoughts, and he needed the attention of someone who understood him and what he was going through.
Going up to the glass doors and peering in, he saw movement at the foot of the stairs, and suddenly becoming conscious of the rain that was slowly soaking through his thin t-shirt, he let himself in.

When he got inside, he realised it was Daryl at the bottom of the stairs, making his way down to greet Tommy.
‘ Hey man, how are you?’ Daryl asked, all joviality and welcome in his voice, but his eyes betraying his surprise and unpreparedness at Tommy’s arrival so soon.
‘ Eh, I’ve been better. Sorry to burst in on you, but I really need company this morning; I’m no good for myself.’
‘ God, yes it’s that day, isn’t it?’ Daryl slowly realised, his eyes getting wider and panic setting in, before he pulled his brother-in-law in for a hug and controlled his worry.

When Tommy stepped back, Daryl’s nerve had hardened.
‘ Look, Tommy, I’d better get this out now, and then you can cope with it.’ Daryl forced himself to say, knowing that this needed to be done. ‘Jamie’s asleep upstairs right now. She’s very tired…because she’s pregnant. I know Lydia’s giving birth this morning so this is pretty awful timing for you, but I thought you’d prefer to know. You’re going to be an uncle again.’
Tommy gulped. Well, this was interesting. Not entirely unexpected; his family did have a habit of having children right after weddings, but to have his sister pregnant at the same time as his psychopathic girlfriend…no. No, he mustn’t go down that route. Jamie’s pregnancy was a completely different event to Lydia’s, the two were in entirely different circumstances and involved separate people. He had to see this for what it was. Jamie would be a wonderful mother and Daryl would be a doting father, and Tommy would now be an uncle to three children. This was great news.

‘ Congratulations, Daryl. You must be so pleased.’ he said genuinely.
‘ I know this must be hard for you…’
‘ It’s not like that.’ Tommy insisted. ‘Your child is completely different to mine, and this is great news, absolutely brilliant. You’ll both make such wonderful parents.’
Daryl smiled. ‘Thank you. So, um, did you say you wanted someone to talk to this morning? Because if it helps, I’m here…brother.’
Tommy nodded in acceptance at the term. ‘Just talking would be great. I need someone to vent to, someone to listen to my worries.’
‘ Of course. It’s a difficult morning for you. Here, let’s sit on the couch.’

‘ So how are you feeling?’ Daryl asked.
Tommy’s face went through his usual kaleidoscope of emotions, before he went with his gut feeling. ‘To be honest, I feel powerless and I hate it.’ he moaned. ‘To know so little and be able to do nothing about it is awful. There’s no way for me to see the baby; Lydia won’t let me in, and then if she does, she won’t let me go again…so I can’t be there for the birth this morning.’
‘ And it’s definitely this morning?’
‘ If not it’ll have been last night, so the child will have been born.’ Tommy sighed. ‘To know so little about my own child is the worst part. Not a gender, a name, not even the relief of knowing they were safely delivered.’
Daryl sighed with sympathy, then smiled. ‘We’re not your average romancers, are we? Both thinking and talking about our babies’

Tommy laughed, agreeing, before a wistful look came over his face, and he looked out of the window in front of him, in the vague direction of Lydia's house.
‘ You know, it’s funny.’ he began. ‘I used to be your typical romancer. When I was young I thought that romance was about wooing girls, and when I first got to uni I spent my time just actively seeking out women.
Then when I met Lydia it moulded my experience of my aspiration. Romance no longer meant wanting tens of women, or wanting to be the most loved man on campus. Romance became about being romantic, about making one woman feel like the most special person in the world. I changed a lot about my view of the world when I met Lydia. We had whole conversations about the future, about settling down, and I meant the things I promised her.
I did promise her children, and I seem to have given her one.’ Tommy sighed and paused.

‘ But in changing my view of the world I now don’t know what I want from life.’ he explained. ‘Since finding out Lydia was pregnant I’ve come to want to be involved with the child. With my baby. I want to be there, and to see my future unfold, like I once hoped it would.’
‘ I don’t know how you’ve borne it.’ Daryl admitted. ‘The way I feel now, the happiness I feel at Jamie being my wife and expecting my child…I can’t imagine how it is for you; having all that but not being able to be involved in it.’
‘ It’s just what I have to deal with. It’s my life, it’s real, it’s happening, and I’ve accepted it. I just have to decide what to do with it.’
‘ I know if it were me, I’d want the child.’ Daryl continued.

‘ I think romance men are more attached to other humans. You know, we’ve got stronger emotions, more involvement with others and keeping them happy.’
Tommy smiled. ‘You sound like my Aunt Bandura with her Psychology. But it’s something I hadn’t considered before; it sounds pretty plausible.’
‘ The way I feel about Jamie is the strongest thing I’ve ever felt. And when I found out she was pregnant, I already felt protective, proud, attached to the idea of a child. I imagine you’re the same.’
‘ I would be if I let myself think about it.’ Tommy said grimly. ‘I haven’t let my mind focus on how much I’ll love the child because at the moment I don’t expect I’ll be able to see it.’

‘ So why haven’t you called Lydia to get hold of the child? Started to sort out how things are going to be?’
‘ I haven’t been able to.’ Tommy sighed. ‘I last spoke to her when she announced her pregnancy, and we’ve seen her from across the street once since then. But while she’s pregnant I don’t feel that I can do anything. There’s no baby for me to see and I feel like Lydia completely betrayed me and my trust that last time she put the lot barriers up. I can’t love her like I used to, so I don’t want to fully go back to her. I’ve needed this time apart to see her for what she really is. She’s sick, she needs help, and she doesn’t fully understand love. So I can’t be ready to love her. But the child is mine. If I could get it, I could raise that baby in a happy, loving environment surrounded by family. If she keeps the baby, it’ll only ever know her and she would make a pretty awful role model. There would basically be another Lydia running around.’
‘ But how will you get to the child? Did any of us decide on that point?’ Daryl asked, having spent most of the family conversations comforting Jamie and her strong emotions.

‘ No, we didn’t. We had vague ideas, but in the end I think it’ll be up to me and Lydia to work this one through. Once she has the baby I can see them both and we can sort out where we all stand. Looking on the positive side, motherhood might soften Lydia and make her more open to ideas.’
‘ And if it doesn’t?’
Tommy sighed again. ‘Well, at the very worst, we’ll just have to take it to court in a custody battle. Lydia’s in control on her own lot, and in power over me, but she’s not above the law or the medical profession.’
‘ Do you think you’d win if it came to that?’
‘ I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.’

‘ In the meantime I need to arrange to see my baby, or at least to let her know what my feelings are. I have to get over there to the house and find out more, but I don’t want to be forced to stay. I’m going to treat it as a family visit, to see her and the baby for a short while. I can put Makoto on back-up to get me out, and I can see what state everything’s in. And we’ll see where to go from there.’
‘ If you’ve got the back-up in place, that sounds like the best thing to do. Reason with her, see the baby, get information, and get out so that you can think on it.’
Tommy nodded. ‘Above all, I just want to see my child, to know them for as long as I can.’
‘ If it helps, I think you’ll be a great father.’ Daryl offered.
‘ Thanks.’ Tommy replied. ‘And so will you.’

And at that time at the Hart house, both of the twins were awake before the school bus arrived, and killing time with reading.
Melody had woken up first, as she always seemed to do, and by the time Leo joined her, she was getting bored of the cooking book she was leafing through. It was nearing school time anyway, and she had people she wanted to see that morning.
Being with the other children at school had got her thinking about families, and she had some questions to ask before she went back that day, so that she could talk honestly to all her new playground friends about her family and her roots.

Sliding off her chair and holding the closed book in one hand, Melody thought about who to ask the family questions of. Daddy was an astronaut now and in the morning he was asleep after a night of space missions; so she couldn’t ask him.
Mummy was a late morning person, and always seemed to be creating art from her dreams as soon as she woke up. With Leo knowing as little as she did, this left Melody with only one person to ask; funnily enough, that was the person who would know the most – Grandad James.

James always woke up early. Hearing his grandchildren getting ready for school and the house waking up around him made him feel purposeful and full of life; and it gave him a happy start to every day.
This morning he was blogging on his computer when he heard a knock at the door, followed by his granddaughter’s light voice.
‘ Hi Grandad, it’s Melody. Can I come in please?’
Casting his mind around his room. No mess, no dangerous tinkering or mechanical things lying about that children shouldn’t go near, and no expensive stuff that was his that she could damage. Seeing no reason why Melody couldn’t come in, James replied with an ‘Of course!’, before suddenly realising his mistake as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

Melody had launched into a monologue as soon as she entered the room and was in the middle of saying ‘Morning Grandad, I just wanted to ask you about…’ when she came around the corner and saw the paintings.
Standing still and looking at the unknown woman hanging on the wall, Melody was for the first time in her life stunned to silence.
Something in that woman’s face was familiar. The eyes looked like Mummy, the hair colour looked like her own. Melody took a few more steps forward and examined the woman more closely. Strange, she had come in here to ask about the missing member of her family and there she must be, smiling down at her from the walls. Walking closer to her Grandad, Melody tried to speak again.

‘ Grandad, is that…’
James had frozen in place, staring straight ahead at the wooden frame, silently scolding himself for not thinking about the pictures in here. Of course Melody would know who it was. No point hiding Ariella now.
He sighed. ‘Yes, that’s your Grandma.’
‘ She’s pretty.’ Melody replied, trying to skirt around her inevitable questions, at least for the moment while Grandad seemed so tense.
‘ Yes, she is.’ James replied, sticking with his present tense.

‘ Is. As in, she still is?’ Melody couldn’t help but ask. ‘So she’s not old and dead then?’
James slid his chair back, knowing that it was better for him to have this conversation face to face. Melody was already developing an aptitude for bluntness that he needed to keep at bay, and the best way to do that was to look at her properly and answer her questions truthfully.
‘ No, she’s not dead. Or at least, as far as I know, she isn’t. Nor is she old yet.’
Melody stood, thoroughly confused, and waited for her Grandad to stand up and turn round.

‘ So if she’s not old, how is she my Grandma?’ Melody asked, thinking about her other Grandma Bandura, with her grey hair and low energy levels. ‘No offence Grandad, but you’re old…so why isn’t Grandma?’
James wondered where to start, considering all the problems Ariella had carried with her. It wasn’t just the ageing, it was the ruthlessness, the work-focus, the neglect of Felicity, the complete misunderstanding of motherhood…best to stick with the ageing for now, James decided. ‘Well, your Grandma Ariella liked being young, and she found a way to stop getting old.’
‘ But you got old.’
‘ Yes, it was the best thing for me and my family. No-one likes to see their parents frozen in time, doing nothing, never moving on, or changing. I grew old for your Mum and Dad, and for you and your brother.’
‘ So Grandma was selfish?’ Melody inferred.

‘ Well, see, the thing about your Grandma is…what she saw as the best thing for everyone and the right course of action was actually only the best thing for her, most of the time.’ James tried to explain, finding it hard to give an accurate description of the woman who wasn’t there. ‘Some of the things she did were lovely. She built this house, married me, had Felicity with me, played her instruments beautifully and didn’t boast about her talent.’
‘ So she was kind of confused?’
James smiled. ‘I guess you could say that. There are some things in life that Ariella loves, like music and business, and some things, like love itself, and motherhood, that she never really understood, nor did she try to.’

‘ She loved you.’ Melody offered.
‘ She did. Until I went against everything she stood for , as she once put it. That was when your Mum married your Dad and I grew old. She wasn’t keen on Latané. Last we heard, she still isn’t.’
‘ When did you last hear from her?’
‘ Your Dad got a phone call from her last week, saying that she wasn’t coming back. But the last time we saw her, in person…’ James broke off, unsure whether to tell Melody. But then, this was the truth, and everyone had a right to know the truth. He tried again. ‘The last time we saw her was the night you and Leo were born. She left before she saw you.’

Melody looked up at the pictures on the wall when her Grandad said that, trying to form a picture of this woman.
She looked so beautiful, so poised, yet she sounded very strange. Melody couldn’t get the picture and the description to mesh in her mind, couldn’t imagine Grandma Ariella as a whole, coherent person. Perhaps she wasn’t coherent. Maybe she didn’t make sense, or had never figured out who she was and what she wanted.
There was so much she still wanted to know. Why didn’t Grandma like Daddy? What was so wrong with growing old? And, most importantly, why had Ariella left when her grandchildren were born? Didn’t she love them? Didn’t she want to see them?
Filled with wonder and a little hurt, Melody opened her mouth to ask more, but was cut off by Felicity calling from outside. ‘Melody, school time! The bus is here!’

Knowing that she had to go, and that she would spend the day with her friends, Melody put the worries to the back of her mind for later, to talk through with Leo and then with her parents.
Pulling her Grandad down for a hug as she always did before school, Melody told him ‘It doesn’t matter about Grandma. It’s her loss. You’re lovely Grandad, and we love you double because you’re here.’
‘ Melody, bus!’ Leo then called, making Melody pull out of the hug, and grab her bag on the way out of the house to the waiting bus.

Back at Jamie and Daryl’s house, Tommy had gone upstairs to the empty and as yet unpainted baby’s room to call Lydia. He didn’t want to just turn up unannounced, but he felt like he had to do something today.
Why though, he wondered, did he always seem to be getting in contact with Lydia from nurseries? The irony of it was almost laughable, using someone else’s baby room to try to get hold of his own. He supposed that in the years before, he would have gone into someone’s spare room to make a call, and now none of them had a spare room. All the empty space had been filled with children.
And now that his baby was undoubtedly here, there was nothing stopping him ringing Lydia. Going to see her had the obvious drawbacks in the possibility of being taken hostage again, but a phone call was perfect. It would get him up to date on the child, get them talking, and start the very long road to understanding.
Or it would, Tommy reflected as the ringing went on and on and on, if she would pick up the phone.

What Tommy hadn’t factored into his thoughts was that Lydia was so exhausted after the birth that when he called up to talk, she was fast asleep in her room upstairs, and didn’t even stir while the phone rang on in the entrance hall.
Giving birth alone was no easy feat, and she had been sleeping for a few hours, trying to recuperate, when Tommy rang.
Her sleep was dreamless and heavy, and she didn’t move a muscle until some hours later, when she felt fully recovered, and ready to face the rest of the day in her new state as a mother.

Groggily sitting up as the clock on the far wall clicked past twelve, Lydia pushed herself to a sitting position, and tried to come back to her senses. Looking round the room she knew something was different from earlier, her sleep-addled mind blurring the details of her morning and the pain she’d gone through. Casting her mind over her form, she came upon the answer immediately.
As she fully began to wake up, the first thing she noticed was how empty her stomach felt. No bump.
Lydia had loved being pregnant, savouring the life inside her, but now she was just herself again. Being pregnant had been a wonderful state to be in, with purpose and an obvious end goal, but now that she had given birth she was something new. Something she had no idea about being. She was a mother.
Slowly sliding her frame off the bed, she walked lightly across the room to the dresser.

Everything she did felt slow, laboured, and empty. The photo of her and Tommy that she knew hung in the corner was taunting her, and the door to her left was scaring her away, threatening her with the new and dependent life that now lived behind it.
Lydia closed the drawers and sighed. In the quiet of the house she could hear the baby’s sleepy breaths in the room next door, the tiny noises catching in its throat as it looked around at the world on its first day of life. The baby had so much possibility for its life that Lydia’s loneliness and confusion felt worse in comparison, and the potential that she had felt when pregnant had left Lydia as painfully as the baby had.
Feeling her stomach’s empty state again, Lydia wondered if food might quell the feeling, and she made her way downstairs, to grab some leftovers from the fridge.

When she reached the kitchen and pulled open the heavy fridge door, Lydia rolled her eyes at what lay in wait for her.
Of course, the last person to cook anything in the house and make leftovers had been Tommy, just three days before. Eyeing all the inedible food, the untouched alcohol, the pointless rows of herbs, vegetables, things that weren’t grilled cheese; Lydia sighed. There was nothing she could cook with here, so grilled cheese it would have to be.
Whether it reminded her of Tommy or not, she would have to eat it. After all, the baby was half Andersen, and would need to stick to the grilled cheese diet regardless of whether it was Lydia’s preference.

But once she’d cooked the sandwich through to heat it up and sat down at the table with it, Lydia’s appetite vanished.
She just stared at the food, her mind elsewhere, and gripped the underside of the table, wondering what to do next.
Questions ran through her mind. How could she get Tommy back? What did she do with her life now? How did she care for the baby? How did she feel about Tommy’s family? Why was she here, and what did she want from the rest of her life?
As if answering her unspoken questions, Lydia’s baby began to cry upstairs. A full-on, bellowing cry that she couldn’t ignore. Time to go and test her mothering skills, then, she sighed.

On the opposite side of the road an hour or so later, another mother was filled with a very different feeling.
Rose was as proud as she had ever been, holding her daughter Violet above her birthday cake, and ready for her only child to grow up.
Looking down at her niece who was the age Violet was about to become, Rose was filled with excitement about who Violet would grow up to be, what she would be like, and who she would take after. As she lifted her eyes to see her own wonderful Mum, Rose smiled.

Violet hadn’t really displayed many of the typical Psychologist characteristics so far as a toddler.
She was one of the few not to have The Nose, taking after Todd in a lot of her stronger features, and very much a mixture of both her parents in her personality.
It had been obvious very early on that Violet was outgoing. Very outgoing, in fact, as she had constantly been making noise, talking, walking around on heavy feet, calling, shouting, singing, and playing.
And therein lay her most obvious trait; her musical talent. Already Violet was mastering the xylophone, singing in tune, and asking if she could dance yet. Todd was also musical, although he was a dancer rather than a musician, and this had pleased him more than anything.

Todd had subsequently taught Violet most of her skills, and her speech was very similar to his, with excitable phrases and a gregarious attitude to conversation.
As Rose was out at work at the grilled cheese restaurant during the afternoons and evenings, Violet spent the early mornings with her, cuddling, talking, and playing as a mother and daughter team.
Rose and Todd had worried that Violet would be lonely as an only child, but other than getting a little bored with her own company, Violet had seemed happy so far, and other than asking about all there was to know all about her cousins, she hadn’t wanted for a sibling at all.

There was a relatively low attendance to Violet’s birthday; as usual, Rose just invited the Bandura branch of the family, with her parents, brothers, and best friends turning up to cheer them on. As Elle’s birthday was taking place right after Violet’s, there was no point in making the day more fraught, and Rose’s house wasn’t nearly big enough for the full attendance of twenty five of her closest family members.
As such, Violet looked round at her immediate relatives, cousins, grandparents, aunties and uncles, and memorised each face. These were the people she would be spending most of her time with, and the ones who would always mean the most to her.

And the person who meant the utmost to her, equal to Rose, was standing right behind them, giving up on blowing his party horn because he was smiling too much.
Todd was still enamoured with his little daughter, and had looked after her when Rose had gone out to work, and family parties, and social visits. Rose had been there a lot too, it was just that his job allowed for more time at home, and he had gladly given his wife the freedom that she still enjoyed.
Now that Violet was growing into a more independent child, Todd knew that he had to get out again, see his friends and relatives again. And he would. He was just glad that he had been there to see Violet at her most impressionable age, and hear her first words, and first songs.

After the party horns had been tooted and the candles blown out, Rose placed Violet on the floor and went to stand with her friends while her daughter transitioned.
All the family cheered as they watched Violet get to her feet and transform into a child in front of their eyes. It didn’t matter how many times they saw it, birthdays still fascinated and excited them all, and it was a magical time for all of them.

When Violet had combed back her hair and put on her new dress, she joined the party again to lots of exclamation that she looked very pretty, and was like her Mum at that age, only without the blue hair and the usual Psychologist nose.
As Todd had then laughed, that meant that Violet was a good mix of her parents, with features from him as well as Rose.
And as the outgoing child then proved by endeavouring to talk to every single guest at the party, she was most definitely the daughter of popularity and pleasure sim parents.

After Violet’s party had finished and all the guests had chatted and caught up, Rose walked everyone, Violet and Todd included, over to the Main House next door.
It was the first main house party that some people had been to, and with well over twenty of the family members filling up the kitchen it seemed very busy.
The alien twins were sat in their high chairs, looking over proceedings, with Grandad stood behind them in case they wanted to get out. Everyone else jostled for position, as party horns were handed out and greetings were made, some people arriving just as it seemed that no-one else could fit into the kitchen.

Elle and Piaget stood patiently behind the cake, watching the family organise themselves.
Piaget was doing the transition this time, as Chloe had aged Elle on her last birthday, and the grandparents had aged the younger twins. Elle was an easy child to look after; despite her active personality she was nevertheless patient and quiet, and spoke when she needed to, but not constantly like her older sister.
Piaget could tell that Elle was excited, and the family knew how much she had been waiting for this day to arrive. For most of her time as a toddler, Elle had wanted to become a child, and finally she was getting what she wanted.
Looking round, Piaget saw that everyone was ready, and gestured for Chloe to light the candles and begin the celebration.

There was barely a space left to stand in that had a view of the cake and the birthday girl; family members both young and old were evenly spaced throughout the room, the elders and children having grabbed most of the party horns, and adding to the atmosphere with enjoyment.
Marla and Isaac had stayed at home this time, as both of them had jobs and wanted to spend time with their son. Tommy, Jamie and Daryl were the only other guests unable to make it, the men choosing to stay together to help Jamie through the difficult early stages of pregnancy.

All of the children in the family had been able to make it, and were spread around the room with various noise-makers, building up their excitement at another family member becoming their age.
For someone who had been a child for little over an hour, Violet was coping well, and joining in as best she could. Crowds didn’t worry her, and she merely saw all the people in the room as potential friends to make, rather than strangers she didn’t know.
Olive was stood the nearest she could get, grinning from ear to ear at her sister, and making as much noise as she could to show her excitement. She knew more than anyone how much this moment meant to her sister, and she could see the smile on Elle’s face as she faced childhood.
It was a great moment for Olive too, though, as she was about to get a sister the same age as her. All the games they could play, talks they could have, and hours they could spend together stretched out before her, and she cheered all the louder thinking of how fun it would all be.

On the other side of the room, Chloe was a little more subdued in her happiness.
This was a lovely occasion, but she couldn’t help the slight pang at the fact that her last baby would no longer be little when this was over. Yes, they still had the aliens to look after, and they were wonderful toddlers; but Elle was the last one Chloe had given birth to, and here she was, about to become a child. Ready for school, ready to grow up. It seemed like hardly any time had passed since Chloe had been sitting on that living room sofa, thinking of prospective motherhood.
Hearing her niece and nephew cheering to the side of her, Chloe shook herself out of her reverie. Well, she thought, she couldn’t stop time, nor would she want to. Elle was so happy, and she wanted to be a child after all.

Looking across at her husband grinning down at their daughter, Chloe reflected that they had at least made the most of the toddler years. Elle had been brilliant; a happy girl, a fast learner and a good teacher to her younger siblings.
But it was time for her to grow, whether Chloe was ready or not. Elle had been asking when she was going to be a child for the past few days, and impatiently looking up to Olive, waiting until she could equal her.
This was possibly the most fulfilled toddler in the town, Chloe smiled, and as she lifted her party horn to her lips, she knew deep down that there was a lot to cheer about.

‘ There’s no point asking if you’re ready, is there Elle?’ Piaget asked, to which Elle giggled and replied ‘Nope. Been ready for aaages.’
‘ Let’s get on with it then. Enjoy the moment.’ he smiled, leaning Elle forward for her to blow the candles out with him.
Daintily, with the grace of someone twice her age, Elle blew out all four candles one by one, and Piaget could hear her quietly making a wish under her breath. Setting her down on the ground, he stood back with Shaun, Chloe and Marie, and watched as Elle got to her feet.

Elle stood up slowly, looking down at her young toddler’s body for the last time. No longer would she be constrained by short legs and a low energy level, she thought. She couldn’t wait to run and play and dance and jump and all sorts of things.
Feeling the sparkles take over as the adults’ cheering became a distant roar, Elle felt on top of the world as she leapt into the air and finally became a child.

Having run off like a shot and got changed with a speed her grandparents could only dream of, Elle was back in the dining room by the time the dancing started, and stood in front of her sister, in slight bewilderment at being the same height again.
Olive stared at her sister for a moment, unable to say anything. The outfit Elle had chosen was odd, no doubt about it, but somehow it was so Elle. The trainers had been picked for running and sport, the hoodie and skirt were in Elle’s favourite pinks, and the whole girly yet practical mish-mash suited Elle to a tee, although it wouldn’t have worked on anyone else.
After looking round the room in awe, Elle turned to Olive and used her child voice for the first time. ‘Right, dancing then. Let’s see if I can get the hang of this.’ she grinned.

A few minutes into the smustle, and it was becoming obvious that she couldn’t.
‘ Elle, you’re facing the wrong way!’ came the shout from various relatives.
Briefly looking round to see that their Aunts and Uncles were right, Olive laughed at her odd and fun sister, already loving her personality at this age.
Elle was paying absolutely no attention to how everyone else was dancing, a little too shy to all-out get it wrong, but active enough to dance around anyway.
Noticing that it was drawing people’s attention, Elle blushed and managed to reply ‘…but I thought everyone danced to their own beat!’

Turning round so that she faced her sister, and completely putting Olive off in the process, Elle joined in with Olive’s laughter.
‘ Let’s just dance our way!’ she decided. ‘It’s better when you just do what you want.’
Olive looked round at all the synchronised dancing the adults were doing, the boring formation smustle that they had done at every family gathering for fifty years, and nodded. ‘Good idea!’ she replied, before suddenly feeling a surge of sisterly love, and pulling Elle in for a hug.

‘ So glad to have you at the same age as me again.’ she told Elle.
‘ Oh me too. I’ve been looking forward to this for ages.’ Elle agreed.
‘ I can’t wait to have you at school tomorrow, and get you to meet all our cousins, and spend all afternoon outside playing.’
Elle worried slightly at all the new people involved, but knowing that Olive would be there with her, she knew that she would get along just fine, and so she agreed. ‘Me too. Being a child is going to be the best.’

And the girls danced together until nightfall, enjoying each other’s company and happy in their own little bubble.
The adults continued to dance around them, the toddlers were put to bed as the sun set, and Olive and Elle danced on, laughing and talking over the music, in their own world. Olive may have been outgoing and headstrong on her own, but with Elle alongside her, they were already proving to be quite the team, and it seemed that nothing could come between them.

So, one baby was born this chapter, but I’m not giving anything away there just yet. All will be revealed in time.
Daryl married in and has taken the Andersen surname, as everyone married into Penny’s line does. Besides, I wasn’t going to spell Ternynck every chapter.
And no new toddlers, but with Violet and Elle aged up there are now six children; nearly there!
My thanks as always to my friends at boolprop and DD, and to Loz for being a sounding board and a great help for future plot.
PTO for an extra slide. I love Elle already. 

Happy New Year 2012 Everyone!

Hypothesis incorrect chapter 25

by amylu1988

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