Chapter 49: The Best Day of My Life

           By the time the Best Day of My Life had happened, mommy had helped me out with my grammar and spelling, so I was sounding more intelligent with my schoolwork. She was always going on about how proud of me she was, to the point that I wondered if she was trying to make up for my father's negligence. He wasn't purposely trying to avoid his children, but he was so involved with his work that I would sometimes go days without seeing him, despite the fact that we lived in the same home. As ashamed as I was to admit it, I didn't really know my father. It was evident that he knew me, though, because despite the fact that I hadn't had a full conversation with him in weeks, and couldn't even recall the last time we had a conversation when he wasn't exhausted, he was the one that made the Best Day of My Life a reality. 

           I had just gotten up for the morning, rubbing my eyes as I crawled out of bed and making my way downstairs. It was the first day of spring, and the smell of the dewy grass and thought of baby animals opening their eyes for the first time was too glorious to resist.

           As such, I had already started the day out fabulously. The first thing I noticed from that day was a large, blue van rolling to a stop in front of our house. I had quivered with anticipation-it was too early for guests-but I would feel terrible to not welcome someone, especially one that had arrived in such an odd little van, so I ran out onto the lawn, savouring the feeling of the wet droplets clinging to the blades of grass being transferred to my naked feet, where they tickled my toes and made the sole of my feet slippery.

           A Southern gentleman exited the van and offered me a grin and a nod of his head. "Hallo, young Missy. Your father or mother be 'round?"

           I hid a giggle about his accent, which mommy had so fervently tried to wean me off of. "I reckon she's still in a deep slumber, kind sir. I have not the slightest idea-r where ma' fah-ther might be," I replied, adopting the accent I had been so accustomed to in all my youth.

           He raised an eyebrow at me. "I'm only foolin', little lady. I know that you're the princess. An' princess don't talk like that. Now, your father got you a special gift. You're gonna hafta be extra careful with your present, ya hear? Close your eyes and I'll give you your present." A goofy smiled washed over my face as I closed my eyes willingly, bouncing with excitement as I heard him opening the van back door. "You can open yer eyes now!"

           The poor man must have had his eardrums ruptured from the decibel of my shriek as I laid eyes on the foal scampering towards me.

           "Your pa adopted him from my shelter," the man said, handing me a large bottle. "Here. The poor boy misses his mom-why don't you feed him?" He guided me through approaching the animal, instructing me on the warning signs of an fearful or aggressive animal. "He's an ornery sonofa-" he glanced at me "-gun, but I'll be damned if he isn't the fastest little devil I ever seen. I dunno why your pa chose him. We had plenty of friendly foals, but your pa was certain that you could get to the heart of any creature."

           "So he's for me?" I piped up, whispering to the foal and smiling as he reluctantly drank from the bottle.

           "Yes ma'am. His name's Flame. Your pa seemed to find it real funny-said that his name means fire, and your name means snow." The man talked me through the responsibilities of taking care of a horse. He unloaded all of the gear my father had bought along with Flame. At long last, he tipped his hat to me and left me to take care of my new buddy.

           I didn't even bother changing out of my new pajamas, I was so eager to bond with Flame. I removed his bridle, murmuring to him all the time. His hostility turned into reluctant acceptance, and at long last, as I was using a soft bristled body brush on him under the noon sun, I felt his tense body relax. When I was done, he even offered me a soft whinny, letting me stroke his incredibly soft nose.
           I could tell that it would be ages before Flame would befriend me, and perhaps years before he would allow me to ride him, but I was determined to take the best care of the horse possible. And maybe, I thought, maybe daddy knows me after all.
           Receiving Flame as a present wasn't the extent of what made up the Best Day of My Life, however.

           When Flame started to get irritated by my presence, I left him in his stall to nap and phoned Stefan. I told him all about Flame, and we ended up talking for quite a while. When the phone started to stick to my cheek, I knew I had been talking on it long enough, so we agreed to meet at the festival park. Mommy wouldn't let me go alone, so I ended up taking Flame with me. He didn't seem ornery to me, just untrained. I was glad that he wasn't the least bit scared, because I was a bit nervous about going out on my own.
           When we got to the park, I introduced Flame to Stefan, then Flame took off to sniff about the other animals there. I dragged Stefan over to the photo booth, eager to have a solid memory for me to look back on. "C'mon, slow poke!" I shrieked, tugging open the photo booth curtain. I turned to see Stefan looking over at a Love-O-Meter machine. I giggled and suddenly started pondering over the choices of girls that Stefan could like. We were at an age where half of the boys thought girls had cooties and the other half were chasing them.

           I had so much fun that day! We went Easter Egg hunting, and I found a big green one with purple polka-dots. While we were Easter Egg hunting, Stefan asked me about my parents. "So are your parents serious about getting us married?"
           I shrugged. "They keep hinting how it'd be nice to unite two kingdoms together, and how I should help purify our blood and make it blue again."
           "What's wrong with it now?"
           "Gramma was a commoner, and mommy... well, you won't tell anyone, right?"
           "Pinky promise," Stefan said, latching his pinky around mine.
           "Mommy was a doll that daddy got when he was little. Gramma's Fairy Godmother turned it magical. Uncle Buzz made a potion which turned her human."
           "...Right," Stefan said dubiously. I didn't push my point. Unless I had Uncle Buzz, Auntie Sandy, daddy and mommy all gathered in a room, there was no way he was going to believe me.

           We chatted a bit more before I took to the dance floor. "Aw, lighten up, Stefan! Come and dance!" I said, dancing to the music. Seppen had been kind enough to at least teach me how to dance, though I could not do anything as nice as her pirouettes and such.
           "I think I'm going to go grab some food for us," he said, blushing, "I'm getting hungry."
           "Suit yourself!" I watched the other people on the dance floor and started to pick up moves from them. A small group of kids my age joined me and we were dancing like there was no tomorrow. We looked incredibly silly, but none of us cared. Flame broke up the party when he strolled through and nudged me gently. "Are you tired?" I asked him, stroking his nose, "hungry?"

           I walked him over to where Stefan was seated with his food. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up. "I've just finished, Yuki."
           "Brilliant. So you can feed Flame while I eat," I said, locating Flame's bottle and handing it over to Stefan. They looked at each other, unsure, but Flame's hunger overcame his suspicious nature and he nipped at the bottle appreciatively.
           "What's he like?" Stefan asked, even though I had told him a million times over the phone.
           "He likes being brushed. I think I won't get to ride him until I've known him for a long while. But there's something else, I'm not sure... he seems protective? Maybe that's not the right word. Maybe he's just brave. Flame the brave. Yes, that's it." I checked the time. "We have to go back now," I said regretfully. We made our way home, Stefan first and then I with Flame.

           Just as I was wiping away the sleepiness from my eyes, my parents announced a surprise trip to France! At first, I was super happy, then once I realized that Flame couldn't come with us, I started to panic. Daddy explained that Flame needed to be checked out by the veterinarian anyway, so I suppose that it wasn't that bad. Seppen decided to stay with Cousin Ami, since she had a fear of planes and had three summatives that she had to work on. Harry was coming along, though, and although I would never say so, he was my favourite sibling. Though he could be mean if he wanted to.
           I fell asleep on the flight there, which made me really upset since I had wanted to watch the whole time. The next morning, I was awake to see France's beauty-or at least its one town.

           Daddy was really excited for a vacation from his work, and his exuberance was catching. I grabbed his arm excitedly the minute that we were out of the taxi. "Daddy, I look silly in my clothes! We need to buy new ones!" Daddy happily obliged and took Harry and me shopping. Mommy was exhausted from the journey and resolved to take a nap and later take us out for dinner.
           Daddy ended up getting himself an outfit that made him look more like a fisherman right out of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn than a Frenchman. Harry and I fought over the same farmer-esque outfit which ended in us both getting one each and looking silly in the end. The rude woman who was helping us pick out our clothing told me that my hair was too short; I looked like a boy. I was on the verge of tears when daddy bought me a braided hair extension. "Just until we get back," he said, and with a wink, "so you don't look like a boy."
           We then met up with a man that daddy met on an investigative case. They greeted each other by kissing each other on the cheeks, which surprised me. "Daddy," I later whispered to him, "I know that you like boys and girls, but you're married."
           Daddy smiled kindly at me and lifted me up in his arms, swinging me around in a circle. "That's how people greet each other around here!" he told me.

           Later, I met the man's son, but he shook my hand. I was okay with that anyway-I didn't want to kiss a boy I didn't know. He told me that if it weren't for my clothes and the way I wore my hair, I could've passed for a French girl. "What about the fact that I don't speak French?" I asked.
           He laughed. His accent was so faint that the only way I knew that English wasn't his first language was because he had told me so. Occasionally, when a word began with an 'h', he wouldn't pronounce it. I was intrigued with the way he spoke and soon convinced him to teach me a few French phrases. Thanks to early French immersion, my accent was passable even if my understanding of the language wasn't.

           He quickly introduced Harry and I to his sister and two of his friends. The one boy that I talked to found it very funny that Harry and I were dressed the same, but he quickly got over it and to apologize for teasing me, taught me a very beautiful song. Harry seemed bored, and like the womanizer he was, went over to the girl to strike up a conversation. It was funny listening to them try to communicate, and I nearly cracked up when Harry told her, "J'aime ton aubergine." Giggling, my new friend and I translated Harry's words into English. My brother turned bright red. "Tell her that I like her dress! Not her eggplant!"
           Nodding solemnly, my friend turned to her. "Il dit qu'il t'aime."
           The girl turned an even deeper shade of pink than my brother, and shyly avoided him for the rest of our excursion.

           Later that night, mommy was true to her word and ate a lovely dinner with Harry and I. The restaurant wasn't fancy-just a café-but the cheese platter was exquisite. Mommy ate vegetarian fish and chips while Harry had grilled salmon with a side of corn and cucumbers.
           Mommy even wore a cute little French dress and a beret. "I just want you guys to know how much I love you," mommy said.
           "More than Seppen and Bert?" Harry asked hopefully.
           Mommy laughed. "I love you all equally."
           Harry stuck out his tongue.
           "Mommy," I said, "I love you too. Thank you for this trip and Flame. Am I spoiled?"
           Mommy gave a stilted laugh. "We definitely spoil you, darling, but you're too sweet and generous of a girl to let this go to your head."

           The next evening, dressed in my pajamas and ready for bed, I couldn't find my parents to say goodnight. "Just go to bed," Harry said, "they're adults-they can take care of themselves."
           I didn't have a single doubt that they could. I was just terrified that if I went to bed without saying goodnight to one of them, then I would wake up and never be able to say hello to either of them ever again. We were staying in a large B&B type lodging, so there weren't many places that they could be. I placed my naked feet on the staircase, slowly climbing down, shivering every time my flesh made contact with the cold stone.
           I let out a contented sigh as I stepped down onto wood floor. Looking up, I found the two that I was looking for. Daddy was kissing mommy, so I cleared my throat. They bolted upright and mommy laughed upon seeing my stern expression. "Goodnight, Yuki, dear," mommy said.
           "Night, Blanche," daddy said, "mommy and I are just going to go out for a little bit. Get yourself to bed now." I quickly obeyed them.
           Mommy winked at me. "Sleep tight!"

           I should've known that the best day of one's life quickly turns into the worst.
           True, it didn't happen on the same day. But the fact that the worst day of my life occurred three days after the first, I was resolved in my opinion that nothing good lasts forever. If you get too much, someone's going to take something away.
           We never should've gone on that trip.
           Mommy never should've gone to that man's house.
           She never should've asked for an interview for her blog.
           She should've left the second she saw what he was.

A monster.

Chapter 48: The Clothing Conundrum

           Mommy told me that I wasn't too good at startin' stories. She was right, I guess. But here I am, an' I gotta start somewhere. I had just had my eight birthday, so I still didn't understand much. My oldest brother, Bert, was real keen on sports. When he was my age, he convinced mommy and daddy to buy a basketball hoop. Daddy would go outside with Bert and help him out, but Bert didn't need no help. Bert was hard working and and he was what my mom called down-to-Earth. I didn't really get that-he was standing up just like the rest of us-but mommy always smiled those smiles that made her eyes crinkle when she said it, so I guessed it was a good thing.

           The only reason I knew what my brother looked like when he was my age was 'cuz there was a picture of him fishing in our hall. Mommy said that Bert loved fishing and would stay outside near the water for hours trying to catch something. I asked if he coulda brought a baseball glove instead, since Bert always catched things with his favourite glove, but mommy scrunched up her nose and said it didn't work that way. Another thing with Bert was that he loved animals. When he finally did catch a fish, he would just let it go. I asked what the point of catching a fish was if he weren't going to eat it, but mommy said it was fun. Didn't sound fun to me!

           One time Bert caught a small fish and brought it home and put it in a fishbowl. An' he was always begging mommy and daddy for a pet. They said no every time. I kinda wanted a pet, too! I loved animals as well, and would always sing to them. Daddy said it was funny that I did that, since he once saw Bert singing to a raccoon and then the raccoon trusted him enough to allow Bert to pet him! I still didn't understand why it was funny that I sang to animals, though.

           I never really saw my eldest brother 'cuz he begged my parents to send him to a military school. They agreed, but even now I heard them whispering 'bout it. "He wants to join the army," daddy said. 

           "He'll get killed!" mommy said. 

           I heard daddy sigh and their voices went all hushed, so I pressed my ear to the door super tight. Then I heard daddy talking. "He won't be able to be the king and join the army."

           "So he's exempt from his duties?" mommy said. I didn't know what exempt was, but when I looked it up later the dictionary said 'to be freed, or released from something.' 

           "Who'll take the throne?" 

           "Seppen, I guess."

            "What about Harry?"

           "Seppen is second in line!" They argued some more, but I didn't understand none of it. I was real surprised that mommy didn't want Harry to be king, 'cuz Harry was like a clone of mommy. He had her hair, her eyes, her nose, her mouth, her chin... Even when he was just a toddler, he was just 'bout attached to mommy.

            Anyways (mommy told me that 'anyways' innit a word), the day before Bert was going to leave for his military school, something real bad happened. He was exercising in front of the television when grampa (who had also gone to the same military school that Bert was going to) got up from writing his last book. It was snowing real bad outside, and it was falling as fast as mommy's tears after a sad movie, so mommy and daddy and gramma thought it was normal for grampa to feel extra chilly and for his bones to be all achy. But when Bert turned 'round and saw grampa glowin' an' he just knew that it weren't right, he called for gramma to come down real quick.

           Daddy was out on one of his investigation cases. Mommy was upstairs with Harry an' me, back when we were just toddlers, an' Seppen was coming home from her after-school ballet classes, so it was just Bert and gramma. Mommy said that she had never seen anyone cry as much as gramma when gramma had to tell daddy that grampa died. Everyone, 'cept Harry an' me 'cuz we were too young, were real sad after, and doubly so 'cuz Bert had to leave feeling sad. The day he left, he got mommy to shave his head an' he dressed up in a nice suit and looked real smart. Mommy still wasn't keen on him leavin', but she took a picture of him leavin' anyway. He looked real sad, but real proper too.

           Since gramma had retired when she hit the peak of her career, she had a whole lotta time left. Mommy said that sometimes, she would catch gramma in her singing dress, staring at food she just cooked, even though we all just ate. Daddy told me that gramma's parents died when she was little, so she had to live with her evil step-mother and step-sisters and cook and clean for them. Daddy said that grampa saved her by marrying her. They met at a ball where her fairy-godmother transformed her into a beautiful woman with makeup and a pretty dress and a horse and carriage. She had to leave before midnight though, and when she ran back to the carriage she lost her glass slipper. Grampa found it and then said that he would marry the girl that fit the shoe. He found gramma and she fit the shoe, so he married her. That's why grampa's urn that held his ashes was engraved with, 'The man that found the shoe.'

           Harry told me that it's a load of hogwash, and it's all fairy tales. I dunno what hogwash meant, but I liked to believe that gramma really did live a fairy tale life.

           With all the free time gramma had on her hands, she also helped mommy out with Harry an' me. She was the one who pointed it out to mommy that Harry and I hated wearing clothes. Even now, Harry an' I don't like shoes or socks or anything. When we were toddlers daddy and mommy and gramma gave up and just left us in our diapers. 'Cuz of that, when people came over and they were told that we were twins, they automatically assumed that we were both boys. I also didn't have loads of hair-Harry had more than me, still do, an' I teased him sometimes that he lived up to his namesake, which was a word Seppen taught me.

           So that others could identify my gender, gramma put a big bow on my head. She was real surprised when I didn't tear it off like I did with all the other stuff I owned.

           The first real clear memory I had was of gramma. But it weren't a nice one. A few months after grampa died, daddy, mommy, and Seppen went to the park to celebrate Seppen's first snow day. Gramma said that she wouldn't be able to handle the cold, so she stayed with us. With soft blankets of snow growing heavier by the minute and slick streets, it was a perfect afternoon to snuggle up in front of the fireplace with a blanket, hot chocolate and a good book. Gramma had other ideas on her mind though. 

           She had dressed Harry and I up real nice. Since I didn't own any nice clothes, she put a dress that Seppen wore when she was a toddler on me. She was shocked when I didn't fuss and actually liked the dress. Harry stopped crying about wearing his toddler suit when he saw that I was wearing clothes.

           So gramma brought us down to our makeshift family crypt. Daddy built it under granpa's request. Gramma started grievin' an' crying', but what I really remembered was so clear to me from where I sat. Under gramma's long, black grievin' gown, she had on a pair of blue, glass slippers.

           Just thinkin' back on how cold it was supposed to be that day reminded me of my name. Yuki Blanche. 'Yuki' was a Japanese word to represent Snow, apparently, and 'Blanche' was French for White. Snow White. Even though I weren't born in the winter, or even when there were snow on the ground. Seppen Hiver's name meant Snowflake Winter, literally, but it was supposed to be Winter Snowflake. And neither of us were born in the winter.

           I still thought my name sounded nicer.

           But getting back to gramma. Daddy said that she had dyed her hair to its normal blonde, and had dressed her hair and makeup up like she did at the ball. Daddy said that she must've been grievin' when her heart gave out. Said that she entered the afterlife lookin' like she did when she met my grampa. I thought it was kinda sweet. Daddy was just upset. Said they found her when they heard Harry and I cryin'. We were real hungry. I guess gramma hadn't meant to die that day, otherwise she woulda called a babysitter or sumthin'.

           After that daddy seemed sad all the time. Mommy wouldn't let daddy tell me about his investigative cases, no matter how hard I asked. And I asked a lot and real bad. Mommy said they were too dark. I asked if daddy could bring a flashlight on his next cases and mommy laughed. I didn't get the joke. Mommy said that she meant dark in a way that meant sad and scary. Why wouldn't she just say sad and scary then?

           Daddy was allowed to tell me 'bout one of his cases though, 'cuz it was silly and involved my Auntie Sandy. Auntie Sandy dressed like she was in her twenties, even though she had a daughter who was a lil' younger than Bert. Anyway, Auntie Sandy weren't married, but she had a boyfriend named Cid. She told daddy that she was worried that Cid might be proposing to her. She said that she would be fine either way, but she didn't like surprises. So daddy promised to find out.

           Daddy said that he went to Cid's mailbox and rifled through his mail. Mom hit his stomach when he said that and told me to never do that. I promised her I wouldn't. Daddy said that he found a receipt for a ring in the mail, so that could only mean that Cid meant to propose. Then he went through Cid's garbage and found a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I was real confused, but daddy said Cid was probably planning to propose but got cold feet. He told Auntie Sandy about it an' she was relieved. 

           "But don't people want to get married?" I had asked, confused.

           Mommy smiled at me. "Not everyone, dear. Not everyone. And we mustn't judge Aunt Sandy for her choice." I wasn't really a judgin' person, but I was confused. Mommy said that I would understand more when I got older. Seppen just called me dumb. Harry said I wasn't, but called me naive and gullible. I dunno what either of those words meant though, so I probably was just dumb.

           Seppen and Cousin Ami were pretty much glued at the hip. They would do homework together, hang out at Uncle Buzz and Aunt Char's place... I always thought that they were an odd pair. Sep was obsessed with dance and looking clean while Ami was quite casual. Mommy said that they were good friends because they took after their dads so much and were great at making others laugh. I didn't know about Ami, but when Seppen was willing to talk to her little sister (me!) she could be quite hilarious. Harry said that I just thought that her jokes were funnier than they actually were. Really, I was just happy that I finally understood the joke. It seemed like everyone else in my family were laughing at a joke I made, but I never got it.

           Seppen got to know our cousins' family pretty well. Aunt Char even started acting like her mommy. When she caught Seppen eating chocolate ice cream, she took it away and gave her healthy food. Seppen weren't happy 'bout it and complained 'bout it to mommy. Mommy phoned Aunt Char and 'commended' her (that's what daddy told me) for a job well done. They didn't know each other too well, being married to each other's brother-in-law an' all, but after that they started hanging out for 'girl' time. I kinda wished that they could include Auntie Sandy, but daddy promised me that Auntie Sandy had plenty of friends. I didn't really know my Cousin Tamera too well, but Seppen told me that she was dark. "You mean sad and scary?" I had asked her, and she said "Definitely, Yuki," but she said it in a real mean voice, like the one she used when was being 'sarcastic.' Then she laughed a mean laugh and I knew what I said weren't funny. I knew that Sep were laughin' at me.

           Seppen weren't the only that was friends with our cousins. Cousin Ami also had three siblings that were triplets. I didn't really have a favourite outta Phyllis, Sydney and Andrew (named after my daddy), but Sydney and I were an awful lot alike, in looks an' in personality. They were a year or so younger than Harry an' I, but that didn't stop Harry from befriending Andrew. The first time they hung out, they were dressed the exact same way-in just their underwear! When I asked mommy if it were a family thing, she said that she had only ever seen Harry, Andrew an' I act that way.

           It were funny, really. Our first day of school, Harry showed up in nothing but his Fruit of the Loom underpants. He had guts to do that, to be sure. All the girls who saw him gasped, and the older girls just laughed at my brother being silly. That didn't stop one of them from tattling on him to the principal. See, Harry went to school wearin' all the clothes that mommy had set out for him on his bed. That should've been a give away for her, cuz Harry didn't give no fuss about dressin' up real nice. Next thing you know, he was strutting in the school with just a thin piece of cotton between his thingy an' the world.

           The principal phoned up my mommy and she probably broke the speed limit, she arrived at our school so fast. Harry put up an awfully big fuss, but he came to school with clothes on now. He still don't wear shoes, though. It was about that time that mommy decided to start teachin'. She had been taking courses for a lotta years, so was all prepared to start teachin'. She went by the last name 'Charming' for now, which was grandpa's last name. She only did that so that other kids wouldn't know that Seppen, Harry and I were related to her. It helped a little at first, but once they saw her hair and Sep and Harry's, an' once they knew that Harry was my twin, they put it all together. Also 'cuz we were royalty an' all.

           Bert didn't get any attention 'cuz he was still at his boot camp boarding school whatever. He came home for a summer when he turned fifteen, but all he did was work out. One thing that really surprised me was that he had loads of yucky pimples. I didn't say nothin' 'bout it, 'cuz I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but they were real gross. Mommy and daddy noticed too, 'cuz I heard them talkin' to him about it. They ended up teachin' him all 'bout proper hygiene.
           Mommy was real clingy while he was here, and cried so much when he had to go again. This time weren't as bad as before, though, 'cuz Bert was old enough to know how to make Skype calls and all that. 

           But getting back to the whole not wearin' clothes thing, I had sumthin' to admit. While Harry showed up in his underwear, I did too-'cept a girl wearing nothing but underwear weren't the same as a boy wearing nothing but underwear. Ami was there, and the second that she saw me she hurried me away. She acted really old like, and told me that bad things could happen to me while I was not wearing much. I didn't understand, she said that bad men would do things to me. I still didn't get it, so she made me hide while she found where I had put my clothing. I put it on, but like Harry, I refused to wear shoes. They were just uncomfortable!

           When mommy found out (because Ami told her mom, of course, who told mine), she was even madder than when Harry didn't wear no clothes. She even started crying when I said that I wouldn't wear no clothes. That made me feel real bad, and I told her that the one dress I did like was the one Seppen had as a baby, and that I had worn when gramma died.
           As soon as I said that, mommy got to work sewing me a new dress. I felt so bad 'bout makin' her do all that work that I started learning how to sew, in the middle of the night. I just copied all the stitches mommy had made and ended up finishing the dress. Mommy was real proud of me and ended up showing me how to use a sewing machine. Mommy even gave me a cape for me to wear when it got cold.

           Mommy always wanted to help me with my homework, cuz I spent over twenty minutes on it each night. It were just simple things, like math questions and English work. At first, I accepted her help, but then I realized that I weren't learning right, so I ended up telling her that. She was worried, but eventually complied, long as I agreed to get private English tutoring from her. She said that my grammar were terrible, but that I got a big vocabulary. It were because when I were little, I watched all those Western cowboy shows. So I picked up words real good, but my grammar weren't right.

           Andrew weren't my only male cousin. On Auntie Sandy's side, Tamera had two brothers that were twins-Marcus and Marty. Marcus were a bit dopey-even more than me!-rather like Moose Mason from the Archie comics. He even had the same blond hair! Marcus had a silly looking face and a goofy smile. He wore a weird, green hat and wasn't popular with the girls at my school. They always said rude comments to him 'bout Auntie Sandy and Uncle Cid not being married. It weren't even Marcus' fault that they weren't married! But all the same, if it weren't the fact that he were living with one parent, it was that he wore weird looking clothing. I always thought that he didn't care until I found him crying inside the bathroom. I didn't mean to go into the boys' bathroom! But I did, and he were real mad to see me. But I comforted him and he were grateful. He pretended that it never happened, though. I didn't mind.

           Despite the fact that Marcus was his twin, the girls fawned over Marty. He had the same dark hair that we got from grampa, a sprinkle of freckles across his nose, an' brown eyes. All the girls thought that he was real cute. They even said that he dressed real cute, though I thought his graphic t-shirt was a little dumb. I would never say that, though! 
           Whenever one of the popular girls would spare me a moment 'cuz of my royalty, it was normally 'bout which boy I liked. "How about Marty?" they would say, "He's cute!" When I told them that he was my cousin, they would squeal and beg me to introduce them to him. It was all good and well for me, as it saved me the mortification of havin' to admit that I didn't have a crush on anyone.

           Though sumthin' funny did happen... One day, when Seppen was collecting bugs for school (this was right about before her eleventh birthday), she picked up a giant bug (yuck!) and turned around an' saw that she was right outside of Auntie Sandy's house. She also saw that the big ol' house next to Auntie Sandy's house, the one that they had been building for ages, was all done, and people were driving into the driveway. Well, she went right on over and introduced herself. Turns out that they were royalty too! It were a family named the Fabians, an' it were little Prince Fabian and his mom that were staying in our little city for the winter. Imagine! Well, mom phoned them up as soon as Sep told her that and set up a little outing to the art museum.

           While mom was driving her an' me over, she talked about how if I married the prince, we would be a proper blue-blood family again. I stuck out my tongue and told her I didn't want to married a stuck up prince, but she shushed me. The minute that we got there, she dragged me over to them and started chatting to Queen Fabian. Sure enough, they were talking about me and the prince-Stefan-getting married.
           I rolled my eyes and turned to him. "Guess we're getting married, huh?" 
           "Looks that way," he said. I realized that he was wearing a cape that matched mine and just about burst with excitement. I chattered excitedly to him before realizing that proper introductions were in order. We shook hands and he smiled at me. He looked me in the eyes and I felt my cheeks growing all red.

Maybe I weren't so adverse to marryin' Stefan after all.

Chapter 47: Taking a Break from the Burdens

           "This is the life," Jessie sighed contently.

           "Having a pool or not being pregnant?" I questioned.

           "Both! It's refreshing to feel like I can do things again without worrying about the consequences that they might have on our little baby," Jessie said.

           "Like drinking?"

           "Like drinking. I like mixing drinks. It's fun. Mind you, I would do it all over again if that's what it took to have more angels like Bert and Sep."

           "They really are wonderful children," I said, "I just wish they could be that way forever. I dread the day they turn into hormonal teenagers."

           "Ugh, don't remind me."

           "I just want to enjoy lounging here, looking off the cliff into the water," Jessie continued, closing her eyes.

           "I wish you could too, but I see the guests coming for the pool party. I'll invite them in and then head upstairs and get changed into my swim trunks," I said, noticing friends gathering near our door, "Take your time getting up."

           I let everyone in and then walked upstairs to take care of a screaming Bert. "Done your nap?" I asked him, cuddling him in my arms. I wasn't left alone for long, though, as Percy (Jayme's older brother) and Leon walked into the room. "Hey Andy," Leon purred, "You know, my boyfriend and I broke up."

           "Leon, I don't want to deal with your cra-with your garbage right now. I'm with two of my kids," I said, kissing the top of Bert's head.

           He winked at me. "I'm kidding, man. Your kids look like an awesome mix of Jessie and you. I really am happy for you both. But I really did break up with my boyfriend," Leon said, smiling.

           "Oh, sorry man," I said awkwardly, setting Bert in his swing.

           "What happened?" Percy asked Leon, catching his attention. I breathed a sigh of relief.

           I grabbed my swimsuit and then went into the bathroom to change. To my surprise, someone was already in there. "Oh, God," Jessie said, moaning and bent over the toilet. 

           "Sweetheart?" I said softly.

           "I jinxed it, Dee," she said, sounding annoyed, "I'm pregnant."

           "You can't tell that you're pregnant just from vomiting," I told her.

           "Then I'll just confirm it with a pregnancy test, shan't I?" She snapped, rummaging around in a cupboard before finding one. "Aha! This should work," she said.

           While Jess took the test, I changed into my trunks. Four minutes later, she stuck the test in front of my face. "A pink plus. How about that," I said, "Now please remove this urine covered device from my face."

           "I hope you know that you're getting a vasectomy after this baby," Jessie said casually wrapping the test with toilet paper and tossing it in the trash.

           I gulped. "Yes, sweetheart."

           We returned to the party which was apparently in our room. Char stopped Jess and I and started talking about Seppen and how cute she was and oh look at Bert in his swing, what a little angel. Buzz was talking to Jodi, and another one of Jayme's brothers was walking about awkwardly, trying to stick close to his brother. His brother kept discreetly pushing him away, keeping his focus on Leon. I found it amusing, and left Jess to talk to Char while I made my way over to see what Leon and Percy were up to.

           "Would you like some flowers, Percy?" Leon said, and handed Percy a bouquet of flowers. I frowned, unsure of where Leon had gotten the flowers from, but shrugged it off.

           "Thanks, Leon," Percy said, blushing. They continued to flirt and I was hesitant to force the guests out of the room, but Bert was starting to get irritated. 

           "We have a pool for a reason, people!" I said lightheartedly, "Let's enjoy it!" 

           The party ended soon after, and only one guests remained. I changed into my investigative clothes to look more professional. She hadn't bothered to change into a swimsuit in the first place. I challenged her to a game of chess.

           "So," I said casually, "Do you have any dirt on Officer Barkley?"

           "I haven't the slightest what you're talking about," she replied smoothly, taking my rook. 

           "Are you so sure about that?" I asked, moving my pawn forwards. She stared at the chessboard.

           "What's it to you?"

           "Blackmail is illegal, you know. But I'm sure I can find a way to let it slide if we even the score..." I was waiting to pull out the big guns.

           "Even so, you wouldn't have any proof," she said, her voice wobbling. I took her queen.

           "Oh? So the extra hundred paid every month is just a coincidence?" She made a clumsy move, sacrificing both of her knights to take one pawn.

           "I don't know what you-"

           "ADMIT IT!" I snarled, banging the table with my fist. Several pieces fell over. "I have your fingerprints from the mail. I can go to the police with this information!"

           She jumped to her feet. "Fine! I caught Officer Barkley communicating with wanted criminals through the Internet! She was using a code, but I cracked it." Her vampire skin sizzled in the sun, which was obviously the reason for her sudden departure.

           "Checkmate," I whispered, moving my queen. She ran at an accelerated speed away from the house.

           After following up on the lead the vampire had given me, I had found that Officer Barkley's Internet records had been deleted completely and thoroughly. Exhausted and frustrated, after months of research and running around, I needed a break. I stumbled into my room and, upon seeing Jessie, gave her a big, sudden smooch, feeling my worries melt away.

           "What... what was that for?" She breathed heavily.

           "I want to get away," I groaned, resting my face against hers, "I need a break. My head is going to explode. Let's-you and I-travel. To China!"

           "Whoa, there, Andy, there's no way I'm going to a foreign country while I'm pregnant," Jessie protested.

           "Then after you give birth," I said, resting my head against her belly, "Hello in there!"

           "It's not like vacationing is the only way to relieve stress," Jess said mischievously.  

           "I like where this is going," I said, kissing her neck. "The kids are asleep?"

           "Uh huh. Be quiet anyway, though," she said, pulling me to bed.

           I wrapped my arm around her. "I'm not the one who has trouble keeping quiet," I whispered.

           "Ssh," she giggled as Bert stirred. I grinned at her and then pulled the covers over us.

           Jessie tried to convince me to stop doing my investigative work, but I compromised to stop working on the Officer Barkley case for a little while. I was fine doing other cases. "Mom, are you in here-" I stopped, averting my eyes from where mom sat on the rocking chair in the living room.

           "Right here, Andy," she said happily, buck naked on the chair.

           "Mom... can you put some clothes on?" I asked, staring at the ground.

           "What? I am wearing clothes," she said, laughing, "See?" She looked down at herself and frowned. "Oh. I guess I'm not."

           "Just put some on, please. I'm going to go see Tamera," I said, worried. I concentrated my gaze on her face, but nevertheless had to damn peripheral vision.

           I left mom to put on some clothes and drove over to Sandy's, trying to put it out of my mind. "Hey sis," I said, giving her a hug. I realized how much I missed her. She smiled at me.

           "Hey Dee. I'm just going to whip up some pancakes. Tamera's inside," Sandy said, leading me in.

           While Sandy prepared her food, I swept up Tamera in my arms, tickling her. "It's Uncle Andy!" I said as she shrieked with glee.
           "Dee!" she repeated. I set her on the ground and she wobbled towards me.
           "Does she know how to walk?" I asked. Sandy glanced back and smiled.
           "Yes. Look at her! She's practically running to see her uncle!"

          I played with Tamera for a little more before setting her in her high chair and giving her some food. "She looks just like you," I said, walking over to Sandy, "You should have named her Sandy Jr."
          "I know, she looks nothing like Cid!" Sandy said with a laugh. "So, I feel like there was something you wanted to ask me? Like, why are you in your work clothes?"
          I glanced down at them. "I have some work to do. I actually wanted to just come over and say hi, but something happened this morning..."
          "What?" Sandy asked, stony faced.
          "Mom was sitting naked in a rocking chair. But she didn't know she was naked until I pointed it out to her," I said worriedly.
          "I'm sure she's fine," Sandy said skeptically, "In any case, she's better off staying with you and dad than any nursing home."
          "I would never do that to her!" I said, shocked, "I just wanted to give you a heads up. Anyway, I'll leave you to your cooking."
          "Crap, I think I burnt them," Sandy said, whipping around and frantically trying to save her pancakes.

          Unfortunately, mom's 'episode' wasn't just a one time thing. I kept Sandy and Buzz updated on how often it happened, and I was eventually giving them a weekly report. "So dad told me about the latest one," I told Buzz, "And this time it was in public."
          "She was nude in public?" Buzz said, aghast. Although he tried to hide it, I could hear him laughing on the other side.
          I frowned. "Well, not really. She was gardening outside completely naked, apparently. Dad was going out to buy some groceries when he saw her. He said that he stopped and stared-"
          "Don't need to hear that detail, thanks."
          "-and then he called out to her, saying, 'Cindy, dear, shouldn't you put some clothes on?' and she shrugged, glanced down at herself, replied with 'You're right' and kept gardening."

          "I'm not sure how much we need to worry, honestly," Buzz said, "Since she's still holding properly clothed concerts and making a hell of a lot of money off of them. She's in big, now, Dee. Her songs are topping the charts and everyone is loving the idea of an old person making it big."
          "It's not going to last forever," I reminded him, "She'll become old news and everyone will go back to wanting young people-white boys who sing country songs and blonde girls that sing pop."
          "So what? Let her live it up while she still can," Buzz said, "Because I'm not sure how much time she has left. Or dad, for that matter."
          We said our goodbyes and hung up, leaving me to think about what Buzz said. He was right. Sandy, Cid, and Buzz took turns attending mom's concerts to make sure they all went to plan. In fact, at mom's concerts and gigs, she tended to act sharper and wittier than at home. It was like her brain truly came alive when she was in the spotlight, singing.

          I was walking onto the second floor in Jessie's final month of the pregnancy when I heard Seppen Hiver giggling. "Mama fun-fun!" she squealed, which is what she said when she thought Jessie was being funny. Jessie's intense screams countered the idea of humour, though.
          I dashed into the bedroom frantically where I saw Seppen laughing and Jessie clenching her stomach and yelling. "Andy!" she said after her contraction relaxed, "I think I'm ready!"
          I helped her put on some clothes other than her underwear and brought Seppen downstairs so dad could take care of her. Bert was asleep in his toddler bed, thank goodness, and dad promised to keep his ears open for any sounds of a disgruntled baby.

          I was alarmed when Jessie jumped into the front seat, a surly expression her face. "Sweetheart, don't you think I should drive?" I asked her through the front door.
          "Either get in the passenger side or I'm going without you," she growled, so I obliged.
          "What if you get a contraction on the road?" I asked fearfully.
          "The hospital is five minutes away. If I feel a contraction coming, I'll pull over," she said, "So shut up and let me drive." Thankfully, she didn't feel any more contractions until she was safely in the hospital.

          Several hours later, Jessie gave birth to twins-one boy and one girl. She was released from the hospital, but the twins were to stay there to be taken care of until the next morning. Jessie put up a very good argument and was adamant about staying with the twins, but I finally managed to convince her to come home. "I'll shower, eat, and use the washroom, but I'm too wound to sleep," she said anxiously.
          "I know, darling," I said.
          "Mama? Dada?" I turned to see my little angel Seppen in a cute little dress and what looked like a pair of high heels she had borrowed from Jessie.
          "Dad must've given her that dress," I said with a laugh, "It looks cute on her!" I swept Seppen into my arms and gave her little butterfly kisses, which she responded to by shrieking with laughter. She was so ticklish! After putting her to bed and sweeping up a mysterious puddle near our bed, I changed and fell into bed. Only then did I realize that, despite what she said, Jessie was sound asleep, fully dressed next to me.

          Jessie woke me up with a start once she realized the she had fallen asleep. "Quick! The twins would have been released by now! They could be home!" I pulled some pants over my boxers and threw on an unbuttoned shirt. Jessie didn't bother changing, only stopping to relieve herself in the washroom.
          Two hours later, we returned with a baby each. I held Harry, who was wrapped in a green sleeper, and Jessie held Yuki Blanche, wrapped in orange. We fed them and I laughed as they happily downed the special formula. Jessie met my eyes and laughed, too.

          "Can we go on vacation, now?" I asked Jessie, kissing her forehead.
          "Now?" Jessie said, taken aback, "I think we-I-should breastfeed them for six months. I want the best for our kids." I nodded, slowly.
          "I'm planning our trip for six months from now," I promised. And I did. True my word, the day of the six months, I packed all of our things, sorted out what our babies needed with the doctor, and got Jessie and I in the earliest flight to Shang Simla, China.
          "You're right," she said as we took our wobbling steps into the heart of where we were staying, breathing in the new air and taking in the colourful scenery, "I do need a vacation."

          Our guide gave us what he considered to be 'traditional gear.' He was wearing a checkered shirt like at back home, but who was I to judge? "It will give you a sense of the culture. What we used to wear. What we traditionally wore," he said in broken English. He bowed his head and Jessie bowed her head back. Even if it was a load of hoo-ha, Jess sure looked cute!

          What had originally started off as a resting and sight-seeing trip soon turned into an adventure. We uncovered secret passages in historical buildings, emptied treasure chests of gold and ancient art (which we debated on how legal it was until we found a guide who promised us that public land was fair share), broke apart rocks covering our only exit, and bravely reached into sketchy looking holes in the walls which thankfully led only to treasure or levers. 

          We took a break from the adventuring and went to the Phoenix Martial Arts Academy to practice martial arts. Since we were both fit, we picked it up fairly quickly. I was thrilled when I managed to get a white belt, and even progressed to a yellow! Jessie found that she enjoyed the peace of mind part the best, and went to the Scholar's Garden to meditate.

          I found the scenery peaceful as it was, though. I knew that most parts of China were filled with pollution and the same fast paced life that I could find back at home, but I had picked this remote spot on purpose. Most of the places a tourist would be interested in were difficult to reach here, so it warded off publicity while remaining beautiful. When I looked up, over the pagoda roofs and stone structures, all that I could see was unspoiled landscape. And... was that part of the Great Wall of China over there? No, it couldn't be. It was probably just a mock up.

          Since I wanted it to be a very late honeymoon for us, I still left time for fun. Unfortunately, despite the limited amount of publicity Shang Simla got, it didn't change the amount of publicity that I got. A king could never rest. Maybe it was our fault for using a public washroom which had bad locks. But that didn't, and never would, excuse the paparazzi jerk who watched us in the shower with a freaking notepad. Was he a very extreme fanfiction writer? Who the hell watches two people having sex in the shower?

          "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I snarled, climbing out of the shower. I told Jessie to stay inside so she wouldn't be exposing her body more than we had already. The man took one look at my raised fist and ran to the door. I snatched his notebook from him as he ran out and flipped through the pages of foreign writing. "He won't need this anymore," I said, and soaked the notebook with the still running water of the shower. I then mashed up the pages and tossed them in the trash.
          "Although that man was creepy," Jessie giggled, "That was quite exhilarating!"
          

          "I'm going to take you to a nice place tonight, to make up for that," I said. I gave her the address and the time to meet me at. "Wear something pretty," I whispered.
          I heard a huffing behind me as Jessie climbed the last step, right on time. She wore an exquisite, traditional looking dress that showed off her lean arms and slim build. "Long way to climb," she joked, but gasped when she saw the sight before us. The stars peeked through the thin clouds in the sky and the rolling hills faded smoothly into the distance.

          She turned towards me and my breath left my body. It was like falling in love with her all over again. "You look gorgeous," I managed.
          "Thanks. A village girl offered to do my makeup in exchange for a bit of money. I've been saving the earrings for a special occasion."
          "And the dress...?"
          She smiled. "I thought you'd like it. It was part of my 'traditional wear' package."
          I felt shy, just like at the beginning when I was trying to figure out my sexuality and whether my feelings for Jessie were real. 

          In a sort of déja vu, I did what felt familiar to my body and leaned forward, delivering a soft, questioning kiss. It was answered with a passionate one.

          "I love you so much," I said in a husky voice, "And I wish I could stay here forever with you. But it's our last night."
          "It's okay," Jessie said with an encouraging smile. "Let's go home."

"It doesn't matter where we are, or who we're with-our love will always be strong."