Happy birthday Cas and Pol! (AND KAS)
One year ago, it had been dark and rainy and rather cold. And sad and hard.
And then the evening's storm had turned so many things around.
Solace perched on her seat for breakfast, then in a moment turned and helped her Mother with one of the twins. There wasn't exactly a morning chatter, but with the babies - toddlers, now - quiet breakfasts were no longer on the list. She found that somewhat amusing.
Then her Father came down, shared a kiss with his wife, and settled at his usual place, at the head of the table. Sol fed another spoonful of puree to Cas, then looked up to greet him properly, as well.
It was her brothers' birthday.
It was also a year since he'd come home. And that mattered, too. All of it mattered. All of it was family, and family was important. The most important in the world - she could recall how her Mother had been, while he was gone.
She looked from one to the other, then nodded to herself.
"I'm taking Cas and Pol out in the afternoon. So you two can have some peace, and they can still have a bit of a celebration." The last was more than a little ironic; few children ever could recall their first birthday. But, possibly, a camera might last enough for pictures to be had.
Justin frowned a little. "Are you certain?"
"Yes, Father. I am." She focused again on feeding the toddler - who was insisting on it, disliking sharing her attention. "Unless you object, of course?"
Maggie's voice was amused. "If you want to do it, I like the idea. No, Pollux. Spoons are not for that."
"Then that's settled."
***
She drove them to a Luna Park. There were things that were shining and glittering and moving and making sounds and noises and tunes all around, and all in all, it did manage to get the boys' attention for pretty much enough of the time she'd planned to have out.
Some people assumed she was their mother, but she didn't mind.
Personnel and costumed people of all sorts were all so willing to help out. To hold them and take pictures with the pretty, dark-haired twins for the pretty, dark-haired cool young woman who was with them.
And the camera did last long enough.
"And there were fireworks, too." Her narration, somewhat later after the boys, stirred up but tired, made her Mother smile, and Justin look a little wistful.
"Maybe we could have fireworks here, too."
Sol almost laughed. "Of course, Father. Maybe next year?"
They looked calm, and happy. Like they had used the time alone to good purpose.
She liked that.
"Maybe next year. And the year after..."
And then the evening's storm had turned so many things around.
Solace perched on her seat for breakfast, then in a moment turned and helped her Mother with one of the twins. There wasn't exactly a morning chatter, but with the babies - toddlers, now - quiet breakfasts were no longer on the list. She found that somewhat amusing.
Then her Father came down, shared a kiss with his wife, and settled at his usual place, at the head of the table. Sol fed another spoonful of puree to Cas, then looked up to greet him properly, as well.
It was her brothers' birthday.
It was also a year since he'd come home. And that mattered, too. All of it mattered. All of it was family, and family was important. The most important in the world - she could recall how her Mother had been, while he was gone.
She looked from one to the other, then nodded to herself.
"I'm taking Cas and Pol out in the afternoon. So you two can have some peace, and they can still have a bit of a celebration." The last was more than a little ironic; few children ever could recall their first birthday. But, possibly, a camera might last enough for pictures to be had.
Justin frowned a little. "Are you certain?"
"Yes, Father. I am." She focused again on feeding the toddler - who was insisting on it, disliking sharing her attention. "Unless you object, of course?"
Maggie's voice was amused. "If you want to do it, I like the idea. No, Pollux. Spoons are not for that."
"Then that's settled."
***
She drove them to a Luna Park. There were things that were shining and glittering and moving and making sounds and noises and tunes all around, and all in all, it did manage to get the boys' attention for pretty much enough of the time she'd planned to have out.
Some people assumed she was their mother, but she didn't mind.
Personnel and costumed people of all sorts were all so willing to help out. To hold them and take pictures with the pretty, dark-haired twins for the pretty, dark-haired cool young woman who was with them.
And the camera did last long enough.
"And there were fireworks, too." Her narration, somewhat later after the boys, stirred up but tired, made her Mother smile, and Justin look a little wistful.
"Maybe we could have fireworks here, too."
Sol almost laughed. "Of course, Father. Maybe next year?"
They looked calm, and happy. Like they had used the time alone to good purpose.
She liked that.
"Maybe next year. And the year after..."