Amyla and Aiodhan's Journal~ Welcome, Caleb!!

[Amyla Edana]

We have now officially established that Caleb is definitely a miniature version of me. The little brat is causing no end of problems. I swear, I must be going gray already. I know Amyla isn't. Surprisingly, she seems less bothered by Caleb's... uniqueness than me. I have to admit: the kid really scares me sometimes.

He might not be strong enough to get aloft, but he has definitely started to sort out that the things on his back are meant for flying. Ever since Amyla caught him bouncing around on the floor and trying to flap his wings, he has been bouncing with a vengeance. The more we try to stop him, the more he does it. Of course, we've pretty much stopped trying to make him stop. He loses interest after a few minutes, usually. I know his wings aren't strong enough to hold him now, but.... it won't be too long before he will be able to get airborne. I really, really, really hope he doesn't try anything.... well... anything that I would have done when I was a kid.

Anyway, the house has been a chaotic mess lately. Everyone seems to be changing much too rapidly. Erin is becoming even more sadistic. She seems to take perverse pleasure in getting Kari into trouble, and Kari seems to be reacting more and more angrily. She never used to overreact like this. If anything, she was the calm one in the house. Now she screams and fights like... well, like Erin. And it's scaring me, frankly. Amyla is just hoping that this is the Ancient version of puberty, and hopefully Kari will get through it and keep right on aging. For once, I actually wish she'd be a teenager. This preteen, pubescent, whiny female act is really getting me annoyed.

Argh, and don't even get me started about Nieva! I love that girl... woman... whatever she is.... but she is driving me up the wall! She never had much of an adolescence, so now all I hear about is males. Amyla has been very good about giving her "the birds and the bees" talk. I think Nieva knew the basic details, but Amyla filled her in on the social part of it. Frankly, it disturbs me. I'm not used to having two adult females in the same house. Hearing them discuss guys is just... wrong. At least everything Amyla has said about me is good. That made me feel a bit better about having an adult foster-child. I don't feel quite so old.

I have a feeling that the yelling coming from the kitchen is Kari reacting to Erin. Joy. I think I'll go break that up now...

Aiodhan

 

[Amyla Edana]

Mum says I can write in the journal when she and Dad are too busy. Mum is busy feeding Caleb, and Dad is trying to teach Erin her colors. I think that means I get the journal.

Caleb is such a pain. Every time I want Mum's help with math, he is always demanding attention. He has been less fussy lately. He can amuse himself now with his wings. But I still don't get much help from Mum. It isn't fair. She makes time for Nieva and Erin and Dad. I feel left out, I guess.

Mum is trying to tell me how wonderful it is to have a brother, but I don't want him anymore. I want life back from before he was here. Maybe I could go live with Evan. He doesn't have babies in his house anymore, and we could have fun playing with Legos and dragons.

Oh, I forgot Mum's other journal rule. I'm supposed to write about things that Caleb does since this is like his journal. Fine. I'll go write in my special journal later. I don't like this one as much anyway, except it has a cool buckle on it.

Caleb is annoying. He likes to bounce and flap his wings, and he likes to bite. He bit me the other day when I was giving him a bottle. I got mad and said the 's-h-i-t' word. Mum got really mad and wouldn't let me play outside for the rest of the day. Dad says it all of the time; why can't I? I told her that, and she said if I didn't stop giving her attitude, I'd be playing inside for a week. Stupid parents. They act like they're so good, but I know for a fact that Mum and Dad use swear-words.

They break other house rules too. We're not supposed to wrestle inside in case we knock into anyone or anything. I caught Mum and Dad wrestling the other day, and they were really ember amber embarassed. Dad also walked in on Mum int he shower the other day, and he knows we always have to knock and ask first before we go into a bathroom that somebody else is using. Mum didn't yell at him, though. It isn't fair. Why do they get to break all of their own rules? I asked Nieva, and she just patted me on the head and said that I'd understand when I get older. What does she know? She wasn't ever a kid.

Karii

 

[Amyla Edana]

It has just occurred to me now how little is known about how Amyla and I met. I'm lying here on our bed, watching Kari and Erin watch cartoons, listening to Ezhno and Zam's snores, hearing Caleb's snuffles. Amyla is lying right here next to me, and Caleb is nursing, a look of intense concentration on his face. He hasn't nursed in awhile, not since he teethed, but since he was so skittish tonight, for some reason, Amyla thought she'd let him just to see if he'd calm down. He did, though May picked up a few bite marks that, for once, I did not give her. She just read that and smacked me, by the way. Anyway, I thought it best to be recorded for posterity just how Amyla and I met. This may take awhile to write, but I'll get it all down eventually.

Our Story

I was born Aiodhan Quincy Layden. I battled leukemia for several years until getting a bone marrow transplant.. the wrong bone marrow transplant. Some stupid lab tech at the Gaia Cancer Treatment Clinic had switched the labels. I was supposed to get human bone marrow. I get a vial of dragon stuff instead. It took years for my body to sort itself out, and now I'm a half-and-half. I spent seven years in seclusion afterward, trying to block out the world. I had had it made before. A good career in writing, an excellent reputation with the ladies, a younger brother to raise to be just like me... and in a few years, it was gone. Just gone. Caleb died from the same form of leukemia that I got. Had I not been such a freak, I could have saved him. Not much I can do about it now, though.

I digress.

I spent seven years in a cabin by a lake, cut off from society. I liked it well enough at first. I published a good few books, amassed a tidy bit of money that I kept invested or stored in a bank, except to order a bit of food now and again. Mum and Dad visited me every Sunday. They were afraid of me. I could see it in their eyes, smell it as though they were secreting it through their very pores. I hated being feared by my own family, but on some level, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed watching them squirm whenever they came to see me and my... deformity.

One day, I decided I had had enough. I was sick of the fear in their eyes, and I was sick of being shut up alone. It was the lesser of two evils, being shut away rather than being out in the world, open to laughter and criticism. I still hated it with a passion. No parties. No TV. No women. It wounded my male pride to be so alone. So, I had the brilliant notion of killing myself with alcohol poisoning. I thought I'd go out with a smile.

Needless to say, dragons don't like alcohol. Besides suffering from some loss of inhibitions and common sense, I felt very normal. No clumsiness, no tipsiness, no coma. It was quite disappointing, really.

As a result, I felt the need to go flying in the thunderstorm that was raging outside.

~To be continued...

 

[Amyla Edana]

~continued

Where was I? Oh yes!

Anyway, being depressed and very mentally impaired by the six-pack of beer I ingested, I had the brilliant idea of flying up into a thunderstorm to be struck by lightning. Quick way to die, right? All right, so it wasn't my most genius idea, but what can I say? I had some emotional and mental stability issues at that point.

Long story made short: my flight muscles were not developed. I had never flown. Thus, I was too weak to fly properly. My wings just acted like a giant kite, and the wind buffeted me around. I was utterly at its mercy. The last thing I remember was doing somersaults and watching the ground come rushing up at me.

How Amyla managed to get me into the house is utterly beyond my comprehension, but she did it. I woke up on her living room floor: disoriented, in pain, and mad as hell. I was so defensively aggressive that I nearly strangled her to death before it dawned on me that she was trying to help, not hurt. She cleaned me up... all of me, which did my male pride a world of good. She even slept with me that first night. I was sprawled out on my stomach to get the weight off my wings, and she slept not five feet away, curled up in her own sleeping bag.

To this day, I can not understand what she sees in me that she loves. I can't understand why she went through all that trouble to save me when she could have easily passed me off to somebody else to care for. Or she could have just let me die, but she didn't. Every time I ask her, she just gives me that infamous smile of hers and shrugs, murmuring something about 'destiny' or some stupidly romantic crap like that.

Stupidly romantic crap that I fall for, of course.

In any case, she spent several months caring for me, nursing me back to health. I was horrible to her. I bullied Kari, annoyed the heck out of every wyrm and Equus on the property, and was just a plain pain. I feel guilty now that I was so inconsiderate, but I was angry then. I was angry at her for making me live. This went on for awhile too, and I still don't understand how she put up with me. I acted terribly towards her, and I think some things I said really hurt.

Before my story continues, I must add that as much as I acted horribly then, I liked life in this house. I liked all of the different sorts of creatures. I liked watching them, seeing why they did the things they did. I liked matching wits with Amyla and with Kari. I liked having people to talk to who weren't utterly in fear of me. I liked bullying them.

Then I found her diary.

Okay, I didn't just 'find' it. I was being a nosy brat and searched through her dresser drawers while she was at work one day. Being me, I read it. Again, long story made short: I felt guilt for the first time in my life. I was thirty years old, and for once in my life, I felt ashamed of something I had done. Thirty years worth of guilt and remorse... that is quite a bit. Needless to say, my tune changed considerably after that.

Determined to demonstrate how much I really enjoyed living in the house, I set out to be better. They weren't sure how to deal with me at first. Amyla was as calmly patient (and sarcastic and aloof) as before. Kari was very wary at first and then began to accept my presence. She even gave me the honor of playing Legos with her, which touched my heart. The Equus learned to live with me, and the wyrms just... ignored me, like they ignore almost everyone.

Amyla didn't seem to be responding to my good-heartedness, though. I helped her fix the roof, clean out the gutters, re-insulate a few walls, install new carpet, and do a million other little remodeling jobs that the old house needed. She was graciously accepting and polite, but she never seemed to be warming up to me. I tried cooking dinner, and it was very tasty, which she made sure to tell me. I never seemed to get the kind of response I wanted, though. She was never rude or mean, and she was always grateful for my help and helped me get back into shape. But she never... responded to me.

Thunderstorms mark the pivotal events in our relationship. A thunderstorm brought me to her. Caleb was born during a thunderstorm (and was likely conceived during one as well, if our sense of timing is correct). And... our feelings sort of developed during a thunderstorm.

That last statement was inaccurate. Let me rephrase: we admitted our feelings during that thunderstorm.

Anyway, it was a big storm. The power was knocked out, no phones or lights. Kari fell asleep early, and the house was pretty quiet. With Kari asleep on the couch, Amyla and I lit a fire in the fireplace, and somehow, we got to talking. We talked a lot, more than we ever had before. And in talking, we came to realize how much we meant to each other. We had come to depend on each other. I needed her to stay sane. Fighting with her gave me a will to live. I had never had an intellectual equal before, as snobbish as that sounds. I never had someone who could think on my level and anticipate my next move. Similarly, she had never found a person who appreciated her selflessness. Yes, she can be snappish and irritable and callous and tactless and defensive and... different. But she is also the most generous person alive. She cared for someone who hated himself, and despite the emotional abuse I know I inflicted on her, she was bound and determined to give me my life back. And would you believe it... she did it.

Well, near ten or so at night, the storm passed over. We moved Kari upstairs to bed, but we both seemed to like sitting by the fire, talking. We talked more. I told her about my past, about the transplant. She told me about growing up an only child, essentially raising herself as both of her parents were so busy. I told her about Caleb, my younger brother. She told me about her fiance from a few years before. He ran off with a guy he met at a club and shattered her faith in men. I've always wondered how she managed to fall in love with me, but hey... I'm not arguing.

So, we talked for a couple more hours. The fire was still roaring away merrily, but Amyla was chilled. I retrieved her a blanket from the couch and was wrapping it around her when my hand happened to brush by her cheek. Honestly, I don't remember exactly what happened after that. It's a blur of feelings, impressions. I do remember waking up and thinking, "Oh, she is gonna be soooo mad at me!" She wasn't.

After that, things around the house were really different. We still fought, but we fought fair. No mudslinging, no namecalling (except in good fun). We learned how to fight, and we resolved our issues much more quickly. Our authority in the house became more equal. I became Kari's unofficial 'father', and I became surrogate father to Nieva as well. We never discussed marriage. We just didn't. We still don't, despite my parents' outbursts of pure fury.

And that is our story in a nutshell. Amyla just finished reading over my shoulder and added, "It's a very big nut!" Yes, of course it is, May. I was the one who wrote it, wasn't I?

She just smacked me again. Higher powers above, I love this woman.  

[Amyla Edana]

Well, I've gone and done it again. Why do I always want to adopt more kids into our household?

I applied at project 030 for a fae child, thinking we might be able to give it a good home. Since Caleb would be growing up without a sibling his age, I thought it'd be good for him to have someone to play with. I applied thinking that I might, at the very best, be considered for adoption at a later date.

Well, we got a jar dropped off on our doorstep this morning with a note. Congratulations to me, I am now the guardian of a fae child!

Okay, so I'm only the guardian of a jar right now, but hopefully, a fae will arrive soon. We gave the jar a gift. Or, rather, Caleb did. I wasn't sure what to offer it, and that little brat dropped my Celtic cat gargoyle carving in the jar. I just hope that whatever fae is attracted, it isn't an old cat faerie. Those things are... creepy, to not put too fine a point on it.

But, I'll worry about that later. For now, my son is whining to be fed, and I think he lost his chewing ring again. I need to get him another one. He has chews this one nearly to shreds.

~Amyla

 

[Amyla Edana]

Dear Diary,

I just had to add that for humor's sake. Caleb, once you're old enough to read this, please note that despite the fact that we may seem like stiff, humorless adults, your mother and I really do enjoy a good laugh. We just have to act like we don't so you will respect us enough to listen. Anyway, on to the good stuff...

I've been thinking for awhile about going back to school, getting my certification to teach. After having lived so long with such a brilliant child, I've found that I rather enjoy teaching. Science and English only... no math. I hate math. I can do it, but I hate it. Science is awesome, even though you can't do science without math. That math is easy, though, with the exception of physics. Trig and calculus... that's the difficult stuff.

Anyway, I told May that I was interested in getting my teaching certificate, and after she stopped laughing, she wholeheartedly agreed that it was a good idea. So, I'm going to be doing some night classes and stuff. I'll have my certification in... few months, maybe? It'll keep me busy, though I have plenty to do already.

Caleb is getting more and more mobile. His fine motor skills suck, to put it no other way. Watching him grasp at stuff is like watching a man with boxing gloves trying to pick up a penny. It's utterly hilarious.

His gross motor skills are a great deal better, though. He is crawling and rolling over. He can sit up on his own for a short while. He is also working on the bouncing/flying issue. Something tells me we'll be retrieving him off the roof and out of trees quite a bit once he gets older.

Speaking of the little devil, I think he's crying for food now. I'd better go warm up a bottle from the fridge since May is at work. Did I forget to mention that? She's going back to work, part-time. It's only about twenty hours a week, which is plenty considering she has an infant here at home. She seems a lot happier to be back at work, though. She is tired when she gets home, but I think she needs the break from the kids. I know I do.

He is getting louder. My, Caleb, what large lungs you have!

~Aiodhan

 

[Amyla Edana]

To say the house has been in an uproar these past few months would perhaps be a mild understatement. So many things have happened that my head starts to hurt just thinking of them all. I shall make a brief list, just to have a record of it.

Erin has now learned all her colors and can actually speak in a more intelligible manner. Unfortunately, she is also growing slightly more coordinated, and with that comes the resulting attacks on her siblings. She and Kayce now hate each other with a passion comparable to which Aiod hates his parents. Aiod and I constantly have to separate the two girls. Kayce might be bigger and faster, but Erin fights dirty. Hair-pulling, biting... the like. Not that Kayce doesn't bite, but Erin bites worse.

And speaking of Kayce, she has grown a bit, unless my eyes deceive me. We went shopping the other day (again), and I actually managed to find some clothes to fit her. She is constantly ripping holes in her clothing when she goes out to play. I find it quite funny, though, that her hair is always immaculately groomed, no matter where she is at. Ah well. I suppose I can let her be as neat in appearance as she likes. She shares a room with Kari, and the room is spotless, or at least Kayce's half is. I don't mind in the least. Maybe some of that will rub off on Kari...

Kari, who is going through her species' version of puberty, has been a royal pain in the... neck. Moody, secretive, prone to whining. She has begun to develop her... female parts, since she has decided to become female. We're also beginning to get some hints as to what sort of creature she may be. I'm thinking maybe a Manticore. Or maybe a chimera... no, not a chimera. A manticore is my best guess, but we're still researching. The funny thing is that she's not gaining much height at all. She is filling out and maturing, for sure, but she's not... growing. It's odd.

Aiod is still working on his teaching certifications. I'll let him write the details later. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt.

And last but not least, my demonic little son...

Caleb has definitely grown. He is bigger, heavier, stubborner. I know that isn't a word, but I don't care. It fits him. He is headstrong and prone to being difficult at every possible opportunity. I never get a moment's peace. He wants his diaper changed at the exact moment he squalls. He must be picked up as soon as he starts to fuss. Food must be brought immediately. He is still in bottles, but I'm seeing if I can get him to try baby food. He likes the foods with lots of protein. It must be the dragon in him, needing that protein. He still doesn't talk, except for the "aaaaaaaaaaysssss" sound he makes for Kayce, his adoring big sister. The two are quite close. She is patient enough to play with him, and he will fall asleep quite readily in her arms. I was very reluctant to let her hold him at first, since she is so young, but she seems to do very well with him. What strange offspring have I.

Anyway, I'm tired, and Kari is whining about not getting time in the bathroom. If I have to go through this pubescent stage with every child, I swear I'll be gray-haired by thirty-five.

~Amyla