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 Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 6:50 pm
.[I should have Known - Meilin & Toh].
The household was fairly quiet when Meilin came home that afternoon. In retrospect that should probably have been the first sign, but as it was it went unnoticed just yet. A few minutes after shrugging out of her jacket Meilin made her way up the steps to see what her sister was up to.
"Toh, are you up here?"
"In the study!"
~That girl and her computer, you'd think her wrists were surgically attached to the desk with how much time she spends there.~ The young woman sighed.
She rounded the corner into the doorway a few moments later, closing the distance between the two.
"And what exactly is it you're doing on here -now-? You've been on this thing since I got up this morning." A pause. "... Have you even eaten yet?"
"I ate something earlier... Have you ever thought about kids, Lin?"
The look on Tony's face was completely serious, shooting down any hope that Meilin had of that being a random question. It was true that their brother had already had his first son with his wife, Emilie, a childhood friend of theirs (one of many), and also true that their parents were actually expecting again, but was that what brought on this sudden urge to discuss (and Meilin prayed that it was -just- a discussion) children? Schooling her expression into one that was cautiously neutral, she queried back, not without a degree of uncertainty underlying her tone though.
"Tony... do I even want to know what brought this on?"
Her twin, for all intensive purposes, looked quite sheepish, but happily embarrassed. Instantly Meilin understood.
"Mom called while I was out, didn't she...?" It was with another soft sigh that Meilin moved to pull up a chair. Avoiding these talks was useless, as her twin knew how to play her like a fiddle even against Meilin's resistance tactics. The only thing she could do was dive into this head first and keep a level head. They'd yet to have a talk about pets, babies, live in house guests, tattoos, strange hobbies, or new obsessions that Meilin could not verbally backtrack her other half out of. Just twenty minutes to an hour or so of talking over the costs and dedication that a baby required, let alone the lack of sense it made to try to have one with no spouse. It worked for other people just fine, but Lin knew Tony too well, she knew that the girl would be hurting not long after realizing how many "firsts" they were unable to share, and a lack of father figure wasn't fair to the child on top of that. Yes, just a fresh dose of reason and Tony would go back to life as usual. Come tomorrow all thoughts of bringing infants into the household would be forgotten.
.[ Breaker ].
"Tony, I thought we agreed yesterday that this baby fever was nothing but a bad idea! How could you adopt a child after such little time to even think it over?! Do you REALIZE how much it's going to cost and affect our lives taking care of a baby?!"
The day had started off so nice and normal! Where did it go wrong? WHAT had gotten into the older twin's head when she decided to make such an enormous life changing decision, not just for her, but Meilin and this poor child as well, and WHY wouldn't Tony stop grinning at her?!
As puffed up as Meilin was, baffled beyond understanding, Tony seemed perfectly pleased. The truth was Tony's ease unnerved Meilin far more than the thought of unexpected parenthood did.
"Calm down, Mei, this baby won't be half the crisis you're making her out to be. Right now she doesn't even cry or need diapers. Just water and lots of sun."
Well now... if the vacant stare on Meilin's face wasn't encouraging, nothing was. Tony winked at the other girl and headed into the kitchen, only to return a moment later with a potted.... ".... Tony, is that... a cabbage in a flower pot...?" ¬ ¬
"Her name is Eden! Call her by that or you'll hurt her feelings!"
"..." So predictable. Really, Lin should have seen this coming. Her sister was a lot of things, but careless? Never. She'd gotten herself all worked up over nothing but a potted hunk of produce! Fixing the other with a harmless glare none the less, Meilin exhaled sharply-- "You are such an idiot." --before turning on her heel and heading upstairs, leaving Tony alone with her vegetable for the time being.
Journal entry: M; 12.25.07 I should have known when I saw that silly grin on her face today that something strange was about to transpire. At first the pet name for Tony's cabbage I wrote off as another attempt to tease me for getting excited over nothing, but it's been two days now and she's actually gotten worse. Now she not only talks to the cabbage (calling it by name), but she's honestly starting to worry me. I caught her rubbing it almost like a pregnant woman rubs her stomach once she's started to show. I could almost overlook the time she spends around it since at least she's not cradling it like a newborn, and I could ignore the headphones I saw her letting it listen to, but I'm concerned by the amount of genuine affection and.... love she's showing towards it. The look I see on her face some of the time...
If this behavior continues for much longer I'm going to put in a call to the family to see if any of them can help snapping her out of this phase of hers, for her own health's sake.
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2007 7:58 pm
.[I only want you to THINK I'm crazy - Toh & Eden].
Journal entry: T; 12.25.07 This world that we've come to is amazing, where -else- can you find an adoption agency where children grow from cabbages? Poor Meilin, I'm sure that by now she thinks I'm crazy, but I'll gladly take that over the anger or irritation she might shoot my way later. I can't help but wonder if this is for real, and if it is was it wise getting myself into this? Us?
... I wonder what she'll look like, if it'll be a boy or girl, if they'll be outgoing or withdrawn. I want to see what color their hair is, and their eyes, hear what their first laugh sounds like... Will they be the type of child that likes to play in the mud, or will they prefer playing in the bath?
You know, wondering those things I remember why I opted to adopt when I heard about the research there. I doubt if I'll ever have children of my own, after Alex.... It's still painful to think about, even though it's already been two years since the fire, I think about him every day, and the pain never gets to be any less, but I'm just no longer a part of his life, and that's something I have to accept. Amnesia isn't an easy thing to cope with by any means, and all I can do is hope that he stays happy where he is now.
I'm getting completely off track. This might be my one shot at parenthood, and while I can understand Meilin's points yesterday, I just don't think that should matter. I know I can take care of a baby, especially from the sounds of these. The cabbage stage itself is certainly low maintenance. I set it in the window on the east during sunrise, the kitchen window at noon, and my bedroom window come sun set. Once night falls I relocate it back on the east side of the house to start over again the next day. She hasn't been with us for long but I already feel a strong sentiment and care forming for her, like any good mother does for her unborn child, and even if Meilin seems reluctant and against it now I know she'll be there for her too when the time comes. Her one weakness has always been kids, and I doubt if that changes anytime soon. Don't let her know you know that, though, or you'll be sorry. She chuckled.
Well, they said it would possibly only be a few days, so, I guess we'll find out the answers to all of my questions soon, ey? Wish us luck, I think with Meilin I'm going to need it.
~ 10:03pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:32 am
.[Eden finally arrives! - Toh, Lin, and Eden].
Everything in the house was relatively peaceful. Meilin was sitting up reading, sure that Tony was either sleeping, or possibly up on her computer doing some work or other. Her sister hardly slept during the night, yet she always seemed perked and ready to go come morning. Frightening, or inspiring, she hadn't figured it out yet, not like this book she read. As mystery thrillers went it wasn't very puzzling. She already knew who the killer was, the motive, and how they had done it.
There were just a few instances when she -almost- regretted being so smart, but then she realized that if there were more authors out there writing towards someone with her intellect, she wouldn't need to feel that way, and she shouldn't. What can you do though? She quietly re-shelved the book and shut off the lights, settling down under the covers prepared to get a full night's sleep. Eyes shut, body relaxing against the cool pillow's soft touch, Meilin was just beginning to relax into that first doze when a sound caught her ears. Was that.... a baby...? Crying?
Oh... this was going to be a -very- long night.
.[ Breaker ].
She pulled on her robe, tying it around her waist as she made for the stairs leading to the adjoining hallway between this floor and Tony's room, not surprised to see Tony heading down the steps, also dressed for bed. For a brief moment the twins paused on the steps and held eye contact, but then as if another shrill cry had just been uttered, or some silent realization of her irritation had been given, Meilin narrowed her eyes into a glare and continued swiftly up the steps to open the door to the cabbage's-- .... Eden's room.
Immediately the cries seemed to grow louder. Meilin didn't hesitate or flinch though God knows she felt like it. Instead she made for the bed furthest from the doorway with purpose, bringing herself to a stop to stare down at the source of the noise, her body registering the shock. She had known since that day in the park, meeting Riley, but somehow she still couldn't believe it. A baby was staring up at her (albeit teary eyed) from within the leaf wraps of her... cabbage... state... Meilin remained frozen, not even consciously aware enough to take in details. It wasn't until Tony gently brushed her aside to pick up the "newborn" that Meilin finally brought herself to sit with a dazed shock on the steps leading up to the child's bed.
Well, Tony realized her twin would be no help, not that she had much expected otherwise. Cradling the baby to her, Tony immediately set to soothing the upset girl. Eden stared back up at Tony through all her infantile protest, taking in the face of her primary caregiver for the first time, and taking some comfort in being held in arms that seemed almost familiar. It was the sound of Tony's voice, though, that finally began to settle little Eden's tears. With a quivering lip and a hiccup, she quieted enough for Toh to make out the sound of a gurgling tummy.
It took a little while to balance preparing the bottle and keeping Eden calm, but once Eden had been fed, she finally seemed to settle down into sleep giving Tony a chance to sit, marveling.
Eden was both everything and nothing like she had imagined...! A warm, red dress with a golden bow on the top of the chest, and golden trimmed sleeves. Candy-cane striped socks, green elf shoes (That earned a grin from the older twin), a green ribbon on the back of the waist of the dress, and golden bells! Clutched in one chubby fist was a sprig of Mistletoe, and her hair seemed similarly composed of it. From healthy, lush leaves making up her hairline the plants formed into silken strands of equally vivacious locks of hair. They ended in a crisp cut, twin plaits on either side of her head tied by golden ribbons. Her skin was a healthy, almost happy shade like a rich cream, and when Tony had been able to see them she thought her eyes were a charcoal gray.
Tony actually felt tears brim to line the edges of her eyes. She was -so- stunned and awestruck that she was speaking in Chinese, her birth language, instead of the English that she had for years been speaking first.
["Meilin... look, can you believe it...?"]
But, in turning to look at her twin, she found that Meilin had already gotten up and was silently heading back to bed. Tony swallowed a lump in her throat, but rather than follow she let here twin have her space for tonight. Instead, she focused on carrying Eden up to her own room. Tomorrow there'd be much discussion going on.
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 4:10 am
.[Life is so unfair - Toh].
Journal entry: T; 02.25.08 I've always known that tragedy is a simple part of life, having been involved in a war at such a young age, the close calls we had as well as the losses, but it's still painful like a fresh wound to the heart to hear news like this.
There was a fire, and a family was killed. None of us knew them, but from what I've found out Riley was close friends with the boy, Harper. Yes, there was a child involved in the accident, one from the same lab as Eden and Riley no less. It's terrible as it is to lose life, but to lose someone so young, with so much time ahead of them, it's...
And still, here I sit, feeling torn between feeling like a monster and reasoning that it's a normal reaction. It could have easily been us instead, though, and the thought of losing Meilin and Eden kills me inside. I don't know what to do but to be grateful for the blessing of life that we still have.
There'll be a service held, which we'll be attending together for many reasons. We want to support Riley and whoever else has been affected personally by this loss, we also want to show our respect, because if not personally we did have a connection to this family, and do feel the pain of the loss in our own way. It would just... it would be wrong not to go, to act like it didn't concern us, wouldn't it? My mind is already made, but, I can't seem to stop thinking in circles right now, which is why I can't sleep. It's certainly a better alternative than letting my thoughts wander to Alex.
It's hard sometimes though, it's been so long, but still, I can't find it in me to just move on. I know that he'd want me to be happy, or at least that's what everyone says, but some days it's just hard to try.
What would I do if I ever lost Meilin or Eden? It hasn't been that long since I brought her home but already she's just like my own daughter. I don't want to ever give that up, and the very idea of ever losing her, either of them, it just aches, and aches, and just won't stop until I remind myself that they're both still here with me...
Eden doesn't understand any of these things, of course, she's much too young, and I hope that I never have to explain why I sometimes look so sad when I watch her, and I hope that she won't have a personal, pressing need to understand or for me to explain anytime soon. I do hope that there won't be a need for it in the future. The world is full of too much loss already as it is. Enough is already too much.
~ 5:30am
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Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:44 pm
.[4th of July - Toh].
Journal entry: T; 07.4.08 It's the fourth of July, and though it's not really a holiday that Gaians have a reason to celebrate it seems we're not alone in practicing it anyway. I guess there are a lot more people from Earth and the States than I first realized.
Since the funeral things have been going as normal, though I for a while I think both Meilin and I have been more cautious and conscientious about the things we do around the house, what we leave out and where, and making sure to double check that things are turned off before we walk away from them. It's those little things that you never really think twice about until something terrible has happened to someone around you or close to you... It feels strange but I'm glad all the same, since up till now I'd wondered if I hadn't really just burdened my sister unecessarily by adopting Eden. It's nice. Meilin has stopped complaining and she's doing more to learn about Eden and how to take care of her.
Tony grinned slowly.
Though I think maybe she's also using Eden as an "excuse" to see Victor more often, too. My sister has a crush on that guy like no one's business, and Eden is aware of it apparently. When Meilin told me what happened that first day Victor came by I couldn't believe it. I never told Meilin that Eden seems to have influence from Mistletoe. I don't think she ever even thought twice about it, but oh it's amusing to watch!
Speaking of Eden, specifically, she's growing older already, she's able to walk, talk, run, play, and draw already so we figured it was time to enroll her in school pretty soon. One thing that I've noticed about Eden that cannot be denied is her unexpected love for colors and patterns. She seems especially fascinated when watching fashion shows. I expect that this will be an interest that only grows more with time, maybe Eden's already found her true calling. I'm curious to see how this develops as she gets older. Already I can just hear her asking me for sewing lessons, I don't know, just a hunch really. I'll stand behind her no matter what she decides to do, but I hope that whatever she picks she picks because it really makes her happy.
Now if only a certain sister of mine would also follow that advice...
Well, only time can really tell, and speaking of time, it's time for -me- to go get started on lunch so we'll have time to see the fireworks tonight.
Till next time, then!
~ 2:15pm
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Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 11:50 am
.[Meeting my first Grump - Eden, Sean, Meilin].
A cloudy day, just a little before noon...one would think a woman would be off at work with her kid safely at school or daycare. Or, at the very least, playing indoors. But conventional just wasn't Rye's style. Common sense didn't seem to be either. But at the very least it wasn't raining. There was a mild chill, since the summer heat had faded slightly with a cold wind, but nothing more. It was still "acceptable" enough to visit the park. And with Sophia off at school she was left to bringing Sean by himself.
Sean was not a "carry me around" sort of fella. The funny thing was, he wasn't much of a walker either, unless he really felt like it. It was easier just to say that he gave everyone a hard time. It was his self-assigned job. So once the park was in view he squirmed fiercely.
"Down down down!" he cried with a huge grumpy frown as he pushed against Rye's shoulders.
She only laughed, "Alright, alright, hold on a second. There." She placed him down right next to the rubber-filled playground lot. Chopped up tires...it was the new mulch in this day and age. And it didn't give kids splinters. Of course, old fashioned monkey bar domes and such weren't a part of this day and age anymore either.
"Alright," she smiled, "Off you go." She would take one of the near by benches. Maybe get some reading done. Or she could paint her nails...sounded like a good idea. She'd been meaning to all week.
Meilin had initially been a little grudging accepting the responsibility of looking after Eden, but not as much as in the past. Ever since news of those tragic and untimely deaths within the Patch community Meilin had become a bit more flexible about looking after Eden. The little girl meant the world to her sister, and after not too long ago losing her fiancée Meilin just didn’t have it in her to deny Tony this joy. Sure, she still thought it had been irresponsible just randomly adopting a child like randomly buying a motorcycle, or game system, but she could certainly forgive it. Eden was a pretty well behaved child all things considered.
As long as she wasn’t playing matchmaker, that was to say.
For example, today Meilin brought them to the park for a bit of play, and though there were no other kids around Eden was happy to let Lin read her book. She made sure to stay within Lin’s line of sight, and even kept checking in now and then. She obviously knew better than to risk Lin’s wrath or worry her parents.
So as it was, a lone child had already been lying, well, sitting in wait when Sean arrived. What she was doing hanging out UNDER the slide her caretaker wasn't sure, but Meilin kept a dutiful eye on the little one anyway as Eden, unknown to Lin, examined rather closely a stubborn flower trying desperately to bloom despite it's lack of sun.
"Why would you pick this spot...?" She pondered with all the curiosity and bewilderment that a four year old human child might muster. Large gray eyes took the plantlife in with silent regard and wonder, and tentatively she reached out and carressed the flower like one might do to a newborn's head. "You'll be okay!" She suddenly decided with a bright, toothy smile. "I'll take care of you from now on, 'kay?"
Sean scrambled away from Rye the moment he was freed. He ran frantically to, well, no where in particular. Once deeming himself safe from the clutches of his mother he looked around to see where he was. He was right next to the ladder that went up to the slide. He paused, giving it a look over as if deciding if it was worth the effort to go alllll the way to the top to slide down. His thoughts, though, were interrupted when his ears twitched, catching the sound of a voice.
He leaned around the ladder, looking for the source with a small confused frown. Then he say it....a little green haired girl. A tree girl. Talking to a flower.
He pointed, ignoring Sophia's lectures of how the gesture was rude, "Why you talking to a flower?"
"Because it's lonely otherwise..." Eden answered without ever taking her eyes off of the flower, not belittling, but still as if the answer were as obvious as day versus night. "You talk to other people, don't you?"
And just that suddenly a pair of bright gray eyes was staring at Sean curiously, a smile crinkling the corners of those eyes as she recognized fuzzy ears. Her best friend had them too, but his were white and rounded like a teddy bear's, of course.
"I'm Eden."
"Plants don' get lonely," Sean grumbled stubbornly, not seeming very willing with going along with her ideas. He said so, of course, without actually thinking about it. But then....it wasn't really something he was going to think about. There were more important things to look after. Like that slide he had been ready to go on.
Her cheerfulness was only met by his grumpy frown. His ears dropped a little, almost like they were soggy and he grunted, "Sean." He pointed to himself with his thumb and then grabbed onto the ladder.
"Yes they do, plants have feelings just like you do." She pouted a bit, taking offense to that statement as she very much considered herself at least half plant herself. She watched him get up though to resume his play, and after attempting to reassure the little flower that he hadn't meant what he said, though in truth she didn't know, she got up and moved out of the shade of the slide to watch this "Sean character", as Meilin would've called him. Mama Lin was always acting awful suspicious of people. "So... are you from the Patch too?" She questioned with a smile again, standing clear and out of his way.
"Plants don't have heads," he grunted as he clambered up to the very top. There he stood for a moment, pudgy arms outstretched momentarily as he balanced. It was so high up here! His ears twitched at the sight. He wasn't sure if he liked being high or not. Finally giving up on deciding he moved his tail to the side and plopped down on this bum.
He scooted himself forward until gravity did the rest. He was pulled down the warm metal ramp to the very bottom where his shoes crashed into the tire-shreddings. Mmm. The crash just wasn't as fun when it wasn't dirt.
"From wha?" he blinked at Eden as if he didn't know what she was talking about.
"Well, they don't talk with mouths, but I can hear them." She sighed, but didn't really lose her smile much. "That's okay, I like that it's kinda just me that can hear them anyway... Mom thinks it's because I'm part plant." She explained as she reached a small hand up to finger the leaves in her hair tentatively. "And the Patch. It's where me and Riley and Eirwyn are all from."
"I guess you do look a little like a tree," he agreed reluctantly. Agreeing with people wasn't one of his big talents. More often than not he'd actually disagree simply to do so. He didn't know if she could talk to plants or not...or if she was really part one. But she was very, very green.
"No know Riley and Eirwyn," he said, finding her description very unhelpful.
"Well, that's okay." Eden grinned, but already she was wandering from the slide towards the swings to have a seat on one while she talked, picking up a light sway. "Maybe you're not, I like you either way, Sean. So is the slide your favorite?"
Goodness, talkative child wasn't she?
Girls always liked to talk, didn't they? Sean had yet to meet a girl who didn't yack his fuzzy ears off. So his young mind had quickly accepted that as fact; girls talked. A lot. He didn't bother trying to stop her; he had both an older sister and a mother. He knew it didn't really work.
"No," he replied, using what seemed to be his favorite word.
He got up, swishing his tail behind him absently, and toddled over to a large plastic pony that seemed to be balanced on a spring of some kind. He reached up and grabbed the seat. With a grunt and some scrambling he managed to pull himself up, though the plastic pony began to sway immediately. His tail bristled slightly in shock as he held on tiger until it slowed down.
Once the thing was more steady, though his ears still quivered a bit with anticipation he muttered, "Mm...this is good."
"Do you -have- a favorite...?" She drawled this time, blinking as she stared, resisting the urge to frown as the seconds passed. Why did he seem so quiet and irritable? Eden knew Lin to be pretty cranky but she usually didn't show it so boldly, and he should be happy shouldn't he? Being on the playground? "... Are you upset about something?"
"I said I like this one," he replied, his dark eyebrows pulling tightly together. He had said that, hadn't he? His ears pinned back a little as his mouth twisted. He threw his weight forward and then let the pony bounce backwards and forwards.
It was a bit of a relief, feeling the wild rush of going forward and back...forward and back! His vision blurred a little as he did so and when the pony finally settled again he had to wait a minute. Blinking his dark eyes and sounding a bit winded he blew, "No."
"Good's not the same as favorite." She explained, but then it finally occurred to her that maybe he didn't understand because he was younger. He'd probably just get frustrated if she kept going. She smiled it off instead. "Okay..."
There. Just like that she stopped talking. Oh, Eden knew JUST how to get him!
.[ Breaker ].
Her little legs braced her landing as she hopped off the swing and made her way towards a bush, settling down with her back to Sean. Not even six seconds later the two were conversing, or so it seemed by the hushed whispers from Eden, only punctuated now and then by silence or a giggle or two. Whatever they were talking about was obviously both secretive and hilarious!
Sean was still catching his breath when he noticed Eden wander away. Well, he wasn't really looking for her or anything, but he had heard her. His ears tended to pick up every little thing. So it was no surprise that when she started whispering,to a plant no less, his ears twitched in her direction.
He turned his head a little to frown at her. He leaned forward, causing the pony to creak and bend that way as well. He was trying to hear what she was saying...he didn't expect it to be hard; he was a bit spoiled in that way, being used to hearing whatever he set his ears to.
Unfortunately for Sean's curiosity, it was about then that Meilin looked at her watch and realized that Tony would be expecting them home soon. She took a few minutes to settle her things into Eden's bag before heading over to get the toddler. Meilin spotted the boy’s guardian sitting on a bench and thought she looked familiar in passing… but it was likely just coincidence. The little boy, though, she wondered if he was one of those Patch kids too, since they seemed in great abundance.
"Okay, Eden, time to go before your mother calls the police." She sighed, picking the green haired girl up, despite Eden's pout. She always tended to do that when she didn’t get her way, but today’s pout fest was rather tame and didn’t end in tears, so Meilin couldn’t complain. It was nice to see the girl so behaved, and in truth she seemed more up beat about something, rather than upset. Curious indeed.
Eden pouted a bit indeed, but said goodbye to her plant friend, then looked towards Sean and waved goodbye too.
"Bye Sean..."
But she smiled then, because she already knew that she’d made another friend even if he was a little on the grumpy, frumpy side.
Sean meerly grunted in return, his ears flicking downward to make his scowl. He didn't wave and even looked away as his tail lashed behind him in irratation. But his dark eyes quickly darted back to watch her leave after a few moments. Maybe there was hope for the boy after all. Maybe.
As Meilin carried her away Eden glanced back at Sean, and smiled a bit more, noticing that he was watching them go. She turned back around after that though, wondering if she'd get to see him again. Next time she’d be sure to get him to smile back for her. For sure.
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Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:45 pm
.[Dress up, anyone? - Toh, Eden, Sophia].
Sophia was used to getting dragged around or dropped off in odd locations. Her mother was a whimsical sort, never seeming to know what she was doing. So being at the doorstep of the home of another child from the Cabbage Patch wasn't that surprising. Rye hit the back of her knuckles against the door in a knock as Sophia stood with a small plastic backpack and Mr. William in her arms.
"You're going to have so much fun, Sophie!" Rye chimed brightly. Her smile was infectious and even got a small turn on the corner of Sophie's lips.
"Yes, Momma."
"Coming, coming!" Came the call from inside the home. Eden was in the living room watching television, too absorbed to realize a guest was arriving just yet. Tony glanced at the girl on her way past, shaking her head with a small smile. So like her. Not like most children, Eden enjoyed the commercials more than the shows, specifically the clothing commercials. She was fascinated with the photographic images in the magazines, and had taken to collecting them just to flip through though she couldn't quite understand the words yet.
She reached the door a few moments later, and smiled as she opened it wide enough to be seen.
"Nihao! Rye, right?" She'd been expecting them after all. Her gaze drifted down to Sophia, who she recognized immediately. "And you must be Sophia." She continued to smile.
Rye nodded, the same charismatic smile on her face, "Yep, that's us!"
"Hello," Sophia piped politely. She added afterwards, forgetfully, "Nice to meet you..." Unable to sedate her curiosity she leaned to the side slightly, peering with interest into the home as she continued to hold Mr. William soft bear from against her chest. What was this place going to be like...?
"It's wonderful to meet you too, Sophia, I've heard a lot about you!" Tony grinned in a friendly manner, then looked back to the caretaker though she hadn't missed Sophia's curious stare. Soon enough, just another moment or two and she'd be inside. "Rye, would you like to come in for a minute or are you in a hurry?"
"Normally I would," Rye laughed, for indeed it was a very true statement, the young woman being known for frittering away her time in the most random of places, "But I've actually got to run today. Don't worry, I'll intrude another time." She gave a teasing wink before, putting a thin hand on Sophia's head, "I'll see you later hon."
Sophia, pulled herself back slightly, away from her angle of looking inside, and nodded up at her mother, "Yes Momma." Though she knew it was likely "later" would be quite a while.
Tony smiled but nodded understanding. She put a hand lightly between Sophia's shoulder blades on the small of her back to usher her inside, waving. "See you tonight, Rye!" She called, watching her back to her ride before leading Sophia inside. "So, Sophia, did you already eat or are you hungry sweety?"
Sophia let Tony steer her inside, taking careful steps over the door frame. Once inside she immediately moved to the side and slipped off her shoes. She looked back at Tony and thought for a moment, pursing her pink lips before murmuring, "I'm not hungry. Thank you." She hadn't eaten since earlier this morning, but she really didn't feel like eating anything right now.
"Alright, well, you just let me know if you change your mind and get hungry, okay?"
A small pat on her back and Tony stopped them in the door, calling over to the younger girl.
"Eden, company, airen."
Eden looked over from where she sat in front of the TV, smiling quietly. "Hi." She greeted softly, getting up then and bowing, as Meilin and Tony had shown her was a proper way to greet others.
Eden's bow suddenly left Sophia feeling lacking in manners. Her light brows pulled together with slight concern and she dropped her hands to the edge of her skirt. At first it was a reflex, twisting at the fabric. Then she dropped in a wobbly curtsy, a clumsy imitation of the fine ladies on TV and in her books. "Hello," she responded, a slight bit of sheepishness in her voice from what she knew was an awkward greeting, "Um...I'm Sophia." She was so caught up she forgot to ask the other girl's name. Though...her guardian had said it already, so it wasn't exactly a mystery.
"Sophia, it's nice to meet you." Eden grinned in a friendly way, wanting the other girl to feel at ease. "I like your outfit!" She complimented, eyes drifting lower to admire the ensemble. Really it wasn't just the outfit, but Sophia's hair, too, was pretty, very pretty all around! She almost looked like those pretty dolls that she saw in the collectibles shop. "So... what would you like to do? Do you want to play or watch TV...? My fashion show is on...?"
Eden glanced back over her shoulder towards the television in the other room as she said this, but then brought her eyes back around to Sophia afterwards, questioning but polite. She'd do whatever her guest wanted, really. The offer was simply there.
"Oh! Thank you," she replied with a genuine smile, a bit of pinkness touching her cheeks. She always liked dressing herself in pretty outfits and she was glad someone else liked the arrangement too.
But it seemed it wasn't just by chance. She was watching a fashon show? That meant Eden must really like clothes too. Sophia did, always admiring how someone could come up with such pretty designs all the time.
"Um...well, whatever you like is alright," Sophia replied, not feeling comfortable deciding on a game in someone else's home. She added thoughtfully, "Do you like fashion a lot?"
"Yeah, I really do! Mom and Mama record the shows for me. I'm going to be a fashion designer too, when I grow up." She beamed with a proud grin, glad that Sophia had noticed. "We could maybe just play dress up for now, that's just a tape so we can watch it later if you want. I want to show you my room!"
"Really?" she smiled admiringly at Eden. So she was going to make clothes...wow! Sophia wished she had that talent, but being lacking in both artistic and sewing skills (she had tried both to no real end) it wasn't something within her range. "I'll have to buy your clothes someday then!"
She nodded agreeably, liking the idea of dress up. It was her favorite game, actually. "Ok," she smiled.
Hah! Score, Eden was pleased by the happy aura that Sophia was giving off. Seems like dress up was a good call, which just made here happier since it was one of her favorite games to start with.
Eden just grinned again and turned to lead her down the hallway towards her room, but halfway there, called back. "I'll make them for you whenver you want if you promise me something."
Sophia followed right behind, looking once or twice at the rooms they passed the any decorations she could spot in the hall. She nearly stopped when the other girl offered to make her clothes, finding it a surprising idea. It was a too-good-to-be-true sort of thing or perhaps something that she was sure would cause Eden more grief than she let on. Regardless, all Sophia could muster to say at this point was, "Um...sure?"
No warning, all at once the younger girl stopped calmly and turned on her heel, smiling impishly back at Sophia for a moment with her hands clasped behind her back as she leaned forward. With a short giggle, she suddenly clasped both of Sophia's hands in both of hers.
"Be my personal model?"
Well, one of them, though she doubted Eirwyn would be quite as willing to meet the demanding job, but that was okay, so long as he still modeled her clothes, even if he wasn't there with her most of the time for the construction and planning process she could overlook that, especially if Sophia agreed to this request.
"I'd really, -really- love to make outfits just for you, you're so cute!" She beamed cheerfully and with total earnest.
Sophia turned bright scarlet with complete embarrassment. It was hard to hear her own voice over the throbbing in her ears.
"A model?" she gasped, completely astounded. Her bashful, flattered words came out in a rush, long before she could think of what she was actually saying, "You really want me to? I...I..." It was there she seemed to loose her ability to form words, because her flushed lips moved open and shut and no more words came out.
"Yes! Oh, please, please Sophie? I can't sew that great yet but when we get older, I've got all kinds of ideas already, I want you to model them for me!"
Eden pleaded whole heartedly, imploring to Sophia's love for clothing and Eden's craving for an outlet for her own.
"We can even do photo shoots and everything, then! It would be so cute! I could design some Lolita outfits for you and everything, especially, I bet you'd love those!"
She'd learned all about Lolita from Japanese fashion, but even went as far as to trace back to it's roots. Really, if it was fashion then Eden was addicted.
Sophia wasn't sure what lolita outfits were or anything...she liked clothes, but she wasn't on the up and up in fashion yet. But it seemed that if she stayed in touch with Eden that was bound to change. The thought of being thrown into numerous outfits and styles didn't bother her at all. In fact, she gave it very little thought when she answered.
"O-okay!" she breathed, seeming absolutely overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement. She was positively glowing.
If Sophia only knew just how much she'd just made Eden's day! The little mistletoe elf was practically jumping for joy, grinning so hard that it almost looked like her face might split, but she just continued to grin, head perfectly in tact. "Oh, this is great! I can't wait to tell mom! Come on, let me show you my room!"
She released one of the older girl's hands but not the other, pulling her along eagerly the last distance to here room where she pushed open the door and let her inside to have a look.
Sophia stumbled along after Eden, letting the younger girl lead her along. It didn't take them long to get to her room at that pace and once they were inside Sophia was able to take a good look around.
Her eyes were met with a vision of pink. It was amazing! And everything was so cute too. "Wow, it's so pretty Eden!" Sophie complimented genuinely.
Eden grinned happily, so glad that her mother had arranged for Sophia to come visit, it made her so happy to have someone to hang out with like this that she already felt like they had become the best of friends.
"Thanks! My mom's helped me decorate it, come in, come in! The clothes are over here!" She continued beaming with cheer in her tone as she gently pulled Sophia further in. She couldn't hide her eagerness as she opened up the closet doors and revealed the various outfits, some bought ahead of time since Tony and Meilin were expecting her to outgrow her old clothes rather quickly. "We have some stuff that I'm not big enough for yet, so you can try those on, okay?" She grinned at Sophia.
"You have a lot of cute outfits," Sophie commented as she swept her eyes over the closet. She even lifted a hand and fingered one of the sleeves. It was really soft...almost like a mix between cotton and silk or something. It was nice.
"What should we put on first?" She asked, feeling a little overwhelmed with all the choices. She had a lot of clothes at home, to be sure, but it was always different trying on someone else's things or being in a clothing store. Every outfit was new and exciting.
"Thanks, aren't they great? ... Hee hee..." >D "Just wait, once I've gotten started on your clothes when I'm a little older..." She grinned. "Then you'll have more cute clothes than you'll know what to do with! How about these?" Eden pulled a pair out with a smile, they weren't identical, but they were closely matched, a pair of pirate-esque outfits.
Sophia had never been keen on certain things...such as pirates. As a young girl pirates and other such things had been "bad" or "scary". Now that she was older she realized they were nothing of the kind; just something a little different, usually pulled from adventure books or movies. And they certainly weren't fashionable.
But these two outfits were different. Though she style seemed very sea-faring-esc., both still managed to be extremely cute. She strangely found herself agreeing, more than willingly, to wear what was suggested.
"Oh, those are lovely! Alright."
"Great! Com on, I'll help you with this one." Eden offered with a smile, setting the outfits out on the bed.
"Um...ok," Sophie agreed, slipping her fingers into the ribbons in her hair. She took out her long pigtails and then pulled her hair together before lifting off her top. She took off her skirt too, but left her undershirt, stockings, and everything else on, knowing they wouldn't cause a problem as far as getting the other outfit on.
So it was, the day was spent with the two girls bonding over dress up. Princesses, pirates, even thieves and gypsies, and hip trend setters, their imagination definitely didn't know any bounds. One thing was for sure, Eden and Sophia had found a beautiful friend in one another, and they were both looking forward to helping that friendship branch out and grow with time.
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Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 2:49 pm
.[Fuzzy! - Eden, Eirwyn, Orion, Meilin].
Pushing the cart in the grocery store, Orion gave Eirwyn a warning glance when the bear-eared boy looked around, grip on the side of the cart loosening. He really wasn't fond of the idea of chasing the youngster all over the store.
"Stay by me and the cart, you hear?" he muttered, his usual impatient self.
Nodding Absently, Eirwyn didn't even deign to respond with a 'yes'. Expression curious, he nonetheless kept one hand clutching at the cart--for the time being, at least, he was content to simply look at the other people grocery shopping.
Besides, this way he might have some say in what Orion picked out--while none of the sugary treats even tempted him, some of the cooking meats in the deli made his young tummy rumble. When Orion made to wheel directly past the section in question, he tugged insistently on the side of the cart, causing the wheels to turn in his direction--exactly the result he'd been hoping for.
"I hungryyyy." he said, looking up at his guardian insistently.
"What? You just ate before we left!" Orion exclaimed. Sure, he might not be the best cook in the world, but he'd actually made toasted cheese sandwiches (and barely even singed them!).
She had been talked into grocery shopping. Alright, fair enough, but how had she been roped into grocery shopping... AND babysitting? With Eden sitting in the seat of the cart (Meilin didn't trust the child not to run off and start going grab crazy, as it was she was still managing to sneak things into their cart.
"Eden, for the last time, we're not getting egg nog. That's only for Christmas." Be firm, she told herself, but with Eden it was difficult, more so because the girl was frighteningly sharp for her age than anything else. Her simple, blunt child's logic would actually make her a worthy adversary in a battle of wits with Meilin, if not for the lack of experience.
And if only she could talk, of course. So if it was only for Christmas time, why did they sell it now when it so clearly WASN'T Christmas time? That's almost what her look said as she glanced at the carton and pointed to it, then looked at Meilin without taking her finger away. They were just a bit ahead of the two in the dairy section right by the deli, having their non-verbal argument until Eden spotted Eirwyn, and let out a delighted, curious squeal. Furry ears, she had to see!!
The ears in question perked up at the loud noise, swivelling in Eden's direction even as he turned his head, looking straight at her. "Loud!" He said, releasing his grip on the shopping cart and toddling in her direction--if nothing else, he wanted to see what had made her make such a noise--it had to be something pretty good, as the only other time he'd heard someone squeal, it had been at the zoo, when one of the animals had done something really amazing.
"Eirwyn, don't run off like tha--" Orion started, walking swiftly after the toddler, who was proving that he could move pretty fast, when the urge hit. When he finally caught up, Eirwyn was already standing near Meilin and Eden, blue gaze fixed solidly on the little girl sitting in the cart. "I'm so sorry--really, it's impossible to take him anywhere--he's fine until he gets an idea into his head, but once he decides he wants to check something out, he's nearly impossible." This last was said with a glare down at the boy in question. Eirwyn, of course, completely ignored it--it wasn't as though glares, or even grumbling annoyance, were out of the ordinary for his guardian, anyway.
Reaching one hand up towards Eden, Eirwyn's expression clearly stated that he wanted to see what it was that she found so interesting, too! He barely spared her guardian a glance, clearly far more intrigued by whatever had prompted the girlish squeal of delight.
Meilin had just blinked, glancing around to try to see what Eden had been squealing about herself, but when she found the child's gray eyes fixated on the young boy she blinked again, stared a bit. He looked almost like that Riley girl, but, a polar bear?
"It's fine, really, I understand. Eden is the same way... that's why she has to sit in the cart when we shop, isn't it?" She quirked a brow accusingly at the girl, who just giggled and reached back for Eirwyn. "Is he from the Cabbage Patch too?"
"Ears!" She beamed in delight, thrilled she'd gotten his attention, reaching down. If not for Lin's secure hold on the cart it might have toppled over with Eden's leaning.
Orion blinked. Finally, someone with a clue as to where the cabbage had come from! Eyeing Eirwyn, he thought about putting him in the cart too, then decided against it--unlike Eden, who seemed willing to sit, relatively well-behaved...Eirwyn had a tendency to kick when he was displeased.
"So...they come from a cabbage patch?" He finally asked, tone just this side of brusque. "I received the cabbage that he came from as a...gift. I wasn't even aware that there was a child inside, until he showed up." This said with an eye roll in the child in question's direction.
Eirwyn's eyes widened--she'd been squealing at -him-? Curiosity piqued at her reaction, he waggled his ears at her, the soft, fuzzy little things swivelling temptingly. "No have?" Surely she had ears as well?
"Some kind of lab. My sister refused to tell me much, I found out pretty well the same way you did. She brought it home talking about how she'd adopted a child. I thought she was crazy at first but, well..." Meilin sighed a bit, face turning into a frown as she glanced at Eden. It wasn't that she hadn't come to care about the girl (though she was grudging and reluctant to admit to Eden worming her way into her heart), but she still wasn't crazy about suddenly becoming an aunt and guardian. It still seemed an irresponsible decision, but what could she do but support Tony in it?
Eden would suffer the most if Lin tried to force her sister to go back on the choice. She'd never be able to bring herself to hurt a child that way. On an unrelated note, Meilin couldn't help but admit to herself that Eirwyn was a cute kid, probably just the kind of son she'd hope for if she ever had any of her own, quiet, yet, she could see there was more to him than that even at this age. "There are others. A -lot- of others. We met one in the park, she looked to be about fifteen or so... I'm told that they grow very quickly, however."
Eden stared, eyes wide and full of wonder as she watched those fuzzy ears move tauntingly. Try as she might, she couldn't mimic the move, and pouted something awful as she realized. She reached up and, in a moment of brilliance, wiggled her own pointy ears instead, grinning as if to say: "See? I can do it too!". "Fuzzy..." She replied with her baby tone again, pointing back at his.
"Hmm." Orion nodded, eyeing Eirwyn thoughtfully. What happened if a guardian chose to ignore their new charge, he wondered. Did this 'lab' care so little about the welfare of the children they 'created', for lack of a better term? But, he'd long since learned that not everything was what it first appeared--maybe there was more to it, that he just wasn't getting. Truthfully, it didn't concern him--he had Eirwyn, with no plans on adopting any more 'charges'...one infant was more than enough, as far as he was concerned.
"I still find it difficult to wrap my mind around, truthfully--fatherhood wasn't something I was anticipating any time soon." Or ever, if he were brutally honest. Which wasn't to say that he wasn't finding himself growing ever more fond of the pale-haired polar bear he'd been entrusted with.
Eirwyn grinned, eyeing her ears curiously. They weren't like his or Orion's--instead they were smooth like his human father's, but came to a delicate point. The result was something far more delicate looking.
"I Eirwyn!" he introduced himself, looking up at Eden expectantly, even as he motioned to his ears. "Want to touch?"
"Tell me about it..." Meilin sighed very softly, glancing from Orion towards Eden, who was oblivious. "I can totally empathize with you on that point."
Meilin was in the same boat as Orion, having been forced into this by her sister, but now finding that it was getting harder to hold a grudge over the fact. Oh, it was still irresponsible and it was still selfish deciding something so large that affected them BOTH, but... What could she say? Eden wasn't at fault...
".... But I'd be lying if I said I was still unhappy about it."
She smiled a tiny bit, just the most bare tweak of the corners of her lips.
Eden squealed at the invitation and the introduction, clapping her hands together three times joyfully before nodding eagerly with a big grin. "Eden... Yes, yes! I want to!"
Orion cleared his throat, unwilling to quite admit that much. He had an antisocial reputation to uphold, after all. "Well, at the very least, I've gotten used to being woken up in the middle of the night, and he can finally tell me when he needs something." He wasn't even going to go into how many issues had been had before the infant had learned to speak.
If anyone were paying attention, however, his gaze had softened slightly, if only for a second.
Shifting closer so that the ears in question were within reaching distance, Eirwyn wriggled them again, enjoying the attention they were receiving. "Pretty name," he observed, tilting his head slightly to the side. He was so distracted by this new, potential playmate, that he'd even forgotten, or lost interest in, his rumbling tummy.
Shaking his head, Orion rolled his eyes, barely restraining himself from chuckling. Eirwyn might be rather cool-tempered, even at such a young age, but he had absolutely no shame in being fussed over, or cuddled.
Eden was delighted, surprisingly tender when handling his ears despite her earlier displayed eagerness. She seemed to understand that you shouldn't pull hard on someone elses' body parts, at least. "Soft..." She grinned slowly, more so at his compliment. "Thank-oo!"
Meilin even had to chuckle at that herself. "Yes... agreed. It was a blessing when Eden finally learned words."
Eirwyn smiled brightly up at her, pleased by this result. Opening his mouth as if to speak again, his stomach rumbled, the sound loud and impossible to miss. Turning back to Orion, Eirwyn furrowed his brow, abruptly reminded as to what he'd pushed Orion into coming here, for.
"Hungry NOW!" he said insistently, good humor seemingly forgotten.
Orion blinked at the sudden noise, running a hand through his hair awkwardly and shrugging at Meilin. "As you can see, a true blessing." he replied wryly, unsure as to whether providing a playmate (and possible distraction from the crankiness that was likely to ensue for his taking so long to find food for his little monster) or parting ways now, and being able to feed said bear-cub sooner would be the better option.
At the very least, perhaps he should try to arrange a..playdate, for a day when Eirwyn was a little less cranky? After all, it couldn't be good for a child so young to get to be around other children so rarely--even he knew that. How did parents usually go about doing that, anyway?
Eden pouted a bit as she was abruptly forgotten, seemingly rather unhappy about it but drawing no attention to herself, instead she looked at the adults as if demanding that they fix it-- RIGHT NOW --so she could go back to playing with Eirwyn and his ears.
"Hmm..." Meilin offered a bemused look, remembering then that she had brought along a couple of small baggies of Eden's favorite treats. Some strawberries, some soup crackers, and some grapes. Looking at Eirwyn with what would be a surprisingly understanding look-- or so Tony would say if she were there --she retrieved one of the bags from Eden's baby bag, looking to Orion. "Well, from one new parent to another: Always keep healthy snacks on hand."
She offered the bag of grapes in offering.
Orion nodded, filing that information away--it was logical enough, thinking about it--he just wasn't used to having to worry about it that often, since, to-date, they'd rarely left the house for long enough periods to merit having to worry about feeding Eirwyn before returning home.
Eirwyn looked up at Meilin expectantly when she began to rummage, stepping closer to the young woman. When she produced grapes though, he wrinkled his nose and shook his head, earning himself a glare from his guardian.
"No like. Too sweet!" he said, sticking his lower lip out mutinously. Child though he might be (with accompanying avoidance of vegetables!), but Eirwyn had also always shown a distinct dislike of most sweet things, as well.
"Eirwyn..." Orion started, putting one hand on his hip, expression clearly stating that the infant was being rude.
Drawing his eyebrows down, Eirwyn looked at Orion, expression downright mutinous. "No like!" he insisted, mulishly sticking to his guns.
Eden continued to observe, looking fit ready to start crying at any moment for being left out of the conversation again and the swirling unpleasant emotions between Orion and Eirwyn, but for the moment her reserves of patience were holding out at least long enough to get the issue resolved.
"And lesson number two: Always carry a variety of snacks on hand." Meilin added with mirth, amused that she had gotten good enough at predicting Eden's vast taste to be prepared. Nevermind that it had actually been her being overly concerned when trying to figure out what to put in the baby bag. Eden probably had two days worth of diapers in there...
In any case the next baggy offered were the animal crackers and the saltine soup crackers. Shortbread cookies, she knew from personal preference (Preferring neutral things to sweet things herself) weren't too sweet for someone with Eirwyn's taste, but she offered the saltine crackers too in case he preferred something a little more plain. They were saltless.
Eirwyn looked at the new offerings, expression slowly brightening, as even his body language settled back down. Pointing at the bag of animal crackers (they were fun shapes) he reached out a small hand, opening and closing it.
"Not sweet?" He'd never had them before, and so wanted affirmation as to the fact.
Orion cleared his throat, shooting a look of gratitude at Meilin. She really had come prepared! "Eirwyn, a thank you would be more appropriate..." he rebuked, although his tone was far less forbidding than it had been a few seconds before.
"Not sweet." Meilin confirmed, placing the bag in his hand but not yet letting it go. She was also one for manners, and thought to help Orion out a bit. She gave Eirwyn a softly expectant look, waiting to hear the words before letting go of the bag.
"Mine..." Eden whimpered, looking at Meilin with a slightly betrayed expression.
"It's nice to share, Eden. Don't you want to share with your new friend?"
A moment's hesitation, the #536A43 haired baby looked at Eirwyn for a moment, then back again and gave a small nod. Yes, she wanted to share and be nice to her new fuzzy, er, friend. She looked back at Eirwyn and in a questioning tone: "Fwend?"
Eirwyn looked from Meilin to Orion, pushing his lower lip out slightly, but conceding. "Tanks!" Stuffing an entire cookie into his mouth, he chewed consideringly for a moment, before nodding up at Meilin, pleased to notice that she hadn't led him astray, in regards to the biscuits' sweetness.
Finally appeased, he turned back to Eden, looking from the bag of cookies to her, and making a decision that, while he wasn't exactly sure what being a 'friend' entailed, that was fine by him. "ohkay. Yes...friend." Then he smiled, sticking another animal cracker into his mouth.
"Thank God.." Orion muttered under his breath. Nudging Eirwyn, he motioned to the animal crackers, quirking an eyebrow when the polar bear gave him a disgruntled expression in return.
Reluctantly, Eirwyn proffered the bag of animal crackers to Eden, looking hesitant to give up his 'prize' now that he'd finally acquired it.
Eden was appeased with that, and offered Eirwyn another toothy grin, but he even went as far as to offer her a cookie! Even more delighted now she gladly reached into the bag and took one, albeit a bit clumsy with baby fingers. Bringing it to her mouth with both hands she smiled, mimicking him from moments before. "Tanks..."
Lin just smirked a bit at Orion's utterance, more amused still. To Eirwyn she offered a rare smile and nodded her head once in acknowledgement. "You're welcome." And to Orion-- "Well... I don't want to keep you from your shopping and Eden and I have a bit left to do still ourselves."
But they should exchange contact information so that Eden and Eirwyn could stay in touch. Quietly she took out one of Tony's business cards (She carried them for her sister's sake, to advertise her services.) and handed it to Orion.
"This is my sister's card. Just call the home number. Maybe Eden and Eirwyn would like to play together sometime."
Finally, Orion grinned outright, accepting the card and tucking it into his pocket for safekeeping. "I think that's a safe bet, at this point," he observed, nodding at the young pair. Reaching into his own pocket, he produced his business card. "I work from home, so that's the only number on there..."
"It was a pleasure to meet you," He wasn't completely without manners, and in this case, it was true--if only because Eden seemed to get along well with Eirwyn, and there hadn't been a semi-awkward conversation with her guardian about what they did for a living, etc.
Eirwyn wiggled his ears again, perfectly docile now that he'd gotten his way. Catching snippets of the adult's conversation, he wiggled cookie-crumb-encrusted fingers curiously. "Buh-bye time?" he inquired, before filling his mouth with another biscuit.
Eden pouted a bit again, sad to be parting ways with Eirwyn so soon, but she knew better than to argue with Lin. She waved crumb encrusted fingers back at him. "Bye bye..."
Meilin smiled politely and nodded. "Likewise. Goodbye for now." She said, including both father and adopted son in the farewell before she steered the cart away. It was rare for her to have such a pleasant encounter, especially involving children. Maybe she wasn't as terrible with kids as she first thought. Eden's mirthful expression suggested as such, at least.
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:48 pm
.[So this is a journal? - Eden & Tony].
Journal entry: E; 08.29.09 Mom and mama took me shopping with them today, to get some things for school. I kind of wish that we could have gotten more clothes, but mama (Tony) said that I had to get the things I really needed first, like books and paper.
I can't wait to see Eirwyn and Sophie at school though! I wonder if we'll end up having classes together.
Well, anyway, I got to pick out one thing for myself that wasn't for school. I was going to get an outfit, but since I have plenty of those already I decided I wanted a journal like I'd seen mom and mama writing in all the time. Yep! This is it, right here! It's a really nice shade of forest green, and I'm going to decorate it with all kinds of gold and silver, and make a custom name tag for it and everything! I guess I'm lucky. I like Sean but Sophie would probably have to keep hers locked up all the time just to keep him away from it! I don't have any siblings to worry about doing that, though I wouldn't mind having a brother or sister. At least I have my best friends.
I've never kept a journal before, you know, but I think I kind of like it! Mom said it would be good practice for me for handwriting, and mama said it always helped her to keep one. I'm not sure what she means, but I'll give it a try. It's kind of weird, though, like having a conversation with myself.
Ha ha ha
I better go, I think mama just called me for dinner! Bye for now!
- Eden
~ 7:00pm
The child shut the book with an excited look, jumping from her seat then to hurry down the stairs where her primary guardian was setting the last dish on the table. She looked happy, which made Eden relax. She knew that sometimes her mother became distressed. She could sense that there was a broken bond that had been painful for the older woman, it was easy for her with her powers and all. Wisely she kept this to herself though. She imagined if she asked she'd just be told she was too young anyway, so for the time being she'd just settle for doing what she could to keep Tony in good spirits.
"What's for dinner tonight, mama? Is mom home yet?"
"Meilin is still out running some last minute errands, but you need to start getting to bed earlier so you can get used to it for school."
Tony grinned, Eden was making a face. It was the only thing she disliked-- getting up early. It was funny, really, since as a Christmas spirit she had expected Eden to love early mornings, but apparently that only applied on Christmas, just like with other children her age. Maybe with time.
"Dinner is potstickers, chicken and brocoli fried rice, and steamed vegetables. Now sit down and I'll fix your plate."
"Yeah, Chinese! Thanks mama, you know potstickers are my favorite!"
Her heart always melted when Eden called her that, or smiled so bright. She couldn't help it. Moving to kiss the top of her head before serving her food, and not for the first time, Tony wondered if she and Alex might have had a child like her if...
"You're welcome, airen. Now, eat up before it gets cold. Once you're done with that it's dessert and then bed."
The young woman fixed two more plates, one for her sister and one for herself, sitting down afterwards and letting Eden settle into her food. As the two sat conversing about how the day had gone she, also not for the first time, consoled herself with the fact that Alex was alive and well back on Earth, that she had Eden and Meilin and they all had their health.
That was good enough for her...
... but was it wrong to want for something more...?
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