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 Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 10:19 am
It was mid to late September and the world around them was changing, from the lowering temperatures to the leaves only just being touched by their fall colors, but the situation in the Gallo household remained the same. Chris's starseed was cracked, and there was nothing either of them could do to resolve the issue, aside from continue to seek out the assistance of others.
Unfortunately, this practice had so far yielded more questions than answers. The more time passed without a definitive conclusion, the more Paris blamed herself. If she'd only been more careful, if only she'd been quicker to save him, if only she'd been more experienced, perhaps none of this would have happened, and she would not now have to face the prospect of Chris... the thought of Chris...
… the idea that Chris might be dying.
It was a difficult thing to think, and even more difficult to say, knowing there may come a day when Chris's starseed could no longer bear the strain. Paris would rather pretend otherwise. Remaining stubborn about it was easier than accepting the truth; she would rather believe that nothing had changed, and hope they found a means to save Chris before it was too late.
Presently, there was a beautiful day to enjoy, with temperatures in the mid 70s and a temperate breeze rustling through the trees. The sun was bright, peeking through a series of puffy white clouds which offered just enough shade.
Paris was in the backyard, some distance away from the house, perched on a ladder as she picked apples. She wore a belted shirtdress is seasonal plaid, with brown leggings underneath for modesty. She'd removed her heels before ascending the ladder; they remained in the grass under another tree. Her hair had been thrown up into a large ballet bun, affixed with a sparkling bow accessory. She hummed quietly to the music playing on the radio as she transferred apples from the tree into a group of large baskets.
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 10:35 am
Try as he might, there was still no luck in finding out more information on how to fix the damage that had been done to his starseed. He thought it was lucky that he even found out about it being cracked in the first place, otherwise he would have never known the extent of damage that had been done.
He refused to believe that it was Paris’s fault for what happened to him. If anything it was Laurelite’s attempt at corrupting him that caused the starseed to crack, and it was only Paris’s effort to save him that prevented it from breaking completely. Still, he knew how much of a strain it was putting on Paris. They were expecting twins any day now, and the idea that he might not be there to watch them grow up and help Paris in raising them was… difficult to say the least.
But he wasn’t about to give up so easily. He was still waiting to hear back from some others he’d spoken to on the subject to see if they had any ideas on how to help him. If anything, Paris was right in trying to keep going, because if they let themselves get caught up in the thought that he might not be there for much longer, well… it wasn’t going to help either of them.
At first he simply watched Paris from the back porch as she climbed up on the ladder to start collecting the apples from their orchard, admiring her beauty and grace from afar. He had to believe that she would be okay without him, if the worst should happen. She would have the twins to look after, so that would definitely give her something to live for, at the very least. After a few minutes he finally made his approach.
“Need any help?” he asked as he held up a water bottle for her if she wanted it when he was close enough. He was wearing shorts and a short sleeve buttondown. He didn’t bother with shoes.
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 10:47 am
Paris was trying to remain positive, to look on the bright side, even if there didn't appear to be one. Chris was well enough for now. Aside from his magic being wonky and his senses being a bit off, she wasn't aware that anything else was ailing him. Things could always be much worse. He could have been corrupted that night Laurelite stuck her hand in his chest; he could have died before Paris even had a chance to save him; he could have trouble functioning during every day tasks, but he didn't. He looked almost as able and healthy as he had before all of this had happened.
It was going to be alright, she told herself. They were going to fix Chris's starseed one way or another; they were going to have their twins and live a normal life. It was simply a matter of time.
And if Paris was somewhat in denial, she didn't think anyone had any right to blame her, not after everything they'd been through.
She smiled when she noticed Chris approach, taking the water bottle from him to take a sip before handing it back. She brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face and shook her head, reaching for another apple.
“Not if you don't want to,” she said, perhaps with a bit more cheer than was necessary considering she was only picking apples, but it was a beautiful day and she was with her husband, and she was determined to enjoy every moment she had with him.
“You look tired,” she observed. She paused for a moment to reach out and run a hand through his hair. “You haven't been sleeping well.”
It wasn't a question, but she said it with such a light an airy voice you wouldn't think it was more than simple insomnia.
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 11:01 am
He appreciated Paris’s ability to try and make the most of things. Even though he knew she must be terrified of what could happen to them, or what could happen to him, really, she was still doing her best. He didn’t blame her for trying to keep going on as though nothing was wrong. If anything, he preferred it. It was one less stress for him, because then he would have to worry about her even more than he already did.
“It’s okay,” he responded on the topic of him not sleeping much. “I could say the same for you,” he pointed out as he reached up to take the basket of apples she had and dump them out into one of the larger baskets at the bottom of the ladder so they wouldn’t be bruised.
“I guess I’m just excited for the twins,” he said, thinking it was a decent excuse for his inability to sleep. “Just think of how much less sleep we’ll be getting once they’re born.” If they didn’t get enough sleep now, well… their whole world was surely going to change once the babies arrived.
“But yeah, let me help. What should I do?” he offered, reaching up to grab one of the apples that Paris would need a ladder for. Being tall gave him some perks.
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 11:11 am
“I've been sleeping just fine,” Paris insisted.
She hadn't been, honestly, but she didn't want Chris worrying about it. She had nightmares almost every night—nightmares about their time in captivity, nightmares about that evening with Laurelite. In all of her dreams, Chris ended up hurt and unconscious, and no matter what she did about it she couldn't wake him.
In her waking hours, Paris did everything she could to forget about her dreams. She focused on housework, on cleaning and gardening and cooking; she focused on finishing the last of the preparations for the twins. In some ways it made her feel heartless, like she wasn't paying as much attention to this problem with Chris as she should, but accepting it, coming to terms with it, acknowledging that they might not have long together would only make things harder for the both of them.
She refused to accept it. They would find an answer... somehow.
“There's not much to do accept put the apples into baskets,” she said. “I keep trying to think of things to do with them. We have so many. I thought maybe we could sell some at the Farmer's Market. I don't want them to go to waste, and there's only so many apple pies I can make.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 11:22 am
Chris let out a sigh when Paris insisted on sleeping without trouble, knowing that wasn’t the case at all. He knew she had nightmares, and while he didn’t wake her unless she seemed to really need to be woken, he often put his arm around her to keep her from fidgeting too much in her sleep. He would know… seeing as he didn’t sleep very well as it was.
“What if you sold the pies you made? Not everyone has time to make apple pies, and yours are great,” he suggested, although he knew it would be a lot easier to just sell the apples. “I could help you by peeling them. Or… whatever you’d need me to do to help.”
He wasn’t that great when it came to helping with cooking or baking, but he could at least do all the grunt work, such as cutting and peeling and coring.
“Do you think we have everything ready for the babies? You’re the one with the phone app,” he asked, reaching up to pull down a few more apples as they spoke. It was a nice distraction, just having a normal conversation and planning for the future.
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 11:34 am
“That's a good idea,” Paris said. “We could always do both. Sell some apples, sell some pies. We don't really need the money, but I guess we could always donate it. Next year we can make applesauce for the twins.”
If there was one thing that always succeeded in distracting Paris, it was talking about the babies. She dropped a few more apples into one of the baskets before taking a break and sitting down on one of the rungs of the ladder.
Not very long ago, she never would have imagined herself as a mother. In some ways she still had a hard time envisioning it, if only because the babies weren't there for her to see and hold and touch. But years ago she wouldn't have thought she would be having children, much less wanting them. Of course, that all changed with the dreams of that terrible future, and that one long week in captivity.
Perhaps she couldn't have the normal life she wanted while the war was still ongoing, but she could have as much of one as she was able to create for herself.
“If we don't have everything ready by this point, we're going to be in for a rude awakening,” she said. Fondly, she reached out to run her hand through Chris's hair again, gently running her nails along his scalp. “I went through a check list the other day. We have all the important stuff. Hospital bag packed, car seats installed. Nursery's done, and we can take our time on the playroom since they won't be old enough to really use it for a while. Unless there are any other projects you want to do. Has your dad shown you the playhouse he's building?”
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 11:49 am
He set the few apples he’d gathered down into the basket before moving to stand in front of the ladder so Paris would have better access to running her hands through his hair. It seemed a little silly that such a simple gesture could be comforting, but it was. He leaned up against the ladder, although not enough to push her out of the way or off the ladder itself.
“I did see,” he said with a soft groan in fake exasperation, leaning in to rest his chin on her knee as she sat on the rung. “He’s putting electrical and plumbing in it. And insulating it. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s going to be A/C or heat in there, too.” Chris shook his head, thinking that his dad was going a little overboard with the playhouse, but as long as it kept him busy, he supposed it wasn’t doing anyone any harm.
“I bet he wouldn’t mind building one over here, too. That way they’d have two places to play and they won’t always just want to go over to their grandparents’ house. Or maybe that’s the idea. They’re trying to bribe them to stay,” he mused and leaned his head down to press a kiss against her leg through the dress and leggings.
“Are you nervous?” he wondered, although he was pretty confident the answer was ‘yes’. “We’ll be okay,” he promised, looking up at her with a grin, despite feeling exhausted and worried over what his fate might be. But they would figure it out, one way or another.
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 12:02 pm
“I am about ninety-five percent sure that bribing them to stay over there is part of the plan,” Paris said.
She was happy that Chris's parents were so excited, and relieved that they had their support. She was sure such an extravagant playhouse wasn't really necessary, but if it kept Beau occupied she supposed there wasn't anything to complain about. At least she knew it would be comfortable and safe for the twins.
Paris considered Chris's question over a few moments of silence, still running her fingers through Chris's hair.
Was she nervous? She would be lying if she said she wasn't. There were plenty of things that could go wrong, and she often worried she wasn't as prepared as she liked to think herself to be. What if something was wrong with the twins when they were born? What if they were sick? What if they had to stay in the hospital for a while? What if she was a terrible mother? Looking after her little sister was one thing, but looking after twins of her own? That was a completely different ball game.
“A little nervous, yeah,” she said, and she sighed when she admitted it because it made her feel unprepared. “But excited, too. I keep thinking of all the things we'll get to do with them. We can take them with us when we take Lilah trick or treating. We get to introduce them to your family over Thanksgiving. Are we going to have them baptized? Is that something we do when they're really little, or do we wait a while...?”
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 12:12 pm
Chris didn’t mind his parents’ enthusiasm about the children, especially since it meant they would not be pining away too much for their own children. And he knew his mother always wanted grandchildren of her own. Sure, they were young, but they were also financially stable and had their own jobs and were ready for this.
“Usually they’d be a little older when they’re baptized, and yeah, I would like to have them baptized if you were okay with it. If they’re sick or premature, they might be baptized a bit earlier, but a few months old isn’t going to hurt to wait. Maybe in spring?” he suggested, thinking that would be long enough for them to get used to having babies in the first place.
“But I’m nervous and excited, too,” he added with another grin, closing his eyes to soak in the attention she was giving him. “Is it bad that I’m already wondering how long we should wait until we had another? I mean, having two might be as much as we can handle, but I always liked the idea of having maybe three…”
Maybe it was too early to start talking about something like that, but he also wanted Paris to be sure that he wasn’t going anywhere any time soon. They would make it through this thing he had with his starseed and have long, happy lives together. He was determined to make that true.
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 12:25 pm
For someone who liked to plan and think ahead, Chris's question couldn't have been better. Not only did it give Paris the chance to think of their future together, but it reassured her that Chris wasn't going to be giving up any time soon. Even if they didn't have any answers as to how to fix his starseed, as long as he was still looking ahead as if there was nothing standing in their way, Paris could do the same.
“I don't think it's bad,” she said. “Maybe a little premature given that the twins aren't even born yet and we have no idea if we can handle what we've already got on our plate, but I like the idea of more.”
The reality of the situation might be completely different. They had no idea whether or not they could even handle the twins effectively. Paris was confident that they would be fine, but there remained a little worried voice in the back of her head that spoke of caution. She was wary of getting too far ahead of herself, lest something come up that would ruin everything.
“I don't know if it's something we should plan for right now, but maybe once the twins are walking and talking...”
She pulled her hand from Chris's hair and gently nudged him away enough for her to climb down the ladder. She set the smaller basket she'd been using to collect the apples down by the larger ones already full, then approached Chris to loop her arms around his neck. She stood on her tip-tops with her face tilted up, encouraging him down for a kiss.
“You're sweet,” she told him. “Already thinking of more babies. Everyone probably thought I'd be the one wanting more, but here you are making plans, already way ahead of me.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 12:35 pm
Chris backed up enough for her to make her way down the ladder, although he kept his hands out to make sure she didn’t fall or need his assistance. He laughed softly when she put her arms around him and leaned up for a kiss. He indulged her by leaning down enough to press their lips lightly together, but gentle enough to still talk against her mouth.
“I’m sweet? You’re the one making apple pie and making sure we have everything ready. But yes, I do want more eventually. I have no doubt that we can handle twins,” he added, reaching down to be able to scoop Paris up into his arms so she would have an easier time reaching him than having to pull him down to her height.
“Next time, we should have one of yours. I know your mom made you prepare for this, just in case. You never thought you’d be having kids, much less your own, huh?” he wondered with another smile as he playfully spun her around as he held her in his arms. It helped that she was so tiny compared to him, and light and easy to carry.
“Besides, we should probably let Olivia know now that we’re still interested in another. I mean, I’m sure we’ll still be in touch with her after they’re born, but maybe she’d like to plan or have the choice of saying that twins was enough. In that case, we’d have to look for another surrogate.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 12:44 pm
“Wow, you really are planning ahead,” Paris said.
She laughed at him, not because she found it amusing, but because it made her feel so much joy that he was still thinking of and considering their future together. It was almost enough to make her believe that nothing was wrong, that everything would be fine in the end despite everything up until now pointing to the contrary.
She laughed again when he spun her, keeping her arms around his neck for security's sake, though she trusted him enough to know that he wouldn't drop her. She leaned in to kiss him again, pressing their lips together more firmly this time.
When she broke the kiss, she had a wide smile on her face. “Okay. We'll have one of mine,” she agreed. “Or... however many fate lands us with, I guess. I mean, we got twins this time around. Who knows what'll happen next time. That's a bit much to expect of Olivia, though, so I will definitely have to have a little talk with her.”
Paris's voice remained bright and cheerful. She wiggled about in Chris's arms to have him put her down, but that was only so she could pull him into the ground with her. The grass was littered with apples, but she found a comfortable enough spot despite that, gently pushing Chris down so she could lean over him and look into his eyes.
“You're going to be an amazing father, Chris Gallo,” she said.
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 1:42 pm
He didn’t think there was anything wrong with thinking ahead, although he could understand the concern about thinking too far ahead when the twins weren’t even with them yet. And he knew she liked being prepared, as well.
Chris let her down when she wiggled out of his arms, carefully setting her back onto her feet, although it didn’t take long for her to pull him all the way down to the ground. He went willingly, of course, laughing as he pushed an apple that had fallen to the ground out of the way before he laid on his back.
“She’s probably going to tell us we need to learn patience,” he said with a laugh, opening his arms to Paris as she leaned over him. He smiled back up at Paris as she looked down at him, glad to see some of the light back in her eyes, even if it was just for a short while.
For her, he was determined to make sure he would get better. Everything would be okay.
“And you’re going to be a wonderful mother,” he smiled back, reaching up to take hold of the back of her neck to pull her down to meet him for another kiss.
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