Chapter Ten

This smart milk is proving to be a godsend. The glow wears off after a while too, thank heavens. The twins also seem to have taken very well to the cats, they’re always cuddling them.

Although, being babies, they have the tendency to get a little rough. The cats are good with them though, and put up with it.

I got a little present from the design crew. In their best interests of course, as it will help me build the skills I need to be able to work better, but I’m not complaining in the slightest.

I decided to draw a sketch of the wedding pavilion I built way back when. It’s turned out pretty well, I think.

And, wouldn’t you know it, that little diagram sent me flying into a higher position. Two more spots after this and I’ll have reached the top!

Children grow so fast, and the time rushes by just as quickly. No sooner had I taught Dylan to talk, than he grew older before my very eyes.

He has such a loveable face, I have to say. He takes after me a lot too, even down to spending a quiet night on the sand.

Of course, where one goes, the other follows. Right behind me the other one tripled in size, and it all happened so quickly we had no time to celebrate their birthdays. Still, with their brand new ability to talk properly, they made it clear that they didn’t want any kind of party. Maybe just as well.

With the twins now outgrowing their cots, I had some remodelling to do. It took me a while to think how I would go about it, before remembering a little talk Lore and I had about the future. We had both agreed that it would be nice for one of them to stay with us to raise their own family; we get to watch our grandchildren grow, and one of them gets some free babysitting where need be. Lore had only to think back to a certain chocolate teapot for her to concur in earnest.

So I went to work. It’s not brilliant, but until I know how many others will join us this is the best I could do.

The nursery and my other oddments got relegated to the brand new second floor. Remembering how cramped the nursery became when the twins were small, I took no chances and expanded both that and the bathroom, to make more room for the potties. We’ll keep another fridge up there too, just for baby food – I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before, but it will spare the next parents the hassle of descending two flights of stairs whenever the child’s hungry.

It’s too early to decide which of them it will be, of course – they’ve only just become old enough for school. In the meantime Lore and I can heave a sigh of relief that they can now sit at the table themselves – all we now have to worry about is cooking their meals and the company they fall into.