Chapter 23 - One Way or Another

"Happy birthday to you!"

Mum had tears in her eyes as she blew out her candles. She was overwhelmed by the number of people who had turned up to her party. Everyone was there; Katie and Brett and their three kids, Dad's old house mate Branch, Aunt Adeline and her daughters (Lisa brought Jacob and their son, Alfie), all of Mum's pack, and, of course, Dad and us kids.

Colin hadn't been able to fly back but Cescie and Rickey came. They had recently gone on holiday to Al Simhara and returned a married couple! Mum was ecstatic, though a little miffed that she hadn't been able to be there. Her disappointment faded, however, when they announced that she and Dad were going to be grandparents! We were all very happy for the newlyweds, though it made me hope Rebecca and I would be able to make the same announcement soon.

Mum seemed satisfied with how she looked as an elder, though she complained about her back for the rest of the day.

Next to the cake was Helena. She had been talking about graduation since prom, and we were all very excited for her and her twin sister.

She grew up to look even more like Dad than before! She giggled and stepped aside so Lydia could take her turn.

Lydia was a vampire, unlike Helena, and she was immersed in red light the moment she blew out her candles.

I have to say, she looked a lot like Mum. She smiled modestly and stepped away from the cake.
She looked kind of preoccupied so I gave her a nudge. "You alright?"
"What? Oh, yeah, sure. Don't worry."
I wasn't convinced, but I turned my attention to Pippa, who was blowing out her candles.

She didn't change much, but I saw Lydia smile fondly out of the corner of my eye. My sister swallowed, nodded slightly, and stepped forward.

"You look beautiful." She told Pippa.
"You're not so bad yourself." She replied, blushing.
Lydia took her hand and cleared her throat. "I've known you my whole life, but my family and friends didn't even know you existed until a few weeks ago."
"Where are you going with this?"
"Just listen, okay? Look. I know I've told you before but I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else but you. So, uh..."

A gasp went round the room as Lydia dropped to one knee.
"Will you marry me?"
Pippa looked stunned. "Are... are you kidding!? Of course! Yes!"

The room broke into rapturous applause. Mum, Helena, Celeste, and Hazel rushed forward and threw their arms around the couple. Dad stood in the corner and wiped away a tear and Rebecca beamed up at me with that wide grin of hers.

I had to admit, I was a little teary myself. Lydia had gone through so much in the past few years and I was overjoyed that she didn't have to hide any more. I waited until the throng of people had dispersed before walking over to my sister and giving her a hug.

"Congratulations, Little Sister."
She laughed. "Not so little now, I'm going to be a wife!"
I smiled. "How about we all go out for a celebratory drink?"
A cheer erupted from the next room.
"Ha, I'll take that as a yes!" Rebecca chuckled.

                    

Mum and Dad decided to stay home with Hazel whilst we all went out. Hazel went to bed when they had finished cleaning up after the party and my parents settled on the sofa.
"You're still beautiful, you know that?" Dad said, pulling his wife closer to him."Oh, I don't know about that, but as long as I've got you I'll be just fine."
Dad smiled sadly and looked down at his lap. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. What if I don't have you for much longer? Vampires live a lot longer than werewolves, you know."

"Oh, Honey you don't need to worry about that just now. I know I've been complaining about my back but it's not going to kill me!"
"No, I know. But I've already lost so many loved ones. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Mum squeezed his hand. "Dayvid, we can worry about that another time. For now, let's enjoy the time we have left together. I don't know how long that will be, and I know I'll probably go before you, but we just need to embrace it."

Dad shook his head. "I can't do that Liza. I can't risk being without you."
And with that, he stood up straight, pulled out an intricate glass flask from his pocket, and threw it on the ground at his feet."Dayvid, no! What're you doing?"
Golden light rose from the floor, twisting around my father's limbs and crawling across his chest until he was completely aglow.

When the light faded, an old man was standing where Dad had been."Oh, Darling. You didn't have to do that." My mother gasped.

"I did, Liza. If not for you then for me. I wouldn't be able to live without you." He replied, embracing her.

We were all surprised when we returned home that evening to find Dad was now an old man, but we agreed it was a very romantic thing to do. I hadn't thought through what I would do when Rebecca was elderly and I was still in my relative youth. I could suddenly understand Dad's reasoning. Becca was my world.

                    

My wife and I decided to go for a stroll before dawn. It was one of our favourite things to do; Moonlight Falls is a whole different place before everyone wakes up.

We were minutes away from home when Rebecca took my hand and sat me down on a park bench with her. I shot her a confused look but she was staring straight ahead, seemingly oblivious.
"Jasper, I'm worried." Her voice shook slightly.

I reached for her but she shook my hand away. "What about?"
She sighed and turned to face me. "We've been trying to have a baby for months and months and still nothing. What if..." She swallowed. "What if I can't have kids?"
My heart sank. "Oh, Baby don't worry. These things take time!"
"No, Jasper. Think about it. Your parents have six kids for goodness' sake, but I'm the only child of an only child. Mum's not around any more but I know she had trouble having me. The evidence is there. I want a baby so much. Why won't it happen?"

She looked up at me almost pitifully. I had to admit, I was a little worried myself. I had no qualms with adoption but I didn't know how well Becca would cope if she couldn't have her own biological children. I tried to put my arm around her again and this time she didn't flinch.
"It'll be okay, Darling. We just need to be patient. If it makes you feel better we can go to the hospital today and have some tests done. Would you like that?"

She nodded and leaned in to kiss me.
"That's settled then. I'll make an appointment."

Becca picked nervously at her nails as I made a call to the hospital. I pulled her closer when I had finished.

"You know, if it's taking a long time to get pregnant, maybe we're just not trying often enough?"
She laughed, apparently back to her normal self. "You wish!"

                    

So, later that day, the two of us took a cab to the hospital. It was the same hospital that Rebecca and I, and out parents, had been born in. I only hoped that we would have our own child here in the near future.

Before we went in, I took Becca's hand.
"One way or another, we're going to be parents. Even if this way doesn't work out I'll still love you. We can adopt, or use IVF, or-"
She kissed me. "I know. One way or another."

And we went inside.

                    

Chapter 22 - Unconditional

Rebecca and I got a cab back home in the small hours of the morning.

She turned to me. 'I'm think I'm going to go to bed. Could you pay the taxi guy?'

'Sure.' I replied as I set down our bags.

She smiled and pecked my cheek before heading upstairs.

Having paid the fare, I crept back inside and was halfway up the stairs when I heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. I paused, frowning. I was sure nobody had been in there when we got back. Gingerly, I tiptoed towards the door.

I burst into the room, all set to tackle the intruder, but breathed a sigh of relief when I realised it was only Lydia.

'Oh, hi.' She said, ignoring the fact that I was standing there in my swimming trunks. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you, I was just getting a drink. Did you have a good few days?'

I grinned, patting her shoulder and walking towards the fridge. I was starving. 'Yeah, thanks. What have I missed?'

She slumped into a chair and I joined her with a tub of ice cream and two spoons. 'Nothing much. Colin's finished his last exam and Helena's got a date for prom. Some guy called Rodrigo.'

'Oh yeah? Is he cute?' I teased.

She shrugged. 'I guess. He's not really...' She shoved a spoonful of raspberry ripple into her mouth and shook her head. 'Never mind.'

I cocked my head and jabbed my spoon in her direction. 'So, any lucky guys in your life at the moment?'

She sighed and looked away. 'No.'

'Are you okay?' I sensed I may have gone too far, she looked like she was about to cry.

'I'm fine... I just...' She took a deep breath and studied the swirling wood grain on the dining room table. A tear rolled down her cheek. 'Can I tell you something? Something kind of personal.'

I raised my eyebrows quizzically. 'Shoot.'

She gazed up at me. She had Dad's eyes; huge and amber. They seemed to have an eerie glow in the dark, what with her being a vampire. 

'I...' It came out as a sob. She was full on crying now, though she remained silent as the tears spilled from her eyes. She wiped at them desperately, her narrow shoulders shaking uncontrollably. It was torture for me to watch my sister diminish into this tiny, frightened creature who sat hunched before me. I reached out and grabbed her slender hands, leaning forward so she was forced to look at me.

'Hey. Hey there. Lydia? Honey, it's okay. It's okay.' I walked round the table so I could crouch down beside her. She was still trembling. 'Try again. It's okay.'

She wiped her face with the sleeve of her dressing gown and glanced hesitantly into my eyes. The words tangled in her throat. Then, all at once they tumbled out.

'Jass... I... I'm a lesbian.' She blurted, before exhaling slowly. It appeared as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

'Oh? Oh.' I breathed. Then I broke out into a huge grin. 'Oh, Lydia that's okay!'

She had stopped crying and now just looked perplexed. 'What... so you're not mad?'

'Why would I be mad!?' I shook my head and pulled her into a hug. 'Lydia, I don't care if you're lesbian, straight, bisexual, trans, or whatever. You could be an alien for all I care and I'd still love you, and I know Mum and Dad feel the same. Have you told them?'

'No. Not yet.'

I pulled away. 'Would you like me to be there with you when you do?'

She smiled and her whole face lit up once more. 'I'd really like that. Thanks.'

'Any time. Now, please forgive me whilst I amend my question. Are there any lucky ladies in your life at the moment?'

She giggled. 'Well, yeah. Sort of.'

                    

'And you're sure this will work?'
'Positive. It worked on Hatty!'

'Thanks, Jass. I don't know how I'll ever repay you.'

'The best way you could repay me is by living a happy life without trying to hide. Sure, there'll be people who won't accept you for who you are, but those people don't matter. You can't change your sexuality the way you can't change the colour of your skin, and I wouldn't want you to even if you could. It's part of what makes you you.'

She smiled and glanced awkwardly at the door.

'Oh, right!' I exclaimed. 'Goodnight, Lydia. Love you.'

I walked towards the kitchen door, winking at her over my shoulder as I did so, before making my way upstairs.

                    

'Go on. It's okay, it won't hurt you.'

'Pippa!'

'Lydia!'

                 

Pippa was soon welcomed into the family, though it was a bit of a shock for Dad when he came downstairs to find a girl he'd never met before sitting in the kitchen with Lydia.

Both my parents really didn't care that Lydia was gay. Not in the sense that they didn't want to hear about it, but in the sense that it didn't matter. Lydia seemed like a whole new person. She was comfortable with who she was and was enjoying spending quality time with the girl she loved.

Pippa joined our family just in time to see Colin's birthday and graduation. He had quietly risen through the ranks and was now a qualified doctor of pathology! We were all very proud of him but he'd refused the offer of a party, claiming he wanted to get out into the world of work as soon as possible.

True to his word, Colin left to start a new life in America, where he had been offered a very well-paid job in a prestigious research facility, just days after his graduation. I was sorry to see him go, though I can't say we were ever particularly close. I wish him the best of luck in his endeavours.

Soon it was time for Hazel's birthday. We told her to keep her wish a secret but she wanted Mum and Dad to know it was for a beautiful dress for her junior prom, just in case the birthday wish granters weren't paying attention!

Hazel grew into a really rather beautiful young woman. She had big ambitions to travel all over the world!

Luckily, her wish was answered and Aunt Adeline presented her with a corseted French ball gown for her birthday. She was delighted and wore it to prom the next week.

The senior prom was on the same day as the junior one, though it took place in a swanky hotel rather than the school hall. Helena was dressed in a rather daring dress that she hoped would impress Rodrigo.

Pippa had to rifle through Celeste's old clothes to try and find something half suitable for the dance. The resulting outfit was interesting to say the least, but neither she nor Lydia minded.

Lydia was the last to emerge from the house. She looked absolutely stunning in a dress she had made herself. Pippa's eyes lit up when she saw her.

'You look beautiful.' Pippa whispered in Lydia's ear.

'Thanks, Pip. Now come on. This is our first date!'

And with that, the four girls headed off into the night.

                    

Author's note
Hello! Thanks for sticking with me whilst I finish my exams. I've only got one left now and a whole week to study for it so I thought I'd finish a sneaky little post. At this point in my game I experienced some trouble with Create a Sim and it would crash every time I tried to plan an outfit. Kind of annoying but I sorted it out. Just wanted to let you guys know that I didn't choose Hazel's outfits! Or Pippa's.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I myself am straight but I am a huge supporter of LGBTQUIA rights. If anyone is struggling with their sexuality there are a couple of links below where you can get support. Have a lovely weekend!

http://www.safenetwork.org.uk/training_and_awareness/Pages/supporting-lgbt-young-people.aspx

http://www.lgf.org.uk/

Chapter 21 - Future

The car slowed to a halt in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. I looked at Rebecca and shrugged before helping her out.
It was a warm summer night; almost uncomfortably so. There was only a whisper of wind in the trees and the air was balmy and sweet. I could hear the sound of running water not far off, and as my wife and I turned a corner we found the source of the noise. We both gasped.

Before us was a magnificent waterfall, plunging into a lake lit by floating candles. Beside the lake was a haze of exquisite flowers that enswathed a candlelit table and ornate woven chairs. Behind the table was a palatial canopy bed.

Strangely, I felt like I knew this place. Not that I'd been here before, but I was sure this was where my mum was talking about when she told me those stories as a kid. There was a waterfall she and Dad visited when they were teenagers - before they had me. When she returned to Moonlight Falls from Champs Les Sims she's spent a lot of time there. It was the setting for all the stories she'd make up for me when I was little. About princes, and princesses, and fairies, and goblins, and a snow white unicorn that came and blessed those who deserved its grace. Although she kept meaning to take me there, she'd never gotten round to it. This place was special to me even though I'd never visited it before, and I appreciated the personal touch.

I grinned and, offering Becca my arm, we walked the moonlit path towards the glade.

There was a picnic basket under the table, and we happily dined on jam tarts, fresh watermelon, cream pastries, blueberry muffins, white wine, pink lemonade, and more. This had Aunt Adeline written all over it; she was a wonderful chef.

Rebecca looked so beautiful sitting there. She was talking about the wedding and I was listening at first but I just got so distracted by her eyes - you could never get to the bottom of those eyes - and the way her lightly glossed lips were conjuring words out of the air. So beautiful. I was going to have to kiss her.

'And then darling little Hazel came and told me-' I leant over the tabletop, tilted her chin to face me, and pecked her on the cheek. 'Excuse you, I hadn't finished talking!' She laughed, but kissed me back.
'Sorry, I just really, really like you. And you're too lovely, you were asking for it.'
'I really, really like you too! And you know what? You're right. You look pretty kissable there sitting in the candlelight, and it is our wedding night.'
I smiled. 'Why don't we go and get changed and regroup in five minutes?'
'Sounds good!' She agreed. 'And, uh, there's something I want to talk to you about.' She mumbled before scampering behind a tree to change.

                    

'So, what did you want to tell me?' I asked, picking up a pebble and trying, and failing, to skim it across the lake. She laughed nervously and took my arm, flicking my wrist so the next pebble bounced across the surface three times before sinking to the bottom. She sighed and turned to face me properly.

'Jasper, I don't know how you're going to react to this, but I really need to say it because it just means so much to me and...' She sighed again and I took her hand. 'Jasper I want a baby. Well, more than one, but one's a pretty good place to start. Now please don't get mad or anything becau-' She stopped. I had swept her into my arms and was twirling around with her, interrupting her for the second time that night. When I set her down her cheeks were stained with tears.
'Darling, what's wrong?' I asked, wiping them away.
She smiled meekly and buried her face in my chest. 'So you're not mad?' She asked, ignoring my question.
'What? Of course not!' I kissed her neck and stepped back so I could look her in the eyes. 'Here I am, on the night of my wedding, having just married the woman of my dreams, and now she tells me she wants to have my baby as well? How could I be mad?' I held her close again and stroked her hair. 'This is the best thing you could ever say to me. Of course I want to have kids with you, that was always the plan. I love you and nothing would make me happier than becoming a parent with you.'

She laughed. Then she laughed some more. Then I was laughing with her and we were both lying on the grass in each other's arms.

Staring up at the sky, I spoke. 'When would you like a baby?'
'Does nine months time sound good?'
I chuckled and kissed her hair. 'Yeah. That sounds good.'

                    

'Are you sure you want to do this?' Becca asked.
'Sweetheart, I've told you, yes. Do you?'
She smiled. 'Yeah. A lot.'
'Then come here.'

I crawled onto the bed, moving my arms around her waist and pulling her closer to me.
'I love you so much, Becca.'
'I love you too.'

She placed her hand on my chest and kissed me gently. She was so warm and soft, not cold like me. I wondered if our child would be a vampire too, or a witch like my wife. My wife. Just thinking about that word made me giddy.

We stayed in that bed for the rest of the night. Oblivious to the world around us.

Oblivious to the fact that the story my mum told me had come true.

We were too busy writing our own chapter.

                    

After a long lie-in, Rebecca and I decided to spend the next day at the beach. We grabbed some brunch at a little Parisian-style bakery on the way and headed down to the ocean.

Our family had an old beach house that opened straight onto the shore. We ran inside, giggling as we dumped our clothes and changed into some old swimming costumes. I pulled a face at Becca and ran out to the door, shouting 'Catch me if you can!' as I did so. As a vampire I was a lot quicker than her and I was a good twenty metres into the water before she was wading in. I paddled back to her so we could swim out side by side.

We stopped only when Becca got tired. I held her whilst she caught her breath.
'I'm good.' She said and I let her go.

'Honey, you're beginning to smoke.' She pointed out, and she was right. Plumes of black fug were rising from my skin. I hated not being able to stay outside for very long in direct sunlight and made a mental note to get started on inventing a potion to fix it.
'Yeah, let's go back.' I said, ducking under the water so the sun's rays couldn't penetrate my skin.

As the sun began to plunge into the horizon behind us, we made our way inside.

I took Rebecca in my arms, feeling much more comfortable in the shade.
'I think I'm going to take a shower. Care to join me?'
'We're still soaking wet. I don't think I need one right now.'
'Nor do I. Care to join me?' I asked again, raising my eyebrows.
She laughed. 'Oh, right! Sure. I'll join you in a minute.'

I headed into the bathroom and turned on the shower. I thought to myself as I waited for my wife. I wondered what it would feel like to be a dad. I couldn't imagine loving anyone nearly as much as I loved Becca, yet here we were, setting out on the path towards parenthood. What would our child look like? Would they be a boy or a girl? What would we call them? That was a thought. Millions of names to choose from and we had to choose one that summed up our baby, whom we hadn't even met yet. We didn't even know if Becca was pregnant. Becoming a father was certainly going to be a journey and a half.

We spent the rest of the night lying on the sand. Everything seemed in love when we were together.
The sea kissed the shore, the wind caressed the trees, the gulls embraced the air, and the moon waltzed with the stars.