Romantic Camelot Cove

Things were beginning to look better in the Cornwell household. Though Guinevere and Abhijeet still had little or no time to talk to one another about how they would deal with the problems in their marriage, both could sense the return of the love they had once felt for one another. It was a good feeling that was accompanied by a warm glow that seemed to follow both of them around much like the previous black cloud over their heads had done. Both were finding that they were enjoying the time they had with their daughters more than they ever had before and the atmosphere in the house was much more relaxed.

Work, however, was a constant struggle. Guin suddenly felt that she didn’t want to go to work every day and that when she was gone from the house she missed her daughters so much that she was only waiting until the end of the day when she could return to them. And there was a strange ache in her belly that told her that she missed Abhijeet too. If only neither of them had to work so much things would be better, she often thought to herself. But quitting their jobs wasn’t an option for either of them. Eventually they’d find some time to spend together and make things right again. Even on those precious days off it seemed as though there was too much to be done with two youngsters in the house.

Though it was painful knowing that both wanted a resolution, they also both knew that in order to find it they would need more time to spend together. Therese was growing up, and as she got older day by day, Guinevere realized that she felt she was missing her daughter’s babyhood. Morgaine would rush to the car to greet her mother when she arrived home for work, though Abhijeet was always too late and arrived home when the child had already been put to bed. Morgaine would sometimes ask why she didn’t get to see as much of her father now that she was in school, and Guinevere had begun to feel her daughter’s pain. She tried to make things better by giving the little girl as much of her own time as she could, though that didn’t make up for Abhijeet’s absence.

When Therese was nearly two, Guinevere decided to take some time off work. She’d amassed quite a bit of paid vacation and from her memory she could recall that Morgaine had been slow to learn to walk, talk and use the potty. It hurt her to realize that this was because neither parent spent enough time with the little girl when she had been tiny, and she wanted to correct that problem with Therese before it even got started. Guin loved both of her little girls and now she spent as much time with Therese as possible, hoping that she could teach the toddler everything she needed to know to grow into a healthy and happy child when the time was right.

The time off didn’t only mean that she had more time with Therese and Morgaine, of course. It also meant that she had more time to talk to Abhijeet about the important things going on in their relationship. It had been put off for too long — they had been married nearly ten years and their relationship had been on the rocks for most of that time. The conversation needed to be had and could no longer be put off until another day. Two years had passed since the last time they’d sat down for a serious talk, and it was time for another.

Finally Guinevere approached Abhijeet one night before bed as they sat reading together in the master bedroom.

“Abhijeet…” she said cautiously, then took a deep breath. He looked up from his book and into her eyes with a serious, concerned expression on his face, waiting for his wife to continue. She sighed softly. “Therese is two now… And we haven’t really talked since she was born, have we?” Guin didn’t need to wait for an answer — she already knew it. “Things are getting better, hon,” she said softly, thoughtfully. “I can feel it in the air and I know Morgaine can sense it too. She was really upset about the way things were between us for awhile.” Guinevere thought for a long moment before continuing. “We just don’t seem to have a lot of time for one another, even if we are spending most of what’s left over with the girls.”

“I don’t think that’s a bad thing!” Abhijeet flared at first. He had already broken eye contact but when he met his wife’s eyes again he could see that wasn’t what she meant. “I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I’m just frustrated lately. I’ve been working non-stop for this promotion and I’m not getting anywhere. If I get the job I want I’ll have more time for us to be together, Guin. I promise. I just have to get there first. I know you’re frustrated — so am I. Believe me. So am I…”

Guinevere sighed softly and shook her head. “We need some time together, Abhijeet… And we need it now. Things have been going on like this for such a long time. We talk and think something is going to get resolved and it never does. Just because we don’t have time to resolve it.” She sighed again, a deep, sad sound. “I love you, Abhijeet. It took me too long to realize that but I do. I want to work this out. Not for the kids but for me, for us. But we need to have time for one another.”

Abhijeet seemed to consider, and then he nodded. “Yes, we do need to have time for one another, Guin. It’s frustrating that I never see you.” Though he didn’t say it, it was on his mind that the lack of attentions from his wife made him feel that he desired attention from other sources. It wasn’t fair to her or to the girls, and so he’d thrown himself into being a good father to their two daughters, trying to keep his focus on the ladies who were really important in his life.

That wasn’t to say it wasn’t difficult. He knew that Guinevere felt more secure in their relationship than perhaps she even should, but he wanted her to feel that security, and he’d decided that he wanted to commit to her. But somehow even now he couldn’t stop thinking about how things might have been different with Christy Stratton. Where was she now? he wondered. Was she married? Did she have children of her own? Perhaps he’d give her a call some time and find out.

“I can quit my job,” he said with a sigh after a long moment of contemplation. He didn’t want to do that. His career was important to him too!

“No,” Guin said firmly. “I’m not going to have you doing that, and we need both incomes, so I’m not going to quit mine either. We just have to work out our schedules so that we can get more time with one another, that’s all.”

“I’m the night-time manager, Guin,” Abhijeet sighed. “I’m not going to be able to do much with my schedule that being the fact. And your shifts aren’t going to change any time soon either. Besides, we can’t leave the kids alone during the day. What do you want to do?” He shrugged, frustrated again, and turned away from his wife.

Guinevere was at a loss. She wanted to reach out to him, to put her arms around him and allow them to comfort one another, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She didn’t know if he even trusted her after Therese’s birth and that hurt her deeply. A small shiver went down her spine and she reached out one delicate hand to touch his shoulder. “It’s going to work, out, Abhijeet,” she told him, her voice low. “It has to…”

With the time off she had, Guin spent a lot of time with her younger daughter. She didn’t want Therese to get behind like Morgaine had, and so she made sure that she stimulated Therese’s mind as often as possible as well as making sure she taught her the things she’d need to know to get by in life. Abhijeet was still working a lot, mostly at night, and that meant that they didn’t see one another as a family often enough. Therese didn’t have as close a relationship with her father as Morgaine had at the same age, but Guinevere was grateful for the bond she herself had with her younger daughter and she noticed that even Morgaine was taking a great deal of interest in Therese. It made Guinevere smile to watch them playing together.

It was sad for the woman to see her husband working so much of the time, but she understood why he did it. Not only was the money important, but the more he threw himself into work the more likely he was to get the reference he needed to get a job as a host in one of the larger restaurants. It wasn’t a great job, but it would be something and a step up to the next level if the were lucky. He seemed to have such difficulty moving up the ladder in his career, and his lack of success seemed to be making him depressed. Guin tried to comfort him when she could, but there was so little time together that she felt she could do nothing but sit back and watch helplessly as the little time they had together on Sim Earth vanished into his career. Guinevere didn’t doubt then that she would be the first to retire.

But the family was growing closer all the time, and that was a relief to Guinevere. She wasn’t sure how Abhijeet felt but he seemed somehow happier and more settled as he grew in his relationship with his children. The girls were becoming ever more important to both their parents and that meant an improvement in their own relationship with one another. Guinevere didn’t realize that Abhijeet still felt the desire to sew his wild oats: she was just too wrapped up in herself and in the girls to think beyond her own desires to continue her family and her legacy.

The girls had begun to consume Guinevere’s entire life. She would often watch over them when they didn’t realize she was looking, and Guinevere would smile to notice the interest that Morgaine had begun to take in her little sister. Both of them were growing so quickly now that their mother wasn’t sure she could keep up. Already she was beginning to feel the ache in her belly to have another child and it hurt her to know that Abhijeet preferred that her years of child-bearing come to an end. Though things between them seemed to be improving dramatically now that Therese was a toddler, she was certain that family was something on which they would never agree.

Ultimately it seemed that she would need to make a decision. She could compromise the stability of her family in order to acheive her dream of having a large family and ten children, or she could sacrifice something she had desired for her entire life in order to keep the unit intact. What hurt the most when she sat down to think about it was that Abhijeet had once been part of that dream. She had believed him to be her knight in shining armor.

Yet her love for him remained and it was something she would never be able to deny again. Somehow she knew that even if they decided to go their separate ways her love for him would remain and he would always be part of her life. After all, they had two beautiful daughers together. Somewhere, somehow, there had to be a compromise. Once more it was another talk they would need to have and she knew that with their schedules and their careers it would be a long time before they could sit down together again.

Therese, in the meantime, was right on schedule. Guinevere was certain it had something to do with the time she’d taken off work to spend with her younger daughter and was satisfied that she had chosen to do so. It seemed to mean a lot to both girls that their mother had more time at home to spend with them, and they obviously enjoyed her company. It was difficult for Guin, however, knowing that she had more time, none of which was being spent with her husband.

In spite of their problems, however, she knew that the girls needed them most. Eventually there would be time for Guinevere and Abhijeet to catch up with one another and to turn their marriage into one that could not only work, but last. She had to respect that Abhijeet’s career was important to him and needed to remain important to him — they needed his income desperately and times could often get tight. When she was able Guinevere encouraged her husband to work on his career and try to move ahead — when the promotion came, it would mean more time together.

Then, right before Therese’s fifth birthday, the promotion came at last! Abhijeet kept the new schedule as a surprise, however, until the moment that Guinevere put out the cake she had baked for their younger daughter. He’d spent much of the day resting and acclimating to his new schedule, but when he heard the call to say that there was a birthday underway, he immediately slipped out of bed and collected his younger daughter to bring her to the cake that signaled the next major age transition in her life.

Guinevere was surprised, as it was the first birthday her husband had managed to attend, but she was grateful as well and gave him a huge smile as he helped the little girl blow out her candles. One of her friends from work, Kennedy, had joined the little celebration, and somehow it made the woman feel complete to know that friends and family had finally gathered to celebrate an important day for one of her children.

Therese grew into a beautiful little girl who looked much like her sister Morgaine. The resemblance between the girls was striking, but their parents both knew that they were unique in their own ways. Guinevere would return to work soon, but with their schedules being so similar now she wouldn’t have to worry about not having any time to spend with her husband!