Though they were still very young, the relationship between the twins was stronger than even their parents had ever imagined it could be. They obviously loved one another dearly and were almost always found playing together in their bedroom or the living room, sharing secrets and generally behaving like sisters with a strong relationship. Neither of them required a whole lot of parental supervision either, and both Christy and Lancelot often felt that it was best to leave them alone to their play.

Neither of them, however, could avoid noticing the difference in Amelia after her fifth birthday had passed and Christy had made the announcement about the new baby. She seemed sullen and moody and rarely wanted to speak to either of them. Penelope didn’t seem at all affected by her sister’s changes and chattered on almost incessently about the upcoming addition to the family. The more her twin talked, the less time Amelia spent with her sister and the more she seemed to brood.

Clearly there was a problem.

For Christy and Lancelot, however, there were too many other things to worry about without having to deal with their daughter’s displeasure over the impending birth of a new child. While they both continued to try to spend as much time with their two older children as was necessary, they also realized that there was nothing they could do to reassure Amelia. They weren’t even certain what was bothering her so much that she had become so sullen.

But to the little girl’s mind it was obvious: With another baby coming her parents would easily be able to replace her.

Amelia was the golden child in the house. She was bright and friendly and got along with everyone. She could easily be called her parents’ favorite of the twins. It was a nice, secure place to be. But would that change if another child came along? Particularly if that child was a boy? These fears left her frazzled and insecure. Even now, with her mother only pregnant, it seemed as though they spent less time with her, leaving her more time to her studies. Even at five years old she was an avid reader and devoured every piece of information she could find. It was something that had always made both of her parents very proud.

What made the pregnancy even more difficult for Amelia was that her sister was eager to see the birth of their little brother or sister. She chattered on about it constantly and left no room for Amelia to voice her fears to her best friend in the world — her twin sister. It left the little girl feeling terribly lonely at a time when she needed her family most in the world.

As the pregnancy progressed Christy seemed less and less concerned with her daughters’ feelings about the upcoming birth. There was just too much to do, too much to prepare and that left little time for the twins. Secretly she’d been hoping for a boy from the moment she found out that she was pregnant and it excited her to think that she might give birth to the heir to the Du Lac fortune, if, in fact, the fortune was ever passed down to their family.

The company was still failing and Lancelot had yet to be allowed to find a position at his father’s company. In fact, Lance was doing well in the medical field and had made his way to the position of surgeon. Everyone was very proud of his accomplishments, especially his parents, but it wasn’t what he’d always dreamed of and that hurt Lancelot deeply. He meant to follow in his father’s footsteps and to pass the legacy of the company on to one of his own children. Who, he wasn’t sure yet, although Amelia already seemed like a strong canditate, with her zeal for learning.

Truthfully, were he forced to admit it, Amelia was certainly his favorite child and she reminded him in so many ways of the woman he loved and had chosen to marry. But he and Christy were by no means finished having children — in fact, they wanted a large family and were prepared now to achieve what had been a dream for both of them for quite some time.

While the girls were still on Lancelot’s mind, Christy was absorbed with her pregnancy. So far things had gone far easier than they had with the twins. She wasn’t sick nearly as often and she already felt a deep sense of relief that it seemed she would make it through the pregnancy without any of her previous depression. Perhaps she avoided depression simply by avoiding contact with the younger of her twin daughters. Or perhaps it was a genuine feeling of elation as she dreamed of and prepared for the birth of another child.

Dr. Portland had recommended that Christy rest as much as she could, and indeed she spent most of her time relaxing and reading on the bed she shared with her fiance or sleeping. Lancelot was certain that this change alone helped to ease the pains of her pregnancy and he was relieved to see the woman he loved so much happier.

Even the labor went more quickly on that night in early September. Lancelot was awakened by his fiance’s cries and quickly bolted out of bed to do whatever he could to help. In their room the twins were also awakened and stirred slightly in their bed. Penelope tried to rush into the room but was quickly shooed out by her father. Amelia simply closed her eyes and struggled to return to the bliss of sleep. Tomorrow her life would be changed, but for tonight she could enjoy a good night’s sleep and relax in her dreams — or so she thought.

Instead the little girl suffered with nightmares throughout the night, tossing and turning and crying out in harmony with her laboring mother until finally the cries of both stopped and were replaced by a small, juvenile scream of discomfort.

“It’s a boy!” Dr. Portland announced as he cut the cord and handed the baby to his mother. Amelia’s worst fears realized! The parents, however, simply smiled and shared an embrace as they gazed down into the face of their beautiful, infant son. With his red hair and dark blue eyes he reminded both of them of the twins when they had been born. Beautiful and fragile, he was a welcome addition to the family — a welcome addition for everyone but Amelia that is!

“We’ll name him Jacob,” Christy whispered to Lancelot, and both parents shared a wide smile.

Throughout their relationship together there had been many things to fight about between Guinevere and Abhijeet, but the one subject they had always returned to was money. Most couples fight more about money than any other subject, and this had proven true for the Cornwells. Guinevere had always been irritated by the fact that Abhijeet’s job paid him so little and also by the fact that he didn’t seem to be advancing as quickly as he had once promised her he would.

Though she had tried to keep in mind that it was his dream, and therefore none of her business, Guin had found herself struggling with the fact that she made more money than her husband. She had always wanted to be able to stay at home and look after her children while her husband maintained a job. It would have been easier for her all along if it could have been that way for her family, but unfortunately the bills had to be paid and it was her cheque that paid them.

The woman had always wanted to be able to support the man she loved. His dream was to be a chef with his own television show on the Yummy Channel. His dream had always made Guin smile and even chuckle a little to herself, but it was Abhijeet’s dream and she was in no position to interfere with it. In the meantime she would just have to work as hard as she could to support their family.

And although she might never admit it, Guinevere was proud of her husband. He did work and study hard to get the promotion he dreamed of. It just seemed that he always got overlooked when it came time for the interview process to begin again. Perhaps it was because his employers were so pleased with his work that they wanted to keep him where he was. Neither of them would ever know the answer to that.

The change from fast food to restaurant work, however, was a boon. Even if it weren’t for the raise of 300 simoleans a week, it also meant that they had more time together and more time for their daughters.

One night Guinevere and Abhijeet were spending a long-overdue evening resting on their bed together. Abhijeet had already changed into his lounging clothes for the evening and Guinevere had grown quite fond of her uniform. Abhijeet had told her he liked the way she looked in it, and now that they had more time together she felt as though doing those little things that made him happy were more important than ever.

“It feels good to have more time to spend together, Abhijeet,” Guinevere told her husband with a broad smile as she snuggled up against his shoulder. It felt comfortable like this, warm, solid, secure.

He kissed the top of her head and held her gently in his arms. “Now that the girls are growing up and we have more time together — And no more diapers! — I think things are going to get better for our family, don’t you?”

Guinevere smiled and wrapped her arms more tightly around her husband. “I think so,” she whispered softly. “I love you Abhijeet.”

“I love you too,” he said, pulling her more tightly to him and pressing his lips to hers. It felt warm being like this together, cuddling on their bed in the romantic glow of the room. It wasn’t long before romance turned to passion and they fell asleep in one another’s arms, not to awaken until the morning sun had begun to creep in through their windows.

Slowly things were beginning to change in the Cornwell household. Guinevere and Abhijeet spent more time together, watching their children grow up before their eyes and sharing their love for the first time in so long that everything felt new once again. For Guinevere it felt like spring when the earth was revived and new again. Their relationship was like that blessed season — new again for both of them. Those who knew the couple couldn’t imagine anyone being happier together than Guinevere Cornwell and Abhijeet Depiesse and there was even talk around town about how things seemed to be changing for them. “They’re acting just like newlyweds!” people would whisper.

The Cornwell’s heard little of the talk that was going on nor did they care to hear it. They were so wrapped up in themselves and their daughters that it seemed as though nothing could spoil their joy. Suddenly Abhijeet was thinking of settling down and making a true commitment to Guinevere, even preparing a renewal of their vows as a surprise for her, and Guinevere was thinking twice about extending their family. She had finally recognized that Abhijeet didn’t want any more children and he knew that she needed the deepest commitment he could make.

If their life could work, they were making it work now!

Meanwhile the girls seemed to be growing into lovely young creatures. Morgaine and Therese continued to share a close relationship with one another and it seemed that Morgaine harbored no resentment for her sister in spite of the fact that it seemed that both their parents always had more time for Therese than they had for her when she’d been Therese’s age. Morgaine was only ten years old but seemed to have a kind of quiet maturity about her when it came to her sister. She did what she could to help in looking after Therese.

When the two girls could be torn away from one another they could often be found playing with other children from the neighborhood. Therese had made fast friends with Orlando Bertino and Guinevere and Abhijeet often enjoyed sitting on their front porch watching the two play together. Times were good, and it made the entire family feel secure with one another for the first time in so long.

It even seemed as though everyone was growing in their trust for one another.

That is, until the day that Guinevere returned from Dr. Porland’s office for the third time during her marriage to Abhijeet. The news had been unexpected. She’d only gone for the visit because she’d been throwing up and hadn’t seen her monthly in awhile. In truth, she’d thought that perhaps at the age of thirty-two she might already be coming to the end of her cycle.

She’d been wrong of course and now when she looked down at her growing belly she realized that she had probably known all along. Still the news seemed somehow unexpected and unwelcome. Things had been going so well for her and Abhijeet! The birth of a baby could only interfere with their happiness now…

Guinevere had no idea how to tell her husband what was going on. It was news she didn’t want to have to relay to him but she knew that if she didn’t tell him now he’d never trust her again.

That night as they prepared to retire Guinevere cleared her throat. Abhijeet glanced up at her from the book he’d been reading and frowned slightly, removing his reading glasses and looking at her seriously. “What’s the matter, babe? Are you getting a cold or something?”

“No,” Guin said clearly, trying to muster all the courage she had. “I’m just pregnant again, that’s all.” She’d tried to say it casually but she knew that her voice was trembling when she spoke. She slipped into bed, still trying to act as though nothing was out of the ordinary, but Abhijeet jumped out of bed and she quickly followed him.

“What do you mean you’re pregnant again, Guinevere?!” he thundered, so loud that Guin shrank back for a moment. “I thought we agreed, no more kids! How the hell am I supposed to trust you when this keeps happening! I was satisfied with just Morgaine!”

Tears sprang to Guinevere’s eyes. She’d known that she’d wanted this baby all along, but she’d put off becoming pregnant because it wasn’t what Abhijeet wanted. “I hadn’t planned on this happening, Abhijeet,” she said softly, her voice breaking. “I’m happy with the two girls we have too… And I want you to be happy…”

She sighed softly, suddenly depressed. This should have been a happy time, whether the pregnancy had been planned or not. Instead, Guin felt betrayed by her husband and saddened by his reaction. “I didn’t plan it Abhijeet,” she whispered again as he quietly left the room to check on their sleeping daughters.

To Abhijeet’s mind, the relationship was already over. He had been doing everything he could to make it work for all four of them, including keeping his roving eyes locked securely on his wife. His daughter’s meant the world to him and their happiness was paramount. He couldn’t keep them happy if he was always looking for women other than their mother. It just wouldn’t work!

But somewhere in all that his own happiness had to factor into the equation. He realized now that his thoughts had always been that once the girls had grown up and left the nest, he and Guinevere could deal with their problems in a way that worked best for each of them. They would no longer have to take the girls into account — they could go their separate ways and live their separate lives.

But with a new baby on the way, it just extended the process further. They’d be togther and miserable for longer, he realized. And Guinevere had broken his trust when she had become pregnant. He just couldn’t be with a woman he couldn’t trust!

So he quietly slipped into the bedroom his daughter’s shared and bent over Therese’s bed, laying a light, gentle kiss on her forehead. With a start he realized that there were tears in his eyes — he didn’t want to leave them behind! Somehow he had already made the decision to go and to leave Guinevere and the girls to their own lives, but he found now that he couldn’t go without his children — he just loved them too much!

In her bed, Morgaine stirred and then opened her eyes as Abhijeet stepped closer to her bed. She looked directly into his eyes, so like her own, and gave a soft sigh. “Why are you crying, Daddy?”

With a deep flush of embarassment, Abhijeet swept at his eyes with his hand and shook his head. “I’m not crying, baby… I’m not crying,” he whispered to her. It was a small lie, one which would protect his daughter.

Suddenly, intuitive Morgaine shot bolt upright in bed. “You’re leaving us, Daddy! You’re leaving!”

Abhijeet looked surprised. He had planned to leave, yes. He wanted to leave, yes. But he didn’t want to leave his girls, and he knew that if he were to leave tonight they might be lost to him for forever. “I’m not leaving, Morgaine,” he said softly, sitting down on the bed next to her. He wasn’t sure if it was entirely true, but he wanted to reassure his daughter that everything was going to be alright.

Morgaine frowned softly. “You aren’t happy, Daddy,” she said with all the wisdom of a ten year-old. “And Momma isn’t happy.” She gave a little pout. “And when Momma ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy.” She giggled at the recollection of a plaque she’d seen once and Abhijeet joined in her laughter for a moment.

After a moment everything was serious again. “Daddy, can I go with you? Please?”

Abhijeet frowned. Yes, the decision was made. He had come here to say goodbye to his sleeping daughters and slip out while Guinevere was still asleep in the bed they had shared. He could stay with his parents for awhile or live in the empty home they had purchased a long time ago with the intention of renovation. It was somewhere to go at least, but was it enough for his daughter.

Finally he shook his head. “I don’t know, Morgaine…” he said softly. Therese was still snoring in her bed and Abhijeet glanced towards her with a concerned expression on his face.

“Momma doesn’t need me here, Daddy,” Morgaine whispered, catching the hint from her father and dropping her voice. “She has Therese. Please? I’d rather stay with you, Daddy!”

Abhijeet was taken aback. He knew that Morgaine had never been particularly close to her mother. In fact, she was right: Guinevere spent more time with Therese and always had. It had always seemed that Therese made Guin happiest out of all the members of their household. But how would she react if he took her older daughter from her? It could result in a custody battle if he didn’t play his cards right, and he didn’t want to put the child through that.

“Are you sure?” he asked Morgaine after a moment. “Your mom could fight this you know… She could make me bring you back here if she wants to, Morgaine. Do you want to risk going through all that?”

Morgaine threw her arms around her father. “Yes, Daddy! I want to stay with you!”

Finally Abhijeet nodded. “I’m going to call a taxi. I’ve got somewhere we can stay for a little while at least… You just sit tight and I’ll be back in a few minutes. Change your clothes and get anything you want to take with you packed up. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to come back for anything that’s been left behind!”

It was nearly 8 am when Morgaine and Abhijeet were both finally ready to go. There was no school that day because it was a Saturday and Abhijeet felt confident that he could get them to their new home before Guinevere ever woke up. She’d already been placed on maternity leave from her job and had taken to sleeping late in the mornings now.

Quietly the pair crept out to the waiting taxi and slipped into it, careful not to wake Guinevere or Therese. By the time they made it to the cab, however, Therese was running after them, fully dressed and clearly panicked. “Daddy! Where are you going? Can I come too?”

There was no time for Abhijeet to say anything to his younger daughter before she had slipped into the cab herself and the driver had pulled away. Alarmed and clearly in shock, he started to scold her but then thought better of it. “Where are we going, Daddy?” she repeated after a moment, her voice clearly nervous.

“Daddy’s taking us to live with him in a new house!” Morgaine chimed before Abhijeet could answer Therese’s question.

“Oh goody!” Therese giggled. “I don’t like our house! I want to live in a different house!” Then she suddenly became concerned. “Daddy, where’s Momma?”

It’s odd how sometimes everything you never thought would come together can come together in an instant. The twins were toddlers now, and both Christy and Lancelot were grateful to be out of the year of infancy. While both of them had discovered that they very much did love children, they had also realized that babies were difficult to care for and rarely entertaining. Toddlers, at least, would be fun to play with and watch grow together.

Now that the first year was over it seemed that Christy’s moods were stabilizing and she was feeling much better about her life with her partner and daughters. Suddenly motherhood didn’t seem so bad — in fact, it had become downright awesome! The romance between Lancelot and Christy seemed to be growing day by day, and finally Lancelot decided the time was right to present the woman he loved with the ring he had spent so long saving for.

One night after the twins had been put to bed, Lancelot made his move. The ring was already in his pocket, now all he had to do was ask. And that was going to be the hard part! “Christy!” he called from the living room into the kitchen area. “Can you come here for a minute? I want to talk to you about something important!”

“Sure thing, hon! Just let me finish wiping down the countertops!”

Lancelot sighed. He hated doing the cleaning himself and he was grateful that Christy was willing to keep the house clean for their family, but he wished she would take some time to do some other things, including focus on herself. It seemed that she spent so much of her time taking care of him and the girls that she rarely had time to do anything else.

Finally she came into the living area and gave him a quizzical look. “What is it you wanted to talk to me about, Lance?” She looked into his eyes for a moment and then quickly became concerned. “Is something the matter? Is everything alright? Are you feeling quite well?”

Somehow that question seemed to break Lancelot’s tension and he chuckled softly. “I’m fine, babe,” he told her, looking deep into her beautiful blue eyes. “Just fine.” He smiled softly and slowly sank to one knee. “There is something I wanted to talk to you about though…

The man took a deep breath and gazed up at the lovely visage of the woman he intended to marry. “Christy, we’ve been together for awhile now and we have two beautiful children together. I should have asked you this a long time ago, but I wanted to do it right… Christy Stratton, will you marry me? Will you make me the happiest man alive by becoming Mrs. Lancelot du Lac?”

Christy gaped for a moment, shocked by the proposal. She had long ago stopped expecting it and almost stopped hoping for it. Then she smiled broadly. “Of course I’ll marry you, Lancelot of the Lake. I love you!” She held her hand out for him as he slipped the carat diamond onto her finger and then pulled him into her arms, hugging him tightly. “I love you, she whispered in his ear as she showered him with kisses. “I love you.”

That night was spent celebrating their love for one another. With the twins in their cribs there was time for them to spend alone with one another, and they did just that. For both partners it was an expression of love that transcended all bounds. The night was beautiful, lit by candles and scented with incense and the musky odor of love in the air. It was beautiful and passionate and it brought them closer together even than they had been before. Truly a celebration of their relationship and their family.

For weeks it seemed that Christy went around the house glowing with pride. She hummed and sang when she looked after the girls and didn’t complain in the least even about the worst of their diapers. In fact, it seemed like nothing could get better.

Then she started to get sick. She could keep nothing she ate in her stomach and it seemed that even the smell of food would make her gag. She had previously been the cook in the family, but now Lancelot was doing the work for her and looking out for her with a concerned expression on his face every time she rushed to the bathroom.

Finally, after a week of sickness, he sat her down. “I think you need to go to the doctor,” he cautioned gently.

“I’ve been thinking about that, Christy nodded. “But I don’t want to go in just for a stomach bug. There’s nothing they can do if that’s what it is, really, and I’m certain it isn’t food poisoning… I’d be over it by now if it was!”

Lancelot shook his head with a chuckle. “No sweetheart. I think you need to go see Dr. Portland. Remember how you felt when you were pregnant with the twins?”

Christy was still for a long moment. “You might be right,” she said finally. “I’ll go see him this afternoon and have him do a test.” For another moment she was silent, staring down at her lap. “Um… if I am… You’re okay with that, right?” She frowned softly, trying to find the right words. “I mean… I think I want to be. Do you want me to be?”

Lancelot chuckled, a hearty sound. “Of course I do babe! I’ve always wanted a family! That’s what makes it all worthwhile, isn’t it? Having a family to come home to and provide for and support? Yes, I hope you are! If we have twenty children that’s just twenty children to love, right?” He grinned and hugged his fiance. “Go see Dr. Portland and we’ll go from there, okay?”

Christy returned from the doctor’s office that evening. The wait had been long and though she was tired from the wait and the examinations, she felt renewed and invigorated. There was going to be another child in their future, and that was something for all members of the family to celebrate. That evening the twins would be celebrating their fifth birthday and Christy thought it would be a perfect time to make the announcement.

Christy was relieved to see that Lancelot had taken the time to prepare the birthday cakes while she had been gone in town to see Dr. Portland and that the girls were napping in preparation for the celebration. Quietly she slipped into the nursery and lifted Penlope out of her crib, gazing at her with a deep, warm smile on her face. For a long moment she could not be disturbed until Lancelot entered the room to wake Amelia. He turned towards her and gave her a big smile and Guinevere knew he was eager to hear her news. But she was saving it for the moment and would only reveal what was to become of their family when she believed the moment was right.

Once the girls were sufficiently awake from their short nap, Lancelot and Christy carried them to the cakes their father had baked for them and helped them to blow out the candles. While their parents watched, both girls grew into beautiful children and left their parents glowing with pride.

The girls were still sleepy but their parents wanted to allow them to partake of some cake. While the foursome sat down and ate the delicious dessert that Lancelot had prepared they talked. “I have some news,” Christy said finally, when she felt that the moment was perfect. She looked around at her girls and then at Lancelot with a glowing expression on her face. “You’re going to have a little brother or sister!”

For a moment the twins just gaped at their mother in shock. Then Penelope broke out into a wide grin and jumped up to hug her mother. “We’re going to have a little brother or sister? Really mom? Can we help name him? Or her?”

Amelia, on the other hand, furrowed her brow a little bit. She didn’t like the idea of sharing her father’s attentions with yet another child, particularly if it was another girl. Nor did she like the idea of having to share her sister, with whom she was very close. Finally she nodded her head seriously. “Okay,” she whispered. “Can we go to bed now?”

Christy frowned softly but went to help the girls into bed. She and Lancelot would have plenty of time to do the serious planning that would need to be done before the baby came into the world, and they would talk about Amelia’s feelings about the new baby too. Her words put a bit of a damper on the evening, but Christy tried to just let it go and move on with happier things… Like her love for her fiance!

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!

Christy, for whom the pregnancy had come quite unexpectedly, was surprised and somewhat alarmed that it resulted in the birth of twin girls. She hadn’t been well throughout her pregnancy and had relied heavily on Lancelot’s support, which had always been in ample supply. Now, with two little ones to look after, there was a deep sense of depression and anxiety. She had never known she wanted children until she had conceived her girls and though she already loved them with all of her being, she also felt threatened by them — they took so much time to look after and she had been weakened by her pregnancy.

Of course Lancelot stood beside her unfailingly, helping her through the most difficult times and supporting her when she felt she could do nothing but cry. For the first few months it was him who did most taking care of the girls, and Christy felt herself guilt-ridden over the fact that she couldn’t do more for them and often didn’t want to do more for them. For awhile it seemed as though her life had ended with the birth of her children.

Her own mother had died in childbirth, leaving her single father to look after Christy and her two older sisters. It had always seemed unfair to her that she’d been denied a mother of her own and she had lived with a long-time fear of pregnancy and childbirth because of her mother’s own untimely end. Though she’d never known her mother she had heard enough about her to miss her all the same, and part of her feared that she herself might one day leave her children early.

She shared none of her fears with Lancelot, who she knew would only try to reassure her. She didn’t want to burden him with her worries. He already did so much for the girls! For nearly a year she lived with her worries and concerns and the constant feelings of depression that plagued her. She spoke to Dr. Portland of her concerns for herself and her children, and he worked hard to reassure her and encourage her to talk about things with her partner, but she just couldn’t bring herself to mention her concerns to Lancelot. She simply didn’t want to burden him.

Dr. Portland had diagnosed post partum depression and it wasn’t until the twins were nearly a year old that it finally began to ease. More and more often now she would take them in her arms and just hold them for no reason, looking into their beautiful dark blue eyes and finally beginning to experience the joys of motherhood. Lancelot noticed the change in his partner and was happy for it. He was certain that somewhere within her she wanted children just as desperately as he did, and it brought a glow to his heart to finally see her interacting with their twins more and more.

Truly, he missed the Christy he had known before the girls had been born, but he tried to put that aside and focus on her needs and those of their infant daughters. It hurt his heart to know that in the early months Christy had very little bond with their girls and he tried to encourage her now as often as possible to build that unbreakable bond between mother and child. He knew that it was important — he had such a close relationship with his own family!

Though he’d already purchased an engagement ring, he didn’t feel that the time was right to give it to the woman he loved. She was stressed beyond understanding and he feared her rejection above most everything else in his life. He wanted to wait until the perfect moment, when she was happy and realized that she was happy in their relationship. They never talked about engagement and marriage any more and their relationship had fallen into a routine that made it seem often as though they had already been married for several years. It wasn’t a bad feeling. In fact, it gave them both a sort of glow inside to know that they were so deeply in love and in tune with one another that they could feel as though they’d known one another their entire lives.

Finally that special day arrived, and it seemed as though Christy was actually in a good mood and eager to see her girls pass their first birthday. She woke up early that morning and began working on a birthday cake for each twin, made entirely from scratch based on a recipe her father said had once belonged to her mother and had been of her mother’s design. She hummed and sang to herself as she worked and Lancelot glowed to know that his partner was feeling better about things and was in a good mood for their daughters’ birthday!

Finally party time rolled around at six o’clock that evening, and both parents worked to get the girls dressed and ready for their birthday. It was nearly seven before they had managed to get them clean and fresh for the celebration, but it was clear that both parents and even the girls in their own way were excited about the transition.

Lancelot allowed Christy to carry each twin to their cake, as she had put the most effort into the planning process. First she brought Penelope to hers and bent over and blew out the candles for her, grinning as she looked into the face of her beautiful red-headed oldest. She kissed Penelope on the cheek and smiled as she crawled away to play with some of the new toys that had been purchased just for this special occasion.

Then it was Amelia’s turn. When both infants had aged into beautiful red-haired toddlers, mother and father carried them to their cribs to lay them down for the night before retiring themselves to their own bed. Things were happy in the Du Lac household and Lancelot knew that the time was coming when he would be ready to pop the big question to Christy. He just had to find exactly the right moment!

For the next six months the family relationship was strained. Guinevere had tricked her husband into making her pregnant and Abhijeet felt betrayed by her dishonesty with him. If they couldn’t trust one another, who could they trust? So much time had passed already that he barely remembered his brief affair with Christy Stratton. They never spoke any more and he thought he probably wouldn’t even recognize her if she walked down the street. In fact, he was finding that he had less and less interest in Christy, though occasionally another woman would catch his eye. What was important to him now was his daughter and he was beginning to realize he was willing to risk anything to strengthen their bond.

Abhijeet thought frequently about leaving the home to Guinevere and finding a place of his own where he would have the freedom to do the things he wanted to do and to pursue his own interests. But he also realized that his leaving would hurt Morgaine, and so he continued to muddle through as best he could. He was hardly attentive to Guinevere during her pregnancy and she didn’t ask him to be. Truthfully the couple rarely spoke anymore and seemed to have little interest in one another. What had once been had died down significantly in the meantime and both were aware that if things didn’t improve they were going to find themselves pursuing other ‘interests.’

Abhijeet had a lot of thinking to do. Guinevere was nearly due with their second child when one day he looked at Morgaine and realized something important: He loved his family more than anything he had ever known! He’d never wanted children — they just weren’t part of the package he was interested in, much to the dismay of his parents. What he wanted was women — lots of women — and a job as a Celebrity Chef. Those had always been the things that were important to him.

Perhaps his struggles were because he’d decided it was a mistake to marry Guinevere the day they tied the knot and not because of Guinevere herself or because of the essence of their marriage. Maybe it wasn’t her fault but his. Whatever the case he realized when he looked on Morgaine’s beautiful features, so much like his own… He loved his daughter, and he loved being a father!

Alarmed, he stood up from where he had been sitting in the living room, lost in his own thoughts, and darted for the bedroom to tell Guinevere what he had discovered. He was outside the bedroom in the hall when he heard the first of the ear-piercing screams. Startled, he stopped dead in his tracks. What was going on? Why was his wife screaming? Suddenly worried, he threw the door open and rushed to her side only to realize that her screams of pain were caused by the onset of her labor.

“I’ll boil some water!” he cried, remembering what he’d seen in TV movies.

“NO!” Guin immediately admonished in a harsh, pain-filled tone. “Call Dr. Portland. He knows what to do!”

Abhijeet rushed for the phone and made the necessary call before returning to his wife hurredly. “He says he’s on his way. What do you need me to do?!”

“I need you to leave me alone and wait for Dr. Porland!” Guinevere barked at her husband, clearly angered by his sudden presence after so long. Shocked, Abhijeet could only stand there for a moment, staring at his laboring wife, before shrugging his shoulders and leaving the room, deeply hurt. He’d made an effort to be there and Guin had refused him. What the next step was he couldn’t be sure….

The second birth was much shorter than the first and after only five hours Abhijeet heard a cry coming from the bedroom. He continued to pace the hall anxiously, unsure of whether he should go in to see his newborn or if he should wait until he was invited. His parents had picked Morgaine up and had agreed to babysit her until everything at home had been taken care of, and he was therefore left to focus on his wife, their new child, and their failing marriage.

It was nearly an hour before Dr. Portland came out of the bedroom. “Guinevere’s fine,” he told the anxious husband. “And you have a beautiful baby girl. Your wife has named her Therese. But she doesn’t want to see you right now, Mr. Cornwell. So I ask that you please give your wife her space until she is ready to come to you. For now, I have to be going.”

It was no comfort to the young man who had so recently made a serious realization. He wanted to see his wife and he wanted to see his new daughter. He watched in dismay as the doctor left him alone with no conciliation and nowhere to turn. Finally he decided that he would go to collect Morgaine and speak with his mother then. Perhaps she could advise him on what to do with his failing marriage.

At the Depiesse household everything seemed frighteningly normal. Morgaine was sat at the supper table where he and Guinevere had shared meals so many times before, eating her evening meal. She looked up and smiled at her father but was immediately able to detect the tension on his face. “Daddy, what’s wrong?” she asked, startled.

Lovingly Abhijeet forced a smile. “It’s nothing sweetheart. Why don’t you go outside and play while I talk to Gramma and Grandpa? That’s a good girl,” he smiled as she rushed outside to play. Truly, Morgaine was his pride and joy, and he loved the child dearly and inexplicably. For as long as he lived, he vowed he would do everything he could to protect her.

Barabara Depiesse came out of the kitchen, surprised to see her son standing in the dining room with a worried expression on his face. “What is it, honey?” she asked, alarmed. “Is something wrong? Is the baby okay? Is Guin okay?”

Abhijeet nodded and sank into one of the dining room chairs, clearly distraught. “They’re fine, Mom,” he said, his voice hoarse. “It’s me that has the problem.”

Over the course of the next hour Abhijeet described the problems in his marriage to his mother, who listened with an attentive ear. He explained about how he had briefly been taken with Christy Stratton and had an affair with her, only to have things ended prematurely. He told her about how he felt about other women and how he felt that his marriage was tying him down when he wasn’t ready to be tied down. He told her about Guin tricking him into making her pregnant and he told her about his feelings for Morgaine and his realizations of that afternoon.

After a long time his mother spoke. “It seems to me that you think you made a mistake when you married Guinevere, sweetheart. Your father and I were curious about your choice even when you made it, but we respected you enough to keep our feelings to ourselves. We know how you can be around girls — you were always like that — and we didn’t think you were ready to settle down. But you said you were and we had to respect that, Abhijeet.” She thought for a moment before continuing with her speech. “I don’t have any advice for you except to say that you need to put your daughters first now. Whatever else may be happening in your relationship with Guin, your daughters need to come first, for both of you. How do you think Morgaine would feel if you were to leave her and her mother?”

“Abandoned,” Abhijeet answered honestly, looking out the window to watch his little girl playing with another child from the neighborhood. “I don’t want to do that to her. But I don’t know that there is any alternative. If Guin and I aren’t happy, will she be happy?”

“Children don’t like to see their parents fight, Abhijeet. Now I’m sure, knowing both you and Guin as I do, that you’ve kept this away from Morgaine. But how long can you keep that up? You need to make the choice to stay or go, but whichever you choose, you are going to have to do with everything that’s in you!”

It was a lot to consider, and consider it Abhijeet would. Satisfied that he had more to think about now than ever before, he went into the yard and called Morgaine to go home. Together they walked towards their own house a few blocks away in silence. Morgaine could sense her father’s tension and Abhijeet had too much to think about to notice his daughter’s discomfort. Ultimately he was going to need to make a choice that would hopefully make both of his daughters happier.

When father and daughter arrived home, Abhijeet announced that it was bedtime for Morgaine. He needed to talk to Guinevere, even if she didn’t want to see him at that moment. There were too many things they needed to discuss, too many decisions that had to be made between them. For the first time he was realizing that their relationship was a joint responsibility, as was their parenting. He couldn’t let this go on for any longer.

“But I want to see the baby!” Morgaine announced sulkily.

“You can see her tomorrow, sweetheart,” Abhijeet announced as he tucked his older daughter into bed. “I promise.” He kissed her goodnight and headed into the bedroom where he knew both mother and baby would be asleep.

It was Guinevere he went to first, kissing her gently on her sleeping forehead. Watching her like that, he knew that he loved her as much as he had the day he first laid eyes on her. She looked like an elvin angel when she slept and it brought tears to his eyes to think that he had forgotten what it was like to be in love with such a wonderful woman. Had he lost her love forever? he wondered. With a sigh, he turned from his bed and looked towards the crib where Morgaine had once slept and where Therese now snored peacefully.

He still hadn’t welcomed his second daughter into the world and without another sound, he crept to her crib and gazed down upon her. She was a beautiful child, just like her sister, and for a brief moment a genuine smile lit the man’s face. Perhaps she was worth the trickery in the end… Maybe it would all be worth it in the end. Quietly he bent down to place a gentle kiss on his new daughter’s forehead and then straightened again.

As he turned back to the bed, he noticed that Guinevere was now sitting up in bed, watching him. For a moment their eyes met and locked, angry sparks flashing in the deep green of Guin’s eyes and sadness reflecting in Abhijeet’s own orbs. Finally he spoke. “I know you don’t want to talk to me right now, but there are some things we need to discuss. I’m going to make some supper — I’m sure you’re hungry — and then I think we should talk about what needs to happen for our family and for our girls.”

He didn’t wait for her response but instead slipped out of the room silently and went into the kitchen to prepare their meal.

Abhijeet had already begun eating when Guinevere arrived at the table. With a sneer of scorn for her husband, she picked up a plate and sat down, eating off her lap instead of eating the plate that he had prepared for her. He sighed softly and shook his head, waiting for the right moment, perhaps when she had calmed down a bit. Finally he spoke.

“I’ve had cause to do a lot of thinking in the last few days,” he said after he had cleared his voice and braced himself for her possible reaction. “I should have been doing a lot of thinking all along, but I’m afraid that I just didn’t realize how bad things had gotten between us. I know you haven’t been happy and truthfully neither have I. I feel like you tricked me into getting you pregnant with Therese and I don’t like being tricked, Guin. Why didn’t you just talk to me about how you felt?”

Guinevere was still angry and it showed on her face. She glared at him for a long time before she answered his question. “I didn’t think you wanted to talk about the way things were in our relationship. I didn’t think you cared about how I felt and what I wanted. It’s always been about you and your dreams, Abhijeet. You never left much room for me!”

Abhijeet just nodded, trying to remain understanding of his wife’s feelings. “You’re right, Guin. I didn’t. And I’m sorry about that. It’s time that we made a change and I want that change to happen now.” He watched her for a few moments, trying to judge her reaction, and then sighed with a small nod of his head. Finally she put her plate down and he reached for her hands, taking them in his own and looking directly into her green eyes. “If you won’t do this for me, do it for the girls, Guin. Please…”

Guin jerked her hands away and turned her head away from her husband. “I want you to leave, Abhijeet,” she said in a low voice. “I want you to leave now.”

Abhijeet grunted, then sighed. Obviously he wasn’t getting through to her. “Fine,” he said after a moment. “But I’m taking the kids with me.”

Guinevere turned on him in an instant, flaring up angrily so that Morgaine stirred in her bed and Therese began to cry in her crib. “No you won’t! I won’t let you take my children!”

It was the reaction that Abhijeet had hoped for, the in that he needed. “Then let’s make it work, Guin,” he said as he stood up from his chair. “Let’s both put the effort into this relationship and make it work for the girls. Think about it.”

Abhijeet walked away then and back into the bedroom, leaving his wife with her thoughts. Therese was crying and Abhijeet intended to take care of her. He hadn’t had much time to spend with his younger daughter yet and he wanted that time, wanted to develop that bond. She was hungry and her diaper needed changing, and Abhijeet took care of the baby’s needs, talking to her the entire time. He and Morgaine had grown very close since the problems with Guinevere had become so intense and she had become the light of his life. He wanted it to be the same with Therese, if it was possible. Besides, he knew that if there was any way he could get to the mother, it would be through the children.

Besides, there was no greater bond than between parent and child, and Abhijeet was finally beginning to understand that, and further, to understand Guinevere’s desire to have a family. As he held little Therese in his arms he began to realize that perhaps he, too, would like to have the family that Guinevere desired, especially if it made her happy. He would have to think about it, and think about it he would. If their marriage could be saved, he couldn’t wait to continue their lives together!

It would be several weeks before Guinevere and Abhijeet spoke again. They shared a bed and meals, took care of their daughters together and went to work, but they barely spoke and certainly neither of them brought up the talk they’d had the night that Therese was born. Abhijeet ached to talk about it with his wife but she kept her distance from him and could often be found giving him a steely, angry stare. It hurt him deeply to know that she felt such anger for him, but he tried to keep his feelings to himself and put everything he had into both his jobs: Working as a Fast Food Manager and his job as a father to his two girls. He hated the fast food industry and he longed to get a promotion. He knew that Guinevere, too, hoped that he would earn a promotion and along with it a higher salary, but he also knew he had to prove to her that he wanted to be a father and a husband.

Both children seemed to enjoy their time with Abhijeet and he was forming a strong bond with Therese already. He played with Morgaine every chance he got and talked to her about everything, the way he could remember sitting down with his mother when he was a child. It reminded him of his own past and he wondered once in awhile how difficult it must have been for Guinevere, growing up without parents of her own. He was beginning to understand her desires for a family and what fueled them, and with those realizations came guilt that he hadn’t been able to provide for her what she had so wanted.

But no matter how hard Abhijeet struggled to keep the tension in the family away from Morgaine, Guinevere was able to sabotage it by not speaking to him and allowing the tension to become so thick in the house that it could be cut with a knife. Although she hadn’t yet reached her sixth birthday, Morgaine was all too aware of what was going on in her house and it made her sad. Though she was too young to understand the nature of the problems with which her parents struggled, she knew that there were problems and she wanted to do what she could to help them. She’d begun to spend as much time thinking about what was going on in her family as her parents did, and it was a heavy burden for the five year-old to bear.

Therese was nine months old when Morgaine finally decided that she could handle it no more and had to talk to her mother about the problems that she saw in their family. It hurt her to know that her parents were hurting and she didn’t know what was making them so angry and upset all the time. She was once again on the swings when her mother came out to push her and have some quiet time before bed with her daughter. Sensitive, Morgaine tried to think of a good way to broach the topic, and finally she decided to talk about Therese.

“I remember when Therese was born, Momma,” she said as she swung. Guinevere was silent so the child continued. “Daddy took me to Gramma’s and then we came back later on and he wouldn’t let me see you or the baby… And I heard you yelling later on,” she said finally, bringing up what was really important. “Why were you yelling, Momma? Why are you and Daddy mad at one another?”

Guinevere had to think for a moment about how to explain things to her daughter. She hadn’t realized just how much the tension between Abhijeet and her had been affecting their children. She didn’t want to have to talk about it with Morgaine. In fact, she should talk with Abhijeet about it, but she didn’t want to speak to him either. It was a difficult situation!

“You heard us huh?” she said finally. “I’m sorry about that baby, really I am. Daddy and I just have some things we need to work through. It will be alright, you’ll see.”

She was in no way sure it was true, but it seemed that Morgaine was satisfied with her mother’s response. That was enough for now. There was time to think, and then she’d talk things over with Abhijeet and hopefully find a resolution to their problems.

Guinevere thought a lot about her relationship with Abhijeet over the next several months. They were still like two ships passing in the night as he studied to get ajob at the next level in his career, hoping to at least become a Host at his favorite restaurant in Sim City and she worked out and took care of the children along with going to her own job as a Counter Intelligence Agent. Although it still was difficult balancing two jobs, that of a military officer and that of mother, Guinevere had noticed that Abhijeet was making more and more of an effort to help her out with the kids whenever he was home, and she noticed that his bond with both girls was improving and becoming quite touching.

Every now and then Guinevere could be caught watching Abhijeet with Morgaine or Therese, singing to them or reading books to both girls as he snuggled with them in their parents’ bed. It was a good feeling, a feeling of something that had been lost and was once again found. It was also bitter-sweet as she realized what she might have missed out on as a child. Somehow Abhijeet was warming her heart again and winning her love for the second time in their lives. Perhaps things could be saved for them. Perhaps their marriage would improve!

Therese’s first birthday was approaching and Guinevere intended to speak to her husband before then if she got a chance. They so rarely saw one another that it easily became frustrating when she wanted and needed to talk to him and to have him be part of her life again. She was almost tempted to ask him to quit his job so that they would have more time together, but she knew that would be foolish — they needed his income.

There wasn’t any time for them to talk, so for the time being Guinevere threw herself into her motherhood, focusing her attentions entirely on Morgaine and Therese. She hadn’t failed to notice that Abhijeet was doing his part with the children now too when he was home and it took some pressure off her — she was finally able to get some sleep when she needed it rather than having to change diapers every time they needed changing or always be the one to feed Therese. It left her more time for Morgaine and more time for herself and that was something for which she was grateful. Yes, her relationship with Abhijeet was improving, and she couldn’t deny that he had become a very attentive father.

Morgaine’s sixth birthday came only a few weeks before Therese’s first birthday, and with the passage of another year, Morgaine began school. Guinevere did everything she could to encourage her daughter to be a good student, and she could often be found helping the young girl with her homework. The pressure that Abhijeet was taking off her allowed for this extra special time with Morgaine and for the first time mother and daughter were developing a close relationship, the type of relationship that Morgaine had previously only had with her father. It was something that Guinevere had missed out on before, and the more she got to know her daughter, the better she knew her husband.

Morgaine spoke often of her love for her father, and it was clear that the little girl was very attached to Abhijeet. It would tear the child apart to lose her father, Guinevere realized, and it would tear Guin apart to lose any of her children. Come what may she and Abhijeet had to work things out. The girls wouldn’t be happy as long as their parents were fighting or not speaking to one another either. Their family needed to get things together for the good of everyone involved, and Guinevere was beginning to realize that it was her responsibility to make things work out for them. Abhijeet was doing his part, now it was time for her to do hers!

On Therese’s first birthday Abhijeet was once again in bed when the party began, as he had been for both of Morgaine’s birthdays. Guinevere tried to keep her disappointment in check as she put out the cake that she had baked for her younger daughter and gathered Morgaine for the celebration. The older girl clearly noticed her father’s absence but seemed to understand it as well. Her father worked late and was up early in the morning to take care of Morgaine and her sister while their mother was at work. They needed him and he needed his rest. She couldn’t blame him for not being there just because she wanted him to be, and although it hurt to think that he was missing her sister’s big day, Morgaine had become a very sensitive little lady who loved both of her parents dearly and wanted what was best for them all in the long run.

Though it was difficult to put it out of their minds that Therese’s father couldn’t be there, the party was a blast and Morgaine and Guinevere both had a great time watching the baby grow into a beautiful toddler. It was only sad that Abhijeet, who had so wanted to be present for her birth, couldn’t be there for her first birthday. As Guinevere cuddled her younger daughter to her chest, she sought understanding for her husband, although it was difficult. Yes, some part of her still loved him. After all, she wouldn’t have wanted him to be with them if she didn’t.