Chapter Four: Do We Want More?

 Narrated by Caroline Masterson

I had a new gig coming up, appearing on an episode of "Wild Flames". It required me to practise my flirting skills, and of course I had a VERY willing practice partner...

"Whoa! This is a bit drastic!" Peter exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Relax, I've got you," I smiled. "You'll be fine."

"You should take these kinds of gigs more often," he grinned as he straightened up.

"We are married," I laughed. "We can kiss - and more - any time we like."

Later, I sat on one of the living room sofas as the girls danced to the music.

"Are you having fun?" I asked.

"Yeah! Dance time!" Erytheia grinned. Xanthe also nodded enthusiastically.

They were so cute, and I felt a little broody as I watched them having fun. As only children, Peter and I had both wanted a fairly large family. Having twins straight away had been a bit of a surprise, and a definite plunge into the deep end of parenting - but an enjoyable one. 

And so, once Peter was home from work...

"Do you think we could have more children?" I asked.

"I don't see why not," he said. "After all, we're both doing pretty well at work. I could easily get rid of my plants and we could convert that room into another bedroom."

"We should definitely look for somewhere a bit bigger, though," I said. "Once the children are in school, they'll be bigger and have more stuff, and we'll need more space."

"Definitely," Peter nodded.

The next morning, I headed over to Plumbob Pictures Studios, and straight into the makeup room.

"Ah yes, Caroline, I've got just the look," the makeup artist said.

Once he was done, I glanced in the mirror.

"What on Earth is this? I look like a member of Kiss!" I exclaimed.

"Oh gosh, yes, so sorry," the makeup artist apologised, cringing. "Let me change that right away."

He wiped away the makeup and got to work again, this time giving me a much more natural look. He then gave me a blonde wig. 

The set was decorated like a campground; it seemed fairly cosy. I'd never been camping before, and thought it might be fun to take the children one day - although not until they were at school. I wasn't mad enough to take them when they were still preschool-age. 

As the cameras rolled, I grabbed my co-star and proceeded to kiss him. It felt odd kissing someone who wasn't Peter, and I knew I'd have to get used to it. 

I was finished by the afternoon. Back home, I decided that I should practise some spells. Although I knew that some people found Practical magic boring, I thought it was pretty useful. Peter already knew the Scruberoo spell, which he used on the toilet and the girls' potties, as well as the occasional messes they made.

Eventually, I learned the Repairio spell. Phew - now I'll never have to call a repairman! I thought. Of course, spells didn't always work perfectly, but if I practised more then there was less likelihood of that occurring. 

I had a wish to improve my baking skill, so I decided to make some oatmeal cookies. Baking tasty treats felt like a proper "mummy" thing to do, although of course Peter and I could always enjoy them too!

As I waited for the cookies to finish, I started hearing noises coming from Salim's apartment, including what sounded like very rusty bedsprings...

Then, with the oven indicating that there was about a minute left, I heard ominous squirting and squelching noises behind me. Sure enough, Erytheia was making a huge mess. She seemed rather angry, which was unsurprising given both the late hour and the loud noise.

"I know you're annoyed, sweetie, but please don't make a mess," I said. "Because now Mummy has to clean it up. Try and take out your anger another way, OK?" 

"OK, mummy," she said sweetly.

Then, to my horror, I heard some splashing noises coming from the bathroom, accompanied by high-pitched giggling. What was that I'd said about wanting more kids...?

The next day was a Monday, and the girls were back at preschool. When they came home, I asked Erytheia how her day had been.

"Fun!" she said. "I played with toys and did painting!"
"Wow, painting's good," I smiled. "I liked painting when I was at preschool, too. My mummy was always having to wash paint off me."

She giggled, and I smiled back. Dammit, they were both adorable. They never made that much mess - both she and Xanthe were generally well-behaved. They rarely threw tantrums, and when they did it was for an understandable reason. With their communication skills developing all the time, the tantrums would hopefully decrease in frequency.