Chapter Two: Sooner Than Expected

 Narrated by Caroline Masterson

On Thursday morning, I was in the bath when I heard Peter leave for work. Not long afterwards, however, I heard the front door close again. I got out of the bath and quickly dressed. When I entered our bedroom, I was shocked to see Peter standing there, looking forlorn.

"Peter! What on Earth happened?" I asked.

"I got fired," he said quietly.

"What?"

"Fired," he repeated, looking woeful. "I was sorting through some papers when I came across evidence of shady financial dealings. I had to do something. So I reported it all to the authorities, and a huge scandal broke out. Everyone got fired... including me."

"Oh, no!" 

"Yeah, I can't quite believe it," he sighed.

"It's always tough being a whistleblower," I said. "I've always admired your strong sense of justice. If you hadn't reported it, you wouldn't have been able to live with the guilt of knowing what was going on. Plus, would you really want to work for that kind of company?"
"No," Peter smiled. "Thanks for making me feel better. How's acting going, anyway?"
"Well, I did pretty well in my gig yesterday, and I got promoted. So we're not totally hopeless financially. And you can sell your excess ingredients."

That evening, I went to the square outside and ordered a plate of lumpia from the Filipino food stall. Although I was sad about Peter losing his job, it was nothing compared to what he must've been going through. Even though business hadn't been a burning passion of his, he would've gone into it with the intention of giving his all and being fired would've severely dented his self-esteem. Hopefully he would find another position soon, one with a company that wasn't so financially dodgy.

The following day was Love Day, and Peter and I travelled to Sulani, which was lovely and warm. We had a date outside The Sand Bar, which was close to Ohan'ali Beach.

"It's lovely here, isn't it?" I asked.

"It is. I don't think I'd want to live here, though - apparently there can be really bad thunderstorms in the summer."
"Yeah, that doesn't sound great. But there are pros and cons to living anywhere," I replied. "And I like the busy atmosphere of San Myshuno too much."

"I wonder if we could come on holiday here some time?" Peter wondered, looking round. "It'd be nice to come here when we have children and watch them building sandcastles and splashing about in the sea."

When we got back home, we rounded off the day by engaging in WooHoo. Then...

"Peter! I'm pregnant!"

"Whaaaat?"

"I know, I know," I grinned. "We're going to be parents a bit sooner than expected. You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men!"

"It's amazing news," Peter grinned back. "And now I really need to find a job."

"And I really need a shower."

I quickly informed my agency about the pregnancy, which they told me was not a problem. I also obtained another role, to advertise the upcoming VoidBop CD. I'd be wearing a costume, which would disguise the pregnancy somewhat. I was advised to work on my fitness, and found a good dance video which was suitable for those in the early stages of pregnancy. 

"So, what should we call our child?" I asked.

"Hmm, tough one," Peter replied. "How do we narrow it down?"

"We could go with Greek mythology," I said. Both of us had been really interested in Greek myths whilst at school; it had been one of the things over which we'd initially bonded.

"Great idea," Peter agreed. "But I feel like there are better options for girl names than boy ones. Names like Athena and Helen are less out there than Dionysus and Hephaestus."

"I'm sure we'll find something," I smiled. "I'll have to look up names that fit. Of course, they don't necessarily have to be deities. There are plenty of names that derive from ancient Greek words."

What with preparing for various acting gigs and researching baby names, I realised that I hadn't spent much time developing my magical powers. True to his ambitious nature, Peter had declared a wish to master every single spell and potion. Although my ambitions weren't as lofty, I did think it would be fun to learn as many as I could - plus, why had I become a Spellcaster if I wasn't going to develop my powers? 

The time came for me to perform in the VoidBop commercial. My pregnancy bump meant that the costume was rather tight, although I'd have felt just as silly if I wasn't pregnant. Some of the toys peeking out of the giant toy box creeped me out somewhat, but I knew that kids often liked weird things like that. Despite my feelings, the director told me I'd done a good job and I ended up receiving another promotion. 

Thank God that's over with, I'm not doing that again! I thought. 

One afternoon, Peter and I went to nearby Willow Creek to visit the museum. He had recently attended a piano class at the local university, and it had sparked an interest in him. As I perused some of the paintings, I could hear a piano being played outside.

"Was that you?" I asked, as he came back inside.
"Yeah," he replied. "I thought I'd put what I learnt to good use. It was really enjoyable. I felt a bit silly playing in public like that, but why else would there be a piano there?"
"Why else indeed," I echoed. "Perhaps you could go into the entertainment industry and become a concert pianist eventually. You've always looked sexy in a suit."

"You know, that's a good idea," he replied. "It'll take me ages to get to that level, but I'm prepared to work hard and practice."

Although my pregnancy had been relatively smooth sailing, and enjoyable for the most part, one thing I would not miss was the constant need for the toilet. I hated feeling completely normal one minute, and the next feeling like I had to get to the toilet NOW or I'd piss myself. 

That evening, Monday, the Humour and Hijinks festival was being held in the square outside. I'd encouraged Peter to go alone, as I'd been starting to feel a little... uneasy. My decision was vindicated when pain shot across my abdomen.

"Oh God," I muttered. "This must be labour."

I headed over to the smaller bedroom, which had originally housed the cauldron and which we'd decided would become the nursery.

"Peter, quick! Come here!"

What?

"I've got something to tell you!"

What? 

"It's twins!"

... what??