Mason aged into a fine young man. He still kept that shaggy look of his that drove me crazy. He had a great sense of humor, but it got him in trouble constantly. He loved to pull pranks on the entire family.
Calista became a beautiful teenager. She continued to grow her silky blue hair and braided it almost everyday. She loved romantic films and was definitely a little boy crazy.
Violet was a bubbly little girl and definitely had the same personality as her sister Primrose. She had curly, light purple hair that she tied into a pony tail. She had a love for ballet and was constantly practicing.
Liam looked almost exactly the same as his sister except he had my blue eyes. He took after Mason and was constantly getting into trouble. The two of them would sneak around the house all day long "spying" on the rest of us. They definitely had a great bond going.
Having only four kids in the house, it was getting kind of lonely(believe it or not). I had taken a rather long break from my challenge when Prim got sick, and it had been quite awhile since I had been pregnant. One of my best friends, Becks Best, suggested I use the sperm of Robin Moreno. He had a darker shade of blue hair and beautiful light blue eyes(and the cutest nose!)
Later in the afternoon as I was watching TV, I felt my new cat Snowy brush against my leg. I had recently adopted him from Matthew's mother Calista Smith. She always had the cutest cats! Snowy had only been here for a few days, but he was already part of the family. Violet was most attached to him. She absolutely adored animals. When I brought him home she was ecstatic. I picked him up and gave him a little kiss.
I giggled. "Obviously", I replied sarcastically.
He pulled me in for a kiss. "Put something pretty on tonight." He said. "I'm taking you out. It's been so long since we've actually been on a date."
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"You'll just have to wait and see." He winked at me and started to leave the room.
"Wait! What about the kids?"
"I've already paid Mason and Calista twenty dollars each in advance. They'll watch them."
"I take it you've already planned everything?" I smiled.
"Nah, this is all spontaneous!" Now he was the sarcastic one.
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"Are your eyes still closed?" Matthew asked me for the tenth time.
"Yes! They're still closed. Where in the world are we?" I asked.
"Just a few more seconds and you'll see." He paused. "Now open your eyes!" A huge smile was on his face.
I followed his gaze and saw a small table on the edge of a hill. There was a single candle placed in the middle along with two servings of what looked like grilled salmon. The whole atmosphere was perfect.
He took my hand and led me to the table. I watched as he pulled the chair out for me to sit and I smiled to myself. This was going to be a lovely night.
When we both were seated Matthew spoke.
"So, do you like it?" He asked with a hopeful expression.
"It's beautiful Matthew. Thank you." I flashed him a smile.
"I'm glad."
We began to eat and I have to say, it was the best salmon I have ever had in my life. It was cooked perfectly and was seasoned with the tastiest spices. We talked while we ate, mostly about the kids because that's really what our lives are all about.
"You really look beautiful tonight." Matthew exclaimed.
"Thank you." I blushed. He continued to look at me when a sudden look of excitement spread across his face.
"Oh! I just remembered! One of my friend's at the office told me to encourage you to write a book about being a challenge mother. I thought it was a great idea! What do you think?"
Matthew had recently got a job in journalism down at Doo Peas Corporate Towers.He insisted on getting a job since he is living with me. He loves to write and is very good at it. He also loves to travel so his job is mainly about exploring new places and writing about them for the newspaper. His job requires him to travel often, but we haven't had to deal with that problem yet. I'll miss him when he does leave for work, but I'll support him no matter what. He loves his job.
I thought about what I had just heard. "It sounds like a good idea, but do you think I can write a book?" I asked.
"I think you have the potential to be a great writer." Matthew replied.
"You think so? I mean, it would take quite a while to write with the kids and all." I explained.
"True, but there isn't a deadline to write a book. You could work on it whenever you have free time. I'd help you too." Matthew persuaded.
I thought more about it. "I would actually love to publish a book. It would bring in more money which we need, and it would give me a chance to experience something new. I'll do it!" I said enthusiastically.
"Great! I'll call my co-worker. He's an editor and I'm sure he'd love to help you get started."
We finished eating and talked for awhile more until it got very dark. Matthew stood up from the table and grabbed my hand. He laid down in the grass and patted the ground next to him, gesturing for me to sit there beside him. I sat down and we gazed at the stars for what seemed like hours. The stars looked like beautiful diamonds filling the night sky. My mother always told me that stars were light seeping from heaven. I still believed her too. It was a comforting thought that heaven wasn't too far away.
When we got back home later that night, all of the kids were asleep(including the teenagers!). There were toys scattered across the living room, but the dishes were placed in the dishwasher and I saw leftovers in the fridge. Calista must have cooked herself. I thought. I walked into my room and and pulled open the drawer to my dresser. I changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed. A few minutes later I felt Matthew's body next to mine. I felt safe. I then drifted off to sleep.
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A few days later I gave birth to my first set of quads. Lucy, Becks, Cecelia, and Robbie. Lucy means "light." Becks was named after one of my best friends. Cecelia means "blind one." Robbie is derived from Robert and means "famous."
