Marc doesn't need passwords. He's just that awesome. 
And I like how you handled this update, made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. (I've been reading this since it began, long time fan here.)
Marc
is just that awesome. He is so much fun to play and has shaped up to be one of my favorite household members. Thank you for your kind words. I was a little worried given that Iris is usually the one with the fun updates. Glad you enjoy.
I think you did a good job with this update. You managed to weave the humor in with the serious emotions, and I think it's suitable for the Bunches. 
Thanks. Mixing drama and light humor has never been a strong suit of mine. It's usually one or the other, but with Iris it had to be both. At first I was going to switch it and have Holly as the writer, but that would have been two very serious chapters in a row...and I needed to lighten things up.
And now, onward!
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Chapter 58 - Babies, Blazes, and BirthdaysBefore I get into anything else, let me first introduce you to the newest member of the family. Everyone, this is Felicia Anne Sekemoto, my brand new and ridiculously adorable niece.
Congratulations, Kenji and Karina. She has to be one of the prettiest babies I've ever seen.
All right, I have to brag on my brother. Kenji just got promoted to pastry chef at the restaurant and was recently lauded in the newspaper as
the hot new chef of the year. His whole cake shop idea hasn't gotten off the ground quite yet, though. Right now he has more important things on his mind, namely 2 a.m. feedings and diaper changes.
Welcome to fatherhood, little bro.
My two little sweethearts had their first birthday a few months after their cousin was born.
Other than the hair Hadrian and Celestine are nearly identical. Both of them have inherited the trademark Sekemoto eyes and nose and their grandma Bella's striking amber eye color.
Aren't they just precious? My sweet babies...
Andrew barely made it home in time for their birthday. From what he was told his unit will remain in Sunset Valley at least through the new year. I could just hug his commanding officer for that. (I would anyway—it's uncle Mike). It's not easy being a soldier's wife; I miss my husband terribly when he is deployed, and now that the twins are at the potty-training stage, well...
Let's just say that I'm glad Andrew will be around for a while. He's such an amazing daddy.
And I'm such a lucky girl.
I finally was able to go back to work a few months after the munchkins were born. After nearly ten months of leave I was anxious to get back into the swing of things. It was nice to return to the firehouse, even if my first emergency hit a little too close to home.
I had to rescue my mother-in-law.
Thankfully Bella pulled through without injury, but my heart would not stop racing for hours after the fact. I don't even want to think about what could have happened if I had arrived only a few minutes later. Now more than ever I'm convinced that I made the right choice in profession, even if Mom and Grandma continue to worry about me on a daily basis.
Grandma is doing decently well, all things considered. The twins' birthday was particularly bittersweet for her since it also marked the one-year anniversary of Granddad's passing. Every day seems to get a little easier, though. She just loves being around the babies, and they just love being around their Nana.
Celestine in particular seems to have taken a shining to her. While she's not exactly talking yet, she does babble something along the lines of “Nanananananana” whenever Grandma is around. It's really cute.
So between the twins and my new niece both Mom and Grandma are in nooboo nirvana...and it looks like aunt Darlene is about to join in on the fun again as well.
No, you're not seeing things. Iris is pregnant.
For years she and Timothy swore that they only wanted the one child. They were perfectly happy just having Marcus, and with their son nearing his eighteenth birthday it seemed a foregone conclusion that they would not be having any more children. Fate, it seemed, had drastically different plans. I could say that I was surprised...but that would be a total lie. I mean really, as romantic as the two of them are I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner.
Timothy is completely over the moon about it all.
Iris...not so much, at least at first.
She was absolutely miserable for the first three months. And I thought I had it bad with the twins.
Once the morning sickness finally subsided Iris was much more cheerful about the whole thing, though she was definitely a bit shocked that she was in her mid-forties and expecting a baby. “It runs in the family,” aunt Darlene said. She of course had Amaya late, and apparently great-grandma Judy had her youngest even later.
Life is about to get that much more hectic. As granddad used to say, “Life is crazy if you're a Bunch.” Funny how that still holds true even after a couple of generations.
Before we knew it it was time for another pair of birthdays—this time my younger cousins...or however they're related to me.
Wait...didn't I write about their birthdays once before? When they turned five, I think. Wow, that seems like forever ago. I can't believe that they're grown up. (Heck, sometimes I can't believe that
I'm grown up.)
Graduation, as it has always been in this household, was a hectic affair. Trying to get thirteen people anywhere at the same time is a feat in itself, but then add the fact that two of them are toddlers and need all manner of diaper bags and pacifiers for the four-hour event. Top that off with Amaya refusing to leave until she had
every last hair in place and you have one heck of a crazy morning on your hands.
It was all worth the trouble though...even
if Andrew had to change a messy diaper in the middle of it.
Marcus, not surprisingly, graduated as valedictorian and was voted “Most Likely to Hack the Military Base”. Iris and Timothy had a good laugh about it, that is until they noticed Marcus's rather guilty-looking grin.
“You
didn't.”
“I'm not saying a word.”
Amaya was only slightly miffed that she didn't make valedictorian. She was far more excited about winning the “Most Artistic” award.
Timothy and Iris were the typical proud parents, as were aunt Darlene and uncle Malcolm. I think that my aunt and uncle were mostly relieved, actually. Now that Amaya is finally out of school they will be able to do more in the way of travel. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if they already have a vacation booked.
(Edit: Yep—two weeks in Hidden Springs. - Darlene)Marcus wasted no time in making his career choice. Not two days later he was at the precinct attending a seminar on investigation techniques. He hopes to be able to get his Private Investigator's license within a few months. In the meantime he has been hitting the study material pretty hard...
...that is when my step-cousin isn't around. I'm not one to speculate, but I'm thinking this might be going somewhere good.
As for Amaya, well...I'm not exactly sure
what's going on with her, actually. She's been pretty quiet lately and we rarely see her except for when she is going over to the Frio place or when Roman comes over here.
Mostly Amaya just hangs out in her room at her drafting table, sketching fashion ideas and making heart-shaped doodles. Believe it or not she has actually made some money from her sketches (the doodles not so much). Beyond that is pretty much anyone's guess.
Ah well, it's not my business to pry.
And on that note, I hear a very unhappy toddler screaming from the nursery. Sounds like it's time for another diaper change.
Man will I be glad when they're potty trained...
Later,
Zoey
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(A/N:
Wow, are the Sekemoto genes ever strong, and apparently so is Holly's hair color.
Iris had the worst morning sickness I've seen yet in any of my saves. She was ill a total of
six times. The worst I had seen previously was Zoey with four, but otherwise everyone else has been just once or twice.)
