Emmett joined our household flawlessly. The first thing we did was get him into some decent clothes. He'd lived his whole life as a homeless babysitter around Monte Vista, which explains his winter gym shorts. He kept the hair we've all come to associate him with, and we didn't dress him in his favorite color (hot pink), but overall, it's an improvement.
Goopy, I think slightly in guilt, has made a real effort to make friends with him. We were surprised to learn the guy is a total kleptomaniac and aspires to join the criminal career. Whatever, I suppose. As long as he loves Ophelia. He confided to Goopy that he has a particular fondness for stealing laptops.
I've reached level 9 of my career. It's hard to stay focused on painting when my mind is really, really somewhere else most of the time.
To distract myself, I went ahead and bought out Venice Park and upgraded it into a fun family destination and wedding area.
The old folks at home keep being old. Remember how Uncle Ed's painting skills started to go a bit weird when he aged up? Well, I think Daddy's having the same problem.
His mind is still sharp enough, though. He and Goop spend hours in deep conversation or at the chess table.
"Them's some good genius genes," Ophelia always says.
He also takes Mom out on something like 40 dates per week now that she doesn't have to be glued to the computer all the time. It's pretty cute, I guess.
Carlotta has picked up a lot of hobbies in her spare time as an elder, when she's not flirting with Ed or harassing Goopy and I to procreate. She's an energetic woman. Which was why it was such a surprise, when it happened.
Mom, Uncle Ed, and I were the only ones home, and we dashed up as fast as we could. But, it was too late. For the first time, Grim visited the Classic household.
I've never heard so much pain come over my mother before. It broke my heart completely.
That night, several times, I was ill. The obvious explanation would be nerves over losing my beloved mother-in-law, quite suddenly that morning ... but, I think you all know what I was hoping for.
When I was jolted awake at 4AM by the knowledge that I was indeed going to have a nooboo, I couldn't hold in my excitement. Goopy was in the shower, getting ready for his shift at the hospital, and I barged right in and knocked on the glass.
"Goop! Get out here! It's important!"
"Hey, baby. Is that a new nightgown?"
Once he finally dragged himself out of the shower, I told him. To say he was excited would be a drastic understatement.
Mom and Dad were out on one of their dates, so I'd have to wait until later to tell them. I think they were comforting each other quite a lot over the loss of Carlotta.
Uncle Ed was comforting himself the best way he knew how.
We've been saving up quite a lot of money for the eventual rebuild of the house, but until we're ready for that to happen, we decided that Ophelia and I would switch rooms. She and Emmett would sleep in the lime green room, and we'd renovate my old bedroom into a master suite/nursery hybrid.
I grew bigger by the day.
When I was finally far enough in my pregnancy, I asked Goopy to find out the gender. He is a gene therapist, after all.
Well, guess what! It's a girl! Mom was thrilled.
She put her soft, warm hand on my belly. The hand that has penned so many masterpieces, she's a walking legend, and she looked up into my eyes with so much love. "It's the three of us, pea," she said. "Now and forever."
Ophelia is really excited too. She listens for to my tummy and pretends to hear the baby plotting its own supermax.
And I know she's wishing for one of her own.
She's kept me well fed, though. Pancakes and spaghetti and homemade ice cream as I get more and more humongous. She's a great friend.
As I suppose is predictable, I went into labor at the easel, on a full moon. I seem to have shocked Uncle Ed into some form of catatonia.
I ran to my mom. I wanted to be with her. I wanted to be as strong as she'd been, and I wanted my daughter to be born in the same room I was born in. The pain was nearly unbearable, and we didn't talk, but Mom stood by me, waiting it out.
When the sparkles came, and my daughter appeared in my arms, it was the happiest I've been this side of my snowcapped wedding.
Hello, Rosetta Classic. You're going to do great things.
