In the evening, Breandan took me to the bridge a few miles from the town.
It was there that we married, an affair completely different from my first wedding. I wore the same clothes, yes--the same dress and hair I wore as a bridesmaid so long ago--but nothing else was the same.
Our wedding was held on the bridge, surrounded by snow and listening to the pounding of the waterfall. The river passed beneath us, rippling quietly. In that moment, no one existed but Breandan and me.
And, in that moment, being alone with Breandan was fine with me.
"Ready to go home?" he asked after a long while. It had been hours, we knew, and the kids couldn't be on their own for long--it was Coral's birthday--but I didn't want to leave.
"Fine," I sighed, "but you're going to have to carry me."
He scooped me up in his arms without hesitation. "I can handle that."
I made it to the nursery moments before Coral's birthday, only to find a strange transformation coming over me, too . . .
At the same moment Coral blossomed into a beautiful child, I spun into my maternity wear! Which just goes to show that one should probably be married within a few days of
trying.
I found Breandan right away, and we spent the next few hours celebrating. Please note the deer behind us--only in Dragon Valley, I tell you! I'm starting to enjoy all the wildlife, however. They certainly lend an atmosphere to the mystical town.
And when I say celebrate, I mean
celebrate. It was a good thing I was already pregnant, or we may have made a few more babies that night! (
Hint hint, hint hint!)
Meanwhile, Coral figured out her wardrobe. She's an active, energetic little girl with an eye for mischief.
This pregnancy was by far my easiest. It isn't that Quinn wasn't excited every time, but we were so poor that he had to work constantly to make up for my maternity leave. Breandan, on the other hand, is making enough money to have a less stressful work-week.
It's so wonderful to have him around. In this pregnancy, with Quinn gone, I can't help but remember all the scandals of the old house. Grace was cheating on Jason with Dad, Jason cheated on Grace with Treasure, Dad was sleeping with just about everyone, including his mother-in-law who became my mother, then Mum died and Grace and Dad married, becoming the first perfect couple in Moonstone history . . . and somehow, it all worked out in the end. Insane, right?
Just seeing how happy my new mum is can convince me that love always does find a way to make everyone happy.
She and Dad just had their second daughter, Alecia. Or third, if you count me! Breandan spent the entire visit playing with his sister-in-law.
I next visited Aliya. She and Mason moved to a nicer house, and are trying to have a baby! I've always wanted my kids to have a big extended family--it just makes everything that much happier.
Have I mentioned how thoughtful Breandan was? While I was at Aliya's, he researched the family lineage, discovered that, although our line began in Moonlight Falls, Cassandra's branch started in Lunar Lakes. That's how he decided to build the study! Isn't it lovely?
A study is exactly what we needed, too. Breandan and I can spend hours playing chess, or I write and he paints. Our income is growing, slowly but surely.
Besides, he also built a private bathroom right next door.
In other news: Coral seems to have made a new, cute friend! I only got a glimpse of him as he and the children played tag, but Breandan said he looked like his brother Kearney's son. Perhaps we'll have some more O'Shea blood in the family soon!
They also met Joshua Moonstone in school. He's Treasure and Jason's son. An adorable child, right?
And little Carolina, Mum and Dad's older child.
