10th Ashan, 718
Faith was flustered.
It was rare that she was, the disciplined young woman usually faced pretty much everything with a sense of calm and an overwhelming self-control. Not this though, this was beyond everything else she'd ever experienced and she simply had no frame of reference for it. It felt like a calamity, disaster and the end of the world all rolled into one thing and she understood at a core level that she did not have the resources, skills or abilities to do it. She was flustered an in a state of crisis.
The crisis in question was, simply, that she was going back to work on the morrow.
It was too soon, she thought, but she knew that it wasn't. She was worried about leaving the twins, but equally she was craving adult company. She missed learning, teaching and all that went with it. So, she was excited, nervous and worried all in one. Which led to flustered. She'd told Padraig that she wanted to make sure that Cyrus, Katie and Luna were well looked after and that they had plenty to eat while they were looking after the twins. He'd been amused, she knew, though he'd done his best not to show it. Granted, she'd probably cooked enough for them to eat for a ten-trial and she was going in for a two-break-long meeting to discuss her return. So, he'd nodded his head and agreed as she'd explained all that she'd prepared for them to eat, that she'd arranged for Tina to come, in case the twins were hungry, though she'd feed them before she left so they shouldn't be. But just in case, she'd said, what if the meeting over ran? Or someone called in sick and that meant she was required to cover a class? It was a Very Serious Thought and the slightest consideration that Noah and Madison might go hungry because of her lack of planning?
It was not acceptable.
So, she'd asked him to pop out and pick up a few things. Some more eggs, and maybe just.. actually, she knew her husband too well to think he'd remember. He had an excellent memory, but if it wasn't something he was paying attention to? Not so much. So, she'd written a list, given him a perfunctory kiss on the cheek and turned back to what she was doing. But then, as he was pulling on his coat, she'd come back over and kissed him again and there was nothing perfunctory about it. "Thank you," she said, softly, "I just need to not worry. Or, as little as I can. I'll get better, I promise you." She paused, seemed to consider and added with an apparently entirely serious gaze, "Or, of course, I'll go slowly mad and end up a twitching mass in the corner. But I doubt it." Faith smiled and then got back to what she was doing.
While he was gone, she could do no more preparation and so she lay a clean blanket down on the floor and played there with the babies. They were 44 trials old and she was amazed at the changes in them both. Both had very clear, very different personalities and she pulled out some of the toys that she'd made and looked at the two of them laying there. Noah, so determined and scrappy, was reaching for the small cloth cube just out of his reach. Madison, though, she watched her brother curiously. The wolf pups, Starr and Nova, were a permanent thing, now and Faith inched the cube just a little closer to Noah, "There, go on, there... that's it, clever boy! Isn't he clever, Madison? Oh, oh!" She talked to them both and didn't notice quite how long Padraig was taking.
Or, she didn't notice until they'd played a while, then she'd changed both babes, fed them and put them in their crib. She had just put them down when she heard him walking in the door. She beamed at the sound, standing up to meet him. "You've been an age, is everything alright?" Faith asked, lacing up her shirt as she came to meet him. He was carrying no shopping and had a distinctly pleased with himself look on his face. "Did you get the things?" It had to be said, she asked that last with a raised eyebrow and an expression which told him that she suspected the answer was no.
It was rare that she was, the disciplined young woman usually faced pretty much everything with a sense of calm and an overwhelming self-control. Not this though, this was beyond everything else she'd ever experienced and she simply had no frame of reference for it. It felt like a calamity, disaster and the end of the world all rolled into one thing and she understood at a core level that she did not have the resources, skills or abilities to do it. She was flustered an in a state of crisis.
The crisis in question was, simply, that she was going back to work on the morrow.
It was too soon, she thought, but she knew that it wasn't. She was worried about leaving the twins, but equally she was craving adult company. She missed learning, teaching and all that went with it. So, she was excited, nervous and worried all in one. Which led to flustered. She'd told Padraig that she wanted to make sure that Cyrus, Katie and Luna were well looked after and that they had plenty to eat while they were looking after the twins. He'd been amused, she knew, though he'd done his best not to show it. Granted, she'd probably cooked enough for them to eat for a ten-trial and she was going in for a two-break-long meeting to discuss her return. So, he'd nodded his head and agreed as she'd explained all that she'd prepared for them to eat, that she'd arranged for Tina to come, in case the twins were hungry, though she'd feed them before she left so they shouldn't be. But just in case, she'd said, what if the meeting over ran? Or someone called in sick and that meant she was required to cover a class? It was a Very Serious Thought and the slightest consideration that Noah and Madison might go hungry because of her lack of planning?
It was not acceptable.
So, she'd asked him to pop out and pick up a few things. Some more eggs, and maybe just.. actually, she knew her husband too well to think he'd remember. He had an excellent memory, but if it wasn't something he was paying attention to? Not so much. So, she'd written a list, given him a perfunctory kiss on the cheek and turned back to what she was doing. But then, as he was pulling on his coat, she'd come back over and kissed him again and there was nothing perfunctory about it. "Thank you," she said, softly, "I just need to not worry. Or, as little as I can. I'll get better, I promise you." She paused, seemed to consider and added with an apparently entirely serious gaze, "Or, of course, I'll go slowly mad and end up a twitching mass in the corner. But I doubt it." Faith smiled and then got back to what she was doing.
While he was gone, she could do no more preparation and so she lay a clean blanket down on the floor and played there with the babies. They were 44 trials old and she was amazed at the changes in them both. Both had very clear, very different personalities and she pulled out some of the toys that she'd made and looked at the two of them laying there. Noah, so determined and scrappy, was reaching for the small cloth cube just out of his reach. Madison, though, she watched her brother curiously. The wolf pups, Starr and Nova, were a permanent thing, now and Faith inched the cube just a little closer to Noah, "There, go on, there... that's it, clever boy! Isn't he clever, Madison? Oh, oh!" She talked to them both and didn't notice quite how long Padraig was taking.
Or, she didn't notice until they'd played a while, then she'd changed both babes, fed them and put them in their crib. She had just put them down when she heard him walking in the door. She beamed at the sound, standing up to meet him. "You've been an age, is everything alright?" Faith asked, lacing up her shirt as she came to meet him. He was carrying no shopping and had a distinctly pleased with himself look on his face. "Did you get the things?" It had to be said, she asked that last with a raised eyebrow and an expression which told him that she suspected the answer was no.