All is Good- Baby 52

I quickly aged up Toffee and Caramel. Toffee had mysterious green skin and even more mysterious brown hair. Caramel, the little nose picker, inherited his father's unique blue and pink hair and my skin tone. They looked nothing alike, but still loved each other like all the twins before them did.

Soon after, there was a knock at the door. "Coming!" I exclaimed as I walked toward them. "Who is it?"

"Um... pizza delivery!" the man shouted. His voice seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn't place where I had heard it.

"I didn't order pizza. Maybe one of the kids did, though," I sighed. "I told them to ask me before they did." I reached towards the door knob, twisted it and revealed Jesse. I immediately tried to slam the door in his face, but he stopped it with his foot.

"Just let me explain, okay?" He forced his way through and looked me up and down before smiling. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who Jessica is. I've been thinking about it ever since you kicked me out."

I sighed. "Don't play stupid, Jesse. This woman," I said, walking over to where I kept the picture, pulling it out and shoving it in his face. He grabbed it, looked it over and a look of recognition washed over his face.

Jesse suddenly started to laugh. "Paisley, this is an old girlfriend of mine. The wallet you found this in was an old one that I had from college. I forgot to clean it out before I began using it again. I swear I haven't spoken to her since we graduated. I love you, and only you."

I was very easily convinced, although I wished I wasn't. "How do I know I can believe you?" I asked.

"You don't. But you can trust me, or at least try." He slightly smiled and looked at me pleadingly.

I sighed and said, "Fine, you can move your stuff back in tomorrow."

Why was I letting him off so easy, you ask? Well, I believed him. I knew the difference between his lying and ... truth-ing faces and that was his... truth-ing face. I also still loved him, even when I thought he was cheating on me.

The next order of business was to call Skye and tell her my discoveries. I just had to hope that she wouldn't be too angry at me still. When I called her she answered with a sarcastic voice. My Skye was back! "I'm sorry I blew up at you like that. Jess told me what happened, and I know that I was being totally unreasonable. If he had been cheating on you, it was his fault the relationship ended, not yours. I'm sorry."

I smiled widely. I was then happy for two reasons: Skye was no longer mad at me, and I had never been right before in an argument with her!

Shortly after this phone call, Laura ran into the kitchen (where I had been speaking to my best friend) and just by the look on her face I knew that she wanted something. "What is it?"

She stuck out her tongue and linked her hands behind her back. "Well, since you asked," she began, exaggerating her words. "I want to go to a concert!"

"Of course you have my permission," I said as I began to walk around the house, picking up the messes my various kids had created.

"Yeah... That's not the problem." She scampered behind me, struggling to keep up with my fast pace. I stopped short, causing her to trip over my feet, which sent her flying to her butt. When she recomposed herself, she continued, "I need money."

I sighed and rubbed my neck. "Why is that the only thing I seem to be good for to my children? Why not ask for undying love and devotion? THAT I will give away for FREE."

"I'm sorry Mom, but you know how being a teenager is."

"When is this concert?"

"Next week," she said, curious as to why I was asking.

"Well, if you want to go to this concert, you need to pay for it yourself." Her mouth dropped and I smirked. 

"I'm sorry Laura, but you know how being a teenager is," I mimicked her. "Pay for it yourself or you don't go."

"And just how am I supposed to get money?"

I thought about this for a minute and simply said, "Bake sale."

She almost looked offended when those words left my mouth. "But... I can't bake!"

I chuckled, a sound that almost seemed evil. "I know of two twins that would love to help their older sister, and they love to bake."

She winked at me and said, "Gotcha." Laura walked away with that and I knew that I made the right decision. This way, the three of them could bond while she learned a bit of responsibility. I also wasn't disappointing her by telling her "no" to the concert.

*~Laura's Point of View~*

Within an hour we had a bake sale all planned out. Midnight was in charge of baking since she wanted to be a chef when she grew up, and Platinum was going to run the stand. I would've done it myself, but who was going to buy sugar coated goodness from a teenage girl? Yeah, a cute little boy would draw more attention. Hopefully not the "Hey kid, I have candy in my van" kind of attention, though...

Once we had it all set up, I set out a chair and some lemonade on a table next to me. I thought I'd have some cups on hand for Midnight and Platinum for when they got hot or thirsty, but I'd also throw in a free drink with the purchase of our baked goods! Maybe that would attract more people! Ha! What did Mom know? I was responsible!

We started at about twelve and by six o' clock, the twins were hot and tired. I tipped over the money jar to inspect the contents. Not much green, unless you counted the minty looking gum that some jerk decided to throw in. After counting the cash, I realized that it was going to take much, much more than a local bake sale to earn enough money for a concert ticket. Either we'd have to go global with our stand, or I'd have to figure something else out.

I helped the kids take down the stand and stored our earnings safely inside my room. I only had a week to get enough to pay for my ticket, and there really wasn't much I could do at the last minute to earn more. As I pondered about this, there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and there was Platinum, staring at me with his big, green eyes. "Sup?" he said, oh-so-casually, flipping a coin into the air while smirking. I raised a peach colored brow and he smirked. "I know of a way for you to get some doe." He had shady sun glasses on and had a look of pure sneakiness on his face.

"And that would be?" I urged.

"We'll work out the details later, but let's just say if I can get you the money, you owe me a favor." His tone of voice was actually rather creepy, but I was desperate at that point.

"Stop playing mob boss and get serious here. How are you of all people going to get me money? You're like two."

He scoffed. "Does it matter how I get the money? I do things you never would guess in my free time, and I have some extra cash up my sleeve. You feel me?"

I choked back a laugh. "Yeah... I think so. This seems shady to me, but at this point I don't really care. Where's the greens?"

"Expect the package at your door by eleven tomorrow," he said simply and walked off. "And remember," he said, poking his red head back in the door, "you owe me."

I didn't know what to think about that exchange, but what I did know was I was going to a concert in a week! I did have my suspicions about where that kid got the money, but he was like eleven. Unless he had some serious issues, he didn't obtain it... illegally.

The next morning, at eleven on the dot, there was a knock on my bedroom door. I opened it to reveal a shoe box that read "aforementioned package." Where this kid got his brain from was beyond me, but I really didn't care. I scooped up the box and poured its contents onto the bottom bunk. I counted in my head to find exactly enough money for the ticket. I grinned widely. I didn't know what Platinum would want later on, but I'd deal with that later. For then I had to pick out an outfit to wear to the concert!

*~Paisley's Point of View~*

Somehow, and I really don't know how, but Laura came up with the money to attend her show. I knew that Platinum probably had something to do with it, but didn't question it. As long as I didn't have to get involved, all was good.

Jesse had stopped working so much after the "Jessica incident" and started spending more time with me and the kids. He taught Caramel how to walk, talk and potty while I did the same for Toffee. Once we had that all over and done with, Laura approached me with another one of those looks on her face. "Madre?" she asked, faking her best Spanish accent. "I have something I'd like to ask you."

"What is it this time?" I sighed. "Please no money requests."

She giggled. "No, nothing like that. It's just, all my friends know how to drive and I still take the bus to school. I don't know if you know this, but the bus is the nerdy way to get to school, especially when on the same bus as your little siblings. I love those kids, I assure you, but I have a reputation to uphold."

Laura was head cheerleader at her school, and her "reputation" meant everything to her, so I reluctantly agreed. I knew I had to teach her at some point, but I was hoping to put it off until the last second like I usually did.

We got in the car and at first the ride was mostly start and stop, but within about four hours of stressfulness for me, she was a pro at it. One thing was for sure: she learned fast.

A week passed and I realized that I wasn't pregnant yet. So, I got onto the challenge father website and found the perfect man for the job. He had turquoise hair, matching eyes and an extremely delicate looking nose. Apparently his name was Elmo Winter. 

I went down to the agency to pick up his contribution to the baby making process and once I was finished with the whole... impregnating thing, I went about cleaning up the house. It took me only about an hour to have my home spotless and dinner on the table, but once I was done, I sat down on a beanbag in the basement and relaxed to a little anime.

That was, of course, until Caramel tripped down the stairs. I jumped up from my seat and ran over to him. Sweeping him into my arms, I kissed his head and asked him if he was okay. "I otay mama," he said in his adorable little baby voice. "Pway wif me?"

I couldn't resist his precious little smile, so I raised my hand and said in my most playfully threatening voice I could muster up, "What is this? I think you know! It's. The. CLAW!" I shaped my hand into the said "monster" and brought it down, ticking his stomach. He giggled up a storm, causing me to smile. By eight o' clock, both my boys were sleepy so I laid them in their cribs. Laura was at the concert and Midnight and Platinum were playing happily in the basement, so it was my hope that Caramel and Toffee would fall right asleep so I could have some time to myself, but only Caramel fell asleep quickly.

Toffee needed a bedtime story to coax him into his dreamland. I brought out Green Eggs and Ham and read to him until his eyes fluttered closed. I put the book back and walked up the stairs to the top floor. I was torn between the massage chair, which was in one room, or Jesse, who was in the room next to it. I decided on the chair and was almost instantly asleep when I laid my head on it.

In the morning, I made breakfast for the kids and ushered them off to the bus. Laura asked me if she could use the car, and I couldn't resist. She did, after all, have a "reputation" to uphold. I just hoped that I didn't have anywhere to go while she was at school. My stomach was protruding slightly, but not enough that I couldn't go about my daily chores.

I woke up Caramel, changed him and set him in his highchair. I ground up some of the leftover pancakes and poured the contents into a bowl. I set it in front of him and went to repeat this process for Toffee. After the kids were fed and playing merrily in the nursery, I realized that I had yet to see Jesse that morning. It was about nine by then and Jess was usually up at that point. I walked upstairs to see him still sleeping. "Lazy bones," I muttered under my breath, ripping the covers off of him. He flailed around in bed for a minute until waking up fully and noticing me towering over him.

"Well hey there. Whatcha doin'?" he asked innocently. I pulled him up, he got ready and headed off to work. We somehow managed to find a stable place in our lives that consisted of him spending a third of his energy on work, a third on me and a third on the kids. I was especially glad that I didn't have to raise my kids alone.

The third day into my pregnancy, I went into labor as I was taking a shower and gave birth to Erik Parker, a beautiful, healthy little boy.

Sorry that Paisley's pregnancies have been rushed these past few posts. Soon you'll be able to see the penguin waddle that we all know and love, sported by our dear orange top.