This is not necessarily what I'd like to see happen if FK
were to end, but I couldn't resist...  It's also my first
attempt at posting, so feedback would be  welcome.  Many thanks to
Lillian Feden for her editorial comments.
Constructive criticism, praise or flames (yikes!) to
jtkirby@mcs.com.
 
Domestic Tranquility
A Forever Not Challenge Story
by Jill Kirby
 
Near Toronto, 2001
 
Natalie lay in bed, too tired to open her eyes but knowing
she should.  Early mornings were the only time she had to
herself any more - before anyone woke up and started
asking for juice, or coffee, or cartoons.  She treasured her
little bit of solitude, even if it  sometimes marred by
morning sickness these days.
 
She swung her feet off the bed, into her slippers, and
wrapped a robe around herself as she stumbled gracelessly
downstairs towards the kitchen.  She slammed her toe on
the piano as she went through the living room.  Ouch.
They really needed to move the piano to the corner of the
room, and acoustics be damned.
 
Sidney mewled softly at her from his perch on top of the
kitchen counter.  She'd better feed him before she went in
search of saltines and started the coffee.  "Good
morning to you, too."  Sidney loved the mornings as much
as she did.  It was the only time that he got her undivided
affection without a small hand pulling at his fur or trying to
dress him up.  Natalie kissed him on the top of his head as
he purred at her touch.  "What a good boy you are."
 
Sidney fed, coffee started, and apple juice and saltines in hand, she
sat at the kitchen table and let her face bask in the sun
streaming through the sliding glass door.  She was so happy
that it frightened her sometimes.  Since she had found The
Cure six years ago - they always spoke about it as if it had
capital letters - her life had changed radically.  Married,
one-point-five kids, working days, and a big house in the
suburbs near Toronto.  She had never really wanted the
suburban lifestyle, but it suited her.  It suited all of them.
 
The day shift was a whole new ball game for Natalie, and
she loved it.  She'd become much more visible since she
stopped being a night owl, and had discovered a talent for
office politics that she'd never dreamed she had.  She had
been promoted twice in the last four years.  The last
promotion had brought an extremely healthy salary
increase, too.  Not that they needed the money - years of
accumulated vampire wealth made her salary insignificant -
but it did her professional ego good.
 
She had briefly considered quitting her job when she had
found out that munchkin number two was on the way, but they had
decided to hire some extra household help instead.  There
was certainly something to be said for unlimited financial
resources!
 
"Mommy?"
 
Natalie put her juice down and turned, smiling, as a curly-
headed four-year-old in Snoopy pajamas came into the
kitchen.  "Good morning, sweetie.  You're up early."  She
enveloped him in a big hug, as always marveling at how
beautiful he was.
 
He wormed his way onto what was left of her lap - and he
only had a few more weeks of that - and snuggled against
her.  "I tried to wake Daddy up, too."  His little face was
squished against her front, and his voice was muffled.
 
"Bet you didn't have much luck, hmm?"
 
"He's grumpy."  He sounded so bewildered that Natalie had
to smile, and she stroked the curls with extra gentleness.
 
"Daddy doesn't like mornings as much as we do, Richie.
We just have to be nice to him."
 
"And bring him coffee."
 
"And bring him  of coffee," agreed Natalie.  Richie,
having cuddled quite long enough for a four-year-old,
scrambled off her lap.  "Are you hungry?"  He shook his
head emphatically.  "You go put some socks on, and I'll
make you French toast."
 
He turned and ran upstairs, narrowly missing trampling
Sidney, and Natalie heaved herself out of the chair.  So
much for her morning alone, she thought as she opened the
fridge and scanned for eggs.  She'd have to add frozen
French toast to the shopping list - who had time to cook
from scratch?
 
The phone rang, startling her.  There was only one person it
could be at this hour - even her mother was still asleep.
"Hello there."
 
"Hello, Natalie."  Their relationship was finally ironed out;
they'd never be close but at least they weren't so awkward
with one another any more.  The Cure had not been quite
what  of them had expected.  "Is he up yet?"
 
"No..."  Gentle arms slipped around her waist, and made her smile.
"Correction.  Hold on a minute."  She turned and, standing on her tiptoes,
kissed her husband good morning.  "It's Nick."
 
"Good morning, Nicholas."  LaCroix put one hand over the
telephone mouthpiece.  "Is there any coffee made?"
 
***
END
Text file Source (historic): geocities.com/zoewolfson/val

geocities.com/zoewolfson

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