Generation 1.10

Despite the busy life of a mother of two, I’m incredibly proud with how my garden has grown and expanded. I now have plants of just about every known variety, though I’ve gotten word from someone at the Science Facility that tells me there might be a way to grow . . . unexpected harvestables. I’m not sure it’s possible to grow a ‘cheese bush,’ but the idea is definitely intriguing. I’ll be looking into that idea in the near future.

Honey Dew’s first day of school came and went. She was very eager to get started, craving the knowledge as well as wanting something different to do with her days, I think. We still didn’t have much in the way of recreation at our home, at least none that involved staying indoors, which is where Honey preferred to spend her time.

Honey came home that day and got started right away on her homework, something that hasn’t changed since. She’s the first child I’ve ever seen who actually seems to enjoy it. I can’t complain, of course, it saves me from having to keep up after her about it. 

((Please disregard the stairs behind Honey in this shot, as it borks up my continuity, lolz))

Meanwhile, between the two of us, Sunglow and I did our best to get Lemon Tart started on her skill learning. She didn’t take as quickly to the potty as Honey Dew had, but she was such a mild-mannered little thing that teaching it wasn’t all that difficult either.

Learning to talk was an adventure as well. Lemon was very curious and easily distracted, but we always managed to have fun with it.

We loved our second daughter as much as our first, it’s safe to say. Lemon Tart brought her own unique light and charm to the family, and we couldn’t imagine life without her.

Unlike her big sister, Lemon enjoyed being outside with me while I gardened. She would often sit in the grass and watch as I worked with the plants, her little face rapt.

Though she also loved watching her daddy play in the sprinklers like a little kid, too. His antics would make her peal with laughter and it was such an infectious sound that I couldn’t help but join them half the time.

Honey was usually busy doing her own things, mostly involving school somehow. Recently she took an extra-curricular trip to the Stadium for credit at school.

Honey told me about it afterward, saying that it was neat watching her father play. She was far more excited about the extra credit she’d be receiving at school however. Honey was certainly a unique little girl, there was no denying that.

One evening Honey invited over a friend from school. I was busy teaching Lemon to walk in the nursery, so I’m not entirely sure what was said.

But apparently the little girl, Clover Mint, had a rather low opinion of our simple home. I guess her parents were pretty well off as far as money goes, and she was used to the nicer things. Clover didn’t stay for long after getting a good look at our house. I certainly couldn’t have cared less, but unfortunately the damage was done for poor Honey Dew.

After that night Honey began complaining loudly and often about our way of life.

“Aurgh! This stupid sink is broken again! I hate it here! I hate being poor!”

“Honey,” I tried to soothe and admonish at the same time. “We live modestly, sure, but we’re far from poor, hun.”

“We’re poor!” she insisted stubbornly, with the certainty of logic that only a child could possess. “Everyone at school has their own computer, we don’t even have one! I have to share the nursery with my little sister so I get woken up every other hour by her screaming for no reason. It’s pathetic!”

At that point Honey Dew stormed off into the nursery and slammed the door behind her. I probably should have punished such behavior, but the truth was I was feeling far too guilty to notice.

Were we so bad off? I didn’t think we were wanting for anything, but obviously my daughter thought far differently. I brought it up that night with Sunglow, asking if he thought we were poor, and he sighed.

“We’re not that bad off, Nilla Bean. All things considered I think we’re doing great. Honey’s just got different tastes than we do, is all, and she’s too young to understand that not everyone can afford the things that some of her friends have. She does have a point about sharing the nursery with Lemon, though,” he admitted with a thoughtful frown. “It’s not fair for her to lose sleep when Lemon’s feeling cranky. We’ve got a pretty decent-sized nest egg saved up from your harvests and my promotion to Rookie. I think we might be able to afford to put a second-floor on the house, what do you think? That way Honey Dew could have her own room.”

I thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “I think that sounds like a plan.”

“In fact,” Sunglow continued, his voice going husky with a familiar intent that made me grin, “with a second floor on the house we’d have plenty of room for, say, another little Palette to join our brood. What do you think of that?”

I gave him a questioning look, eyebrow raised. “You want another baby?”

“Sure,” he confirmed readily enough. “We can afford it, I think. And I love my girls, make no mistake . . . but I’d really like to have a little boy, too.”

“Hm-m,” I murmured, pretending to mull it over. “I’m really going to have to think about this . . . .”

Sunglow’s eyes narrowed, betraying the playful twinkle in them. “Think about it, huh?” he growled, right before grabbing me around the waist and tugging my now-wildly laughing self beneath the covers.

Weeks later, I found myself back in an all-too-familiar position. Looks like we would soon have baby number three on the way.

((There we are! Next installment complete. I might have enough for one or two more updates, but after that I’ll have to wait until Story Progression gets updated in order to continue. Shouldn’t take longer than a week, though. Oh, and in case anyone’s wondering, it’s absolutely a coincidence that Sunglow ends up half-naked in almost every shot that he’s in . . . completely a coincidence . . . *shifty eyes* ))