Just as it says. Ten snapshots of the relationship between Valerie Frizzle and Archibald Seedplot, of varying times in their relationship.
FYI: When I originally wrote the first one down on paper, Archibald was a bigger dork.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Magic School Bus.
Snapshots:
I:
"This is my wife. She's almost seven months pregnant."
The camera focused in on the red-haired woman as she finished up with the dishes. She suppressed a smile as her green eyes made contact with the camcorder and instead passed off an air of annoyance at the man who was her husband.
"Archibald, what are you doing?" Valerie sighed in mock-exasperation, shaking her head for added effect. The view widened to show her obvious, pregnant profile. Archibald raised his eyebrows behind his glasses and peeked around the camcorder he held in his hands.
"I decided to document just how wacky we are so our daughter--"
"--Or son--"
"--or son knows that we haven't changed with the birth."
II:
A pad of paper with many names crossed off sat on the coffee table. It was forgotten in the debate that was occurring between the two adults on the couch nearby.
"How about Florida, Montana, Arizona?" He suggested, but she was quick to shoot them down.
"I'm not naming our child after a state," Valerie scolded. "Next you'll want to name our son Washington." Archibald snorted. "First of all, people would be expecting a state-named baby from you."
Valerie's lips twisted in a grin. "We each have our crazy side; it's what makes us perfect for each other."
"Second of all," Archibald began, pulling the expectant mother onto his lap, "What makes you think we won't have a girl?"
She kissed him on the lips. "What makes you think we won't have a boy?"
III:
They decided to paint the room pastel yellow, with pink and blue baby footprints serving as a mid-wall border. They undertook the project when Valerie was about three months in; they'd bought the paint the previous weekend and made a day of it.
Archibald wouldn't let her do any of the straining and let her paint the bottom half of the room while he used the ladder to paint the upper half. Liz helped too, but her job soon became one of shepherding the two cats out of the room and away from the paint troughs. An unusually warm spring breeze blew in through the window and the husband and wife found that they kept getting sidetracked.
"There's paint on your nose." Valerie stated, using a slender finger she used to make one of the blue footprints to purposely smear a dab of color onto Archibald's nose.
"So that's how it's going to be?" He smiled, and then went after her with his pink-coated finger.
IV:
"Isaac Robert Seedplot."
Valerie and Archibald shared a look between one another as their son approached the podium. Both had begun growing gray with age, and faint age lines creased their faces. Archibald noted the tears at the corners of her eyes and her wide smile, and gave her hand a small squeeze.
Only then did she let the tears of joy and pride fall down her cheeks, turning to look at their son as he held his diploma up for his parents to see.
V:
Archibald sprinted after her through the field next to their home, his grasp on her hand never wavering. Their combined laughter reached towards the clear blue sky above until they collapsed amongst a bed of bright yellow dandelions. Valerie had pulled him on top of her, so he had landed carefully and supported most of his weight on his hands and knees.
Their laughter subsided and he took in the sight of her ringed by the dandelions. They were such a bright flower despite being nothing but "weeds", but they reminded Archibald of his bright and bubbly girlfriend.
VI:
He'd played one too many death metal songs and she kept the bed cluttered with scraps of paper and pieces of inventions she'd been working on. So she'd locked herself in the bedroom to grumble and then mope; he'd gone out to the garden to pull weeds and to cool off.
She was so used to working on things in the bed at night; it was like a habit of reading before bed or drinking a glass of warm milk. She knew it bothered him but she never changed and she honestly didn't like the heavier, noisier stuff he liked to listen to.
Valerie looked up when she heard the tapping on the bedroom window; he smiled and held up a pot of dandelions. He knew they were her favorite flower, because they reminded her of spring and summer and the sun.
VII:
She looked so beautiful in her long white gown, escorted gracefully down the aisle by her loving father. Archibald made eye contact with his imminent father-in-law and saw all of the emotions present.
"I love my daughter so much."
'I know; I love her too.'
"Don't even think about hurting her. Ever."
'I would never.'
"I'll send her eight brothers after you."
'No need to worry, Mr. Frizzle. Valerie is too precious to let go.'
Without saying a word, the two men had communicated all that needed to be said by the time the bride had reached the altar.
VIII:
Archibald landed in the fountain in the town square on their first official "date", soaking his good clothes. He sputtered as water dripped off his hair and into his face; he heard her beautiful laughter ring out. He looked at her offered hand through the water droplets that rolled down his glasses. She had on a casual pink button-up blouse with a matching flower-patterned skirt, and simple hoop earrings. It all seemed pretty normal for her, but covering the outside did nothing to dampen her personality.
With a devious smirk he'd grabbed her hand and pulled her down into the fountain with him, eliciting a shriek and then a peal of laughter.
IX:
Their honeymoon activity of choice, aside from the obvious, involved hiking up a mountain trail to the base of the ranger station. They loved observing nature and the view from the top of the mountain, so their idea of camping for their honeymoon getaway was obvious to them. They'd brought mountain bikes, but used them mainly for quick transportation between the campsite and the base of the mountain.
He pulled Valerie close to him, a few strands of her red hair tickling his nose with the breezes, and looked out over the valley and small lakes below. They were speechless at the beauty, and hoped to take in as much of it as possible before they had to head back down the mountain.
X:
She'd fallen asleep against Archibald's shoulder during the movie. He never noticed when it finished or when the tape rewound inside the VCR, content enough to recline against the pillows on the couch and let Valerie continue napping with a sleeping Liz in her arms.
She looked innocent and her breath tickled his neck. He nuzzled closer to her, inhaling the scent of her hair, and she cuddled closer to him.
(End)