I don't have all the details of Victoria figured out, this story is as much for her as it is for Octavian (though I never intended it to be) but I think I'll make her 30. Having had Octavian at age 26, become a business mogul who knows when (prob 24) and been married since, let's say, 20, to Steve who is, in 1999, 32. That would mean she was born in 1969.

Little footprints in the sand quickly washed away when the storm started. It was the first of many storms that would virtually ruin Victoria Dawn Alexander's perfectly planned family vacation. The meteorologists had been terribly wrong and it was tempting to just give up and curse Jupiter. But she wasn't the give up type of person, never had been. And they'd been looking so forward to this vacation, at least, she had. She wanted to prove to the world, or at least to herself that her family was perfect. Everything she'd worked hard for was perfection. Her praetorship, her education, her business, her marriage, her family, it all had to be perfect. This vacation was not perfect.

Octavian was crying, Steve's eyes said I told you so, and the electricity had already almost gone out. She would sue if her cabin lost electricity for good. It didn't help that Octavian was scared of the thunder. She picked him up and held him close, murmuring soothingly. She wasn't as good at the soothing part, but if she wanted their vacation to go seamlessly, the little boy needed to shut up.

"There there Octavian. Um... Hold on." She racked her brain for something to calm the frightened boy down. Her brain fixated on something that had calmed her down as a child when she'd been afraid of thunder. The words were nonsense, babble, she only really remembered the tune but it was working. As she sang he quieted and his tears stopped falling. She held him close against her chest and for a few brief moments felt the warmth of when her mother had sung to her. That had been a long time ago. Soon the bit of warmth passed away from her.

"You okay now buddy?" The kiddo nodded. He shifted, holding his stuffed raccoon.

"You happy?" She asked, loud enough for Steve to hear.

"Yeah!" Her husband came over. He was the quiet type, which is one of the things that had drawn her to him. He held up a puzzle. With both of her boys calm and happy her perfect vacation was back on track.

"Alright. Let's do a puzzle." She set Octavian down on the ground and went over to the dining room table with the puzzle Steve had found. Five hundred pieces. It had been a long time since they'd worked on anything together. After this vacation, it might be a long time again. Which is why this one had to go seamlessly. She studied the pieces and looked for the perfect edges, too distracted to notice Octavian waddling towards the kitchen, his toy in tow. His family was distracted putting themselves back together. He plopped down on the floor and began to play with his friend when something shiny caught his eye. The kitchen knives. He stood up and tried to reach the counter, but he couldn't. Then he went back out to his room and climbed into bed.

"MOMMY! DADDY! TUCK ME IN." He bellowed, grabbing every toy he had brought and piling it up on the bed. His mother sighed, his father trailing behind looking agitated, his eyebrows raised.

"Tuck me in please daddy?" He begged with a smile. His father couldn't resist the smile and moved over to the bed, Victoria trailing. Together they tucked in their son, the storm still raging outside. This was one of the last times the things would be good.

Octavian went to sleep dreaming of the storm, fearing, in his dreams crying while in the little beach room not making a sound. He dreamed that his toys protected him, that they wouldn't desert him, and that, for the night, he was safe.

It was still raining when he woke up. Victoria and Steve had finished their puzzle, and she was tired of sitting around on her butt during her seamless vacation. So she made sure that Octavian was well dressed, well fed, and ready to go, with Steve similarly ready, and marched her little family out on a shopping expedition.

They left at 9:15 and her boys were complaining by 9:45. Steve mostly complained with his eyes. He was like a puppy dog. He was the best at making a scene but he didn't like to do it except when necessary. Of course it was of Victoria's opinion that it was rarely necessary and never necessary when their son was involved, but she still let Steve do what he felt he had to when he got agitated. As long as they appeared perfect, it didn't really matter. In her heart, the same place that had felt that warm and fuzzy tug the day before, she knew that that wasn't true, but she let it go as she paused to admire a price tag.

"Each of you get to pick out one thing today. And I"ll find you both some outfits as well. Then we'll go somewhere nice for lunch, and maybe to a movie afterwards. I think The Iron Giant is in the theater here. Octavian will love that." She placated both father and son with about as much ease as handling a business deal for her restaurant chain. She just had to keep them happy for a little while longer and hope the rain let up before tomorrow so the three of them could actually enjoy the ocean. She remembered her years as praetor and her visits to the San Francisco Bay. She wanted this trip to be as enjoyable and perfect as those trips. But for now, shopping would have to do.

Steve, the English major, got a novel from a bookstore, and Octavian picked out a coloring book and some crayons. Both were delighted with their purchases, but less delighted when Victoria made them try on clothes. The fancy dress clothes she picked out for her son would go to waste for six more years as Octavian never got the chance to wear them but one day his future brother would, but it made her happy to buy them and envision Octavian all dressed up at a catered dinner party with one of her clients. And the outfits she bought for Steve served the same purpose, making her family look the best. She also caved and bought some tacky souvenir T-shirts for all three. Why not remember the perfect family vacation?

And that's how the day felt, nearly almost perfect. Except Octavian would jump every time the thunder got especially loud, and she and her son both had nightmares that night. Octavian's were much more vivid than hers, nearly, in fact, prophetic.

He saw specks of blood mixed with granules of sand, and heard screams, and felt the beating of rainwater as lightning flashed nearby. But then the waves caught up the blood, and with that the remainder of the bloody sand and the prophecy, were gone. Little did he know, that worse was yet to come.

UGH MORE SET UP REE REE YOU'RE THE WORST. Just kidding. One more chapter guys I promise. Everything's been building up to this next chapter.

Sorry it's so foreshadowy... But guys I love writing Victoria Alexander as if she has a heart, kinda! And Steve as if he's a person deep down inside somewhere! I might actually write them more fanfics.

They might actually get a chance to thrive!

And check out Garden Wall, a collab between Silverhuntresses and I, on her page.