"It's too quiet up there," Corny told his wife.
"It really is, I should go investigate," Amber said, slowly pulling away from her husband's embrace to check on their daughters who were being unusually quiet which meant mischief was afoot.
They weren't in their room or their parents' for that matter so she started to grow a little worried. Then she heard the soft giggling coming from the bathroom. She pushed the door open and discovered Isabelle spraying Eva's dark hair with a can of hairspray. There wasn't much of a style to it; her hair was standing up on end, like she had been hanging upside down when her sister started to spray it.
"What are you two doing?" Amber asked, placing her hands on her hips, but gave them a smile.
"Making Eva pretty," Isabelle replied, trying to comb through his sister's hair, but the comb got stuck in the do.
"Oops," she said, trying to tug it out, but Eva whimpered in pain and shoved her away.
"Mama!" both girls said in annoyed tones at the same time.
"Eva, we don't shove and Isabelle please stop trying to tug it out. Mama will do it; she's had a lot of experience in this area," Amber said, guiding Eva over to the tub.
She poked her tongue out at her sister, who in turn crossed her arms and huffed.
"Stop that," Amber warned, turning on the shower head and lowering it over Eva's head.
Corny was deep into his newspaper when he felt a little form throw itself into his lap. Isabelle let out an annoyed huffed, which reminded him of Amber and he sat his paper down. He lifted her chin up, smiling down at her, but he was met with an angry scowl.
"What's wrong?" he asked, stroking her cheek tenderly.
"Eva! She tolds me to make her hair like that! It's not my fault the comb got stuck!" she pouted.
"What did you two get into?" he sighed.
"Eva wanted to look like Mama does in all her pictures when she's on your show. So I found the hairspray and did it for her, then I tried to comb it out and it got stuck and she got mad at me!" she said, throwing her arms out for dramatic effect and Corny had to keep from laughing.
"Well is Mama helping Eva?" he asked, stroking his daughter's soft raven hair.
"Yes," she pouted, resting her head against his chest.
"She'll be fine then, your Mama is the queen of hairspray," he chuckled, lifting his paper up to finish reading it while keeping Isabelle in his lap.
Isabelle sat between her parents, sulking while her sister twirled around on stage. She never understood why both her parents and her twin sister could dance, but she would fall right down when she attempted to do ballet. She had been in the class with her sister for awhile, but she had knocked too many of the other girls down while she was doing it and the teacher asked her mother to kindly take her out of the class. Eva finished with the perfect pirouette and flashed the audience a brilliant smile that she had inherited from her father. Everyone clapped, delighted with the little girl's performance. They headed back stage and Eva ran straight for her mother.
"Mama! Did you see?! Did you see?! I didn't mess up once!" the little girl gushed.
"I saw, baby doll! You did an amazing job. I'm so proud of you, but you do know that it would have been ok if you messed up, sometimes that happens," Amber smiled, kissing her cheek.
Amber had wanted to let her daughters know that it was ok to make mistakes and mess up every now and then. She had been raised to be perfect, but she didn't want her daughters to live with those expectations. She fought hard to be different from her mother. Isabelle glared at all the pretty ballerinas who ran past her. She hated them all in their pretty, pristine outfits, glowing smiles and perfect dance moves. When her father wasn't looking, she stuck her foot out and tripped up one of the girls that was in Eva's class.
"Ow!" the girl squeaked as she tumbled to the floor in pain.
Isabelle looked down at the floor, smiling to herself so no one else would see.
"Are you ok, Cindy?" she heard a pleasant voice ask and Isabelle looked up.
"Yeah, Mama, I just fell," the girl said, brushing herself off before wrapping her arms around her mother.
"Tracy?" Corny asked with a smile, having recognized the voice.
"Corny! Is that your darling Eva?" Tracy smiled.
"It is and who is this little one?" he asked.
"This is Cindy," Tracy said and Amber walked over with Eva sitting on her hip.
"Cindy is a good dancer too, Mama! She gets to dance the lead in the next recital!" Eva chatted happily and Isabelle rolled her eyes, longing to get away from all the dancers.
"I see, well she gets from her parents then. Her Mama and Daddy were two great dancers, we used to all be on daddy's show together," Amber smiled.
Isabelle rolled her eyes again. Was everyone a good dancer by her?
"Can we go home now daddy?" she whined, tugging on his hand.
"Just a moment sweetheart," Corny replied as Link showed up and he engaged the dancer into a deep conversation.
Isabelle growled and let go of his hand, storming off to the car. She wasn't meant to go places by herself and she almost got lost in the long hallway with all the people in it. She found her parents car and climbed into the backseat, groaning in frustration.
"Mama, Belle left!" Eva announced, tattling on her twin.
Amber sighed and looked over at Corny.
"It was nice to see you again, please keep in touch," she told Tracy, kissing her cheek and then whisked away with her husband and daughter.
"Belle tripped me Mama!" they heard Cindy complain as they walked away and Corny and Amber exchanged a look.
"Belle doesn't like the dancers cause she can no do it," Eva explained.
"Can't do it honey," Amber corrected.
"She likes us though honey and we can dance," Corny said.
"Yeah, but she's still mad that she can no do it."
"Can't do it," Amber corrected.
"That's what I said!"
Corny turned his head to smile. They knew that Isabelle had taken off to the car and they found her sound asleep in the backseat.
"She's so cute, but I'm still going to kill her for taking off like that," Amber said.
"Oh yeah, Amber, you can't even bring yourself to kill a fly," Corny teased.
"Shhh! Belle is sleepings!" Eva said, holding her finger to her lips.
They headed home and carried the girls upstairs to their beds.
"Daddy?" Isabelle mumbled, peeking her blue eyes open.
"Hey you, you know better than to just wander off like that," he whispered down at her as he pulled the covers around her.
"I sorry," she yawned.
"I know baby, you just sleep now," he told her, kissing the tip of her nose.
Amber was unusually silent and still in bed that night. Corny rolled over and brushed a lock of golden hair out of her face.
"What's on your mind darling?" he asked.
"Isabelle, I'm worried about her. Do you think we should put her in dance class again? I almost punched that woman for telling me not to bring her back to ballet with Eva," she said softly.
"If that's what Belle wants, I think we should do it, but let's not force her," he said and Amber nodded her head in agreement.
"Make love to me?" she whispered softly against his cheek and Corny couldn't help but comply.