Chapter 7
Inside the silent Watterson house, everyone was still asleep in the morning. The sun was beginning to rise and thin glares of light seeped through the windows. After a while, Nikki woke up and blinked her eyes. She almost fell back to sleep from just waking up. Nikki stretched out and let out a quiet sigh, before sitting straight. Still slightly half-asleep, Nikki placed her palms on her snug mattress and pulled herself up. She blinked again, and placed her hands on the guard rail. A little wobbly, she took note that her sister, in the crib just beside her, was still dormant. Nikki swallowed and began with "mama." quietly. After a while, she began to raise her voice. Once that didn't achieve anything, she tried to re-pronounce papa. Again, starting quietly to a little louder. having for a short extent a little glare, she giggles silently. Soon being bored upon her mind she reclined back upon her bottom and vises around her closed vicinity.
She grabbed her bottle and began to crash it against the singular slats over her crib. Then, still not garnering as much entertainment, she cast the bottle from her and heard the sound of the bottle's DUN upon a surface, as well as a cried out reaction of pain. Satisfying her boredom, Nikki began giggling. Nicole woke up from her sleep, from the ruckus which occurred around her.
"What's going on?" She asked passively, and tired. Richard was rubbing the left plain of his forehead. " She hit me." He responded with such expression of offense and butt hurt, Nicole started laughing. It was a bit overactive, for both of them, Nicole knew, but she couldn't help find so much amusement in it. After a while, Alexis woke up, tiredly and looked around the room. She giggled tiredly a little too, seeing everyone else so happy, and made Richard cheer up too, accepting that they were too young to know their mistakes. A little while later, Nicole and Richard got up from bed and dressed themselves for the day. Nicole had work today, so she dressed in her usual attire, her lined gray skirt, and her white polo shirt, accompanying it with her color pin. Afterwards, she gave a kiss to Richard and then began to feed Alexis, while Richard fed Nikki.
After everyone else got dressed, Nicole allowed the babies to play within the living room, under the safety of their father's attention, the rest of the kids tiredly ate their breakfast, after waking up in the morning. Alexis seemed to have her eyes fixed upon the more, outgoing, active Nikki that was crawling around as could be, and Alexis seemed to watch with a sort of fascination, or confusion. Either of the two, Nicole thought and smiled at her own sarcasm. The kids, though sleepy, seemed to always enjoy their table chatter, talking with only each other, but managing to strive through everyone's interests and keep their minds occupied upon the person who spoke. It reminded Nicole of a Socratic seminar, just a slight. Nicole checked the time and wiped her lips upon her napkin. Their meal for breakfast today was blueberry pancakes, and the syrup seemed to be glue itself upon the surface of her skin.
" Okay kids, the bus will be here any minute now. Let's pack up and go, mmkay?" Nicole said with a slight smile. They nodded and in sequence, answered, "kay" and departed from the table without the slightest of a second thought. Gumball first went up to his little sister, and cooing her with doting words, kissed her upon the forehead, then to Alexis, and Anais followed. Once their goal reached back to leaving, they returned in deep conversation, the left the house. Nicole felt the slight vibration emanate from her throat, the silent purrs that would attract her feelings of admiration or joy. Nicole stood up and walked leisurely towards Richard.
"I'm on my way to work now. Take care of the babies, my lazy bunny." Nicole said, the last part with puckered lips and kissed him upon his lips. "Bye honey." Richard responded. After wards, he continued to watch the kids, and Nikki, in a sort of baby speak, slowly outstretched her hand to Alexis, and offered her the small toy ball. Alexis looked down and grabbed it. Being enthralled by the new object, she smiled and giggled, wagging her arm up and down, totally forgetting about the giver and taking attention within the fun it gave her. And at this, Richard smiled.
After the long day of work, Nicole would usually be tired from the long hours spent at the office, even though it required at minimum any manual labor, nevertheless, having to stay awake and keep your mind focused upon the monitor inside a cubicle work place and having to file out documents and other digital work, it would normally become repetitive and tiring, but now from the great news that she received, she was hardly that; the excitement running through her kept her awake, and she awaited the return home. She pulled up through the driveway and killed the engine by the twine of the keys. She departed the car and locked the doors by the click of the button. Walking up the cement walkway, she trotted up the diminutive amount of stairs and used her keys to unlock the door. After opening, she heard a loud cheer of SURPRISE, and startled her, making her heart exhilarate a little faster. She exhaled and smiled. She saw her family around, wearing party hats and posing in place for the event. Even the little children were wearing party hates and as soon as Nikki saw her mother, a smile grew. " Mama!" and Alexis imitating her older sister, exclaimed mama but just not as loud. She chuckled and looked back at her family.
" Congratulations honey." Richard said and gave her a hug. " For becoming manager and on your interview." He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. Then Gumball, Darwin, and Anais gave her a group hug.
" Aw, Thank you all so much." Nicole replied. Gumball jumped and tightened his hands into fists.
" Can we have some cake?" He asked with utter anticipation. Nicole couldn't help but feel joyous by this. It was probably about how happy he was, even though it was with something that was so small in comparison with anything else, but to see her kids jump in joy just for anything always warmed her heart.
" Yes you may." She answered, and the kids all hooted and cheered. They entered the kitchen to commence the "cutting of the cake" but had the adults to actually do the act. Before they celebrated, there was a knock at the door and Nicole glanced back. A little curious of who it would be, she left the table and answered it, and saw her Jane. She had a quiet disposition about her, but it was a better aura than it was before on the last note she left one.
" Hi Nicole." she said with a smile. Her children were there, standing behind her back. Nicole returned the smile.
"Hello Jane. How can I help?"
" Oh, I'm here to congratulate you for getting manager." And by hearing this news, it felt Nicole feel happier. She invited them in and the moment that Gumball saw Penny, he became more alert about his self-being and immediately tried to clean the smeared cake that was on his mouth. Penny smiled shyly and waved at him.
" Hi Gumball." She said. He immediately moved to her side and felt his heart sink within his stomach, and his eyes morph into pink heart shapes.
" Hello Penny." He responded in a more breathing tone. She giggled and they both retired to the couch, and spoke. Afterwards, Jane and Richard began to get to know each other, while Darwin and Anais and Penny's younger sister, Nina, and became an acquaintance. Even though she watched the people talk with each other, and hearing the room being filled with heartfelt chatter and happy auras all around, she couldn't help but melt herself within the emotions. She felt as happy as could be. After a while, she confronted Richard and spoke with him for a little while, and then when she thought was appropriate, and in the kitchen when everyone was inside the living room, she gave him a kiss and rested her arms around his waist.
" When the girls are 3 years old...I was wondering." She began.
"Yeah?" Richard responded.
"I'd like to have another child." She smiled. And after a while of contemplating it, he smiled back. "I'd love that too."
After a few hours had passed, the Fitzgeralds left and the house was almost quiet again. After taking a sigh and looked at the slight disarray, the family cleaned up the slight mess that was left from mainly the kids of the family. Once in shipshape, Nicole sat upon the couch cushions, and after a while, the rest of the family sat beside her and with a quiet sort of presence of everyone, Nicole knew that this would be another time for them to spend together and just watch TV. Nicole was sitting near Richard, and being the parents of the family, they were holding the youngest two, Nikki and Alexis. While watching the movie, Alexis was giggling and smiled, being slightly restless, but being at her young age, she only moved around her frail arms Nicole giggled quietly at her youngest daughter and gave her a gentle hug. Though in the process, Nicole could in return, feel those frail, soft arms hold onto the large skull of her mother. Nicole laughed, and felt almost to the point of crying. And Nicole could hear the same reaction fro Richard, that Nikki was hugging his head as well.
" I got to get the camera!" Anais said, while running behind the sofa and immediately digging in a shelf. Anais soon came back with the camera she wanted and was able to snap photos of them. Afterwards, after viewing the photos, they laughed together. Soon, once things began to quiet down again and take it's toll, the watched the remainder of the movie and each one of them stood up from their sitting position and stretched out their resting muscles.
" It's bedtime, everyone." Nicole announced, now beginning to feel slightly tired. And on with her word, they all headed for their rooms. One by one they brushed their teeth, got into their sleep clothes or pajamas, and retired off into their bedrooms. Nicole put the babies within their cribs again and let them fall asleep upon their own. Nicole turned to her husband and she let the smile grace her face.
" I love you my lazy bunny." She whispered, concerning that the kids were trying to sleep. " I love you too my kitty." Richard responded in an equal tone of affection and romance. He then lifted his arms to the height of her stomach, and revealed to her the small red ribbon, the one that she used to wear when she was 12. Nicole gasped and felt the small item evoke a thousand memories into her conscious and tears traveled down her cheeks. She gave him a hug for that moment, and they both kissed. Afterwards, Richard walked slowly to their children, and placed little red ribbons as well upon their heads, trying to duplicate the same quotidian tradition it was for Nicole back then, to their kids now. When he was done, he glanced back at Nicole and they smiled.
" they look like you." Richard remarked quietly as well, as they gave each other another hug.
" Yeah…they do look like me." Nicole replied, and gave him another kiss. Soon with the turn off of the lights, they got into bed and let their minds descend into slumber, awaiting the next day.
