Hey, guys!

Sorry for quite a long break – I had to find a balance between studying, volunteer work and a fan-translation project which I've gotten into. Besides, my Muse was feeling mischevious and didn't want to come to me for quite some time.

But enough complaining. At least this time, I didn't need a whole year to write a chapter. ;)

Enjoy!

VerMa

"And this," the nineteen-year-old Rose told her seven-year-old half-brother, as the two sat in the living room of Grandma and Grandpa Rogers, "is how Marty and I became family."

"Do Mom and Dad know that you helped them get married?" the little Paul looked at his older sister in awe.

Rose giggled.

"They do now; but they discovered it only after they began dating and talk with each other about all this."

"You haven't told him the best part yet," Marty put in, having just returned from the kitchen carrying a tray with three cups of tea and a plate of croissants made by Grandma Rogers.

"I would have, if you hadn't interrupted," the girl retorted, unceremoniously stuffing three croissants at once into her mouth. "Nowwoo woowit."

"So, what's the best part? Huh? Huh? Huh?" the little Paul demanded, repeatedly shifting his dark eyes' gaze between his sister and his brother.

"The best part," Marty said finally with a little smirk, "surprisingly, is NOT the fact that Rose eats like a pig again..."

"I'm gonna tell Mom you're making fun of me!" Rose growled, poking him in the arm.

"Sure, like I'd ever believe that," judging by the look on his face, Marty was having a great time. "But seriously, the best part of this whole story is that Auntie Daph still totally believes that Mom and Dad haven't figured it all out."

"So maybe we should tell her?" the little Paul looked confused.

Marty and Rose exchanged glances, trying not to laugh.

"I also asked this question one day," Rose explained after a moment.

"And then Uncle Fred was all like," Marty cleared his throat, then continued in a slightly lower-pitched voice, "Life with Daph is more fun when she thinks that only she has secrets."

"I don't think Auntie Maddie and Uncle Joe told her, either," Rose added as an afterthought.

"Told her what?" her little brother wanted to know.

Marty grinned mischievously.

"It's no secret that they met thanks to Auntie Daph," he explained, "but they still haven't told her that they saw through her plans two days after she began matchmaking them."

While his older siblings silently sipped their tea and munched on Grandma's croissants, the little Paul frowned, as if thinking intensely about something.

"Adults," he announced after a while, in an absolutely serious tone, "are very strange."

To his surprise, Marty choked on a croissant and Rose snorted her tea out of her nose – and then, they both started laughing like crazy.

Adults really were very, very strange.

And thus, another story came to an end. When will the next one show up – I can't predict, but when it does, you certainly will know it! ;)

Yours truly,

VerMa.