May 29th, 2003
Ireland pushed open her toy chest and peered in. Her large blue eyes searched through the toys. She grinned and picked up the brown teddy. She waddled over to Lyric in her swing.
"Here." She said putting the teddy bear next to her sister. Ireland waddled back over to the toy chest and grabbed a couple more stuffed animals. She went back to Lyric. "Here." She put a doll on the other side of her head. "Here." Ireland placed a stuffed bunny and tiger in front of Lyric. "Here." Ireland placed four more stuffed animals on top of Lyric covering her all up. The baby cooed as she kicked her legs.
"Landsie, lunch time." Dave said walking in.
"K." She giggled running to Dave. He cocked his eyebrow.
"Where is Lyric?" He asked. Ireland shrugged.
"Nap." She said.
"She isn't napping." Dave chuckled walking over to the swing. "Is she under all these stuffed animals?"
"No." Ireland giggled. Dave started pealing the animals off of his youngest daughter.
"There you are." Lyric's hazel eyes twinkled and giggled wildly. "Your sister was trying to hide you." He scooped up the baby. Dave looked at Ireland who was cracking up. "Come on, Silly bug." He took Ireland's hand and they walked into the kitchen where Randi was looking over her designs for the first floor of her shop.
"Mama." Ireland said walking up to her.
"Hey, Baby." She said standing up, "Let's get some food into your stomach."
"Nummy." Ireland grinned.
"She buried her under animals again." Dave said handing the baby to the milk machine. Randi chuckled as she started to nurse Lyric.
"She really needs to stop doing that." Randi said. Dave nodded as he dished up the pasta.
"How is the design coming?" He asked.
"Oh just fine." She said, "It'll be fine, the cleaning is just the toughest part. It'll take ages to get it cleaned and all ready though."
"Well, I can take some time off to help you." He said. Randi nodded.
"I was expecting that." She chuckled.
"Mmmmm Good." Ireland said with a mouth full of food. Dave shook his head as he sat down.
"You take me for granted." He said.
"No I don't." Randi said, "I just expect you to do things that you're suppose to do." Dave groaned.
"Don't start on that again, Randi." He said shoving some pasta in his mouth. Randi stared at him.
"Don't start on what again?" She asked.
"Dave, do the dishes. Dave, I'm busy. Cook dinner tonight. Dave, clean the toilet." He mocked her voice. Randi glared at him.
"How dare you." She said, "How dare you try to make me into the bad guy. All I expect for you to do is to carry your weight around here. I can do it all myself. I can't raise two girls, open a new business, and expect to keep the entire clean by myself. This is an equal marriage, Dave. Equal means both of us need to carry our weight around here." Dave slammed his fork down on the table.
"Christ, Randi!" He glared at her. "You make it sound like I do shit around here."
"Don't do this in front of the children, Dave." Randi said pulling her breast away from Lyric and settled her against her shoulder. Dave stood up.
"Why not? Tell them what a shitty father and husband you think I am." Dave snapped throwing his dish into the sink. Randi closed her eyes.
"I don't think you're a shitty father or husband, Dave." She said softly.
"I already do so much around the house, Randi." He said.
"I know." She admitted, "It's just these next few weeks are going to be hectic and stressful for me and I just need all the help I can get." Dave held onto the kitchen sink and looked out the window.
"You will get all the help I can give you between these girls and work." He said. Randi slid Lyric into her bouncy seat that was on top of the table and then walked over to Dave. She wrapped her arms around his waist.
"I'm sorry, Dave." She said softly. Dave looked down at his wife and smiled softly.
"There's no need to apologize." He said. Dave kissed her forehead. "How about I give the girls a bath and then we can…you know, snuggle." Randi smiled softly and nodded.
"All right." She winked. "We need to kiss and make up anyway."
June 12th, 2003
Randi pulled her hair up in a ponytail. Sweat poured down her back. She grabbed her water bottle and took a swig. Getting this shop ready would definitely get her back to her pre-Ireland weight and figure. Dave walked in carrying a large box.
"Where does this go?" He asked.
"Storage. Under D." Randi said, "It's filled with dresses." Dave nodded and walked to the storage room. Randi watched a few of the workers that she hired, put down the burgundy carpet on one side of the room. Randi went over to the counter and grabbed her mop. The shop had beautiful black and white tiles, once they were cleaned.
"Mrs. Malucci, where do you want this blue carpet?" A worker asked.
"Ah, blue goes on that side of the room, green goes back there in the dressing rooms, and purple goes upstairs." She smiled dipping the mop in bucket. She was so glad Elizabeth volunteered to take Lyric and Ireland for the day so she and Dave could do this in peace. Dave stood in the doorway watching Randi wash the floor he smiled softly.
"You look very sexy when you do that." He said. Randi laughed.
"Yeah. I must look sexy getting all sweaty." She said. Dave nodded as he walked up to her.
"Oh yes. That's how I like my wife." He said. Randi shook her head as she looked at him.
"We're going to multiply like bunnies if you keep this up." She said. Dave shrugged.
"That's fine with me." Randi laughed as she started to mop again.
"You're unbelievable." She said, "Go hang the Christmas lights off of the banisters." Dave nodded.
"All right my sweaty Queen." He said grabbing the box of Christmas lights and walked up the stairs. "Are we going to put carpet on the stairs?" He asked. Randi shrugged.
"The purple probably." She called out.
"Funky little shop you're going to have here, Love." Dave smiled as he started to unravel the lights. Randi smiled.
"That's what I'm going for." She said squeezing the mop. "This place is going to be unique."
"Almost as unique as the owner." Dave chuckled. Randi shook her head with a snicker. Randi wanted this shop to be successful. It was costing her enough to put it together.
"I think I need lunch and a break." Randi said with a sigh. "I'm running myself into the ground." Dave nodded as he started on another strand.
"We can take a break and go to subway across the street." He said. Randi nodded.
"Yeah. I need to get something in my stomach." She dried her hands off on her jeans.
* * *
Randi popped the jalapeno pepper into her mouth.
"Can I ask you something?" She asked.
"You just did." Dave snickered sipping his soda. Randi glared at him, "Go ahead sweetie."
"When do you want to have another child?" She asked.
"Why?" Dave asked. Randi shrugged.
"I don't know. I was just wondering and thinking." She said. "I was thinking like in 2006 or something." Dave nodded.
"We can start trying then." He said, "Sounds fine to me. Ireland will be four and Lyric will be three."
"Sounds like a perfect age range." She said, "As long as we don't get any surprises like Lyric." Randi chuckled slightly.
"We can get a surprise, but not for another few years." Dave smiled finishing his sub; "I love subway."
"Yeah." Randi said, "I might start the subway diet. You think I could do it?"
"I think you could do anything you set your mind to." He said. Randi smiled softly.
"I should get back to the shop." Randi said, "In a month, I hope to start hiring." Dave nodded.
"I'll make you a help wanted sign." He winked. Randi nodded. It would be wonderful once this shop was up and running.