Commencement Exercises

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Here is chapter two. I am gonna post up to 3 before I have to leave. Then I'll be away until 20/21 July but almost all of this story is written so hopefully I will have finished off the little bits in the next few chapters and post them up then. I leave again on the 25th for two weeks so I will post the remaining chapters on 7th August and then I will post up the rest of my new fics fast I promise!

So basically. Don't scream for updates cause I won't be here to listen!
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Class

To Kirsten's relief dinner passed off without incident. She had Sandy and Dave to thank for that; they talked pretty much non-stop meaning the Cohen females didn't really have the opportunity to aim insidious comments at Kirsten. However she figured that the pair of them making up for it later was pretty much a given. After the meal, Bill and his mother-in-law slipped out onto the fire-escape for a covert cigarette while Sandy declared he and Dave were on washing-up duty. Kirsten loitered uneasily, offering to dry but was shooed away by her husband. 'Why don't you get Jess to let you take a decko at the kids?' he suggested, turning to his sister. 'Kirsten hasn't seen her niece and nephew yet.'

'Yeah sure,' Jess agreed diffidently, slowly getting to her feet and indicating to Kirsten to follow her. The room at the end of the hall was in darkness but Jess didn't hesitate in flipping on the light.

'Won't it wake them up?' Kirsten questioned.

Her sister-in-law smirked, 'You really aren't ready for kids yet are ya? Once they're off they'll pretty much sleep through anything, it's the getting them to sleep in the first place that's the problem.' She'd crossed to the far side of the room as she spoke, bending over the travel cot in the corner. Kirsten followed suit, peeping in at the rosy-cheeked baby inside.

'So this is Max?'

'Uhu. And that's Massie.'

Kirsten watched in self-conscious admiration as the other woman knelt beside the mattress and smoothed hair out of the little girl's face.'

'They're both gorgeous,' she told their mother honestly.

'When they're asleep.'

'So...'

'She's four,' Jess answered, pre-empting the question. 'And Max is eighteen months.'

'You were pretty young when you had her right?'

'Yeah, about your age.'

'Were you…were you scared?'

Jess glanced sideways at the younger girl. 'Not really. I mean, a couple of my friends had already been through it all. It wasn't really that big a deal.'

'Oh.'

'Does Sandy know you're this scared?'

'I'm not…'

'Kirsten.'

'Please don't say anything. He's so excited and I'm just apprehensive that's all.'

'I would tell you that the hard part's over after you give birth but I'd probably be lying.'

Kirsten swallowed and attempted a laugh. 'They must be worth it though.'

'I guess.'

Jess studied Kirsten as she watched the children sleep, noting how she eyed the baby in the cot fearfully, as though expecting him to wake up and cry at any moment. She softened as she looked at Massie though, smiling at the curled-up figure.

'You want a girl don't you?'

'I…as long as they're healthy I don't mind.'

'Yeah, that's what everyone says who secretly wants one or the other.'

'It's not like I don't want a boy, it's just. I'm a girl so I figured a girl's gotta be easier.'

'You know, I thought that. I also thought I couldn't love a second baby as much as Massie, that I had the perfect little girl and a boy just wouldn't be as good or something stupid like that but…he's my little man. You love them, whatever they're like.'

'Wh-what if you don't? What if you just don't?'

'Everyone does.' Jess answered, ignoring the hint of panic in Kirsten's tone.

'I don't understand how can love someone you don't even know. It takes me a long time to get to know people and…'

'Really? You got to know Sandy pretty quick.'

'Sandy's different. This baby…what if I don't love it?'

'Then…you're screwed,' was Jess' comforting answer as she flicked the switch and plunged the room into darkness again.

Kirsten sighed as they walked back up the hallway, she was gonna suck at the whole motherhood thing.

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The kitchen was empty but by the sound of things Dave was in his room listening to music, Bill was in the shower and Sandy and Mrs Cohen were arguing in the sitting room. The latter stopped abruptly as she entered. Her husband was frowning, his mother smiling. Not a good sign. The small room was now filled by a pull-out sofa-bed, the pillows of which Sophie was plumping vigorously.

'Kirsten, I hope you can cope with the sofa-bed in here,' she said, false warmth in her voice. 'Sandy's in Davey's old room.'

Her son folded his arms, 'And we can't both sleep there because?'

'Single bed Sanford, you might have picked a skinny California girl but not that skinny.'

'Kirsten's the perfect size.'

'Yes, now she's pregnant.'

Sandy exhaled crossly.

'Don't fuss Sandy, it's fine,' Kirsten threatened her husband under her breath. 'I'm sure the sofa will be perfect. Thank you,' she finished to his mother.

Sophie Cohen gave a tight smile and exited. Sandy sank down onto the fold-out bed which creaked unpromisingly. 'I'm sorry honey. I'll sleep here.'

'No I'll manage.'

'Kirsten please, you need a decent night's sleep.'

'As do you.'

'Not as much as you. Go.'

'Your mother said I was to sleep in here.'

'I don't know what's gotten into her.'

'It's obvious what she's doing.'

'And that is?'

'She's just trying to make me uncomfortable…'

'Yeah, that bed is impossible to sleep on.'

'That's not what I meant. She's trying to expose me as spoilt and I'm not gonna give in.'

'She's just being pedantic because she knows she can. Any excuse to control my life.'

'She can't help fussing. Most of the time you live miles away.'

'Thank god.'

'Sandy!'

'Fine, you win.'

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Sandy saw his wife's head whip round on her pillow as the floorboard creaked beneath him.

'Oh Sandy,' she breathed, 'you scared me.'

He smiled impishly as he slid in beside her. 'Who did you think it was?'

'Your mom is gonna kill us if she finds you here.'

'Mmm well I think it's worth it,' he answered, sliding an arm round her.

'You couldn't sleep?'

'Not without you. I see you're awake too.'

'Oh that's just because of the time difference.'

'Don't be a smartass.'

Kirsten giggled and shifted position so she could lie against Sandy's chest. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

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Sophie Cohen stood in the doorway of her sitting room and eyed the figures asleep on the sofa-bed, her arms folded across her chest mutinously. She should have known there was no way her besotted son would spend the night without his wife when she was only two doors down the hall. Sophie glowered at the blonde head, barely visible tucked up against Sandy's chest. His arm was wrapped tightly around her. She wondered, fleetingly, if she was jealous, jealous of her son loving someone more than her, jealous of the love the pair shared, but rejected the idea. What she resented, thought was downright stupid, was that her own son had fallen for the faux charms of the honey-haired, honey-skinned, honey-toned Kirsten. Her Sandy.

That boy. He had more than his fair share of the brains in the family and yet he chose Kirsten. Kirsten Nichol, princess of princesses from Newport Beach no less. Sophie wasn't stupid, she'd dug around. Caleb Nichol might have a business empire on the West Coast but his reputation went a lot further. She knew how much he was alleged to be worth. And it just made her resent Kirsten all the more.

What could a girl who had always have everything want with Sandy and what did her son want with a spoilt, stuck-up girl like Kirsten? Not that Kirsten showed much sign of acting the part she was born to but that didn't matter. Someone being as nice as Kirsten about everything; veiling hurt eyes with smiles at their insults, blinking back tears and agreeing that the make-shift bed would be 'perfect', was obviously good at pretending. She longed for her to answer back for once, stand-up for herself; she seemed intelligent enough, why didn't she? But perhaps she was wrong and Kirsten was a dumb California blonde after all.

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Thanks so much for reading!

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