Chapter 29... the story is almost over, I'm getting sad!
This chapter is a short tale of how the Dauntless kids grew up.
Tobias
Iris was estatic when we moved into our new house. Business with Jenna was going great, the kids were wonderful, our love was stronger than ever... And everyone was so happy. All our friends were happy families (or starting families) and it seemed like we were living in a dream. The years flew by. Our kids grew up as nice, sweet, tough kids with an amazing childhood, and I was lucky enough to give my kids a better youth than I ever had.
I felt like time went TOO fast even, because I wanted my children to stay young forever... But unfortunately, they wouldn't. Everyone else thought about it the same way. Layla and Tim had two kids, Lake (the one she'd been pregnant with during our wedding) who was kind yet tough, unlike his parents, and Theo, who was ten years younger than his brother. Theo was the sweetest kid I'd ever seen, always polite, completely Amity.
Zeke and Jenna now had two kids, Julian and Melody. Melody was a light breeze, an elegant girl who always seemed to fly through the hallways, like a butterfly, and Julian was a nice boy who liked to goof around like his father, yet was somewhat more serious. Amar and Shauna never got around to kids, because they were always working on their marriage, it would only be bad for their child. They did want to be together, yet had to work for it. Before Theo, who was the youngest child of all our friends' kids, the last one that was born was Catherine, Dax and Emma's only child.
I remembered one of my favourite days. Iris and Jenna were working in the bakery, and Zeke, Julian, Nick, Sera and I decided to visit. The kids really wanted to help in the kitchen. Sera wanted to bake her mother's brownie, Nick wanted to bake her cookies, and Julian really wanted to make Jenna's cake. So, the girls let them help... But after a little while, we heard hysterical laughing come from the kitchen, so Zeke and I ran over there... Finding our kids COVERED in dough.
We laughed hysterically too, because it was everywhere. In their hair, on their nose, in their mouths, on their shirts... Literally everywhere. 'Ehh, dough fight?' Julian said, his voice squeaky. Zeke lifted him up, yet keeping him on a meter armlength from him. 'Let's draw you a bath,' he snickered, gave Jenna a kiss and walked out of the kitchen. I frowned, I was bound to get dirty too if I had to hold two kids! Iris saw my problem, giggled and told Jenna she would be back soon. 'I'll walk home with you,' she said, and lifted Sera. 'I let them out of my sight like five seconds,' she laughed, and we walked over to our house.
'It's a shame we cannot take a bath together right now,' I whispered into her ear. She blushed slightly. 'As soon as the kids are asleep,' she said with a wink. I smiled. I loved that woman so much. Our kids were eight, we were twenty five. That year we celebrated our eleven year anniversary, and we were still as crazy about each other- even crazier- as before.
When Nick, Sera and Julian went to high school, Iris and I became afraid. It was almost time for them to start thinking about which faction they wanted to live in. Nick was just like his mother, except for his appearance which was a mix of Iris and me. His personality was sweet, soft, and kind. I was scared of him choosing Amity. I overheard him asking Iris whether he was tough enough for Dauntless when he was 13, and her answer was clear.
'You don't have to be like me, Nick. You are you, and if you think you are not cut out for Dauntless, then it shouldn't be an option. My story was different. I grew up in Abnegation and I longed for the freedom. I was just like you, but I knew I was brave. And to be honest, darling, you may not see it, but I can see it. Your father can see it, and everyone in our family knows you have what it takes. Whether you want it is a different story.' She kissed his forehead and left him to think.
Sera however was just like me, appearance and behaviour wise. She was tough, brave and cut out for Dauntless. She did inherit her mother's kindness though, she was one of the strongest girls I had ever seen, and I couldn't be prouder. I actually expected her to come back to us once she had to choose. Both our children were smart, but not Erudite smart, which I was really happy about.
The idea was that when our children would be old enough to choose, the factions would be gone, yet they weren't. Damon and all the other leaders stopped trying to cut out the factions. Our city was too used to our roles in the society that they didn't pursue their plans. Right before they stopped with their monthly faction meetings, I talked to Evelyn about how she left me with an abusive man. She had no excuse to tell me.
She regretted her decision, but she never regretted it enough to come get me. She couldn't take me to the factionless, because it wasn't the place for me. In some way she was right. I had to put up with Marcus, but I met Iris, her family, Jenna and Rick, Amar and Tori... I ended up somewhere ten thousand times better than if she'd taken me with her. Evelyn was happier with the factionless than she'd ever been in Abnegation, and for some reason I just couldn't be angry at her anymore.
I introduced her to her grandchildren, but I never told them that Evelyn was actually my real mother. To them, Damon and Eliza were their grandparents, and I didn't want to ruin that. I didn't want my children to know about my youth.
Damon and Eliza were actually only seventeen years older than Iris and I were, so Nick and Sera were convinced Eliza had a teen pregnancy, just like Iris. We tried to make it a joke and tell them that it became a tradition they HAD to break.
When the kids turned fourteen, Iris and I had a strange birthday present for them- apart from the usual wrapped presents. We hadn't tried, or thought it would happen, but when we were 31... Another miracle occurred. Iris was pregnant, and it came as a total surprise to everyone, especially to us! We were over the moon though, and Nick and Sera were excited to meet their baby sister. We did have to assure them that our love for them wouldn't become less, because they were afraid of that happening.
'But mom,' Sera said, her voice slightly trembling. 'What if you like this child more than us? You won't stop spending time with us right?' Iris' mouth fell open as she wrapped her arms around Sera and stroke her dark blond hair out of her face. 'Honey, you will find out how much I love you once you'll become a parent yourself, but the two of you mean the world to us! You have since the moment I realised I was pregnant. You should've seen your father's face when he held you for the first time, and mine when I saw grandpa Valentine's eyes on Nick... Nothing that will ever happen can make us love the two of you less! A baby can only make us love more, and the one thing we're hoping for is you loving her too.'
Nick looked up from the hug he was having with me. 'Her?' Iris' eyes widened and I chuckled. 'Well done, love. You've kept the secret for a good twenty minutes.' Nick and Sera laughed as Iris turned red. 'I.. Well.. I... No I have no excuse, I'm sorry.' We all laughed harder. 'Come,' I said, beckoning my girls to join the hug. 'The two of you are everything to me and your mother. Another child will never change that,' I said, and kissed Sera's forehead. 'We've been through so much together.' Nick nodded and wrapped his arms around his mother, who was way shorter than he was.
'I don't want you to blush again sweetheart,' I said to my wife, who already raised her eyebrows. 'You so do, but go on.' I grinned at Sera, who was also taller than her mother. 'You are so short.' Nick and Sera laughed and Iris' mouth fell open. 'Start running, Tobias!' I chuckled, yet when she actually moved towards me, I called out a manly squeak and ran away from her. 'RUN DAD!' Sera called. 'GET HIM, MOM!' Nick yelled.
Iris caught up with me after a little while and jumped onto my back. She giggled and kissed my cheek. 'I love you, tall one.' I smiled as I swung her to the front and looked into her beautiful green eyes. 'I love you, Shorty.' Nick and Sera ran up to us and hugged us one last time. 'We are looking forward to our baby sister,' Nick said with a smile. Sera nodded and grabbed her phone. 'I'm searching girlnames right now. I want her to have a good name.' Iris laughed, wrapped her arm around Sera and walked inside with her, both pointing at Sera's phone, nodding and shaking their heads. 'Remember, I have a say in this too!' I called. The girls turned around, raised their eyebrows, looked at each other and shook their heads at the same time. 'Nope.' Then they walked away again, leaving Nick and me behind, chuckling.
We decided to call our little miracle Savannah, because Savannah was the city we wanted to visit if we had been allowed to leave the city. Savannah (the city) had become the name for our dreams that would never come true, and when Iris found out she was pregnant, we forgot about those silly dreams that would never come true. Our child was a dream that beat all the others, so we called her Savannah. Of course, she also received her own number. Everyone started calling her Seven, because she was Iris the second. As Nick was a combination of us, Sera a copy of me, we now had a copy of Iris too, making her 5+2= Seven.
Nick and Sera loved their little sister, and Catherine, Melody and julian came to visit her all the time. Well, I suspected Julian and Catherine to visit us with other intentions, such as liking my kids somewhat more than just the friendly like, but Juke and Cat were nice kids, I didn't mind one bit.
Zeke reminded me of something we'd said many years ago when our wives were still pregnant with our firsts. He was probably aware of Julian liking Sera, because he reminded me of the time Jenna was excited about the possibility of our kids dating. I had growled at Zeke that his son should not touch my daughter whatsoever, but knowing Julian, Sera couldn't have made a better choice. Nick the same: Cat was a good girl for him. He tend to be calm and sweet, an exact combination of Iris and me, and Cat was the impersonation of Dauntless. Hyped up like Emma, Dauntless like Dax.
We'd had so many years together, living in the same house, under the same roof, loving each other so much and knowing that one day our kids might leave... yet Nick and Sera's choosing day still came as a sudden surprise to me. It felt unfair, like we hadn't had 16 years together, only 6. It broke my heart when Iris and I walked our children to the Pit, saying goodbye to them just in case they wouldn't come back. Zeke and Jenna were standing next to us, hugging Julian. Nick and Sera hugged us tightly, and said their goodbyes very softly. Nick and I hugged first, and Sera ran up to her mother. They couldn't tell us whether they were coming back or not- it was against the rules.
Sera stared into my eyes- her eyes. 'You have always been the one who kept me calm when you were a baby. Nick wanted his mother, you wanted me. Whenever I was upset I looked at you... You smiled and you made my day. Whatever happened, your smile always saved me,' I told her as I hugged her tightly. Her eyes blurred and she hugged me again. 'I love you, dad,' she whispered, and kissed my cheek. 'I love you, and I'm proud of you, Sera. What choice you make will be the best you could've made.' She cried now and pinched my hand softly. 'Unless you pick Erudite, I don't want a smartass.' I joked. She laughed and shook her head, 'never,' she promised.
I smiled. 'Goodbye, Six.' She stood tall and saluted. 'Goodbye, Four.' She smiled slightly, and walked away, arm in arm with Julian and Nick. I wrapped my arm around Iris and kissed her forehead. 'We've raised wonderful kids, Five.' She smiled and put her head onto my shoulder. 'Thank God for booze,' Zeke joked. We all laughed and waved at our kids with teary eyes. I held my fingers crossed for them to come back... But after that goodbye, my legs were trembling.
'You are my rock,' Iris said, smiling at me. I shook my head. 'You are mine. You have been, all these years... eighteen and a half years.' She kissed me and wrapped her arms around my waist. 'Forever,' she whispered. 'And always,' I finished. We looked at Nick and Sera who were still waiting in line to go to the train.
Would the both of them come back?