When everyone arrived at the treehouse, Veronica had set up a little party for the children as well as the adults. Tommy was 10, having been born two months after Avery, and Abby was 9. "Uncle George" delighted all of the children with his simple invention of a wire "wand", shaped into a hexagon at one end, dipped into a solution of soap that made lovely bubbles all over the place.
"And, when the children are done playing, they can put scrubbers on their feet and clean the floor with the excess." he'd chuckled. "Two games in one- it's brilliant." he declared.
Veronica handed everyone some sweets she'd baked that morning, along with some coffee.
"It seems like forever that we've all been here together," she smiled. "I've missed everyone."
"Silly; you were in London not five weeks ago." Marguerite teased.
"Yes, but us being here... it's different somehow." Veronica revealed. "Just feels more like old times."
"Aye, that it does," Roxton agreed, leaning back against his chair, relaxing and enjoying the cinnamon-and-macadamia-nut confection as his eyes closed slightly.
"John would've stayed, I'll wager." Marguerite laughed.
"No." John said, looking at her seriously. "You were pregnant, and I wanted to take you back to a hospital for that. Besides, you couldn't run very well towards the end, and, it wouldn't have gotten much better lugging Avery around, even if he was papoosed." Roxton teased.
"Have to admit though, it's damn funny watching them run when they're at the waddly penguin phase." Ned laughed, and Veronica threw a cookie at his head, laughing good naturedly.
"Speaking of waddly penguins... I never did see you when you started showing." Marguerite said a bit regretfully to Veronica. "I mean, you came with Tommy after he was born, and then Abby after she was born, but we really didn't get to be 'fat' together."
"Yes, someone to share that particular misery with would have been nice." Veronica laughed. "Though, I got to see you when Emmeline-Cate was in the oven."
"I was in an oven?" Emmeline-Cate screeched, appalled, suddenly next to her father. "Like the witch in 'Hansel and Gretel'?"
Marguerite and Veronica looked at each-other, bursting into loud laughter, but Roxton smiled, pulling his baby girl into his lap. "Not literally, darling," he tried to explain, "that's just a saying. She means when you were inside Mummy's tummy."
Emmeline-Cate looked even more upset. "Cause she ate me?"
Roxton pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, sweetness... Darling? Little help here?" he asked Marguerite desperately.
"Oh, I think you're doing just fine on your own..." Marguerite laughed, her and Veronica still cracking up immensely.
"Ahem, right... babies grow in mummy's tummies. Like... like a seed in a garden! Yes, that's it..." he sighed, relieved at a good enough euphemism to explain things.
"But, how does the baby seed get there?" she asked, looking impressed now.
"Uh... erm... Marguerite, bloody help me!" he whispered.
Smirking at her uncomfortable husband, Marguerite took her only daughter to her own lap. "Mummies and Daddies decide they want a baby. So they hold hands, close their eyes real tight, and make a big wish. And, then you get a little angel to grow."
"Ohhhh..." she nodded seriously. "Can I have a cookie, please, Daddy?"
"Yes, here." Roxton said gratefully, handing her five of them. "Give one each to the other children. Share." he instructed, giving her a small nudge as he sat her on her feet.
He ran a hand over his face as she raced off. But, Veronica and Ned were looking at Marguerite as though she'd grown four heads suddenly.
"What?" she burst out, uncomfortable.
"That was... how did you come up with that on the fly?"
"Yes, Marguerite, that was quite brilliant..." Challenger said warily.
"And... not like we were used to last time you lived here." Ned threw in.
"If I weren't such a sophisticated lady, and a mother, Edward Theodore Malone," she said, full naming him like a mother would, "I would show you some sign language I learned last time I was in New York for your book signing." she smirked at him. "But, I am, so I shall behave and not embarrass my husband."