AN. The first 2 parts of my my Q&A are now up on YouTube and my blog (October 2013)
Chapter Four:
They always celebrated in April, in many ways it was a day that meant more to them than their wedding anniversary- the anniversary of the day they had learned that Elphaba was in remission.
It had been ten years since that day, and Elphaba couldn't believe it had been a whole decade. Fiyero had been eager for a big celebration, but Elphaba was reluctant. Finally, they agreed on a compromise, to have a small celebration with their family that weekend, but to spend the day itself just with their children.
Elphaba was awake at six o'clock that morning as per usual. Fiyero was snoring softly as she slipped out of bed and pulled on her robe; leaving the bedroom and going next door to greet their second miracle.
Isak Ibrahim Frexspar Tiggular was four months old now, and Elphaba was still pinching herself that she had been lucky enough to fall pregnant again. And that was where the name had come from, there was an old religious story of a woman who had been blessed with a child when she was too old to fall pregnant. Although neither Elphaba or Fiyero were religious, the story still spoke to Elphaba, and she had thought the name was befitting their son.
Given that Pelia was partly named for their mothers, it had seemed only natural to name Isak after their fathers. Actually, sometimes the part Elphaba found hardest to believe was that she and her father were in a place where not only was she willing to name her child after her father, but that it made her happy to do so. Frex had been thrillified at the honour, and he was a doting grandfather to all five of his grandchildren.
Nessa and Kai had three year old twin girls, named Dafina and Lorinda, who were identical and both beautiful. It had been the birth of her nieces that had prompted Elphaba and Fiyero to move towards what Elphaba called 'their gift', who was currently sleeping in a room down the hall. Eszter Annabel Galinda Tiggular was two years old, and was an orphan. Her father, from what they could tell, had died in a horse riding accident during the pregnancy; and her mother had fallen ill just days after her birth and died.
Elphaba and Fiyero had found her when she was six days old and there had been no argument or debate about it, they both knew this little girl was going to be part of their family. And to all their family, Eszter was just as much a miracle as if she had been born to Elphaba and Fiyero naturally. As for the name, it had been Fiyero's suggestion. It was once again a religious name, from the story of a girl who had lost her parents, been adopted (by her cousin, but he dismissed that part) and become queen.
"How more perfect can you get?" he had said, and Elphaba hadn't protested.
Annabel was in honour of Annabel Lee, the poem that meant so much to Elphaba and Fiyero, and Galinda was of course, for Elphaba's best friend. Once she and Fiyero had visited Munchkinland with Pelia and seen the twins, it had made them both want another child. But not knowing if they would be able to have another biological child, they had recalled their long ago conversation about adoption and decided to go ahead with it. Two months later, they had found Eszter.
Galinda herself was married by now, to a lovely man named Owain and they had a one year old son named Caden. She was a loving and enthusiastic godmother to all three of Elphaba and Fiyero's children, and her only regret was that they couldn't see each other more.
However, they would all be coming to the Vinkus this weekend. Frex, Nessa and her family; Galinda and hers; and Boq and his wife Hina, who were expecting their first child in five months time. Elphaba was looking forward to seeing them all and celebrating this milestone, but she was glad she would have this day just with Fiyero and her children.
Isak was awake and he smiled when he saw Elphaba, a smile that was exactly like Fiyero's and was completely infectious.
"Hi baby," she said softly, scooping him up into her arms.
She went about her usual routine with Isak, changing him, feeding him, burping him and dressing him for the day.
"Shall we go see if your sisters are up?" she asked him when he was ready and headed for the door.
It was still early, but both Pelia and Eszter were often up with the sun, much to Fiyero's dismay.
"They get that from you," he said to her in displeasure once, and Elphaba had simply beamed at him.
However, this morning the girls still slept, and Elphaba spent some time just playing with her son.
Eszter was the first to be up, just after seven o'clock, and she immediately crawled into Elphaba's lap for a cuddle, still half asleep and clutching the teddy bear that Fiyero had bought for her the day they brought her home.
Eszter was a beautiful child, with large brown eyes and her hair was mostly brown with flashes of red. And she was very quiet and very gentle, and in some ways she reminded Elphaba of Nessa- even though they weren't related genetically.
Not long after that, there was footsteps on the stairs and Fiyero entered the room, Pelia perched on his hip.
"Morning, Momma," Pelia greeted her, scrambling to get down from Fiyero's arms.
"Good morning, pretty girl. Did you sleep well?"
Pelia nodded and she hugged her. "Yes."
Fiyero bent down and kissed Elphaba softly. "Morning, Momma."
She chuckled. "Morning."
"Breakfast?" he suggested and she nodded.
"Sounds good."
"Can we have french toast, Daddy? And bacon?" Pelia asked hopefully.
"Bacon!" Eszter cried enthusiastically in agreement.
"Absolutely," Fiyero agreed. "Do you want to be my assistant?"
She did, of course, so Elphaba amused Eszter by making a game out of making Isak laugh, which the little girl adored.
These were her favourite moments, just the quiet times they spent together as a family.
And when they sat down at the table for breakfast, with Pelia proudly pointing out the pancakes she'd helped make; Elphaba couldn't imagine a better way to celebrate this day.
"So, what are we going to do today? How should we celebrate?"
Pelia frowned at Fiyero. "Why are we celebrating?"
Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a glance. Their commemoration of this day had been rather small in previous years, simply a family dinner or something small; and Pelia was young enough that it had escaped her notice that this was a special day.
There was also the matter that they had never told the children- although Pelia was the only one old enough to worry about that- that Elphaba had had cancer. They didn't think she would understand it just yet, and they didn't want to scare her.
Fiyero tried to explain gently. "Years ago, before you were born, Momma got sick. And today is the day that she got better. So we celebrate that she got better."
Pelia thought about that through a mouthful of bacon. "Oh," she replied finally. "Ok. We should have a picnic."
Elphaba glanced out the window at the weather. It was grey and cloudy and although it was spring, there was still a chill in the air.
"I don't think today is really picnic weather, sweetheart," she said gently. "It's kind of cold and it looks like it might rain."
"We can have it inside!" Pelia insisted with the logic of a six year old.
Fiyero looked at her and shrugged. "Sounds like fun to me. Fae?"
Elphaba chuckled. "Why not?" she agreed. "Let's have an indoor picnic."
"We could light the fire and make smores?" Fiyero suggested, getting into the idea. "And we could set up the projector and look at all those boxes of photos we keep saying we should go through?"
"And we could play board games and make popcorn," Elphaba said thoughtfully.
"We can make a fort!" Pelia exclaimed excitedly.
She looked to her little sister. "Essie, what do you want to do?"
Eszter beamed at her big sister. "Ice cream!"
Elphaba and Fiyero laughed.
"I think we can do that too," Fiyero agreed.
So, Fiyero and Pelia, with "help" (or hindrance, Elphaba suspected) from Eszter, got to work in the living room constructing the fort from chairs, blankets and pillows; as Elphaba made sandwiches and got food ready from the kitchen, with all the fixings for smores and corn to pop in the fire.
Finally, they were all ready. Elphaba was admittedly quite impressed with the fort that had been constructed in the living room. It was large enough that although slightly cramped, the five of them could easily fit inside- although admittedly, Isak didn't take much room.
Pelia and Eszter were in fits of giggles, completely excited at what they were doing. Elphaba had brought in the food and although they left the sandwiches until lunch time, the girls were already begging Fiyero to make smores, and he was happy to comply.
"They just had breakfast half an hour ago," Elphaba complained good-naturedly, but she didn't really protest.
They played board games- Elphaba, Eszter and Isak usually playing in a team against Fiyero and Pelia; and later when Isak and Eszter were napping, they played cards with Pelia- Go Fish, because Elphaba refused to let Fiyero teach their six year old to play either poker or Bullspit.
In the afternoon it began to rain, and Fiyero dug out and set up the projector, and they spent hours looking through boxes of photos. Childhood photos of Fiyero, mostly; the few that Elphaba had of hers; and of course, plenty of photos from Shiz and the past ten years.
By the time night had fallen and the children had had their dinner, baths and had been put to bed, Elphaba was both exhausted and thoroughly relaxed and happy.
"This was a great day," she sighed contently to Fiyero.
Fiyero was still lying in the fort, stretched out with his feet sticking out, and his eyes closed tiredly.
"Our daughters are geniuses."
Elphaba chuckled and lay down beside him. "The innocence of children, I suppose."
He murmured in agreement and slipped his hand into hers.
"So, ten years."
"Ten years," she repeated softly. "Oz... sometimes it feels like yesterday, and sometimes it feels like another lifetime ago."
Fiyero pulled her close to him, and pressed his lips to the top of her head softly.
"I'm so grateful for every day I get with you."
"Me too," she said in a whisper. "I love you."
"I love you too, Fae. Should we go to bed?"
Elphaba shook her head. "No, let's just stay here for a while."
Fiyero agreed, and they lay there before the fire in the fort, and just silently reflecting on the past ten years. On their forever.
The End
AN. Thank you to everyone who stuck with the saga and reviewed!