Part 3
"So I think it's time for us to find a realtor," Emily suggested. It was just after Dave and Penelope had gotten back from their honeymoon.
The four of them were gathered at Emily and Aaron's apartment. It was clear now that Emily was pregnant, as there was a bump visible, since she was four months along.
"Yeah, it's time," Dave agreed. "Penny and I are married now and the wedding was beautiful and perfect."
"We also had a lovely honeymoon," Penelope added grinning. "We had a great time."
"We need to find a place preferably before Emily gives birth," Aaron said. "And what about Taro's project?"
"I'm keeping in contact with him," Dave promised. "He's planning on going back to Chicago, but not for another few months. We still have time to get settled into someplace new. The question is whether you want two separate places or do you want to live together and raise our children as one family?"
"Well, we would be one family anyway, even if we bought two separate residences, but I don't have any problem with us living together. Penny has been my best friend for years and I know that Aaron and you are close in a platonic way. We know to give each other private time when necessary," Emily said.
"If we do that we need someplace really big," Penelope said. "I'm planning on having at least four or five children and it's not that I wouldn't mind a few more, just that's all I think I have time to have before I'm technically to old."
Penelope had been immortal for several weeks, certainly before the wedding and so she could even now be pregnant, though it was much too soon to tell.
"Aaron and I are planning on doing the same," Emily agreed. "I have to have at least four anyway, but I certainly won't mind having a few more."
"Well, we can all travel down to Mexico and hire a realtor down there or as you suggested Emily we can hire a realtor here in New York," Dave said.
"I say we let a realtor here find someplace and then just go and see if it's suitable. After all, most realtors have places across the US, not just in the city where their business is because they have offices in various cities. Finding one place of appropriate size will probably be easier than finding two, though we might have to build on if it's not large enough," Aaron suggested. "Most places aren't really that big anymore, as it's not like decades ago. Most immediate families are very small nowadays, with no more than two or three children at most."
"There is the occasional large family, but I have to agree with Aaron," Penelope said.
"Like Taro's," Dave agreed. "He and his wife had eight children, though to be fair the youngest are twins, so his wife Aiya was only pregnant seven times."
"Still, seven children are a lot, even if Taro and Aiya hadn't gotten lucky to have twins that last time," Emily said. "I wouldn't mind having that many myself, but with my mother and brothers still alive, it's not a good idea this time around. I can't exactly lie about my age to people, even if it only by a couple of years, because they know how old I am. After they're dead and buried, then maybe I can have that many."
"I'll be happy with just four this time around," Aaron said. "Even if you don't get your inheritance it's not like you need it, though I do understand why you want it so bad. It's to at least partly make up for your rather lonely childhood isn't it?"
"Yes," Emily said empathically. "It's also the principle of the thing. I will not be denied, just because of my ancestor's archaic ideas. It's not that I mind having children, it's being forced to have a certain number that annoys me, as you all know. I have no doubt that my ancestors had no idea how much pain a woman goes through in order to have children or how many things can go wrong, especially centuries ago. I can understand having so many back then, because children died from so many things. I also know that families tended to be much larger back so long ago. Most of the families back than had more than two or three children, then happens today, but that doesn't negate or change my feelings."
"I think we can all understand that," Dave told Emily and the other two nodded in agreement. "Having so much money won't necessarily make up for your loneliness as a child or your parents inattention, but at least, it's some compensation."
"And once you have it, I'll help you to invest, so that you'll always have plenty of your own," Aaron promised. "That's what Dave did with me, as he loaned me some in that case and he taught me how to invest. Of course, he was also learning, because not much was known about investing back then. Still, the money I have now is not going to run out, not even with inflation."
"I'll look forward to it," Emily said, even as she leaned against Aaron shoulder.
"Investing in technology is always good," Penelope said. "Even if some people wanted to get rid of technology it isn't going to happen, as this is the early 21st century and we can't go back to the 16th or 17th where the technology was minimal. Candles, no electricity or even gaslights, no computers no landing man on the moon, no things like hot showers, as there were only tubs that had to be filled manually, either by servants or yourself. Not even anything as basic as indoor plumbing."
"Yeah, there are some people that do want to get rid of a lot of technological advances," Emily agreed, then shuddered and said, "I'm so glad I was born in the 20th-century, where we had things like electricity and basic indoor plumbing that Penny briefly touched on a minute ago. I enjoy my hot showers and baths very much thank you and I would hate to wait for somebody to fill up the tub for me where the water goes cold in a few minutes. It's so much easier to wash your hair nowadays, than it was back several centuries ago and I know very well some women didn't wash their very long hair, except once a month or so. I remember my life as Berenice very well and I didn't get many hot baths and a shower was out of the question, because they hadn't even been invented yet. Besides, being very poor would not have allowed Aaron and I have something like that built, even if they had been around. There was no room in our cottage anyway for such a thing, even if we could have afforded to have one installed."
"I think we can discuss the subject later, as right now, we need to concentrate on hiring a realtor to find someplace. Some place on the outskirts of a city where we can have our privacy," Dave said, having sympathy for his two friends who hadn't even had some of the basic necessaries of life back centuries ago. A nice refreshing shower often made him feel a lot better and he knew that Aaron felt the same way, but it wasn't something that his friend or his wife Berenice had had back then, but then neither had he. Dave had no doubt that they had bathed in the river, that had been close by. They'd probably been lucky if they'd had homemade soap, which would've been rough and hard on the skin. It wasn't like the style for the higher class that was more gentle, had a nice fragrance and made out of a different kind of material.
"Someplace that comes with plenty of land so we can build on," Aaron added, bringing Dave out of his thoughts.
"Somewhere I'm going to have a decent internet connection folks," Penelope said.
"We'll make sure that you have a good connection, Penny," Dave promised. "I'm sure there are things we can buy and set up to give you a connection out in the country if necessary."
"Somewhere with room for a big house, so that we have plenty of space for when we have children. If we have say five apiece then we'll need at least a dozen bedrooms," Emily said patting her stomach.
"That's what I told my parents I was going to have if possible," Penelope agreed. "Of course, I realize that things can go wrong with a pregnancy, but I'd still like to have as many as possible."
"You aren't going to die from complications anymore Penny," Dave told her. "I'll make sure I have a doctor on tap, just in case we don't have a chance to get to a hospital."
"That's a good idea. It's just a precaution," Aaron told Emily who started to look a little worried. "It won't hurt to make sure we are registered with all the appropriate people, healthcare and such."
"Alright, you're right," Emily finally agreed. "You sure aren't encouraging me to have anymore children after this though."
"You'll be fine, Emily," Dave promised her. "Just like Penny, you can't die in childbirth anymore and really, dying in childbirth doesn't happen as often as it used to. Technology is so advanced now, not like when I or Aaron were born, when women died in childbirth all the time. As Berenice, you were lucky you never did die from having so many children, since you had half a dozen, though I understand it was common to have so many kids back so long ago. I won't say the risk is nonexistent, but it is minimal, so long as we take the appropriate measures. There shouldn't be any problem in getting you or Penny to the hospital and I'll make sure I know where it's located and how to get there, so that we aren't trying to find our way in the dark if a baby wants to come at night. There has to be something majorly wrong, like a bad heart or some other complication in order for a woman to die in childbirth anymore."
Emily nodded her fears soothed, because she knew very well Dave was right. Giving birth nowadays, the risk was very slight. Women had children at home all the time now and just registered it, as an in-home birth, so that the child could get a social security number.
They all continued to discuss it for some time, until they decided on what they all wanted in a house.
"So to change the subject do you think you're pregnant Penny?" Emily asked her friend.
Penelope blushed but said, "It's only a possibility, but just like you weren't sure, when you first came back from your honeymoon, neither am I. I was immortal before the wedding for at least a few days, so I could very well have gotten pregnant before the ceremony for all I know. If I am it's probably much too soon to tell, as I can't possibly be over a month or so along."
"I would still go to the doctor and have yourself tested Penny," Emily said.
"Maybe," Penelope said. "I don't want to be disappointed though, if the doctor says I'm not pregnant, so maybe it's just better to wait until I start showing symptoms."
"Which will happen in it's own good time, be patient Emily," Aaron told his wife sternly, but with a hint of a smile. "I know you're anxious to know if your friend is pregnant, but there's no point of rushing things. She might very well be and we'll know soon enough if she is."
"I just want our children to be close together that's all," Emily said.
"While that would be nice and it's certainly a possibility, I'm not going to worry about it, because that can prevent me from conceiving. Stress you know," Penelope told her friend. "We'll know within a few weeks I'm sure. You're just going to have to be be patient."
Emily knew her friend was right so nodded. Expectations of getting pregnant in a certain amount of time and stress could indeed prevent someone from conceiving.
"I'm certainly looking forward to finding out if you're pregnant or not Penny," Dave told her smiling. "As I told your father I've never had any children of my own, because I wasn't joking, when I told him that my father would've taken me over his knee and it wouldn't have mattered if I was an adult at the time. If I'd had sex with a woman enough to turn them immortal, so they got pregnant, well, dad would've been furious."
"It's true," Aaron agreed. "He probably would've done the same thing to me, since he considers me a son, even if he isn't really my father. Jacob Rossi is all about living up to your responsibilities, so if one of his sons are irresponsible enough to turn a woman immortal and then got that woman pregnant, well, that son would be expected to marry the woman in question."
"I really like your dad," Emily told Dave. "The fact, that he treated Aaron like a son put him in my good books."
"I'm glad you do," Dave said warmly smiling. "He'll adopt you as well, since Aaron is a son to him. He'll consider you a daughter now, so you better be prepared for him to give you some fatherly advice when dad feels it's necessary. Of course, you can always go to him and he'll always listen and the same is true for my mom."
"I'm actually looking forward to that, because it's clear your parents care about their children and I can't say the same for my own," Emily commented.
"I know," Dave said soberly. "Your parents didn't give you or your brothers the love that any child needs. I understand their marriage was arranged, but the least your parents could've done was give their children some attention. I know that doesn't always happen and that not all parents are like my own or like Penny's, as it is clear, that her parents love her and are invested in her welfare."
"My father would've tried to convince me not to marry Dave if he did not approve of him and he definitely wouldn't have walked me down the aisle if he didn't like Dave. I doubt he even would've attended the ceremony if he disapproved, as it would've been his way to show that disapproval and that he thought I had made a bad choice. I admit in the past some of my boyfriends were total dorks. You know someone with a nose ring, or a belly ring, that kind of thing."
"But that's when you were young I'm assuming," Aaron asked and Penelope nodded.
"Yes, that's when I was a teenager and I haven't introduced my parents to any of my other boyfriends after I moved out, so Dave is the first in a long time. I never got to the point that I felt like I could introduce any of them to my family. Those relationships definitely never got close enough for any of them to propose marriage."
"Lucky for me," Dave said smiling, kissing his wife's cheek.
"So your father didn't know that your taste had improved since you were a teenager," Emily guessed and Penelope nodded in confirmation.
"Exactly. He really likes Dave and that's a good thing, because I want my parents and my husband to get along. We might not see them more than a few times a year, but still, they'll be far less tension when we and the children do visit if they like each other."
Everybody was nodding at this because it was true.
"It's one of the reasons I insisted we go visit her family up in California, so they could get to know me a little before the wedding. It was the proper thing to do. Aaron was lucky that Emily's family lives right in New York, so he didn't have to take a trip."
"My mother is something of a worrywart, as much as I love her. I wanted her to know that Dave wasn't an abusive asshole, as it would only make her worry about me if she thought such a thing," Penelope said. "My mother is not naïve and knows that there are a lot of abusive people in the world of both sexes, so we took that trip mostly to assure them that Dave was a good person."
"I understand," Emily said.
"I do too," Aaron added. "When your parents love you of course, they are going to worry about your welfare as they don't want you to be an abusive relationship. They knew nothing about Dave at that time, so of course, they'd worry a little until they got to know him."
"In my case though, even if my mother hadn't approved I still would've married Aaron," Emily said empathetically.
"That's a little different though," Dave said. "In your case you're the reincarnation of his long dead wife, so you already knew Aaron really well, once your memory started to come back. In your case, it wouldn't have been a bad decision, if you did have to go against what your mother wanted. A lot of women aren't so lucky you know."
"He's right, as usual," Aaron said. "You knew me really well as Berenice and once your memory started to come back..."
"It's almost like I was never away in the first place," Emily admitted. "Oh, I know this isn't my former time, just that Aaron and I are right back to our previous relationship. We were always close from the moment we met, much closer than a great percentage of other couples and that's still true, even though we haven't been back together too long. There was really no need to go through a get to know you stage. Well, not once I got my memory back, anyway."
"Which is why you got married so quickly," Penelope said in Emily nodded.
"Really, I would've preferred to elope, but I know my mother would've been furious. I was just trying to keep the peace, as much as possible," Emily admitted.
"We met and married in less than six months and really that's not bad at all," Aaron said. "Most of that was wedding planning as Emily remembered her past life in a couple of months. Considering how many guests were there and how many preparations had to be made, that's really good."
"Yes, it is," Emily agreed. "I have to admit my mom came through and she could very well have dragged it out until next spring or summer."
"I'll call the realtor," Dave volunteered. "Tell them we want to large place in New Mexico with at least 15 bedrooms if possible. If that's not possible, someplace with a lot of land where we can build on."
They talked about exactly what they wanted in the house, the specifications that they all wanted, but finally, they were all in agreement and Dave agreed to make that call as soon as possible.
Dave went to do that so they could find someplace to settle before Emily gave birth, but came back less than 10 minutes later.
"There all done," Dave said. "We should get a call sometime in the next week or so. I offered a 15% higher commission if they could find someplace quickly, that is over what they would get for selling a house.
"A little bribery often works wonders," Aaron snorted amused.
"Yes, it does," Dave grinned unrepentantly.
~~~Dave and Penelope~~~