Chapter 2.34- At Once

          “No,” Ignacio said into his phone. “No, I am sure Tibi will understand. If you have to work, you have to work. I remember how he used to do that even when we were kids. Why would he stop now?

          “I will give her your best wishes,” he continued. “Yeah. Will dad still be coming then?

          “Alright. Yeah, Love you too, Mami. ‘Bye.”

          Turning around, Ignacio was confused. He could have sworn he’d heard the door open and close behind him. Frowning at his image in the mirror he shook his head. It must have been something he heard going on in his mother’s house.

          When Layla waddled from the bathroom carrying a laundry bag he’d nearly jumped out of his hide. He did jump back a step or two.

          “Why are you doing laundry now?” Today was Tibi’s birthday and the party was scheduled to start in just a little bit.

          “It needs doing?” Layla responded sarcastically. “The house is filthy. Do you mind mopping the floors?”

          “Now?”

          “Yes, now,” she answered. “What other time would I mean? Get Tiburcia to sweep for you.”

          He turned his head only a little as she walked past him to get to their laundry basket. According to his dad this was all normal, the attitude, the cleaning, the unreasonable demands. Not being around Melly when she was pregnant with Tiburcia, he’d missed this before. Of course, it might all be worse since her dad had only just died and she hadn't allowed herself to really let that sink in “for the baby's sake.”

          “You know guests will be arriving soon,” he reminded her.

          “So then you need to get a move on don’t you?”

          “Please put the book down and sweep in here so your dad can mop,” Layla said, passing Tiburcia as she headed to the laundry room.

          “My party is starting in just a little bit,” Tibi glanced up from her book with a frown. “What are you doing?”

          “Cleaning! There are people coming and the house is a mess!”

          “From all the stupid stuff you bring home,” groaned Tibi under her breath.

          Passing by the portrait of the three of them they’d had made only a little while ago Layla remembered the one thing her mother had always said when families would call to have her photograph them. The best way to ensure your family would grow or change was to get a portrait done. Smiling wryly at it, Layla sighed. Maybe it was time for a change.

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          “Owen is finally graduating,” Nalleli was saying. “So we might need to leave a little early to get there on time. I can’t wait to get that punk out of my house.”

          Only half hearing what Ignacio’s sister said, Layla had been hit afresh with memories of her dad helping her find her way after she herself had graduated.

          “So,” Nalleli didn’t wait for an answer. “What does that actually feel like?”

          “What does what feel like?” Layla was genuinely confused. Her brain just didn’t seem to want to focus like it had before she became pregnant.

          Nalleli sniffed, rubbing her nose. It may have been the first day of Spring, but it sure didn’t feel like it.

          “What does it feel like sharing your body with a parasite?” Nalleli had long ago made sure the world knew that babies were Not in her future. She could barely stand her sweet niece as it was, and snotty nosed brats running around her house was not her idea of fun.

          Layla blinked at her, before really letting that sink in.

          “It sucks,” she answered at long last. “Really, honestly. I can’t sleep, I can’t get comfortable, I can’t walk, and my brain isn’t working properly.”

          “And that is why I will never do it,” Nalleli said sagely, nodding as if she understood. “So what’s the name?”

          Mustering her filthiest look Tiburcia stared hard at the Tanzanite on the kitchen counter. All the stupid crap Mom brought home was why her birthday party was crammed into the kitchen. Once upon a time, the kitchen wasn’t overcome with stuff, but slowly, slowly, it was creeping in here too.

          At least Henry and Emily were politely ignoring it. It was Emily’s birthday today too, her party was tonight. Henry still had a little while before he aged up too. But eventually, they would all be at High School together.

          But as her eyes roved the shiny things now beginning to clutter the kitchen, Tibi heard her dad behind her.

          “Are you ready to make a wish Mija?” Ignacio asked as he lit the candles on her cake.

          This birthday was one she had been waiting eagerly for. She could now drive. She could shop for her own clothes by herself. She’d be old enough to date, and most importantly, she wouldn’t have to be home nearly as often.

          Uncle Raul raised his fists to cheer her on along with Emily and Henry behind her.

          To Tibi, it was as if they were encouraging her, giving her confidence to move forward, to step out more.

          Aunt Lottie and Abuelo had a noisemaker a piece. Both were cheering her along with the others and Tibi stared hard at her candles.

          She should have had her wish formed weeks ago, but she just didn’t have one just yet. Staring all the harder, she did her best to drown out the commotion around her as she sought the one thing she wanted most.

          But the commotion seemed to only get louder as she tried to close it out. Hearing her dad and Layla’s voices she just rolled her eyes trying to focus on what it was she wanted most.

          A cleaner house would be nice. The house as she remembered it when she was really little would be really nice. But it was just a house, and it was Mom’s house. When she graduated she’d be moving out.

          Maybe she could wish that the baby would get here soon so Mom would go back to normal. But then the ‘normal’ for Mom even before she was pregnant wasn’t the one her dad talked about sometimes.

          What if she wished for her Dad to go back to normal? Talking to Abuela and Abuelo told her that her dad used to be a lot more confident and outgoing. That sounded like a lot more fun to her. He was generally somewhat somber and always worried lately.

          Sighing as the commotion around her grew with the addition of Aunt Nalleli’s voice Tibi frowned even harder at her candles trying to concentrate.

          When the front door slammed she assumed Aunt Nalleli and Uncle Shad had gone to Uncle Shad’s brother’s graduation. What would it be like to be finished with school, ready to join the wider world out there?

          But all that would come later no matter what. It was going to happen, no use wasting a birthday wish on it.

          Maybe she just wanted it to all be a little happier for right now. And for it to be happier it would all have to change. Maybe that was it. She’d wish for change. That Mom would change back to how she used to be. That Dad would be who he used to be. That the house would change back to what she remembered. Change.

          Closing her eyes tightly she took a deep breath, blowing hard to make sure she got all of the candles in one go which thinking her hardest. “I wish it would all change.” Daddy said you’re wish wouldn’t come true if you didn’t blow them all out at once.

          Sparkles enveloped her as Roosevelt, Uncle Shad’s other brother who must have skipped out on going to the graduation for her birthday cake, entered.

          Thanks to Ballet, her pirouette within the sparkles was as graceful as she hoped to be when it was all over.

          Funny though, this didn’t seem to be as bad as the last time. Her eyes didn’t cross and she didn’t lose her balance.

          Looking around, then down, she realized the transition really had been easy this time.

          Well, this was a change. So maybe part of her wish had come true if nothing else.

          Then it hit her. Spinning around she again scanned those gathered in the kitchen to celebrate her birthday. Uncle Raul, Roosevelt, Henry, Emily, Aunt Lottie, and Abuelo.

          “Where’s Mom and Dad?” she asked.

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          It had been hours since the party had finished. She’d finally sent Aunt Lottie and Uncle Raul back home assuring them she’d be fine waiting on her Mom and Dad on her own. Barely able to stand the suspence, she’d planted herself on the loveseat.

          She’d attempted reading, she’d called her friends. She was missing Emily’s party, but there was no way she could go until she knew everything was alright. She’d cleaned up the remains of the birthday party, and had swept the floors as Layla had requested so long ago. Was it long ago? Or only earlier that day?

          When the front door finally swung open, she jumped to her feet. Were they finally home? Was Layla ok? Was the baby okay? Was it a boy? Was it a girl?

          Feeling like she’d explode from the tension she took a step forward just as her dad came in followed closely by her mom.

          Ignacio’s grin stretched ear to ear, but Layla just looked tired, and a little stunned. Her eyes were fixed on the little bundle she carried in one arm. Tibi’s eyes followed hers to look at the tiny baby she carried.

          “Well,” her dad said brightly. “Happy Birthday, Mija! You are a big sister again!”

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Mwwwuuuahahahahahaha! Yeah. I’m mean. Next chapter. Maybe. We’ll find out if that little spinach burrito holds a boy or a girl. Maybe. If I’m feeling nice. J/k.

And for the record: I’d not planned on Tibi’s birthday being the same day Layla was due. When that happened I thought: “Wouldn’t it be fun to do the party, and have the party End with Layla going into labor?” So I carefully calculated when Layla would give birth and pushed the party time to begin 3 hours before she was scheduled to give birth. Nope. Instead, I’d just directed Tibi to blow out the candles when Layla went into labor. I’m having enough issues with my game I really don’t need such an ado right now to really give it conniptions. But, it worked. My game survived, Tibi aged up and I even got to fix her up in CAS, and I was able to open the Burrito in Stylist to change the tortilla without a hitch! So I went with it.

Since I’m torturing you all with the Heir, I will do this though: Roll Reveal! Number of Children: 2. I’d originally rolled one, but as the marital structure (Yeah yeah I know you all know what it is, but I will reveal it my way when I’m ready in story :P) allows for one additional child so you can have a biological child, I did that. So there’s my one biological child for Layla. No.More.