Hello everyone :)

This is the ‘house’ tour for this generation. I took the ‘Glass Pillar’ apartment building that came with Late Night, and remodeled it to fit the needs of this generation. Because I didn’t build the lot itself, I don’t feel comfortable uploading this lot, and so it will not be available for download. My apologies.

On to the tour:

Lobby (Downstairs):

Upstairs Main Hallway:

Kitchen/Dining:

Main Area ( + Stairway):

Living + Rec Area:

Main bathroom:

Plum’s Bedroom:

Upstairs hallway + View to downstairs:

Rose’s bedroom:

Rose’s En suite:

So that’s it! I’m not the best builder, I know, but I rather liked the outcome. You notice that the color scheme is both pink AND purple, for both Rose and Plum.

I hope you liked it, and I’ll try and push a chapter out as soon as possible for you!

 I grew up in the quiet part of Zephyr Hills, in a little house with my two moms, and my sister. It wasn’t a bad way to start my life, not by a long shot. I always had food, and a roof over my head. I didn’t spend Berrymas at two different households, and overall I lived an excellent life.

But I hated it.

Not my life, no. I love life itself. I hated how tame it was, how day-to-day nothing would change. For my sister, this was fantastic. She loved routine, and having everything in her life set out. From the time we were seven, she knew that she wanted to grow up to be an author, knew she wanted to be married happily, and have a big family to spend her days at home with. She also knew how to look the nicest, be the funniest, and be the best crowd-pleaser that Berrykind ever met. She just always knew.

I never knew. While I was growing up, I was all over the place. I went from sports, to cheer squad, to debate club, and more. I jumped from boyfriend, to boyfriend, to single faster than anyone could keep track of. I could never find anything that I wanted, and my only goal was that: to get what I wanted. That was just about the only thing I did know, that if all else fails, I better have gotten what I wanted, because that’s always the most important thing.

I think it’s that attitude that makes my sister angry. She loves me, sure, but my Berry can she get pruned off at me sometimes. She’s frustrated at the fact that I’m content just winging it when it comes to my life. She wants me to have a plan, a university picked out, and all of that sugar.

I’m happy with my current ‘plan’, moving in with Plum (Elderberry Plum Pop has been my only constant friend since I was young, we are more like sisters than Cherry and I are), renting an (incredibly beautiful) apartment down town together, and keeping my part-time job at the tattoo parlor.

Cherry thinks I’m irresponsible, that by 21 I should have been well into university and getting my education finished. I think she’s an old lady trapped in a 21 year old’s body. Cherry can have her plans, and her cute house down the street. She can keep her pretty life, and her prettier hair. I don’t want it.

It’s always infuriated me, that Cherry needs to be so perfect. Perfect looks, grades, friends, blah blah blah. Maybe, over the years, I handled it wrong. Screwing with her computer, lying to her friends. There was even that boyfriend of hers that found out the hard way that dating Cherry meant an odd loss of money from his wallet. Maybe it was all immature of me, but at the time, it was what I wanted. And what’s the most important rule? Exactly.

 So that’s why I’m leaving home. I don’t want to live at home with my family always there to look at me, ad see only what I am compared to Cherry: not good enough. They’ll always love me, but I know that I’m not Cherry, and I never will be.

With Plum, and our new flat, I’ll be free. Free, and happy. Just like I wanted

A/N: Sorry for how short this prologue is! Wow, I didn’t realize, it’s tiny! The chapters will get longer, promise x Welcome to Gen 4!

 Time passes quickly when you have kids. It’s as if you blink, and you miss it. We started with tiny little babies, barely the length of our forearms, but suddenly we had two beautiful little girls running all over the house. All over.

They were both getting into everything. Into the toy chest, into the food cupboard, into the make up cabinet, and into the markers. As you might be able to tell, there had been plenty of messes to clean up over time.

Luckily though, we were blessed with endless helping hands, from my Mother, to my siblings who were all married now, starting their own families. Even Pickle and Mango, with their five (yes, five) adopted children still found time to help us if we needed it.

We had often stopped to look at our children, trying to see evil in either of them, but none had shown itself.

“People make mistakes” Lolli had said to me one night, as we sat in the kitchen, both girls asleep.

“They do.”

“Even sorceresses can mess up.”

“I know. I think we should just forget she said anything, and let them grow up as normal.”

“Agreed.” she replied, and with quick nods, the conversation ended, and the promise was kept.

Although we might have wondered to ourselves about the warnings of Old Macaroon, we never spoke of them again. We never mentioned a word to our family, and especially not to the girls. By every measure, we just had two lovely little girls.

**

“Momma!”

“Mommy!”

Lolli and I groaned in unison. Early mornings were one part of parenting neither of us would ever get used to, and after teaching the girls to talk, they happened frequently. I was Momma, as that was what I’d learned as a child, where as Lolli was Mommy, because that was what she’d called her Mom when she was little. It made things easier.

“I’ve got Rose.” I said, and Lolli replied with “I’ve got Cherry”

I moved down the hall to Rose’s room, turning my slow walk to a half-jog as I heard her cry “Momma!” again at the top of her lungs.

“Good morning to you too.” I smiled at my pouting baby as I came into the room. She sat back in her crib, and threw her arms up to me to be picked up. I complied, and lifted her out of her bed, nestling her into my arms, with her little bum resting on my hip.

“Hi.” I smiled at her, and despite the tears a moment ago, she giggled. She was full of giggles, all the time.

“Hi.” she replied.

“Are you hungry?” I asked, and she nodded. “Words, please.”

“Yes Momma.”

“Let’s go then.” I replied, swooping her down the hall and into the kitchen, where her sister was already digging into a bowl of baby food. I set Rose down in her chair, and took the bowl of food Lolli had set for her on the counter, and placed it infront of her.

“Yum!” she cried, and I looked at her.

“What do we say?”

“Thank you.” she replied in her adorable baby voice. I moved over to Lolli, who was brewing a pot of coffee while stifling a yawn. I spun her around, and kissed her gently. The kisses were soft, but went on for a long time. I loved being able to do this, to just kiss her, and be happy. This was what I’d worked my whole life for.

The weeks passed without event, just us learning how to be good Moms, and the girls learning how to be good kids.

Then it happened. To other parents, it might have been nothing, but to us – it was the first sign.

Lolli and I were preparing some baby food to freeze for later while the girls played in the Rose’s room, when we heard crying.

“Momma! Mommy!” Rose screamed, and both of us dropped what we were doing and ran through. Rose sat on the floor whimpering, and Cherry stood above her with a building brick in her hand.

“What happened in here?” Lolli cried as she scooped Rose off the ground, kissing her head.

“Cherry hit me with the brick” Rose announced, though through the tears, it sounded more like ‘ch-eh-eh-wwy hi-it me wi-ith the bw-i-ck’

“Cherry!” I gasped, swooping her into my arms so to look her in the eye. “did you hit your sister with the brick?”

“Yes.” she admitted. I waited for the tears, for the guilty look, but neither came. She just looked at me directly, not saying anything.

“I want you to say sorry to your sister. Then you will sit in time out for three minutes and think about what you have done. We do not hurt people, Cherry, especially not our family, got it?”

She nodded, and when brought to Rose, gave her an adorable apology. She sat her time in the corner, and then went on with her day as usual.

I wasn’t sure what Cherry’s little outburst meant. Was it just a kid acting up, or a sign of what was to come? Lolli and I didn’t speak of it, keeping to our promise, but both of us worried. Months passed though, and nothing more happened, so we wrote it off as kids being kids.

Time passed. The kids got bigger, and Lolli and I grew closer, into an unbreakable pair. My family was stronger than ever, together as one person, not separated as many. I watched my girls grow before my eyes, gaining knowledge, personalities, and thankfully no ‘evil streaks’ were to be seen. They were all I could have wished for and more.

There are times where I look at what I have now, and I am so thankful. I had a rough start in life, losing two Dads to entirely different reasons, and losing two lovers, and having both return in different ways. But no matter how bad it got, and we all know it got to be devastating at times, and even though there was a point that I wanted to be rid of my life – I’m so glad I was saved. So glad I had another chance to experience it at. To experience love, hope, and family. To know what it feels like to trust, and to bring people into the world.

I look back on my life, and I smile. Not because it was perfect, and not because it wasn’t hard. But because it happened, and I couldn’t have ever wished for anything more than I’d gotten. I once heard a saying that went “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”. I look around myself now, at my family, at my Mom, and my whole life, and I see that this is true. In the end, it’s okay. More than okay. It’s fantastic.

(Quote spoken by several people, and for that reason the speaker will be labelled Unknown. Remember to look out for the heir vote soon!) 

A/N: Apologies for the Full-Moon lighting in the last pictures. I could not for the life of me change it, oh my God. So sorry.

It was kind if insane really. The thought of being Mother’s, in just a few short months. It was strange to think that we’d gone so long without babies on the way. They had kind of taken over our life.

It started with the decorating of the nurseries. We’d decided that since these would be our only babies, they would have the best of the best. Picton’s inheritance had funded a lot of the baby supplies, as well as a lot of things in my life. It was like he had paid for them, and so, he was a part of their life.

 We were both only slightly pregnant when we went shopping. Cribs, teddies, dresses, hair ties, diapers, baby carriers, strollers, you name it. We bought it all. My favorite thing was shopping for clothes, while Lolli loved to decorate. Together, we made the nursery-making pair of the century.

 We relied heavily on the prediction of two daughters being right, as we bought no boy clothes, and no boy toys. If Old Macaroon had made a mistake, then we might have a problem.

Telling our families was the hardest thing to do. Mainly because we had no explanation to give them. However, it was also the best part, because it was clear how much of a family we really were now. Seeing my siblings all gathered together supporting me – I nearly cried, damn hormones.

“We gathered you here today.” I began, speaking to the little crowd in front of me that included my siblings and Lolli’s Mom, “To give some fantastic news.”

“We’re pregnant!” Lolli cried, and silence fell. Confusion and concern crossed everyone’s faces. But I think that after being a part of this big family so long, everyone had learned not to ask questions, only to react well.

“Congratulations.” Lolli’s Mom laughed, hugging us both. Seconds after, my siblings echoed the congratulations.

Astral put a hand to my belly, while Starry laid hers on Lolli’s.

“How long until they come?” Astral asked.

“Around six months.” I replied, and he looked at me in awe.

“Three months gone already?”

“Yeah. We didn’t want to tell anyone too soon.” I replied, and he nodded.

“I know how it happened.” he whispered to me. “You went to the witch for this.”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Was it safe, are you both safe?”

“As far as we know, yes. We should have normal pregnancies, and normal-” my voice caught on the half-lie I wa telling. “Normal babies.” I continued. He nodded.

“Well, I’m glad. You deserve it. Would you mind if… if I told Mom?”

“No. Go ahead. I doubt she’ll want to hear it.”

“She misses you.” he frowned. Quickly though, he covered his frown with a grin as he put an ear to my belly. I think eveyone in the family was done with drama by now.

“We’re a five minute drive away.” I replied simply, and he nodded. He’d given up on taking sides when it came to Mom and I a long time ago.

The months passed, and we both grew together. It was fun, being able to watch the progress of a pregnancy from both sides, the anticipating partner, and the expecting Mother.

It meant that we were both hormonal messes at the same time though, and sometimes that lead to argurments, over silly things like what to have for breakfast.

And sometimes it lead to more plesant things.

We were strong though. Stronger than most couples I’d known. Friends and family commented on it, and we both knew that no matter what happened we’d be each other’s rock.

Pickle and Mango were frequent visitors in out later months. They had adopted a boy from the adoption agency a while back, and though they loved him dearly, had missed out on this part of bringing a new life into the family. We were more than happy to have them, to explain what we were going through, and to let them feel the growing life. It was nice, no, more than that, it was fantastic to have Mango back in my life, as the friend he’d always been to me.

There was no awkward times between us, it was as if the relationship and the terrible months after never existed, and it was a brilliant thing to have.

 We were both lucky to have friends like them.

In quieter moments of the day, in the last two months of pregnancy when the visitors were less active, that Lolli and I sat and wondered. Wondered what the babies would look like, what they would be named, and most of all, which would carry the evil inside her. It was impossible to tell yet. Neither baby kicked more, neither of us was ill more. It was two normal pregnancies by every standard. It was the only thing that clouded our minds, and so we tried not to think of it often. We were determined that no matter which baby was ‘good’ or ‘bad’, we’d love them the same, and raise them in a home that would always love them. We knew too well what a lack of support could do to a child.

The number one surprise in our pregnancy came very late in the process. We were eight and a half months, and felt like doing nothing but giving birth to enjoy our babies and be rid of the pregnancy symptoms. I was well and truly fed up of feeling like I’d swallowed a planet*. One night, after all other visitors had left and we were starting to think about heading to bed, there was a knock on our door.

“I’ve got it.” I told Lolli before she moved from her seat. I struggled from my sitting position, and got upon shaky legs. Pregnancy was not good for one’s balance, especially when I had a lack of it to begin with.

I waddled through to the front door, and swung it open. Who else stood there but-

“Mom?” I cried incredulously. She smiled at me sheepishly.

“Hello darling.”

I mindlessly showed her in, leading her into the living room, shooting a confused look to Lolli, who just shrugged.

“Why are you here?” I blurted out after turning back to my Mother, not realizing how harsh it sounded. Maybe I harboured more rage towards her than even I realized.

“I can go.” she replied quietly, and I instantly regretted being so coarse.

“No, Mom. That’s not what I meant.” I said, and shuffled my feet awkwardly.

“It’s lovely here.” she commented as she looked around the house. I thanked her, not looking her in the eye.

“Hi, Mrs Icing.” Lolli spoke as we drew closer, and she hid her surprise better than I had.

“Hello, Lolli.” mom greeted her awkwardly. We fell into silence, and no one really knew what to say.

“I’m sorry.” Mom sighed, and suddenly I could see the age on her face. She was no young lady anymore. “I was an idiot. I was so tied up in my own life, that I couldn’t see you two for what you really were – in love. I was bitter, I think. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry I missed out on the most important days of your lives, and the whole stretch of time after it. I don’t want to miss out on this. If you’ll have me.” she apologized, on the verge of tears. At the last line, she gestured to my belly, and to Lolli’s.

“It’s okay, Violet.” Lolli said, enveloping her in a hug. “We miss you too. We’d love to have you in the babies’ lives, and ours.”

“Oh darling. I love you.” she said to Lolli, both of them crying. “My newest daughter, so kind and caring. I love you.”

I was silent. I watched them, and I smiled. This was what I had wanted the whole time. A relationship with the all the most important women in my life, and with Mom here, that was achieved. I’d gone too long being stubborn and bitter towards my Mother. How could I carry on being angry when everything I’d wished for was coming true?

“Zuli?” she probed, looking to me hopefully.

“I love you Momma. Of course we want you.” I cried, and I moved to give her a hug. Then we sat there, two very pregnant women and an old lady, in tears of happiness and love for a long time. And for the first time in my whole life, it felt my family was complete.

It was two weeks later that I had the first pangs of labor. It was early in the morning and I was still in bed, but the pain was enough to shift me from under the covers before dawn. Before I even mentioned it to Lolli, she complained of the same thing.

“It’s happening.” I told her, and she nodded. It had all lead up to this, and ‘this’ hurt. A lot.

We left it a few hours, as we knew it was pointless doing anything straight away. Before we knew it, we were both having frequent contractions, and knew there was no time to wait any longer.

We’d decided to do a home birth a long time ago, but neither of us really realized how painful it would be, and no one accounted for the chance that we’d be in labour at the same time. With shaking fingers, I called the midwife, who rushed over immediately.

The midwife, Asparagus, appeared at our door in less than ten minutes, looking flustered and a bit worried, but a hell of a lot more stable than Lolli and I.

“Come on, ladies. This is no time to be standing in the hallway!” she cried, pushing us gently into the bedroom. Lolli, who was already in mounds of pain, took the bed while I stood beside her, breathing steadily.

My baby had decided that after the initial rush, it was okay to slow down. My labour quietened down, and I stood rocking gently. The midwife assured me this was normal, and my baby was just taking her time. I nodded, stood back, and waited.

Lolli, however, was having no such luck. The little girl inside her was rushing around at turbo speed, and even the midwife was surprised by the speed of the labour’s progress.

She was laid on our bed, old sheets below her, and the midwife got started. She was confident and sure all the way through, whispering encouraging words to my wife in between assertive instructions.

“Come on babe.” I encouraged her as Lolli let out another scream. “Not long now!”

My own pain was escalating, but I tried not to let anyone know. I look long, deep breaths, in between encouraging Lolli.

“Last push now girlie, come on.” Asparagus announced, and Lolli bore down, pushing with all of her tiny body. And then I heard it. Crying. The crying of my new baby.

“A girl. A healthy girl.” a voice, Asparagus, announced. I let out a sob of joy. My baby. I was a Mom. The baby was screaming at the top of her lungs, but after being wiped down and bundled in a blanket, she was passed to Lolli, which calmed her down a little.

“Little Paris Rose.” Lolli announced, choosing one of the two names we’d picked. She ran a long pick finger over the soft baby cheek, and I smiled until my face hurt.

An hour passed, and slowly, slowly, the pain in my abdome and back grew. It started as a dull ache, and rose to a point where it felt like knives were being stuck into me. The baby was coming. I was laid on the same bed Lolli had laid on, as Lolli was in the chair beside me now, and Asparagus got ready. I took a deep breathe as another contraction flooded my body with pain.

“Okay now, darling. You’re gonna have to push.” Asparagus ordered, a gentle authority in her voice.

It was full of searing pain, and I finally knew what the Ring of Fire truly meant. I wanted pain killers, I wanted a C-section, and at some points I’d have paid anything for it to be over. I tried to stifle my screams, so as to not worry the new baby, but some still escaped, tearing through the hot air in the room.

It seemed like forever, but eventually, just as I was reaching the end of my strength, I heard “Last push”.

So I breathed in, gathering all the power I had left, and I pushed until I thought I might pass out, and then pushed some more. The sweat was running down my face, and every muscle in my body was screaming for the end, but then suddenly – it was over. I felt it, the pain go from unbearable to a dull ache. I sank into the bed, exhausted.

“Another girl.” Asparagus announced, and again she wiped her down and handed her to me.

“Cherry Blossom.” I named her, smiling down at the eyes of my beautiful baby girl. I held her close to me, wrapping my arms around her tiny body like a protective shield.

We spent the next two hours recovering, sipping drinks and nibbling at plain foods. In only a few short moments, we’d fallen in love. We both got a chunk of time with each baby, getting to know their faces, their smiles, their cries. After the hours were up, the two little ones were taken my Asparagus who filled in forms with their weights and other health checks. Lolli and I were able to get tidied up a little, washed down, and given a chance to relax after the turmoil of the night.

After check ups, weighing, cleaning, and a whole bunch of other things, all four of us were discharged with a clean bill of health, and Asparagus left us alone to relax and enjoy our new family.

My family.

 *Doctor Who reference

We waited a few moments, almost to the point of wanting to knock again, when the door creaked open to reveal a woman inside.She stepped outside to meet us, a knowing smile on her face. She wasn’t very tall, or very big, and she looked absolutely ancient. It almost felt that if the wind blew too hard, and she would turn to ashes. Her eyes, however, were bright like a child’s, full of life, and full of mischievous wisdom.

“Lapis Lazuli Icing. And her beautiful wife, Lollipop Orchid Icing. What a pleasure, you got here so fast. So polite, not making this old lady wait. Come on in.” she spoke, her voice as creaky and eerie as the door, sending shivers down my spine, but face still grinning. How did she know our names?

Despite the uneasy feeling, we entered the wagon. We’d come all this way, and wouldn’t be scared off my a little old lady just as we’d reached out destination.

Inside, was not how I’d imagined it. I had expected eyeballs in jars, and crows in the corner. Instead, it just looked like someone with a lot of passion and lacking the drive to clean lived here – a bit like a college dorm with a splash of stuck in the seventies.

She sat us down at two twin chairs, and pulled up another for herself. I rubbed Lolli’s leg in comfort, as by just looking at her, I could tell she was shaken up.

“Now ladies. We all know why you are here. You want a child.” the woman began

“How do you know that?” I challenged her

“Old Macaroon knows all.” she replied simply, as if I should have known the answer already. “I know all that is worth knowing, and then a bit more. When you have lived as long as I have, and have interacted with the magic of the world as I have, you understand more than most. I have felt you coming for a long time, even before you both made the choice to come see me. I saw you in a dream.”

“In a dream?” Lolli questioned dubiously. Even all believing Lolli was having doubts now.

“Yes. In a dream, I saw you both. Happy, in love, but missing a baby. I saw you come to me, and then I saw you with two beautiful daughters. I know what has passed, and what will come to pass. Macaroon knows all.”

I just nodded, not sure what to say.

“So, you come to Macaroon for help. You want a baby, yet no male is among us. So, you need not only my help, but the help of magic.”

“I suppose.” I replied, and she frowned. “Yes. I meant yes.”

“Good. Asking for help is the first step. The second step, is letting you know what you’re getting into. Creating life is easier than one would think. Fairy tales say it’s impossible to do, but is is not done everyday by couples all over the world? There are, however, some balances you must consider when talking about life created by magic.”

“Balances?” Lolli asked, confused to the point of her eyebrows furrowing.

“A very important balance. The one between good and evil. I can create life, but I can not upset this balance.”

“So of the two daughters you predicted we would have.” I observed out loud, putting two and two together, “One would be good, and the other be evil?”

“Indeed.” she granted, smiling at my realization, causing her whole face to wrinkle like old paper.

“Is there no way around this?” I asked.

“None at all. If you wish for children, then a balance must be kept.”

“But-”

“MACAROON HAS SPOKEN. MAKE THE CHOICE.” she screamed, and we both jumped, horrified. I looked at Lolli, and she gave me a tiny nod. We’d come too far to be scared away by the speculation that we may have an ‘evil’ daughter. We wanted a baby, and what was ‘evil’ against a wish like that.

“We have decided. We would like to have the blessing, please.”

“Are you sure? There is no way to undo a baby of magic. And there is no way to predict what they may become.” Macaroon warned, all anger from before having evaporated.

“We’re sure.” Lolli replied firmly, and Macaroon nodded.

“Then come with me.” she ordered with a knowing look on her face, before jumping from her seat with the vigor of a twenty year old man, not an elderly lady. She then bustled out of the room through a different door than we’d come in, apparently to the back of the lot.

Or so I thought.

Through the door was not simply the back of the lot. It was outside, like I had thought, but it seemed we had stepping into another world. The tree’s weren’t all green, instead colors of the rainbow decorated the leaves, it was lit with tiny lights, and the moths flying around looked distinctly like people. We seemed to have stepped into a forest, a place where nature had been allowed to grow as it wished, with no one to tell it what to do. Flowers, trees and bushes grew all over, covering the area and colour.  It was magical, like something from a fairy tale.

I could see the first rays of morning struggling to be seen through the fog, and I wondered at how much time we must have spent in the wagon.

“This is no place you have been before.” Macaroon pointed out, as if in a dream. “This is a place so few humans get to see. It’s the doorway to magic in this town. There are hundreds around the world, hundreds of ‘portals’ I think humans would call them. This is where magic is strongest on Earth.”

“It’s fascinating.” Lolli breathed, reaching to a moth-thing.

“Do not touch.” Macaroon snapped, and Lolli jerked her hand away. “They look pretty, but fairies are very mischevious creatures. Most are kind, and loving. Elegant like the finest ladies of this world. But, they all have a little darkness inside them, it’s who they are. You wouldn’t want to be dragged away and eaten, now you you?”

Lolli shook her head no, and moved closer to me.

“Now girls.” Macaroon began, turning to us. “Last chance to back out.”

“No.” we replied in unison

“Then,” she rubbed her hands together in anticipation “We are going to begin.”

She put her hands out in front of her, and I watched as the tips of her fingers began to glow, like coals on a fire. A nervous feeling crept inside me, and I wondered if it was right to be messing with the way of the world, but a bigger part of me knew that a baby could never be a bad thing.

Macaroon’s face went hard with concentration, and she was mumbling to herself quietly, so quiet I could on catch a few words, such as “Call on”, “Magic”, and “Life”.

Suddenly, what seemed to be a beam of white light burst out of her fingers, and shot towards us. I was prepared to be soaked from water, or burnt like flames, but neither feeling came. When the light hit us, it felt like very light rain, millions of miniscule drops hitting us, but when the sensation had passed we were both bone dry. I waited, for what I wasn’t sure. Pain? The ‘pregnant vibe’? But nothing came.

“It is done.” Macaroon assured us, and we nodded. She would know.

“Thank you.” I acknowledged her with a breath of relief. “Do we owe you anything?”

She shook her head. “Old Macaroon does not get paid. I am paid in the knowledge that my magic is well appreciated. Know that I will watch you, and your daughters. Do not fear if you feel me looking.”

“All right.” Lolli nodded, but I think both of us were a bit put out at knowing we’d be forever watched. It was a small price to pay though, when all was said and done.

Macaroon came towards us, and gave us both a tight hug and a pat on the shoulder.

“Good luck, and good bye, my dears.”, she smiled, before disappearing completely into thin air, leaving us standing alone in the doorway to magic.

“Let’s go.” I suggested, and Lolli nodded fervently.

Once back in the guest house, in a world much more like the one we knew, it all seemed a bit like a dream. Did we really see fairies, and have spells cast upon us? Or did we both get caught in a trap? Neither of us really knew, but we were glad to be out. We decided to leave Marshmallow Falls as soon as possible, as the creatures that lurked in the corners of the town were not ones we felt like sticking around to meet.

When we arrived home, we told no one of what had happened. No one kew what we had done, and no one knew about the possibility of babies in our lives. We figured we would find a way to explain, if the magic had even worked.

It was two weeks after we arrived home that Lolli and I both started to feel like, well, crap. I was achy and nauseous, and Lolli had what seemed like a never ending headache. We were almost afraid to hope.

I drove out and bought six pregnancy tests. We had to be sure, right? I sped home, and threw one to Lolli, and grabbed one myself.

We took separate bathrooms, and took our separate tests. The five minute wait was unbearable, so much so that I closed my eyes and laid down on the floor to calm my nerves, counting to 60 five times.

“Sixty.” I said out loud for the last time, and then rose to look at the stick on the counter. Two lines.

Pregnant.

I nearly screamed out loud, but instead threw the door open and bolted to the other side of the house to meet Lolli as she opened her door.

“Are you?” I asked, and she nodded, eyes watery.

“Me too.” I laughed, and then it all exploded. I screamed at the top of my lungs in joy, and she started crying like an idiot, both of us on an emotion overflow, unable to act rationally.

“We’re having a baby!” I yelled

“Two!” she corrected me, and I laughed loudly. “Two!”

“I don’t believe it.” I cried, as I stood catching my breath, willing my hummingbird heart beat to slow.

“Neither do I. But we should.” she replied, wiping her eyes.

And I suppose it was only then that it sunk in. We were getting our babies. We were going to be Moms.

 The weeks after my wedding were the most perfect of my life. They were full of first times, and new experiences. And a first house.

It was perfect. All the time spent searching was worth it, because the house was everything we could have ever wanted. Cheap enough that we didn’t have to worry, and big enough that we could have everything we wanted inside.

It was beautiful.

We moved in only three weeks after finding it, and had all the furniture set up in days. I liked this, liked setting up a house with Lolli, making our own space that was entirely and completely us.

“I love it.” I said as we stood together on our first night in the house, and she nodded.

 “Me too.”

 The days passed, merging into weeks, and then merging into months. We had gotten ourselves into a happy little routine, and the household was running smoothly. Perano and my other siblings would visit often, as would Lolli’s mother, as they all commented on how happy the house felt. I had still not heard from my mom.

It was four months after moving in together that Lolli brought up a topic I’d been tactfully avoiding.

“I want a baby.” she announced, and I cringed. The truth was, I did too. Desperately. All that seemed missing was my baby, the baby I’d longed for for so long. The baby I swore I’d never live without.

 “I know.” I replied simply.

 “Dont lie to me. I know you do to.” she countered, brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear, only for it to fall back a second later. I sighed heavily.

“I do.” I admitted. “I really do. But Lolli, look at us. It’s not possible.”

She sighed, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, they wre watery, and my heart shattered. I hated seeing her cry.

“But I want a baby.”

I moved closer to her, cuddling her in my shoulder.

 “We’d be great Moms, Zuli. We know all the best and worst things that can happen in this world. We’d teach her to be strong, and courageous, and independant and passionate. I love you, Zuli, I really do, but I still don’t feel – whole.” she wept, almost pled.

 “I get it Lolli. I do. You think I haven’t hurt for a baby too? I have. I’m used to noise, and mess, and having to wait for the bathroom. I’m used to a big family. Being with you is amazing, but sometimes, even when we’re together, I still feel alone.”

She nodded, and we fell into silence. Her tears dried up, and her breathing returned to normal. She stood, and moved to the window, peering outside before she spoke again, six minutes later.

“What about the.. the witch your Mother used to see?” she prompted. “You told me stories that you Mom told you. Of her being able to talk with Picton after he died. Zu, if a woman can do that, why can’t she help us?”

I could tell from the way she talked that she was convinced, and that this was far from the first time she’d considered this option.

 “I dont know. I thought it was just my Mom telling tales. She was – is – in a bad time. Picton was the love of her life, and she’s on so many medications to help with the depressio-”

“But you mentioned it to me.”

“Yeah-”

“So you believe her. Does even a little bit of you believe her?” she probed, bringing her eyes up to meet mine, hers hard and determined. She was full of belief, this girl, even in things that did not deserve it. Even in me.

“I guess… I guess I do. Picton still seems so real, so with us. I can wake up, even now in a new house years later, and think he’s downstairs making pancakes. I can’t believe he’s gone.”

 “Do you think it was the witch?”

 “I think she was a sorceress, actually.” I corrected her. “And.. I guess anything can happen, right?”

 “Right. I think…. I think we should take a trip out to Marshmallow Falls, and see this woman.”

“What? Lolli are you insane? We can’t go on a trip to another town, to see a woman who my mother claims is a sorceress, who we’ve never met and have no clue if she even exists, on the off chance she could give us a baby.”

“It’s that off chance that tells me to try.” she replied simply, and her eyes said it all. She was desperate. This was what she wanted more than anything, and if there was a crazy idea that could give it to her – then why not try?

“Well…. I guess we have nothing to lose.” I gave in, smiling, and she grinned at me.

“I love you.” she squealed, throwing her arms around my and my lips onto mine.

“I know.” I laughed when she pulled away, smiling.

“Come on.” She smiled, ecstatic, pulling me to the other room. “We have a trip to plan.”

*

“How long now?” Lolli asked sleepily from my side, and I sighed loudly. We’d been taking turns, but the drive to Marshmallow Falls was a long one – we’d been working on it for a day and a half now. My legs were cramping, my arms were sore, and I was tired of driving. I needed out.

“Only a few more minutes.” I reassured her, and I touched the gas a bit harder to make sure that I kept that promise.

Soon enough, we were arriving in town, and I breathed a sigh of relief. We had pre-booked a guest house, which we pulled up to, settled into and quickly vacated. We hadn’t come here to enjoy the queen sized bed (yet).

Everywhere around us screamed creepy, to the almost empty streets, to the odd townsfolk, and even the foggy weather was ominous. This was definitely Moonbeam Falls.

We’d told Astral about where we were going, as we knew only he might have a chance of understanding. Turns out, academic Astral had been even more mystified by my Mother’s tales of magic, and he remembered a lot more than I did. He remembered that Mom had mentioned a wagon, and that the woman could only be found between the hours of dusk and dawn. And so now, as the sky was turning from blue to a purple-grey as soft as flower petals, the hunt was on.

“Who do we ask?” Lolli wondered out loud. I was thinking the same. Neither of us had ever stepped foot in this town, and we had no clue where we were going.

“There’s a second hand store there.” I noticed. “I’ll pop in, stay here.”

I walked into the store, and moved to the front desk. “Excuse me?” I asked, and a woman who looked about 25 years old turned to face me, and I tried to hold in my gasp at her teeth, her sharp, white teeth.

“Yes?” she responded, voice as soothing as warm milk. She was beautiful, in a way that made me uncertain of every breath I took. I cleared my throat uncomfortably.

“I’m on vacation with my wife, and I am searching for a place my Mother told us to visit. It’s a wagon, with a wise lady inside.”

“Wise lady, eh? Is that what she’s called by other towns? Folk around here know different. She might be one to avoid, if you’re not looking for trouble.”

Was creating life out of nothing but a wish and some magic trouble? Probably.

“We’ll be fine.” I assured her, walking around the counter to stand beside her.

“All right, dont say I didnt warn you. You’ll find the wagon in an empty lot at the endge of the town. Walk right down this road until it ends, and then turn right. The very end of that road will lead you there. It’s a long walk.”

“We like a challenge.” I countered, and she shook her head, grinning.

“I can tell. You should know that around here, it isn’t advised to be out after dark when you dont know the place. High ugh – crime rate. Stay safe, and talk to no one but Old Macaroon.” she warned, and a shiver went down my spine. I nodded my head, and thanked her, before stepping out of the shop and gripping Lolli’s hand tightly.

“Know where to go?” she asked, and I nodded.

“And we better hurry up.” I muttered, eyeing the dark sky around us, pulling her along with me. She didn’t say anything, because I think she could feel it too. The awful feeling of being watched, and being followed. I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder as we marched briskly down the street. I didn’t want to meet eyes with something I couldn’t handle.

It was a long walk to the wagon, longer than I’d anticipated, and by the time we got there, it was beyond twilight, sky having moved to complete darkness. There weren’t any stars here tonight, only clouds and somber fogs.

“This is it.” I announced as we stepped up to the wagon. “No going back.”

“Never.” she said, and pushed in front of me to knock on the door.