Episode 10 (Troubled Waters)

I've had no time for my social media in the past few years. I apologise! Between my job, children, and partner, I've hardly had time for anything.

J and I are in slight disagreement at the moment. He wants another baby, whereas I'm happy to stick with two children. Balancing the accounts is sure to turn my beautiful hair grey soon as it is, without the stress of having another child. Besides, he doesn't have to carry it in his stomach for nine months, as I recently snapped at him.

It's not that I don't love my children. I do, of course. It's that I can't manage having a toddler in the house while pregnant, and I'm happy with the amount of children we have.

Thora is a sweet-natured little girl, and we redecorated her nursery recently to be slightly prettier, in an old fashioned style. It reminds me of my old nursery, in fact, so I like to spend time there with my baby girl.

But while Tempest loves her sister, this kicked off a bout of jealousy. She said her room was too babyish, and demanded we redecorate it. This meant she had to sleep in with Thora while we did so, in time for her birthday.

I wouldn't have done it if J hadn't agreed for the both of us. He's being too reckless with money recently, and I can't talk to him about it because I don't have time, as mentioned above. I keep getting a stress headache, and an ache in the back of my neck.

Tempest's new room is nice enough, but it seems less girly than she used to like. I suppose she's developing a more sophisticated taste, but I look back wistfully to when she used to prefer bunnies and Kittencat - who has now been stuffed into a drawer in Thora's room. Thora doesn't play with her.

Tempest has even changed the way she dresses, to match the girls at school. They still don't hang out with her much, but she just blusters about it being the fashion. It's neat, and nice, but it's not the way she usually dresses. She even styles her hair differently.

Thankfully, one thing that hasn't changed is her love for her little sister. She'll spend as much time with her as she can, even if she no longer spends as much time as she did with me and J.

J has been spending the spare time he gets painting, and fashioned a beautiful portrait of me to hang up in the tiny room I've set up to the side of our bedroom.

When he handed it to me, you could have knocked me over with a feather.

"You told me that all the other people in your family had portrait rooms, right?" he said, smiling in that charming way he's always managed. "Will this do?"

I think he must have referenced a picture from his phone, but it's gorgeous. I kissed him, and forgot (mostly) about the money troubles he's brought on our accounts.

And yesterday, my world lost that peaceful balance that the portrait briefly brought. A letter, addressed to Tempest, arrived in the mail.

But I was the one to check the mailbox, and I will always recognise my mother's handwriting.

Dear Tempest,

I know you have most likely never heard of me; or if you have heard snippets, they won't be in a favourable light. However, I recently found out about you via a relative of yours - one Janine Huntington, who moves in the same circles as I, and who asked if I knew of another Zodiac family, given that her cousin's partner was also named Zodiac, with a young girl named Tempest. As your mother is the Aries of the Cycle, and my husband is the Ophiuchus, I knew that you must be its Taurus. And thus -

Dearest, I am your grandmother. Your mother, Astrid, left our house a long time ago - a decade, in fact - and I didn't think she would be back in contact. She never told us about you, and I swear that if she had I would have rescued you from the dreadful, dreadful house I have been told about. I am so sorry that I  have not been able to bring you up as properly as your mother ought to have done, and that she has not used her wits to take a well-paying job. The rumours insist it's little more than a shack!

Dearest, write to me using the return address. You have only to say the word, and I will be there.

Oriane Zodiac (formerly Summersdream)

Episode 9 (Welcome to the World)

I went into labour on a stormy night in May. I was woken by contractions and the sound of thunder.

J took immediate action, calling his friend Gavin to come and sit with Tempest while he and I got a taxi to the hospital. It was an easy labour, over in a matter of hours, and we were able to bring home Thora Zodiac in the morning.

She's a sweetheart, if very demanding. Tempest was delighted to have a sister ('and not a brother!'), and has spent most of her free time abandoning her homework to come and talk to her in the nursery, which J did most of the decorating of.

It's pretty sparse at the moment, but Thora doesn't seem to mind.

J adores her, of course. I'm slightly worried that she might turn out spoiled, because he attends to her every need. I think Tempest might be jealous if she wasn't equally as besotted with Thora.

I probably sound jealous, but I assure you, I'm amused. J was such a no-strings-attached guy when I met him, and now he's a big pile of mush who gets up at the speed of light if he hears Thora begin to even sniffle in the night.

I'm so happy, right now. I suppose a better word is content. Yes, I'm marvellously content.

As for Tempest's problems, they've calmed down. Yes, some of the kids at school are still excluding her from games, the little beasts, but it turns out she has a friend now, a boy named Dominic Levesque, who she walks home with every day.

He seems a little gloomy to me, but they're fast friends, and he's been teaching her all about Voidcritters. They're apparently his favourite thing, and even though she doesn't have any cards, Tempest can still recite most of the names.

I can only hope it isn't catching!

(The name Thora was suggested by MadameLee! Thank you!)

Episode 8 (Of Problems and Projects)

Tempest finally came to talk to me, the other day. J brought her over just after I'd put away the crockery from dinner, and told her that I wouldn't be mad if she told me. I waited to hear of one of our few pieces of furniture being broken, or something of the like.

But it was nothing like that.

"Mommy, none of the other kids in my class want me to play games with them." Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't properly cry.

I was gobsmacked.

"Why did you think I would be mad, Temmie?" I asked, gently. She sniffled.

"'Cause you said to make friends at the beginning of the year, and...and then I didn't, and I don't know what to do!"

"Oh, Tempest..." I wrapped my arms gently around her. "Tempest, there's no way that I'd be mad at you! Just tell your mama what happened." I drew back to look her directly in the eyes.

"I...I tried to talk to them, but they said they already had best friends, and that they didn't need me hanging around." She looked almost as though she would say something else, but then shut her mouth. I decided not to press it.

"Tempest, I'm sure you'll find someone to be friends with in due time. But you don't have to make friends right away. I had trouble, at your age, believe me. My best friend turned up when I was a year older than you, and..."

I hesitated. I remembered my friend very clearly, but of course, ever since I had moved here, I hadn't exactly been in contact with her. Maybe I should reach out - but then again, maybe not.

J took over. "What your mother is trying to say is that you shouldn't try and force friendship, Tempest, especially not with such little snots."

Tempest snorted, and I raised an eyebrow at J, who just grinned.

"Angel, you know I'm right." He winked at Tempest. "I'll be in the garden if you need me, kiddo. Don't forget your school project."

"School project?" I asked. Tempest flushed and shot a venomous look at her father's retreating back. We both knew J had said it on purpose.

"It's...a medieval castle diorama. It's for history."

"And when is it due?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"Friday." Today was Wednesday.

"Tempest, go fetch it now, and you can start working on it, okay?" It really was more of a command than a request.

"Can I feel the baby first?" she asked quickly, and I grinned. Her little hands gently rested on my stomach, and I felt the baby move, as did Tempest, who looked up at me with wide eyes.

"The baby moved!" she said, excitedly. "I felt her move!"

"You don't know whether you might get a brother, little storm." I tweaked her nose. "Go get your project. It's best if you get it done before the deadline. And get into your pajamas, too. It'll be bedtime soonish."

She grumbled, but did as she was told, thankfully. And let me just say, that project looked brilliant as she was painting it up. J directed her on the finicky bits, but she finished it within the evening.

And when she brought it home, it had one of the highest grades in class! I was so proud when she told me, and while I'm not much of a 'slap everything on the fridge' mom, but I put it on our new decorative table, which I'd actually intended as a surface for a candle or something.
But this beautiful castle was so much better!

I'm so proud of Tempest.

Episode 7 (It's Been A While)

It's been a while, really. A long while, but the other day was the best day of the year - my little storm's birthday. I got up early, brought out my best party dress, and made her a birthday cake. It was a simple sponge, seeing as I'm not exactly a master chef, but it looked good enough.

When I went to wake her up, she was already dressed, and I managed to catch her in the act of slipping her old toy Kittencat back under her bed. I knew she had it somewhere, but I pretended not to have noticed.

I let her watch an extra half-hour of television, and then went to wake her father up while she was watching one of her favourite cartoons.
 It's one of these fantasy high school things, I know that much. A girl who can become a dragon, quite aptly.

Why do I say quite aptly? Because despite how gentle she was as a toddler, Tempest has turned into a bit of a hothead. I'm not sure how, although I suspect my own temper and J's combined might be at fault, but J tells me that's not true.

He says she's just going through a tough time at school. But why does he know that if I don't? I suppose she confides in him more.

But her birthday was a nice day, anyway. We ended up eating the cake together while watching a film on the free channel, and she loved her birthday gifts from us, although J's friend Zoe got her something she wasn't too keen on, and she asked us in all seriousness if she could swap it or return it. I told her it's the person who gives you the gift and their feelings that matter, but I'm not sure she took my advice seriously, going by the look she gave me.

***

Our income has been steadier recently, as J has managed to secure a deal with a florist of sorts who pays good money for locally grown flowers. We get paid a good amount, as our flowers are in good condition, as J has been tending to the garden with a gentle hand.

Why does this mean so much to me? Well, mostly because...I'm pregnant, again.

Yup. That's right. Yours truly is bun-in-oven again. I didn't think I'd ever be pregnant again, and what's truly spooky (even though I know our family) is that this baby will be a Taurus too. J thinks it's just a funny coincidence, but I know better.

This pregnancy has really helped inspire me, though. We finally managed to save enough on the side for me to have an easel, and a local café has agreed to display my works, and they sell pretty quickly too! Even quicker now, as my inspiration levels are through the roof.

And J's pleased that we're going to have another baby. I told him he was going to do his fair share of nights this time. He laughed, but I'm entirely serious.

He might frustrate me sometimes, but I love him very much.

Episode 6 (My New Normal)

So, our 'family' is a bit of a strained one at the moment. Needless to say - I like J, but he's a strange person to live with or love, and he keeps switching jobs every now and then 'for a change', which means our income keeps dipping and rising.

When it rose, we could afford to extend the house somewhat, so we're currently living in something of an apartment. Not much on the Zodiac family home, but then the company here is worth its weight in gold comparatively, despite my occasional anger at J.

Also, I do like having my own little bedroom and a bigger bed. J frequently ends up heading off to work before me, so I get a little time to relax in bed before sorting out Tempest for daycare, taking her there, and rushing to my own job.

J and I have our ups and downs as much as the household income. We can be smiling and flirting, and then all of a sudden one of us will remember the fact that last time this happened, we ended up as strange friends, or the whole Caliente debacle (which is also up and down) and the air goes from rosy to awkward.

Despite this, he's a great dad to Tempest, but he does complain it exhausts him looking after her. Even though, oh yes, I did it full-time before. Deep sigh.

Tempest's nearly old enough now that I have to start looking at elementary schools in the area. Landgraab Elementary seems to be the best, but its connections worry me slightly. I knew of the Landgraabs back in my days as a little rich girl, and I did not like them one bit. However, if it does have the best education, I'll be sending our little storm there.

The Caliente sisters are still a flaming pain in the backside. They've taken to turning up at the exact time J comes home from work, and sauntering past him. Nina's been batting her eyelashes at him, and Dina's been giving him the cold shoulder.

Honestly, you'd think they'd learn something by now, especially after the warning I gave Little Miss Pink Miniskirt. But no.

Maybe I'll lock the door the next time he tries to leave the washing up undone.

Episode 5 (Old Flame, New Ember)

J  had messaged me, asking to see Tempest, purportedly to give me a little break of about an hour. He probably wanted just to spend time with her, as he often did not, so I told him he could, but he decided to simply stay just outside of the house with her. He hugged her when he arrived, and told me to go inside and rest.

I still don't know how he knew how tired I was, but I handed him the key, and told him to lock the door when he brought Tempest inside. It felt absolutely heavenly to be able to just close my eyes and go to sleep.

When I awoke, he was washing a dish in the sink, and smiled awkwardly at me.

"She's gone to bed. We watched TV for a bit, and then she was tired out, so I read her a bedtime story. Something about bunnies and dragons."

He came to sit next to me on the bed. "So...I talked with Dina, recently."

I stiffened, waiting for him to say I'd been imagining it again, to tell me there was nothing going on.

"She made a move. Told me she knew about my past attachments. Said that I didn't need to worry about them, with her, that I could forget all about them with her."

I felt cold, before he shook his head.

"I told her she was barking up the wrong tree."

I looked at him, and he smiled guiltily.

"I know...this isn't the time, but I'm not ready to stop worrying about my attachments just yet. I..." He leaned closer. "I'm not...well, I didn't think I was ready for a family, but I have one. And I don't want to give up on my 'attachment' to you just yet. But if...you don't want me to, then..."

I smiled at him, feeling my cheeks flush. "Well..."

My old feelings were flickering back to life. I'd stamped  them down until they'd died down so I could focus on Tempest. Tempest. Tempest, she needed me to focus. I couldn't be...

J's arm slipped around me, and I leant closer.

"Astrid, I'm not...going to be a fly by father anymore. I mean, I understand that I might not exactly be the best father in the world, but I was wondering if we could just start with a clean slate. I want to...Well, I want to be with you."

He kissed me, softly, and then we heard Tempest stirring, and I edged away from him. He smiled at me, and we sat and softly talked of things until Tempest wandered through, by which time I had dressed again, feeling as shy as a debutante.

We have agreed that we are...dating, after a fashion, and he will move in soon, at which point, he says, we can be a proper family. He wants to get along with Tempest, and he absolutely wants to be together with me, strings attached and all. He's apparently been thinking about me, every time he's away.

"But you were so mad at me, I didn't know how to go about saying it. And you had every reason to be, angel."

He's still calling me angel, but now, he's cuddling Tempest when he does. And that's the difference. It's not just about her, and not just about me. It's about the both of us.

I think I might have fallen for him properly, this time.

Episode 4 (Witches Abroad)

With my resolve strengthened to make sure that Tempest would not be alone, I set about making our biggest source of income a better earner - the garden. It was hard work, but eventually things started to grow.

I was extremely displeased to see Dina Caliente wandering around the back of our property, however, while I was out one morning searching for more plants. She quickly walked off when she caught sight of me (my hair makes me quite hard to miss, after all) and I decided to keep an eye out for her.

And it was lucky I did. Two women were wandering up and down the next day, and when I sent a message and a photo of each to J, asking who they were, he told me that they were Nina and Katrina, respectively Dina's sister and mother. He didn't message back after that, and I didn't message him again.

It was clear enough to me that these two were watching my house. Was this what Dina meant by things being difficult if I didn't keep out of her way?

I tried to ignore the situation, and focused on my garden. Eventually, I saved up enough money to buy us a proper oven. We nearly have a good kitchen now, but I'll need to save and save if I want it separate from the living area. Even so, it's a small step in the right direction.

 Tempest has been happy, recently, and I'd like to think that she's forgotten her nightmares, as she seems to be sleeping soundly of late. However, I can't help but worry that she might miss her father, and I don't like that he seems to have distanced himself from her as well as me. I am angry that he has done so, of course. How can he let this argument between us affect Tempest? You cannot put yourself first, when you are a parent, but he's clearly doing that.

How can he see her as optional? She is the sweetest child in the entire world.

 Soon after, a shady character began acting the same as the Caliente women - walking up and down, looking at the house, and sometimes standing outside for a while. I didn't like the look of him, and asked a passing PlantSim about him.

He is Katrina's lover. His name is Don Lothario.

This is taking a turn for a worse.

Katrina walked by while I was tending the garden, with a smirk on her face, but I gritted my teeth, and continued watering. I wouldn't let her see that they had got to me. I had a better plan in mind.

That evening, I made sure that Tempest was fed early, and settled her down a little earlier than usual, to make sure she would be fast asleep by the time my plan was underway. I knew that Nina had begun to walk past later than before, so all I had to do was wait.

Sure enough, almost on the hour, a flash car drew up and Nina stepped out, walking towards my house.

 In my dressing gown, I stepped outside, and walked right up to her, knowing I had to make this quick on the off chance that Tempest woke up.

"Nice night for a stroll, I'd say." I smiled at her. "I often see you walking past here."

"I'm just--"

"Waiting for your friend to pick you up?" I motioned to the car. "I wonder if your mother, sister, and step-father need a lift, too. They all walk by here as well. A lot, I've noticed. But maybe, if you give them a lift in your friend's car, they won't need to."

She opened her mouth to say something, and I held up my hand.

"I must be heading back. I'm sure you must, too. I mean, as you're surely aware, I have a little girl to take care of."

 I walked back, not allowing myself to shake until the door was closed. That...Oh, that scheming witch Dina would not be happy, but I was no doormat. I was the Aries of the Zodiac Legacy, and I was no fluffy little thing. I was a Ram. My family were linked with the stars. And a mere little rich girl wouldn't rule my actions, or my little girl's future.