Surprise

With everything that's happened recently, and adding on a rougher than normal pregnancy, I'm afraid I've been at the end of my rope for the past couple days. My patience doesn't last very long, and I'm quicker to snap. I feel a bit guilty for being so tough on the girls, but on the other hand, Arluwen and Amadrie have finally begun to act more responsibly. All of them have actually.

One morning when I just could not be bothered to get up to cook, Aravilui took it over for me. Her first attempt at making waffles ended up burning them. The birds got a good breakfast though. Her second attempt was much better. Arluwen is quick to play with Elerith when needed, and Amadrie has been working on improving all the appliances in the house. It really is a load off my mind when I don't have to spend half the day cleaning.

While the transition from summer to fall was a slow one, the switch to winter came much quicker. Everything looked the same when I went to sleep, but when I awoke during the middle of the night to throw up again, I found the world was covered in white. In a few small hours, a coating of glittering snow transformed everything.

Since elves have such a strong resistance to the elements, the change of the seasons doesn't have too much of an effect on us. It also means I don't really have a favorite seasons since they all feel the same to me. I cannot deny that my breath was taken when I spotted the white landscape in front of me though. Although I was still exhausted, I gave into my desire and went outside. It was such a freeing feeling to spin in the gentle snowfall. I could have stayed out there for much longer, but I didn't want anything bothering the baby, and thus upsetting my stomach further.

Cuddling with Elerith when its just the two of us in the house does a lot to comfort me through all of this. It especially helped when Lothi brought over a boy named Kristopher Blanco one day from school. She's mentioned his name before, but I never thought too much of it. As I quietly spied, uh, glanced at them out the window while they built a snow person, I could tell Lothi was very smitten with this boy. Of course, I'm a little worried and hesitant thinking about how their relationship might further. I can tell Kristopher is a good boy though.

It has kept snowing everyday. The amount outside keeps piling up, and I wonder how long it can last. All my girls are enjoying it though. It is a good thing we have a large yard now, for they keep building all sorts of structures. "My girls" now includes Elerith as well. Her birthday was today. The older she gets, the more she looks like her father. As soon as she had the freedom to wander farther by herself, she instantly went outside to play. She doesn't need a television box or lots of toys to keep herself entertained. All she needs is a couple feet of the white stuff. I'm glad that she's such an energetic child that loves to be outside.

It's good that Elerith was so preoccupied, for I went into labor for the eighth time. I was in too much pain to move downstairs to my bedroom, so I stayed in the upstairs loft instead. Since the couch offered better support, I rested there. For all the trouble the pregnancy gave me, the labor was thankfully short and effortless. I was rewarded with yet another daughter.

I have no pictures of Calvin, so his face is already starting to fade in my memories. Still, I can tell Nadrien is going to look a lot like him. I hope too much pain isn't brought to her for the eternal absence of a person who should have been so influential in her life. Somehow I have the feeling that Calvin would have been like Charlie, a man who cares greatly about the life he helped bring into the world. That feeling only makes Nadrien's birth even more bitersweet.

With Nadrien's birth and quiet manner that allowed me a lot of sleep, I though I would wake up the next morning in a good mood with a smile on my face. Unfortunately, my new-found alien enemies are here to make sure that doesn't happen. Due to my exhaustion after labor, I didn't wake up when those dratted beings came around. Lothi happened to be in the worst spot at the worst time. They took her once again. She was returned quicker than she had been before and wasn't as upset, but it horrified me.

I could threaten all I wanted, but this situation only showed that I am utterly powerless to stop this terrible thing from happening to my precious daughter. We'll never have any idea just what goes on when they took her, but it leaves her shaking. What's worse is that there's little I can do to comfort her. All I can offer is my embrace and kind words. Lothi says that's enough, but it's not enough for me. I should be able to stop her from being hurt like this in the first place. As if I didn't feel awful enough trying to deal with everything regarding Nadrien, my absolute helplessness against these foreign creatures cripples me with desperation.

Since Lothi's birthday was the day after the whole event, I let her stay home from school so she could calm down to enjoy her day. We held off her party as long as possible in order to make it so Charlie could attend. More work kept getting tossed his way, so he said to go on without him. It was disappointing for all of us, but Lothi said she was fine considering she had spent the entire weekend with him. However, Lothi did invite Kristopher over. His birthday had been a couple days previously, and he had turned into a fine young man.

While I expected Lothirien to grow into a beautiful young lady, I did not expect what happened next. Kristopher gathered us all around, and gave Lothi a beautiful marriage proposal. I could not speak for I was so overcome. It was hard to believe the girl who had been so scared earlier was now this woman radiating sheer happiness. I cried. I cried hard. I know my girls all get a little embarrassed whenever I cry in front of others, but how could I not?

Lothi chuckled when she saw the tears streaming down my face, but gave me such a large hug. Then she explained that the proposal had been moderately planned. Kristopher had gone and asked Charlie for permission to marry Lothi, and Lothi had spent so much time with Charlie over the weekend because he was helping them make plans for the house they would move into. Helping to pay for the house was his wedding present to them.

It was quite a joyous evening, but that familiar sadness came back when Kristopher and Lothirien walked out the door. Another one of my children is gone. She's only two houses away from me, but I won't get to see her face every day. At least I know she will be well taken care of. Hopefully Kristopher will do a better job than I did of keeping her safe from those terrible aliens.

Life has continued relatively normal since then. Now that the house is just a little bit quieter, I've had more time to think. The realization that the triplets' birthday will be here soon has hit me in full force. With all three of them leaving at once, things will get three times as silent. That's just the way things go when it comes to Aravilui, Arluwen, and Amadrie. It's three times everything- good or bad.

Nadrien's birthday cheered me up out of my gloom. I was astounded to see the coloring she inherited. Her hair is this brilliant pink-peachy color, and her eyes are almost a bright red. I thought Lothi's purple eyes were unique, but Nadrien has clearly surpassed her. However, what I like most about my current youngest isn't her pretty hair or eyes, but the large smile that is constantly on her face.

It is through her innocent smile and laugh that makes even the darkest thoughts stored in my mind nothing more than a lone raindrop on an otherwise sunny day.....