Annalise Populous was at an age where she was starting to recognise herself, and understand the world around her a little more.  She would often sit and look at herself in the mirror; even though she was so young, her mother Bebe believed Annalise was a very clever and intuitive little girl, who was figuring out her place in this world.

Bebe loved her daughter and took great pleasure in teaching her how to walk and talk and use the potty.  She wanted her children to be independent and capable people, she wanted them to be people who really shaped their world.  She wanted this more than anything…

Annalise looked a lot like her father; she had his hair and his nose.  Bebe wasn’t sure yet how much of a role Cyclon3 should play in her daughter’s life, nor Connor in her unborn baby’s life.  She liked the men, they were nice guys, and she didn’t necessarily want them to be excluded from her children’s lives, but nor did she want them hanging around, getting in the way.  Perhaps when the children were older they could visit their fathers, if they or the fathers declared an interest.

When the time came for her second child to be born, Bebe’s labour was much faster and more painful than when Annalise was born.  With a  young child and not enough money for a babysitter, Bebe was forced to go through a home birth.  She tried to remind herself everything she’d been taught about contractions.

Fortunately, Bebe was made of strong stuff, and it wasn’t long before Brad, her second healthy child, was welcomed into the world.
Bebe was overjoyed at her new son, and at how well her plans were coming together…

Whilst Brad slept, Bebe talked to Annalise, telling her all the plans she had, all she hoped she’d achieve, all she hoped Annalise and her brother would become.

It wasn’t long before Annalise was walking and talking of her own accord.  She seemed such a confident, curious child, who loved exploring the new toys she’d been given.  She played with blocks, a xyloophone, a shape sorter… but her favourites were the toy horses and boats.

Her children were first in her affections, but her garden came a close second.  Bebe was hoping to develop a small micro-business from gardening eventually.  The fruits and vegetables she was planting were incredibly tasty and  the new, unusual plants were showing signs of developing healthily.  Some looked as though they might be trees, others bushes and others short, stalked plants.  Bebe  couldn’t wait to see what they became.

She also spent a lot of time working out how to get the best out of the ingredients she’d been growing by brushing up on the recipes she’d learned on Cookin’ Cable.

As Bebe was just getting ready to serve the kids their breakfast, there was a knock at the door.  It was her paperboy, Asa.  Bebe went to greet the young lad.  He gave her the day’s paper, which Bebe thought a little strange, as he usually placed it by the door and carried on with his round.  She figured something might be wrong, that Asa might need to talk, so she asked him if everything was OK.  Asa asked if he could hand around for a little while.  Although it was a Saturday, he’d have to do non-stop chores when he got home and he’d be lucky if his parents even spoke to him.  Bebe didn’t know whether the boy was exaggerating about how unhappy he was at home, whether he was trying to escape the routine chores all children have, or whether there were greater expectations placed on him than on most boys his age.

There was something about Asa’s behaviour that troubled Bebe, cut she couldn’t place her finger on what exactly.  She allowed him to come in for a while, but only if he didn’t stay too long; she didn’t want him getting into trouble at home.  The boy eagerly played with the doll’s house while she chatted to Annalise.

Although Bebe loved Annalise and Brad, and Annalise was very bright and very eager, they were both also very demanding and constantly crying to be fed or burped or changed.  Bebe was getting a little stir crazy from spending so much time at home and was feeling the pressure a little.  Having two children so close in age was proving a little harder than she thought.

After sending Asa home, and putting both children down for their afternoon nap, Bebe was too tired to do the work she’d planned to accomplish at home – she was too tired to even eat her dinner.  She curled up on bed, still in her clothes and boots, and fell asleep.

…but as Bebe slept, Asa, who’d been hiding outside, quietly crept back in to use her computer. This was feeling more and more like his home. He just wished he could stay here…

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