Another Beginning

• NINETEEN •

Maine

"So what did they say?" I heard Richard asking Sam. They are sitting in the family room and talking about his issues back home. We just finished eating brunch and the twins are in the bathroom, taking a bath. MamaTen volunteered to give it to them.

I am so happy that MamaTen is helping me a great lot when it comes to taking care of the twins, especially now that Frances is out of the country. Yesterday, MamaTen was the one wiping their faces when Richard decided to buy them ice cream sandwiches from the ice cream truck and their faces were so sticky. And he was also the one who kept an eye on them when they were playing along the shore, picking up colored glass stones.

Last night, Frances gave me a long message telling me about her emergency trip to Sweden. She is a consultant, working for one of the big hotel chains. I miss her.

"Well they said, it's all up to you." Sam replied, shrugging, taking me out of my reverie. He picked one of the photo books under the side table and began flipping pages.

"Of course it's all up to me. I am just informing them on what I am about to do, so they won't feel blindsided." He replied in a huff.

I wonder what he's about to do?  Is he going to announce to his fans about the twins and I?  From what I am learning about Richard's personality,  he's the type that is more astute when it comes to thinking. I am pretty sure that whatever is the outcome of this issue he is having right now, he will still come out as the winner.

"So are you going to do it?" Sam asked, trying to reconfirm his boss' decision.

"Yes, of course I am going to do it. I am already armed." He tells Sam, smirking. Did I just also see a wink?

"Oh my God! This is the cutest costume I've ever seen!" Sam gushed, his eyes in front of a page of the photo book he is looking at.

Richard sat by his side and looked at the photo Sam is looking at.

"Hon, when was this?" Richard asked, looking at me.

"What is it?"

"It's a photo of you, Enzo and Katie dressed as characters of Cinderella."

I remember that photo, Frances was the one who took that one. Katie was dressed as Cinderella, Enzo as Prince Charming and of course me as the wicked stepmother.

"Oh that?" I walked up to them and sat beside Richard who immediately wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me against him. "That was just last years Halloween. I introduced to the twins the movie Cinderella so they are so into it. I had all of our costumes custom made."

"It looks like it." Sam commented. "You know you should work as costume designer for movies, you have the talent and eye for it. The costumes you have the twins wearing in this photo book is amazing. And I should say, you guys go to a lot of costume parties."

"I know! Well its because I think the mothers nowadays get a lot of ideas online when throwing parties for their kids. Did you see that party where Katie was wearing a red gingham puffy dress, pumps and oversized sunglasses? That was, 50's Summer." I tell him, shaking my head.

"Oh yeah I saw that too! She is so cute!"

"Let me see." Richard takes the book from Sam and I turned it on the page where the photo is.

"Ha ha ha. Look at her, feeling all grown up with that pose! She is so adorable." Richard tells me.

"And now I know where she got that. It's from you hon! If you noticed when you take a photo of Katie and she knows that you are taking her photo, she will pose for you. Just like her model daddy." I tell him, poking his arm.