Post by Gabriel Constant on Mar 26, 2013 1:59:46 GMT -5
If there was any one being in the world who deserved a night of relaxation and pampering, it was Alexandria Rosalin Constant. The past several months had been challenging, starting with the sudden loss of their abilities, during which they had also cared for Alex's sister, who had lost her sight during that time. Things had become a bit less complicated after that, but raising a pair of twins at that age never quite seemed to get much easier, and Athena and Demeter especially - as smart and cunning as they were - seemed intent on testing their parents' limits. That should have been no surprise, though, given their parentage.
To her credit, the Babysitter seemed to have really gotten a handle on how to care for the babies. There was still the occasional incident, although those incidents tended to be quite strange and conceivably out of the norm for babies who had not even learned to walk yet, such as a small flood due to misuse of the washing machine. The girls were quite mischievous, and, even for all the trouble they caused, Gabriel would not have had it any other way.
The Babysitter had her other uses as well, but tonight, the Constants would not be making use of them. Gabriel had left her in charge of the house and the children, in keeping with her usual duties, which she was paid very well for. She had done this before; she had the entire mansion to herself, including most of the food and other amenities, and a room next to the girls' room, and, aside from the obvious things like not inviting other people over or engaging in harmful activity, her only objective was to keep the girls safe and out of trouble. That objective being more difficult than it sounded, she would be compensated even more generously if she managed to pull it off perfectly. Fortunately, the Babysitter seemed to really care for the little girls, and never minded the time spent with them.
That was good, since she would be spending the whole night with the little tricksters. Gabriel had plans for Alex that would probably keep them both busy until at least the next morning. They weren't necessarily those kinds of plans, though he certainly would not complain if they went in that direction. He just wanted her to have a nice evening, and mostly he wanted to be a part of that evening, to spend time with her, just being themselves, with no stress or pressure. But if she was in the mood for something else, that was okay too.
Pausing in the middle of their home, he smiled to himself for a moment. There had been a time very recently - perhaps as recently as two years earlier - when his own satisfaction would have been paramount. Now, it was still one of his primary motivations, but he also would do anything for Alex, and their children, and his best friend, and possibly a couple of other people. It was a surprising change, but a good one.
He stepped into the girls' room and kissed each one good night. "Both of you, get some sleep. Athena, you watch out for your sister, and don't get into any hijinks. Demeter, don't gnaw on the balustrade. Good night. I love you both."
Meeting the Babysitter in the living room, he gave her a quick summary of what to expect, just out of habit. Then he headed out to the beach, which was a very short walk from the house itself, and very much still part of the Constants' private property.
He had already set up most of what he needed. A blanket was spread out along the sand, facing the sun as it set over the water. Their dinner, most of which he had made himself, was set out along it. There was wine, of course, and also a bottle of champagne chilling upstairs in case Alex felt so inclined later. He took a picture of the scene with his cell phone and sent it to Alex, with no helpful explanation, knowing that she would catch on and come looking for him.
For now, he took a seat on the blanket and looked out over the water. Things had been relatively peaceful for a while. He didn't intend for that to be the case in the near future, and regardless of his intentions, he knew - as a precog always does - that it would not be the case anyway. But for now, for the moment, he just wanted to enjoy it, to have a briefly normal life with his family, and to have a quiet night with his wife.
To her credit, the Babysitter seemed to have really gotten a handle on how to care for the babies. There was still the occasional incident, although those incidents tended to be quite strange and conceivably out of the norm for babies who had not even learned to walk yet, such as a small flood due to misuse of the washing machine. The girls were quite mischievous, and, even for all the trouble they caused, Gabriel would not have had it any other way.
The Babysitter had her other uses as well, but tonight, the Constants would not be making use of them. Gabriel had left her in charge of the house and the children, in keeping with her usual duties, which she was paid very well for. She had done this before; she had the entire mansion to herself, including most of the food and other amenities, and a room next to the girls' room, and, aside from the obvious things like not inviting other people over or engaging in harmful activity, her only objective was to keep the girls safe and out of trouble. That objective being more difficult than it sounded, she would be compensated even more generously if she managed to pull it off perfectly. Fortunately, the Babysitter seemed to really care for the little girls, and never minded the time spent with them.
That was good, since she would be spending the whole night with the little tricksters. Gabriel had plans for Alex that would probably keep them both busy until at least the next morning. They weren't necessarily those kinds of plans, though he certainly would not complain if they went in that direction. He just wanted her to have a nice evening, and mostly he wanted to be a part of that evening, to spend time with her, just being themselves, with no stress or pressure. But if she was in the mood for something else, that was okay too.
Pausing in the middle of their home, he smiled to himself for a moment. There had been a time very recently - perhaps as recently as two years earlier - when his own satisfaction would have been paramount. Now, it was still one of his primary motivations, but he also would do anything for Alex, and their children, and his best friend, and possibly a couple of other people. It was a surprising change, but a good one.
He stepped into the girls' room and kissed each one good night. "Both of you, get some sleep. Athena, you watch out for your sister, and don't get into any hijinks. Demeter, don't gnaw on the balustrade. Good night. I love you both."
Meeting the Babysitter in the living room, he gave her a quick summary of what to expect, just out of habit. Then he headed out to the beach, which was a very short walk from the house itself, and very much still part of the Constants' private property.
He had already set up most of what he needed. A blanket was spread out along the sand, facing the sun as it set over the water. Their dinner, most of which he had made himself, was set out along it. There was wine, of course, and also a bottle of champagne chilling upstairs in case Alex felt so inclined later. He took a picture of the scene with his cell phone and sent it to Alex, with no helpful explanation, knowing that she would catch on and come looking for him.
For now, he took a seat on the blanket and looked out over the water. Things had been relatively peaceful for a while. He didn't intend for that to be the case in the near future, and regardless of his intentions, he knew - as a precog always does - that it would not be the case anyway. But for now, for the moment, he just wanted to enjoy it, to have a briefly normal life with his family, and to have a quiet night with his wife.