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1985:

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DH (33): Alessandro Edmund “Alex” Nervetti (Wordsmith)
DW (30): Suzanne Marguerite Dumas (Rowena)
DD (4):
DS (1):

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With some help from Suzanne’s mother, and by deciding to move to the suburbs where it’s cheaper to rent, Alex and Suzanne were able to move out of the Nervetti family home and into their own. The move was made just in time as they welcomed a little girl to the family. As a baby she had a near-supernatural ability to get into scrapes, but at age 4 she has turned out much like her mother, constantly smiling and approaching anyone who catches her eye to make friends. Her parents felt it was important for her to have a sibling and so her brother joined the family last year. He is a quiet and well-behaved baby who adores his sister, and the siblings are almost always found playing together.

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Alex and Suzanne have been struck by how much responsibility and attention is actually required to care for two young children. Suzanne had sworn not to let motherhood take away her love of writing, and although she is continuing her novel, progress is slow and she has accomplished only a few paragraphs in the past two months. She has also started a small business of altering clothes at home for extra cash and is trying to gain a promotion at the boutique, which is proving difficult whilst acting as the hands-on parent. Alex is doing his part by working as many hours as possible in the restaurant, meaning that Suzanne is stuck at home a lot.

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Nevertheless they adore their children and, knowing how it feels to grow up with parents who are constantly working, take full advantage of the time they can spend together. Suzanne brings her son along to the boutique to charm customers, and Alex brings both children to the aquarium on weekends to share his joy of sea animals. DD has decided that she loves whales most of all, while DS seems fond of the seals. They are also learning to swim, although this is a stressful exercise as DD is determined to go without armbands as soon as possible, and has a habit of slipping her arms out of the inflatables before predictably sinking like a stone. Her parents no longer bring her to the swimming pool without backup.

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In keeping with family tradition, DD was given the name of her paternal grandmother, an Italian name that sounds mature and formal. Her middle name is taken from The Count of Monte Cristo, a book her mother enjoyed in childhood.

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DS was given a diminutive form of his paternal grandfather’s name. His middle name honours a Neapolitan opera singer, reflecting the family’s love of music.