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HelpRe: Violetta's Game of Life - Round 9
in reply to a message by Violetta
Rose:
DH: Christopher Damien Sinclair, "Chris", 40
DW: Rosabella Naomi Harrison Sinclair, "Rose", 35
DD: Sophia Grace, "Rosie", 8
DS/DS: Lawrence Christopher, "Law" / Theodore Harrison, "Theo" (7)
DS: Henry Gabriel, "Gabriel", 5
DD: Charlotte Liliana, "Lottie", 2
DMother: Liliana Susannah, "Lily", 60
Whew so much has happened recently that I hardly know where to start.
Somehow Lawrence got pneumonia and was in the hospital for a long time. It was quite a shock to us all, especially as Law was the most active and healthy of all the children. Theo was the one most effected by that, and he always wanted to be at the hospital in case Law needed him.
Rosie is in Junior Highschool this year and doing marvelously. William and she are still best friends and spend a lot of time together. I am beginning to wonder where their relationship is going and just hope that neither is going to be hurt in the end.
Before Law became ill he decided to start up a new sport, archery.
Gabriel loves school, for which I am very greatful and has become great friends with Matthew, a boy who lives not too far from us.
Claire is now 2 years old and is very outgoing, and extremely friendly.
From pervious rounds
My name is Rosabella Naomi Harrison, I was born in Sedona, AZ and raised in Andorra La Vella, Andorra. You have probably never heard of Andorra, it is a small country between Spain and France, small as in only about 2.5 times the size of Washington DC. My parents were missionaries and we spent six years there. My parents spoke mainly English at home, Catalan and Spanish the rest of the time, so I grew up speaking many languages.
And I found that I loved it. I loved being able to speak more then one language and vowed one day to be an ambassador, however as I am now a language professor it is clear that dream didn't come true, instead I am teaching which I also love. While in Andorra my family and I lived off of almost nothing, as I grow up in that environment it was rather shocking coming to the United States for the rest time. I was of course an American citizen as both of my parents were. After coming to the US I was surprised to learn that my parents were actually rich people. Wealthy enough to afford a nice big house. All the luxuries they hadn't been able to provide in Andorra they gave me then, I had everything I could ever want and then some. When I got enrolled in school I was extremely wary as I had been in the US only a few weeks and I wasn't yet accustomed to the changes. Although I never enjoyed school (though I did enjoy learning), I was glad I went because it helped me to become familiar with how people acted in the US. I learned that my quiet, still nature often disturbed those around me. As a result I was mocked and bullied a lot. The mocking and bullying didn't really bother me though as I easily ignored the mockers and could beat up any bully you thought that because I was small and a girl I couldn't stand up to him. The bullying quickly stopped though the mocking continued. I quickly learned that my upbringing in Andorra was vastly different then the upbringing many of my classmates had, but I was happy that I was the way I was much more then I wished to fit in. I tried skipping a grade as I already knew the materiel taught but they wouldn't allow me too so I started college at the same time as everyone else. After four and a half years I had my language degree. Afterwards since my parents offered to pay for me to take a year vacation, the popular thing among graduating students at the time, I agreed taking a long trip to tour France.
During that magical year I had a lot of fun and I meet Christopher. Dark brown haired, gray eyed Christopher quite swept me off me feet with his intense serious eyes that made me feel as though I was the only person in the world.
Unfortunatley our first meeting was one of those super embarrassing first encounters. I had been walking away from a cute little cafe that I visited often when I suddenly realized that I didn't have my purse. I swirled around to go back to the cafe and ran striaght into him. He was, unfortunately, carrying a cup of coffee that he had probably just bought at that cafe, which spilled all over both of us. I was so embarrassed I could just die. I quickly apologized and offered to pay for the clothes, only to realize I had reverted to English in my harried state and quickly repeated it all in French finally getting the nerve to look up into his eyes. Quite to my surprise I found them sparkling with amusement instead of anger, and not the mocking kind of amusement.
He grinned and asked (in English, though with a French accent) if we couldn't talk about repairing the damages to our clothes over a cup of coffee. Since he had not yet had a cup of coffer I decided it was the lest I could do. It didn't take long for both of us to realize that we had some sort of connection that pulled us to each other.
I spent most of the rest of my vacation with him, both of us knowing we were enjoying borrowed time. When it was time for me to leave I couldn't work up the nerve to go face him and tell him I was leaving for fear of begging him to give me a reason to stay. Instead I quickly boarded my plane bound for the US and tried desperately not to think about him. Though I was happy to be back, I was immeasurably sad too. I knew already that there was no way I could love anyone as much I did Christopher. Though many would have said it was puppy love or immature love and would fade, it didn't. Over the next few years Christopher was often on my mind, nothing in particular made me think of him more then anything else. I could be thinking something was funny and have the urge to tell is to Christopher, I could be eating and suddenly think back to a time when he and I would sit at a candle-lit table and talk long after the food was gone, everything seemed to bring him to mind, and sub-consciously (and consciously too) I compared ever other man in my life to him and none ever seemed to match up.
My parents started to worry about me. They wondered why I didn't ever seem interested in any man and my mother started matching me up with nieghbors or her friends' children. Which was not to mention embarassing rather pointless as if I were interested in finding a man (other then Christopher) I would have found him on his own.
I was a language professor at the time so I didn't have too much free time, which helped keep my mind off of Christopher (mostly) but every two years we got a paid vacation (they called it a 'sabbatical') to spend soon time writing a book. Why exactly they wanted us to do that I didn't know but I took my vaction and went back to France. Partly, I'll admit now because I hoped to see Christopher, although I knew that chance was slim and even slimmer was the chance that he would be happy to see me.
So at the time I convinced myself that all I wanted was to do was to go visit the country I loved. I went and stay at much the same place I did before, and visited that little coffee shop where we'd meet. I was surprised when the owner recognized me immediately and told me all about how Christopher had come in there looking for me and demanding to see me. She said he was quite furious that I hadn't told him I was leaving.
That distrubed me a bit, I hadn't intended on upseting Christopher though I had known it would I had only wanted to leave without getting my heart broken. Unfortunately that had happened anyways.
I enjoyed the rest of my visit, or so I told myself, and managed to finish a book, all the while wishing and hoping Christopher would can find me.
It was the day before I was supposed to go back to the US that I was sitting in the little cafe eating breakfast eating and watching the rain pour down outside. I loved the rain and I was in quite a good mood humming to the song playing softly over the speakers when the door opened and a cold brisk wind blow in along with a huge trench coat covered man. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I felt that intense gaze upon me. Slowly I looked up and found myself pinned by two fierce gray eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?"
I carefully set down my fork before I dropped it and tried to subdue the quiver that ran through me in the face of the furious smoldering eyes, though I knew deep down that he wouldn't ever hurt me. On purpose that is.
"You knew I was leaving." I answered as steadily as I could as he sat down across from me without so much as a by-your-leave.
"I didn't know when, didn't know where you lived or how to contact you." His gray eyes snapped reproachfully at me and I fought down my instincts to throw myself in his arms and thank him for finding me.
"I didn't think you wanted it, you never expressed an interest before I left." My reasoning was sound, but Christopher's gaze said it wasn't.
"I didn't want to think about the time when we would be separated. Neither did you. We never spoke of it after you told me and I didn't want to have to deal with it before I had to." Christopher's eyes ran over me.
"Are you married?"
His abrupt question startled me into blurting, "No, of course not, I never..." wanted anyone but you. I stopped before I finished but I had a feeling that he knew what I had been about to say as fierce possessiveness filled his face.
"Good, get up. You are coming with me."
"What... I am? Chris!" Christopher was tugging me out of my booth having already fished out some bills that probably covered my meal five times over.
"Chris, where are we going." I asked breathlessly.
"We are going to go get married before you get another hare-brained idea to go off and disappear." His face darkened as he thought of her running away without telling him. "Yes, you definitely need a keeper and I am the only man for the job."
"But Chris, my parents, there still in the US. I can't get married without them." I told him breathlessly.
"Yes, you can. We can get married here in a judge's chamber and have a huge wedding when we get to the US but I am not going to wait that long to legally bind you to me."
Talk about high-handed! "Hey, you haven't even asked me! For all you know I could be engaged, almost married, betrothed...."
His eyes narrowed, "Are you?"
"Well.... No." I admitted.
"Then, Rose... Rosabella will you marry me?"
"Yes!"
He raised an eyebrow as though to say, 'I knew that so why did I have to waste time proposing?' But I just beamed at him and his lips lifted in a smile of bemusement and indulgence. "Will you marry me now?"
I grinned up at him, which appeared to be an answer enough to him if the way he quickly ushered me out to his waiting car. As soon as we were in he said, in French, "Roberts, Judge Winston's office please."
"Of course, sir,"
Christopher then turned his eyes back to me and sighed. "I wish this were simple but I fear it won't be, Rose. I cannot live in the US, as the CEO of Erickson Electronics I need to be here. and there are other matters..."
I put my finger to his lips, shushing him, "I know, I thought about all the problems we might have had over the years if I had told you and stayed when we first met and convinced myself it wouldn't have worked... but I was kidding myself, I knew had I been able to change what I had done I would have knowing I wouldn't be able to live in the US. Knowing a little country pumpkin like me would be dreadfully out of place at your fancy business dinners but I won't care so long as I am married to you.... I love you Christopher."
A grin lit his face and his eyes sparkled at me, "And I love you Rosabella, oh I do love you."
So Christopher and I got married in a judges chambers both soaking wet and cold. And when I did actually get me big wedding ceremony it was in Paris as I reasoned that only my parents were in the US and all of his family and friends were here. My wedding dress was gorgeous and the wedding was beautiful, not to mention that Christopher looked stunning in his tux. I couldn't helped but feel a like nervous which Christopher noticed immediately and as soon as my father gave me away he took hold of my hand and squeezed it gently reassuringly and I couldn't help but grin. Since I had been living in his parents huge house ever since we got married I had grown to know them quite well and was very comfortable around them though I had been extremely nervous to meet them the first time, after all I had just married their son and not even met them yet. However all Christopher said was 'this is Rosabella', and his mother took off saying how wonderful it was to meet me, and how many wonderful things she had heard about me. It was about a half an hour before Christopher could get a word in long enough to say that we were married. His mother to my surprise was joyfully happy instead of upset. During the wedding my parents stayed with me and we found that our parents got along great.
Our house is almost 3000 sq ft!
I didn't think we needed to get such a big house but Christopher said that we wouldn't want to have to move into a new house when we decided to have children. I was kind of shocked, we hadn't spoken much about having children and I sort of assumed that he wouldn't want any because he was so busy with his job. However he assured me that he'd only want about six children maybe seven. I burst out laughing, I couldn't help it especially not with him watching me indulgently as though no matter what I asked him for he'd do everything in his power to provide. I told him I wanted to have him to myself for a little while but I would love to have children someday (soon lol).
I was also surprised that he wanted to get our house a good forty minute drive from the city and I knew that it was for me; so that instead of seeing all buildings out of my windows I saw trees and a pond. I decided to call our house Adela, which is Spanish for 'Noble'.
Moving in was a big ordeal and his mother, Lily, insisted on helping me decorate it, not that I minded. She and I had similar tastes and soon everything was finished and in place. Not that I always knew where everything's place was and I had to spend many weeks living there before I fully accustomed myself to everything. I as found out that Chris enjoyed making pottery. I was so surprised when he told me I would have laughed except for a niggling feeling that he may not be kidding. He wasn't of course and one thing I love to do is spend a hour or so in the morning watching him mess around with the clay. Not that he messes around with it, he was very good at pottery, at everything he seemes to try. He turns his entire concentration totally on the lump of clay and slowly mold it into something. It was awsome to watch.
Wow, I can't believe I have a daughter!
Christopher and I decided to have a child and it wasn't long before I was pregnant, however the closer it got to when the baby was expected the slowly time seemed to travel. It seemed I was never not achy and I couldn't put on my own shoes without incredible contortions. Then there were the nights when I could never sleep because Sophia wanted to play around, kicking and wriggling. Christopher couldn't have been better though. He never complained about having to help me to all the various things I could no longer accomplish on my own and was just an enthusiastic about getting the den/office room ready for it's new occupant. The reason we were using the den instead of an actual bed room was that all the bedrooms save for ours were upstairs and we didn't want Sophia that far away, especially when we would have to get up in the middle of the night to feed or change Sophia.
I feel awesome now that I can finally put on my own shoes again! I can also start wearing my old clothes though they are a bit tighter.
Sophia is absolutely adorable. She has brown hair and brown eyes and she resembles me a lot. Christopher says we should have named her mini-rose which is how she got her nn "Rose" which changed quickly to "Rosie" as "Rose" is what Christopher always calls me. Sophia is extremely curious and always seems to be crawling somewhere so I am already making a list of how many baby gates, and cupboard child locks to get.
Sophia is a very happy child, she hardly ever cries and when she does it either means she is hungry or needs a diaper change. I can already tell that Sophia has Christopher wrapped around her baby finger and probably always will, which is why I think we desperately need to have another child so that she isn't spoiled completely rotten.
Rosie is living up to her nn in more then one way, not only does still look like a tiny me as soon as she started walking-which she did earlier then normal-she was off and running. Now her cheeks are always rosy as she runs around doing all sorts of things. She doesn't chatter all the time but she asks millions of questions about everything. Christopher loves her curiousity and always has the time to sit down and explain things to her. I love to stand in the doorway to the study and find Christopher holding Rosie and explaining why the flowers grow and how the seeds get there and why the sun is so bright.
Rosie is the reason we have a bird right now. I was working in the garden when Rosie came running up to me with a bird in her hand. It was a tiny sparrow with a broken leg. The sparrow mustn't have been very old, barely out of the nest I'd say. Rosie wanted to keep it, I wasn't too sure about that but I said we'd wait until CHristopher got home. A few hours later when he got home he and Rosie used two metal headless nails and scotch tape to set the tiny bony then they wrapped small strips of duct tape around that. Rosie proclaimed she wanted to keep Snowy which was what she'd dubbed him and Christopher looked rather helplessly at me before telling her she could. It is obviously a good thing Rosie doesn't ask for much otherwise she would be spoiled rotten.
Also ever since Rosie was born I knew there was no way I could ever leave her at a day care center while I went off to work so when I explained that to me boss at the Community College I worked at he said there was an alternative if I wanted it. I could teach over the internet. I jumped on that, though I am only teaching one class a semester and I make sure that all the students have my e-mail address so that if they are having problems and want my help I can run down to the college and answer any questions they might have.
I won't go too much into my pregnancy as it would just be one big self-pity story but I will say I thought Rosie was bad enough but twins! I was huge! Anyways needless to say Christopher was wonderful the while time and little Rosie had endless questions about why I was getting too big to hold her on my lap, that was the first time Christopher shot me a glance of pure panic and fled leaving me to answer Rosie's questions.
Rosie was extremely happy to think that she'd have two younger brothers, and she asked me very seriously if she would be able to boss them around when they got older. I couldn't help but fight back a laugh and I told her she could try but I doubt that would ever happen. Rosie contribution to our quest for naming them was Barney and Charming. Christopher and I looked at each other and other managed to refain from laughing because we didn't want to hurt her feelings as she was obviously very serious. I asked her to explain Charming and she said in all fairy tales all the princes' were called Prince Charming and she liked that name. ^_^
Needless to say Rosie has been developing wonderfully, she is already reading a little as she desided she wanted to. She and I work on it during the day and Chrsitopher works with her after he gets home. Rosie is beautiful and so cute and no matter where it is that I go with her I get millions of compliments. The thing that really surprised me about Rosie is that she is shy! However I find that is comforting, I never have to wonder if she'll wander off while I am shopping and get snatched because she sticks to me like glue.
Snowy, Rosie's sparrow, has come along wonderfully well. Christopher devised the method of tieing a sting around the bird little ankle like a leash saying that it wouldn't hurt him. THough in the beginning the bird didn't like it at all he got used to it and now Rosie can take him out when ever she wants.
Anyways getting back to the twins, they are possitively huge compared to Rosie when she was born, I can hardly believe I carried them around for nine months. They look a lot like their father but they seemed have gotten more of my personality though becuase they are not half so calm as Rosie is and instead they are more implusive. However they are both aborable even though they love waking us up in the middle of the night.
Rosie, Law and Theo are all doing wonderful! Rosie is as calm, cheerful and helping as she always was. Though she says she doesn't enjoy school as much as she enjoyed being at home with me she is doing remarkably well. Her teacher is slightly concerned that Rosie hasn't made any friends but knowing Rosie as I do I am not worried at all. Although I was a bit worried at how upset she got was Snowy passed away. I am not sure exactly why it happened, probably just because Snowy had gotten old but Rosie, Christopher and I had a little funeral and buried the bird in the backyard.
Law and Theo are now two years old and are already showing their differences in personalities. Theo is much quieter and calm ther Law is, Theo can sit and leaf through a book (looking at the pictures) or watch me work for hours before getting bored. Law is more hyper, he can sit still but not for long, soon he'll be racing around the house or the backyard. Theo and Law are both stubborn, and after Rosie tried a few times to get them to do what she said she decided it was much easier to do stuff by herself.
Not too long after Law and Theo's second birthday that I got a call from Christopher while he was at work. I had just put Theo and Law in their bedroom after they fell asleep watching me weed the garden. Though it was not an unheard of thing for Christopher to call from work it wasn't something he did very often. It turned out that Christopher's grandfather, Damien, had died. Everything he had automatically transfered to his son, Christopher's father, since Damien had not had a will. Included in that was Damien's large house (more of what I would call a mansion) but Christopher's father and mother loved the house they were in and weren't planning on moving so they offered it to Christopher. Christopher wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He loved his grandfather's house as it held a lot of special memories for him, however it was in Paris (not in the country side outside of Paris which he knew I prefered) and he knew I loved the house we had chosen. He didn't want to sell it, but keeping both houses would be rather pointless, not to mention expensive. So we had a lot to think about. A few days later Chrisopter, Rosie (who had actually met Damien) and I went to his funeral. It was a quite, sad event that we we're all glad to have over with. Still there was the decision about the house to make. Christopher and I decided to ask Rosie what she thought about moving. Rosie said she loved our house but she loved grandpa's too. So basically we were back where we started. As it happened though, fate made the decision for us.
It was almost two in the afternoon, three days after the funeral, that it happened. I was cooking in the kitchen and the boys were playing in the backyard with their toy cars. It was then that I heard a scream, I ran outside to find that Law had been climbing a tree; then he had fallen and (I hoped) just twisted his ankle. I quickly carried him inside and called Christopher and told him what had happened and that I was going to take Law and Theo to the Doctor. Christopher agreed and said he'd take off early and pick Rosie up at her school. Once Law got looked at the doctor pronounced that it was just a twisted ankle and had it wrapped saying that in a few days it should be as good as new. I was extremely happy about that and got the boys Burger King on the way home. However when we got to our neighborhood it was conjested with firetrucks and other rescue personal. It was then that I remembered that I hadn't turned off the stove before I had left. The house though not completely destroyed would need a lot of repairs. As I pulled up and parked Christopher came rushing over with Rosie in hand. He didn't even give me time to say anything before he pulled me into a crushing hug. "I was so worried..." He whispered and I knew he had thought that I might have been home.
The garage was around the back of the house and no one was being let past the sidewalk so he had no way of knowing. "Christopher, I..." I began feeling incredably stupid but he cut me off saying, "It doesn't matter, so long as everyone is alright everything that was in there is replacable."
So we went to stay at his parent's house until we could move in to his grandfather's house. His parent's were ecstatic as we would now be much closer and they would be able to see their grandchildren more often. I was surprised but Rosie became instant friends with a young boy, William, who lives right next to us. I think it had something to do with the fact that both of them love helping animals (and people) but they met when Rosie was trying to help a dog who seemed to have been hit by a car. William say her and came over to help, he told Rosie that he'd bring the dog to his house and clean him up. Rosie liked him immediately.
I still feel stupid for being so careless but I am happy becuase everything worked out well, and the Rosie has made a new friend.
This is our new house:
Naming our son became something of an ordeal as Christopher insisted that we name him Henry, after his grandfather but I don't like the name Henry at all. Rosie seemed at a loss for why we were so concerned about naming the baby. She tried to help by giving Christopher a list of names that she liked but I doubt Christopher even looked at the list. In the end I gave in but only after insisting that we call him Gabriel. So Gabriel was born, and he seems to have the endless calm that Rosie inherited from her father, which goes very well with his name or really nickname. Rosie absolutely adores him.
Rosie and William are closer then close. Since we are neighbors it is easy for them to get together and as often as not William would join us for dinner and then sometimes both William and Rosie would eat dinner with his mother. William’s mother, Julia, and I have become great friends. William’s father, Wyatt, and Julia are still married but Wyatt is never home the excuse is that he is gone on business but Julia confided that he just doesn’t like to be home and Julia likes it that way. According to Julia, while William didn’t really miss his father she is glad that we don’t mind him hanging around as she thinks he really benefits from spending time around Christopher. Christopher loves William like his own son and loves having him around. Rosie and William do everything together along with studying. I am really am glad that we moved as I think having a friend is really good for Rosie.
Unfortunately Rosie got into a problem at school. It was during recess when Rosie saw two boys throwing rocks and trash at an injured cat. She immediately lost the calm manner that she is famous for and ran to stop them. She ended up punching one of the boys and though Rosie is a petite little girl she was made of all muscle and she gave the boy a black eye. The school and the boys’ parents were very upset and more so when Rosie refused to apologize. Though I am somewhat concerned about that, I understand why Rosie did what she did. I just wish the she could have a little more diplomatic.
I was stunned when one day Lily called me (Not that that was an unheard of coincidence in fact she and I are quite close). The thing was I couldn't tell that it was her at first because all I could hear was sobbing. She finally calmed down enough to tell me that something had happened to Robert. I told her to calm down and I'd be there in a few minutes. I grabbed up Gabriel and made it to Lily's house in ten minutes. When I got there I found Lily at the door. She was crying and a mess, it was the first time that I had seen her not looking perfect. I must admit I was slightly scared. I told Lily to hold Gabriel and I went into the kitchen where Robert was lying on the floor. I could tell immediately that he was dead. I went back to Lily and quietly asked if she'd called 911. She said she had, she seemed much more calm now that she was holding Gabriel and playing with him. Gabriel seemed to understand that Lily wasn't feeling normal and was just playing with her hair as she held him. It wasn't long before the emergancy officers got there. I handly most of it and by the time I drove home with Lily, Christopher was frantic. It took a while to explain but after I told him all that happened and told him that I thought Lily should stay with us he immediately agreed. Lily started insisting that she would be fine on her own but I quickly assured her that I would love to have her live with us. After all we got a long extremely well and I could use another woman around, and all the children loved her.
Shortly after Lily moved in I gave birth to another girl on July 17! Finally! I named her Charlotte Liliana as Charlotte the was the french name of the day (and it is also my mother's name!) and we named her Liliana, after Christopher's mother. Everyone (Especially me), including Law and Theo was estatic.
Rosie is so happy, she spends a lot of time around Lottie, playing with her and reading to her. Rosie is doing awsome in school, after that one event two years ago she has been fine, but William (our next door neighbor) has stuck to her which has helped.
Theo and Law are doing awsome and love hanging around with each other although they don't have the same interests. Theo can conjole Law into playing chess with him and Law bullies Theo into playing video games or football with him, and all the time they are squabbling but I know it's all in fun. Theo loves drawing though I only found out by accident becuase he didn't think it was a boy-like thing to do. I grinned and told him of his father's secret passion for pottery. Theo felt much better after that and after I promised not to tell Law. Law loves to make computer games, he is a computer wonder, I think he probably know everything there is to know about computers.
Gabriel, who is now 3 and a half years old has an odd hobby too. Gabriel will stand/sit statue-still outside near the bird house he and his father built until the birds became accustumed to being there and moves back to eat bird seed out of his hand. He can also lure dogs and cats to him too. Rosie and he seem to have that triat in commmon.
Name: Christopher Damien Sinclair
Age: 31
Eye color: Gray/light Blue
Mother’s eye color: Brown
Father’s eye color: Grey
Hair color: Dark Brown
Mother’s hair color: Brown
Father’s hair color: Black
Education: BS in Business Management
Name: Rosabella Naomi Harrison
Age: 26
Eye color: Hazel
Mother’s eye color: Brown
Father’s eye color: Blue
Hair color: Brown
Mother’s hair color: Brown
Father’s hair color: Light Brown
Education: BA in Foreign Language
"Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live."
Mark Twain
DH: Christopher Damien Sinclair, "Chris", 40
DW: Rosabella Naomi Harrison Sinclair, "Rose", 35
DD: Sophia Grace, "Rosie", 8
DS/DS: Lawrence Christopher, "Law" / Theodore Harrison, "Theo" (7)
DS: Henry Gabriel, "Gabriel", 5
DD: Charlotte Liliana, "Lottie", 2
DMother: Liliana Susannah, "Lily", 60
Whew so much has happened recently that I hardly know where to start.
Somehow Lawrence got pneumonia and was in the hospital for a long time. It was quite a shock to us all, especially as Law was the most active and healthy of all the children. Theo was the one most effected by that, and he always wanted to be at the hospital in case Law needed him.
Rosie is in Junior Highschool this year and doing marvelously. William and she are still best friends and spend a lot of time together. I am beginning to wonder where their relationship is going and just hope that neither is going to be hurt in the end.
Before Law became ill he decided to start up a new sport, archery.
Gabriel loves school, for which I am very greatful and has become great friends with Matthew, a boy who lives not too far from us.
Claire is now 2 years old and is very outgoing, and extremely friendly.
From pervious rounds
My name is Rosabella Naomi Harrison, I was born in Sedona, AZ and raised in Andorra La Vella, Andorra. You have probably never heard of Andorra, it is a small country between Spain and France, small as in only about 2.5 times the size of Washington DC. My parents were missionaries and we spent six years there. My parents spoke mainly English at home, Catalan and Spanish the rest of the time, so I grew up speaking many languages.
And I found that I loved it. I loved being able to speak more then one language and vowed one day to be an ambassador, however as I am now a language professor it is clear that dream didn't come true, instead I am teaching which I also love. While in Andorra my family and I lived off of almost nothing, as I grow up in that environment it was rather shocking coming to the United States for the rest time. I was of course an American citizen as both of my parents were. After coming to the US I was surprised to learn that my parents were actually rich people. Wealthy enough to afford a nice big house. All the luxuries they hadn't been able to provide in Andorra they gave me then, I had everything I could ever want and then some. When I got enrolled in school I was extremely wary as I had been in the US only a few weeks and I wasn't yet accustomed to the changes. Although I never enjoyed school (though I did enjoy learning), I was glad I went because it helped me to become familiar with how people acted in the US. I learned that my quiet, still nature often disturbed those around me. As a result I was mocked and bullied a lot. The mocking and bullying didn't really bother me though as I easily ignored the mockers and could beat up any bully you thought that because I was small and a girl I couldn't stand up to him. The bullying quickly stopped though the mocking continued. I quickly learned that my upbringing in Andorra was vastly different then the upbringing many of my classmates had, but I was happy that I was the way I was much more then I wished to fit in. I tried skipping a grade as I already knew the materiel taught but they wouldn't allow me too so I started college at the same time as everyone else. After four and a half years I had my language degree. Afterwards since my parents offered to pay for me to take a year vacation, the popular thing among graduating students at the time, I agreed taking a long trip to tour France.
During that magical year I had a lot of fun and I meet Christopher. Dark brown haired, gray eyed Christopher quite swept me off me feet with his intense serious eyes that made me feel as though I was the only person in the world.
Unfortunatley our first meeting was one of those super embarrassing first encounters. I had been walking away from a cute little cafe that I visited often when I suddenly realized that I didn't have my purse. I swirled around to go back to the cafe and ran striaght into him. He was, unfortunately, carrying a cup of coffee that he had probably just bought at that cafe, which spilled all over both of us. I was so embarrassed I could just die. I quickly apologized and offered to pay for the clothes, only to realize I had reverted to English in my harried state and quickly repeated it all in French finally getting the nerve to look up into his eyes. Quite to my surprise I found them sparkling with amusement instead of anger, and not the mocking kind of amusement.
He grinned and asked (in English, though with a French accent) if we couldn't talk about repairing the damages to our clothes over a cup of coffee. Since he had not yet had a cup of coffer I decided it was the lest I could do. It didn't take long for both of us to realize that we had some sort of connection that pulled us to each other.
I spent most of the rest of my vacation with him, both of us knowing we were enjoying borrowed time. When it was time for me to leave I couldn't work up the nerve to go face him and tell him I was leaving for fear of begging him to give me a reason to stay. Instead I quickly boarded my plane bound for the US and tried desperately not to think about him. Though I was happy to be back, I was immeasurably sad too. I knew already that there was no way I could love anyone as much I did Christopher. Though many would have said it was puppy love or immature love and would fade, it didn't. Over the next few years Christopher was often on my mind, nothing in particular made me think of him more then anything else. I could be thinking something was funny and have the urge to tell is to Christopher, I could be eating and suddenly think back to a time when he and I would sit at a candle-lit table and talk long after the food was gone, everything seemed to bring him to mind, and sub-consciously (and consciously too) I compared ever other man in my life to him and none ever seemed to match up.
My parents started to worry about me. They wondered why I didn't ever seem interested in any man and my mother started matching me up with nieghbors or her friends' children. Which was not to mention embarassing rather pointless as if I were interested in finding a man (other then Christopher) I would have found him on his own.
I was a language professor at the time so I didn't have too much free time, which helped keep my mind off of Christopher (mostly) but every two years we got a paid vacation (they called it a 'sabbatical') to spend soon time writing a book. Why exactly they wanted us to do that I didn't know but I took my vaction and went back to France. Partly, I'll admit now because I hoped to see Christopher, although I knew that chance was slim and even slimmer was the chance that he would be happy to see me.
So at the time I convinced myself that all I wanted was to do was to go visit the country I loved. I went and stay at much the same place I did before, and visited that little coffee shop where we'd meet. I was surprised when the owner recognized me immediately and told me all about how Christopher had come in there looking for me and demanding to see me. She said he was quite furious that I hadn't told him I was leaving.
That distrubed me a bit, I hadn't intended on upseting Christopher though I had known it would I had only wanted to leave without getting my heart broken. Unfortunately that had happened anyways.
I enjoyed the rest of my visit, or so I told myself, and managed to finish a book, all the while wishing and hoping Christopher would can find me.
It was the day before I was supposed to go back to the US that I was sitting in the little cafe eating breakfast eating and watching the rain pour down outside. I loved the rain and I was in quite a good mood humming to the song playing softly over the speakers when the door opened and a cold brisk wind blow in along with a huge trench coat covered man. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I felt that intense gaze upon me. Slowly I looked up and found myself pinned by two fierce gray eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?"
I carefully set down my fork before I dropped it and tried to subdue the quiver that ran through me in the face of the furious smoldering eyes, though I knew deep down that he wouldn't ever hurt me. On purpose that is.
"You knew I was leaving." I answered as steadily as I could as he sat down across from me without so much as a by-your-leave.
"I didn't know when, didn't know where you lived or how to contact you." His gray eyes snapped reproachfully at me and I fought down my instincts to throw myself in his arms and thank him for finding me.
"I didn't think you wanted it, you never expressed an interest before I left." My reasoning was sound, but Christopher's gaze said it wasn't.
"I didn't want to think about the time when we would be separated. Neither did you. We never spoke of it after you told me and I didn't want to have to deal with it before I had to." Christopher's eyes ran over me.
"Are you married?"
His abrupt question startled me into blurting, "No, of course not, I never..." wanted anyone but you. I stopped before I finished but I had a feeling that he knew what I had been about to say as fierce possessiveness filled his face.
"Good, get up. You are coming with me."
"What... I am? Chris!" Christopher was tugging me out of my booth having already fished out some bills that probably covered my meal five times over.
"Chris, where are we going." I asked breathlessly.
"We are going to go get married before you get another hare-brained idea to go off and disappear." His face darkened as he thought of her running away without telling him. "Yes, you definitely need a keeper and I am the only man for the job."
"But Chris, my parents, there still in the US. I can't get married without them." I told him breathlessly.
"Yes, you can. We can get married here in a judge's chamber and have a huge wedding when we get to the US but I am not going to wait that long to legally bind you to me."
Talk about high-handed! "Hey, you haven't even asked me! For all you know I could be engaged, almost married, betrothed...."
His eyes narrowed, "Are you?"
"Well.... No." I admitted.
"Then, Rose... Rosabella will you marry me?"
"Yes!"
He raised an eyebrow as though to say, 'I knew that so why did I have to waste time proposing?' But I just beamed at him and his lips lifted in a smile of bemusement and indulgence. "Will you marry me now?"
I grinned up at him, which appeared to be an answer enough to him if the way he quickly ushered me out to his waiting car. As soon as we were in he said, in French, "Roberts, Judge Winston's office please."
"Of course, sir,"
Christopher then turned his eyes back to me and sighed. "I wish this were simple but I fear it won't be, Rose. I cannot live in the US, as the CEO of Erickson Electronics I need to be here. and there are other matters..."
I put my finger to his lips, shushing him, "I know, I thought about all the problems we might have had over the years if I had told you and stayed when we first met and convinced myself it wouldn't have worked... but I was kidding myself, I knew had I been able to change what I had done I would have knowing I wouldn't be able to live in the US. Knowing a little country pumpkin like me would be dreadfully out of place at your fancy business dinners but I won't care so long as I am married to you.... I love you Christopher."
A grin lit his face and his eyes sparkled at me, "And I love you Rosabella, oh I do love you."
So Christopher and I got married in a judges chambers both soaking wet and cold. And when I did actually get me big wedding ceremony it was in Paris as I reasoned that only my parents were in the US and all of his family and friends were here. My wedding dress was gorgeous and the wedding was beautiful, not to mention that Christopher looked stunning in his tux. I couldn't helped but feel a like nervous which Christopher noticed immediately and as soon as my father gave me away he took hold of my hand and squeezed it gently reassuringly and I couldn't help but grin. Since I had been living in his parents huge house ever since we got married I had grown to know them quite well and was very comfortable around them though I had been extremely nervous to meet them the first time, after all I had just married their son and not even met them yet. However all Christopher said was 'this is Rosabella', and his mother took off saying how wonderful it was to meet me, and how many wonderful things she had heard about me. It was about a half an hour before Christopher could get a word in long enough to say that we were married. His mother to my surprise was joyfully happy instead of upset. During the wedding my parents stayed with me and we found that our parents got along great.
Our house is almost 3000 sq ft!
I didn't think we needed to get such a big house but Christopher said that we wouldn't want to have to move into a new house when we decided to have children. I was kind of shocked, we hadn't spoken much about having children and I sort of assumed that he wouldn't want any because he was so busy with his job. However he assured me that he'd only want about six children maybe seven. I burst out laughing, I couldn't help it especially not with him watching me indulgently as though no matter what I asked him for he'd do everything in his power to provide. I told him I wanted to have him to myself for a little while but I would love to have children someday (soon lol).
I was also surprised that he wanted to get our house a good forty minute drive from the city and I knew that it was for me; so that instead of seeing all buildings out of my windows I saw trees and a pond. I decided to call our house Adela, which is Spanish for 'Noble'.
Moving in was a big ordeal and his mother, Lily, insisted on helping me decorate it, not that I minded. She and I had similar tastes and soon everything was finished and in place. Not that I always knew where everything's place was and I had to spend many weeks living there before I fully accustomed myself to everything. I as found out that Chris enjoyed making pottery. I was so surprised when he told me I would have laughed except for a niggling feeling that he may not be kidding. He wasn't of course and one thing I love to do is spend a hour or so in the morning watching him mess around with the clay. Not that he messes around with it, he was very good at pottery, at everything he seemes to try. He turns his entire concentration totally on the lump of clay and slowly mold it into something. It was awsome to watch.
Wow, I can't believe I have a daughter!
Christopher and I decided to have a child and it wasn't long before I was pregnant, however the closer it got to when the baby was expected the slowly time seemed to travel. It seemed I was never not achy and I couldn't put on my own shoes without incredible contortions. Then there were the nights when I could never sleep because Sophia wanted to play around, kicking and wriggling. Christopher couldn't have been better though. He never complained about having to help me to all the various things I could no longer accomplish on my own and was just an enthusiastic about getting the den/office room ready for it's new occupant. The reason we were using the den instead of an actual bed room was that all the bedrooms save for ours were upstairs and we didn't want Sophia that far away, especially when we would have to get up in the middle of the night to feed or change Sophia.
I feel awesome now that I can finally put on my own shoes again! I can also start wearing my old clothes though they are a bit tighter.
Sophia is absolutely adorable. She has brown hair and brown eyes and she resembles me a lot. Christopher says we should have named her mini-rose which is how she got her nn "Rose" which changed quickly to "Rosie" as "Rose" is what Christopher always calls me. Sophia is extremely curious and always seems to be crawling somewhere so I am already making a list of how many baby gates, and cupboard child locks to get.
Sophia is a very happy child, she hardly ever cries and when she does it either means she is hungry or needs a diaper change. I can already tell that Sophia has Christopher wrapped around her baby finger and probably always will, which is why I think we desperately need to have another child so that she isn't spoiled completely rotten.
Rosie is living up to her nn in more then one way, not only does still look like a tiny me as soon as she started walking-which she did earlier then normal-she was off and running. Now her cheeks are always rosy as she runs around doing all sorts of things. She doesn't chatter all the time but she asks millions of questions about everything. Christopher loves her curiousity and always has the time to sit down and explain things to her. I love to stand in the doorway to the study and find Christopher holding Rosie and explaining why the flowers grow and how the seeds get there and why the sun is so bright.
Rosie is the reason we have a bird right now. I was working in the garden when Rosie came running up to me with a bird in her hand. It was a tiny sparrow with a broken leg. The sparrow mustn't have been very old, barely out of the nest I'd say. Rosie wanted to keep it, I wasn't too sure about that but I said we'd wait until CHristopher got home. A few hours later when he got home he and Rosie used two metal headless nails and scotch tape to set the tiny bony then they wrapped small strips of duct tape around that. Rosie proclaimed she wanted to keep Snowy which was what she'd dubbed him and Christopher looked rather helplessly at me before telling her she could. It is obviously a good thing Rosie doesn't ask for much otherwise she would be spoiled rotten.
Also ever since Rosie was born I knew there was no way I could ever leave her at a day care center while I went off to work so when I explained that to me boss at the Community College I worked at he said there was an alternative if I wanted it. I could teach over the internet. I jumped on that, though I am only teaching one class a semester and I make sure that all the students have my e-mail address so that if they are having problems and want my help I can run down to the college and answer any questions they might have.
I won't go too much into my pregnancy as it would just be one big self-pity story but I will say I thought Rosie was bad enough but twins! I was huge! Anyways needless to say Christopher was wonderful the while time and little Rosie had endless questions about why I was getting too big to hold her on my lap, that was the first time Christopher shot me a glance of pure panic and fled leaving me to answer Rosie's questions.
Rosie was extremely happy to think that she'd have two younger brothers, and she asked me very seriously if she would be able to boss them around when they got older. I couldn't help but fight back a laugh and I told her she could try but I doubt that would ever happen. Rosie contribution to our quest for naming them was Barney and Charming. Christopher and I looked at each other and other managed to refain from laughing because we didn't want to hurt her feelings as she was obviously very serious. I asked her to explain Charming and she said in all fairy tales all the princes' were called Prince Charming and she liked that name. ^_^
Needless to say Rosie has been developing wonderfully, she is already reading a little as she desided she wanted to. She and I work on it during the day and Chrsitopher works with her after he gets home. Rosie is beautiful and so cute and no matter where it is that I go with her I get millions of compliments. The thing that really surprised me about Rosie is that she is shy! However I find that is comforting, I never have to wonder if she'll wander off while I am shopping and get snatched because she sticks to me like glue.
Snowy, Rosie's sparrow, has come along wonderfully well. Christopher devised the method of tieing a sting around the bird little ankle like a leash saying that it wouldn't hurt him. THough in the beginning the bird didn't like it at all he got used to it and now Rosie can take him out when ever she wants.
Anyways getting back to the twins, they are possitively huge compared to Rosie when she was born, I can hardly believe I carried them around for nine months. They look a lot like their father but they seemed have gotten more of my personality though becuase they are not half so calm as Rosie is and instead they are more implusive. However they are both aborable even though they love waking us up in the middle of the night.
Rosie, Law and Theo are all doing wonderful! Rosie is as calm, cheerful and helping as she always was. Though she says she doesn't enjoy school as much as she enjoyed being at home with me she is doing remarkably well. Her teacher is slightly concerned that Rosie hasn't made any friends but knowing Rosie as I do I am not worried at all. Although I was a bit worried at how upset she got was Snowy passed away. I am not sure exactly why it happened, probably just because Snowy had gotten old but Rosie, Christopher and I had a little funeral and buried the bird in the backyard.
Law and Theo are now two years old and are already showing their differences in personalities. Theo is much quieter and calm ther Law is, Theo can sit and leaf through a book (looking at the pictures) or watch me work for hours before getting bored. Law is more hyper, he can sit still but not for long, soon he'll be racing around the house or the backyard. Theo and Law are both stubborn, and after Rosie tried a few times to get them to do what she said she decided it was much easier to do stuff by herself.
Not too long after Law and Theo's second birthday that I got a call from Christopher while he was at work. I had just put Theo and Law in their bedroom after they fell asleep watching me weed the garden. Though it was not an unheard of thing for Christopher to call from work it wasn't something he did very often. It turned out that Christopher's grandfather, Damien, had died. Everything he had automatically transfered to his son, Christopher's father, since Damien had not had a will. Included in that was Damien's large house (more of what I would call a mansion) but Christopher's father and mother loved the house they were in and weren't planning on moving so they offered it to Christopher. Christopher wasn't sure what he wanted to do. He loved his grandfather's house as it held a lot of special memories for him, however it was in Paris (not in the country side outside of Paris which he knew I prefered) and he knew I loved the house we had chosen. He didn't want to sell it, but keeping both houses would be rather pointless, not to mention expensive. So we had a lot to think about. A few days later Chrisopter, Rosie (who had actually met Damien) and I went to his funeral. It was a quite, sad event that we we're all glad to have over with. Still there was the decision about the house to make. Christopher and I decided to ask Rosie what she thought about moving. Rosie said she loved our house but she loved grandpa's too. So basically we were back where we started. As it happened though, fate made the decision for us.
It was almost two in the afternoon, three days after the funeral, that it happened. I was cooking in the kitchen and the boys were playing in the backyard with their toy cars. It was then that I heard a scream, I ran outside to find that Law had been climbing a tree; then he had fallen and (I hoped) just twisted his ankle. I quickly carried him inside and called Christopher and told him what had happened and that I was going to take Law and Theo to the Doctor. Christopher agreed and said he'd take off early and pick Rosie up at her school. Once Law got looked at the doctor pronounced that it was just a twisted ankle and had it wrapped saying that in a few days it should be as good as new. I was extremely happy about that and got the boys Burger King on the way home. However when we got to our neighborhood it was conjested with firetrucks and other rescue personal. It was then that I remembered that I hadn't turned off the stove before I had left. The house though not completely destroyed would need a lot of repairs. As I pulled up and parked Christopher came rushing over with Rosie in hand. He didn't even give me time to say anything before he pulled me into a crushing hug. "I was so worried..." He whispered and I knew he had thought that I might have been home.
The garage was around the back of the house and no one was being let past the sidewalk so he had no way of knowing. "Christopher, I..." I began feeling incredably stupid but he cut me off saying, "It doesn't matter, so long as everyone is alright everything that was in there is replacable."
So we went to stay at his parent's house until we could move in to his grandfather's house. His parent's were ecstatic as we would now be much closer and they would be able to see their grandchildren more often. I was surprised but Rosie became instant friends with a young boy, William, who lives right next to us. I think it had something to do with the fact that both of them love helping animals (and people) but they met when Rosie was trying to help a dog who seemed to have been hit by a car. William say her and came over to help, he told Rosie that he'd bring the dog to his house and clean him up. Rosie liked him immediately.
I still feel stupid for being so careless but I am happy becuase everything worked out well, and the Rosie has made a new friend.
This is our new house:
Naming our son became something of an ordeal as Christopher insisted that we name him Henry, after his grandfather but I don't like the name Henry at all. Rosie seemed at a loss for why we were so concerned about naming the baby. She tried to help by giving Christopher a list of names that she liked but I doubt Christopher even looked at the list. In the end I gave in but only after insisting that we call him Gabriel. So Gabriel was born, and he seems to have the endless calm that Rosie inherited from her father, which goes very well with his name or really nickname. Rosie absolutely adores him.
Rosie and William are closer then close. Since we are neighbors it is easy for them to get together and as often as not William would join us for dinner and then sometimes both William and Rosie would eat dinner with his mother. William’s mother, Julia, and I have become great friends. William’s father, Wyatt, and Julia are still married but Wyatt is never home the excuse is that he is gone on business but Julia confided that he just doesn’t like to be home and Julia likes it that way. According to Julia, while William didn’t really miss his father she is glad that we don’t mind him hanging around as she thinks he really benefits from spending time around Christopher. Christopher loves William like his own son and loves having him around. Rosie and William do everything together along with studying. I am really am glad that we moved as I think having a friend is really good for Rosie.
Unfortunately Rosie got into a problem at school. It was during recess when Rosie saw two boys throwing rocks and trash at an injured cat. She immediately lost the calm manner that she is famous for and ran to stop them. She ended up punching one of the boys and though Rosie is a petite little girl she was made of all muscle and she gave the boy a black eye. The school and the boys’ parents were very upset and more so when Rosie refused to apologize. Though I am somewhat concerned about that, I understand why Rosie did what she did. I just wish the she could have a little more diplomatic.
I was stunned when one day Lily called me (Not that that was an unheard of coincidence in fact she and I are quite close). The thing was I couldn't tell that it was her at first because all I could hear was sobbing. She finally calmed down enough to tell me that something had happened to Robert. I told her to calm down and I'd be there in a few minutes. I grabbed up Gabriel and made it to Lily's house in ten minutes. When I got there I found Lily at the door. She was crying and a mess, it was the first time that I had seen her not looking perfect. I must admit I was slightly scared. I told Lily to hold Gabriel and I went into the kitchen where Robert was lying on the floor. I could tell immediately that he was dead. I went back to Lily and quietly asked if she'd called 911. She said she had, she seemed much more calm now that she was holding Gabriel and playing with him. Gabriel seemed to understand that Lily wasn't feeling normal and was just playing with her hair as she held him. It wasn't long before the emergancy officers got there. I handly most of it and by the time I drove home with Lily, Christopher was frantic. It took a while to explain but after I told him all that happened and told him that I thought Lily should stay with us he immediately agreed. Lily started insisting that she would be fine on her own but I quickly assured her that I would love to have her live with us. After all we got a long extremely well and I could use another woman around, and all the children loved her.
Shortly after Lily moved in I gave birth to another girl on July 17! Finally! I named her Charlotte Liliana as Charlotte the was the french name of the day (and it is also my mother's name!) and we named her Liliana, after Christopher's mother. Everyone (Especially me), including Law and Theo was estatic.
Rosie is so happy, she spends a lot of time around Lottie, playing with her and reading to her. Rosie is doing awsome in school, after that one event two years ago she has been fine, but William (our next door neighbor) has stuck to her which has helped.
Theo and Law are doing awsome and love hanging around with each other although they don't have the same interests. Theo can conjole Law into playing chess with him and Law bullies Theo into playing video games or football with him, and all the time they are squabbling but I know it's all in fun. Theo loves drawing though I only found out by accident becuase he didn't think it was a boy-like thing to do. I grinned and told him of his father's secret passion for pottery. Theo felt much better after that and after I promised not to tell Law. Law loves to make computer games, he is a computer wonder, I think he probably know everything there is to know about computers.
Gabriel, who is now 3 and a half years old has an odd hobby too. Gabriel will stand/sit statue-still outside near the bird house he and his father built until the birds became accustumed to being there and moves back to eat bird seed out of his hand. He can also lure dogs and cats to him too. Rosie and he seem to have that triat in commmon.
Name: Christopher Damien Sinclair
Age: 31
Eye color: Gray/light Blue
Mother’s eye color: Brown
Father’s eye color: Grey
Hair color: Dark Brown
Mother’s hair color: Brown
Father’s hair color: Black
Education: BS in Business Management
Name: Rosabella Naomi Harrison
Age: 26
Eye color: Hazel
Mother’s eye color: Brown
Father’s eye color: Blue
Hair color: Brown
Mother’s hair color: Brown
Father’s hair color: Light Brown
Education: BA in Foreign Language
"Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live."
Mark Twain
This message was edited 4/23/2006, 8:46 PM
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