Chapter 2.6 - Family Matters

“How are you doing?”

“Not great, honestly.”

“If you need anything, you know we’re all here for you.”

“Maybe you’re here for me, but you can’t really do much about any of it, can you? Sam and Kaylynn have two kids of their own to deal with, and you’re starting to get your own happy family set up. Don’t think I didn’t notice that engagement ring. Between that, your baby on the way, and your fancy high-powered job, you don’t have time to help me with the kids, either.”

“I’m really sorry, Dylan.”

He sighed. “I know you are. It’s just… I was barely prepared for one baby, and I assumed Tara would be here to help me. I love all three of them, but… it’s hard.”

“Tell me what I can do to help. I can’t promise that I’ll be able to do much, but I can do my best.”

He thought about it. “Actually, there is one thing you could do.”

“What?”

“Find Tara for me.”

Ayla stared at him, frowning. “How exactly do you expect me to do that?”

“You’re a journalist, aren’t you? You have press access to all sorts of sources I can’t touch even with police clearance, and you do research for a living. I know you can find her.”

Ayla closed her eyes. “I’ll give it a shot. But no promises, okay?”

“All I’m asking is that you try.”

“Alright. Now I want to see my niece and nephews before I leave.”

The nursery was in a rare moment of peace when they entered. All three children were playing happily at the block table. Alaric and Beckett seemed to be getting along for once. Those two would fight over anything and everything, and they couldn’t even really talk yet. Jade, as the one in the middle and the only girl, usually played peacemaker. She was the first to notice them come in. “Dada!”

She held up her arms in the universal symbol for up. He picked her up, grunting a little as he settled her in his arms. “You’re getting heavy, little gem. I want you to meet your Aunt Ayla.”

“Ayla?” Jade pointed at Ayla, clarifying the connection.

“That’s right. That’s Ayla. Can she play with you for a little while?”

Jade looked her aunt up and down. Finally, she said, “Yes.”

Dylan put Jade down to play with her Aunt Ayla, then went over to where the boys were playing. “What are you two doing?”

“Bwocks,” Alaric told his father, in a tone that said ‘duh’.

“I can see that, but what are you doing with the blocks?”

“We’s making a castle. Dere’s de moat, see?” Beckett spoke quietly, but his voice was animated. He was fascinated by water, the only one of the three who never objected to bath time.

“That’s a great moat, Beck.”

“And there’s shawks in the moat, and they eat the invaders!” Alaric really liked sharks. And lions. And tigers. And just about anything with really sharp teeth. Dylan worried about it a little bit, but he’d been told that it was a pretty normal fascination for a little boy to have.

“Sharks, huh?” He scooped up his eldest, who, like his sister, was getting remarkably heavy. “Do they eat them up like this?”

“No, Dada, no tickles!” He managed to get the words out through his giggles. “Wet me down.”

He did, and Alaric immediately went over to the toy box. Beckett was still playing on the block table. He had the longest attention span of the three. Jade couldn’t do anything for more than ten minutes, and Alaric was a little better, but not much. He was distracted from his musings by his sister’s voice.

“This has been great, but I really have to get going. I’m having dinner with Terrance’s family tonight, and I really need to go now if I don’t want his mother to hate me forever.”

“You know she’s my boss, right?”

“I didn’t, actually. Do you guys get along?”

“Pretty well.”

“Then I might mention I was here and see if it earns me any brownie points. I’ll stop by once I… have the information you’re looking for.” She knew better than to mention their mother in front of the toddlers. They were just old enough to start to wonder why she wasn't there, and she didn’t want to upset them.

“Please do. Good luck with the whole dinner thing.”

After she left, he sat down for a moment, letting himself feel a little bit of self-pity. Both of his siblings had happy, functional relationships, and until recently, he’d thought he had one too. But now he was left raising three toddlers by himself, and as much as he loved them, sometimes he wished he still had problems like Ayla, who worried about getting a promotion and impressing her fiance’s parents.

Then he shook it off and went to tend to his children. He didn’t have the time to think about things like that anymore.

Author's Note: Some cuteness and an introduction to next generation's heir candidates before we get back to plot.

Ayla's fiance is Terrance Keaton, who you may remember as the one she beat out for student body president at the end of generation 1. What's funny is that I planned to move him into the house if she became heir. He would have been the Job Hopper, because he's a diva (a snob and a diva, that must be a tumultuous relationship). He's one of the only people I managed to save from old Sunset. Join us next time to get back to Dylan's job and see what Ayla finds out!