3:2 Long-Term House Guest

As the weeks went by, Taylor started doing overtime. They really needed the money, and when her first months paycheck came through, she was thrilled to find she had enough for a dining table and chairs, and a counter to prepare the food on. As well as lights! The house looked a lot bigger now they could actually see, as they'd been living in the dark for weeks, unable to afford lightbulbs.

She put the new counter to good use, and decided to try making a salad. The girls' mother had given them some reserve vegetables she'd grown before the climate went kaput, her supply was dwindling, and the mayor was having vegetables flown in from the city of Bridgeport. Bridgeport had pollution problems like any city, so had always grown food indoors, here in Sunset Valley they had never had that problem, and hadn't built an indoor farm yet and so food was pricier and nowhere near as fresh.
"I'm making dinner, Madi." She called through to her sister, who was most likely napping.

Madison was awake, for once. She was feeding Luis, although she wished she was asleep. Her parents had given her the crib Devon had used last, and they said they'd give her the toybox and toys she had played with as a child herself when her brother was finished with them.

Motherhood was a lot harder than Madison had expected. In her mind, Geoffrey and her would have been married and living together for a few years first, they'd have enough money to support themselves and a family, and a stable household. In reality, Geoffrey was there as much as he could be, but as he worked so late he'd often only be over an hour or two before Madison really needed her sleep and he had to leave. He was trying to earn enough money for a deposit on a rental house for the couple and their newborn, but it was proving very difficult. Madison would have got a job by now if she hadn't had Luis. Taylor couldn't watch him for her because she got paid a lot more than Madison would at a part time job, and so it seemed silly for Taylor to pass up overtime when the girls needed the money so badly. Madison spent most of her days alone. She had to hire a sitter for while she was at school, but couldn't afford to keep them while she did her homework, and found it very difficult to juggle a baby, school work, eating and sleeping on her own. Her grades had fallen from As to Bs, and she found herself quickly scribbling homework on the schoolbus to and from school as that was the time she was most likely to do it.

The girls sat down at their new table to eat the first proper meal they'd had since moving here. The house still didn't feel like home. The walls were still bare plaster, and the floor just the foundation floorboards.
"Madi, as you're going to be living here for a few years, I wondered if you wanted to come with me at the weekend to pick out carpet and wallpaper for your bedroom. I can't afford to decorate the whole house yet, but I can afford to do our bedrooms and I want you to pick what you like." Madison smiled at her sister. She was so thoughtful.
"I'd love to! But can I have a new bed instead? It's sooo uncomfortable!"
"Madi, I want to put stuff on the walls. I want it to look better. If it looks better, we'll feel better. Trust me." Madison nodded in agreement. It wasn't her money anyway, and it was up to Taylor to decide what to do with it. Madison was just a long-term house guest.

The girls finished up, and Taylor took the plates to wash in the bathroom sink, another purchase from her paycheck, while Madison put the leftover salad in the fridge. Geoffrey had bought the girls this fridge. It was Madisons favorite colour: green, and it was Geoffreys way of doing what he could as he was going to buy a crib before Madisons parents had announced they still had one.

Thinking of Geoffrey reminded Madison of how much she missed him. How much she wished he could be here all the time to play with Luis and spend time with her. Taylor came out of the bathroom and noticed her sister looking upset and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I miss him, Tay. I want him to witness his son growing up. He'll miss all the important bits of his early life because he has to work so hard."
"Madi. Stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault, well... Ok, you know what I mean. You two didn't plan this, and you'd set out a life plan in your head, and I'm afraid life just doesn't always go to plan. You're having to grow up really quick, but at least you know Geoff is always there for you, and he would leave work if you really needed him to. I think you're doing really well keeping on top of school work with a baby! God knows I couldn't do it!"
"Taylor, my grades are slipping. That's what I promised Mum and Dad wouldn't happen."
"Hey, you're a B student now. I was, look at me, I turned out fine!"
"Yes, but without my A grades I'm just 'that girl who had a baby'. I'm not breaking any moulds or setting examples." Taylor looked at her sister and thought for a moment. She wished there was something she could say to make it all better, but knew that nothing she could say would change anything. She couldn't sacrifice her overtime hours to help more with Luis, as it wouldn't be long before he would start eating solid foods, and they would really need the money when that happened.

_____

Geoffrey came over that night as usual, and Madison settled in her bed as she watched him playing with his son. Luis always seemed to light up when his father came to visit, and slept better when he'd been over too. It was obvious he would grow up to be really close with his father, and Madison hoped that it wouldn't be too long before they could live together as a family.
"How's the saving coming along?" She asked, sleepily.
"Ok." Geoffrey replied, bouncing his baby boy infront of his face. "It will still be a few years before we can afford anything, and I hate to say it, but we might have to change our wedding plans." Madison nodded, and then realised Geoffrey's back was turned.
"Yeah, I thought as much. What do you want to do? Wait a few more years and still have a big wedding, or just have a small ceremony at the registry office?" Geoffrey kissed Luis and placed him gently back into the crib, before turning and sitting on the end of the bed.
"I'm easy. To be honest, I really don't care how big or small the wedding is, I just want the paper telling me you're mine and won't run off" He grinned and ticked his girlfriend.
"Stoppit!" He did. "I wouldn't run off, G, you know that." He smiled and took her hand.
"I know, babydoll. I was just messing." He looked at his watch. "I'd better go home. I've got a mock exam tomorrow and I need to revise a bit before bed." Madison nodded, and Geoffrey leaned down and kissed her. "Hopefully I'll be over tomorrow. Love you."
"I love you too." He leaned down and kissed her again before heading towards the door and turning the light out as he left.

_____

As promised, that Saturday, Taylor and Madison went to look for flooring and wallpaper. They first dropped Luis off with their parents so they wouldn't have to worry about a baby screaming and crying all day while they were wandering around.

As they entered the busy department store, Madison went off to look at colour charts while Taylor decided on a different approach and decided to talk to the shop owner. She told her the budget they were working with, and the measurements of the rooms they hoped to decorate.

Taylor was a little apprehensive when an angry looking customer stalked past her just as the shopkeeper was about to direct her to the area where she could find the right priced items, but decided to ignore him and focus only on the woman in front of her. She listened as the lady told her the area of the shop to look in, and thanked her.

She was about to turn away when she noticed the lights glint off her teeth. They weren't just teeth, they were fangs! This woman was a vampire, not a very friendly one either! The woman reached out to grab her and Taylor went to push back. She didn't want to be bitten, she was happy as a fairy, and didn't plan on becoming a vampire or fairy-vampire mix anytime soon! Before her hands touched the vampire, she felt a jolt like electricity shoot down her arms and into her fingertips, she felt it leave her body and saw the womans face screw up in pain.

The vampire then blew out a ball of fire, and Taylor stood there, shocked. What just happened?

The pair acted natural, but were both shocked about the fairies outburst and her power. Another angry looking customer stalked past them towards the stairs, and Taylor used this opportunity to find her sister, buy the goods and leave.

_____

The girls spent the remainder of the day putting up wallpaper and laying down carpets. The shop owner had given the pair a huge discount, and so they'd been able to buy decorations for the whole house. Madison had no idea why, but she was sure the cashier had looked terrified of the girls, which seemed weird as nobody was scared of fairies. Fairies were known to be gentle, peaceful creatures, who were at one with nature and spent their time dancing among flowers, not striking fear into the hearts of anyone.

The girls had also hung pictures they'd been collecting, and this helped to make the house feel more homely. Madison chose to hang pictures of her, Geoffrey and Luis, whereas Taylor had opted for Summer and Chiquita. They'd hung pictures the two of them had taken together as teenagers in the kitchen as this was their joint space.

As Madison was climbing into bed, she looked over to her son in his crib. He was joined in there by a doll his father had bought him. Madison hated the thing, it was so creepy and it reminded her of a doll she'd seen in pictures of her as a young child. Nobody would tell her what had happened to that doll, maybe she just lost it, but she didn't like seeing this one in her room. She felt a lot better about living here now they'd decorated though, as her sister had said she would. It even made her bed feel more comfortable.

Taylor had chosen a more grown-up pattern for her walls. She wasn't happy with how similar it was to her bedsheets, but she was going to get new bedsheets when she could afford a new bed anyway. She looked out the window as she climbed into bed. It would be a full moon in two nights. She had to do something. The thought of the moon filled her with dread, and she hated that her life was so ruled by Trisha. Her thoughts turned to what had happened with the vampire earlier. Maybe she could find a way to control the power she'd held at that moment, and turn it against Trisha. She decided she would spend the next day practising and then when she felt ready, she'd go to Trisha.

_____

 Madison was already eating leftover salad for breakfast when Taylor got up the next morning. She noticed her sister was shivering, and took out her purse.
"Here." She said. Placeing some notes on the table. "Go buy yourself some warmer clothes before you freeze to death!"
"Taylor, you don't have to! It will get warm again soon and then it will be just wasted money!"
"And what if it doesn't, Madi? It's getting colder everyday, and you can't go around in shorts and a crop-top anymore. Please, just take it. I'll watch Luis for a few hours."
"Fine." Madison reluctantly picked the money up and put it in her pocket, before finishing her breakfast.

"Hey little Luis! Auntie Taylor is going to banish a bad, bad witch and then you won't have to ever worry about anything. She's going to make it so your mummy and daddy can live a happy and peaceful life and bring you up without any problems. Ok?" Taylor bounced her nephew infront of her face, making him giggle and blow bubbles from his nose. Taylor pulled a face. "Eeew! Who's a dirty little burrito? You are!" She sighed and took him to the bathroom to wash him up. "I'm going to miss you when you and mummy move out. Promise me you'll visit your favourite auntie lots and lots."




That last picture of Taylor breaks my heart. She looks so upset like she really wants her own child! I'll see what I can do, Taylor...



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