It was hard without Fester in the house, especially since it was nearly Christmas. Not that you could tell from the weather. Brollies were up all over town. I had to get out of the house. Wednesday was in pieces, shut away in her room. She had been since Fester died. They were close. I once again found myself outside the house that Bradly shared with some of the other challenge mums.
I knew that I wasn't supposed to have feelings in this challenge, but I couldn't help it. Bradly seemed to be my ... rock. He cheered me up when I was down and I always had a smile on my face around him.
I knocked on the door, but nobody was home. Defeated, I went for a walk and then back home as soon as I knew the kids were at school. I lay on the sofa, feeling awful. I should be comforting them, not running away from them.
"Mama..."
I heard Kim calling for me then. The twins were aging up that afternoon and I ran my hands over the clothes that I had bought them for their childhood.
Kim was a kleptomaniac, which was odd because she was the sweeter of the two girls. They were basically identical apart from hair colour and their mouths. They were incredibly good at tricking their teachers though, especially in maths as they always seemed to have substitutes.
As they played, I stayed in the living room and spoke to the bird. My phone rang and I looked at the caller ID.
-Zac calling-
"Yeah right."
And again. That phone kept ringing. I eventually picked it up and let Bernie speak into it in his parrot voice.
"What do you want?"
"Jayda? Is that you?"
"No, it was a bird. But thanks. Now, answer the question dick."
"Oh erm, well. Kind of awkward now. Do you want to go on a date with me or something?"
"I would rather swallow human flesh. Especially after how you treated me. Bye."
And I hung up.
Well, that was plain weird.
I sat down at the computer and checked out the new online dating site that Wednesday had found on fliers. I wasn't sure why I was on this. I didn't need anybody. But maybe, just maybe I could find challenge fathers on here. Like a book of sperm.
Gross, Jayda.
I closed that down and left it there. Walking downstairs, I heard shouting.
"MAM. You got mail bitch."
This is why Wednesday and I got along. We were like best friends. She put the mail on the table, winked at me and skipped out the room.
I turned to the envelope and frowned.
"HAVE YOU OPENED MY MAIL?"
"NOO... ME? I WOULD NEVER..."
I sat down and opened the letter and my heart did somersaults. Please, i'd had children with him. He still made me feel like a hormone crazed schoolgirl.
I wrote a letter back, smiling as I did so.
The kids and I went to the fair on down the road and did some apple bobbing, pie eating contests and roller blading.
After eating my snow cone, I got back on the floor and was spinning around when I crashed into Fergus, Calista's son.
"Crap. Sorry."
He helped me up and smiled.
Back home, I got pregnant with the next baby and did some painting. I realised that I hadn't really done any since I lived in the old house.
Pugsley eventually came home, pie all over his face.
In my room, I sat on the bed and looked at all the photos I had so far. It dawned on me that I'd never taken a photo of Fester before he died. I had one photo. The one I'd taken when he aged up.
Kim and Meg had loved the photobooth, taking so many photos together. We eventually settled on this one going on my wall.
I sat there for ages, thinking about Fester. I wished he was still here. Christmas wasn't going to be the same without him, he always made us laugh.
Pugsley, Wednesday and Gomez went to their prom. They didn't have the greatest day for it as it was raining, but they still had a wonderful time. Wednesday was prom queen and Pugsley was prom king.
Pugsley also got a girlfriend, his crush - Amy Riches.
Gomez kept hitting on the boys but eventually he found Becka Riches. Wednesday wasn't sure how long that would truly last.
At home, Kim was sick so she stayed off school while Meg complained about having to go.
"Go on. You'll have fun."
I smiled, pushing her out the door.
That night, the kids went to a fancy dress party at their friends house apart from Kim who felt sick still.
Pugsley was a rock star.
Gomez was a pirate.
Meg a burglar.
And Wednesday was a princess.
Looking outside, the weather was absolutely grim. I had thought about taking Tamsie for a walk, but I decided i'd paint instead.
I went on a vacation and came home to find the house relatively trashed. I knew they would have a party. I wasn't really fussed. I had parties when I was a kid, mostly with my sisters. As I spent some time cleaning up, I realised the baby wanted to come now.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD
Alfie Moon
-excitable
-friendly
(I didn't realise when i was naming him that his name was Alfie Moon!! From Eastenders. That just happened to be the next name on my list!)
