...Learn To...

THIRTY

I woke up to Perisa crying, Preuss consoling quietly, Dastan yelling profanities, Zelda ordering him to stop, and Sebastian whining.

"Just a wonderful morning in the Bilchmidt household," I muttered, rolling over to check the time. It was eight. I wasn't able to sleep in. I grumbled and threw on clothes before bursting my door open and yelling at the top of my lungs.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!!!" I ordered in my native tongue.

Silence.

"Thank you," I said in a quieter tone. "Dastan! Stop swearing or you're living with Feli! Perisa! If you're going to cry, please don't do it outside my door. Zelda! The only way to get your brother to stop swearing is to pull an ultimatum. And Sabby..." I finished descending the stairs and hunkered down in front of my grandson. "What's wrong?" I asked in German, which I undoubtedly knew he understood. Better to get him trilingual as fast as possible, what with me muttering random things in Farsi.

"Too loud," he whimpered.

I hugged him. "I know, honey. It's all gone, now. Oma made it quieter." I picked the two-year-old up and carried him to his mother. "What's cookin' hun?"

"Please don't call me that," Zelda asked calmly. "Bacon, toast, and cereal. Want some?"

"Bacon would be nice," I asked, kissing her temple. "Thanks, Princess."

She smiled lightly.

I had one more task before I could order my adult children around, first. I climbed up the stairs to address Perisa.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" I asked her.

"Why are you sleeping in a different room than Daddy...?" she asked, wiping away tears.

Whoo boy...

I sat and settled Sebastian in my lap. After knowing his namesake, it felt weird calling him "Alex" or "Zander" and "Alexander" was too long for me. So his middle name it was!

"Daddy and I are having a bit of a disagreement right now," I explained.

"What did he do this time," Preuss asked in the form of a statement.

I didn't quite get my smile in check in time. "Well, it wasn't entirely his fault. It was also mine. We had a bit of a fight, and we're trying to work out our differences again. But don't worry," I said, looking directly in her eyes. "Divorce is out of the question."

She half smiled. "Still... Hurry up, will you?"

I smiled and hugged her over Sebastian. "Hey, occupy him, I'm going to go wake up your father."

She laughed and took her nephew to go play in the playroom while I walked down and waltzed through the door.

"Oh it's a beautiful morning, oh, it's a wonderful day~!" I sang, throwing open the curtains and giggling at Gilbert's moaning.

"I hate evil people," he groaned, rolling over and burying his face in the pillow.

"Oy, get up," I ordered. "We're sorting our things for the garage sale, remember?"

He grumbled more so I threw a shirt at him. "I'm coming back in in half an hour and dragging you out clothed or not."

Gilbert grumbled and sat up, working on getting the shirt on. "That statement is why I both hate you and love you at the same time."

"Yeah, right now I'm not so sure about the love bit." I started to walk out when Gilbert stopped me.

"Remember when you came to our house?"