About two weeks later Marla walked into the living room carrying a big bag of things that she was taking to a consulting job she was doing. Her head was spinning since the TIA. She wasn't doing anything but taking care of the children, and even though that was so amazing, she felt like the time they were napping or at school she could be doing something else. For that reason she started independently consulting for small non-profits. She would write home studies, work as a case manager, write grants, almost anything that would keep her busy. She threw the bag on the small bench hearing laughing and music in the living rom. She stepped in the room leaning against the wall seeing the babies in front of Bruno and Rosie who were working on her timeline. She saw Angelo laying on his stomach trying to reach out to get a toy that Hope was holding. As he started to reach she saw him hit Hope in the face making her cry. "Hey, hey..." Marla walked toward the twins taking away the toy.
"Look at your mom taking a stand..." Bruno leaned over talking to her daughter.
"I'm just making sure they don't get hurt..." Marla said placing the toy on the table then walking behind the two of them. "That's so nice...I like the colors..." she said dragging her hand along a few of the pictures. "Tell me about them, Rosie..."
"Okay..." she said. "But it's going to be bad." Rosie answered with a confused face. She glanced over at the babies who were starting to cry.
"Let dad get them. I want to hear about your timeline..." Marla told her daughter sitting down next to her.
"Okay...see...this is the first one..." Rosie pointed to a picture of her parents in 2010. "That' when you met..in 2010...and then..." she moved over to the next picture where Marla sat on a bench with Urbana smiling while holding a present in her hand. "And that's me in there..."
"It is....tell me about the rest..." Marla coached her daughter.
"And this is me walking..." she told her mother pointing to a picture of her messy curls holding her cousin Zach's hand walking down a hallway.
"You are so pretty, Rosalia.." Marla said reflecting on the pictures. "Oh...and the day we were in Hawaii..." Marla pointed to the wedding picture she had held while Bruno was traveling.
"And momma..this is when I got sick..." Rosie pointed to a picture of a hospital band. "But then you got sick and daddy wrote for you..." next to her hospital bracelet was a picture of the album Bruno wrote after she lost her memory.
"I like that one..." Marla told her daughter looking up at Bruno smiling as he walked up behind them looking at the school project.
"I think it's perfect, mama..." he said kissing his daughter's head. "I'll glue everything and write on it when you go to bed..."
"Okay...." Rosie said getting out of her chair. "I want to take a bath..."
"I'll be right there, Rosalia.." Marla responded watching her walk toward the bathroom. "Bruno...this is so good."
"I know..." he said kissing her on the cheek. For some reason she got extra tingly as his lips pulled away.
"I need to help her..." she responded getting out of her chair picking up toys as she walked toward the bathroom. She felt Bruno's hand touch hers.
"Mar?" he asked following her.
"What?" she asked.
"You are an amazing mother. That's it." He smiled kissing her lightly in front of the door where Rosie was.
"Stop! That's so grosss!" she whinned taking her big pink towel in the bathroom.
"We'll finish later." He whispered in her ear making her blush. While she walked away he burst out laughing knowing exactly what he did to her.
"Shhh..you'll wake up the twins!" she laughed at him.
About 30 minutes later Marla walked into the living room sighing heavily sitting next to Bruno who was flipping through the TV. She laid her head on his shoulder closing her eyes. "I'm so tired."
"Then let's go to bed..." he said to her rubbing her shoulders then lifting her off the couch. He held onto her as they walked to the bedroom.
"Bruno?" she asked him turning into him.
"Yeah?" he answered.
"Nothing." She answered kissing him deeply pressing him against the wall moving her hands to turn off the light.
That's not nothing, Mar." he got out between her kisses.