Making a vow as a sparkly-eyed newlywed was one thing.
Fulfilling it as a wizened and hesitant adult was another
reality completely.
The thought of all she was yet to achieve weighed heavily
upon Evaline. Nikolai’s mortality relied solely on her ability to continue on
her path to birthing 100 babies and Domino birthing 50 foals. And her heart
longed for his return more than it baulked at the task, so she threw herself
into it with a terrifyingly determined zeal.
Fortunately, her unborn baby shared her eagerness at the new chapter in their lives, making its presence - and desire to escape the womb - very well known!
It didn't matter how many times she did it, labour never got any easier or any less painful!
But fortune smiles on the brave, and considering her lengthy list of children, Evaline classified. Her labour was short and sweet, and just a few days later she left the hospital with her brand new baby girl, Lalor, who had taken on one of her father's more ethereal qualities.
Meet Miss Lalor Masterton, Baby No. 11.
Having a baby in the house always mixes things up and this time was no different. Although it was a remarkably good way this time. Valor took up the gardening chores ...
And Hope took care of the house. She may have worked a little too hard though, given how frequently she seemed to pass out from exhaustion ... Not to mention the smell she managed to emit when she'd forgotten to shower ...
Remember, its not child labour if they're over 16!
Jokes
With the new baby bringing some joy to the human inhabitants, it was only fair to give Domino a chance at the very same thing.
Please, allow me to introduce the newest soon-to-be Masterton conquest, Xaio.
While Domino and Xaio were getting friendly, Cassia and
Lucas were joining the ranks of the little munchkins in the neighbourhood.
Hope and Valor weren't too far away from their birthdays themselves, a bit of twisty turvy and adulthood beckoned for the twins.
Usually once the teen years have disappeared, the kids seemed to sense that it was time to move on and get away from the craziness. But not Valor, no! He decided to stick around for awhile longer ...
Looks pretty relaxed, doesn't he?
Hope, on the other hand, was quite keen for her teen years to end and her adult life to begin!
It was a shock that she hadn't expected, that was for sure!
And the second adulthood had settled fully upon her pretty little shoulders ...
Sweet little Hope got a little less sweet and whole lot naughtier. After one too many awkward run-in's with Evaline and her 'friend' Kanoa, Hope decided that it was time to move on - and out - with Kanoa.
It might have taken a few extra bits of prompting, but soon enough Valor got the hint and was on his way to face the big bad world.
Evaline never actually said it out loud, but I'm pretty sure Valor's timely move had something to do with Lucas and Cassia approaching their teen years at a remarkably fast pace. He'd heard plenty of stories from Arabella, Emmett, Drake, Niamh and Maximilian about the terrors of siblings and teendom. Valor had absolutely no interest in any mood swings or rebellious trysts interrupting his reading.
Cassia's time came first, with her appearance drawing a less than impressed reaction from Xaio. Poor girl's self-esteem was shot from the beginning.
Lucas had a much more kinder reaction, with the frequency of female callers increasing in a sharp - and annoying - spike.
He had nothing on Drake, but still, his head grew a little bigger than it should have.
While Lucas and Cassia were living it up as newly minted teenagers, Domino was doing a little huffing and puffing of her own.
Until ...
Little Hikaro made his entry into the Masterton family!
A foal and a baby made for a busy household, that only got busier when Lalor entered her toddling years.
Teach to talk, check. Teach to walk, check. Teach nursery rhymes, check.
Ahh the joys of motherhood and ranch ownership!
Determined as she was, Evaline still couldn't wait for that glorious moment - most likely when she's clicked into triple digits - when she could get more than an hour of uninterrupted sleep.
11 babies. 6 foals.
It was a long, long, long, way away.
It might have taken a few extra bits of prompting, but soon enough Valor got the hint and was on his way to face the big bad world.
Evaline never actually said it out loud, but I'm pretty sure Valor's timely move had something to do with Lucas and Cassia approaching their teen years at a remarkably fast pace. He'd heard plenty of stories from Arabella, Emmett, Drake, Niamh and Maximilian about the terrors of siblings and teendom. Valor had absolutely no interest in any mood swings or rebellious trysts interrupting his reading.
Cassia's time came first, with her appearance drawing a less than impressed reaction from Xaio. Poor girl's self-esteem was shot from the beginning.
Lucas had a much more kinder reaction, with the frequency of female callers increasing in a sharp - and annoying - spike.
He had nothing on Drake, but still, his head grew a little bigger than it should have.
While Lucas and Cassia were living it up as newly minted teenagers, Domino was doing a little huffing and puffing of her own.
Until ...
Little Hikaro made his entry into the Masterton family!
A foal and a baby made for a busy household, that only got busier when Lalor entered her toddling years.
Teach to talk, check. Teach to walk, check. Teach nursery rhymes, check.
Ahh the joys of motherhood and ranch ownership!
Determined as she was, Evaline still couldn't wait for that glorious moment - most likely when she's clicked into triple digits - when she could get more than an hour of uninterrupted sleep.
11 babies. 6 foals.
It was a long, long, long, way away.
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