Chapter 23 - Everything's Coming Up Roses

Things are definitely looking up for me:  enter Kolton!

He's a first-rate boyfriend:  interesting, attentive, kind to the children.  He even likes Simton Abbey!

The writing continues to go well.

My efforts to cook healthy meals and work out have paid off magnificently.  In the words of a tweener hit from a bygone era, "Holy Moses, everything's coming up roses".

Andre and Michelle are growing up well; their favourite hobby is to whipsaw an unsuspecting great-aunt out for her daily constitutional. Fortunately for me, they're gentler with their not-so-great aunt.

We had a quadruple birthday extravaganza for Eve, Marcel, Philippe and Pierre.

Aunt Monique has ruined Marcel altogether.  She taught him to fish and it's all he wants to do at any hour of the day or night.

Philippe prefers chasing girls, playing guitar and video games.

What is it with the men in this family and their fascination with mixology?!? Pierre has walked away from the top of his career as a concert pianist to become a mixologist.  I refrain from publicly voicing my opinion that it's proof of his laziness.

On the upside, he was able to make some brilliant cocktails for Kolton's and my wedding.

This is a Shadow Realm.  It's said to fend off the Grim Reaper; I'm sure if I were the Grim Reaper, I'd head for the hills if anyone thrust such a concoction into my hand!  Philippe emboldened himself, however, and seems to have suffered no lasting effects.

I'm discovering that my reason for being so put out with Pierre is envy; I'm a music lover myself and have never had the confidence to try making a go of it.  So I'll give it a go and let someone else be vexed with my walking away from a brilliant literary career.

Andre and Michelle are in high school now. 

 Andre has taken over the business aspects of the garden and doing quite brilliantly with it. 

Michelle is eager to start dating as soon as she finds the right boy.  The only one she finds interesting is Aaron Quiroz, who is much too old for her.  Kolton keeps a close eye on them, and who could possibly resent a chaperon in this getup?