71 - Getting By

Although Maia couldn’t be with her soulmate outside of her dreams, the belief that Samael truly did exist and the knowledge they had been together in the past gave her hope that he was out there somewhere and that they would find one another again.  That hope gave Maia the strength to keep moving forward in her task and helped make daily life more manageable. 

Another thing that helped her get by was when Isak would stop over. Not only were his visits welcome, but he also added new trait chips to A.C.E. so that the Plumbot could now take on the additional tasks of cooking and gardening. Although Maia normally enjoyed doing these chores, she liked knowing that they’d get done and she could make other activities a priority if she chose.

And Shravan had gotten Maia’s work schedule set up as he had promised so she only had to go in a few days a week, which left her more time to spend with her family.

The extra time came in handy, as Thaddeus and Layla had reached toddlerhood.

They immediately began playing with their IF dolls, Dusty and Mischief.

And Maia found out she was expecting again, courtesy of Jeromy.

She used her maternity leave to teach her twin toddlers their skills.

Maia finished just in time, and went into labor.

Welcome Kieran!

And welcome Keegan!

Not only was her family growing, but the children were also growing up.

Happy birthday Elise!

Happy birthday Chloe!

Happy birthday Brielle!

Happy birthday Ian!

The family expanded even further when the new teens brought Ties, Snaps, Buttons and Zippers to life.

With household chores and her job not taking up as much of her day as it used to, Maia had plenty of time to encourage them all in their interests.

And although it wasn’t easy teaching eight teens to drive, Maia managed to do so even more quickly than usual now that she worked fewer hours.

She was also able to have some time to do whatever she wanted for a change. Maia spent almost all of an entire day at the spa with her new friend, Joy Burch.

And Joy often came to Maia’s house to hang out and talk while they had tea and watched the babies play.

She spoke to Joy about her dream and her hopes about what her future would hold. Maia liked having a female friend with whom she could share her interests, and she enjoyed hearing about Joy’s hobbies as well.

Joy’s favorite subject was that of her cats, one of whom had recently had kittens. She talked Maia into adopting one of them.

The kitten was hardly more than a little ball of white fluff, but she was a fierce wee huntress in the making, so Maia named her Diana, a moon goddess of the hunt.

Diana’s sweet personality and clumsy antics endeared her to everyone in the family, and she quickly became a beloved member of the household.

Prom night soon came around, and all ten of the teens managed to crowd into the limo. Ian and Chloe were crowned Prom King and Prom Queen.

Shortly afterwards, it came time for Zak and Jester’s birthdays and graduation.

Happy birthday Zak!

Happy birthday Jester!

They graduated with honors and Zak was named valedictorian.

Zak and Jester both planned to go to university to study art.  Maia hugged them goodbye before they moved out; as always she was a little sad to see them go, but she was happy they were happy. And they, like all her other children, were only a phone call or an email away. 

And although her children would all eventually move away and she might not have her soulmate just yet, Maia had the enduring friendships of Isak and Shravan and now Joy; people who cared about her and could be a steady source of support in her life. And there was Diana, whose companionship made Maia feel less lonely too. Whenever she felt lost or confused, Maia felt certain she could turn to her friends and they would help her get by.

Author’s Note: What do I do when my love is away?
(Does it worry you to be alone?)
How do I feel by the end of the day?
(Are you sad because you're on your own?)

No, I get by with a little help from my friends...