Chapter Twenty-Seven:

We begin chapter twenty-seven just hours after rocker chick Niki left her newborn daughters under the care of her cousin Petra and Petra's husband Ziggy and disappeared into the night.

 

 

 

Ziggy heard the taxi pull away from the house and rose to find Niki's heart-felt note under their bedroom door. He checked on the young twins Mia and Lexi, born mere hours before. He couldn't understand how Niki could leave her own daughters.

Petra wasn't as angry as her husband. Her nuturing nature took over and she persuaded Ziggy that they would care for the twins until Niki decided to return. It was her belief that Niki would indeed return. Her husband was less than optimistic. He worried about the added strain that two babies would add to his heavily pregnant wife.

The twins, in addition to her own young toddler Esmeralda, did keep Petra busy through the last few weeks of her pregnacy.

 But Petra wouldn't have it any other way. She did think about where Niki was now, after all Niki was not only her cousin, but her best friend. She just hoped that Niki was missing her daughters and her ghostly cousin.

Ziggy's worries over his wife continued to plague him. He saw how tired she was getting taking care of three young kids. He had half a mind to head out into the town to hunt down Niki and bring her back, but Petra calmed him down like only she could.

Ziggy loved his daughter. And when he wasn't at work, he spent as much time as he could with his ghostly little girl. She reminded him so much of Petra when she was young.

Petra had taken to napping on the couch when Ziggy would get home to watch the babies and Esmeralda.

It was during one such nap that she woke to the pains of labour. Immediately she called for her man.

Ziggy was in Esmeralda's room when he heard Petra's cries. He went rushing out to see if she was ok, his heart thumping.

Although Petra was the one giving birth, Ziggy was the one freaking out. Unlike last time they couldn't go rushing off to the hospital, what with Esmeralda, Mia and Lexi. So Petra did her best to keep her cries as quiet as she could, lest she scare the kids.

After a long night Petra gave birth to another ghostly baby. Her son, Felix Diehl.

Petra had tears in her eyes as she laid her little son down in his crib. She was so very happy to have two such beautiful little children to call her own, and at such a young age too. It felt like only yesterday that she and Ziggy had left high school.

Felix and Esmeralda shared a nursery.

There was no rest for the new mother, the twins still needed attention.

Mia and Lexi were growing every day and Petra was just as proud to be a part of their young lives. No word yet from Niki, but Petra was still optimistic.

The twins remained in the music garage, as Petra explained to her husband, they would be around the only place that Niki's presence still remained. The music posters, drum set, keyboard and guitar were gathering dust but they reflected Niki's love of music and Petra wanted the girls to feel their mother's passion around them.

The weeks began to fly past as Petra got used to raising four kids, all below school age.

Ziggy continued to work hard at the science lab. Now that there were six mouths to feed, he really did need the money.

In what felt like mere days, it was the twin's birthday. Petra was a little saddened when she didn't hear anything from Niki.

Mia had inherited her mother's blonde hair, and given that her father was unknown it looked like she had inherited his skin tone.

Lexi was the spitting image of her twin sister.

Ziggy loved the time he spent with his kids. Everytime he held their cold little bodies in his arms he felt his heart swell with love and happiness.

The twins remained in the old garage.

Their mother's old musical instruments remained untouched. Petra still had hope that her cousin would return to see her growing daughters. But she grew less and less optimistic as the days turned to months.

 Ziggy had never been optimistic about Niki returning, but he gave up telling his wife that. He just continued to do what he could to help Petra out when he was home from work.

Petra was feeling exhausted. Raising these kids was taking a lot out of our ghostly matriach. She began to feel a weird sensation. She would sometimes feel like she wanted to just fade away and rest, like the ghosts of a graveyard would when the sun rose.

Petra put this terrifying feeling out of her mind and decided not to tell her husband. After all, she was just tired. She felt better after more sleep.

And so more sleep she got.

And of course, some tender loving from her man.

Despite Ziggy's opinion of their mother, he loved the little twin's dearly and they loved him too. Their little faces would light up when they saw him.

It made life a little easier for Petra now that Mia and Lexi were a little older. They could entertain themselves giving her more time to rest and recuperate.

Soon it was Esmeralda's birthday.

 A quiet young child, Esmeralda looked more like her mother than ever.

It wasn't long before it was Felix's birthday too.

Felix looked like his sister. Ziggy was so proud of his little family. Little did he know it was about to get bigger.

Petra didn't have any warning signs this time, but she soon discovered she was expecting another baby.

 Meanwhile, Emeralda moved in to Niki's old room.

Petra took her little ghost daughter to the graveyard often. It was peaceful there, and they both treasured these afternoons. But as Petra's youngest baby grew more and more inside her, it got harder and harder for Petra to trek up the hill.

Petra and Ziggy talked about the education they wanted for their kids and in the end decided that boarding school would be an idea to go with. It broke Petra's heart just a little as she enrolled little Esmeralda in the best boarding school they could afford.

Meanwhile, the kids grew every day. Felix was a quiet little child, much like his big sister.

Mia and Lexi were more vocal then the ghostly Felix, and Ziggy loved keeping them entertained.

As the baby grew Petra begun thinking more about the twins. And Niki. Was her cousin ever going to come home?



Thanks for reading Chapter 27! Here's a preview of Chapter Twenty-Eight.

During an afternoon stroll through the park, Petra spies someone familiar across the courtyard. But can she catch up to her long lost cousin? Will Niki even talk to her old best friend?

 Ziggy's birthday brings more than the family bargained for. Feelings of restlessness begin to creep into Ziggy's quiet little life.

When Ziggy leaves work early one day and doens't tell his wife, where does he go? The decisions that Ziggy will make will change his family forever.