Chapter 9.11: Don't settle for any less

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From Gaia's diary

I think to be quite lucky, Petra is a truly adorable little girl and she doesn't cry very often. By this I don't mean it's easy, I'm still exhausted all the time, but I realize that it could be much harder than this.

Obviously, the first to show up and meet her were Tommy and Valentina, even if we're not really related they seem to be embracing the uncle and aunt role.

Valentina: Can I be called "Aunt Vale"?
Gaia: Sure!
Thomas: Be careful, by doing so we risk spoiling her beyond measure!

Tommy and Vale never talk about having children of their own, but the hints they leave between the lines often make me think they don't plan on having any. No big deal, even if Petra won't have any cousins ​​to play with I'm sure she'll have fun with her new uncle and aunt too.

A little while later, just as I was getting back to work, I met Diego (Vale's brother) again. Apparently, the bakery he works for is here in Evergreen Harbor, and now that he can travel using his new teleportation device, he can reach whatever place in the world he wants to go to without necessarily having to be away from home for weeks.

The first thing I did was show him a photo of Petra with his sister, which seemed to amuse him a lot.

Diego: AH AH AH! Vale will for sure teach her how to play video games as soon as she can hold a controller, are you sure?
Gaia: Well, I'm sure she would learn from the best teacher!

Diego is a really nice guy, and I think we've become friends by now. Right now I'm so busy and tired to struggle with such nebulous ideas, but I feel like I could have developed a huge crush on someone like him, when I was younger...

But enough chit-chat, dear diary, it's time to go pick up Petra from the nursery and go home together!

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As Petra grows up, she is also becoming more and more lively, it is now difficult to keep up with her. She always wants to play, run, climb on furniture, and explore everything around her. Sometimes it is a chore to keep up with her, but above all I would call it fun.

She has also already made friends with our rooster. You see, my dear diary? I told you he's a softie!

Given her eagerness to explore and try new things, I soon decided to take her to the mountains to play in the snow. In Evergreen Harbor it rarely snows anymore, but it's very easy to teleport to a place where snow is never lacking.

Petra: More, more!

I can't say which of the two had more fun, it was really a beautiful afternoon.

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Tommy and Vale often come to play with her, and sometimes Diego joins them too.

Tommy: (worried) Are you sure you're okay? You have strange spots all over!
Gaia: I think Petra got some disease from the other kids at the nursery and then passed it on to me, but don't worry, I'm not doing that bad!

Valentina: Next time we should ask Diego to bring us a cake, so you don't even have to cook!
Diego: (shrugging) Why not. But get ready for something you've never seen before!

Thomas: I'm really impressed, between work and the kid you can't stop for a second! Are you sure you don't want some help?
Gaia: Don't worry, that's fine! In fact, I was even starting to think that, well...

All past incomprehension aside, Tommy knew me well enough by now to know that he should expect the worst from a premise like that. In fact, he immediately asked me, very cautiously:

Thomas: Gaia, what do you have in mind this time?
Gaia: I was thinking that I would have liked to have a little sibling to play with, often as a child I felt so alone... And so, well, I think that for Petra it wouldn't be bad to have a little brother or sister, right? But if I really wanted another child, I shouldn't let too much time pass, don't you agree?
Valentina: Well... Yes, having a sibling isn't bad at all, but do you really think you can look after two small children, all alone?
Gaia: I feel like I still have enough energy, I really don't see why not!

My dear diary, at least you please stay on my side. Right now everyone around me is struggling to understand my choice even more than when I decided to have Petra, yet down deep I think this is the right thing to do for me. And then I'm not a weakling, I can keep up with two little kids and my job, in particular if I'm as motivated as I feel now.

So a few months later I found myself in the same clinic in New Sixam I had turned to the previous time, and shortly after I found myself pregnant again.

Thomas: For sure you're always adamant about what you say...
Gaia: I'll take it as a compliment.
Thomas: Sorry to ask, but your belly seems even bigger than last time, are you sure that—
Gaia: I saw the doctors just yesterday, they say we're as fit as a fiddle! So enough chit-chat, it's time to draw up some projects!

In those weeks we were working in one of the community areas in Evergreen Harbour's old mine, we recently installed some insect farms next to the carrots. This neighbourhood is now attracting many people who are concerned with environmental sustainability, and insects are among the most sustainable sources of protein known at the moment. So bringing these farms right here, to the community garden, seemed like the most obvious choice.

What I didn't expect, however, was that the first person to ask me about those houses would have been none other than…

Gaia: What, crickets? You're not thinking of using them as an ingredient in some cake, are you?
Diego: Actually, I was thinking of cookies. 
Gaia: Oh.

Diego: AH AH AH, you should see your face! I swear I have the recipe for some fantastic cookies in mind, no one would ever think there could be crickets in them! You see...

Of course, the comment was followed by a ten-minute explanation about crickets flour and their multiple uses.

The more time passes, the more curious I am about his famous bakery, what kind of cakes is he preparing? I need to get the address of the shop, I'd be really curious to check what's exposed at the window and to try something... But I certainly didn't have time to take care of it that day, I had to stop by the nursery to pick up Petra.

Gaia: You can take all the insects you want, that's why they're here!
Diego: Oh, great!
Gaia: I'd be really curious to ask you more about these cricket cookies, but I really have to run, Petra's waiting for me!
Diego: Oh, sure... See you next time, then.
Gaia: Bye!

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Petra: Woof, woof!
Gaia: Do you want to answer, Pixel? That was an impressive imitation!
Pixel: (puzzled) Woof?

Pixel has been worrying me a lot in those weeks, he seemed so tired… But the vet kept saying there wasn't much we could do, he was simply old.

Despite his steps turning more and more uncertain every day, he had always wanted to follow us every time he saw us leave the house together. One bad day, however…

Poor Pixel, even though I knew the day was coming, I can't believe he's passed away! I still remember him as that little ball of fur, and then as that big intelligent dog who was always with me since I lived in that new neighborhood. Maybe Petra is still too young to really realize what happened, but I'm sure she'll miss him a lot too…

Petra: Pixel, Pixel!
Gaia: (sad) I'm sorry, darling, but Pixel won't be coming back…

Petra: But why?
Gaia: Well…

So I took an old children's book, and I told her the story of an old dog and his travel to his forever home in the sky. It would have been much easier to sugarcoat it and tell her a lie, but like it or not, sooner or later she will have to learn to face this aspect of life too...

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Meanwhile, the weeks went by, and my belly grew more and more, making it difficult for me to move as I used to. Tommy wasn't entirely wrong a few months ago, I indeed was even bigger than during my first pregnancy, even though the doctor told me not to worry.

In those days, I found it difficult to follow the community area projects, so I preferred to focus on building small objects that I then sold from a stall.

I can't say I made a fortune from it, but I can't complain either.

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Also this time, labour started right when predicted. Unlike the first birth, however, this second time I decided to stay home and simply ask for the help of a midwife I met during the medical check-ups. For most people it's easier after the first kid after all, isn't it?

And that's how Alec and Nico were born. That's right, dear diary, twins, that's why I was so big and tired this time! I should have suspected it, especially considering that with some artificial insemination methods the chances of giving birth to twins are higher, but it still seems incredible to me that no doctor was able to warn me in advance!

Petra doesn't seem very enthusiastic about the news for now, but I'm sure that as soon as they are old enough to play with her she will change her mind. Or, at least, I hope so.

And so, a bit unexpectedly, I found myself with three small children to take care of. Both Alec and Nico cry much more often than Petra did at their age, it's really hard to manage to take care of everyone's needs. I literally ended up with more children than arms to hold them, as much as I like to think I'm an energetic person, even I am reaching the total exhaustion point... What if I had made a mistake in judgment, biting off more than I could chew?

It was past midnight, Petra was already asleep, I had just finished breastfeeding both twins and I was finally about to go to bed too (hopefully for a couple of hours). Of course, I didn't expect to hear the doorbell ring at that hour.

Driiiiiiiiiiin!

The twins had full bellies and didn't seem to care much about that noise, and also Petra was already snoring in her crib. I, on the other hand, found myself running down the stairs, wondering anxiously who it could be.

Of course it couldn't be a thief, they wouldn't have rung the bell, right? But what could have happened to make anyone decide to show up at that time in the night?

Before opening the door, I had already sifted through a considerable number of hypotheses about a possible explanation, each more unlikely than the previous one. None of my hypotheses, however, had come even close to the truth.

Gaia: (cautiously) Who is there? Did something happen?

I had never seen one in person, after all, they had all moved to Sixam a long time ago, hadn't they? Yet, what stood before me was, unmistakably, one of the robots elders used to talk about. I had no idea what to think, what the heck was going on?

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