Jace and Solveig tied the knot in a quiet, private ceremony and became Mr and Mrs Bhalli.
Duncan was still working a lot of nights due to his recent promotions towards dance stardom so he grabbed time with his son whenever he could. He wasn't all that fussed about getting famous or anything like that anyway. Sure, it was great to get paid for something he enjoyed doing anyway, but playing with Gabriel was better!
Jace and Solveig wasted no time trying for a baby, which frequently left them exhausted. Solveig was much more nervous about the concept of parenthood than Jace, though. She wasn't sure she'd be much of a natural mother, and she didn't know how she'd cope once Alima moved out. Alima reassured her that she wouldn't be leaving for a while and once she did Solveig could call her whenever.
Eventually, after a lot of trying, Solveig became pregnant. She was still in a mixed mind about it - she resented having to take time off work and the back-aches that came from lugging a baby around inside her, but Jace was ready to give her backrubs whenever she asked, and she really did want a family with him. It was just all happening a bit quickly.
Jace and Petal may have had lives of their own now but they were still twins and kept in touch whenever they both had a free moment.
"I think Sol's going kind of crazy, can you talk to her? You know, woman to woman?"
Petal snorted. "Hey, don't bring me into this. I'm going to be just as bad as her in a few months."
"You mean - "
"You're going to be an uncle!"
Gabriel started school. He was an excitable, joyful, personable sort of a kid, and he adored having a "cool" big brother. Jace didn't want to disabuse him of the notion - Jace had never been cool for even a moment in his life, but it was nice that Gabriel always wanted to talk to him about the latest video games and all the things kids on the playground were into these days.
Alima was having a whale of a time. It had been so long since Jace and Petal were this age and Alima felt so young and energised whenever she and Gabriel danced around the kitchen. It was like the first time all over again, but with the benefit of experience. For his part, Gabriel really did love dancing around like a loon.
But his true love, hobby-wise, was painting. He'd inherited his parents' need to be creative but expressed it very differently - sure, he enjoyed dancing with his mother and listening to his father play guitar, but the easel was always calling him...
Duncan and Alima had never intended to stay in that house forever; it was Jace and Solveig's home now, for them to fill with children. Duncan and Alima found a duplex for rent and moved out. Gabriel was the last one to go to the taxi. He loved his big brother to bits and wasn't entirely sure about a new house. What if it was haunted?! He'd heard stories.
As the taxi drove off, Solveig grabbed Jace's hands.
"I don't know how I'm going to cope! I mean, I'm as big as a house now, and when the baby comes I'll have no idea what to do, and - "
"It's going to be fine."
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