Ocean Wise-Owl Chapter ten

The good thing about staying at my parents is they had my sketching table again, it reawakened my love for sketching and architecture. I can't believe I let this passion go, in the first few days I stayed glued to the thing producing sketch after sketch. After three days though mum decided it was time to discuss what was going on at home.

"So what do you want?"

"I want my children to stop being in trouble and to stop fighting"

"How do you think you'll do that?"

"Move out of the city I guess"

Mum nodded and then shook her head, now I was confused was this idea good or bad?

"But Ocean would you give up your job, the job you love to move out of the city you love"

"I-I guess I'll have to...wouldn't I?"

"I guess so, but what would you do instead there isn't a demand for your skills out of the city"

"I...Oh mum I don't know!"

I was now even more torn then before, of course I would leave the city and quit my job for my children's sake but what would I do instead to support them.

The next morning I began going through my E-Mails doing contacting business contacts when a message caught my eye, it was from one of my University friends. They were letting me know that a big architecture firm was expanding and was now looking to add and re-vamp buildings near and in an old farming village and how she couldn't believe they were doing it. I had to check this out and he was correct and soon an application form was on my screen. 

This could be it, my chance to get a job and be in the country away from the city. My fingers couldn't fill the form in fast enough, when I pressed send I found myself bursting with a smile. I then told my parents and said good-bye and got on the road to get home to my family. I got home and Flynn was still sleeping, I pulled him out of bed and lead him to the kitchen.

"Let me get this straight, you want to move to this little village in the middle of nowhere to get a job in architecture"

"That's right what do you think?"

"Where would we live?"

Another flaw in the plan but I looked down at the laptop and realised there was away around it.

I typed away and in a matter of seconds I had up a property that looked too good to be true, I read it over three times and then read it out loud:-

"A local farming family converted the upstairs of a barn to have more room for there children, now all but one child has moved out they are renting out the converted barn as a flat, newly updated with a kitchen and dinning area and a well-sized bathroom" 

I finished reading and Flynn got up, got dressed and began walking out the door, I stood up was he leaving me? Did he think this idea was stupid?

"Where are you going ?"

"To the real estate agents, to put this place on sale and to ask about that place"

I ran up to him and kissed him, I felt like a school child.

The children were less thrilled.

"You can't be serious, your taking us out of the city"

"Avery come on it will be fine"

Lila who sat on the top bunk now spoke up,

"What's in it for us?"

I looked up at her,

"Well you two won;t have to share a room anymore"

"Really! Did you hear that Avery?"

"Yes I heard Lila, Dad you can't take us out the city we were born and raised here it runs in are veins"

"Son we are moving so try to be happy about it"

They started arguing again, in the end Flynn walked out saying he needed to get some air. Avery shrugged and fell on to his bed, leaving me to sort things out.

Lila made her way down the steps,

"Come on Av, it might actually be ok?"

"Your sisters right you might as well give it ago, you have nothing to lose this place is already sold"

"Yeah and I need my partner in crime because I'm going brother"

No word made me happier then his next one,

"Fine"

Ocean Wise-Owl Chapter nine

Ahh the good old work desk, how I loved escaping to my office everyday. Nowadays I even make an excuse to come here on weekdays, or I take meetings to fill up the time. Now I love my family and Flynn is still the love of my life, it's just the children have become nightmares.

Avery had hit the troublesome teenage years and Lila was in that middle point wanting to be both a child and an adult at the same time creating stressful results. They argued like cat and dog, about everything and anything, from what time was the right time to get up (Lila said eight in the morning and Avery said two in the afternoon) to should Avery really go out with bed hair all the time (Avery said yes it's cool and Lila said no it's not cool). 

Then we got involved either because we couldn't stand the shouting or we needed to tell them off for something or sometimes both! Lila still got upset when she was told off and was quiet sensitive, Avery on the other hand didn't really care and argued about the punishment and how it wasn't fair. So home wasn't so great now, the children are driving me insane!

"Things still bad Ocean?"

"What do you think! I don't know what I'm going to do Mel"

"I guess this is a bad time to say both of their school's phoned, they want you to collect them"

Oh great, I forgot that there home time behaviour was worse or the same at school. This meant detentions, suspensions and bad grades came freely from my kids, not what I wanted at all.

"Come on mum, he had it coming!"

Avery was sent home for fighting, again. He also defaced school property, again. This meant he was expelled from school, his second school I should add. But according to him it didn't matter because he got an invite to a party and impressed a girl, to bad he is grounded for a month.

"Sorry mum"

Lila, oh her cute face and green eyes couldn't get her out of this one. Disrupting class, stealing and bulling, I can't believe it. She is also expelled, this will sound bad but I think at least this is only her first expulsion.  

I sent them to their room and stomped into mine, Avery slipped in behind me and wrapped his arms around me and planted kisses in my hair. I crossed my arms and told myself not to explode with anger or burst down with tears. I looked at the photo of the city we lived in that hung on the wall,

"You know I used to laugh when people said the city isn't a good place to raise children, I thought the city was as good a place as anywhere and I love the city too much to see the bad points"

I turned away from Avery and I felt sad, but what I was about to say felt true as well.

"Maybe those people were right, maybe the city life has made our children like this"

"Ocean, were city folk and they are city kids they won't adapt to anything else"

In my heart I knew that was right, our home was here in the bustling grime of the heart of the city. Yet, I something told me, maybe women's intuition, that I was right to think about leaving the city behind me.

The next morning I went to work but I felt the same as yesterday and couldn't bare it anymore so I burrowed Mel's old car and headed out of the city to see my parents, I rarely saw them now. I left for the city as soon as I left school and didn't regret it, mum and dad always came to see us or we met in the middle at a park or cafe. Now something felt right about driving to see them, I haven't been here since my almost-wedding.

I found mum in the local gardens, as soon as she saw be she knew something was wrong. My mum seemed to know things before I told her and always knew what to do, I hope to be like her one day.

"What's wrong baby?"

"Mum I don't know what to do!"

I broke down right there sobbing my heart out, clinging on to my mum for support.

"Ocean! Ocean! Are you ok? Where are you? I was worried sick!"

Maybe taking off without telling anyone was not a good idea, Avery was now having a panic attack on the phone. I apologised and told him but he still seemed a bit annoyed, I told him I'll come back in a few days once I know what to do.

I walked to the spot where my almost-wedding took place, my mum loves the ocean and said it told her what to do. Although I'm named after it I never had the same feelings towards the ocean, now though I'm hoping it will give me some answers.

Ocean Wise-Owl Chapter eight

"Happy 6th birthday mate, sorry it's a bit late"

"Thank you Aunt Mel!"

Here I thought he had finally calmed down after his birthday last weekend and now Mel comes and gets him excited again. She was on holiday during his birthday and when she phoned me after she got back she warned me she wanted to hear every detail.

Leaving the breakfast dishes on the side Flynn and I began laughing over Avery's excitement,

"Come on then we better get it over with"

I then remembered and put my hand out to stop him from walking out,

"Wait Flynn I need to tell you something"

"What is it?"

It was as though it was that fateful day six years ago, when I first had something to tell him. That's right I'm pregnant again, at least this time I know what will happen and can be more prepared. I told him and he groaned,

"I guess we better tell Avery"

Damn!

Telling Avery felt more scary that telling Flynn,

"Listen Avery, how would you feel about becoming a big brother"?

Turns out he was really happy about the idea, when I decided to work from home instead of going to the office nearly everyday. So when I was doing online meetings or writing e-mails, Avery would keep me entertained with his make-believe games.

But he was also a bit of a trouble-maker and got more and more interested in pranks and practical jokes, which often got him into trouble with both his parents and his school. Phone calls, detentions, time-outs and behaviour sheets were used constantly. It wasn't that he was mean or cruel he just took jokes too far.

The one thing about this pregnancy that was different was that mum phoned four times a day, which was getting to be rather annoying.

"let me guess Earth again?"

"Shut up Flynn"

I understood why he got annoyed, I did as well but my mum is only calling because she cares.

It was the big game, I usually have an early night when the football is on but as the due date neared the restlessness began and it was hard for me to sleep. So I nestled close to Flynn and tried to be interested in what was going on, which was hard as I found it to be the most boring thing ever!

Then it was touchdown, Flynn jumped up and cheered and did a stupid victory dance. I jumped up to but in agony as I went into labour and Flynn's victory dance turned into a panic dance. Guess who he phone though, not a ambulance, not the emergency services. He phoned my mum, the women who he was annoyed at for phoning all the time, he phoned to help him.

So meet our daughter, Lila Wise-Owl. She looks a lot like Avery and Flynn apart from her green eyes that are defiantly mine and I take all credit for them.

Ocean Wise-Owl Chapter seven

N.B- decided to put song lyrics to the wedding pictures just because I didn't think my writing would do this moment justice. The song is Miles by CHRISTINA PERRI and a link to the song is here:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oTTooOqugk

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I’m scared today, more than I told you I was yesterday
Give me a moment to catch my breath
And hold me every second left 

Proud of me, that’s the only way I want you to be
Look at me and love what you see
I won’t make it alone, I need something to hold 

Kiss me on my shoulder, and tell me it’s not over
I promise to always come home to you

Remind me that I’m older to be brave, smart, sweet, and bolder
And don’t give up on what we’re trying to do
Don’t count the miles, count the “I love you”s

We made it out, and all the other people are asking how
This doesn’t even sound like truth to grow from a bruise
But one day we will realise how hard it was, how hard we tried
And how our hearts made it out alive 

Kiss me on my shoulder, and tell me it’s not over
I promise to always come home to you
Remind me that I’m older to be brave, smart, sweet, and bolder
And don’t give up on what we’re trying to do

Don’t count the miles, count the “I love you”s 

The alarm screamed telling me that I needed to get up, Avery thankfully went straight to sleep after the wedding. I snuggled down and forced my eyes shut even though we both knew I had to get up, Flynn mumbled and began shifting to get up. We were leaving to go to our honeymoon soon and all though we were all packed I had set the alarm earlier then needed just to be sure.

Avery would be staying at mum and dad's while we went on our honeymoon, I really didn't want to leave the little guy but I knew my parents would be just fine looking after him. Hugs, tickles, kisses and a few tears later and the suitcases and Avery were put in the car and we drove to my parents to drop my son off and then go to the airport.

The plane was delayed for so long I stopped counting, then the traffic to the hotel was massive and so by the time we got there the one thing we wanted to do was to slip in the relaxing hot tub and forget about the whole thing.

"Just think if we were at home we would be woken up right now by a screaming three year old"

"Is it wrong not to miss him?"

"I won't tell if you won't"