Varland Story - Chapter 12 - Zeline

Of course we're all in shock over losing Daddy.

I'm concerned about Mother. She's always been fragile and I'm afraid this could send her over the deep end altogether.

Anders is totally a rock. He's so kind to Mother, listening, comforting and always there for her.

This is a great relief to me. I can't always be there for her, much as I'd like to be, as I'm already stretched quite thin between a toddler and the lab.

Fortunately, Jiro is top drawer as a father as well as a husband.

As soon as Doogie added the M.D. to his name, he proposed to Elizabeth and they married immediately. I hope they have children immediately as well; it would be grand for Harald to have a playmate.

I saw my first live plant today! With the last promotion, I was granted access to the greenhouse and tasked with watering the seedlings. Given the scarcity of both seedlings and water, I'm honoured beyond belief!

I'm in a terrible quandary. I found Anders in Mother's room this morning. Far be it from me to dictate their morals, and farther be it from me to begrudge either of them any bit of happiness they can find, but, still, Heaven help us all if Hayley finds out!

She gets more difficult each day as it is. She's on board now about the importance of replanting, talking it up in her newspaper articles and acting like the whole project was her idea all along.

I admire her tremendously and her boosting the project in the newspaper is a good thing, since as soon as we have a robust lot of seedlings in the greenhouse, we'll be asking the citizens of Sunset Valley to transplant and nurture them. Is it hopelessly immature of me, then, to resent her telling everyone how she instilled the love of horticulture in me?

We can't seem to speak more than a few sentences to one another before the fur flies.

I apologize to her as necessary.

Mother and Anders are getting more flagrant with their affair. I'm so torn; is it truly none of my business and not my place to confront them, or is that merely a coward's rationale for avoiding an issue that could jeopardize our entire household?

I suppose I shall have to beg Mother to be a bit more discreet; I so do not look forward to that conversation!

Well, Mother and Hayley had a huge row this morning and we're all still here. It's probably too much to hope that the situation is resolved one way or the other. No one's saying what it was about, much less what was said to whom. Knowing Hayley, it could just as easily have been about whose turn it was to wash the dishes.