The Monroe Legacy - G.2. Chapter 22 - After the Storm

After the drama of the last few months Hallie and her family focused inwards, closing ranks to protect the people they loved the most. Cai decided that he wouldn't sign up any more Violet books after the five he was contracted for, the story had reached a natural end and so had his patience with the celebrity attached.

With the royalties and film rights from the existing books the Monroe's would live comfortably for the rest of their lives and be able to set up their children with the traditional nest-egg for their futures. Hallie was still sculpting and selling her work, though increasingly she was fascinated by the circuitry of her more hi-tech pieces and spent a lot of time tinkering at her electrical work bench.

Almost a year after the Carson incident the whole family gathered at the house to celebrate Cai's delivery of the final book in the series Violet and the Deadly Marshmallows, and more pressingly Violet's thirteenth birthday. 

They threw a big pool party, grilled steaks and sausages and danced in the garden. Hallie felt the sun beat down on her and smiled, this was worth every painful moment her and Cai had endured, she hoped her own children would always be as close as she and her siblings were.

The grown-ups were milling about and reminiscing when Violet stomped into the kitchen pouting,

'Mom I wanna blow out my candles now!'

The plan had been to do the cake at the end but Hallie recognised the diva look in her daughter's eyes. They'd worked hard not to spoil Violet but today was her day and it wouldn't do any harm.

Within minutes the candles were lit and Violet was muttering her wish. Hallie felt tears in her eyes, her little one was so big now and soon she would have to think about choosing an heir. For Violet's gift they'd updated her little girls room into a teenage sanctuary and every time Hallie thought of the Princess bed that they'd now given to Belle's daughter Marie she felt a little bit teary.

Violet was in such a hurry that only her parents and Christopher made it in to see her grow up. Violet became a beautiful teenager with mischief in her big green eyes. As soon as she was done with her cake she slipped in to her bikini and slid on to a pool lounger. 

She caught her cousin Zander's exchange student staring at her as she lounged and felt a thrill run through her, she was going to own high school!

As the party wore in and the adults had a little more juice than perhaps they ought, Cai caught sight of his daughter flirting with a boy he didn't recognise. Resisting the urge to tell her to go and put some clothes on he sighed, she wouldn't come to any harm in her own back garden but he knew he was going to have his hands full once she started dating!

Speaking of handfuls, the triplets were growing fast and even with Cai not working it was a struggle to keep them all on the straight and narrow. As soon as Hallie turned her back to feed Saffron, Sienna would start fussing. Jet hated the potty chair, Saffron wouldn't eat any vegetables and Sienna just wanted to be cuddled all the time!

The few moments they did get to themselves were never wasted, Hallie and Cai knew how easy if could be to drift apart when life was busy and they worked to make time for one another, stealing kisses, watching the stars and getting less sleep than was probably sensible!

If Violet hadn't helped out around the place then they probably would never have taught the triplets everything they needed to know, for all her teenage moods she was a devoted big sister.

Gray was a quiet boy and Hallie often worried that he spent too much time alone in his room. He didn't seem to have any friends and spent all his time reading and doing homework. She had asked him if he wanted to have anyone over but he'd mumbled something about needing to focus on school. For all the extra work he put in his grades were fairly average.

Violet was good with him, the pair spent hours playing games, Violet preferred video games but. Gray sometimes persuaded his sister to let him thrash her at chess! 

On a rare evening when everyone was at home Hallie gathered the whole family in the studio where she'd dragged the big sofa. She was determined to get a big family portrait that she could use on the Christmas card this year. After several false starts and with Cai pinning Saffron to his lap so she couldn't run off again she finally got the shot. Violet was posing with her best "this is soooo lame" teenager face, Gray looked happy, Saffron was shrieking with laughter, Sienna was clutching her daddy's leg and Jet was gazing into the distance.

It wasn't a model family catalogue shot, it was better, showing them all as they really were, imperfect but happy.

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See the triplets grow up in Chapter 22 - Letting Go