The Monroe Legacy - G,2. Chapter Twenty-Four - Let It Be

Days sped by and became weeks, weeks became months and months years. Hallie watched as her children grew-up, often remarking to Cai that this precious time seemed to go past twice as quickly as the long months of potty training and night feeds!

 Cai could only agree, he could see it not only in his family but in himself, his joints were that bit stiffer and his hair a little greyer. The grey hairs were partly Violet's fault! The source of her mysterious texts had finally been discovered one evening when Hallie and Cai had returned from a gallery opening to discover their eldest daughter making out with the babysitter. Gray was at a cooking camp and Violet herself "had plans" and had recommended an acquaintance as a sitter.

Chadd was a college student who had come in to give a careers talk and been disarmed by Violet's big-eyed charm. Poor Chadd had no idea that Violet's parents didn't know about him OR their secret babysitting date. Cai let the terrified young man go home after some not very subtle threats as to what might become him if he behaved inappropriately or hurt Violet.

Violet did not get off so easily, she was smart enough that the extra project they assigned was not an issue but she did not like the two month grounding that accompanied it. Her blog posts that month were angry and infrequent, she was only allowed her phone to take to school and back.

While Violet was staging the teen drama to end all dramas, Gray was planning for his future. He was in and out of the bookstore looking for recipes, whipping up delicious meals in his free time. Hallie soon gave up on cooking meals altogether and retreated to her work bench, leaving her talented son to do as he wished.

As pleased as his parents were that he had found his calling they still worried that Gray didn't have much of a social life. He hung out with his siblings and occasionally did a group study at school but never seemed to have a good friend let alone a girlfriend. Hallie even spoke to Violet about Gray, Violet assured her mom that her brother was popular enough in school but never seemed interested in pursuing any relationships, preferring his own company.

Jet was another who preferred to be alone though he claimed that Rocky was always with him. Hallie and Cai had learned to tune the Rocky chat out, confronting Jet only seemed to make him angry as he tried to explain that only he could see Rocky. They didn't mind him having an imaginary friend as long as it wasn't his only friend, Jet had made friends with a little girl called Raylee at Scouts and the two often had play dates together.

Sienna was still the perfect child. She would always do her homework without being asked, she had no desire to stay up late and she mostly too, care of herself. She was a sweet, easy-going child, much to Hallie's relief, she had her hands full with the other four.

Sienna's only real vice was her inability to ignore her provocative little sister.

Saffron loved to ruffle Sienna's feathers, hiding her ballet kit, putting fake spiders in her bed, anything to break through the calm exterior. The two competed at everything, video games, playground games and especially ballet. Whenever a recital cam round the two sisters would battle for the lead role, the teacher switching between the two of them as they were so evenly matched.

Hallie wondered if Saffron was a little jealous of her sister, Sienna seemed to glide through life while Saffron was always tripping herself up. She was so hot-headed that it took a brave soul to be her best friend, she could be relied upon to drop whatever she was asked to carry, to somehow break any machine and to sulk when it all went wrong.

When it went right Saffron was a marvel. She was genuinely gifted in drama, she could put a smile on the most miserable parent's face in the school play and she was fiercely loyal to those she loved. When she caught a group of boys teasing Sienna about her short hair at recess she locked them in the girl's bathroom where they weren't found until lunch!

By the time the triplets had finished with elementary school Hallie knew she needed to start thinking more seriously about choosing an heir, she was beginning to slow down, to want to spend her evenings reminiscing with Cai rather than chasing Saffron round the garden or bribing Jet to do his homework.

She hoped that now they were becoming teenagers they'd all begin to find their ways, decide what they wanted to be so that she could make her impossible choice.

Jet was a good-looking young man but he was so absent-minded, making random plans and never seeing them through. His latest idea was to start a horse livery and become an equestrian. Hallie wondered if it would last and whether her mother's legacy would be secure with him at the helm.

Sienna was a calm and collected teen, positive about everything she could make the best of any season or situation. Hallie knew that Sienna would succeed in life regardless of her choice, she would be a great heiress, a responsible choice but did she really need the opportunity as much as the others?

Saffron was as wild as she was beautiful, she was passionate in her love and hate of things, determined to become an actress and a complete loose cannon. Hallie hoped that she would burn bright and achieve her dream but she knew the path of an actress could as easily make her wilful daughter burn out.

Perhaps Violet, flirtatious, frivolous Violet who hid her big heart under a big show of not caring.

Or maybe hardworking Gray, would he even want the responsibility or would his single-minded focus not allow him to make the family his first priority.

As the last cake plate was cleared and the family began to make it's way up to bed, Hallie sighed.

However would she choose?

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