Cherry

Cherry Vijayaker is 41, Talin Vijayaker is 33, David Beare is 13

May 2030

Cherry was rapidly coming to realize that pregnancy in your 40’s is nothing like pregnancy in your teens or 20’s.

Or maybe it was and she honestly couldn’t remember back that far. 

Or maybe it was just the environment. Richmond was never this hot. Normally she loved the climate and the lifestyle on Twikki Island...

Discomfort aside, however, she wouldn’t change things. After all, this was a baby she never thought she and Talin would ever have. She’d said she couldn’t have another child until she repaired her relationship with her four children from her first marriage, and she didn’t know if that would ever happen.

All that had changed a few years ago, when her son David had travelled from Richmond into the city because he’d heard that she was having Christmas dinner with her parents there. David had lived here on the island with them almost ever since.

Through David, she got back in touch with her daughters, too. Autumn and her partner Jay had visited every summer since, and they’d brought Alana with them once, too.

It had been a bit harder with Thomas. He was one of the eldest and, like Autumn, he had the most memories of Cherry - and of her leaving. She could understand why he wanted nothing to do with her now.

Which is why it was all the more special when, a couple of years ago, Cherry and Talin were married in front of all her children.

She didn’t know what had changed Thomas’ mind.

He’d just said something vague about a conversation with a friend. It didn’t matter. He was willing to give her a second chance, and that was all she cared about.

It would be nice to say it was all plain sailing from there, but it wasn’t, of course. She had to get to know Thomas all over again. And, while that was still happening, Alana had provided a bit of drama of her own. And just when that was over, Cherry had unexpectedly become pregnant. 

Along with the heat and morning sickness, she also had home renovations to deal with, as their house had only two bedrooms.

Moving was out of the question - this house was perfect in every other way. It was close enough to the tourist town of Sunlit Tides to be convenient for Talin's job with a tour guide, and far enough away for them to feel like they have the island almost to themselves.

They ended up dividing off part of the upstairs living room to make a bigger bedroom for David.

His old room became the nursery.

David needed a bigger room anyway, now that he was a teenager. 

He still loved living here. The pirate ship cafe probably didn’t hold the same magic it had when he was eight, but it seemed that the beach still did.

For a variety of reasons...

He’d developed a particular love of horses and riding, and spent a lot of his spare time at the stables and riding school.

More than anything he wanted his own horse.

In honesty, Cherry could probably afford to buy and keep a horse - her job as a lawyer paid well enough - but she wanted to be sure he was serious about this.

They made a deal that if he still felt the same when he was 15, they’d look at getting a horse.

He wasn't exactly happy with this plan, but he knew there was no point in arguing about it. He just hoped the time would pass quickly.

Cherry didn't. After all, her youngest was in high school now.

There was no university on the island. Before too long he'd have to leave.

At least she'd still have this new little one here with her.

This baby would be the youngest of five, but in many ways it would grow up like an only child. 

Cherry and Talin had already penciled in the dates to travel to Richmond, as soon as their only child would be old enough to travel and meet their large and complicated extended family.

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Thomas' conversation with a friend (scroll down the post to find it). Took a while (!) but I always imagined it would change his mind in time for the wedding.

One of the problems of picking up the story again is that a lot of the events took place when I had thought I wouldn't be blogging again, so there aren't many pictures. I suppose I could replay Talin and Cherry's wedding and pose a lot of pictures, but I decided not to in keeping with my plan to not over-complicate things this time around. 

Then I tried to make up in this post by filling it with just about every other picture I have of them on the island, but my new 'Twikki Island' world is so beautiful! It's Sunlit Tides from the Store, and I fell in love with it when I sent another family on a vacation there. For the sake of my story, Sunlit Tides is the town and main tourist area on Twikki Island.