Life was great. Sure, not every day was easy but Bella certainly looked forward to waking up each and every day. Some days it was to the familiar duet of the twins’ cries, and other days it was to the peaceful ambiance of the wildlife surrounding Ithemba. Bella felt grateful for every moment. She didn’t feel as if the girls kept her back - even if it had taken her longer than she expected to get back to work - but she rather felt as if they added more excitement to their days.
Bella and Nathan had just celebrated their second wedding anniversary. A candlelit dinner right at home, followed by a few hours of sleep before Eryn decided it was time to wake them. Perhaps it wasn’t the best anniversary celebration, but it was theirs. Perhaps when the girls were older, they would actually be able to get away for a night, enjoy some alone time, but for now they took any moment they had: a hug, a quick peck on the lips, an ‘I love you’, or even a moment just outside the borders of Ithemba while Belie watched over the girls during naptime. It was exciting, getting into the jeep and going beyond the gates. They’d heard from Ulwazi that there seemed to be a herd of elephants wandering closer than usual to their fences. It was the reason why so many repairs were needed, but as Nathan and Bella ventured out, they heard no elephant cries nor any footsteps. All seemed peaceful. They’d encountered some hyenas before, even some zebras, and one of their young lions had been rescued somewhere nearby in the past. This time however, just as Nathan and Bella were about to head back to Ithemba headquarters, a blur of grey darted in front of their van. Bella gasped. “Did you see that?” she exclaimed. She was already hopping out of the jeep before Nathan could fully stop. “Maybe he’s lost,” she was already running after the calf. “Come on Nathan! We gotta check this out.”
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A puppy! Gods it was like having another child in the house, but Tindo certainly brought even more joy to Ithemba. One day he would grow into quite a large dog; a guard dog of sorts. Perhaps another would would join. And another. Once Nathan had dreamt of having a small army of dogs hadn’t he? Playmates for the girls and protection for their home and livelihood. There was one thing Bella knew for sure, however: she was glad that she’d gone to school to study animal behaviour originally. It made the puppy-training process far more productive.
Tindo quickly learned the basic commands: sit, down, heel. He got along well with the girls. Sometimes, he even let them yank on his ear and tails, and each time Bella felt so sorry for him. Still, it was absolutely adorable. He would grow with the girls, much faster than them, but they already seemed to be growing so quickly. The twins were sitting up, trying to hold their own finger-foods, and the baby babbles were beyond adorable. Even now, as Bella got the twins into the carrier, each of them tied to her hip, Eryn was babbling happily, a constant, “bababababa.” Bella chuckled. “You’re excited to go visit daddy, huh?” Tindo was attached to his leash. Bella wasn’t quite ready to walk all the way across Ithemba with two baby girls strapped to body while a puppy ran off to gods knew where. He had to be reminded to stop tugging a few times, but at last, they made it to the cheetah Coalition. Tindo’s leash was tied nearby and Bella approached the fence that separated the cheetah’s habitat. Just as Bella was about to call out to Nathan, working with one of the cheetahs, Mya spotted her daddy. She beamed and squealed in excitement, alerting him immediately. Bella laughed and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry,” she said. “We wouldn’t resist. The girls want to see the cheetahs.” There were two baby boy pictures in Bella’s journal now. On the plane ride home, she kept staring at them. Not that long before the girls were born, Bella certainly wasn’t a fan of babies. Now look at her. Mya was cradled in her lap, fast asleep while Eryn slept on her daddy’s chest. “You’re not thinking of having another one are you?” came Nathan’s voice.
Bella looked at him as though he was crazy for a moment, but then she noticed the teasing sparkle in his eyes. “I think we’ve got our hands full enough, not to mention our furry babies.” She smiled and looked at the picture of Andrew again. There was something almost magical about newborn babies. Perhaps it was the raw innocence, or maybe it was just the whole miracle of childbirth. This adorable little boy came out of Ada’s body. Just as Anthony came from Isa, and Mya and Eryn from Bella. No matter how many times she thought of it, despite the science behind the entire phenomena of birth, Bella was amazed. Bella voiced her thoughts to Nathan. “They’re like magical little beings.” She smiled sheepishly, knowing she sounded quite crazy. “You know… I look at our girls, at Ada’s son, and Isa’s, and I can’t help but have so much hope for them. I know, personally, I’d never want our girls to go through the things we endured in the past. They’re born so… innocent. So vulnerable. So precious. Our princesses. And they have these two little princes to play with.. whenever they come to Ithemba of course.” She chuckled and closed her journal, slipping it under her thigh. “I guess I just never noticed how perfect babies are. Despite the poo and the puke.” “Not to mention the wailing morning, noon and night,” Nathan added with a smirk. “Definitely.” Bella chuckled. “Being able to see Anthony and Andrew, I guess it just gave me a fresh sense of gratitude for our own magical little beings.” The smile on Bella’s face couldn’t be any wider at the moment. She placed the photograph that had been taken only days ago, of Isa holding Eryn and Bella with Mya, in a page of the small scrapbook. Bella’s new nephew, Anthony, was such a cutie. The wisps of blond hair that covered his little head, those tiny little lips. He couldn’t be more perfect. Bella was proud of Isa. She’d done well. She’d achieved a dream that Bella knew she’d had for such a long time. Gabe looked incredibly happy as well. Bella knew that little guy already had his father wrapped around his little fingers.
“Anthony Kaden…” Bella kept repeating the name. She was honoured that her nephew’s middle name was derived from hers. Isa had always enjoyed calling Bella by her full name: Isabella Kaylee (néé Barthel). She was sure that little Tony will hear his entire name quite often too. ~~ Later that day, as Bella held Tony in her arms, she whispered many promises to him. “We might live continents apart, but I promise I’m going to spoil you even from the distance. When you’re old enough, make sure you nag your mummy and daddy to bring you to Ithemba, okay? I’m not sure if they’ll let you play with the lions and cheetahs, but… we’ll see, hmm? One thing I know for sure is that your Aunty Bella and Uncle Nathan love you very much. Your cousins Eryn and Mya don’t quite understand yet, but I’m sure they’ll love you too. They’ll probably drive you crazy someday.” She chuckled. “Until then… don’t drive your mum and dad too crazy okay?” Bella couldn’t remember feeling this self-conscious about herself. Had getting dressed ever been this difficult? Okay, it was a silly question. When she was pregnant with the twins, even Nathan’s shirts didn’t fit her huge bump. Now, however, her body felt so different. Her breasts were larger, her midsection not nearly as tight as it used to be. She’d brought a black, sleeveless dress for Rico and Ceci’s vow renewal ceremony, but she was having doubts. The dress fit snuggly around her breasts and drew attention to her tummy, nothing that a corset couldn’t handle, but gods she hated those things. Life was certainly different with the twins. They’d made it all the way to London with double the baby baggage, and they were pretty impressed with themselves. There had been a few difficult moments during the flight - some fussing from the girls - and some moments when they just didn’t seem happy being stuck on the plane. But in the end they’d made it and it hadn’t been as bad as they’d expected. As the girls slept soundly in their portable bassinet, Bella looked around the hotel room at all the other things they’d had to travel with. The maxi-cosies, stroller, carrier, clothes, the list went on and on. It wasn’t until they were packing back in Ithemba that reality had truly hit Bella. They could no longer make sudden trips across the world. All trips had to be planned meticulously. Like her outfits… Bella groaned in mild frustration and grabbed the corset from the bed. She held the corset between her knees to free her hands, and was just about to remove her top when she heard Nathan’s quiet voice. “You don’t have to do that.” Bella paused, her hands still on the hem of her top. “Well /that/ you can do. But no need to wear the corset. You look amazing.” A little smile budded on Bella’s lips. “Thanks,” she said a little half-heartedly. “No, I mean it.” He wrapped his arms around her from behind, a soft kiss pressed against her neck. “You look beautiful. Stunning.” Bella turned towards him and pecked his lips. “And you are the sweetest man on earth.” She smiled at him. She was about to say something more when Eryn’s fussing started to wake Mya as well. “Want to help me dress the girls up? They’ll be the girliest, pinkest things.” She made a face. “My mother and my sister will absolutely love it.” She chuckled and rolled her eyes as she got the outfits off the side table. “Don’t forget the cutest,” Nathan added. He lifted each of the girls out of the bassinet, cradling them against his strong chest. One of Bella’s favourite sights these days. “How about you get dressed and I’ll dress the girls. I think I can handle pink frills.” He chuckled. Bella grinned and placed the outfits on the bed. “Good luck. You know what a squirmer Eryn is.” Once again, though, Bella was impressed. In record time, she was dressed and the girls were a picture of pink perfection. “Perfect,” she said. “Yes, perfect.” She thought Nathan had just been agreeing with her, but she noticed he was smiling at her, admiration in his eyes… for her. Instantly, her heart melted.
“You never fail to make me feel like the most attractive woman in the world,” she said. “That’s because you are.” Ithemba returned to its former state. The Rosewell van Loons had returned to London, the Barthels were heading back to NY, and Ada and Stuart had already left. Isa and Gabe were still there to for just a while longer, but soon they'd leave too. Nathan checked on the animals a few times a day, but never for much longer than an hour. They were slowly getting into a rhythm of sorts with the twins. Daytime was easy compared night. It would be so much easier if the twins always slept at the same time and woke at the same time, but it was often one waking the other. By now, the girls were the same size and certainly identical. Had it not been for the slight differences in their personality and the bracelets around their wrists, Bella wasn’t sure she’d be able to tell them apart. “I can’t believe how much my family spoiled our girls,” Bella whispered to Nathan one night. Clothes galore, a double stroller, carrier, car seats. The only thing incomplete was the nursery, but for now, Nathan and Bella were happy with the hanging bassinet that had been given to them by Inyoni. The girls seemed to love their bassinet as well. The twins officially had their names. Mya Helena, their firstborn who carried the namesake of Nathan’s mother as her middle name. Then there was Eryn Makayla, heir surprise twin. Bella and Nathan loved the way the names went together. Just like their twins who seemed to have been so in sync in the womb that their heartbeats even sounded as one. “I have a feeling these two will be inseparable for a long time,” said Bella.
“No doubt,” Nathan replied. The sun was beginning to rise and soon another day would begin. As always, Eryn began her daily wail and Mya joined in. Bella always joked that they would start a singing career together. For now, they were happy as long as they had clean diapers, fresh clothes, and full bellies. Simple, right? If only… |
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December 2017
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