Bella had been doing her research. Not just on the things related to her studies, but on how to make this journey of returning to school a shorter one. For one, some of the classes she’d taken on the way to becoming a Veterinary Assistant could come in handy, and another advantage was in taking courses during the time when most parts of the world was on break for the summer season. Rather than take a break, as much as Bella wanted to take advantage of the chance to be with her family, Bella enrolled for a couple of courses. She would do the same when the rest of the world would be on winter break.
In the long run, it would enable her to graduate a little earlier than usual. It would turn her 3-4 years into 2-3 years, she hoped. For a long time, she pondered if it was the right decision. In 2-3 years, the twins will be around 6 years old. Would she be missing huge chunks of their lives? Would taking away time from them to study be the sign of a bad mother? It was that exact thought that made her leave school a day early. The trip was long and the sun was harsh, but driving for hours and hours on end was absolutely worth it. As she drove through the gates of Ithemba, she waved gratefully at Ulwazi. As she rolled down the windows, she heard him ask in his broken English “Are you not a day early?” “I am,” Bella replied. “Couldn’t stay away.” Ulwazi smiled. “Nathaniel and the girls are visiting the cubs.” “Thank you!” Bella drove towards the animal nursery and parked just outside of the building. Stepping out of the vehicle, she dusted off her clothes and fixed her hair. She at least wanted her girls to remember every one of her visits as one where she seemed happy and stress-free. As she stepped through the doors of the building, she immediately spotted the girls, both of them playing gleefully with one of the cubs. Needless to say, the cubs were no longer tiny and cute. Bella’s breath caught in her throat. She was afraid that if she made the wrong move, the girls would be hurt. Before she could back out, however, Mya spotted her and exclaimed. “Mummy!” Before Bella knew it, both girls AND a medium-sized feline were running towards her. For a moment, she feared that she’d be attacked by the young cat who didn’t know her as well as she did the others, but soon Bella was tacked to the ground and licked all over by the feline while the girls showered her with hugs and kisses. Bella’s heart was still hammering in her chest, but laughter bubbled out of her as well. “Okay, okay. I surrender!” It was quite a struggle to get the girls and the cub off her, and in fact Nathan had to intervene. She was lifted to her feet and the cat dashed off in search of her sister. The girls however, refused to release their arms from around Bella's legs. Nathan grinned. “That’s quite a welcome you got there,” he said. A kiss was placed against her lips. “You’re home early…” “Complaining?” Bella asked with a grin. “Not at all,” said Nathan. “I cherish every moment you’re home.”
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Somehow, Nathan had done wonders on the girls’ birthday cake while Bella drove kilometers and kilometers from the city into Ithemba. Normally, Bella would’ve been the one to bake the cake, but it was yet another thing the Dwyers had to adjust to as Bella worked steadfast at her studies. The twins were 3 today. Incredible. Rosa and Teun had flown halfway around the world to celebrate with them. They'd brought along these admittedly-cute, girly outfits for the sake of pictures. The day couldn’t go by without documenting the numerous memorable moments, the laughter, the smiles. Funny enough, one of the the pictures they'd ended up with, didn’t quite capture the girls’ happiness, but Bella found it adorable anyway. Bella was staring at the picture on her tablet when Nathan entered the bedroom. “You alright?” he asked her. “Yeah, just… I can’t believe that these two absolutely girly-dressed tiny humans belong to us.” She chuckled, well aware of how silly she sounded. Nathan smirked at her. “Those girly-dressed tiny humans are ready to watch Frozen. Teun and Rosa are with them, trying to stall.” He chuckled. “Oh!” Bella set the tablet down on the bed and stood up. “Then we better not keep our princesses waiting huh?” They left the bedroom, and as they headed towards the living room, they realised it was oddly quiet. “What’s--?” Bella wasn’t able to finish her sentence before Rosa shushed her and pointed to the couch. There, on their favourite blanket, the twins were cuddled up together, fast asleep. It was obvious that they hadn’t known just how tired they both were. Frozen would have to wait for another time, but the moment made it possible for one last birthday picture opportunity. It was during a biochemistry lab that Bella felt her pocket buzz. As her hands were full, it took her a moment to drag her phone out, but when she caught a glimpse of the text that Nathan had sent her, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from it. Bella burst out laughing before excusing herself from the lab. It was had not being there to capture every moment that happened at Ithemba. The birth of the newest cubs: Tinkerbell and Snow White. There was no doubt that the girls, Disney’s biggest fans, had named the cubs. Leaning against the wall of the university hallway, Bella texted Nathan back. You have to tell me the story of how in the world Eryn and Tinkerbell ended up napping in… bed? Just as Bella was about the put her phone back into her pocket, it began to ring. Bella glanced nervous at the time. The lab would be over in about ten minutes and she already felt like she was falling behind the rest of her classmates. Still, it was her hubby calling, so she answered. “Hey, love, I can’t talk for long.”
“That’s alright,” Nathan’s voice replied. “I just wanted to hear your voice. Call me back when you have the time, okay? The girls want to talk to mama.” Bella chuckled. “I’ll call you back in about fifteen minutes. I promise. Tell the girls that mama is going to kick but in her biochem lab. Okay, maybe not in those words.” She grinned. On the other line, Nathan chuckled as well. “Will do. Meanwhile, you go kick butt in your biochem lab. Love you. Can’t wait to see you.” “Just two more days… Love you too. Later!” Bella blew Nathan a kiss, tucked her phone back into her pocket and took a deep breath. Part of her wanted to just skip the lab and talk to her family, but she had to remind herself on her goal. It would all be worth it… one class at a time. With a smile on her face, Bella headed back into the lab, more confident than she’d been before. |
Isabella Kaylee DwyerWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2017
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