Chapter 1.14: Larger Than Life

“Janie!!!”

A sound of glass breaking was heard all over the house.

“Awan mik! Mik! Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiik!!!!”

Gwen sighed. This morning has been a ruckus especially when Janie is breaking another glassware. This is the 3rd bowl this week.

“Okay Janie! Let me just help Josie first!” Gwen telling Janie, as she is gave Josie her cereal.

“Janie, eat first this cereal and then I will give you your milk. Daddy made that. You want daddy to be sad my angel?” Holden saying in a sing-song voice to calm down Janie.

Janie look irritated but decided to stay calm as her daddy gave her another bowl of cereals.

“Awant on Josie sittie!” Janie telling her daddy.

“Okay sweetheart.” As Henry scooped up Janie to change with Josie. Josie is just quiet about all of this.

Gwen just rolled her eyes with her daughter.

“They’re growing up to fast, Honey” Gwen said as she looked at her two little angels.

“I just wished I would still see the day that both of them will get married and have a family of their own” Holden suddenly looking sentimental.

Gwen looked worriedly at his husband. “Honey don’t worry you will see them with their children. We’ll be there.”

Holden smiled at her wife. “C’mon Honey let’s celebrate my birthday! Then later after school we’ll celebrate Lizzie’s”

With only the four of them to celebrate, Gwen got her guitar and sang him “Happy Birthday Song”. The twins giggled as they saw their father going to be an elder.

Holden was shocked by his elder outfit. He looks like a repairman. Gwen laughed at her husband and gave him a kiss.

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Later that afternoon, Lizzie had her birthday but doesn’t end well. Gwen collapsed and they had to take to her to the hospital. The doctor informed them that Gwen is tired and she had to rest especially for her baby.

“What mom is pregnant again?” Lizzie asked the doctor, shocked.

The doctor just smiled at Lizzie’s reaction.

This made Lizzie annoyed. Her dad talked to her to move her things again back to Henry’s room. They need her new room to be a nursery for the baby. She left the hospital without even telling her parents.

“Another baby? We are too many and now that baby also got my gift!” Lizzie thought angrily.

Lizzie went to Maywood Glen to celebrate the remaining hours that she is free and she wants to forget what happened at her birthday.

She challenged a local to a game of chess. The guy smiled at him interestingly. Lizzie, still feeling annoyed just ignored him.

It took them until evening. She won 5 out of 6 games, the guy beat her on the last game but she let him win because she is already tired. She stood up and said thank you to the guy.

“Hey, My n---“ the guy started.

But she already left. She’s so tired she wants to sleep.

Back at home. Gwen was released by the hospital. She feels so tired and she also feels like air was sucked out every time she breathes.

“Holden, I feel so sick and tired but I feel so bad with Lizzie. That’s her birthday gift that she’s been wanting, she wanted her own room for ages.” Gwen said sadly.

“We didn’t expect this. I know this would be hard especially for you. I see that your body is not taking it easy anymore. I’m sorry Honey. We should have been more careful expressing our love with each other” Holden replied sadly.

Then they just eat silently, no one dared to talk anymore. Then they heard the door slammed and they knew it was Lizzie. They looked sadly with each other, lost for words.

Gwen changed clothes and look at the mirror. She’s pregnant again and this time her body is failing her. This is her fourth pregnancy and she’s not getting younger anymore. She had to make a decision.

“I need to do that. I need to get my daughter to like me again and I need this also for myself. I hope it will be a safe pregnancy.” She started touching her belly and tears flowed out of her eyes. “Sorry baby. I love you and we want you, don’t feel betrayed.”

She felt a kick that made her smile. Her baby understands her.

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Meanwhile....

Everybody has a way to express themselves about Gwen’s pregnancy. Holden is busy taking care of the twins. Gwen is practicing her speech in front of the mirror. Lizzie is at Maywood Glen Park challenging someone over a game of chess again, a way to release her anger with her parents.

And Henry…

He took his guitar and let all out his sadness, frustration and stress with every pluck of his fingers on the strings of the guitar. Closing his eyes letting the music took him over.

But he heard another sweet tune synchronizing with his music. When he opened his eyes he saw her mom jamming with him. He smiled.

“Let’s do it mom. Let’s go rock n’ roll!” Henry excitedly told her mom.

Then suddenly…

Gwen dropped her guitar…

“Mom?” a worried look spread on the face of Henry.

“Call your dad. It’s time” Gwen told her son.

Will Gwen be safe in this last delivery and what is the hard decision that she’s deeply thinking? Will Lizzie’s relationship with her parents suddenly turned around and what’s in store for Holden? Will he live long and see her children get married and have a family of their own? See you on the next chapter guys!

<<< Chapter 1.13

Chapter 1. 13: Bad Day

“FIRE!!!”

“HELP! PLEASE!”

“CALL A FIREMAN! OH MY GOD!”

Panic voices can be heard at the Wozny household! The whole family is trying to stop the fire. Gwen having the brave trait grab a fire extinguisher and Henry also grab one. They try to subdue the fire that is trying wreak havoc on their living room.

For almost 30 minutes the fire blaze. It burnt to ashes their new sofa. Holden has also grabbed an extinguisher to help his son and wife to put out the fire. Neighbors had called the fireman, which are too late to help them.

“OH MY GOD! I’m burning!!!” Gwen shrieked.

Holden hold the nozzle of the fire extinguisher and direct it to Gwen. He had to save his wife!

Gwen was saved, but it left her with burns all over the body.

After that Holden had to bring her to the hospital to check out on her burns. Gwen is not seriously injured but it would take a while for her burns to be healed. The doctor advised that she stayed for the night for observation. Holden went home to tend the gifts while Henry offered to stay to watch over his mom for the rest of the night.

Holden stayed up all night to clean the burnt couch. He calls every 4 hours to check on Gwen’s condition. Gwen had to turn off her cellphone to stop Holden from calling her.

Around 6:30 am. He decided to cook breakfast for Lizzie, as she was going to school.

“Oh!I’m feeling woozy….”

Then Holden fell on the floor due to exhaustion. Lizzie is sitting in the dining room saw her father on the floor. She ran to him. Trembling, as she approached her father. He snored loudly. Lizzie snickered. She went upstairs and got a pillow and blanket for his dad.

Lizzie decided to cook breakfast for herself while her dad is taking a nap, at the floor. She decided to cook her favorite blueberry muffin.

“Princess, I’m sorry”

Lizzie looked around and she saw her dad already up.

“It’s okay Daddy. I know you’re tired. C’mon let’s eat. I cooked blueberry muffin for us.” Lizzie happily said.

Lizzie talked about the fire last night. Holden is just staring on the wall while her daughter talked about it. He’s thinking deeply about what could have happened, he almost lost her wife and this house.

Holden called the baby sitter to watch over the twins. Then accompany Lizzie to school and directly went to the hospital. Gwen is already released and they decided to go home to rest for the day.

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The day after the fiery encounter with fire, this day doesn’t go too well also for the Wozny household.

While Gwen resting, Holden is watching tv and sitting in their new couch, same style with the previous burnt couch, the t.v was broken.

“Aaarrrrrgghhh” Holden shouted with disbelief. He’s anxiety level shoot up with all the stressful events that have happened. Lizzie tried her best to calm down her dad.

“I’m really sorry princess, daddy is just really stress with these stuff” Holden apologizing.

“It’s okay daddy. We’ll be okay!” Lizzie smiled and kissed her dad at the cheek. “I’ll be doing my homework, you want me to help you?”

“No, it will be fine princess. This will be just very fast” Holden assuring his daughter.

Henry is trying his best to be a best brother, but right now Janie’s cry is really irritating him. He’s just lucky that Josie is still not awake and having a duet with her.

He picked up Janie and gave her a bottle of milk to drink. Janie stops for a while and drinks her milk.

“Yenk yu!” Janie said to her big brother.

Henry patted her head and looked at the window. He still remembers the argument he had awhile ago with Raven, his bestfriend.

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“I need you. Where have you been?” Henry shouted at Raven.

“I’m just with the Curries, why are you suddenly at rage with me? You called me and meet me here to just shout at me?” Raven replied, looking at me with shocked eyes.

“So you’re with the family of the vampires! While you’re happily hanging out with those blood drinkers, my mom almost lost her life!” Tears are starting form in my eyes.

“Wha?” Raven startled with what I said to her.

“I need my best buddy and you just left me hanging. Go and hang out with monkey-looking blood drinkers.” After saying that I left her without looking back.

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“Henry..”

I saw my mom knocking at the door. She set me back to the real world with that knock.

“Hey mom. What is it?” I asked her.

“We’ll go the park to rest. Let’s go refresh ourselves.”

“Okay.” I shuddered while thinking ogf going outside. I’m not into going outside. I just like to be here or just inside of a place. Outside is a dangerous place. But I know my family needs to be together especially in a time like this.

The Wozny family decided to go to the park and rest. Whatever happened last night is a challenge that would make their family stronger. Holden looked at his family. He never imagined it would get big like this and it’s a blessing for him. He would do everything to keep them together and be with them. The fire just made him be reminded that everything in life is a blessing. He would continue to be strong especially in the days ahead.

“Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” Ralph Waldo Emerson (Poet)

Looking for the new tomorrow for the Wozny family! See you next chapter!




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