Megan Snowdrop watched her daughter rush through her relationship with her new boyfriend, Has To Be, coming home exhilaratedly drunk on love and shortsightedness.
She'd advised and screamed, pressed Kholwa for logic but the newly divorced woman was adamant. Megan had once met Has To Be in the house, dancing the waltz with a laughing Kholwa.
At that time, the boys were with their father and Megan dreaded the day Kholwa would announce she'd be marrying Has To Be.
Two months into the relationship, Has To Be asked Megan for Kholwa's hand in marriage with the presence of a rose-coloured Kholwa.
Meeting in a cozy, bright restaurant on ship, Megan Snowdrop furtively peeked between her daughter and this man she barely knew anything about.
By her long pause of logical hesitation and Kholwa's stump-like sturdy frustration, Megan without a doubt was certain Kholwa would get married to the man anyways.
Desiring to still be a part of her problematic child's life, Megan Snowdrop agreed. The year of the marriage saw to Mazus, her fourth grandson to the annoyance of Carson refusing to allow his children live with Kholwa's new husband.
Choosing between Has To Be who for now seemed stable, her daughter being able to live with her children and a man who did nothing for his children,
Megan threatened Carson that if he took Kholwa to court with the intention of getting full custody of the boys, she'd unleash hell on his nasty poor parents.
Prideful but filial, Carson reluctantly let the issue drop. Megan Snowdrop was there for her excellently fertile 28 year old daughter who'd just given birth to son no.5, second son of Has To Be.
She was also there for her daughter when she divorced Has To Be, dated Nathan Collins but after only three months lamented on how he rejected her marriage proposal.
Megan Snowdrop had to blame herself. However, she blamed Aiden, Kholwa's father more. Having Kholwa grow up in a loveless, bitter marriage had her frolicking in search of a perfect, loving home.
Megan beseeched Kholwa to stop but that woman saw her own Mother as her enemy.
They fought about everything. Her childhood, her early marriage to Carson, early marriage to Has To Be, wanting to marry Nathan Collins early, distancing herself from Barbie Facial because of her stupid marital decisions, continuously asking for money.
The only thing they didn't argue about was the boys. Inasmuch as Kholwa pranced from left to right, the boys weren't a mistake.
Unlike Wildflower who saw nothing in therapy, Kholwa was energetically against it, citing how there was absolutely nothing wrong with her.
Pregnant again. Kholwa sure wanted to crowd herself with children. Megan smiled at a petulant 10 year old Chrysanthemum, an annoyed 9 year old Daffodil and a bubbly 3 year old Mazus welcoming baby Ranunculus.
Glanced over at an unbothered Clematis, headphones on listening to music, the big boss with a major dislike for his mother's marriages and children.
Year of the marriage, African Lily, another boy was born weeks after the beautiful, beach themed wedding. Megan wanting to be a strong shoulder for Kholwa, encouraged Clematis to be good during his Mom's marriage to Nathan Collins but the 11 year old just shrugged.
"It doesn't matter. Mommy would soon make the man go away."
Such a melancholy thing to hear.
* * * * *
The twins start to a secondary school, a seven year old Ranunculus attending a primary school saw the death of Kholwa Snowdrop's mother and Nathan confessing to cheating after three wonderful years of marriage.
For some reason, Kholwa was easily glad her mother wasn't around to see her sullenly divorce Nathan Collins. Or how she fought horribly with Clematis for beating his younger brother for the petty reason of Mazus mistakenly stepped on his toe.
"You never see anything wrong with Mazus. Or even Ranunculus. You love him more than any of us!"
"What's that supposed to mean? You beat your brother. Just because he's seven years younger than you gives you no right to hit your brother!"
Clematis spat at Mazus toe. "The bastard is no brother of mine," then stormed off followed by faithful Chrysanthemum, Daffodil and a crying Ranunculus.
Preoccupied with another man, co-planning their wedding for spring next year, her seventh pregnancy, a two year old African Lily, an upset Ranunculus and a weeping eight years old Mazus, Kholwa secretly gifted Clematis two thousand CAD, shocked greatly that she was bribing her child to get along with his brother.
Wrong parenting but she was tired. Taking care of six boys and a strenuous job now that she'd been promoted, all she wanted to do was sleep for a decade.
* * * * *
Proud in her wedding dress, Kholwa fought the urge to ruffle her boys' hair by how redheaded handsome, lean and tall they were.
Aside from a scowling sixteen year old Clematis, an aloof Chrysanthemum waiting on an uninvited Barbie Facial and a ticked off Daffodil, Kholwa's full heart found Nicolas Thomas and a chubby, sleeping Petal napping in his father's arms.
Unlike her pale sons, Petal was basically a carbon copy of his father's dark-skin framed by obsidian cherry-sized eyes; still a baby but an oblivious heart breaker.
Vows exchanged before attentive guests, Kholwa's steady heartbeats had never been this calm during any of her wedding.
Sure, she'd swooned over Has To Be while also astonied that out of anyone in this world he chose her but with Nicolas Thomas, it was different. Everything was different with him.
From the way his circle-shaped head tilted back erupting in one of his booming laughters or how patient but firm he was with her riff-raff sons, Kholwa absolutely saw no problem in marrying Nicolas.
Getting ahead of herself as usual, Kholwa without a ray of misgivings declared Nicolas Thomas the love of her life.
The bride and groom had a problem on their hands when a fifteen year old tearful Daffodil made a commotion before the exchange of rings, blaring his innermost opposition to this marriage.
"I don't want another step-Dad or step-brother or another fucking wedding!" defiantly, Daffodil swiped his hand in the air trembling with unchecked venom.
"Daffodil..."
"This marriage wouldn't last. It never does! So instead of putting us all through misery, end it now!"
A snickering Clematis shamelessly hid his glee behind a hand. Relaxed and cross-legged, this was the most genial Kholwa had seen him.
Saddened that none of her children prayed for her happiness, Kholwa ignored the shock and awkwardness of guests and priest for bride and groom to attend to a gasping, choking, desperate Daffodil as a serene, united front.
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