C a v e t e .

-

Ludo grinned at the instant recognition from the children. He loved all of his fans, of course he did, he wouldn’t have had such a successful career without them. But he always loved the children. The way their little faces lit up as they looked at him - it was adorable as fuck, and sometimes he regretted never bringing up the possibility of children with Rita. Probably better off that way, anyway, given the nature of their relationship. Kids didn’t need to grow up around that.

Pulling his attention away from the kids, he grinned at the woman and nodded, “Sure, sounds nice. Definitely sounds better than eating alone.” He chuckled, sliding into the seat next to her. “Nice to meet you too, Molly - please, call me Ludo, Mr. Bagman is my father.” He laughed again, looking back down to the menu. He was starving after a long day at the office. The food in the lunch room of the Ministry was absolute rubbish, the Leaky had a better selection.

“How old are your kids?” Ludo asked as he flagged down a waitress, genuinely curious, “And their names? Just so I make sure I get their names right on their autographs. Y'know, so when they rub it in your husbands face, they actually have proof.”

~

“Wait until we tell Uncle Sam!!” Bill seemed almost too excited to keep to his seat, making Molly pat his head to remind him they were still having dinner. Excitement would always be welcome, so long as it didn’t lead to their feet somehow making their way onto the table. Thankfully, that was only the case when they were home, and Molly was definitely counting her lucky stars that she wasn’t seeing them on her own table jumping about. 

The name Ludo seemed to make her brows furrow a bit. More so once Bill had mentioned Sam. ‘Huh...’ Molly tilted her head, thinking to herself idly, ‘Sam used to go on about a Ludo... He went on about a lot of guys, though.’ She shook the thought from her mind, offering a smile as she allowed for the wine to pour a welcoming glass for the newly acquainted stranger. 

“Oh-- Charlie, William and Percival.” Molly pointed to each of the red-headed boys as she named them, “Charlie is currently in his dragon phase, William wants to be a Quidditch player, and Percival wants to do whatever his brothers want to do. So, he wants to play Quidditch with Dragons.” Lucky her, and she only hoped all that interest in Dragons came in handy when he entered Hogwarts. 

He’d seen her before she’d noticed him, but he’d been hoping the relatively busy streets might hide him, help him avoid her. But of course, his luck didn’t hold and she was calling his name. He tried to ignore it, to pretend he didn’t hear her or she had the wrong person, but almost without his permission his steps had slowed, but his heart made up for it with the erratic pounding in his chest, his breathing heavy as he tried to keep his temper in check. This was Molly. It wouldn’t do to yell at her - he had been taught better than that. By the Blacks, of all people, the people she had joined.

He turned, only able to meet her eyes for a second, the look of disgust obvious on his face as he then fixed his gaze on a spot just over her shoulder. It was painful - but he didn’t acknowledge that. He only let himself feel the anger. But she was practically begging; how could he simply turn his back? But what did she expect him to say? To do? She’d made her choice. “I have nothing to say to you, Molly.” He said, in clipped, strangled tones as he fought to keep his voice level. “You chose to turn your back on us. You have to deal with that.“

~

“None of this is a choice that I made directly and you know Arthur isn’t as strong as either of us.” It was just a blessing that Arthur wasn’t with her. She couldn’t try to put herself between two people she loved and even less if it meant worsening the relationship. “I didn’t turn my back on you, Sirius. I came to you with the truth and you’re so --” She stopped herself, knowing her own frustration would very well make her say things she didn’t mean at heart. 

.

Sam knew Molly was having a time of it lately, she did her best to keep appearances up for the sake of saving face and keeping her family together. The thing was, when you had known someone for as long as they had, practically growing up together in school there is a certain difficulty in not being able to see past that, to witness the slight chips and cracks that started to form when someone took on too much to bear. Some could hold together, but some would shatter. Molly, he knew, was the former, but that didn’t mean even she didn’t need some support and if Arthur was as busy with work as he was (Sam understood the desire to work) there were certain things in life you shouldn’t sacrifice.

Family was one of them. 

And by extension, he saw Molly as family. Explaining why he had stopped by with a belated Christmas presents explaining the bag grasped loosely in his right hand. “I can’t say that I have,” he greeted with a sympathetic look stepping into the familiar kitchen, “but you know if you ever need a hand with anything all you need to do is ask Mols.” Sure he was busy, and yes, he’d been working on Christmas and New Years day but he’d always try to make space in the schedule for the Weasley’s. “I uh– know they’re late and I know it’s not much, but I’ve brought the boys some belated Christmas presents.”

~

There was an obvious shift in her mood when she saw Sam; and it was evident that she was in need of some kind of positivity. With the Holidays bringing in such a strain on her being able to juggle what the boys needed and wanted, she had half-cursed Arthur multiple times for making matters worse with his life choices. She imagined that if he hadn’t dragged them into a mess with the Death Eaters, regardless of his reasoning, would have made it so there would have been far more available to make things cheery. 

It’d also mean Arthur wouldn’t be so busy with work. Whatever it was he was doing, she hoped it was well worth what he was putting at stake. 

“Can’t tell you how happy I am to see you.” She offered a weak smile, not hesitating to wrap her arms around him in an embrace. It took everything in her not to break down then and there, but the mention of belated presents perked her right up.

“How’d you manage to get in without Charlie sensing presents?” Which seemed to set off the alarms right then and there. A choir of ‘uncle Sam’ coming through the door as the three boys latched to the man’s legs. “He brought gifts!? Can we open them!?”

~

“Yes, you are probably right,” Brigitte agreed with a smile. She thought of her own mother and how quickly she had bounced back after each child, but she had never been one to take a break after having a baby. Going back to work within days of having one of her siblings had certainly helped, she thought. “I am sure that you keep quite busy with your three. I am glad that you could find time to have me over.”

Brigitte supposed that Vincent would want to have a child at some point, even though they hadn’t spoken of it yet. Most men wanted sons to leave their legacy to and she suspected that Vincent would want a child to pass his last name onto. “That’s a good point. I’m sure that the elves will be a great help whenever we do decide to have children. I think that I would be rather happy with one, especially if he’s a son. Do you find yourself wanting a daughter?” She asked curiously. It was the only reason that she could think of having three children.

Coming from a big family, Brigitte knew that she didn’t want that for herself. She saw the way that each child had run her mother more ragged and she wouldn’t do that. Glancing up at the ceiling at the noise, Molly’s home reminded her of her own home growing up. “Ah yes, noisy toys are the worst,” she said with a laugh. “That was kind of Rodolphus, though, to give your boys a girt. I met him recently, he helped me get out of Diagon Alley, I believe that he’s a friend of my husbands.” 

Brigitte missed Paris. She was sure that Vincent would want to send their child to Hogwarts like he had, but if they did have a daughter perhaps she could convince him that Beauxbatons was a suitable choice. “I am sure that England has its charms, I’m looking forward to seeing them. Vincent’s estate is rather charming, I must say, it’s certainly spacious. I probably could have if I had asked, but it was all a whirlwind. I’m not sure when I will be able to return to Paris and I hated the thought of the apartment being so lonely without myself in it.” 

“I am currently taking a break,” she lied smoothly. “I thought that getting used to a new country and a husband would be too overwhelming to do on top of my modeling. But I am hoping that I can continue it in the new year, perhaps,” she explained. “If I may, you should look for something outside of motherhood. It’s a great thing you are doing, but one day the boys will be grown. Do you have any hobbies?”

~

The idea of having more children was always in the air between Arthur and herself. But she always felt that there was a push from him when it came to it ever being said out loud. She was already firm on her decision that the boys were to stay as far away from any Death Eater matters; and she’d bury Arthur before she let his dumb choice become her sons’ cross to bare. “Arthur would be over the moon if we had a girl, honestly. I think he kind of hoped Percy would be a girl, but he’s always such a ball of nerves when I’m in labor that it’s hard to tell what’s relief or just more panic.” 

Despite it being her body going through it, she swore Arthur had second-hand pregnancy with how he was during all three of them. She had the mood swings and he ate everything. “He’s been working a lot, but since Percy was a bit of a surprise, I can’t say it’s not possible for another one to come around the corner.” That was a lie. Molly hadn’t been intimate with her own husband for quite a while. Save for a kiss and comforting him after a long day, she couldn’t really recall when the last time they had been able to do such a thing. 

“Before finding out I was pregnant with Charlie, I had wanted to become an Auror at the Ministry. I did quite well on my OWLS, so I had no doubts I’d be set for it.” While Arthur was quite gifted with his own wand, Molly was the one that was by far the larger threat of the two. One could even argue that motherhood caused her to become far more vicious in how she responded to threats. Perhaps that was why the threats were aimed at Arthur instead of her.

“...I’d love to; and I’d even love to run a shop if I could. Arthur always finds these antique items and I always have him give it to Hogwarts or whoever could get use out of it. I wouldn’t mind selling it, but I’d need at least one of the boys to be old enough to be able to keep the other two in line.” If she became an Auror, she’d be considered more useful. She’d become something of a shiny item for Death Eaters--and she was already aware that Arthur’s answer would be no. And she couldn’t help but agree with him. 

𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄 💭  𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝚨 𝐓𝚮𝐎𝐔𝐆𝚮𝐓 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝚮𝚨𝐒 𝚮𝚨𝐃 𝚨𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒.

"I wish I could make my sons as happy as you do just by existing."

𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄 💭  𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝚨 𝐓𝚮𝐎𝐔𝐆𝚮𝐓 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝚮𝚨𝐒 𝚮𝚨𝐃 𝚨𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒.

𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄 💭  𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝚨 𝐓𝚮𝐎𝐔𝐆𝚮𝐓 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝚮𝚨𝐒 𝚮𝚨𝐃 𝚨𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒.

Send me a ★ and I’ll bold what applies to your muse.

I like you / I hate you / I dislike you/ I love you / You are family / I would take a bullet for you / I would shoot you / I would lie to your face / I would say something cruel to you on purpose / I would say something cruel to you accidentally  / I would cheat on you / I would physically hurt you / You annoy me/ You amuse me / I’d laugh at you / I’d laugh with you / I’d manipulate you / You scare me / You confuse me / I wish I knew you better / I trust you / I don’t trust you / You inspire me / I consider you an equal / You are beneath me / You’re better than me / I would trust you with my life / I think you’re mean / I think you’re petty / I think you’re childish / I think you’re smart / I think you’re stupid / I think you’re a bad person / I think you’re a good person / I’m not sure what kind of person you are / I wish you would listen to me / I want to make you proud / I wish you would notice me / I want to impress you / I would hurt other people for you / I’m not sure how to make you happy / I’m a bad influence on you / You deserve better than me / We make a great team / I’d have a one night stand with you / I’d have a relationship with you / I would marry you / I fantasize about our life together / I would trust you with my most treasured belonging / I would tell you my darkest secrets / You disgust me / You intimidate me / I hope I intimidate you / I’d hug you / I’d let you hug me  / I’m scared of losing you / I don’t think you like me / I want to be better for you / I respect you / I don’t respect you / You’re my mentor / You’re my friend / You’re my best friend / I have a crush on you / I could easily watch you die / I’d get drunk with you / I’d party with you / I’d comfort you / I’d prank you / I’d spike your drink / I’d act behind your back / I’d abandon you / I’d hurt you to get what I want / I would choose my happiness over yours / I would choose your happiness over mine / I despise how much I care for you / I need you / I’m dependent on you / I don’t know what I’d do without you / I’m scared of you leaving me / I’d give my life for you / You frustrate me / I’d call for you in a time of need / I would protect you / I’d visit you in hospital / I’d carry you if you were hurt / I’d feel guilty if I hurt you / I’d let you be near me when I am vulnerable / I’d ignore a phone call from you / I’d call you at 3am / I’d break you out of jail / I’d get angry at you / I would shout at you / You’re too loud / You’re too quiet / You’re too sensitive / You can’t take a joke / You embarrass me / I feel nothing for you / You’re reckless / You’re bossy / You bore me / I would ask your advice / I would blame you for something I did / I would cry in your arms / You have the power to hurt me more than anyone else /

He didn’t particularly like Molly - he never had. And even now that they were on the same side, he didn’t trust her. Although that wasn’t really a feeling he held only for Molly - but still. She had never done anything to him, in fact, she’d always shown him more kindness than he probably deserved - and he couldn’t help but be suspicious. He snorted at her assessment of him and turned his eyes to her finally. “I work in a dungeon, Molly. I don’t exactly get a lot of sun.” He wasn’t sure whether she was commenting on his pallor or expression, but either way she wasn’t exactly wrong. He didn’t feel far from passing out.

“I….” He hesitated, weighing his options. Did he really want to help pick out a gift for someone he didn’t know? When it would be of benefit to Arthur Weasley, of all people? Absolutely not. But perhaps if he helped her - or at least tagged along - she could help him with his own problem. And he had to admit, the thought of Igor with the kids helped tilt the scales. “Alright.” He finally decided with a nod, straightening and pulling his coat tighter around him. “But you need to help me find a gift as well.”

~

“Did Hogwarts condition you to prefer dungeons? Kind of like Stockholm syndrome.” She meant it in jest, though, she had very little to do in the dungeons of Hogwarts when it wasn’t to do with classes. Gryffindor was lucky to have a tower away from such a bleak scene and she always found it odd that two of the houses had the dungeons of all places to call home. “Here,” She dug into one of her bags, pulling out a pumpkin pastry, “Take this, it’ll make you feel better.” 

“Have you ever tried to explain to three boys that Santa got amnesia and forgot to bring Daddy home for Christmas? Because I don’t think I can do it again if it happens next year.” She understood there was work to be done at the Ministry, but she didn’t know how much of it was actual work and what was Arthur doing favors for the Death Eaters. When he put them into this life, he insisted it was to keep her and the boys safe. 

-

Ludo had spotted the woman as soon as he entered the restaurant. The silly tiara on her head brought a smile to his lips. He hadn’t seen too many people looking or feeling very festive so far this season, it was rather refreshing to see. Realizing as he sat down at a table near the family that he was staring, Ludo laughed softly as she spoke. Picking up the menu, he kept his gaze on it as he replied. “I think I’d look rather dashing in a tiara of my own.” He smiled. Looking around, he picked up the jar of plastic straws at his table and slid them towards her children. “Think you guys could make me something out of these?” He asked before looking back to the mother, “That might keep ‘em entertained enough for you to get a bite to eat yourself.”

~

Molly couldn’t stifle the chuckle at how he responded to the hat she was wearing. Though, she was definitely more impressed that he was so forward and endearing to her boys. Most people were put-off by her children, especially with how energetic they were. “Mum--!! Mum, it’s Ludo Bagman!!”

“Oh?” This was definitely a moment where Arthur would be more equipped to know what they were talking about. It took her a minute before she deduced what the name could be related to. “Quidditch?” 

“Mum, mum--” 

“Yeah, well, show Mr. Bagman how good you are at making these hats, yeah?” She offered a small apologetic smile to the man, quite unaware of his love for the attention. “Would you like to join us? My husband might not make it and it’ll boost their spirits if their favorite Quidditch player has dinner with us.” It felt like she was constantly having to boost morale in an effort to make up for her husband’s absence. 

~

In just a few moments of watching the boys Andy couldn’t help but admire Molly. She felt like she was drowning some days with just her daughter and she was nothing like Moly’s boys. “You need to teach me all of your secrets,” Andy told her with a laugh as she shook her head. “You know, i’m not even surprised to hear that, Dora gets her hands on the strangest things sometimes, I swear it’s like she conjures them out of thin air. I have no idea how else to explain it.” 

Gesturing to the kitchen table, she smiled over at Molly. “Please, sit, you must be exhausted with those boys. I know that Dora has me constantly exhausted. Would you like tea? Water? Coffee? Alcohol?” She teased with a laugh. She nodded her head. “Me too! I was telling Ted that it would be nice for Dora to have a more regular play group. She goes to school but I think it would be good for her to play with some children that she will know at Hogwarts one day.” 

Andy nodded her head and smiled. “Yes, please feel free to make yourself at home. I think that they will be distracted for a while, Dora had lined up all of the toys that she wanted to show your boys this morning,” Andy said with a laugh. “It was so cute. She is really excited that you could come, most of my friends don’t have kids yet so this is good for her.” 

She looked at her curiously and laughed. “That sounds like a promising start for him. Which of your boys is the oldest?” She asked her curiously. “Dora has shown some promise, she can be rather clumsy and a few weeks ago when she fell I swear she slowed herself down so she didn’t get hurt. It was hard to tell but it looked off when it had happened. I keep watching out for more signs.” 

~

“She really is adorable, and she looks so much like you and Teddy.” Molly couldn’t ever tell who the boys took more after. It didn’t help that both her and Arthur had the same bright ginger hair; but trying to pin point which of them they got their energy from was tough. If she had any say, she’d probably assume they got it from Gideon and Fabian. After all, they were so much like her twin brothers. The same energy and knack for trouble. Though, she did see a lot of Gideon in Bill, especially when he was being quiet and trying to figure out whatever puzzle Arthur had handed him.

“Charlie and Dora will probably be in the same year at Hogwarts so I’m keeping my fingers crossed they stick together. I’d like him to have someone that he can see during school and the like.” Whether they’d be in the same House was up in the air, but Arthur did boast to a good handful of people that he raised Gryffindors. How he was able to tell was beyond her. 

It seemed like both of them were going to enjoy the short time of respite they had until the kids were back with demands. Molly took a long needed deep breath as she leaned back in her seat. “--Have you heard from Sirius? I...” Molly wasn’t one to ever appear shy, but she wasn’t able to get much word in with Sirius. There was no explaining what Arthur got her and the boys into--he saw shades of black and white without daring to consider how much more complex it was. 

~

Penny could see the uncertainty on the other woman’s face. She felt a little bad that she had been the one to put it on her face but she was just doing her job. These were the questions that her mum had taught her to ask when it came to buying different art pieces. When the other woman changed her mind, Penny nodded her head. “I’m sure that we have something that you could get for him that’s perfect,” Penny encouraged. It was rather cute the way that she talked about her husband, Penny hoped that one day whenever she met ‘the one’ she could talk about him like that.

“No, that’s totally not weird,” Penny replied. “You wouldn’t believe some of the weird requests that we get here, that one is by far not the weirdest thing I’ve heard before,” she reassured. She leaned down under the counter and grabbed the notebook that they took all order requests in. “I am sure that my mum could come up with something. I’m just going to need some information, okay?”

~

“God, I can only imagine what you might get as requests. A rubber duck might actually be the tamest.” She stifled a chuckle, trying to think how she’d even surprise Arthur with the gift. Not that it’d be hard, she could have always just let the boys distract him while she did what she needed to. It felt like it was hard for her to shop for anyone that wasn’t Arthur or her sons; she had come in here for other people and ended up with another gift for her husband. 

“Ah, right.” Molly nodded, “Yeah, go ahead, I’m sure there’s a lot of things you need to sort out. Ask away, so long as you’re not asking anything too personal.” 

-

“N-never really di-did much for the h-holiday.” Peter stuttered. Christmas hadn’t been a happy family time for him, not since he was very little. The Hogwarts holiday’s had been nice, but he could hardly return there and ask to sit about the Great Hall… he wouldn’t deserve it even if he could. “I-I”m just going back into work.” He’d recently been granted a promotion but hadn’t told anyone.

Celebrating anything about him felt wrong, but he liked the work… it was one of the few things he could enjoy these days.

~

“You got a promotion?” Molly smiled, “Congratulations! See? That’s something to celebrate, even if it’s privately. Not everyone celebrates the same way.” She shrugged, having learned quite quickly from Charlie that boys weren’t easy to convince. If they had something that they were comfortable with, she’d just be glad they weren’t forcing themselves into a mess that would bite them. “Do you want something to drink? It doesn’t have to be alcohol, I have plenty of juice and tea. Even coffee, if you’re looking to do an all-nighter.”

~

“Please, it’s only proper to bring your hostess a gift,” Brigitte replied. And well, she was rather picky about her pastries so she had decided to bring her own just in case. If this helped her to endear herself to the other woman than she was happy to do it. She just hadn’t expected for there to be so many children, Vincent hadn’t mentioned that to her, although she couldn’t be certain how friendly Vincent actually was with them. 

“Yes, you must, they are the best that I have found, I am sure that your husband will enjoy it,” she agreed. Walking behind her, she noticed the table was already set, and thought that it looked rather nice. She placed the pastry box down on the table and sat down at one of the spots. “That’s alright, I bet they keep you busy. You have an incredible figure for being a mother of three,” she complimented. “Vincent and I have not spoken of children yet but I am certain that I only want one, more than that seems like too much.”

She supposed that if they had a daughter, Vincent might want a second but the thought of multiple boys gave her a headache. She remembered how much her younger brothers were and she wasn’t looking to replicate that. 

“I am,” she nodded. “I grew up in a beautiful estate in the French countryside,” she lied smoothly. “And after I graduated from Beauxbatons I was signed with a modeling agency and moved to Paris. My apartment in Paris was gorgeous, it had the most magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower, I was so sad to let it go when I married Vincent. Paris is truly one of the greatest cities in the world, I highly suggest you visit sometime.” 

~

“I find that the workout you get from keeping up with three kids really helps you stay fit.” Molly hadn’t quite considered focusing on anything regarding her own figure. She knew there were women who had one kid and struggled to get back into shape, but Charlie was far from an easy child to start with. William came with more excitement and now Percy was learning everything from his older brothers and then some. 

She just wanted to have the help she had when she had Charlie. Her brothers were the best thing in her life next to her sons and husband, but she couldn’t see them. It broke her heart to have a decision made for her, especially when Arthur had hardly ever done that before. “If you ever decide on children just be sure it’s a decision you both want. It’s good to not go into it head first without knowing you’re ready to not sleep for a few years.”

Molly had found herself immune to the sounds that came from upstairs. The small crashes and giggles that only ever got her attention if they sounded larger than normal. “...Rodolphus bought them a train set.” She sighed, hearing it going off above their heads. “Don’t let Rodolphus buy your child gifts unless you can approve them first. He likes to pick the ones that make the most noise.”

Much like an uncle who knew he didn’t have to live with the noise. Upon hearing about the woman’s life, she was a bit impressed by it. She just doubted she’d ever have time to go on a vacation to someplace like Paris. “That sounds like a dream, really. London has it’s perks and charms to it but it’s not as romantic as France. You couldn’t even keep the apartment just for the hell of it?”

Not that she could say much, the house looked like it was magic alone keeping it attached. And, in a way, magic certainly was to thank for that. “Do you still model now? I always wanted to do something but then I had Charlie and it felt like raising him and then with William--well, I just kind of accepted being a Mother as my job.”

~

Penny felt her heart constrict at the other woman’s words, but she forced herself to nod. “Yeah, of course. I can help with that. Do you know what they like?” She asked. “Like…would they want a nature themed piece of art or something more abstract? We have canvases for sale, but we also have smaller pieces and my mother is always happy to talk about custom orders. She occasionally does portrait sessions as well,” Penny listed off. Focusing on the work and what she knew made it easier to ignore the tinge of grief. 

~

“Ah...” Molly thought for a moment, honestly at a loss for what on earth she was even thinking. “You know--I might actually want something for my husband.” She said finally, figuring his office could use something that wasn’t just photos of her and the boys. Sure, he loved the photos, but she wanted him to also remember to keep his spirits up. Molly didn’t want to lose the man she fell in love with to a war. “...He really likes muggle culture, you see. He’s a bit of a dork--but he’s my special dork.” 

Molly fiddled with her fingers a bit, “...He mentioned something called a rubber duck? Would it be weird to request a painting of one? It sounds silly but--he needs some cheering up. I think if he had it in his office, he’d be more positive.”

~

When Vincent had suggested that she go and spend the day with a woman named Molly that was the wife of a coworker of his, Brigitte had readily accepted. She missed having a large group of friends like she had in Paris and she was eager to start forming those friendships in London. Not being very familiar with the social etiquette of English pureblood society left her at a disadvantage when it came to the friends department. 

Arriving at the address that Vincent had told her, she waited patiently outside the door. She had brought chocolate eclairs from a bakery that specialized in French desserts that she had discovered in downtown London. When the door opened, she smiled and nodded her head. “Oui,” she replied.

Her eyes widened ever so slightly when she heard the crash behind Molly. Watching her as she turned around and dealt with the children, Brigitte was suddenly grateful that her and Vincent had yet to discuss matters of children, but she was certain that she only wanted one. It sounded like a zoo in there.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” she said. “I brought you some eclairs, I hope that the children like them as well. They’re not nearly as good as the ones in France but they will do,” she offered the pastry box to Molly. “Coffee would be marvelous. You have three children? All boys? You must be so busy,” Brigitte said. “Yes, my husband told me that as well.” 

~

“Oh! Gosh, that’s so sweet, thank you for that. You didn’t have to, love, I invited you over, after all.” Molly appreciated the gesture and was glad the woman was friendly. She just worried her own kids were going to scare the woman off. But if she was married to Vincent of all men, then maybe it’d take more than three energetic children to get her to run away. It sure didn’t seem to make most people run.

“The boys will love it, and I’m going to have to hide one so Arthur can at least enjoy one when he’s home.” She gestured for Brigitte to follow her, having already set the table for them and having the coffee pour itself into two cups for them to enjoy. “You can make yourself at home, and sorry about the boys before. Percy is too little to get into much trouble just yet but Charlie and Bill have lots of energy.”

Energy that she hoped they’d burn out of their system by bedtime. It usually wasn’t the case, but it was easier to get them to sleep if she had Arthur there to coax them. He had a way with the boys, and he could be just as mischievous as they were if he had the chance. 

“So, you’re new to this area, right? Tell me about where you guys moved from--it’s been so long since Arthur and I had a vacation that I’d love to hear about other areas.”