Eisenstern 3.11
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Juno’s growing fast. Much faster than I expected, I have to admit, but in hindsight I’m not sure how. Branwen calls Juno her little minnow. Little minnows grow very quickly, I guess.
I’ve noticed, Diaval doesn’t seem to avoid Juno the way he was avoiding being around Ivander. I’d wonder what that means, but I think I know. Sometimes, the heart just isn’t ready to accept what the head already knows. The little minnow seems to like Diaval as much as he likes her. Albeit, he’s not fond of her habit of petting him backwards. Well, he’s dealt with much worse in his life, and she won’t be this small forever.
She learnt startlingly quickly, catching onto language and basic skills very easily. Branwen said she and her twin sister did too. Must be a mermaid thing.
I don’t think Juno likes one or the other of us more or less. Rather, she just really likes her dollies. As far as I know, she’s named them all, and she remembers who is who somehow ( I always get them confused-I’m not sure if Branwen can keep up with them any better than I can ). They all have elaborate stories, occasionally slightly concerning stories but moms tell me even my sister and I had surprisingly disturbing stories to tell at times.
I have no reason not to believe them, so, I do even if it’s a weird thing to think about. Maybe every kid has slightly concerning stories to tell. Something about the imagination’s development, or something. If I think about it critically, it makes a little more sense, even as it’s still a bit “ummm…”
Grandfather came over. We hadn’t seen him in a long time, so it was nice to have him by. Mom spent most of the time he was here talking to him, and I came by a few times to see him too. Mostly, I let mom catch up with him. They hadn’t talked in quite some time, but things just sort of got away from us all.
Between the whole situation with Cassandra, and then my remarrying and now raising Juno, it’s been pretty easy to let distant family relations fall by the wayside. I ended up calling grandpa some time later, just to check up on him and see how he’s doing.
Still working, apparently. Well, if it makes him happy I guess.
Mom and Branwen are starting to get along better. Or maybe mom’s starting to warm up to Branwen because she didn’t, in fact, turn out to be another Cassandra. Or, it could be that mom’s just too happy to have a grandchild around the house.
Either way, I’m glad for it. Though, I wasn’t so sure mom could still play airplane at her age. Seems she certainly thinks she can. Whatever makes her happy, I suppose.
Juno’s run out of things appropriate for her age to learn, so she’s been spending most of her time during the day doing whatever it is strikes her little child fancy. Most of the time, this has something to do with either the dollhouse, which she absolutely adores of course, or the toddler play tunnels mom managed to dig out of storage. The problem with the tunnels is occasionally, she’ll fall and scrape her knee, and then run to every adult in sight asking for comfort.
I don’t remember doing this as a toddler myself, but to be fair about it, mom tells me I took so long to learn to talk and whatnot that I was still working on my skills right up to my birthday. You know what, I believe that. Like I tried to sleep in on growing up or something. Kind of sounds like me.
Surprisingly, though, Branwen’s the one that doesn’t give in to her whining about wanting a hug. I asked her why, and she said, “Because she’s fine. If I start giving her special treatment because she fell, then she’ll start expecting special treatment for everything, even when she’s actually fine, and that’s how you raise a monster.” I had to think about that for a minute or two, but, I suppose she’s right.
“She does know steering like that would cause an accident, right?” I asked.
Branwen snorted. “She’s two,” she answered. “Besides, maybe she’s racing.”
I was pretty sure I didn’t want her racing like that. Actually, I didn’t want her racing at all, but I suppose there’ll be quite a few years before I have to worry about that. At least, I should hope so. If we’re teaching her to drive at four, I might wonder which of us hit our head.
“Mama, book please,” Juno’s little voice asked.
Branwen looked amused, but she went and got a toddler book, and sat down to read. I vaguely remembered my own moms reading to me as a kid, though mostly they read to Hilda because Hilda was a needy child and was always behind someone’s leg.
I don’t have a lot of memories of growing up. I hope Juno remembers at least some of this. Maybe that’s why I seem to be obsessed with taking pictures of absolutely everything. I want her to remember these things when they’re over.
I’d been considering for some time now purchasing a second property. We’d swap between the two, this house and the second one, as we please, and Juno would inherit both. I’ve mentioned the idea to grandpa a few times and he seems to think it’s a decent idea. I don’t know.
I know Cassandra has little chance of gaining ownership of the Eisenstern estate, and buying a second one wouldn’t necessarily stop this, but I’d like something else to put in Juno’s name specifically. That way, just in case something changes and Cassandra manages to use her family name or influence or both to her advantage, and actually does gain control of the Eisenstern land in Mt. Komorebi, Juno will still have somewhere to go that Cassandra can’t touch.
Time moves on. Unfortunately, my mom’s auncle Morgyn, uncle Caleb, and grandfather Drake have passed away. I suppose it’s not the worst thing to ever happen, but it feels pretty bad. Grandfather was just over, and now…
Well, the worst part, is watching grandpa try to live without them.
I caught him talking to something vaguely shimmery and blue in the kitchen one night. I’d come out for water. It took a minute for me to piece it together, but it turns out that’d be… my great grandmother Lana, grandpa’s mother. As it happens, the blue colouring is what happens when ghosts are sad. She must be upset because of Morgyn.
Well, now there’ll be a new sage of untamed magic. I suppose theoretically that’d be my cousin once removed, Kristyn. I vaguely remember Kristyn as a small child. I’m not sure how she’s doing these days. Maybe I should go visit her or something. She can’t be doing very well, with both Morgyn and Caleb gone.
Mom tried to cheer grandpa up, but I don’t think it worked very well. He’s trying, I can tell that much. And with any luck, the pain of being apart from grandfather won’t last too long.
I dread the day I lose moms. But I know it’s coming. Death comes for everyone.
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