Just when Me-Me has come to terms with being pregnant again, her doubts and fears begin to creep up on her. Today she starts work again for the first time in weeks, but she has to walk in with a big belly – short of the skill level she needs for promotion. She realizes that she was naïve to believe that raising a family and soaring in her career would be easy. But this time, she’s decided that she won’t be taking any family time off. Instead, she will have this last baby and jump right back into her career.
While Me-Me is busy getting ready for her first day back at work, I help by ensuring that Mase has eaten and is dressed for the day. Dub gets dressed after his bath but doesn’t have time for breakfast. So I give him money to buy a snack at school, then send him on his way.
Me-Me doesn’t have to be at work until much later in the morning. The extra hours allow her some time to relax with Belle on the couch.
Melisa: *rubs Belle’s back* I’m a bit nervous about returning to work. I hope I haven’t forgotten anything.
Belle enjoys the rubs but then gets bored and jumps off the couch. Me-Me pulls out her robotics book to brush up on her skills.
I take Mase outside to enjoy the fresh air and introduce him to the chickens. Unlike Dub, he doesn’t seem afraid of any of the animals at his age. Instead, he spends time talking to them and making a few friends. Meanwhile, Me-Me slips on her jumpsuit and leaves for work.
While Mase entertains the chickens, I step into the garden and snap a selfie with my perfect melon. I keep one for us and sell the rest. We make a nice little profit off of them.
When ma wakes up, she takes over watching Mase for me – but mostly because she wants him to model for a painting. He plays with the bunnies while she completes another work of art to display in the art center.
I learned from my last encounter with the bees that I’m not tough enough to care for them without a beekeeper suit. I don’t know what I was thinking in the first place. Adequately equipped, I can apply mite dust and collect honey without threats.
Once I’ve completed the farm work, I call up my friend, Mo, and invite him over so we can begin training for our upcoming trip to Mount Komorebi. We decide to complete the endurance challenge. Since he’s my guest, I allow him to go first. But as I watch him climb effortlessly, I realize that letting him go first might be a mistake. Now all the pressure to compete will be on me.
Meanwhile, Dub returns home from school with a new friend named Joanne. Joanne invited herself over after hearing Dub talking about all the toys and fun things there are to do at their farm. However, he soon regrets being so braggy because Joanne is not only bossy, but she insists on taking all the building blocks when they go to the building table to play.
Joanne: Ooh, I need that color, and that color *takes a block from Dub’s hand* and this color to complete my tower!
After the painting is complete, Peri retreats to the shaded Gazebo for some quiet knitting time. Mase tries to nap in his play tent, but it’s too close to Kai’s climbing treadmill and keeps him awake. So he joins Peri in the Gazebo and soon drifts off for a much-needed nap.
Meanwhile, Peri is again feeling the dread of realizing that she’s at the end of her life. She tries not to let it get to her, but it still tries to drown her with oppressive clouds of blue during times like this because she knows that one day she won’t be here and she’ll miss all these precious family moments. But, eventually, she untangles herself from these useless thoughts, lets out a sigh of release, and decides to enjoy the time she does have.
(Generation 3 Chapter Summaries)
Thanks for reading! Please hit the “like” button if you’ve enjoyed what you read! Keep scrolling if you’d like to leave a comment. 🥰
