Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile: serial short story online: episode 120

Lists were funny things really, the list was easy to compile, getting around to doing everything on the list was certainly more difficult.

Easy the plan, difficult the execution, so to speak.

Now what did they need most, and the answer came to him almost instantly, yet another new car, now one which would accommodate 5 babies, 2 with car seats, three with baby capsules. Of course this meant they would need to get rid of at least one of the others but as far as he was concerned two would need to go, but Mary was funny about these things. If he got the new one organized fisrt they could worry about what they needed to get rid of later. A trade in deal would be the best but he doubted whether Mary cared two hoots about the financial aspects being prepared to pick up the cost herself for whatever she wanted. But, after all, it was her money so he could hardly direct how she should spend it. He sighed, he really wanted to be King of his domain but Mary loved the new life her inheritance had allowed her and when it came to money and her own wishes she would see no reason. Well she was hardly in any position to do these things herself and he expected she'd be delighted that he had thought about it and if the prior birth of the twins was any indicator she would insist the new car be fully fitted with the new baby capsules , ready to bring the babies home in approximately 2 and 1/2 weeks time.

Now next on the list must be the shopping and in the city this would necessarily be different. He intended to approach Rachel about doing this but at this stage was uncertain as to just how to arrange it. He knew Mary was fussy about food and fresh fruit and vegetables but with five little ones she'd be in no condition to do these things herself and unless they found a suitable gardener it would be some time before they had their own veggie garden.

Well, so far his list was going well just two items but both of those essential to their well being.

Now she was going to need some help in the house and with the children, she couldn't be feeding three and looking after another two at the same time, that just would not be practical and with Kathryn and Michael now mobile and their impishness increasing daily, Mary was faced with quite a daunting task.

So tentatively came litems 3 and 4, Housework and Child care.

He really was well on the way to having this all sorted out. So he put down his pencil and put the pad near his wallet and keys ready to take with him to the hospital later.

Actually he didn't really know much about the facilities available in the immediate area or whether they'd have to come right into town to shop so thought to himself, I've got time today I should go for a run to inspect just what is available but at the same time realising that here there would not be daily milk deliveries, and bread and a local person who would always get the shopping and another local person like Jeff to do the gardening. Yes, a run in the car later today but before he went to visit Mary would give him a good feel for what the local area provided.

But city suburbs were not going to be anything like a little village where people still preferred horses to cars.

Pangs of hunger took and while hospital was still on his mind he went out to the laundry and collected Mary's nighties and bras and things, well washed and dried, but certainly nor ironed, but he found a bag for them and placed them near his wallet and keys and the note pad. Yes. our Jim was feeling quite pleased with himself and despite not being particularly well dressed he'd find himself a place to eat and have a nice meal, come home with fresh bread and milk and whatever else took his mind while he was out. Everything was suddenly starting to look much rosier than it did on the initial shock of seeing three little babies instead of the one they'd expected.

It was a good feeling to be sitting down at a table outside the nice little cafe he'd found and he ordered a nice open sandwich and a bowl of fresh fruit salad and some fresh water. Then he took his time about eating it doing his best to relax and plan his little tour around the area. Mary would be pleased.

The waitress was a very pleasant young woman and he was happy to leave a substantial tip for which she was duly grateful and rewarded him with the most beautiful smile. It made him feel quite chirpy, really.

Now for the grand tour, he took several sidestreets which led seemily nowhere but as he changed direction and headed towards the city he suddenly came across a fruit and vegetable market so he stopped the car, parked comfortably close to its doors and sauntered off to look inside.

It was one of the best he'd seen and within a reasonable distance from home to encourage Rachel to agree with his shopping expedition. He filled his basket with a suitable amount of fresh fruit and veggies, bearing in mind he was just one at the moment, not the 7 they'd become on Mary's return home. He decided he might as well get the milk and bread here too and having paid with cash he put his parcels in the car and continued on his way. soon he was close enough to the city to find a popular supermarket and set out to explore just what it offered. He went down each aisle in turn, getting himself some bacon and sausages for his usual breakfast and a nice fruit cake, then decided he'd best renew his supplies of coffee and drinking chocolate and spotting a well known brand of one of the better ginger beers he took home a carton of those, some marshmallows would be nice, to have with the hot chocolate so they too went into the shopping trolley and toilet paper, yes he certainly needed that, now some frozen peas and some of his favourite ice cream and some pancakes with maple syrup would be nice for a change for breakfast and he could have some of the fresh berries he'd bought to go with those. He kept wandering and found he had quite a full trolley, but as he turned up the last few aisles he suddenly saw baby things, nappies for the new babies would be a must and he picked up one bundle for newborns thinking that with three they would not last long. He'd need to return to stock up with more or even think about getting a wholesale delivery and then suddenly he was confronted with little singlets and socks and nighties and baby rugs, and when it came to the essentials for babies, they had it. With rather a shock he realised just how many of those little garments he would need for three little babies and began to back off, he just hadn't thought of those things but now reality was striking with a very sharp blow. Hurriedly he paid for his purchases, took them out and stacked them in the car and headed back home, not now feeling quite so perky as he had been.

When he got home it was putting away his purchases and he realised he hadn't really made his anticipated tour, having been so easily distracted by immediate food needs and wondering just how practical it was going to be for Rachel even if she were willing which he could not be certain of.

He wnet to his wardrobe and found some reasonably presentable clothes deciding it would be nice for Mary if he made some effort at dressing up rather than his recent visits in some of his worst clothes.

That done he took a shower, washed his hair, dressed, found a good pair of casual shoes and realised he'd have to do something about the ironing. Perhaps things were not going to be so easy as he had first anticipated.

Feeling the better for having taken more effort with his appearance he sat down with a nice hot cup of chocolate, adding two of the marshmallows and helping himself to a large slice of the fruit cake, which, from a supermarket was not really all that good but his rather late afternoon tea made him feel goodl. He'd visit Mary before dinner, and may even get to having a closer look at his new family members, perhaps hold them, after all he was their proud dad.

So gathering up his carefully placed items and his great little list on his paper pad whcih he had so carefully compiled he took off in the car, but this time decieded he'd feed the cats before he went, leaving them snuggled up together inside until his return.

Men certainly had their place in the home, but caring for one was going to prove so much easier than caring for 7, including himself. It was a pensive Jim who arrived at the hospital looking forward to seeing Mary, who he was missing, and hopefully his new three babies, which he was not missing really, realising how difficult it was all going to be.