1.10. Faster Than You Realise

Two little babies.  As adorable as her daughters are, there is a lot of work involved in raising two babies.

A lot of work and a lot of noise.

"Look, I'm sorry, one of the babies is crying... look, I'll catch up some other time," Scheherazade sighed into the phone.

"Can't you stop crying for 5 minutes!" despaired Scheherazade, "It's 10pm and I haven't been able to change out of my nightclothes, all I ever do is eat, sleep and deal with crying babies!"

Sometimes, a well deserved energy mix was all that kept Scheherazade going.  That and her friends who still came over despite the horrible rumours going around town about her.

Soon, her babies had grown up before her eyes. Little Gulnare could make the best faces, just like mommy.

And loved nothing more than tickles from mommy.

It wasn't long before Shen grew into a toddler too.  She looked so much like her father, with only Scheherazade's eyes looking out of her face.

While toddlers are even more work than babies, it somehow seemed more rewarding.
"So mummy is praying that she will be forgiven for not telling Zhan about his daughter before this.  What do you think, Gullie?"
"FOUR GIVE!"
"I'll take that under advisement."

At least the girls could entertain themselves while Scheherazade grabbed some dinner.

And toddlers sleep through the night if you plan your day well.

"So, your sister is growing up into a child, and I was thinking of asking your daddy to the party.  What do you think, Shen?"
Shen just blinked at Scheherazade.  She was still much younger than Gullie and didn't understand yet.

On the day of the party, Zhan didn't even stop to knock on the door, he just raced in looking for his daughter.

 "Ms Djinn's letter... it's true.  You're my daughter.  Our daughter."

 
 Zhan embraced his daughter.  "Don't worry little one.  I am here now.  Your family is together, as it should be."

Scheherazade noticed that Zhan was a little confused as to how he should react to her adopted daughter, but at least he was trying.  She had been letting him bond with Shen while she spent some precious moments with Gulnare before she grew up.

As she had finished blowing out the candles, a familiar face appeared in the corner of her vision.
'Lash..." she hissed.

"Still blue, I see," gloated Lash.  "You'll be mine yet."
"Stay away from me.  Stay away from daughters or there will be hell to pay," she threatened Lash.  "I have already lost so much because of your curse, I'll drag you to the seven hells if I lose more.  Stay away from my family."
It was only when Zhan looked at her oddly that she realised that nobody else could see Lash.
"Get out" she grumbled while banishing the other genie's mental presence.

Zhan stayed after the party to help clean up.  "Ms. Dji... Scheherazade.  I have no idea why you kept our daughter to yourself for long.  You needn't have feared a poor reaction, I am thrilled that we have a child!  A young life brought into this world by us!"
"That's sweet Zhan, I thought it would be better if you found out from me," Scheherazade confessed.
"I just don't understand why you put yourself through so much hardship!  Raising her and the foundling..."
"Gulnare."
"Yes, that one... alone.  But now that we are together, we are a family.  We must make arrangements to move to Shang Simla as soon as posssible!  My mother will be delighted that she has a granddaughter..."
"What?  I'm not moving to Shang Simla, Zhan."
"But why not?  Shen will have a great family over there who will love and adore her."
"She HAS a great family here, who love and adore her already.  And then there is my career..."
"I can support us..."

Scheherazade put Shen down on the floor for a moment.

"I have my life here, Shen, my friends, my career.  I don't want to give that up to move to Shang Simla.  If I had been willing to do that, I'd have done it ages ago." And been with Sun, she added mentally.  My whole life would be different.  I would have my beloved.  But I wouldn't have my daughters.
Zhan sighed.  He thought for a few moments.
"Fine," he said, "Then I will move here.  I can always open a bookstore here."
"No!" Scheherazade exclaimed.
A look of confusion crossed Zhan's face.  "But if you don't want to move to Shang Simla with me, surely you  want me to move here to be with you.  That is the only logical way for us to be together."

"I to;d you about your daughter because you deserve to know about her Zhan, not because..." Scheherazade gulped before continuing, "Not because I want to be with you."
"What?  But you invited me over!  We made love! WE have A DAUGHTER!" Zhan was getting upset.

"I'm sorry, Zhan.  I just don't love you.  I'm in love with someone else. And I have been the entire time.  I made a mistake when I invited you over.  I was being an idiot.  I didn't mean to hurt you and I didn;t mean to make things complicated."
"Who?"
"What?"
"Who do you love?"
"Sun Young..."
"Another woman!  You're perverse enough to love another woman!  And yet you slept with me? Why?  Were you using me for what only a man can give you?"
"No!  I was confused and scared and..."
"Enough.  I don't want to hear any more."
"Please don't take this out on Shen!"
"Shen has done nothing, but I can't be around you right now.  Good bye, Scheherazade."

And with that, Zhan stormed back outside to hail a taxi.  Scheherazade had no doubts that he would be on the next flight back home.


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Generation One: Revealed
Family Structure: ?
Number of children: ?
Primary Income: Mixologist
Secondary Income(s): ?
Generation Goal: ?
Miscellaneous Fun: Multi-cultural

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Random Bonus Shots:

Shen's face is a wee bit flat.  Pity, I liked Scheherazade's huge nose.

Gulnare looking very pretty on her birthday and enjoying being tickled.

Shen is the splitting image of her dad, except for her eyes.

Poor Gulnare.  I only remembered to take one photo of her after she grew up.