A Surprise

While their parents raced to the hospital where Rich would deliver their new sibling, Jason and Peter were left to their own devices at home. They were old enough, by Sunset Valley law, to be left alone during the day without a babysitter now. They mostly spent the long afternoon playing chess, one of Peter's favorite activities. Jason didn't understand the game very well, and suspected that Peter might be letting him win, but he didn't say anything about it.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, the birth was going well. Jamie had just given birth to a healthy baby boy, who she named Roman. But the birth wasn't over yet! Roman also had a twin sister, who, after some thought, was named Erika. How could Rich have known enough medical science to know that she was going to have a boy, but not know she was going to have twins, Jamie wondered. The exhausted couple finally took a taxi back home, once it was clear that there weren't triplets on the way.


Jamie carried Roman, while Rich took charge of his sister, Erika. Peter and Jason were old enough to be fascinated by the twins, and promised to help take care of them and teach them when they were older. Exhausted, Jamie prepared for bed, while Rich got ready for his next day of work. It was going to be a long next few years.