Zoey95's 100 Baby Challenge: Chapter 54

Day 244 - First day of Winter

Wake up!

The mailbox was full of an assortment of love letters that I placed directly in the trash. I've simply lost interest in these foolish games.

Colby stopped by for a visit. He was reading and searching intently for a way home, while I still struggled between my desire to return or stay in the Shadowlands. With no intention of staying, he has chosen not to pursue a law enforcement career in the Shadowlands. Instead he has registered as a Private Investigator. This will give him the credentials to open doors in his search for a gateway that permits him to return to his life back home.

I find Colby very attractive and companionable. I invited him to stay for dinner.

After dinner, Colby and I played a game of chess. I subtly inquired about his personal life. Did he have a wife, fiancee, girlfriend back home? Did he have any children? I guess I wasn't that subtle, I saw his lips twitch with a suppressed smile.

My instinct told me that Colby was not the type of man to be satisfied with creating life via a casual fling, so I restrained myself from asking him to stay the night. Not easy considering I had baby making on the brain.

Day 245

I called Kenneth and invited him over for his daughter's birthday, but he couldn't go in late to work today. I made the decision to celebrate with my little one alone, after her older siblings left for school.

Colleen inherited my hair and eye color.

I finally upgraded the dishwasher. It is much easier to get around to these chores when you do not have multiple toddlers.

Colby called and asked me to meet him at the gateway where he had entered the Shadowlands. William agreed to watch his younger siblings for the evening so I set off to meet Colby.

We walked over every inch of the area looking for anything unusual and found nothing extraordinary. Colby managed to research enough information to translate the book's title. It is called "The Book of Whispers". Hearing the name of the book sent shivers down my spine as I recalled the whispering I heard in the desert that compelled me to walk into that cave. Colby has also gleaned enough information from the book to know that the gateways that open to the Low World and High World do not occur every tainted full moon, but instead on full moons that coincide with significant occasions. Now he is faced with the questions: When is the next gateway to the Low World open? And where will the gateway be found?

A quick phone call assures me that William has everything under control at home.

Colby and I headed back into town and went out to eat together. Kind of like a date. Only it wasn't. The attraction between us is undeniably, yet both of us seem to be hesitant to move forward. I wonder if it is because he is so determined to leave the Shadowlands and I am still uncertain.

I arrived home late and exhausted, but had no regrets for staying out so late. The company was worth it.

Day 246

I decided to bundle up Colleen and take her to the mall. I would send a text to the other children asking them to meet me there after their classes were over.

Colby "just happened to stop by" the mall and came to chat with me. It was my turn to suppress a smile.

Colby and I walked into the mall's pub for a drink and chat while my children played. Instead of gateways and worlds, we chatted about our lives, likes, hopes and dreams. It was a get-to-know you session. But I still held back so much of my life. I could tell that he realized I evaded certain topics, but he did not push me for more.

We all decided to eat at the winter festival at the mall before heading home. I was tempted to invite Colby to return home with us, but it was late and the children were getting cranky.

Day 247

Right after the kids left for school, Colby stopped by to talk. He had extracted more information from the "Book of Whispers". The first bit of information was very perplexing. Time was not in sync in the three worlds. From what Colby could gather, if he stepped into the High World and lived there for 100 years then he returned to the Shadowlands only minutes would have passed. There was absolutely no information he could find indicating how time corresponded between the Low World and the Shadowlands. We pondered the idea that perhaps by returning to the Low World, maybe little to no time would be lost.

I was almost lost in thought, wondering if I chose to return to the Low World that would it be possible to pick up where I left off. There wasn't an assurance that would be the case, but it was enough hope to hug my heart back to the Low World.

I was so distracted by this idea, that I almost missed Colby's bigger announcement. He had discovered how to calculate when the gateways that permitted entrance to the Low World from the Shadowlands would be open. It was so rare that it only occurred every 300 years and the next occurrence was not that many years in the future. If we did not want to spend the rest of our lives here in the Shadowlands, then we must be at that specific gateway at that precise full moon.

Then Colby allowed that he had resigned himself to the fact that his life could not be put of hold on the slim chance that he is able to return back home. He still didn't have any idea where this gateway would be. But he did know that he wanted to return if it was possible. Until then he would live as if the Shadlowlands were his home. And he gave me a smile as he indicated he would very much like it if I was part of his life and would be pleased if I chose to return to the Low World with him. I was a little speechless and conflicted with pleasure and anxiety. I knew he was talking about more than a casual fling and I knew that eventually I would need to tell him everything about me.

Colby needed to go to the police station for a bit of freelance work, but I invited him to return after he completed his job. Tonight was the triplets' birthday celebration.

Colby completed his job early and came by to hang out while I finished Colleen's toddler training and we waited for the kids to get home from school.

Josette aged up with the trait: Vegetarian. She announced that from now on she wants to be called Josie.

Andrew aged up with the trait: Natural Cook. Be still my heart, I love this!

Juliette aged to a teen with the trait: Good Sense of Humor.

After John left for home and the kids had headed to bed, Colby and I spent a little time together chatting and dancing.

After we danced, Colby asked if I would be returning to the Low world with him. I knew there was more than one question implied and I hesitated only briefly before replying, "Yes."

Immediately following my affirmative response, Colby whispered in my ear exactly how he wanted to spend the rest of the evening. He didn't have to ask twice.

Day 248 - Christmas Day

The teens were wrapping up their breakfast and chores by the time Colby and I were waking up. Then they were running out the door to meet their father at the sports club while Colby and I were enjoying the waffles that Andrew had made for breakfast.

I made some phones calls to arrange for our Christmas party.

Colby and I took advantage of a mostly empty house to spend some quiet time together.

But very soon the quality time we were spending together turned serious. I had agreed to return to the Low World with him, but Colby knew there were things I was holding back from him. He confessed he was feeling a bit primal and possessive about me. I suppose that's the nature of most men, wanting a woman's affections exclusively. Despite the fact all of my liaisons stemmed from obligations beyond my control, it was not always easy to live with these choices. On Xicanopia a couple mated for life. Had I been permitted to live my life as intended, my life would have been so different.

Colby felt there were secrets standing between us. And there were. I had been dreading this moment and did not want to do this.

I couldn't face him as I began, but he walked up behind me and clasped my hands in his reassuring me before I began my story, "No matter what you say, I'm not walking away from you."

The further I delved into my history, the more distressed I became. Colby's arms slid around me, and he gently coaxed me to go on when I faltered or hesitated.