Chapter 26 (Tetris) - Moving On Up

Tetris headed to the work site, hard hat and tool belt ready for action.

With time left on the clock after his promotion, he headed back into work.

"Sweetie, I had an amazing day!" Testris told Nicole.  "Can you believe I got TWO promotions? In ONE day!" He was so psyched.

"That's really great, honey," Nicole told him, placing her hands on her hip and stretching slightly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, reading her unspoken cues.

"Just tired," she told him.  "I'm ready for this baby to be born already!"

He rubbed her belly bump lovingly and looked up into her eyes.  "Soon!" he promised her.

Tetris was right.  That very night, Nicole went into labor.

"YES!" he cheered when he heard her groaning.

They welcomed baby boy Q-Bert into the family.  "What a cutie! He has my eyes!" Tetris grinned as he played with his newborn son.

"Can you say Mama?" Nicole asked, trying to teach her daughter to speak. "Ma-ma. Mama!"

Reversi didn't enjoy this game at all. She made a face and pouted.

Meadow invited Melissa over.  "See you soon," she said huskily.

They were like school girls, sneaking upstairs and enjoying their time together.  Meadow had never considered taking a woman as a lover before, but Melissa had certainly opened her eyes!

"Mama!"

Ah! Nicole successfully taught Reversi to talk!

"Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama!" Reversi cried at Nicole's feet. "Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama! Maaaaaaaaaamaaaaaaaa!"

Nicole shut her eyes and wondered why she'd ever taught her daughter to talk.

Another promotion under his belt. Tetris was making a lot of headway.

"You're doing wonderful," Nicole told her husband.  "I'm really proud of you!"

This time, both Nicole AND Tetris bought some groceries.

Meadow walked into her room and smiled when she saw Melissa playing with little Reversi.  Melissa smiled up at her.  "They grow up so fast, don't they? I remember when Tesira was this little!"

Meadow took her lover's hand.  "Come, have some dinner with us," she told her.

Tetris was glad his Mom had found love again.  He'd been worried after his Dad died. 

He'd been surprised she'd turned to his Aunt Melissa, but they weren't technically related by marriage.  Whatever made them happy!

"Don't worry, I'll get this diaper," Meadow told her daughter-in-law.  "You go rest!"

Meadow then spent the afternoon playing with Reversi.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Nicole told her mother-in-law.  "You have such a way with children!"

"Oh thank you, dear!" Meadow said, touched by the praise. 

"Don't think I didn't see what you did there," Nicole said sternly, staring pointedly at the broken chair  in the livingroom.

Tetris came home singing, "Moving on up!"

His coworker, Jason Menon, came home with his, as well.  "Nice looking home," Jason said.  "It's a weird sense of deja  vu. I feel as though I've been here before..."

(*pulls up family tree* Jason is actually Tetris' great aunt's father. How's for that a complicated relationship! 😂😂)

Tetris snuck up to his Mom's room and when he saw her sound asleep, he quietly gave Reversi a quick hug and kiss and then wandered back downstairs to his company.

"I made turkey, I hope that's alright with you," Nicole said as she served their guest.

Jason glanced at the extra plate and the empty chair.  "Is someone else joining us?" he asked.

Tetris nodded. "Yes, my Mom. She'll be down when she wakes up," he said.

When Tetris went upstairs to check on his Mom, she had already passed.

"Gramma!" Reversi cried pitifully.

"I know sweetheart, but Gramma isn't here anymore."

"Gramma! Gramma! Gramma!" Reversi demanded.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but Gramma's not here anymore," Tetris said gently. 

Reversi looked up at her Daddy.  "Who's going to read me night night then?" she asked sadly.

"I know some good bedtime stories," Nicole offered, holding Q-Bert on her hip.  "May I read to you?"

Reversi pouted. "Gramma knows all the best stories," she said stubbornly.  "I don't think you'll read as good as her!"

"I'll do my very best," she vowed solemnly. 

"Do you want some birthday cake?" Nicole asked, hoping to distract her daughter.

"YES!" Reversi shouted, bouncing up and down.  "Cake! Cake! Cake!"

The house was packed with all their extended family for their weekly family reunion.

"Happy birthday, brother!" Reversi said, giving him a kiss.

Not the couch! Bad Winnie! No more honey pots for you!

Nicole was home alone with Q-Bert.  She happened to be outside when she met a lovely young woman. 

She invited her inside.  "I would ask you to have a seat, but our cat seems to have a grudge against chairs!" she said, quickly picking up the broken pieces of the couch and putting them in  a trash bag.  She was embarrassed for a neighbor to see her house in such disarray.

But Linda was lovely, she didn't even bat an eyelash.  The fast friends enjoyed a meal together before saying goodbye.

And because of that friend, Tetris got his next promotion!  He was ready to go straight back to work, but unfortunately, he had the weekend off. He would use the rest of his days off to prepare for his final promotion!

HOLY GHOST!

"No, don't worry, ghosts can't hurt you," Nicole promised her daughter.  Ever since the ghost had frightened her, the child had been very interested in ghosts.

VERY interested in ghosts.