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HelpRe: Year Game
in reply to a message by Fray
DH: Oliver “Ollie" Kingston Malloye (24)
Hair: red, straight
Eyes: green
Job: writer
DW: Felicity “Flyss" Marla [Rudawski] Malloye (23)
Hair: black, wavy
Eyes: hazel
Job: chef
Location: France
Ollie and Flyss met at college when Ollie, an English lit and journalism major, travelled to Flyss’s school to interview some of the culinary arts students for an article he was writing for one of his classes. Flyss was the last student he interviewed. They hit it off right away as friends. During the course of the interview, they came to realize how similar they were. When Ollie had to go, he paused at the door. “So I know this is gonna sound strange…”
“Strange? I like strange,” Flyss responded with a laugh.
Ollie shrugged. “Well… I’d like to get to know you better, Flyss. You sound like a great young woman and I think we’d get along pretty well.”
Flyss narrowed her hazel eyes, brushing back her black hair. “Where’s this going, Oliver Malloye?”
Nervously, Ollie laughed. “Well, I guess I was just wondering if you’d be down for a cell number exchange.”
Felicity threw her head back and laughed a hearty laugh. “Oh, Oliver, Oliver, Oliver! Of course I’d be down for that. I wanna get to know you better, too.” She whipped out her phone, pulled up a new contact, and handed it to him, holding out her hand for his. “The clock is ticking, Oliver. Don’t you have to leave with the rest of the group from your school?”
Ollie chuckled sheepishly. “Yeah, yeah, yeah…” He handed his phone to her, taking hers and slotting his name and number into it. When he finished, he handed it back to her, retrieving his. “Well, guess I’ll see you around, then.”
“Yeah. See you around.”
A couple days later on the weekend, the two reconnected at a coffee shop, deeply desiring to get to know the other better. They spent a long four hours simply chatting. Over the course of those four hours and the next couple months, Oliver Malloye and Felicity Rudawski became thick as thieves. “It’s a good thing our schools are so close together,” Flyss would joke.
About seven or so months after their first meeting, Ollie and Flyss were hanging out at her apartment (seeing as how she lived off campus), watching Netflix. In the middle of one of their shows, Ollie looked to Flyss, slipped his hand into hers, cupping her cheek in the other, and leaned in to kiss her lightly. Smiling, Flyss kissed him back. A moment later, she pulled away, still smiling. Ollie became nervous, though, when she did. “That… that was okay, wasn’t it?” he asked. “I didn’t do anything wrong, right? Please tell me if I did anything wrong.”
Felicity chuckled and leaned in to kiss him again, this time not as lightly as before. Pulling away from that, she whispered, “Ollie, you did absolutely the right thing.”
“Whew,” he sighed in relief. “Thank God for that. I thought for second that I might have ruined things.”
“Nah,” she responded, cuddling up to him. “You didn’t ruin anything, Ollie.”
Stroking her hair gently, he planted a kiss on the top of her head. “Good. I’d hate myself forever if I had.”
Teasingly, Felicity replied, “I think I’d hate you forever if you had, too.”
The two shared a laugh. A brief moment of silence passed as they continued watching their show on Netflix. Ollie glanced from the screen to Flyss back to the screen then back to Flyss. After a moment of this, he finally worked up the courage to ask: “Felicity Rudawski, would you go out with me?”
Felicity’s face lit up with a smile. “Of course, Oliver! I would love to go out with you.”
And that night sparked a long term relationship. Oliver Malloye and Felicity Rudawski dated for almost three years before Ollie got up the nerve to propose to her. But when he did, he made sure it was the most special event in the history of their relationship.
It was Felicity’s birthday. She was turning twenty-two. Ollie and some of their friends decided to host a surprise party for her at her apartment. Months before, Flyss had given Ollie a key so he had access to her apartment even when she wasn’t there. The group decorated, baked a cake (with the help of some of Flyss’s culinary arts friends), and planned games and activities for the entire group. When it came time for Flyss to arrive home, they turned out the lights and hid—behind couches, in closets, under the bed, wherever they could find to hide themselves. The door creaked open and the first thing Flyss saw was Ollie standing right in front of her, down on one knee.
“Ollie, baby, what are you doing?” Flyss asked with a giggle, moving to pull him to his feet.
But Oliver resisted. “No, no, no!” he protested. “Stay right there, Flyss. Stay right there.” Felicity complied, though her face screamed confusion. Nervously, fingers shaking, Ollie pulled out of his pocket a little blue velvet box. Felicity gasped. “Felicity Marla Rudawski, on this your twenty-second birthday, I, Oliver Kingston Malloye, your boyfriend of almost three years, would like the honor of asking you to marry me. So, my dear Felicity, would you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?”
Tears sprung up in Flyss’s eyes as Oliver spoke. As soon as the last word was out of his mouth, she flung her arms around his neck, buried her face in his shoulder, and whispered, “Oh, Ollie, yes!”
A year later, on Felicity’s twenty-third birthday, Felicity Rudawski became Mrs. Oliver Malloye and the newlyweds moved to France, where Flyss had a job offer.
YEAR ONE
Within the first year of their marriage, Ollie announced a big decision: he was going to return to school to get his master’s degree in English literature. Over the past couple of years, he realized that he misses his schooling. When told about his decision, Felicity was skeptical. “Ollie, honey, what if we can’t afford it? We haven’t even paid off our previous student loans. I don’t make enough money to pay bills and tuition, and you certainly don’t either. Are you sure this is the right decision, Ol?”
Oliver nodded, taking a deep breath. “Flyss, I know it seems crazy. I know we can’t technically afford it. But I know it’s the right decision. I can just feel it in my gut. I need to go back to school. We’ll find some way to pay for it. I can get a couple part time jobs if necessary. It’s not like my books have done terribly well. I can continue to write while studying and working as well. We can do this, baby.”
Felicity sighed, curling up next to him. “If you really think it’s the best idea, Ollie, I trust you. You know what you can handle better than I do. I trust you.”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” Oliver said with a smile, kissing Felicity’s head.
A couple months later, Ollie had a school picked out. Much to his and Felicity's surprise, he received a fair amount of scholarship and grant money. He was overjoyed. “See, honey? I told you it would all come through!”
Ollie (25) and Flyss (24)
YEAR TWO
Since Ollie decided last year to return to school, both he and Flyss worked harder than ever before. Ollie picked up a couple part time jobs while continuing to write. Flyss worked long hours at the restaurant while also attempting to run a catering business on the side. Neither allowed themselves any sick days. They both knew they couldn’t afford it at this point in time.
Over the summer, Flyss’s boss approached her. “Felicity, I have seen how hard you work. I think you deserve a vacation,” he told her.
“But—“ she began to protest.
“Uh, uh, uh!” the boss scolded her. “You’ve not missed a single day, Felicity. You work harder than the vast majority of my employees. You need a break. Take your husband and go on vacation.”
Tears came to Felicity’s eyes. “Thank you so much.”
“It’s my pleasure, Felicity. It’s my pleasure.”
That day, Flyss arrived home late to find Ollie working in his study on his latest book. Coming up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning over his shoulder. “Hey, baby,” she greeted him. “How goes the work?”
“Not good. Not good at all,” he groaned, pulling his chair out from his desk.
Flyss moved to sit on his lap, facing him. “I’m sorry, baby,” she replied, then kissed him lightly. “Why don’t you take a break for a little while?”
“That’s just it,” he sighed heavily, messing with her hair absentmindedly. “I’ve been taking a break on this for awhile now. I need to get back to work on it. I’m just stuck.”
“Bad case of writer’s block?” she asked gently. Ollie nodded. “I think we need a change of scenery for a little bit, honey.” Oliver looked at her, a strange expression on his face. “Don’t give me that look, Oliver Kingston Malloye,” she teased, planting a kiss on his head. “You know what I mean and you know that we both need some time off.”
Oliver sighed heavily again. “But can we afford it, sweetheart?”
Felicity chuckled and kissed him lightly again. “Yes. I think we can. My boss told me to take some time off. I think it’s time we take him up on that, don’t you?”
Oliver grinned a sideways grin. “I definitely think we deserve a break.”
“Then let’s do it,” she announced definitively. “Let’s go on a trip to Britain or Italy or somewhere obscure even. Let’s take a break and just kick back and relax. Okay?”
“Okay,” he responded and kissed her again.
A couple weeks later, Ollie and Flyss had their entire trip planned out. Flyss informed her boss; Ollie informed his. And before they knew it they were off on a trip to the Netherlands.
Ollie (26) and Flyss (25)
YEAR THREE
Last year while they were on their trip, Flyss and Ollie were able to enjoy more time together than they had had the privilege to in years. This included time together in public but also much more time together in private. A couple months after they returned from their trip, Felicity discovered something huge.
Coming home from a doctor’s appointment one day after feeling off for a couple weeks, Felicity sat down, stunned on the couch. Ollie, in his study working, heard her come in and joined her in the living room. As soon as he saw her face, he could tell that something was up. “Flyss, is everything alright, baby?”
She nodded, but her face was drawn and pale. She definitely suffered from a state of shock. “Ollie, we were planning on having kids one day, right?”
Oliver gave her a funny look, sitting down next to her and pulling her close to him. “Yeah,” he replied, kissing her head. “Why?”
“Because that day is today,” she whispered.
Oliver’s face lit up. “Flyssy, honey, that’s great news. Why do you look like you got hit by a bus?” he laughed, kissing her forehead. “Lighten up, baby. This is great news. We’re going to be parents! You and me, Felicity Marla Malloye. You and me are going to be parents.”
“I’m just not sure I’m ready yet, Ollie,” she responded, her voice quieter than a mouse’s squeak. “I don’t think I can be a mother. Not yet. Not now.”
Oliver’s brow knit. “Why’s that, sweetheart? I think you’ll be a great mother.”
“I’m too busy,” she responded, turning to face him, looking him in the eye. “I can’t work and raise a child. Plus, we need the money, Ol. You’re still in school. Raising a baby is incredibly expensive. Do you think that we can do it what with you in school and working two jobs and me working full time too?”
Oliver cupped Felicity’s face in his hands. Flyss turned her gaze away from his. “Flyss, look at me, baby.” Sheepishly, she looked up, locking eyes with her husband. “Flyss, we can do this. I have faith in us. You’ll get maternity leave and when you return, we can always hire someone to watch the baby. We’ll make ends meet somehow, sweetheart. Don’t worry about it. Our dreams are coming true, sweetie. We’re going to be parents.”
Flyss blinked back tears and whispered, “Okay, Ollie. Okay.”
Six months later, Flyss woke up in the middle of the night in terrible pain. Wincing, she curled up next to Ollie, clinging tightly to him, which woke him up. With a yawn, he sat up and glanced at her. One look and he knew she was in labour. “Flyss, baby, you okay?” She shook her head. “I think it’s maybe time to get you into the hospital.” She nodded. “Can you walk?” Flyss shook her head again. Rolling out of bed, Ollie scooped her up and carried her to the car where everything was already waiting. Kissing her head, he reassured her that everything was going to be okay.
After the short drive to the hospital and getting checked in, Flyss was in labour for a long twenty-one hours before giving birth. The doctor laid a small bundle in her arms. “Congratulations,” he told them. “He weighs in at about 6 lbs. 15 oz. which is a little on the small side but he’s a healthy boy. He measures at about 16 in. Don’t worry about him. He’ll grow. He’s healthy and strong, despite being small.”
Flyss gazed on her firstborn child with tears in her eyes, Ollie looking proudly over her shoulder. Absentmindedly, Flyss let her fingers rub his full head of black curls, gazing at his big lie eyes. “He’s beautiful, baby,” Ollie whispered in his wife’s ear. “He’s absolutely beautiful.” Flyss smiled up at her husband weakly. “What’s the matter, baby?” he asked her.
“He reminds me of my baby brother,” she whispered, her lip quivering. When she was about ten, her mother gave birth to a little boy, not much smaller than her son, who had a heart condition and passed away within days of his birth. It caused great pain and sorrow in the Rudawski family.
Sitting down next to his wife, Ollie wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. “How about we name him after your brother then? Our baby is going to grow big and strong and he won’t pass away like your brother. He’s going to live. It’ll be okay.”
“You’re okay with naming him after my baby brother?” Flyss asked quietly.
Ollie nodded. “Of course. I wouldn’t be prouder to accept his name as my son’s.”
Flyss smiled for the first time since her son was born. “Amos Joachim, you’ll grow up to be a big strong boy. You’ll make your uncle proud.”
Ollie (27) and Flyss (26) with Amos (0)
YEAR FOUR
This past year, after Flyss returned to work when Amos was a little older, she received news that she was going to be going on a trip for work, traveling with her boss for a meeting with some important restauranteurs in Japan. Flyss had become one of the most important employees at the restaurant, hence why her boss chose her to join him on this trip. “But why me? Surely, you could’ve chosen anyone else,” she questioned her boss, not disrespectfully.
“You are important, Felicity,” he reiterated. “You are one of the most valuable chefs at my restaurant. You are one of the best. Of course I would bring my top chef with me to this meeting.”
Felicity wasn’t convinced. “Come on. I can’t honestly be the best chef you have. What about Ben? He’s way more skilled than I am. Or Dominique? She could easily out-cook me. Surely you could have picked someone else.”
Her boss shot her a look which clearly read “if you dare to cross me again, I will pick someone else”. He began slowly, “I understand if you’re worried about your son and husband. You do not need to worry, Felicity. Truly, you don’t want to give up this once in a lifetime opportunity, do you?”
Flyss took a deep breath and shook her head. “No, I don’t. But you’re right. I am worried about Amos and Ollie. But I suppose they can survive without me for a week.”
“That’s the spirit.”
When Felicity returned home that night, she waited to tell Oliver the news until Amos was in bed. “Ollie, honey, would you be okay if you were left alone with Amos for a week?”
Oliver gave her a strange look. “Yeah. I could manage him by myself. Why?”
Flyss bit her lip. She paused. “I’m going on a business trip to Japan,” she replied in haste. “But it’s not for about a month. I just wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I gave this opportunity up. We’re meeting with some important restauranteurs and chefs in Japan and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. You have to understand that I have to take it.”
Laughing, Ollie pulled her into a hug. “Of course I understand, sweetheart. And I wouldn’t think of keeping you back from it. Go! Enjoy yourself. And take plenty of pictures for me to see when you return home.”
“Oliver Kingston, did I ever tell you how much I love you?” she chuckled, arms around his neck, smiling widely.
Ollie paused, teasingly thinking about it. “You know, I think you may have, once or twice. But I’d love to hear it again.”
“Oliver Kingston Malloye, I love you more than you could ever imagine,” she replied.
“Good. Because I love me more than I could ever imagine too,” Ollie teased. Then, kissing her lightly, he added, “Oh, I love you a lot, too.”
About a month later, Ollie and Amos waved goodbye to Flyss as she took off for Japan.
Ollie (28) and Flyss (27) with Amos (1)
YEAR FIVE
When Flyss returned home after her trip to Japan, the first thing she did was give Amos a big hug. The second thing she did was kiss her husband. The third thing she did was to make an announcement. “Ollie, we’re moving!”
Oliver stared blankly at her. “We’re what?”
“We’re moving!” Felicity exclaimed again.
“Why?” Oliver asked, confused. “I thought we liked it here.”
Felicity laughed lightly, kissing him again. “We do, but I think we’ll like it even better where we’re going. You won’t have to stumble over your French anymore.”
Ollie groaned. “Please tell me we aren’t moving to Germany. German is much worse than French.”
Flyss laughed again. “No, Ollie! We’re moving to Britain! London, to be exact.”
“London, huh? May I inquire as to why?” Oliver asked again.
“Well, while I was in Japan, my boss announced that he was funding his brother, who lives in London, to start up another restaurant by the same name but across the channel. And guess who he wants to be the head chef there? Guess, Ollie. Just guess!”
“Hmmm… would it by any chance be the most beautiful woman in the world? Also known as my wife,” he responded. Rather than replying, Felicity nodded and kissed him deeply. Pulling away after a moment, Ollie commented, “That’s great news, baby. When?”
“Couple of months,” Flyss responded, taking Ollie’s hand as they headed back to the car. “They still need to actually get things rolling. Such as find a location. And other chefs. There’s a lot of work to go into it still.”
“Good. Gives us some time to find a place of our own,” Ollie responds.
“Precisely,” Flyss said with a smile.
As soon as they got home, Flyss went to unpack while Ollie went to look into available homes. “There’s a lot of expensive things here, honey,” he called to her. “How are we going to pick?”
Flyss poked her head out of their room. “Maybe we should look into somewhere that isn’t London proper,” she suggested. “Somewhere nearby but not within the actual city limits. That would make it a little less spendy, don’t you think?”
“Good idea,” Ollie responded.
After about a month of searching, they found a place that they thought would work so they went ahead and got the ball rolling for rent-to-own. About a month later, the Malloyes were packing up and figuring out what they could get rid of. About three weeks later, they were on their way to Britain.
Ollie (29) and Flyss (28) with Amos (2)
YEAR SIX
This last year, Ollie released his fifth novel. In between novels, he had published several short stories as well as landed a job as a journalist/columnist. The Malloyes sure received a surprise when Ollie’s novel won an award.
“I can’t believe it!” Ollie exclaimed when they found out. “Me? Winning an award? And it’s not just any award. It’s a prestigious award! This is so great, Flyss!”
Felicity agreed, kissing him passionately as a congratulatory gift. “I think this calls for a celebration, don’t you, Ol?” she asked.
Oliver paused. “Yeah. You know what, yeah. I do. We haven’t gone out as a family in awhile. Let’s go do something. Go watch a movie. Go get dinner. Go do something. I don’t care. This just deserves us doing something to celebrate.” Suddenly, a flash of brilliance popped into Ollie’s head. “I know. Let’s get dressed up and go eat at your restaurant, Flyss. It’s your night off. Let’s go be patrons for once.”
Felicity smiled, eyes glimmering proudly. “I agree. I think this calls for a fancy dinner.”
With a kiss from her husband, Flyss went to dress Amos in his fancy attire before joining Ollie in the bedroom to change herself. By the time the family had all dressed, they looked ready for a fancy, black tie event. Which in a way this was.
Ollie (30) and Flyss (29) with Amos (3)
YEAR SEVEN
Amos turned four this year. Ever since their move to Britain, Flyss and Ollie had been trying for another baby but with no luck. They decided to look into whether they were having fertility problems, seeing as how it took a couple of years of trying before they had Amos and it’s not been several years since they started trying again. When they received the test results, it did indeed appear that they had a little bit of fertility issues.
That night, while in bed, Flyss whispered, “Ollie, I don’t know what to do. I want another child. I don’t want Amos to be alone. He needs someone other than his parents. He needs a sibling. What should we do? Do we try the fertility treatments?”
For a moment, Ollie didn’t reply. Then his voice came out of the darkness, “Felicity, sweetheart, I think we should try as hard as we can for another child. We should try the treatments, but I think that maybe we should adopt too. We’d briefly discussed it before and what better time to adopt than when we’re wanting another child?”
Felicity smiled, even though she knew her husband couldn’t see it. “You know, Ollie, that’s a brilliant idea. I like that. Let’s look into it as soon as possible.”
The next day, while Flyss was at work, Ollie began looking into adoptions. Over the next several months, they began the process and were matched up with a child—a nine-month-old boy from India named Madhu Nitya. Flyss and Ollie got to meet the boy before deciding that he was the one for their family. When they took him home, they renamed him Matthew Nitya, calling him Mattie.
Amos, now four years old, immediately fell in love with his baby brother. He always wanted to hold him (as best as the little four-year-old could hold the growing nine-month-old) and play with him. Amos and Mattie became fast friends from the start.
“I’m so glad that Amos and Mattie get along well,” Flyss commented one evening soon after they brought Mattie home as they watched their sons play. “That was honestly my biggest worry, that Amos wouldn’t take it well.”
Ollie, arm around his wife’s shoulders, smiled. “Yeah. But he’s a good kid. I’m not sure why you were worried, sweetheart.”
“I’m not sure either…”
Ollie (31) and Flyss (30) with Amos (4), Mattie (1)
YEAR EIGHT
Little less than three months after they adopted Mattie, Ollie and Flyss discovered that they were expecting. All Flyss could do was laugh. “Of course this would happen!” she chuckled when she returned from the doctor’s appointment. “As soon as we’ve adopted one, we end up expecting one. The irony…”
Ollie laughed along with her. “Yeah, that’s the way these things work, isn’t it?” he commented, hugging her. “At least Mattie will be almost two when the baby is born so it’s not like they’ll be incredibly close in age.”
“That sure is a relief!” Flyss sighed. “I don’t think we could handle that many so close in age. With Amos being five and Mattie begin almost two when the baby will be born, I think everything will work out okay. The only thing we’ll have to worry about is jobs and money. Fortunately our sanity will be intact.”
Oliver laughed heartily. “Oh, yes, indeed!”
As Felicity grew closer to her due date, Amos and Mattie got increasingly more interested in the baby. “Mommy, why are you getting fatter with this baby? You didn’t when you had Mattie.”
Flyss pulled Amos into a hug. “Honey, this time mommy has the baby inside her. With Mattie… well, Mattie had a mommy before me, one who had Mattie growing inside her before he was born. But his mommy couldn’t take care of him and so we got to bring Mattie home to live with us so we could take care of him. With this baby, mommy has the baby inside of her. That’s why I’m getting bigger. It’s because of the baby.”
“Ohhhh! I see,” Amos replied, though Felicity could tell that he didn’t really. But she was okay with that. Amos was still a little boy and didn’t need to understand fully. “When will the baby come, mommy?” he asked.
“The baby should be here in a couple months,” she responded. “Mommy will have to go to the hospital where the baby will come and doctors will help mommy have the baby. Afterwards, you can come visit us. Okay?”
“Okay, mommy!” Amos replied enthusiastically.
Sure enough, a couple months later, Felicity was rushed to the hospital because she was in labour. Similar to Amos’ birth, Flyss was in labour for almost twenty-two hours before she gave birth. The doctor laid another son in her arms, congratulating her once more. “This big guy is quite healthy. He weighed in at almost 10 pounds, measuring 21 inches. You’ve got a big boy here this time, Felicity. Congratulations.”
Felicity held her brown-haired, hazel-eyed son close to her bosom, smiling as Ollie sat next to her. Oliver leaned down and kissed her head, kissing his son’s head as well. “We have a beautiful family, baby,” he said with a smile. “He’s beautiful, just like his mother and his brothers.”
Flyss kissed Ollie lightly. “Yeah. And just like his daddy, too.”
“Aw, shucks,” Ollie replied teasingly. “What are we naming him?”
Flyss thought for a moment. “I’ll choose the middle name, you choose the first name, okay?”
“Uhhh… okay,” Ollie replied with a chuckle. “How about… Leo?”
Flyss glanced at their now sleeping son. “Leo. Huh… fits him well. Leo Francis?”
Oliver kissed his wife once again before responding, “Leo Francis Malloye it is.”
Ollie (32) and Flyss (31) with Amos (5), Mattie (2), Leo (0)
YEAR NINE
This past year, Felicity and Oliver stopped with the fertility treatment but not before it worked its wonders once again. When she noticed that her baby weight wasn’t going away, Flyss decided to go in for an appointment to make sure that everything was okay. Everything was indeed fine but she also discovered the reason why she wasn’t able to lose her baby weight. She was putting on more, in fact, because she was expecting again.
Coming home from the appointment, Flyss was in tears. “Ollie, what on earth are we going to do? What on earth are we going to do? Mattie is only two and Leo will barely be one! We can’t! This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening!” She collapsed into his arms, a complete and utter wreck.
“Whoa, whoa, hold up there, baby,” Ollie comforted her, holding her close, rocking her gently. “Tell me what’s up. What happened at the appointment that’s making you so upset?” Felicity mumbled something into his chest. “What’s that, sweetie? I couldn’t hear you.”
“I’m pregnant,” she mumbled, her words mixed with tears.
Oliver blinked in confusion. “Run that past me one more time, baby.”
“I’m pregnant!” she exclaimed, pulling out of his grasp and beginning to pace. “I’m pregnant, Oliver! I’m pregnant! Again! Again! We almost ran into issues with Leo. We can’t have another baby at this time. How am I supposed to raise four kids and work? It’s not possible! It’s just not possible!” The tears running down her cheeks, Flyss collapsed onto the ground, a crumpled mess of tears and running mascara. “We can’t… we can’t…” she continued to mumble.
Sweetly, gently, Ollie sat next to her on the ground, pulling her onto his lap, stroking her hair. He planted a kiss on the top of her head, holding her tightly, closely. “Baby, it’s gonna be okay. You can quit your job and I’ll get some part time jobs. You can even go part time at your job, too. We’ll be fine. Don’t worry. We always managed to make ends meet before. We have nothing to worry about. We can parent four children, Flyss, and still be okay financially. You just have to believe.”
Sniffling, Flyss sat up and dried her tears on her sleeve as she raised her gaze to meet Ollie’s. “Promise?”
Ollie noded, kissing her head lightly. “Promise.”
Sure enough, seven or so months later, Flyss was once again in the hospital in labour. Fortunately for her, this time her labour only lasted seven hours rather than twenty-something. After she gave birth, the doctor laid her third biological son in her arms. “He’s a healthy one, too, Felicity. You have no cause to worry. He weighed in at 8 lb. 2 oz. and measures at 19 in. Congratulations.”
Felicity held her newest son close, tears rolling down her cheeks. Despite her skepticism and pessimism of the months before, now that she held the beautiful, brown-curled, brown-eyed boy in her arms she couldn’t help but love him with all her heart. “How could I ever not have wanted you?” she whispered softly. “How could I ever think that things wouldn’t work out?”
Ollie sat beside her, arm around her shoulders, smiling proudly down at his newest son. “Baby, you can’t stop making beautiful baby boys, now can you?” he chuckles. “Think next time we could have a girl?” He winked.
But Flyss didn’t catch it. “Next time? Next time? Who said there’s going to be a next time? And even if there is, Ollie, it’s not going to be for a couple of years if I have my way. I’m not having another baby for at least two years, if not closer to three or four. I’m sorry, Ollie, but I just can’t handle it.”
Oliver chuckled, pulling her closer to him, planting a kiss on her temple. “Baby, I wasn’t insinuating that we will. Okay?”
Breaking down in tears again, Flyss nodded, her body shaking. “Okay, baby. Okay,” she whispered. “Okay.”
Once again, Ollie planted a kiss on her head. “Now… what are we going to name our little brown-eyed beauty?”
Flyss looked at her son. “Nathaniel Quentin Malloye.”
Ollie (33) and Flyss (32) with Amos (6), Mattie (3), Leo (1), Nat (0)
YEAR TEN
“Ollie, you’d think we were still on the fertility treatment!” Felicity angrily greeted her husband when she returned from a doctor’s appointment one day three or so months after Nat’s birth. “We’re pregnant. Again. For the third time in three years! This is freaking ridiculous, Oliver! We can’t keep this up!” Felicity raged around the bedroom while Oliver sat meekly on the bed, the kids playing in the front room. “No more kids after this, Ollie! None! I’m not going to deal with this again!”
Oliver stood up and wrapped Flyss in a hug. “Hey, shhh, shhh, honey,” he crooned, rubbing her back as she released the tension she was holding at his touch. “Shhh… shhh… we’re going to be okay, baby. We’re going to be okay. I have a job offer at the university nearby. I’m going to take it, baby. We’ll have a little more money than when we were both working only part time jobs. It’s going to be okay. We’re going to be okay.”
Felicity had broken down into tears moments before, slumping against Ollie, a broken, weeping mess. Clinging to him, she refused to let go, mumbling continuously about how they wouldn’t be able to handle it, how she was never going to have kids again, how she was going to have to start working again, etc., etc., etc. It amused Oliver how angry she was about all this. He planted a kiss on her forehead before laughing, “Baby, calm down. Your hormones are raging something fierce. We’re going to be fine. You won’t have to start working full time again. You won’t have to have kids again if you don’t want to. I won’t make you. Everything is going to be okay.”
“Stop laughing at me!” Flyss sobbed. “Stop laughing at me! It’s not funny, Oliver! It’s not funny!” She tried to pull away, but when he wouldn’t let go, she began pounding on his chest. “It’s not funny,” she wept. “It’s not funny…”
“Baby, I’m not saying it is,” Oliver comforted her. “You just need to calm down. You’re letting things get way out of hand. You’re jumping to conclusions. Let’s go watch a movie with the kids. I’ll order takeout and we’ll just have a relaxing night with the family, okay? You’ll feel better after that.”
Wiping away her tears, Flyss nodded. “Okay,” she replied stuffily.
Seven months later, Flyss lay in the hospital bed in labour. It was even shorter this time than with Nat—a total of five hours before the doctor delivered another son. He laid the little boy in his parents’ arms, saying, “Congratulations on another healthy son. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 9 oz., measuring at 19 in. I expect I won’t be seeing you again next year?” he chuckled.
“No!” Flyss responded emphatically.
Oliver added, “At least we hope not.”
Glaring at him, Flyss reiterated with more emphasis than before, “NO!”
Both men chuckled. “Well, I’ll leave you two with your newest addition then. Congratulations again.” The doctor left.
Oliver smiled at his wife, kissing her on the cheek. “Flyss, you know I was just kidding, right?”
Felicity looked at him suspiciously. When he gave her a goofy grin, she lightened up a bit and sighed, “Yes, I know, Oliver. I’m sorry I’ve been so grumpy.”
“Hey, I get it. Your hormones were raging wildly. It’s no problem. I’ve been your husband for ten years now, and before that your boyfriend for three. I’ve handled women before, sweetheart. I can stand you,” he replied before kissing her.
Felicity smiled, kissing him back. After they broke it, she smiled at their son. “Look, baby, he looks like you—red hair and all.”
“Except he’s got much wavier hair than mine,” Ollie chuckled, gently planting a kiss on his son’s full head of hair. “And his eyes are more like his grandma’s than either his mommy’s or his daddy’s, but they’re still a beautiful bright blue.”
“Yeah… he’s beautiful,” Flyss whispered, snuggling up to Oliver with a yawn.
“Before you sleep, baby, we need to name him,” Oliver said softly.
Felicity gently, sleepily opened her eyes. “Oh. Yeah. You pick, honey.”
“Wilson Xavier sound good?” Ollie asked. Flyss nodded. “Alright then. Welcome to the family, Wilson Xavier Malloye.”
Ollie (34) and Flyss (33) with Amos (7), Mattie (4), Leo (2), Nat (1), Wilson (0)
YEAR ELEVEN
This year, Felicity and Oliver took precautions in order to ensure that they wouldn’t end up expecting number six so soon after Wilson joined the family. After having three within three years, both agreed it was time to take a break from having kids and let the little ones grow up a little before thinking about adding more.
Flyss wasn’t too happy, though, when Amos asked to get a pet for his birthday. “We don’t need something else to take care of,” Flyss insisted when she and Ollie discussed it. “We have three under four and two not terribly much older than that. A pet is the last thing we need right now, Ollie.”
Oliver shrugged. “I dunno, sweetie. I think Amos is old enough to take care of a pet by himself.”
“Do you really think he’s responsible enough?” Flyss asked skeptically.
Ollie took his wife into his arms, kissed her forehead, and inquired, “Do you really have to be so skeptical all the time, baby?”
Felicity sighed. “No. I suppose not. But Amos is only going to be eight, baby. I didn’t have my first pet until I was twelve.”
“Honey, think about it. We’re not your parents. We’re our own people. Do you really foresee Amos having responsibility issues?” Oliver persisted.
“No,” Flyss conceded.
“Then I think we ought to at least consider the idea seriously.”
“Fine,” Flyss gave in. “We’ll think about it.”
Their thinking about it provided a positive response. For when Amos awoke on his eighth birthday he opened his eyes to see his very own chinchilla sitting on the edge of his bed along with his parents. Amos’ eyes widened in excitement. “Is he mine?” he exclaimed.
“Yeah,” Oliver responded with a wide grin. “He’s all yours, buddy.”
Amos scooped the creature up in his arms, hugging it gently. “I love him, daddy! Thanks a million!” Amos then threw his arms around his parents. “You’re the best!”
“What’s his name, sweetie?” Felicity asked, stopping the animal from roaming too far. She placed the chinchilla back in her son’s arms with a smile. After some thought, she had realized that her son would take good care of a pet so she had no regrets today.
Amos cocked his head in thought before responding, “Chili.”
Ollie chuckled, petting the animal. “Alright then. Chili the chinchilla it is.”
Ollie (35) and Flyss (34) with Amos (8), Mattie (5), Leo (3), Nat (2), Wilson (1)
YEAR TWELVE
One night at dinner, Ollie pulled out a pamphlet and flopped it in front of his wife. “What’s this, baby?” Flyss asked, picking it up. One glance and she knew what was coming. “An exchange student? You want to host an exchange student.”
Oliver nodded. “Yeah. I think it would be a great opportunity, don’t you?” Felicity frowned. “Flyss…” Oliver scolded teasingly. “Stop with the skepticism. We’ll make sure that they know that we have little children and hopefully we’ll be placed with a student who has experience with little kids. It’s a new and great experience that I think would benefit us.”
“Fine. I think you’re right, Ollie. We just need to be sure that he—or she—is experienced around children. I don’t want someone who has never been around kids. On one condition,” Felicity responded.
“What’s that?”
“That we treat them like we would have wanted to be treated if we were an exchange student. We treat them like our family, like our own child—or younger sibling maybe. I want the year to be a good one for them. We’ll take them wherever they want to go—so long as it’s reasonable. We’ll let them be a teenager. Okay?”
Oliver chuckled and pecked his wife on the cheek. “I wouldn’t think of doing otherwise.”
When the time came, they went to the airport to pick up their exchange student—a girl from Italy by the name of Desideria. As soon as they found her, Desideria hugged each of them warmly. “Hello! I’m so glad to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Malloye. I’m Desideria. You may call me Desi. These must be your children.” She scooped up Wilson. “They’re adorable!”
Ollie, arm around Flyss’ waist, grinned. “That they are. That they are.” He kissed Flyss on the head with a smile. “Come on. Let’s get going back to the house.” He grabbed Desi’s bags and took them to the car. The kids ran ahead with Desi while Ollie and Flyss lingered a little ways behind. “See? I think this will be a great year.”
Ollie (36) and Flyss (35) with Amos (9), Mattie (6), Leo (4), Nat (3), Wilson (2)
Desideria (17) visits
YEAR THIRTEEN
As Flyss had been working only part time since the youngest three came along, it came as no surprise when, the restaurant having entered hard economic times, Flyss was laid off. Sure it was stressful, but it still did not surprise the Malloyes.
“Now what am I going to do?” Felicity asked Oliver as they sat in bed watching a movie before going to sleep. “We don’t have enough money to raise five kids on your university income, do we?”
Ollie chuckled. “We’ve always made it before now, haven’t we?”
“Barely.”
“Yeah, but we’ve always made it before now, haven’t we?” he reiterated.
Reluctantly, Felicity agreed. “Yeah. I suppose we have. But that was when I was working, baby.”
“You don’t get the point I’m trying to make, do you?” Felicity gave him a look which made it obvious that she didn’t. “Baby, I’m saying that we’ll make it work. We always have before and we’ll continue to do so. Don’t worry so much.”
“I can’t help it, Ollie,” she replied with a sigh. “That’s what mothers are supposed to do—worry for the sake of their children. What if we don’t have enough money to feed them? To keep them clothed? To keep a roof over their heads?”
Oliver turned to Felicity, cupping her face in his hands. “Felicity, I want you to know that we will be okay. I will make sure of it. You do not have to worry as long as I’m heading our family, okay?” Flyss nodded quietly as Ollie pulled her into a hug. “Now, just relax, okay?”
“Okay.”
Ollie (37) and Flyss (36) with Amos (10), Mattie (7), Leo (5), Nat (4), Wilson (3)
YEAR FOURTEEN
Randomly, one night, Oliver turned to Felicity, took her hands in his, and looked her in the eye. “Let’s go on vacation, Flyss.” Flyss opened her mouth to object but Ollie stopped her. “No, Flyss, don’t say no. I’ve secretly had a stash set aside for when we really needed it. We’ve had a stressful last couple of years, what with raising five little boys and you losing your job. Let’s go on a vacation, just you and me, somewhere we can relax and enjoy ourselves without having to worry about money and children. Okay?” Once more, Flyss opened her mouth to object. “Felicity Marla Malloye, stop with the skepticism! You know better than anyone how stressful these past five or so years have been for you. You know better than anyone how much you are in need of a break. We’re doing it. I’ve already made arrangements. Remember Desi, the exchange student we hosted a couple years back? She agreed to come watch the kids for us while we’re gone for a week or so. I have it all planned out. We’re going and nothing can stop us.”
Felicity sighed, wrapping her arms around Ollie’s neck. “Fine, but I have one condition.”
“What’s that, baby?” he asked.
Flyss planted a kiss on her husband’s lips before moving to change for bed. “We don’t return pregnant like last time,” she laughed.
Ollie joined in the laughter, getting up to change as well. “I think I can handle that,” he said, planting a kiss on her lips in passing.
“Good!” she laughed.
A couple weeks later, Ollie and Flyss boarded a plane to somewhere in the Mediterranean.
Ollie (38) and Flyss (37) with Amos (11), Mattie (8), Leo (6), Nat (5), Wilson (4)
YEAR FIFTEEN
Felicity was overjoyed when she and Ollie returned from their vacation NOT expecting number six. Unfortunately, Amos’ chinchilla Chili passed away while they were on vacation. Amos was devastated. “Mom, I miss Chili a lot,” Amos whimpered as he sat next to his mom. “Can we get another pet? Please?”
“I’ll talk it over with dad, sweetheart,” Flyss promised her oldest. “I’ll let you know when we decide, okay?” Amos nodded. “Okay. Go and play now, sweetie.” Amos hopped up and left.
That night, Flyss brought the topic up with Ollie. “Amos is really missing Chili, Ol. I wish we could do something. Do you think there is something we could do?”
Ollie nodded. “Yeah, of course there is. We could get a new pet.”
“One just for Amos?” Flyss asked. “I was honestly thinking maybe something more for all of us.” Oliver looked over at her, attempting to hide his shock. Flyss raised an eyebrow. “What? You never thought that I would suggest such a thing? Well, let me tell you something, baby. You’re wrong. I think it would be good for us to have a family pet.”
“What kind of pet did you have in mind, honey?” Ollie asked, his arm around his wife. “Something small, I’m assuming.”
Felicity bit her lip sheepishly. “Well… actually, not particularly.”
Stunned, Oliver shot up. “Say what?”
“You know how I grew up on a farm?” Felicity asked.
“Well, yeah. That’s part of the reason we ended up getting a house further out in the country. That and it was a little cheaper than city living.”
“I think it would be great to give our kids a little taste of what I had,” she continued. “We have a barn and enough room, I think. What if I were to suggest that we get a pony? Not a full on horse. Not a young horse that would grow into a full on horse. But a pony. Something that would stay smaller. It would be a little less of a hassle and it would be safer for the kids as well.”
“Well, gosh dang it, Flyss!” Ollie chuckled, pulling her closer. “I think that’s a fantastic idea. A pony it is!”
The next day, they started looking for a pony, but without telling the kids. Within a month, they had found one—a beautiful little thing, young and sweet, very good with children. Having bought her, they brought her home and introduced her to the kids. “Meet Fairy,” Flyss told the kids as they rushed to pet the pony.
“Wow, mom! This is great!” Amos exclaimed.
Ollie informed his son, “You’re sharing this one, though, Amos.”
Amos grinned. “That’s okay! I think the others’ll love him too!”
“I agree, Amos. I agree,” Flyss said with a smile at her husband.
Ollie (39) and Flyss (38) with Amos (12), Mattie (9), Leo (7), Nat (6), Wilson (5)
YEAR SIXTEEN
This past year, Ollie received a surprise. The university decided to make him head of the English department! “I think I’m one of the youngest ever to hold the position,” he chuckled when he had told his wife the news.
“That’s fantastic, baby,” Felicity smiled, kissing him. “Congratulations. This is great news.”
“I agree,” Oliver replied, kissing her again. “I say it requires a good celebration, yeah?”
“Most certainly!” Felicity turned to find the kids, calling, “Hey, boys! Guess what? Daddy got a promotion so we’re gonna go celebrate! Where do you wanna go to eat?”
Wilson instantly replied, “McDonald’s!”
“McDonald’s?” Ollie chuckled, scooping his youngest up. “I don’t think McDonald’s is a good place to go to celebrate.” Wilson’s face fell. “We’ll go get something better to eat, okay?”
“Okay!” Wilson shouted, his grin returning to his face.
The boys tossed around a few more ideas until Oliver suggested the winner. “We could always go back to your old restaurant,” he commented to Flyss. “We’re still good friends with them and I’m sure they’d love to see you back again. Probably missed you.”
Felicity smiled. “Yeah. Hopefully. I think that’s a good idea, though. Shall we fancy ourselves up then?” The boys groaned, with complaints and whines tossed in. “I take that as a no,” she laughed. “You and I can at least, Ol,” she said, turning to her husband. She kissed him lightly before adding, “Why don’t you go help the boys get ready while I get dressed myself? Then you can change. Women take longer to prepare.” She winked as she headed to the bedroom.
After everyone was ready, they left for Flyss’s old workplace. They received a hearty welcome. When the employees and employer heard the news about Ollie’s promotion, they congratulated them. Sitting at the table, Flyss toasted to Ollie’s success and good years to come.
Ollie (40) and Flyss (39) with Amos (13), Mattie (10), Leo (8), Nat (7), Wilson (6)
YEAR SEVENTEEN
Felicity returned home, pale faced and shaken, from a doctor’s appointment a couple months after the night of Ollie’s promotion. She flopped heavily onto the couch. “Oliver, get in here right now,” she called, barely managing to lift her voice that much. When he didn’t respond immediately, she lifted her voice angrily, “Oliver Kingston Malloye, I need you in here this instant!”
Ollie came rushing into the room. “Hey, hey, calm, baby, calm,” he said, sitting beside her, taking her in his arms. “What’s the matter? Something is definitely the matter. Tell me what’s the matter.” Wordlessly, Flyss slipped a piece of paper into his hands: the ultrasound that she had at her appointment today. Confused, Ollie looked at it. His face immediately paled as well. “What the heck?” he whispered. He counted. And he counted again. And he counted again. “This has got to be a joke, Felicity. How is this even possible?”
Felicity shrugged. “I’m just glad that it didn’t happen six years ago,” she mumbled almost incomprehensibly.
“No kidding,” he commented, still in shock as well.
Amos walked into the room and saw his parents looking absolutely stunned. “Whoa! Everything cool?” he asked, looking from one to the other. “Stupid question, huh?” he added after a moment’s pause. “What’s that?”
“Amos, why don’t you gather your siblings for us? We have some things to talk to you about,” Ollie said.
“Ummm… okay,” Amos replied then ran to bring his siblings into the room.
As soon as the other four boys gathered in the room, Ollie turned to Flyss. “You or me?”
“You,” Flyss whispered.
Ollie nodded then turned to the boys. Folding and unfolding his hands nervously, he began, “We have some news for you. It’s basically good but it’s definitely shocking.” The boys looked up at him expectantly. Ollie continued, “Your mother is pregnant again.” The boys murmured and cheered amongst themselves.
Amos raised his voice. “How’s that shocking, dad?”
Taking a deep breath, Oliver continued, “I was just getting to that. It’s more than one.”
“Twins?” Mattie asked. “Cool!”
Oliver bit his lip. “More than two.”
“Whoa! Three?” Leo asked.
Oliver shook his head. “There’s five.” All five boys sat still, frozen in shock. “Our numbers literally will double when they are born. But I want you boys to know that they may not all make it and they certainly won’t be healthy when they arrive. Because of how many there are, they will be really early and they will be really small. You’ll have to be careful with them.”
“But they’ll all live, right, dad?” Amos asked.
Felicity glanced at Ollie before answering, “Not necessarily, sweetie. Their chances of survival are much lower than normal babies. They may pass away because of complications.”
The boys all sobered up. Wilson’s face fell. “I hope they’re all okay,” he whimpered. “I want my baby brothers and sisters to live. I want them to be okay!”
“So do we, Will, so do we,” Ollie said. “And the doctors will do everything they can to make sure that they do live, that they are okay. Okay?” Wilson nodded. “Okay.”
A few months later, Felicity checked into the hospital so the doctors could monitor her and the babies’ health. Every day, the doctor would come in, check up on them, and tell her, “So far, so good.” And every day, the doctor would leave, leaving Felicity wondering if it really was all good.
A couple weeks after she checked in, the doctors decided it was time for the procedure. She went into surgery and a couple hours later she returned. All five babies were in the NICU. But all five babies were currently alive and currently fairly healthy considering. As soon as they could, Flyss and Ollie went to visit their babies.
“Well, we finally got a daughter,” Ollie said after a moment of silence. In fact, they had two: one with adorable blonde curls and big brown eyes, the other with thick black hair and brown eyes. “They look pretty healthy considering there were five of them and they’re so early,” he commented.
Flyss nodded. “The doctor said he was surprised how healthy they are. He thinks they’ll be able to come home within the week. Isn’t it great?”
Oliver put his arm around Felicity and kissed her head. “Yeah. It is.” The couple gazed at their children—their two girls and three boys. Two beautiful girls. Three handsome boys: one with black hair and hazel eyes, the other two identical with brown hair and hazel eyes.
“We need names…” Flyss commented after a moment. “I never thought I would need to come up with five names at once…”
Oliver chuckled, kissing her cheek. “Neither did I, baby. Neither did I. You wanna take first names and I’ll take middle?”
Flyss shrugged. “Might as well.”
For their blonde haired daughter, they chose the name Zoe Janisse.
For their black haired daughter, they chose the name Annabeth Katherine.
For their black haired son, they chose the name Isaac Richard.
For their identical sons, they chose the names Benedict Jeremiah and Abraham Victor.
“Welcome to the family, Zoe, Annabeth, Isaac, Benedict, and Abraham.”
Ollie (41) and Flyss (40) with Amos (14), Mattie (11), Leo (9), Nat (8), Wilson (7), Zoe & Anna & Isaac & Ben & Abe (0)
YEAR EIGHTEEN
What with the quintuplets growing bigger and stronger every day, it came as a surprise to Flyss when she finally managed to set up a successful catering business while still being a good, successful mother as well. The quints even gave her a name for her business: Quints’ Catering, as the catering business helped support them and most of the time Flyss had to bring the quints along with her. Which no one usually complained about.
“I can’t believe I did it!” Flyss laughed one night after the quints were in bed. “Catering and quints. Who knew it was possible to do both!”
Ollie chuckled, pulling her into his arms. “I believed in you, honey,” he whispered. “I always did, always have, always will. Even when you don’t. Heck, especially when you don’t.”
Flyss laughed, kissing him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “And this is why I love you and why you’ll always be my favorite man.”
“What? It doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that I, you know, kinda fathered your quintuplets?” he teased. Then he kissed her again.
“Well… that’s a plus,” Felicity added, laughing again. “I love when you get all jokey with me.”
“Oh, really?” he asked.
“Yeah. It’s so charming.”
“I can do charming.”
Felicity pulled away. “You don’t think I know that, baby?” she chuckled, playing with his hair.
“Oh, I think you know it better than anyone. Because it was my charm that won you over in the first place,” he teased.
“You may be charming but you certainly don’t have any humility, now do you, Oliver Malloye?” Flyss giggled. “No humility at all.”
Oliver pulled a face. “No humility? Me? What? You must be thinking of a different Oliver.”
“Oh, no, I’m definitely thinking of you, Oliver Kingston Malloye,” she responded, winking at him.
“Oh. Well, you’re right. I don’t have any humility. I’d climb the tallest mountain and shout to the world how lucky I am to have a wife who can manage to mother quints while continuing to start up a catering business. That’s definitely something to be proud of.”
“Thank you, baby,” she smiled.
Ollie (42) and Flyss (41) with Amos (15), Mattie (12), Leo (10), Nat (9), Wilson (8), Zoe & Anna & Isaac & Ben & Abe (1)
YEAR NINETEEN
“It’s been two years since the quints,” Ollie announced one night while he and Flyss were lying in bed. “Let’s go on a vacation, just you and me again. You need a break from the kids.”
Flyss looked up at Ollie. “Another vacation without the kids?” she asked. “It hasn’t been terribly long since our last one.”
“I know, I know, but a lot has happened since then,” Ollie insists. “You had the quints. You started a business. Come on, baby, I think it’s time you give yourself a break.”
Felicity sighed. “Maybe I don’t want a break.”
Oliver propped himself up on his elbow and looked at his wife in shock. “Maybe you don’t want a break? Felicity Marla Malloye, am I hearing you properly?”
Flyss laughed lightly, turning to face Ollie. “Yes, Oliver Kingston Malloye, you are. Who said I wanted a break? I love what I do. I love being a mom. I love catering. I love doing both at the same time. I don’t want a break.”
“Yes, you do.”
“What? No, I don’t. You can’t force me to go on vacation with you, Ollie,” Flyss laughed, turning back away from him.
“You do want a vacation.”
Propping herself up on her elbow once again, Felicity looked him straight in the eye and said slowly, “No, Oliver, I don’t. I’m fine without it.”
“Ha! See? You said you’re fine without it. Only fine. Not great. Not fantastic. Not wonderful. Just fine. You want a vacation and there’s no denying it.”
Felicity sighed and once again turned away from her husband. “Okay, so maybe I do. I just don’t think it’s the right time.”
“Not now. Not tomorrow. In a couple of months. It can wait.”
Felicity turned to face him again. “Fine. I’ll go. Just no more you-and-me-only vacations for awhile after that, okay?”
“Deal!”
A couple months later Ollie and Flyss were off to yet another tropical location.
Ollie (43) and Flyss (42) with Amos (16), Mattie (13), Leo (11), Nat (10), Wilson (9), Zoe & Anna & Isaac & Ben & Abe (2)
YEAR TWENTY
One day after school, Amos brought his girlfriend home with him. Felicity was sitting in the front room playing with the quints. One look at his face and she knew something was wrong. “Sit down, Amos, Cara. Tell me what happened.”
Amos, holding Cara’s hand, took a deep breath. “We made a mistake, mom.” Cara broke down in tears and buried her face in Amos’ chest. “You know how I told you that I wouldn’t ever mess around with a girl at least until I was eighteen? Well… I kinda broke that promise. Multiple times. The first time, we didn’t mean to,” he hurried to say. “We let things get too far and then we totally messed around. After that, neither of us really had the force of character to say no. I bet you can tell where this is going now, huh, mom?”
Felicity sighed, shaking her head. “Amos, Amos, Amos, I thought you were going to be a good kid, one who wouldn’t break his promises to his parents. Let me guess, you’re now expecting a baby?”
Cara nodded. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Malloye!” she sobbed. “I won’t let it happen again. After he’s born, we won’t mess around. I swear!” Cara’s whole body shook with the force of her sobs as she clung tightly to Amos. “Please don’t hate me, Mrs. Malloye. Don’t make me break up with Amos. Please!”
Flyss took a deep breath. “Let me talk to your father, Amos, before I deliver the verdict.”
Amos nodded. “Okay, mom.” As Flyss left the room, she could hear Amos comfort his girlfriend gently, saying, “Don’t worry, Cara. Mom isn’t that mean. She and dad won’t make you break up with me. They won’t make you get rid of the baby. It’s gonna be okay.” Those words of Amos’ softened Flyss’ heart.
Entering the bedroom, Flyss dialed Ollie’s number at work. When he picked up, she didn’t even greet him; she simply said, “Amos and Cara are expecting.”
“Whoa… way to break it gently to me, baby,” he chuckled.
“I don’t think we should be too harsh on them, Ollie,” Felicity continued. “Cara was so scared. She was shaking in her seat as they told me. We can’t tell them to break up. They’re going to have to raise this child on their own, Ollie.”
“I agree, honey. I think that’s the best course of action.”
“Okay. I’ll let them know, baby. Talk to you tonight. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Flyss hung up and returned to the front room. She sat down next to Amos and Cara. Gently laying a hand on Cara’s arm, she said, “Don’t worry, Cara. We aren’t going to make you break up with him. All that Ollie and I ask is that you two care for the baby yourselves. Think you can do that? You’re both getting fairly close to eighteen anyway. You’ll be eighteen within the next year and a half. You’re old enough to take responsibility for your actions.”
Cara wiped away her tears and hugged Felicity tightly. “Oh, thank you, Mrs. Malloye! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“There’s only one problem, mom,” Amos said.
Felicity looked up. “What’s that, sweetheart?”
“Cara’s parents kicked her out. They’re even stricter about this kind of thing than you and dad are. She doesn’t have anywhere to stay.”
Flyss sighed. “Well, I think we have a couple extra rooms. She can stay here. Just no messing around, you two, okay?”
Amos’ eyes lit up and he hugged his mom tightly. “Thank you so much, mom! It means the world to me.”
“I know it does, sweetie. I know it does.” Flyss hugged both of the young parents tightly.
Seven months later, Cara stayed home from school sick. In the middle of the day, she called Amos at school, in tears. “Amos, come home, please. Please come home. I can’t do this. I can’t take it anymore. It hurts too badly.”
Amos, who was in between classes, responded, “I’ll be there in a jiffy, Carebear. Just sit tight. Love you.” Hanging up, he went and checked out of school for the rest of the day, lying and telling them that he wasn’t feeling well. As soon as he arrived back home, he ran up the stairs. Passing his mom, he called to her, “Cara’s in labour!” He pushed into her room and brought her down to his car before taking her to the hospital.
Amos sat beside Cara the entire twelve hours she was in labour. When the doctor finally laid their son in Cara’s arms, Amos broke down, as did Cara. “Oh my gosh…” Amos whispered, trying to stem the tears. “Oh my gosh, Cara… oh my gosh…”
Felicity and Oliver stood nearby, arms wrapped around each other. “Our baby’s growing up,” Flyss whispered. “Look at him.”
“He’s going to be a great dad,” Ollie whispered back.
Amos kissed Cara then kissed his son’s head. “He looks like my dad,” he laughed. “Red curls, blue eyes.”
“He’s got my eyes,” Cara whispered, stroking her son’s head. “But his hair… oh, Amos, his hair! He’s going to be a handsome little man one day.”
“Yeah. That he is, our little Oliver Patrick Malloye.”
Ollie (44) and Flyss (43) with Amos, Mattie (14), Leo (12), Nat (11), Wilson (10), Zoe & Anna & Isaac & Ben & Abe (3)
Amos (17) and Cara (17) with Oliver (0)
“The world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places.
But still there is much that is fair. And though in all lands, love is now
mingled with grief, it still grows, perhaps, the greater.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Hair: red, straight
Eyes: green
Job: writer
DW: Felicity “Flyss" Marla [Rudawski] Malloye (23)
Hair: black, wavy
Eyes: hazel
Job: chef
Location: France
Ollie and Flyss met at college when Ollie, an English lit and journalism major, travelled to Flyss’s school to interview some of the culinary arts students for an article he was writing for one of his classes. Flyss was the last student he interviewed. They hit it off right away as friends. During the course of the interview, they came to realize how similar they were. When Ollie had to go, he paused at the door. “So I know this is gonna sound strange…”
“Strange? I like strange,” Flyss responded with a laugh.
Ollie shrugged. “Well… I’d like to get to know you better, Flyss. You sound like a great young woman and I think we’d get along pretty well.”
Flyss narrowed her hazel eyes, brushing back her black hair. “Where’s this going, Oliver Malloye?”
Nervously, Ollie laughed. “Well, I guess I was just wondering if you’d be down for a cell number exchange.”
Felicity threw her head back and laughed a hearty laugh. “Oh, Oliver, Oliver, Oliver! Of course I’d be down for that. I wanna get to know you better, too.” She whipped out her phone, pulled up a new contact, and handed it to him, holding out her hand for his. “The clock is ticking, Oliver. Don’t you have to leave with the rest of the group from your school?”
Ollie chuckled sheepishly. “Yeah, yeah, yeah…” He handed his phone to her, taking hers and slotting his name and number into it. When he finished, he handed it back to her, retrieving his. “Well, guess I’ll see you around, then.”
“Yeah. See you around.”
A couple days later on the weekend, the two reconnected at a coffee shop, deeply desiring to get to know the other better. They spent a long four hours simply chatting. Over the course of those four hours and the next couple months, Oliver Malloye and Felicity Rudawski became thick as thieves. “It’s a good thing our schools are so close together,” Flyss would joke.
About seven or so months after their first meeting, Ollie and Flyss were hanging out at her apartment (seeing as how she lived off campus), watching Netflix. In the middle of one of their shows, Ollie looked to Flyss, slipped his hand into hers, cupping her cheek in the other, and leaned in to kiss her lightly. Smiling, Flyss kissed him back. A moment later, she pulled away, still smiling. Ollie became nervous, though, when she did. “That… that was okay, wasn’t it?” he asked. “I didn’t do anything wrong, right? Please tell me if I did anything wrong.”
Felicity chuckled and leaned in to kiss him again, this time not as lightly as before. Pulling away from that, she whispered, “Ollie, you did absolutely the right thing.”
“Whew,” he sighed in relief. “Thank God for that. I thought for second that I might have ruined things.”
“Nah,” she responded, cuddling up to him. “You didn’t ruin anything, Ollie.”
Stroking her hair gently, he planted a kiss on the top of her head. “Good. I’d hate myself forever if I had.”
Teasingly, Felicity replied, “I think I’d hate you forever if you had, too.”
The two shared a laugh. A brief moment of silence passed as they continued watching their show on Netflix. Ollie glanced from the screen to Flyss back to the screen then back to Flyss. After a moment of this, he finally worked up the courage to ask: “Felicity Rudawski, would you go out with me?”
Felicity’s face lit up with a smile. “Of course, Oliver! I would love to go out with you.”
And that night sparked a long term relationship. Oliver Malloye and Felicity Rudawski dated for almost three years before Ollie got up the nerve to propose to her. But when he did, he made sure it was the most special event in the history of their relationship.
It was Felicity’s birthday. She was turning twenty-two. Ollie and some of their friends decided to host a surprise party for her at her apartment. Months before, Flyss had given Ollie a key so he had access to her apartment even when she wasn’t there. The group decorated, baked a cake (with the help of some of Flyss’s culinary arts friends), and planned games and activities for the entire group. When it came time for Flyss to arrive home, they turned out the lights and hid—behind couches, in closets, under the bed, wherever they could find to hide themselves. The door creaked open and the first thing Flyss saw was Ollie standing right in front of her, down on one knee.
“Ollie, baby, what are you doing?” Flyss asked with a giggle, moving to pull him to his feet.
But Oliver resisted. “No, no, no!” he protested. “Stay right there, Flyss. Stay right there.” Felicity complied, though her face screamed confusion. Nervously, fingers shaking, Ollie pulled out of his pocket a little blue velvet box. Felicity gasped. “Felicity Marla Rudawski, on this your twenty-second birthday, I, Oliver Kingston Malloye, your boyfriend of almost three years, would like the honor of asking you to marry me. So, my dear Felicity, would you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?”
Tears sprung up in Flyss’s eyes as Oliver spoke. As soon as the last word was out of his mouth, she flung her arms around his neck, buried her face in his shoulder, and whispered, “Oh, Ollie, yes!”
A year later, on Felicity’s twenty-third birthday, Felicity Rudawski became Mrs. Oliver Malloye and the newlyweds moved to France, where Flyss had a job offer.
YEAR ONE
Within the first year of their marriage, Ollie announced a big decision: he was going to return to school to get his master’s degree in English literature. Over the past couple of years, he realized that he misses his schooling. When told about his decision, Felicity was skeptical. “Ollie, honey, what if we can’t afford it? We haven’t even paid off our previous student loans. I don’t make enough money to pay bills and tuition, and you certainly don’t either. Are you sure this is the right decision, Ol?”
Oliver nodded, taking a deep breath. “Flyss, I know it seems crazy. I know we can’t technically afford it. But I know it’s the right decision. I can just feel it in my gut. I need to go back to school. We’ll find some way to pay for it. I can get a couple part time jobs if necessary. It’s not like my books have done terribly well. I can continue to write while studying and working as well. We can do this, baby.”
Felicity sighed, curling up next to him. “If you really think it’s the best idea, Ollie, I trust you. You know what you can handle better than I do. I trust you.”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” Oliver said with a smile, kissing Felicity’s head.
A couple months later, Ollie had a school picked out. Much to his and Felicity's surprise, he received a fair amount of scholarship and grant money. He was overjoyed. “See, honey? I told you it would all come through!”
Ollie (25) and Flyss (24)
YEAR TWO
Since Ollie decided last year to return to school, both he and Flyss worked harder than ever before. Ollie picked up a couple part time jobs while continuing to write. Flyss worked long hours at the restaurant while also attempting to run a catering business on the side. Neither allowed themselves any sick days. They both knew they couldn’t afford it at this point in time.
Over the summer, Flyss’s boss approached her. “Felicity, I have seen how hard you work. I think you deserve a vacation,” he told her.
“But—“ she began to protest.
“Uh, uh, uh!” the boss scolded her. “You’ve not missed a single day, Felicity. You work harder than the vast majority of my employees. You need a break. Take your husband and go on vacation.”
Tears came to Felicity’s eyes. “Thank you so much.”
“It’s my pleasure, Felicity. It’s my pleasure.”
That day, Flyss arrived home late to find Ollie working in his study on his latest book. Coming up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning over his shoulder. “Hey, baby,” she greeted him. “How goes the work?”
“Not good. Not good at all,” he groaned, pulling his chair out from his desk.
Flyss moved to sit on his lap, facing him. “I’m sorry, baby,” she replied, then kissed him lightly. “Why don’t you take a break for a little while?”
“That’s just it,” he sighed heavily, messing with her hair absentmindedly. “I’ve been taking a break on this for awhile now. I need to get back to work on it. I’m just stuck.”
“Bad case of writer’s block?” she asked gently. Ollie nodded. “I think we need a change of scenery for a little bit, honey.” Oliver looked at her, a strange expression on his face. “Don’t give me that look, Oliver Kingston Malloye,” she teased, planting a kiss on his head. “You know what I mean and you know that we both need some time off.”
Oliver sighed heavily again. “But can we afford it, sweetheart?”
Felicity chuckled and kissed him lightly again. “Yes. I think we can. My boss told me to take some time off. I think it’s time we take him up on that, don’t you?”
Oliver grinned a sideways grin. “I definitely think we deserve a break.”
“Then let’s do it,” she announced definitively. “Let’s go on a trip to Britain or Italy or somewhere obscure even. Let’s take a break and just kick back and relax. Okay?”
“Okay,” he responded and kissed her again.
A couple weeks later, Ollie and Flyss had their entire trip planned out. Flyss informed her boss; Ollie informed his. And before they knew it they were off on a trip to the Netherlands.
Ollie (26) and Flyss (25)
YEAR THREE
Last year while they were on their trip, Flyss and Ollie were able to enjoy more time together than they had had the privilege to in years. This included time together in public but also much more time together in private. A couple months after they returned from their trip, Felicity discovered something huge.
Coming home from a doctor’s appointment one day after feeling off for a couple weeks, Felicity sat down, stunned on the couch. Ollie, in his study working, heard her come in and joined her in the living room. As soon as he saw her face, he could tell that something was up. “Flyss, is everything alright, baby?”
She nodded, but her face was drawn and pale. She definitely suffered from a state of shock. “Ollie, we were planning on having kids one day, right?”
Oliver gave her a funny look, sitting down next to her and pulling her close to him. “Yeah,” he replied, kissing her head. “Why?”
“Because that day is today,” she whispered.
Oliver’s face lit up. “Flyssy, honey, that’s great news. Why do you look like you got hit by a bus?” he laughed, kissing her forehead. “Lighten up, baby. This is great news. We’re going to be parents! You and me, Felicity Marla Malloye. You and me are going to be parents.”
“I’m just not sure I’m ready yet, Ollie,” she responded, her voice quieter than a mouse’s squeak. “I don’t think I can be a mother. Not yet. Not now.”
Oliver’s brow knit. “Why’s that, sweetheart? I think you’ll be a great mother.”
“I’m too busy,” she responded, turning to face him, looking him in the eye. “I can’t work and raise a child. Plus, we need the money, Ol. You’re still in school. Raising a baby is incredibly expensive. Do you think that we can do it what with you in school and working two jobs and me working full time too?”
Oliver cupped Felicity’s face in his hands. Flyss turned her gaze away from his. “Flyss, look at me, baby.” Sheepishly, she looked up, locking eyes with her husband. “Flyss, we can do this. I have faith in us. You’ll get maternity leave and when you return, we can always hire someone to watch the baby. We’ll make ends meet somehow, sweetheart. Don’t worry about it. Our dreams are coming true, sweetie. We’re going to be parents.”
Flyss blinked back tears and whispered, “Okay, Ollie. Okay.”
Six months later, Flyss woke up in the middle of the night in terrible pain. Wincing, she curled up next to Ollie, clinging tightly to him, which woke him up. With a yawn, he sat up and glanced at her. One look and he knew she was in labour. “Flyss, baby, you okay?” She shook her head. “I think it’s maybe time to get you into the hospital.” She nodded. “Can you walk?” Flyss shook her head again. Rolling out of bed, Ollie scooped her up and carried her to the car where everything was already waiting. Kissing her head, he reassured her that everything was going to be okay.
After the short drive to the hospital and getting checked in, Flyss was in labour for a long twenty-one hours before giving birth. The doctor laid a small bundle in her arms. “Congratulations,” he told them. “He weighs in at about 6 lbs. 15 oz. which is a little on the small side but he’s a healthy boy. He measures at about 16 in. Don’t worry about him. He’ll grow. He’s healthy and strong, despite being small.”
Flyss gazed on her firstborn child with tears in her eyes, Ollie looking proudly over her shoulder. Absentmindedly, Flyss let her fingers rub his full head of black curls, gazing at his big lie eyes. “He’s beautiful, baby,” Ollie whispered in his wife’s ear. “He’s absolutely beautiful.” Flyss smiled up at her husband weakly. “What’s the matter, baby?” he asked her.
“He reminds me of my baby brother,” she whispered, her lip quivering. When she was about ten, her mother gave birth to a little boy, not much smaller than her son, who had a heart condition and passed away within days of his birth. It caused great pain and sorrow in the Rudawski family.
Sitting down next to his wife, Ollie wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close. “How about we name him after your brother then? Our baby is going to grow big and strong and he won’t pass away like your brother. He’s going to live. It’ll be okay.”
“You’re okay with naming him after my baby brother?” Flyss asked quietly.
Ollie nodded. “Of course. I wouldn’t be prouder to accept his name as my son’s.”
Flyss smiled for the first time since her son was born. “Amos Joachim, you’ll grow up to be a big strong boy. You’ll make your uncle proud.”
Ollie (27) and Flyss (26) with Amos (0)
YEAR FOUR
This past year, after Flyss returned to work when Amos was a little older, she received news that she was going to be going on a trip for work, traveling with her boss for a meeting with some important restauranteurs in Japan. Flyss had become one of the most important employees at the restaurant, hence why her boss chose her to join him on this trip. “But why me? Surely, you could’ve chosen anyone else,” she questioned her boss, not disrespectfully.
“You are important, Felicity,” he reiterated. “You are one of the most valuable chefs at my restaurant. You are one of the best. Of course I would bring my top chef with me to this meeting.”
Felicity wasn’t convinced. “Come on. I can’t honestly be the best chef you have. What about Ben? He’s way more skilled than I am. Or Dominique? She could easily out-cook me. Surely you could have picked someone else.”
Her boss shot her a look which clearly read “if you dare to cross me again, I will pick someone else”. He began slowly, “I understand if you’re worried about your son and husband. You do not need to worry, Felicity. Truly, you don’t want to give up this once in a lifetime opportunity, do you?”
Flyss took a deep breath and shook her head. “No, I don’t. But you’re right. I am worried about Amos and Ollie. But I suppose they can survive without me for a week.”
“That’s the spirit.”
When Felicity returned home that night, she waited to tell Oliver the news until Amos was in bed. “Ollie, honey, would you be okay if you were left alone with Amos for a week?”
Oliver gave her a strange look. “Yeah. I could manage him by myself. Why?”
Flyss bit her lip. She paused. “I’m going on a business trip to Japan,” she replied in haste. “But it’s not for about a month. I just wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I gave this opportunity up. We’re meeting with some important restauranteurs and chefs in Japan and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. You have to understand that I have to take it.”
Laughing, Ollie pulled her into a hug. “Of course I understand, sweetheart. And I wouldn’t think of keeping you back from it. Go! Enjoy yourself. And take plenty of pictures for me to see when you return home.”
“Oliver Kingston, did I ever tell you how much I love you?” she chuckled, arms around his neck, smiling widely.
Ollie paused, teasingly thinking about it. “You know, I think you may have, once or twice. But I’d love to hear it again.”
“Oliver Kingston Malloye, I love you more than you could ever imagine,” she replied.
“Good. Because I love me more than I could ever imagine too,” Ollie teased. Then, kissing her lightly, he added, “Oh, I love you a lot, too.”
About a month later, Ollie and Amos waved goodbye to Flyss as she took off for Japan.
Ollie (28) and Flyss (27) with Amos (1)
YEAR FIVE
When Flyss returned home after her trip to Japan, the first thing she did was give Amos a big hug. The second thing she did was kiss her husband. The third thing she did was to make an announcement. “Ollie, we’re moving!”
Oliver stared blankly at her. “We’re what?”
“We’re moving!” Felicity exclaimed again.
“Why?” Oliver asked, confused. “I thought we liked it here.”
Felicity laughed lightly, kissing him again. “We do, but I think we’ll like it even better where we’re going. You won’t have to stumble over your French anymore.”
Ollie groaned. “Please tell me we aren’t moving to Germany. German is much worse than French.”
Flyss laughed again. “No, Ollie! We’re moving to Britain! London, to be exact.”
“London, huh? May I inquire as to why?” Oliver asked again.
“Well, while I was in Japan, my boss announced that he was funding his brother, who lives in London, to start up another restaurant by the same name but across the channel. And guess who he wants to be the head chef there? Guess, Ollie. Just guess!”
“Hmmm… would it by any chance be the most beautiful woman in the world? Also known as my wife,” he responded. Rather than replying, Felicity nodded and kissed him deeply. Pulling away after a moment, Ollie commented, “That’s great news, baby. When?”
“Couple of months,” Flyss responded, taking Ollie’s hand as they headed back to the car. “They still need to actually get things rolling. Such as find a location. And other chefs. There’s a lot of work to go into it still.”
“Good. Gives us some time to find a place of our own,” Ollie responds.
“Precisely,” Flyss said with a smile.
As soon as they got home, Flyss went to unpack while Ollie went to look into available homes. “There’s a lot of expensive things here, honey,” he called to her. “How are we going to pick?”
Flyss poked her head out of their room. “Maybe we should look into somewhere that isn’t London proper,” she suggested. “Somewhere nearby but not within the actual city limits. That would make it a little less spendy, don’t you think?”
“Good idea,” Ollie responded.
After about a month of searching, they found a place that they thought would work so they went ahead and got the ball rolling for rent-to-own. About a month later, the Malloyes were packing up and figuring out what they could get rid of. About three weeks later, they were on their way to Britain.
Ollie (29) and Flyss (28) with Amos (2)
YEAR SIX
This last year, Ollie released his fifth novel. In between novels, he had published several short stories as well as landed a job as a journalist/columnist. The Malloyes sure received a surprise when Ollie’s novel won an award.
“I can’t believe it!” Ollie exclaimed when they found out. “Me? Winning an award? And it’s not just any award. It’s a prestigious award! This is so great, Flyss!”
Felicity agreed, kissing him passionately as a congratulatory gift. “I think this calls for a celebration, don’t you, Ol?” she asked.
Oliver paused. “Yeah. You know what, yeah. I do. We haven’t gone out as a family in awhile. Let’s go do something. Go watch a movie. Go get dinner. Go do something. I don’t care. This just deserves us doing something to celebrate.” Suddenly, a flash of brilliance popped into Ollie’s head. “I know. Let’s get dressed up and go eat at your restaurant, Flyss. It’s your night off. Let’s go be patrons for once.”
Felicity smiled, eyes glimmering proudly. “I agree. I think this calls for a fancy dinner.”
With a kiss from her husband, Flyss went to dress Amos in his fancy attire before joining Ollie in the bedroom to change herself. By the time the family had all dressed, they looked ready for a fancy, black tie event. Which in a way this was.
Ollie (30) and Flyss (29) with Amos (3)
YEAR SEVEN
Amos turned four this year. Ever since their move to Britain, Flyss and Ollie had been trying for another baby but with no luck. They decided to look into whether they were having fertility problems, seeing as how it took a couple of years of trying before they had Amos and it’s not been several years since they started trying again. When they received the test results, it did indeed appear that they had a little bit of fertility issues.
That night, while in bed, Flyss whispered, “Ollie, I don’t know what to do. I want another child. I don’t want Amos to be alone. He needs someone other than his parents. He needs a sibling. What should we do? Do we try the fertility treatments?”
For a moment, Ollie didn’t reply. Then his voice came out of the darkness, “Felicity, sweetheart, I think we should try as hard as we can for another child. We should try the treatments, but I think that maybe we should adopt too. We’d briefly discussed it before and what better time to adopt than when we’re wanting another child?”
Felicity smiled, even though she knew her husband couldn’t see it. “You know, Ollie, that’s a brilliant idea. I like that. Let’s look into it as soon as possible.”
The next day, while Flyss was at work, Ollie began looking into adoptions. Over the next several months, they began the process and were matched up with a child—a nine-month-old boy from India named Madhu Nitya. Flyss and Ollie got to meet the boy before deciding that he was the one for their family. When they took him home, they renamed him Matthew Nitya, calling him Mattie.
Amos, now four years old, immediately fell in love with his baby brother. He always wanted to hold him (as best as the little four-year-old could hold the growing nine-month-old) and play with him. Amos and Mattie became fast friends from the start.
“I’m so glad that Amos and Mattie get along well,” Flyss commented one evening soon after they brought Mattie home as they watched their sons play. “That was honestly my biggest worry, that Amos wouldn’t take it well.”
Ollie, arm around his wife’s shoulders, smiled. “Yeah. But he’s a good kid. I’m not sure why you were worried, sweetheart.”
“I’m not sure either…”
Ollie (31) and Flyss (30) with Amos (4), Mattie (1)
YEAR EIGHT
Little less than three months after they adopted Mattie, Ollie and Flyss discovered that they were expecting. All Flyss could do was laugh. “Of course this would happen!” she chuckled when she returned from the doctor’s appointment. “As soon as we’ve adopted one, we end up expecting one. The irony…”
Ollie laughed along with her. “Yeah, that’s the way these things work, isn’t it?” he commented, hugging her. “At least Mattie will be almost two when the baby is born so it’s not like they’ll be incredibly close in age.”
“That sure is a relief!” Flyss sighed. “I don’t think we could handle that many so close in age. With Amos being five and Mattie begin almost two when the baby will be born, I think everything will work out okay. The only thing we’ll have to worry about is jobs and money. Fortunately our sanity will be intact.”
Oliver laughed heartily. “Oh, yes, indeed!”
As Felicity grew closer to her due date, Amos and Mattie got increasingly more interested in the baby. “Mommy, why are you getting fatter with this baby? You didn’t when you had Mattie.”
Flyss pulled Amos into a hug. “Honey, this time mommy has the baby inside her. With Mattie… well, Mattie had a mommy before me, one who had Mattie growing inside her before he was born. But his mommy couldn’t take care of him and so we got to bring Mattie home to live with us so we could take care of him. With this baby, mommy has the baby inside of her. That’s why I’m getting bigger. It’s because of the baby.”
“Ohhhh! I see,” Amos replied, though Felicity could tell that he didn’t really. But she was okay with that. Amos was still a little boy and didn’t need to understand fully. “When will the baby come, mommy?” he asked.
“The baby should be here in a couple months,” she responded. “Mommy will have to go to the hospital where the baby will come and doctors will help mommy have the baby. Afterwards, you can come visit us. Okay?”
“Okay, mommy!” Amos replied enthusiastically.
Sure enough, a couple months later, Felicity was rushed to the hospital because she was in labour. Similar to Amos’ birth, Flyss was in labour for almost twenty-two hours before she gave birth. The doctor laid another son in her arms, congratulating her once more. “This big guy is quite healthy. He weighed in at almost 10 pounds, measuring 21 inches. You’ve got a big boy here this time, Felicity. Congratulations.”
Felicity held her brown-haired, hazel-eyed son close to her bosom, smiling as Ollie sat next to her. Oliver leaned down and kissed her head, kissing his son’s head as well. “We have a beautiful family, baby,” he said with a smile. “He’s beautiful, just like his mother and his brothers.”
Flyss kissed Ollie lightly. “Yeah. And just like his daddy, too.”
“Aw, shucks,” Ollie replied teasingly. “What are we naming him?”
Flyss thought for a moment. “I’ll choose the middle name, you choose the first name, okay?”
“Uhhh… okay,” Ollie replied with a chuckle. “How about… Leo?”
Flyss glanced at their now sleeping son. “Leo. Huh… fits him well. Leo Francis?”
Oliver kissed his wife once again before responding, “Leo Francis Malloye it is.”
Ollie (32) and Flyss (31) with Amos (5), Mattie (2), Leo (0)
YEAR NINE
This past year, Felicity and Oliver stopped with the fertility treatment but not before it worked its wonders once again. When she noticed that her baby weight wasn’t going away, Flyss decided to go in for an appointment to make sure that everything was okay. Everything was indeed fine but she also discovered the reason why she wasn’t able to lose her baby weight. She was putting on more, in fact, because she was expecting again.
Coming home from the appointment, Flyss was in tears. “Ollie, what on earth are we going to do? What on earth are we going to do? Mattie is only two and Leo will barely be one! We can’t! This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening!” She collapsed into his arms, a complete and utter wreck.
“Whoa, whoa, hold up there, baby,” Ollie comforted her, holding her close, rocking her gently. “Tell me what’s up. What happened at the appointment that’s making you so upset?” Felicity mumbled something into his chest. “What’s that, sweetie? I couldn’t hear you.”
“I’m pregnant,” she mumbled, her words mixed with tears.
Oliver blinked in confusion. “Run that past me one more time, baby.”
“I’m pregnant!” she exclaimed, pulling out of his grasp and beginning to pace. “I’m pregnant, Oliver! I’m pregnant! Again! Again! We almost ran into issues with Leo. We can’t have another baby at this time. How am I supposed to raise four kids and work? It’s not possible! It’s just not possible!” The tears running down her cheeks, Flyss collapsed onto the ground, a crumpled mess of tears and running mascara. “We can’t… we can’t…” she continued to mumble.
Sweetly, gently, Ollie sat next to her on the ground, pulling her onto his lap, stroking her hair. He planted a kiss on the top of her head, holding her tightly, closely. “Baby, it’s gonna be okay. You can quit your job and I’ll get some part time jobs. You can even go part time at your job, too. We’ll be fine. Don’t worry. We always managed to make ends meet before. We have nothing to worry about. We can parent four children, Flyss, and still be okay financially. You just have to believe.”
Sniffling, Flyss sat up and dried her tears on her sleeve as she raised her gaze to meet Ollie’s. “Promise?”
Ollie noded, kissing her head lightly. “Promise.”
Sure enough, seven or so months later, Flyss was once again in the hospital in labour. Fortunately for her, this time her labour only lasted seven hours rather than twenty-something. After she gave birth, the doctor laid her third biological son in her arms. “He’s a healthy one, too, Felicity. You have no cause to worry. He weighed in at 8 lb. 2 oz. and measures at 19 in. Congratulations.”
Felicity held her newest son close, tears rolling down her cheeks. Despite her skepticism and pessimism of the months before, now that she held the beautiful, brown-curled, brown-eyed boy in her arms she couldn’t help but love him with all her heart. “How could I ever not have wanted you?” she whispered softly. “How could I ever think that things wouldn’t work out?”
Ollie sat beside her, arm around her shoulders, smiling proudly down at his newest son. “Baby, you can’t stop making beautiful baby boys, now can you?” he chuckles. “Think next time we could have a girl?” He winked.
But Flyss didn’t catch it. “Next time? Next time? Who said there’s going to be a next time? And even if there is, Ollie, it’s not going to be for a couple of years if I have my way. I’m not having another baby for at least two years, if not closer to three or four. I’m sorry, Ollie, but I just can’t handle it.”
Oliver chuckled, pulling her closer to him, planting a kiss on her temple. “Baby, I wasn’t insinuating that we will. Okay?”
Breaking down in tears again, Flyss nodded, her body shaking. “Okay, baby. Okay,” she whispered. “Okay.”
Once again, Ollie planted a kiss on her head. “Now… what are we going to name our little brown-eyed beauty?”
Flyss looked at her son. “Nathaniel Quentin Malloye.”
Ollie (33) and Flyss (32) with Amos (6), Mattie (3), Leo (1), Nat (0)
YEAR TEN
“Ollie, you’d think we were still on the fertility treatment!” Felicity angrily greeted her husband when she returned from a doctor’s appointment one day three or so months after Nat’s birth. “We’re pregnant. Again. For the third time in three years! This is freaking ridiculous, Oliver! We can’t keep this up!” Felicity raged around the bedroom while Oliver sat meekly on the bed, the kids playing in the front room. “No more kids after this, Ollie! None! I’m not going to deal with this again!”
Oliver stood up and wrapped Flyss in a hug. “Hey, shhh, shhh, honey,” he crooned, rubbing her back as she released the tension she was holding at his touch. “Shhh… shhh… we’re going to be okay, baby. We’re going to be okay. I have a job offer at the university nearby. I’m going to take it, baby. We’ll have a little more money than when we were both working only part time jobs. It’s going to be okay. We’re going to be okay.”
Felicity had broken down into tears moments before, slumping against Ollie, a broken, weeping mess. Clinging to him, she refused to let go, mumbling continuously about how they wouldn’t be able to handle it, how she was never going to have kids again, how she was going to have to start working again, etc., etc., etc. It amused Oliver how angry she was about all this. He planted a kiss on her forehead before laughing, “Baby, calm down. Your hormones are raging something fierce. We’re going to be fine. You won’t have to start working full time again. You won’t have to have kids again if you don’t want to. I won’t make you. Everything is going to be okay.”
“Stop laughing at me!” Flyss sobbed. “Stop laughing at me! It’s not funny, Oliver! It’s not funny!” She tried to pull away, but when he wouldn’t let go, she began pounding on his chest. “It’s not funny,” she wept. “It’s not funny…”
“Baby, I’m not saying it is,” Oliver comforted her. “You just need to calm down. You’re letting things get way out of hand. You’re jumping to conclusions. Let’s go watch a movie with the kids. I’ll order takeout and we’ll just have a relaxing night with the family, okay? You’ll feel better after that.”
Wiping away her tears, Flyss nodded. “Okay,” she replied stuffily.
Seven months later, Flyss lay in the hospital bed in labour. It was even shorter this time than with Nat—a total of five hours before the doctor delivered another son. He laid the little boy in his parents’ arms, saying, “Congratulations on another healthy son. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 9 oz., measuring at 19 in. I expect I won’t be seeing you again next year?” he chuckled.
“No!” Flyss responded emphatically.
Oliver added, “At least we hope not.”
Glaring at him, Flyss reiterated with more emphasis than before, “NO!”
Both men chuckled. “Well, I’ll leave you two with your newest addition then. Congratulations again.” The doctor left.
Oliver smiled at his wife, kissing her on the cheek. “Flyss, you know I was just kidding, right?”
Felicity looked at him suspiciously. When he gave her a goofy grin, she lightened up a bit and sighed, “Yes, I know, Oliver. I’m sorry I’ve been so grumpy.”
“Hey, I get it. Your hormones were raging wildly. It’s no problem. I’ve been your husband for ten years now, and before that your boyfriend for three. I’ve handled women before, sweetheart. I can stand you,” he replied before kissing her.
Felicity smiled, kissing him back. After they broke it, she smiled at their son. “Look, baby, he looks like you—red hair and all.”
“Except he’s got much wavier hair than mine,” Ollie chuckled, gently planting a kiss on his son’s full head of hair. “And his eyes are more like his grandma’s than either his mommy’s or his daddy’s, but they’re still a beautiful bright blue.”
“Yeah… he’s beautiful,” Flyss whispered, snuggling up to Oliver with a yawn.
“Before you sleep, baby, we need to name him,” Oliver said softly.
Felicity gently, sleepily opened her eyes. “Oh. Yeah. You pick, honey.”
“Wilson Xavier sound good?” Ollie asked. Flyss nodded. “Alright then. Welcome to the family, Wilson Xavier Malloye.”
Ollie (34) and Flyss (33) with Amos (7), Mattie (4), Leo (2), Nat (1), Wilson (0)
YEAR ELEVEN
This year, Felicity and Oliver took precautions in order to ensure that they wouldn’t end up expecting number six so soon after Wilson joined the family. After having three within three years, both agreed it was time to take a break from having kids and let the little ones grow up a little before thinking about adding more.
Flyss wasn’t too happy, though, when Amos asked to get a pet for his birthday. “We don’t need something else to take care of,” Flyss insisted when she and Ollie discussed it. “We have three under four and two not terribly much older than that. A pet is the last thing we need right now, Ollie.”
Oliver shrugged. “I dunno, sweetie. I think Amos is old enough to take care of a pet by himself.”
“Do you really think he’s responsible enough?” Flyss asked skeptically.
Ollie took his wife into his arms, kissed her forehead, and inquired, “Do you really have to be so skeptical all the time, baby?”
Felicity sighed. “No. I suppose not. But Amos is only going to be eight, baby. I didn’t have my first pet until I was twelve.”
“Honey, think about it. We’re not your parents. We’re our own people. Do you really foresee Amos having responsibility issues?” Oliver persisted.
“No,” Flyss conceded.
“Then I think we ought to at least consider the idea seriously.”
“Fine,” Flyss gave in. “We’ll think about it.”
Their thinking about it provided a positive response. For when Amos awoke on his eighth birthday he opened his eyes to see his very own chinchilla sitting on the edge of his bed along with his parents. Amos’ eyes widened in excitement. “Is he mine?” he exclaimed.
“Yeah,” Oliver responded with a wide grin. “He’s all yours, buddy.”
Amos scooped the creature up in his arms, hugging it gently. “I love him, daddy! Thanks a million!” Amos then threw his arms around his parents. “You’re the best!”
“What’s his name, sweetie?” Felicity asked, stopping the animal from roaming too far. She placed the chinchilla back in her son’s arms with a smile. After some thought, she had realized that her son would take good care of a pet so she had no regrets today.
Amos cocked his head in thought before responding, “Chili.”
Ollie chuckled, petting the animal. “Alright then. Chili the chinchilla it is.”
Ollie (35) and Flyss (34) with Amos (8), Mattie (5), Leo (3), Nat (2), Wilson (1)
YEAR TWELVE
One night at dinner, Ollie pulled out a pamphlet and flopped it in front of his wife. “What’s this, baby?” Flyss asked, picking it up. One glance and she knew what was coming. “An exchange student? You want to host an exchange student.”
Oliver nodded. “Yeah. I think it would be a great opportunity, don’t you?” Felicity frowned. “Flyss…” Oliver scolded teasingly. “Stop with the skepticism. We’ll make sure that they know that we have little children and hopefully we’ll be placed with a student who has experience with little kids. It’s a new and great experience that I think would benefit us.”
“Fine. I think you’re right, Ollie. We just need to be sure that he—or she—is experienced around children. I don’t want someone who has never been around kids. On one condition,” Felicity responded.
“What’s that?”
“That we treat them like we would have wanted to be treated if we were an exchange student. We treat them like our family, like our own child—or younger sibling maybe. I want the year to be a good one for them. We’ll take them wherever they want to go—so long as it’s reasonable. We’ll let them be a teenager. Okay?”
Oliver chuckled and pecked his wife on the cheek. “I wouldn’t think of doing otherwise.”
When the time came, they went to the airport to pick up their exchange student—a girl from Italy by the name of Desideria. As soon as they found her, Desideria hugged each of them warmly. “Hello! I’m so glad to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Malloye. I’m Desideria. You may call me Desi. These must be your children.” She scooped up Wilson. “They’re adorable!”
Ollie, arm around Flyss’ waist, grinned. “That they are. That they are.” He kissed Flyss on the head with a smile. “Come on. Let’s get going back to the house.” He grabbed Desi’s bags and took them to the car. The kids ran ahead with Desi while Ollie and Flyss lingered a little ways behind. “See? I think this will be a great year.”
Ollie (36) and Flyss (35) with Amos (9), Mattie (6), Leo (4), Nat (3), Wilson (2)
Desideria (17) visits
YEAR THIRTEEN
As Flyss had been working only part time since the youngest three came along, it came as no surprise when, the restaurant having entered hard economic times, Flyss was laid off. Sure it was stressful, but it still did not surprise the Malloyes.
“Now what am I going to do?” Felicity asked Oliver as they sat in bed watching a movie before going to sleep. “We don’t have enough money to raise five kids on your university income, do we?”
Ollie chuckled. “We’ve always made it before now, haven’t we?”
“Barely.”
“Yeah, but we’ve always made it before now, haven’t we?” he reiterated.
Reluctantly, Felicity agreed. “Yeah. I suppose we have. But that was when I was working, baby.”
“You don’t get the point I’m trying to make, do you?” Felicity gave him a look which made it obvious that she didn’t. “Baby, I’m saying that we’ll make it work. We always have before and we’ll continue to do so. Don’t worry so much.”
“I can’t help it, Ollie,” she replied with a sigh. “That’s what mothers are supposed to do—worry for the sake of their children. What if we don’t have enough money to feed them? To keep them clothed? To keep a roof over their heads?”
Oliver turned to Felicity, cupping her face in his hands. “Felicity, I want you to know that we will be okay. I will make sure of it. You do not have to worry as long as I’m heading our family, okay?” Flyss nodded quietly as Ollie pulled her into a hug. “Now, just relax, okay?”
“Okay.”
Ollie (37) and Flyss (36) with Amos (10), Mattie (7), Leo (5), Nat (4), Wilson (3)
YEAR FOURTEEN
Randomly, one night, Oliver turned to Felicity, took her hands in his, and looked her in the eye. “Let’s go on vacation, Flyss.” Flyss opened her mouth to object but Ollie stopped her. “No, Flyss, don’t say no. I’ve secretly had a stash set aside for when we really needed it. We’ve had a stressful last couple of years, what with raising five little boys and you losing your job. Let’s go on a vacation, just you and me, somewhere we can relax and enjoy ourselves without having to worry about money and children. Okay?” Once more, Flyss opened her mouth to object. “Felicity Marla Malloye, stop with the skepticism! You know better than anyone how stressful these past five or so years have been for you. You know better than anyone how much you are in need of a break. We’re doing it. I’ve already made arrangements. Remember Desi, the exchange student we hosted a couple years back? She agreed to come watch the kids for us while we’re gone for a week or so. I have it all planned out. We’re going and nothing can stop us.”
Felicity sighed, wrapping her arms around Ollie’s neck. “Fine, but I have one condition.”
“What’s that, baby?” he asked.
Flyss planted a kiss on her husband’s lips before moving to change for bed. “We don’t return pregnant like last time,” she laughed.
Ollie joined in the laughter, getting up to change as well. “I think I can handle that,” he said, planting a kiss on her lips in passing.
“Good!” she laughed.
A couple weeks later, Ollie and Flyss boarded a plane to somewhere in the Mediterranean.
Ollie (38) and Flyss (37) with Amos (11), Mattie (8), Leo (6), Nat (5), Wilson (4)
YEAR FIFTEEN
Felicity was overjoyed when she and Ollie returned from their vacation NOT expecting number six. Unfortunately, Amos’ chinchilla Chili passed away while they were on vacation. Amos was devastated. “Mom, I miss Chili a lot,” Amos whimpered as he sat next to his mom. “Can we get another pet? Please?”
“I’ll talk it over with dad, sweetheart,” Flyss promised her oldest. “I’ll let you know when we decide, okay?” Amos nodded. “Okay. Go and play now, sweetie.” Amos hopped up and left.
That night, Flyss brought the topic up with Ollie. “Amos is really missing Chili, Ol. I wish we could do something. Do you think there is something we could do?”
Ollie nodded. “Yeah, of course there is. We could get a new pet.”
“One just for Amos?” Flyss asked. “I was honestly thinking maybe something more for all of us.” Oliver looked over at her, attempting to hide his shock. Flyss raised an eyebrow. “What? You never thought that I would suggest such a thing? Well, let me tell you something, baby. You’re wrong. I think it would be good for us to have a family pet.”
“What kind of pet did you have in mind, honey?” Ollie asked, his arm around his wife. “Something small, I’m assuming.”
Felicity bit her lip sheepishly. “Well… actually, not particularly.”
Stunned, Oliver shot up. “Say what?”
“You know how I grew up on a farm?” Felicity asked.
“Well, yeah. That’s part of the reason we ended up getting a house further out in the country. That and it was a little cheaper than city living.”
“I think it would be great to give our kids a little taste of what I had,” she continued. “We have a barn and enough room, I think. What if I were to suggest that we get a pony? Not a full on horse. Not a young horse that would grow into a full on horse. But a pony. Something that would stay smaller. It would be a little less of a hassle and it would be safer for the kids as well.”
“Well, gosh dang it, Flyss!” Ollie chuckled, pulling her closer. “I think that’s a fantastic idea. A pony it is!”
The next day, they started looking for a pony, but without telling the kids. Within a month, they had found one—a beautiful little thing, young and sweet, very good with children. Having bought her, they brought her home and introduced her to the kids. “Meet Fairy,” Flyss told the kids as they rushed to pet the pony.
“Wow, mom! This is great!” Amos exclaimed.
Ollie informed his son, “You’re sharing this one, though, Amos.”
Amos grinned. “That’s okay! I think the others’ll love him too!”
“I agree, Amos. I agree,” Flyss said with a smile at her husband.
Ollie (39) and Flyss (38) with Amos (12), Mattie (9), Leo (7), Nat (6), Wilson (5)
YEAR SIXTEEN
This past year, Ollie received a surprise. The university decided to make him head of the English department! “I think I’m one of the youngest ever to hold the position,” he chuckled when he had told his wife the news.
“That’s fantastic, baby,” Felicity smiled, kissing him. “Congratulations. This is great news.”
“I agree,” Oliver replied, kissing her again. “I say it requires a good celebration, yeah?”
“Most certainly!” Felicity turned to find the kids, calling, “Hey, boys! Guess what? Daddy got a promotion so we’re gonna go celebrate! Where do you wanna go to eat?”
Wilson instantly replied, “McDonald’s!”
“McDonald’s?” Ollie chuckled, scooping his youngest up. “I don’t think McDonald’s is a good place to go to celebrate.” Wilson’s face fell. “We’ll go get something better to eat, okay?”
“Okay!” Wilson shouted, his grin returning to his face.
The boys tossed around a few more ideas until Oliver suggested the winner. “We could always go back to your old restaurant,” he commented to Flyss. “We’re still good friends with them and I’m sure they’d love to see you back again. Probably missed you.”
Felicity smiled. “Yeah. Hopefully. I think that’s a good idea, though. Shall we fancy ourselves up then?” The boys groaned, with complaints and whines tossed in. “I take that as a no,” she laughed. “You and I can at least, Ol,” she said, turning to her husband. She kissed him lightly before adding, “Why don’t you go help the boys get ready while I get dressed myself? Then you can change. Women take longer to prepare.” She winked as she headed to the bedroom.
After everyone was ready, they left for Flyss’s old workplace. They received a hearty welcome. When the employees and employer heard the news about Ollie’s promotion, they congratulated them. Sitting at the table, Flyss toasted to Ollie’s success and good years to come.
Ollie (40) and Flyss (39) with Amos (13), Mattie (10), Leo (8), Nat (7), Wilson (6)
YEAR SEVENTEEN
Felicity returned home, pale faced and shaken, from a doctor’s appointment a couple months after the night of Ollie’s promotion. She flopped heavily onto the couch. “Oliver, get in here right now,” she called, barely managing to lift her voice that much. When he didn’t respond immediately, she lifted her voice angrily, “Oliver Kingston Malloye, I need you in here this instant!”
Ollie came rushing into the room. “Hey, hey, calm, baby, calm,” he said, sitting beside her, taking her in his arms. “What’s the matter? Something is definitely the matter. Tell me what’s the matter.” Wordlessly, Flyss slipped a piece of paper into his hands: the ultrasound that she had at her appointment today. Confused, Ollie looked at it. His face immediately paled as well. “What the heck?” he whispered. He counted. And he counted again. And he counted again. “This has got to be a joke, Felicity. How is this even possible?”
Felicity shrugged. “I’m just glad that it didn’t happen six years ago,” she mumbled almost incomprehensibly.
“No kidding,” he commented, still in shock as well.
Amos walked into the room and saw his parents looking absolutely stunned. “Whoa! Everything cool?” he asked, looking from one to the other. “Stupid question, huh?” he added after a moment’s pause. “What’s that?”
“Amos, why don’t you gather your siblings for us? We have some things to talk to you about,” Ollie said.
“Ummm… okay,” Amos replied then ran to bring his siblings into the room.
As soon as the other four boys gathered in the room, Ollie turned to Flyss. “You or me?”
“You,” Flyss whispered.
Ollie nodded then turned to the boys. Folding and unfolding his hands nervously, he began, “We have some news for you. It’s basically good but it’s definitely shocking.” The boys looked up at him expectantly. Ollie continued, “Your mother is pregnant again.” The boys murmured and cheered amongst themselves.
Amos raised his voice. “How’s that shocking, dad?”
Taking a deep breath, Oliver continued, “I was just getting to that. It’s more than one.”
“Twins?” Mattie asked. “Cool!”
Oliver bit his lip. “More than two.”
“Whoa! Three?” Leo asked.
Oliver shook his head. “There’s five.” All five boys sat still, frozen in shock. “Our numbers literally will double when they are born. But I want you boys to know that they may not all make it and they certainly won’t be healthy when they arrive. Because of how many there are, they will be really early and they will be really small. You’ll have to be careful with them.”
“But they’ll all live, right, dad?” Amos asked.
Felicity glanced at Ollie before answering, “Not necessarily, sweetie. Their chances of survival are much lower than normal babies. They may pass away because of complications.”
The boys all sobered up. Wilson’s face fell. “I hope they’re all okay,” he whimpered. “I want my baby brothers and sisters to live. I want them to be okay!”
“So do we, Will, so do we,” Ollie said. “And the doctors will do everything they can to make sure that they do live, that they are okay. Okay?” Wilson nodded. “Okay.”
A few months later, Felicity checked into the hospital so the doctors could monitor her and the babies’ health. Every day, the doctor would come in, check up on them, and tell her, “So far, so good.” And every day, the doctor would leave, leaving Felicity wondering if it really was all good.
A couple weeks after she checked in, the doctors decided it was time for the procedure. She went into surgery and a couple hours later she returned. All five babies were in the NICU. But all five babies were currently alive and currently fairly healthy considering. As soon as they could, Flyss and Ollie went to visit their babies.
“Well, we finally got a daughter,” Ollie said after a moment of silence. In fact, they had two: one with adorable blonde curls and big brown eyes, the other with thick black hair and brown eyes. “They look pretty healthy considering there were five of them and they’re so early,” he commented.
Flyss nodded. “The doctor said he was surprised how healthy they are. He thinks they’ll be able to come home within the week. Isn’t it great?”
Oliver put his arm around Felicity and kissed her head. “Yeah. It is.” The couple gazed at their children—their two girls and three boys. Two beautiful girls. Three handsome boys: one with black hair and hazel eyes, the other two identical with brown hair and hazel eyes.
“We need names…” Flyss commented after a moment. “I never thought I would need to come up with five names at once…”
Oliver chuckled, kissing her cheek. “Neither did I, baby. Neither did I. You wanna take first names and I’ll take middle?”
Flyss shrugged. “Might as well.”
For their blonde haired daughter, they chose the name Zoe Janisse.
For their black haired daughter, they chose the name Annabeth Katherine.
For their black haired son, they chose the name Isaac Richard.
For their identical sons, they chose the names Benedict Jeremiah and Abraham Victor.
“Welcome to the family, Zoe, Annabeth, Isaac, Benedict, and Abraham.”
Ollie (41) and Flyss (40) with Amos (14), Mattie (11), Leo (9), Nat (8), Wilson (7), Zoe & Anna & Isaac & Ben & Abe (0)
YEAR EIGHTEEN
What with the quintuplets growing bigger and stronger every day, it came as a surprise to Flyss when she finally managed to set up a successful catering business while still being a good, successful mother as well. The quints even gave her a name for her business: Quints’ Catering, as the catering business helped support them and most of the time Flyss had to bring the quints along with her. Which no one usually complained about.
“I can’t believe I did it!” Flyss laughed one night after the quints were in bed. “Catering and quints. Who knew it was possible to do both!”
Ollie chuckled, pulling her into his arms. “I believed in you, honey,” he whispered. “I always did, always have, always will. Even when you don’t. Heck, especially when you don’t.”
Flyss laughed, kissing him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “And this is why I love you and why you’ll always be my favorite man.”
“What? It doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that I, you know, kinda fathered your quintuplets?” he teased. Then he kissed her again.
“Well… that’s a plus,” Felicity added, laughing again. “I love when you get all jokey with me.”
“Oh, really?” he asked.
“Yeah. It’s so charming.”
“I can do charming.”
Felicity pulled away. “You don’t think I know that, baby?” she chuckled, playing with his hair.
“Oh, I think you know it better than anyone. Because it was my charm that won you over in the first place,” he teased.
“You may be charming but you certainly don’t have any humility, now do you, Oliver Malloye?” Flyss giggled. “No humility at all.”
Oliver pulled a face. “No humility? Me? What? You must be thinking of a different Oliver.”
“Oh, no, I’m definitely thinking of you, Oliver Kingston Malloye,” she responded, winking at him.
“Oh. Well, you’re right. I don’t have any humility. I’d climb the tallest mountain and shout to the world how lucky I am to have a wife who can manage to mother quints while continuing to start up a catering business. That’s definitely something to be proud of.”
“Thank you, baby,” she smiled.
Ollie (42) and Flyss (41) with Amos (15), Mattie (12), Leo (10), Nat (9), Wilson (8), Zoe & Anna & Isaac & Ben & Abe (1)
YEAR NINETEEN
“It’s been two years since the quints,” Ollie announced one night while he and Flyss were lying in bed. “Let’s go on a vacation, just you and me again. You need a break from the kids.”
Flyss looked up at Ollie. “Another vacation without the kids?” she asked. “It hasn’t been terribly long since our last one.”
“I know, I know, but a lot has happened since then,” Ollie insists. “You had the quints. You started a business. Come on, baby, I think it’s time you give yourself a break.”
Felicity sighed. “Maybe I don’t want a break.”
Oliver propped himself up on his elbow and looked at his wife in shock. “Maybe you don’t want a break? Felicity Marla Malloye, am I hearing you properly?”
Flyss laughed lightly, turning to face Ollie. “Yes, Oliver Kingston Malloye, you are. Who said I wanted a break? I love what I do. I love being a mom. I love catering. I love doing both at the same time. I don’t want a break.”
“Yes, you do.”
“What? No, I don’t. You can’t force me to go on vacation with you, Ollie,” Flyss laughed, turning back away from him.
“You do want a vacation.”
Propping herself up on her elbow once again, Felicity looked him straight in the eye and said slowly, “No, Oliver, I don’t. I’m fine without it.”
“Ha! See? You said you’re fine without it. Only fine. Not great. Not fantastic. Not wonderful. Just fine. You want a vacation and there’s no denying it.”
Felicity sighed and once again turned away from her husband. “Okay, so maybe I do. I just don’t think it’s the right time.”
“Not now. Not tomorrow. In a couple of months. It can wait.”
Felicity turned to face him again. “Fine. I’ll go. Just no more you-and-me-only vacations for awhile after that, okay?”
“Deal!”
A couple months later Ollie and Flyss were off to yet another tropical location.
Ollie (43) and Flyss (42) with Amos (16), Mattie (13), Leo (11), Nat (10), Wilson (9), Zoe & Anna & Isaac & Ben & Abe (2)
YEAR TWENTY
One day after school, Amos brought his girlfriend home with him. Felicity was sitting in the front room playing with the quints. One look at his face and she knew something was wrong. “Sit down, Amos, Cara. Tell me what happened.”
Amos, holding Cara’s hand, took a deep breath. “We made a mistake, mom.” Cara broke down in tears and buried her face in Amos’ chest. “You know how I told you that I wouldn’t ever mess around with a girl at least until I was eighteen? Well… I kinda broke that promise. Multiple times. The first time, we didn’t mean to,” he hurried to say. “We let things get too far and then we totally messed around. After that, neither of us really had the force of character to say no. I bet you can tell where this is going now, huh, mom?”
Felicity sighed, shaking her head. “Amos, Amos, Amos, I thought you were going to be a good kid, one who wouldn’t break his promises to his parents. Let me guess, you’re now expecting a baby?”
Cara nodded. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Malloye!” she sobbed. “I won’t let it happen again. After he’s born, we won’t mess around. I swear!” Cara’s whole body shook with the force of her sobs as she clung tightly to Amos. “Please don’t hate me, Mrs. Malloye. Don’t make me break up with Amos. Please!”
Flyss took a deep breath. “Let me talk to your father, Amos, before I deliver the verdict.”
Amos nodded. “Okay, mom.” As Flyss left the room, she could hear Amos comfort his girlfriend gently, saying, “Don’t worry, Cara. Mom isn’t that mean. She and dad won’t make you break up with me. They won’t make you get rid of the baby. It’s gonna be okay.” Those words of Amos’ softened Flyss’ heart.
Entering the bedroom, Flyss dialed Ollie’s number at work. When he picked up, she didn’t even greet him; she simply said, “Amos and Cara are expecting.”
“Whoa… way to break it gently to me, baby,” he chuckled.
“I don’t think we should be too harsh on them, Ollie,” Felicity continued. “Cara was so scared. She was shaking in her seat as they told me. We can’t tell them to break up. They’re going to have to raise this child on their own, Ollie.”
“I agree, honey. I think that’s the best course of action.”
“Okay. I’ll let them know, baby. Talk to you tonight. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Flyss hung up and returned to the front room. She sat down next to Amos and Cara. Gently laying a hand on Cara’s arm, she said, “Don’t worry, Cara. We aren’t going to make you break up with him. All that Ollie and I ask is that you two care for the baby yourselves. Think you can do that? You’re both getting fairly close to eighteen anyway. You’ll be eighteen within the next year and a half. You’re old enough to take responsibility for your actions.”
Cara wiped away her tears and hugged Felicity tightly. “Oh, thank you, Mrs. Malloye! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“There’s only one problem, mom,” Amos said.
Felicity looked up. “What’s that, sweetheart?”
“Cara’s parents kicked her out. They’re even stricter about this kind of thing than you and dad are. She doesn’t have anywhere to stay.”
Flyss sighed. “Well, I think we have a couple extra rooms. She can stay here. Just no messing around, you two, okay?”
Amos’ eyes lit up and he hugged his mom tightly. “Thank you so much, mom! It means the world to me.”
“I know it does, sweetie. I know it does.” Flyss hugged both of the young parents tightly.
Seven months later, Cara stayed home from school sick. In the middle of the day, she called Amos at school, in tears. “Amos, come home, please. Please come home. I can’t do this. I can’t take it anymore. It hurts too badly.”
Amos, who was in between classes, responded, “I’ll be there in a jiffy, Carebear. Just sit tight. Love you.” Hanging up, he went and checked out of school for the rest of the day, lying and telling them that he wasn’t feeling well. As soon as he arrived back home, he ran up the stairs. Passing his mom, he called to her, “Cara’s in labour!” He pushed into her room and brought her down to his car before taking her to the hospital.
Amos sat beside Cara the entire twelve hours she was in labour. When the doctor finally laid their son in Cara’s arms, Amos broke down, as did Cara. “Oh my gosh…” Amos whispered, trying to stem the tears. “Oh my gosh, Cara… oh my gosh…”
Felicity and Oliver stood nearby, arms wrapped around each other. “Our baby’s growing up,” Flyss whispered. “Look at him.”
“He’s going to be a great dad,” Ollie whispered back.
Amos kissed Cara then kissed his son’s head. “He looks like my dad,” he laughed. “Red curls, blue eyes.”
“He’s got my eyes,” Cara whispered, stroking her son’s head. “But his hair… oh, Amos, his hair! He’s going to be a handsome little man one day.”
“Yeah. That he is, our little Oliver Patrick Malloye.”
Ollie (44) and Flyss (43) with Amos, Mattie (14), Leo (12), Nat (11), Wilson (10), Zoe & Anna & Isaac & Ben & Abe (3)
Amos (17) and Cara (17) with Oliver (0)
“The world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places.
But still there is much that is fair. And though in all lands, love is now
mingled with grief, it still grows, perhaps, the greater.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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