Family Growth

[Cerise Allard]

Cess could admit that her life had been on a steady incline of just good things, running into Levi had been a welcome and loving experience, she could hardly believe that now, they were living together in the farm house in Boston. She had taken a job in Boston, using her talents for television and transfer them here, it was a different pace but she loved it all the same. Getting married had been a nice thing, a little accomplishment, and she at this point could not imagine her life without him. For Cerise truly, running into her old friend had proved to just about be the best thing to happen in her life after Jon and Sam. However, this Christmas was more important that most others, her entire family, well, namely, her two children were celebrating with them in Boston. She had taken great care in setting up the house, getting help from Levi and his magic whenever she needed it, after all, too much strenuous activity was not something advised, and Levi did seem acutely concerned whenever she balanced on a chair, but everything was perfect, the dinner was all set up and she was glancing around at the people at the table with nothing but pride and love on her face.

But, Cess had an announcement which was part of the reason for such a celebration this year which was not like the last years. Cess looked between the familiar faces, so proud of what her two sons had become, how handsome they both were, a proud mother she felt she could be, felt that she was, although they had both left the house young she knew she had tried to do what was right by them. She clearly her throat, and after sharing a knowing glance with Levi she got up, holding up her class of sparkling water and smiling at them, "Levi and I have a little announcement," she said in far less accented English than it used to be, and without even realising it, her hand rest just below her stomach, her little family was growing, she was about two months along and felt a little odd being a little older than most and having a baby, but she was assured by levi that the magic would help the young baby growing inside of her. She was nervous about telling them, not wanting for them to feel like she was abandoning them, creating a family without them. Cess wanted nothing more than for them to be a whole family, she knew how difficult it was to raise children alone, and though this time she was certain she'd have Levi it would also be good to have her two boys by her side also.
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[Samuel Phillips]

Samuel wasn't usually the kind of person to enjoy Christmas. In fact, he dreaded the holiday for many reasons. Reasons that differed depending on the happenstances of his life however reasons enough to cause him to want to skip the holiday in its entirety whenever it hung around the corner. In early years, he dreaded it because of the presence of his biological mother, ignoring him whichever way she could. In his late adolescence, he dreaded it because of the absence of his biological mother and father, the reminder of how early on they passed away in his life and the empty chairs at the table where they should and would have sat. In his mid twenties he dreaded the food, and the pressure to eat to his hearts content as well as the incessant nagging of the consequences all the food would cause on his body. Now the dread was less of a problem, more of a lingering feeling than one that ruined the holiday for him as Cess, his mother in every possible way bar genetically, made it perfect with her presence and happiness. And with the addition of Levi to the family in recent years the happiness was more apparent and equally as infectious.

Samuel could not wipe the smile from his face as the family sat at the table, ready to eat their Christmas dinner and make the most of such a worthwhile holiday while it lasted. He picked up his glass of champagne, holding it elegantly by the stem as Charlotte demonstrated to him and sipping from the glass. Placing it back on the table, Samuel's attention was drawn to Cess who stood up, in turn raising the glass of sparkling water she insisted on drinking. Such a decision regarding Cess' drink earlier on in the day confused Sam to say the least as Cess was of french decent however her tone of voice and the way her hand moved to her lower stomach suddenly made her unusual decision all too obvious and Samuel didn't need to wait for Levi's words to make an educated guess to what they would be. His eyebrows raised expectantly and his eyes moved between both Cess and Levi as he anticipated what this announcement would be despite the painfully obvious hints and the surprise Samuel was feeling about it all.
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[Levi Prescott]

Running into Cess two years ago was a coincidence that had changed Levi's life forever and for the better. He was less of a workaholic now, more of a family man who spent his spare time working around the quaint farm house he now shared with Cess in Boston rather than spreading himself too thin and letting his life be taken over with his actual work and such a change would only become more apparent in the following months. On top of that he was married to the most beautiful woman in the world, one who understood him more than he knew himself sometimes and in many ways was his best friend. Levi had told Cess many times and even on their wedding day that their reuniting had to be fate and that he regretted wasting so many years out of contact with her. The quidditch coach couldn't have asked for anything more in his life and for that christmas day he was spending with his beloved wife and her two sons to be any more perfect. They finished sharing gifts, stories and were on the cusp of sharing food and more importantly, the couple were about to make a very important announcement. One that Levi could barely contain and was forced to hide behind an even wider smile than usual if such a feat were possible.

He returned Cess' knowing glance and allowed her to stand up and hold her glass of sparkling water as she announced that there was an announcement. Levi then took his own opportunity to stand up, holding his glass of champagne in the air and telling the two younger boys at the table about the bundle of joy that would change their lives forever. It had been two months of knowing and waiting for the most opportune moment to deliver the news and Levi was glad it would be happening on that christmas day. A joyous holiday on it's own made more so with the promise of a child. Levi moved his free hand to Cess' and held it affectionately before he took a deep breath and exclaimed "Cess and I are having a baby!" When the words left his mouth he felt as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. It was now time for due celebration so Levi raised his glass of champagne further into the air, saying "Here's to being a bigger, more loving family" as he waited for everyone else to follow in his actions.
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[Jon Phillips]

Adjusting to the change in his life that was Levi's addition to the family was difficult for Jon in the beginning, and still was despite the amount of time that passed. His relationship with the older man who was now his step-father had smoothed over somewhat, but Jon still felt at unease when he was required to attend christmas or other related family events such as birthdays and Cess and Levi's dreaded wedding anniversary. Most of the time he was forced to grit his teeth through the events and swallow any anxiety he felt about being replaced and forgotten as he once was as a child, simply for the sake of his mother's happiness. His reaction to their wedding announcement was sour at best, dramatic in every respect and ever since he had regretted it because he had rained on his mother's parade. Acting in such a way again was never something Jon wanted to do. His mother deserved to be happy after raising him alone during his teenage years and throughout a significant part of his childhood and it would be cruel and selfish of him to deny her that.

However that day, Jon felt as if every part of his brain was being tested to it's limits. With Cess acting unusual, choosing water over champagne and Levi's suspiciously happy smile that made Jon want to vomit all over the table as the four of them sat down to begin their christmas dinner. The day had gone well despite the couple's behavior. Jon had received a model aeroplane kit which was the best present he could have asked for to cultivate his newly discovered interest in aviation and the rest of the family enjoyed the gifts he chose for them. It was seemingly a good christmas besides the weird behavior Jon had noticed and he nearly forgot about said behavior until they were about to eat and Cess chose that particular moment to stand up and make an announcement. Jon was ignorant to Cess' body language as he usually was though Levi's words were not something his mind could brush over. The words 'Cess and I are having a baby' could not be denied no matter how much Jon wished he was able to do that and the sickness he was feeling began to churn his insides further around as he sat at the table, refusing to move nor take part in the cheers Levi was attempting to initiate. Any hint of colour had left Jon's face as well as any form of expression as he took it all in, scared of being replaced more than ever in the changes Levi had caused within his family.​

 

[Cerise Allard]

Cerise was rather glad she had left the annoucement for this moment, of course they had to make it at some point, but this was the best time to do it, surrounded by her family at an event that would only grow with people, she more than expected both her sons to eventually begin bringing their own partners to christmas dinner and she couldn't wait to bring her own addition to the family, of course Levi had been an addition, but for her this addition, this new coming addition was the best thing that could possibly come, she knew that she wasn't a young mother and being a little older than most she knew what people might think of her, but Cess was so excited to be having this child with Levi, everything in her life had always been pretty amazing, good job, two amazing sons but he had only improved it, and they'd be starting their own little family and this prospect brought nothing but joy for her. She couldn't wait to have a little family, well to let her little family grow again by just a little. Cess was of course nervous for her sons to find out, she didn't want them to think that anything would really change with them, it was just a new addition to the family, but she knew that it wouldn't be easy to hear and given the age gap between them she couldn't help but feel a little nervous about their reaction.

Cerise looked to Levi as he spoke the words, smiling encouragingly at him, raising the glass of her fizzy water and then looking to her two sons, trying to gage their reaction to the news, but Cess couldn't help but be happy regardless, she wanted them all to be a family together, it would have to be. But in the same way, if they were unhappy about it, she'd expect them both to at least be happy for her and Levi, she could understand why they might not like it, but she didn't need to know that, they didn't need to tell her that. Cess just smiled at them both raising her glass with Levi and sipping from it after the small toast, "I'm a couple of months along, you both are the first ones we've told," Cess said to them, "We're both very excited," Cess then added as she then placed her glass upon the table once more, "We know this is really big news, but Levi and I couldn't be happier about it,"
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