The murky sunlight streamed through the small window and into a small and dingy unfinished room.
Inside, a young mother stood near the cradle of her infant son, cooing softly at the baby. She gazed into his big, new eyes, and examined the teeny-tiny fingernails on his hands. Suddenly, all at once, the child reached up, aiming for the woman's bright red glasses. She laughed, pulling away from the small grabbing hands.
"He's beautiful, Astrid."
"Mmm," she replied, returning the child to his little bassinet. "He's perfect."
"Mmm," she replied, returning the child to his little bassinet. "He's perfect."
Her fiancé, Mitchell, reaches out to stroke her cheek. The young family shares a brief moment of closeness, of timelessness, before the infant starts to cry.
"Feeding time!" Astrid declares, pulling a breast from her top to suckle the child. Mitchell smiles, unable to believe his good fortune.
No, not like that! He means his family, his life. The house is small, yes, and sparsely furnished. They don't have much money and are both working as much as possible just to make ends meet. He left his friends in a rather stylish house in another part of town to be with Astrid, the love of his life and his soulmate. Being penniless was part of being a legacy founder, but for her, it was worth it.
Once, people set out to start legacies in order to be great, to be admired. But legacies were overdone and done to death and most of them failed on account of watchers growing bored of watching them. Astrid hadn't started it for the glory - the glory would belong to her children. Nor had Astrid started it for the money, as clearly they had none. Astrid had started her legacy for a vastly different reason.
She had lost a bet with her sisters.
She had lost a bet with her sisters.
Mitchell shook his head, smiling at the thought. Of all the reasons to leave everything behind and start over in a new town with tuppence to your name...a bet?
But Astrid came from a rather large family, born somewhere in the middle of eight children. She hadn't told Mitchell all the details, but he was sure he would find out in time. She did tell him that a rather secluded existence away from the chaos of all her siblings was a welcome change. Furthermore, being forced to start this thing she would never finish hadn't left her bitter - it wasn't like she had dreamed of fame and fortune. No, all she had ever wanted was to be an artist, and to maybe have a small family of her own. It was hardly like she [i]couldn't[/i] do that as a legacy founder in Oasis Springs.
In fact, the little room constantly smelled of oils and watercolours, acrylics and temperas. And Mitchell had to admit, he was impressed with just how much Astrid's work was bringing in. More than his career in comedy, at any rate. She had managed, with her art, to go from a small assortment of things on a lawn, to the small hut they now lived in in only a few weeks based on her income from her artwork.
They had met, funnily enough, in a museum on Astrid's first day in town. Too poor yet to have the funds even for an easel of her own, she had used the one at the museum to build up enough skill to earn a promotion at work. While there, she had also spent some time socializing with the other visitors to the museum, getting to know some of them. Mitchell had simply been among that number.
But then he dropped by her "house" some time later, and the two became friends. That was when he really got to know her. And, well, he'd found her attractive before, but now there was...something more between them. Mitchell had never been one to rush into things, really, but something about Astrid Childer just felt...right to him.
But then he dropped by her "house" some time later, and the two became friends. That was when he really got to know her. And, well, he'd found her attractive before, but now there was...something more between them. Mitchell had never been one to rush into things, really, but something about Astrid Childer just felt...right to him.
But then he dropped by her "house" some time later, and the two became friends. That was when he really got to know her. And, well, he'd found her attractive before, but now there was...something more between them. Mitchell had never been one to rush into things, really, but something about Astrid Childer just felt...right to him.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
When Astrid finished feeding Bjoren, the babe was nearly asleep. Sighing, she returned him to the cradle and turned to join her fiancé on the bed.
"We should talk," she said, sitting down on the bed next to him.
Mitchell smiled smoothly - if this had panicked him in any way, he was sure not to show it. "Sure, Sweetheart, what do you want to talk about?"
Mitchell smiled smoothly - if this had panicked him in any way, he was sure not to show it. "Sure, Sweetheart, what do you want to talk about?"
She took a deep breath, as if mulling over what she wanted to say. Finally, she just came out with it.
"I want us to get married, Mitchell. Tomorrow."
"I want us to get married, Mitchell. Tomorrow."
He nodded, rather pathetically. "Um, tomorrow?"
"Sure, we can do it! Have a big wedding with an arch in the backyard and invite all our friends. I can wear a dress, and if we're careful about it, we can probably return the arch and most of our things for a full refund. You know, 'cause we're on a tight budget.
I know we're in a tight spot, right now, and probably will be for a while, but I really think we can do it, and I want to get married before Bjoren gets much older."
I know we're in a tight spot, right now, and probably will be for a while, but I really think we can do it, and I want to get married before Bjoren gets much older."
Mitchell smiled nervously. Not because he didn't want to marry this woman - in fact, he wanted nothing more. No, it was more because of the cost. He sighed - he reminded himself of his father the way he was suddenly worried about the cost of every little thing. He didn't want to elope - hell, he knew Astrid didn't want to elope. A grand event would be exactly what both of them wanted. But could they afford it?
"Don't get me wrong," he said, treading lightly, "I really want all that, too. I just don't know if we can justify it right now, Astrid."
"Don't get me wrong," he said, treading lightly, "I really want all that, too. I just don't know if we can justify it right now, Astrid."
"I mean, there's not just the arch and a few chairs, there's the bar and the bartender and the catering and the cake, and we'd need to take time off work, and, well, not to mention the steep cost of hosting a party to begin with."
"You doubt too much," Astrid interrupted. "I have the day off tomorrow, and if we're smart about it, we can finish with enough time for you to go to work at 5 pm."
"You doubt too much," Astrid interrupted. "I have the day off tomorrow, and if we're smart about it, we can finish with enough time for you to go to work at 5 pm."
"Can't we just elope? It's so much cheaper."
"Mitchell, I am no typical legacy founder - and a shotgun private wedding? That is incredibly typical legacy founder. Carpe Diem - neither of us are going to live forever, let's enjoy life while while it lasts. If you don't figure something out, I will."
Mitchell shook his head - lost for words. All this time, he had been lead to believe that she was the reasonable one.
"And Mitchell," Astrid ventured,
"What?"
"Mitchell, I am no typical legacy founder - and a shotgun private wedding? That is incredibly typical legacy founder. Carpe Diem - neither of us are going to live forever, let's enjoy life while while it lasts. If you don't figure something out, I will."
Mitchell shook his head - lost for words. All this time, he had been lead to believe that she was the reasonable one.
"And Mitchell," Astrid ventured,
"What?"
"I love you," she said, leaning in to kiss him. He wasn't about to stop her.
"I love you, too," he said.
And then he knew that he needed to make this happen.
"I love you, too," he said.
And then he knew that he needed to make this happen.