The First Snow of Winter - Part Five

Posted on Wed Nov 30th, 2022 @ 6:11am by Grand Admiral April Yamaguchi

Mission: Mission 116: All Along the Watchtowers - Part One
Location: Various Locations - Starbase 12
Timeline: 1745Hrs - December 11th, 2393

"I'm not happy." Kimora declared at the assembled gathering.

"You are never happy. You are dedicated to making yourself miserable." Torilla answered before she huffed a sigh at her twin. "This is nothing new..." she added.

"You are always too happy. I think you enjoy it." Kimora answered.

"I'd call that a distinction without a difference," Torilla answered. "Besides. It's adorable that you're always so angry." the nine-year-old couldn't resist taking a shot at her twin. The look in Kimora's eyes indicated she landed a hit with that comment.

"I don't think that word means what you think it means honey." Raymond took that moment to come back into the conversation. "This is not adorable." he gently placed his hand on his younger sisters shoulder. It was a reminder that he was there and she needed to calm it down.

The second nine-year-old child huffed a sigh before Torilla turned to her mother. "Why are we all here anyway?" She inquired, rather than trade barbs with her twin.

"We're here because your sibling does not like Raymond," April commented. The lack of any surprise on her daughter's face indicated that this was all old news to Torilla. "Yeah... What else is new?" the nine-year-old asked. "This is really old news mom," she added.

"I was the eldest... It was my responsibility..." Kimora protested angrily.

"Kimora. Look at yourself..." Torilla answered. "Really... Is that what all of this is about...?" the nine-year-old sighed.

"Of course..." April commented quietly. "Responsibility... That's what all of it was about. From start to finish... You thought that with Kris and Paige having left home and joined Starfleet that you were now the eldest and I was going to be expecting you to do everything and help with my burdens." she explained to her daughters and Ramond.

"Yeah," Kimora answered. Before she let out a soft growl which indicated her displeasure for all to see and hear.

"Kimora. Never once have I asked you for help with Braden or Haiyan..." April answered. "I didn't need it. I had Franklin and the two holo-nannies." she clarified. "It was the same with Paige and Kris when you guys were little. You guys are not meant to help me because I'm the parent. It's my job in life to raise you guys. To look after you." April explained in gentle tones. She knew both her daughters were angry and she wanted to calm them both.

Torilla regarded her mother in silence before she opened her mouth. "At the end of it all. Does it even matter Kimora.?" she asked her sibling while she was looking at her mother. "We have noisy siblings who wake us up most nights... It happens." she then shrugged. "I hate it too but it is what it is..." the pre-teen then shrugged as if to say she did not care. Which she really didn't.

"They wake you more than they wake me..." Kimora answered. "How is it that you're okay with it?" she asked her twin.

Torilla laughed at that statement. "Okay?" she asked her sibling before she turned her attention to her mother. "How is me losing my mind because I don't get enough sleep, okay?" she pressed on, steamrolling over her twin's protests. "At what point in time is me screaming about matters at hand going to help anyone?" Torilla turned to Raymond. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Raymond asked a question in response to a question.

"Does the noise of demanding infants bother you?" April asked of Raymond in gentle tones.

"Of course it does..." Raymond answered. "It bothers us all... But they can't help it. It's not their fault. They are infants and that's what they do." Raymond shrugged as if he did not care about the matter. Which he more or less didn't. "They will grow out of it sooner or later and then we can all get a decent amount of sleep." he indicated April. "Kimora. What about mom...?" he asked the other child before him. "How does mom here feel about getting woken up in the middle of the night to tend to screaming infants...?" he asked. "Have you considered that... You get to roll over and then fight for sleep... So do I... But at times. I will get up and go find out what's going on... Because while dad does it from time to time. It's usually mom who looks after it and she does have other things to deal with. Considering what she does for a living..." he added.

"My plate is always a full one," April explained. "I thought I had taught you this young lady but clearly my efforts here have been a colossal failure." she then let out a long sigh. "Kimora. I had not asked for help with Haiyan or Braden. Because I knew it would cause you guys far too many issues and concerns..."

Kimora sighed. "It's unfair!"