Nothing Lasts Forever (1 Year later)

You can only try so hard. Something changed between me and Kaila that honeymoon. I don't know what it was really, but somehow it just didn't work. She did everything I asked, and I think I did everything she asked, but.... it just didn't work.

Maria had left the next morning quite regretfully. Her phone alarm had been a nightmare and she'd stumbled to the bathroom naked before seeming to realize where she was. When she had composed herself that it hadn't been just a really great dream, she had kissed me goodbye without even letting me get out of bed as she rushed out the door. Apparently she had to be on shift which I later found out she had told me the night before. If only I had spoken Spanish. At any rate, I got her number, a promise to call, and an extremely **** kiss goodbye.

Nikki ended up never heading back to Chicago. After Maria had woken us up, she had cast about for her phone, and discovered that her husband had gotten arrested. Apparently there'd been an incident at her cousin's wedding and he was asking for bail money. Nikki had taken one look at the happy couple on the couch and hung up. Charlotte and Helen had eagerly agreed that Nikki could stay for a little while, which would have been great had not things turned out the way they did.

Kaila didn't really start things out great the next morning by telling me that we were going to be giving her sister a ride home. She backtracked and apologized, but the damage was done. She hadn't really even thought about me when making the arrangements, just assumed I'd be fine with whatever. As a result the ride home was a bit chillier than I would have expected, but fortunately it was only a couple hours.

We were halfway across the golden gate bridge when we got the call from Helen that the Apartment had been vandalized and that they needed help. Which was how I ended up on the couch for about a week while we scrambled and negotiated with my apartment complex manager to rent us another couple units. Fortunately there was space available, but rental policies insisted on a bedroom for every single adult. I know... who the hell makes up these rules?

It was fortunate that we had the extra space however, when Maria ended up transferring stations. She and Nikki had hit it off so well that the two of them had begun talking constantly. Nikki seemed to enjoy the role of home maker, especially when she and Maria both ended up pregnant at the same time.

That was a bit of a shocker, I must admit. I was expecting my wife to get pregnant. I was not expecting five other women to also be expecting. It just so happened that I ended up taking care of late night excursions to the grocery store for three apartments. And I found that I just didn't spend as much time at one apartment in particular. The one with the woman I was married to. Kaila looked beautiful with her peacock feather sleeve and swelling belly, but there was something that was missing when we talked. I'd try to talk with her the way I used to, but I'd realize that I had never really talked to her that way.

Carla was gung ho about the tattoo idea, and even got hers before Kaila did. Helen had been quite happy to sketch another design for Carla, and the hot rod flames up her right arm complimented the maternity wear quite well. I found that I still loved our times sitting on the couch watching dumb shows, and wouldn't trade it for the world.

But what really shocked me was how I felt about Maria and Nikki. The two of them just seemed delighted every time I came into the apartment across the way. It wasn't like they were trying to steal me from Kaila, I don't think. They just were... there fore me. Kaila would expect business as usual, and when I'd try to point out that it wasn't quite fair, we'd have a fight, and I'd end up over at Maria's. Over and over. Carla would just stay out of it, but eventually we realized that the marriage just didn't work.

When we filed for divorce Kaila was still pregnant. She asked me to take our baby, and said she didn't want any reminders of the relationship. She was angry, and I think she said a lot of things she didn't mean. She moved out of Carla's apartment, leaving me with a room of my own for the first time in forever. I just never felt the need to stay there. I hoped... well, I hoped Kaila was Ok, but apart from the occasional call assuring me she was fine, she was gone. Danny's got a lot of mom's but I do wish Kaila was back for him.

Carla being pregnant wasn't the hard part. The hard part was the fact she had twins. Bridgette and Kirsten are beautiful little girls, but way too strongly resemble pictures of their mom and her sister when they were little. I'm going to have to make sure that we explain to them about twin games and why you don't play them on people you care about.

Helen and Charlotte had their own lives and their own relationship. When the two of them both had daughters, I wasn't surprised at the least, and they've joked numerous times that clearly I must have gotten Charlotte pregnant with Helen's baby and vice versa. The vagaries of the biology in that statement I ignore for humor value. I mean, nothing ruins a joke faster than a "Well actually." Pallas and Ceto actually do seem to resemble their mothers, In my opinion.

Maria ended up very pregnant, as did her "Roommate" as we refer to Nikki around Maria's family. Didn't expect to actually get married again, but Maria's folks were giving her grief about having a unmarried man around their granddaughter. It was enough that her boss suggested that it would look much better if she remarried, preferably before the baby was born. Which is how Maria ended up six months pregnant in front of a justice of the peace with me, ten minutes after my divorce was finalized.

Nikki ended up with a beautiful little girl we ended up naming Katerina after her maternal Grandmother. Her family don't quite get our relationship, but they seem to accept it. They were much more enthusiastic after we agreed to let them baptize our daughter, and I even attended the ceremony and everything. Now that we have the spare room of course, we've been inundated with requests for visits, and right now, I'm just hoping we don't go insane with all the company. Although it is nice when one of Nikki's aunts ends up dropping by, because I can use the help with the kids.

Married again, with a live in girlfriend, way too many little kids who need attention. For those keeping track at home, yeah... SEVEN kids. Eight if you count my adopted daughter Sofia who is now Thirteen. Yeah, adopted her and everything. It's nice having somebody around who knows how to do paperwork, and Maria is an absolute expert at it.