Chapter 4

***Bette***

Angelica made parenting very easy. I would say its the easiest three thousand dollars I made. The first three months Tina was home, and that was fine, but the first two weeks after she started back at Alphaville, I was not sure I would make it. Angelica was not yet fully weaned and what she craved I couldnt give her. It got easier after some time though. The routine was at night she would nurse and during the day it was milk and cereal. Before she was three months old, she was holding her bottle on her own. She stood for the first time at six months and was walking by nine. Before she was two she could talk. She couldnt make proper sentences but she knew to ask for what she wanted. She had her numbers from one to fifteen down and she knew the alphabet. She recognised pictures and some words. She is a little genius. Tina and I discussed sending her to pre school earlier because she was so advanced for her age. Shane advised us against it. She said we shouldnt push her. But we never did. What ever she did was at her own pace.

Angelica school starts at nine, so it will be the perfect time for me when I start work.

About two months ago Peggy Peabody gave me a proposal. Well actually I decided to give into it about two months ago. When news got around that I was fired, I mean when the CAC bought me out as they so nicely put it, she was like a tick in my behind begging me to reopen my gallery with Allyn Barnes as my main artist. When Allyn Barnes signed up with the CAC I was unaware of her reasons. What I did not know was that the only reason she agreed to show her pieces through the CAC was because I was the director at the time. As soon as they let me go she left as well. Peggy Peabody jumped at the opportunity and made the proposal. I had other priorities at the time and she understood. Her offer was still open and now a year and nine months after, I start work tomorrow in preparation for the grand reopening or rather the opening of the Porter Kennard gallery. But thats tomorrow, today my baby starts school and I dont know how I will get through today without her. Weve never been apart since she was born and now I have to leave her for a day.