The twins were getting older and into everything. Caitlyn had already discovered a love for drawing, like her parents, although her scribbles weren't exactly masterpieces yet. Douglas preferred building blocks, and sometimes actually built things rather than just sticking the pieces in his mouth.
Although Lisa was still upset at the amount of time she'd had to take off work, she couldn't resent her children. They were her babies! So what if she hadn't made it to City Planner yet, she still had plenty of life in her!
Ewan was working on writing the most comprehensive restaurant guide for Virtue Falls and its environs, and doing quite well. Whenever he and Meadow went on a date they tried to find somewhere new and discussed the food afterwards, although Meadow suddenly flirting with vegetarianism limited their options. He'd have to tempt her back into a life of steak.
"You need to get a job," said Cameron, ever the little grown-up. "How are you and Meadow going to get married if you're just sitting around on the computer?"
"For your information, bro, I've almost finished my restaurant guide and I've already got several magazines and publishers interested. Besides, me and Meadow don't need money as long as we've got each other."
"Ew, gross."
Ewan proposed to Meadow in the 50s style diner where they'd had so many dates as teenagers in front of a crowd.
Of course she said yes, and almost suffocated him with a hug.
Meadow moved in, which meant that the Mackenzie house was insanely crowded. But somehow they made it work.
It helped that Cameron was now a teenager and could help look after the toddlers. He was quite a handsome young boy, but he was hardly aware of it - he was more interested in his grades and in studying to become the cleverest person ever. Love could wait; books were right here, right now.
Meadow also did her share. She absolutely loved her soon-to-be-siblings-in-law, hugging them and playing with them whenever she could, and they loved her too, especially Caitlyn. They had a special bond.
Time flew and the twins were ready to start school. They were both good kids - neither of them looked like to cause any trouble or be disruptive in class. However, it did turn out that Caitlyn needed glasses. She was less than happy.
She had a strange gift for perception. "Are you going to have a baby? You can't have a baby unless you're married, you know."
Meadow gulped. She'd missed a period - there WAS a possibilty she was pregnant. Thankfully it wasn't long until the wedding. Hopefully she wouldn't be showing or she'd have to buy a new dress...
She wasn't, and the wedding went ahead as planned with Hiro Nakamura as best man. It was a quiet, friends-and-family affair in the yard, but that didn't stop everyone from dressing up. Meadow Thayer was now Meadow Mackenzie.
After the cake, Meadow felt like she was going to be sick. Yep, definitely pregnant.
The party went on for a while and everyone separated off, doing their own things.
Apparently it was too much to ask for the best man not to abandon the party and join in an impromptu video game session. Cameron just rolled his eyes and sipped his beer.
After the wedding was over and Meadow was officially a Mackenzie, the Straight family moved out. They'd saved up enough money to buy a house of their own, and the newly-weds would need their space... especially now Meadow had gone to the doctor and confirmed that yes, she was pregnant.
Note: Wow, that was a lot of pictures... but a lot happened simply because there were so many people in the house! Ewan and Meadow certainly wasted no time in starting a family... sigh!
Ewan's adoration of all things culinary had inevitably taken a toll on his waistline.
He loved his son Bryce to bits. He couldn't help feeling guilty every time he looked at him, though. How could he be so dumb as to start an affair with Amanda Davies when he had so much going for him? The worst part was, he didn't want to stop. But there had to be no chance Bryce or Meadow would EVER find out.
Things got even more serious when Meadow found out they were going to be parents of two, not one.
Meadow didn't let being pregnant get in the way of being an extra-devoted mother to Bryce. She was always with him, whether playing with him or potty-training him or feeding him or just keeping an eye on him.
It wasn't a surprise that she went into labour while carrying him around!
Astrid Mackenzie was born shortly afterwards. She was a beautiful baby who looked just like her big brother.
Meadow was utterly blissful, and Ewan tried to join her in that emotion. He had a beautiful wife and two lovely kids! He would have to call things off with Amanda... soon...
