Mrs.Truffle´s day off

Victoria didn´t get much sleep last night.  Her husband´s snoring and her baby twins´ crying kept her awake half the night.
"A strong coffee is what I need to face another day" she said with resignation.
She was about to take her first sip of coffee when the twins started crying.

 "They must be hungry again" She said herself. "Let´s prepare another bib".

She found it hard to believe that Eustace  had such a deep sleep. "Morning! Don´t you hear the babies crying?" she asked her husband who had just woken up.

"First time in the morning and look what they´re up to!" Victoria exclaimed looking at her twins messing in her dressing table.The twins were a pair of curious, restless and energetic explorers who drove Victoria crazy.

Eustace needed his time to wake up. When he went down to the kitchen Victoria was feeding the babies. "They had three bibs during the night, Eustace! I can´t believe you didn´t hear them crying!" Victoria didn´t sound very happy at all.

"I´m really sorry, Vicky but, honestly I didn´t hear them crying. Please, wake me up next time! You must be tired, aren´t you? Eustace said sympathetic.
The truth is Victoria was tired and she wasn´t feeling as happy as she thought she would be when they moved to Sweet Berry Valley. She left her job as a midwife to take care of her own children but then she realized she didn´t have any time for herself.She really missed the days she felt free to go for a walk, browse the shops or just lie down with her feet up to read a book. She didn´t have many friends either and neither the time to meet the ones she had.
"Eustace,I really love our daughters and sometimes I feel bad for feeling this way but it´s hard to spend the whole day looking after them." Victoria needed to take this off her chest over breakfast.

 
Actually, Susan and Felicity weren´t two quiet little baby girls but a pair of little rascals hard to handle.
"Susan, Felicity!Get off the sofa!Eustace shouted.

"It´s normal you feel this way.Don´t blame yourself. Why don´t you take a day off?" Eustace suggested. "It´s Saturday. I can stay with the twins. Go out and treat yourself to something nice.You deserve it, Vicky" Eustace really meant what he said.

Victoria appreciated Eustace being so understanding. Then, she ran to the bedroom and got herself ready to go out.It had been so long since she didn´t have a day for herself that she was delighted. 
"Be good to your daddy, ok? I´ll be back soon" She told her twins.

"Thank you Eustace" she said just before leaving
"Not at all, love!Have a good day! Relax and enjoy" Eustace replied. 

While Victoria was out, Eustace was determined to take good care of the twins and do all the housework.Who said men can´t do two things at the same time?

After doing the washing up they all went upstairs.Eustace had to make the beds. 

When he finished, he went to the toilet for a minute and when he returned the twins were playing under the bed cover. "Peek-a-boo"!The babies seemed to be having fun but Eustace thought that making the bed again wasn´t that funny.

 

What about Victoria? Let´s see how is she getting on.
She is already in the main shopping street.
She had passed by the shoe shop several times but she never had the courage to enter with the twins just in case they made a bit of a chaos.Today she was going to visit the shop for the first time.

As soon as she came into the shop Harvey welcomed her and offered her help.

 "Here you are. It´s a lovely bag and it really suits the clothes you´re wearing" Harvey said handing Victoria the bag that caught her eye in the window.

"You look lovely,Mrs.Truffle!" Harvey complimented.Victoria was also pleased with her image on the mirror."I´m going to treat myself. I´ll take it"

While Harvey wrapped the bag carefully, Spencer had a small chat with Victoria about how she found it leaving the big city to settle down in a village. "I like it here, Mr.Maces. It´s a lovely place and the villagers I´ve met so far are vey kind and welcoming"

 
"Hope to see you soon,Mrs. Truffle" Harvey and Spencer told Victoria as she was saying good-bye. "I´d love to do it." She said willing to have the chance to come back soon to buy a pair of new shoes.

She left the shop with a wide smile on her face.She had the feeling she was going to enjoy her day off.

At home, Eustace was playing with the twins.

Giddy-up, go, go , go! they shouted.

Eustace loved to make her daughters laugh and have a good time.The problem is they never got tired and he did.
"Where do you get so much energy from?" He asked Susan and Felicity. They just giggled.

Talking about energy, Eustace had just realized he had to prepare something for lunch before the twins were too hungry. He had to admit he didn´t have much experience in the kitchen but he thought a vegetable soup was easy to make and it was a healthy lunch."I´m going to prepare such a nice soup that you´re going to lick your little paws, you´ll see" he said.

Unluckily, Susan and Felicity didn´t share their father´s opinion.
"Come here, eat daddy´s soup, yummy, yummy!"
All the efforts he made to try to persuade them to taste his soup were in vain. 

Eventually, he decided to go out and buy some baby food."You´re a pair of little gourmets. There was nothing wrong with my soup" he mumbled as they were leaving.

Even though Victoria was enjoying a day for herself she couldn´t help thinking about her daughters.The Country Market had a good selection of toys and she decided to get in to have a look inside.

She really liked this shop.She comes very often to buy baby podwer milk for her twins but today it is the first time she can have a look around in a relaxed way.

Victoria was delighted to meet Contance,her best friend so far.They first met when Victoria and Eustace were looking for a house.They were told to talk to Mr. Grunt, the builder, and it was then when Victoria and Contance felt they had a lot in common.

Why don´t you two have a chat and a cup of tea? I´ll take the kids to the park meanwhile. Mr. Grunt suggested. "That´d be lovely.Thank you, dear" Constance said and Victoria´s face lit up with a smile. A cup of tea with a friend was a real treat for her.

"Bye mum, see you.." Constance´s triplets waved goodbye leaving her mother and her friend enjoying a peaceful cup of a tea.
Victoria loved talking to Constance as she knew being a mother wasn´t always easy. Her advice and good listening skills made Victoria felt much better.

Eustace was also glad to meet Mr. Moss on his way back from the shop.
Eustace told Mr.Moss about Victoria´s day off and his day as a full time father.
"Why don´t you get a nanny and have an evening out the two of you together? Mr.Moss told Eustace who thought it was a very good idea.

Back at home Eustace gave their daughters the baby food he had bought and let them play with the empty jars while he had some lunch himself."I can´t believe you´re still hungry!.Eat the soup, then!" he said  grumpily when Felicity was trying to reach for his sandwich.

After lunch Eustace let the babies play for a while and then he took them upstairs to have a nap.First he told them their favourite story.
"Once upon a time there were two little princess wild boars who live... 

  
He hoped the story put them in the right mood to sleep. "Now, let´s have a little nap, ok?" he whispered wrapping up Felicity.

The living room was a in a bit of a mess and Eustace tidied it up before sitting down to rest for a while.

Victoria was also about to relax and unwind too.Constance recommended her to go to the Beauty Salon to pamper herself and so she did. She had a comforting massage, a facial and her nails done.A full pampering pack that made her feel even better.

 
Yardley also recommended Victoria some beauty products to suit her skin. "Two drops of this lotion will make your skin glow" Yardley assured.

When Victoria was leaving she met Mrs. Moss who was at the waiting room.
"I´m not used to seeing you on your own, Victoria. How are the twins?" Mrs. Moss asked glad to meet Victoria too.
"They´re fine, thank you.I´m just taking a day off. To be honest with you I needed some time for myself"  Mrs. Moss understood straight away.
"I know, Victoria. I was lucky to have a full time nanny at home when the children were younger.It´s none of my business but have you considered to have someone to mind the babies for a few hours so that you and Eustace can spend some time together? It´ll do you good.Think about it and enjoy the rest of your free day, make the most of it!" Mr. Moss´ suggestion made Victoria remember the days she and Eustance went out for dinner, for a drink, to the theatre or to see a film but at the same time she also remembered how much they wished to have a baby and how sad she felt at times for not getting pregnant. 

 
At home,Eustace sat down to have a rest but some noises coming from upstairs made him get up from the sofa to check what was going on.

The beds were empty but he heard the twins giggling in the bathroom. Eustace couldn´t believe his eyes! "For my big tusks´sake! What are you doing?" Eustace was really mad.He was running out of patience.

He put her daughters back to sleep again. Now, he was able to understand how Victoria felt.He was glad she could have some time off. She really deserved it.

Unaware of what was going on at home, Victoria was enjoying her day. When she passed by the supermarket she stopped to buy a magazine and something to eat.

  
She left the supermarket with a bag of goodies. She was starting to feel a bit hungry.

She went to the park and had a little picnic there. It was sunny, warm and slightly breeze.She was happy and relaxed  but the truth is she missed her daughters. It was the first time ,since they were born,that she was away from them.After her picnic she made her way back home.

When she got home she couldn´t believe her eyes. Eustace was ironing and there were no sign of the twin.The house was so quiet without the babies around...
"Look at you! It seems someone has been doing some Christmas shopping!" Eustace said joking when he saw his wife loaded up with the shopping bags!"Did you have a good time, darling?" he asked glad to see Victoria was in a very good mood. "I did indeed!" she said  cheerfuly."I´ve enjoyed my day but I´ve also missed my little girls.Are they still having a nap?" Victoria asked in surprise. "Yes, they must be tired.Oh!, Vicky, they´re restless! Eustace sounded tired himself. "Tell me about it" Victoria said laughing.

Look at these two beauties!You were supposed to be having a nap, you know? This time Victoria didn´t get mad with the twins. She even found the scene funny.Definetely spending some time off was a good therapy.

Victoria took her twins downstairs. They got all excited when they saw so many bags on the sofa. "Wait! don´t be so curious! Mummy has something for you"

Victoria gave them the toy she bought at the Country Market.

"I´ve got something for you too, Eustace. Your favourite wine and your favourite chocolates". "You´re so kind, Vicky" Eustace smiled widely, thanked his wife and said "I hope you also treated youself. That was the plan" . Victoria smiled back and nodded "Of course, I did."
 

Then ,Victoria and Eustace told each other about their day.  
"Are you serious? My toothbrush too?" Victoria asked shocked when Eustace was telling her  about all the stuff that Susan and Felicity put into the toilet.

Victoria was telling Eustace about her tea with Constance and the chat she had with Rowina Moss but a knock at the door interrupted their conversation. "I wonder who could it be" Eustace said and he went to open the door.

When Eustace opened the door he met a lady he had never seen before. "Good evening.My name is Mary Roxy Renard" the lady said with a soft melodic voice. Eustace welcomed her. "Come in please, Mrs. Renard".

Mary Roxy told Victoria and Eustace a little bit about herself and why she called round. "I´ve worked for the Moss family since their children were born and Mr. and Mrs. Moss got in contact with me today.They asked me to come to your place to babysit your daughters for a few hours so that you can spend some time together."

Victoria and Eustace looked at each other in complicity.Definetely, Mr. and Mrs.Moss were a wonderful couple and very good friends.They welcomed them warmly when they moved to the village, Mr. Moss offered Eustace a job as a village treasurer and now they arranged everything for them so that they could have an evening off.

 

Victoria told Mary Roxy everything she should know about Susan and Felicity. "They are adorable but they are a real handful too". Victoria commented and Eustace totally agreed.He was looking forward to spend some time with his wife.Victoria wanted to go out with Eustace too but at the same time she was a bit worried about leaving her daughters with a stranger.After having a chat over a cup of tea, Victoria soon realized there was nothing to worry about. Mrs. Renard was a lovely lady and an experienced nanny with very good references.

At last, since their daughters were born Victoria and Eustace were going to have the oppoerunity to go out together."Enjoy and don´t you worry, your babies will be fine" Mary Roxy tried to reassure Mr.and Mrs.Truffle once more as they were saying good-bye.

"What about a candlelight dinner and a quiet drink?".Eustace asked but Victoria didn´t have to say a word. Her smiley face spoked for itself.

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My Dear Readers,

I hope you liked today´s story. A bit long, I´m afraid. Thank you if you had the patience to get to the end.

I´m a mother of three young kids whom I love with all my heart but I understand Victoria. Being a mother is the most rewarding experience but it can be stressful at times. I was considering different ways to introduce Mary Roxy Renard into my village and this story gave me the chance to do it.From now on The Truffles, and other villagers, will  be able to have some time off, even if it´s just once in a blue moon.Mary Roxy will take good care of their children.

See you soon.