Rose narrowed her eyes slightly at Alistair's response, examining his eyes and posture. She wasn't keen on being lied to, but she simply let out a small sigh and smiled. It wasn't a big deal any way, so she would let the answer slide for now. He would give her a proper answer if it was important, surely. That's the way Rose was, rarely prying unless she felt someone was in danger.<br/>As she spoke, Thomas walked past intently, with his ever-present companion Poppy. The love the boy had for his chicken was a bit strange to Rose, as when he was a child she had quickly adapted to the system of not becoming attached to the livestock. Not that she didn't have compassion, especially for the horses, but how she grew up, even the egg laying chickens and milk cows were disposed of some way or another when their time was up. It was the simple cycle of things that Rose hoped Alexia would eventually enlighten her son with; it was too tough a topic for the grandmother to deal with. Grandparents were meant to be the more relaxed ones, giving treats and playing when the parents had neither the time nor the patience. Rose wasn't much of a disciplinarian so the role fit her just fine, if made her feel a bit old. David had always been more sensitive about the aging thing than she, after all. Whenever Alexia or Alistair had crossed the line as children she would hand them off to David for the more stern punishment. She was more of a nurturer and counselor; she never wanted to upset her children, which perhaps, in a way, made her a bit of a lax parent. Rose fit the stereotype of the mother that was was asked all of the questions, while the father was asked only one question: 'where's mom?' Of course, Alexia and Alistair didn't fear or love their father any less because of this. He was the one who helped them learn, both practically and educationally.<br/>Thomas left the kitchen through the creaky side door that led in to the yard before returning, chicken assumedly deposited with the rest of her friends in the chicken coop and replaced with an assortment of eggs. Rose had at first worried that the stress of being picked up and moved around often would affect Poppy's ability to lay eggs, but the chicken continued to be healthy, and lost no feathers. At least Thomas was learning the responsibility of taking care of another creature. The bond between boy and chicken was similar to Rose's with her horses. He was likely to make a dutiful father, taking care of his children the way he loved Poppy. Rose smiled at the thought of something so far into the future. Thomas, settling down with a girl? The thought was a bit ridiculous. He was sweet, but romance was surely a ways away. At eight years old herself, Rose had had no interest in boys. Only one in her high school years had caught her attention, and that hadn't worked out.<br/>As she thought Conor slid in to the room with a kind of quiet sentiment. He had been in the barn, as per usual, confirmed by the slight smell that came off of him. It wasn't an unpleasant one, but it still brought Rose back to the barn, and to her lusitano-quarter horse, Puddle. Somewhat of a strange name for a horse, originating from the sorrel's love of rain and puddles, unlike any other horse Rose had taken care of. She was reminded to ask Conor if he had noticed the possible crack in Puddle's hoof wall. She decided that she would mention it to him later. For now he could enjoy the company of his wife(and Rose's daughter). Rose had been quick to approve of their relationship and eventually, union, unlike the slightly more cautious David. He had been slow to open up to Rose at first in their own relationship, and Rose had had the patience to let it go at their own pace, which was one of the reasons they fit so well together. Conor and Alexia seemed to balance each other as well, his steady calmness to her sometimes erratic behaviour. He kept her grounded. Alexia also had some traits Conor could learn from too, like her outgoing manner to bring him out of his reserved shell. Rose also didn't mind the fact that Conor was now a member of the family and didn't require pay to work around the farm, but she would never say that out loud. When he did especially tedious jobs Rose would hand him a cheque out of simple politeness.<br/>"Would you like to help me, mom?" The question came from Alexia, who was currently cracking eggs neatly into a bowl for omelettes, by suggestion of Thomas. Rose brightened, excited to have been asked for assistance. She was a strong believer in 'many hands make light work', and their kitchen was a decent enough size that four people could work comfortably.<br/>As she prepared to bustle over and begin cutting peppers to give the omelettes some pizzazz, she felt the draft from a door being opened, accompanied by the faint smell of paper and citrus. David. He appeared behind her, making a few quips in response to Tommy's use of the word 'up' and the excellent suggestion of omelettes for a morning meal before giving Rose a quick kiss on the cheek and asking her if she herself wanted assistance. His humor brightened her day just that little bit more. She herself wasn't the best with jokes, but could laugh like no other.<br/>"No, that was just a special bonus," Rose responded, barely containing a grin as she reached around his shoulders to gave him a return kiss, skewing her glasses. She backed out, adjusting her spectacles and replying to his original question. "You can cook the bacon. We'll make deluxe omelettes this time around." Deluxe omelettes were like regular omelettes, but packed with added ingredients such as peppers, bacon, spices, and mushrooms. The perfect breakfast to a so far perfect day.