Rose felt lured by the offer to go on the picnic. She most definitely wanted to ride Puddles today, and Thomas seemed so keen on the idea of riding out with the horses. She watched with a careful eye as the sweethearted boy prepared plates and cutlery from her place at the counter. Her stature had denied her of some much required water, it seemed. Her daughter would definitely require a refill as well. The boy meant well, but his imagination and inner world was so thoughtful and creative, Rose couldn't find the heart to ever correct his eccentricities.<br/>Rose's attention turned to Alistair and Conor as they left for the barn. Her round face, glasses, and mannerisms had always been compared to an owl by her peers and family. She couldn't help but be watchful of the people she cared about. She had always kept in close contact with her more wild sided brother before he passed, with phone calls and messages. Ricky rarely responded, but when he did, Rose would squeal in excitement, hugging her husband tight as if she had just received a Christmas present. Each letter would end with a similar statement, telling Rose to 'seize the day' and 'try for some adventure, just once'. The truth was, Rose was a very timid person, and cried at the thought of any kind of change. The fact that such polar opposites could have been raised in the same household was a marvel to many. Her heart was in the home, and Ricky's heart had never found one.<br/>Over the noise of the kitchen Rose heard mention of her name, causing her head to bounce up. She turned to her daughter, who was giving her a heartfelt thank you. Her eyes widened a little, a mixture of surprise and joy. It wasn't that Alexia was a prickly person, but Rose wasn't used to such straight forward, heartfelt statements from her daughter. Perhaps the pregnancy was messing with the girl's emotions. Rose herself hadn't had a straight forward pregnancy herself. The entire nine months leading up to her birth had probably been hell for David, with constant mood swings, an enormous appetite, and irrational behaviour from his wife. And, of course, the few months after the pregnancy was a dark spot in Rose's memory, forced out and forgotten.<br/>Rose made the noise that all parents make when their children says something sweet. "Oh honey," she said in a drawn out voice, placing the knife down and motioning towards her daughter for a hug, "thank you so much. I love you, sweetheart." She bent down and hugged her daughter tightly, closing her eyes to keep from crying. "Of course, work," she managed after a few moments, wiping her eyes and moving back to her cutting station.<br/>"Maybe I will go for the picnic," she mused aloud, turning to her husband. "You don't mind, do you? I promise, we can have a real, actual date soon, not just a supermarket romance." Rose winked to David before turning her attention to the vegetables. There was a single pepper to be cut, and then they could be added in with the eggs. She made short work of it, having been well-versed in kitchen work her entire life. Her mother had taught her all the tricks, and in turn Rose had taught Alexia. Alexia had always loved the kitchen, even when she was little, helping Rose prepare meals and overusing her personal Easy-Bake oven. Rose slid the cut pepper into the bowl that already brimmed with vegetables, placing it next to the stove for Alexia's use, before turning to the sink to wash her hands. She swiveled the faucet handle towards her, but no water made an appearance. She wiggled it around several times, muttering "oh bother" under her breath. Thomas had just been using it to pour water, and it had been fine.<br/>"Tommy, sweetheart," Rose called out, bending down to opening the cupboard that revealed the sink's innards, "did you do anything to the sink?" her tone wasn't accusatory, simply concerned. Not being particularly well-versed in plumbing, this frustrated her. She always wanted to be the one helping, never the one being helped.<br/>Not finding anything tell tale of a problem, Rose closed the cupboard with a small sigh. Conor would have to look at it after the milking. It probably wasn't a serious issue, just a mild inconvenience. That sink was somewhat old, after all. The bathroom sink probably would work just fine, though Rose didn't want to leave her family at the moment. Vegetables did no damage to a person's health, she mused. She wiped her hands on the towel hanging around the oven handle and waited patiently for Thomas' answer.