Vivian hummed a little tune as she chopped up some vegetables and fruits into a set of bowels.
Fresh lettuce, carrots, sweet apples and pears...it was quite appealing to look at and better to taste.
She was alone in her kitchen, preparing snacks for Movie night.
This was something new that they had started doing last month after Natasha heard other girls at school did it with their families. The girl had hopped home and begged incessantly for Vivian to start the tradition too.
Mariah had been around and thought it a great idea, so Vivian had relented. Not that she was against the idea, it sounded pleasant and relaxing.
That didn't mean it came easy.
When it came to picking what movie to watch, she had nearly started a war between her kids. Each one wanted to watch their own choice, and compromise was not even on the table.
Natasha wanted a Romantic comedy, much to Vivian's amusement and bitter secret regret.
Nikolai wanted an Action adventure, where people fought and killed each other, he didn't care how but people had to die for it to be a movie.
Nicholas wanted to watch a Murder mystery, sayin' the true point of entertainment is thrill and intrigue. He made a small list of the pros and cons of his movie, 'Sherlock Holmes'. His brother sister said he was boring for wanting a person who came from a book.
Nikki, a five year old, flicked the television set to Nature documentaries, showing what he wanted to see. Everyone said that documentaries weren't movies and snatched the remote from him. Vivian had to comfort him when he cried.
Nicole didn't have any preference, laughing happily with whatever his family put on the screen. A simple four year old toddler with no worries but happy most of time.
But Nicole's passive attitude made his siblings try to persuade him onto their side, as is what they did in a lot decision moments.
Mariah and her boys didn't dare touch the remote, Nikolai had promised violence. To Vivian's dismay so had Natasha and, although he didn't say it, Nicholas colder gaze had spoken volumes about his stance on the matter.
Eventually, Vivian had started choosing the movies herself, to break the stalemate. It had been hard, she had to find a movie that had everything or atleast something they all liked.
But she'd do it to keep the peace.
Knock! Knock!
"Its open!" Vivian called out as she stirred her vegetable salad bowel, made for herself and Mariah.
"Ah, chérie. What are we going to be watching today?" Mariah asked as she walked into the room with three five year olds.
"Auntie Vivian, bonjour." The three boys said simultaneously and hugged her.
"Hello Ariel, Martin and Lucious." Vivian patted the boys head, ruffling their black hair." We're going to watch whatever the others decide."
"What? Chérie, that's impossible. I thought we both knew that at this point." Mariah said as she took a sliced orange and ate it slowly," Your little ones will break war again if you let them choose."
"I know, that's why I made this." Vivian tapped on a board wheel on the table with five sections and her kids names." I spin the wheel and whoever's name lands gets to watch what they want."
"Boys, go play with your friends." Mariah told the boys to leave and turned to Vivian," That plan is foolish. Whoever gets their name picked will be happy and each of them likes to gloat. Nicholas gloats quietly, Natasha and Nikolai gloat verbally and Nikki just bounces up and down when he gets what he wants. They'll start fighting for that remote before the movie starts. Or they'll blame you and you'll have handle that."
"I couldn't find anything for tonight that would appease all of them. Look, I brought these." Vivian pulled a drawer, showing rented movie tapes of different genres.
"Did you give the VHS store a heavenly tip or do they like you?" Mariah looked at them, flipping through them fast,"I've never seen so many in one spot."
"They're all wrong though. Either they're too romantic for Nikolai, too actiony for Natasha, too dull for Nicholas or too indoors for Nikki." Vivian sighed as she chopped cucumbers.
Mariah eyed her thoughtfully and looked at the kitchen," Is that why you made so many dishes of fruit? Even though there only two of us? The kids barely finish a bowel by my assumption and you are making your tenth."
"I can refrigerate what we don't eat and toss out what goes bad." Vivian sighed as she salted the cucumbers." I just don't want to go into there and hurt one of them. Which seems inevitable."
"Yes, inevitable. So stop slicing things and listen, I have an idea." Mariah said softly.
...
"Don't touch my action figure!" Nikolai growled as he snatched his toy from Ariel's hands.
"And don't my dolls unless you want to play doll house." Natasha said as she placed her dolls on the other side of the room.
The seven year old twins watched Mariah's kids with wary eyes, knowing one slip up and one of their toys would vabish, never to return.
It had happened too many times for them to ever let their guard down on movie night.
"You two be quiet, I'm trying to read." Nicholas said on his bed across the room, holding a small story book in his hands.
"We didn't do anything. They took our things and Nikki keeps giving them stuff." Natasha said vehemently as she looked at her little brother who sat on a desk in the corner, making a paper airplane.
"I do not care, just be silent." Nicholas said with a sigh.
"Bwother, me too?" A crystal blue eyed boy walked to Nicholas with a book in his hands.
"You want me to read to you?" Nicholas saved the page he was reading and picked up his baby brother, setting him next to him.
"Us too?" Ariel and Lucious asked and got a cold glare.
"I only read to Nicole, if you want a story, learn to read by yourselves." Nicholas flipped the story book, trying to find where they were last time.
"Kids!" Vivian opened the door," Tonight we're going to be watching what Nicole wants."
"He wants-" The four older siblings immediately tried to speak but their mother raised a hand for silence.
"No. He doesn't. He just smiles and does what makes you happy." Vivian went and took Nicole into her arms,"I'll let him flip through channels until I find what he really likes."
"But-"
"Buts are for pooping. Stay here." Vivian shit the door, leaving a room of apprehensive children.
"What do you think he'll choose?" Nikki asked thoughtfully.
"I...don't know. Do you think Nicole only does what we tell him?" Nicholas asked as looked at the book in his hands. It was the Genesis of the universe, a scientific publication on the history of the universe and world history. It was one of Nicholas favourite books.
Did Nicole like it or did he only like it to make Nicholas happy? Nicholas thought with grim look.
"He plays doll house with me and looks like he is having fun." Natasha said thoughtfully as she sat on the floor with a cross-legged position," And he plays hide and seek with Nikki and Pretend with Nikolai...But he-"
"He doesn't play his own games." Nikolai spoke her words," Either he's playing with us or these three." Nikolai pointed to the other three boys.
"I don't like that. He is going to be a puppet if he acts like that." Nicholas said with a frown.
"A puppet?" Natasha raised a brow," How?"
"He'll always do what others want but not what he wants. He might get bullied too." Nicholas shut his book with smack!
Nikolai clenched his little fist," I'd beat up anyone who tried."
"Same here." Nikki gave an angry pout," I would beat the meany."
"Kids! Times up, let's go watch a movie." Vivian came back with a giggling Nicole.
...
Everyone sat in the living room, their eyes on the screen.
They were watching The Odyssey.
Bowels of sliced fruit were on the table ready to be taken and eaten. Nicole sat on Vivian's lap, Nicholas was on her right side and Nikki was on her left. Natasha and Nikolai were on the floor, and Mariah and her boys sat on the second sofa.
"Mom." Nicholas spoke without turning from the screen.
"Yes?" Vivian turned to him, knowing he only called her Mom when he was serious.
"Let Nicole decide what to watch for movie night. We won't pick anymore." Nicholas said and his siblings nodded in agreement.
"Well...okay." Vivian gave a small smile and patted Nicole's cheeks," Hear that Nicole? Your big sister and big brother said you get to pick movies from now on."
"Yay!" Nicole gave a small cheer as he clapped his hands.
Nicholas, Natasha, Nikolai and Nikki smiled as they turned to the screen, where Odysseus was talking to the sirens.