Chapter 23

The girls both had very small parts, mostly just to keep their face out there, then I sent them to work with our business manager. They talked about it after a couple of weeks.

"It isn't even close to reality, honey. You can juggle the books like a circus performer and still stay out of trouble. The film may gross many times over the investment, but by the time the accountants and lawyers get done with it, we've lost our butts. It's amazing. Bob(our business manager)says he's never worked with anyone trying to be honest before. I think that's why he wants to make sure you use him on all our movies."

"Watch. Learn. I trust Bob or I wouldn't let him handle our money. I've talked to him about this, and he's willing to teach you. I don't ever plan on replacing him, in fact I've offered him a permanent job because if things go according to the plan I need to discuss with you, we'll soon have multiple projects going, and he can't be everywhere."

Intrigued, they listened while I lay it out. "There's a couple of things I'd like to pursue. First is the television series Leah and Dorian have been working on for the last couple of years. We've agreed in principle to have Sunfire Wizard produce and market the first season, thirteen shows. And Leah and I are almost done with Grolar Two, which we'll shoot next year. There's also an historical piece I've been playing with that CBC is interested in, if we decide not to make it into a feature film. That doesn't even take into account the Battle Babes movies we're kicking around. So, we're all going to be really busy for the next few years, especially since I threw your birth control pills away this morning."

They were so overwhelmed by the business aspects of our conversations that they almost let the last remark slip by.

"Gee, honey, it sounds like we ... wait a minute, what did you just say?" Tory stopped talking, her mouth hanging open. Cathy laughed.

"He said we're gonna be having babies, hon, soon." Thet's when the screaming, crying, and loving started.

Leah and Dorian were grinning ear to ear the next day. "Welcome to my world," said Dorian, "sleepless nights, teething, the terrible twos, potty training. And lucky you, you get to experience it in stereo."

Leah just grinned. "First steps, learning to talk, hearing them say 'dada' and 'wuv yoo', feeling their tiny little hands grip yours for protection and love, makes me wonder why anyone would want kids anyway."

She was bouncing Cat on her knee while she talked. She wasn't paying much atention until she heard words she knew. "Wuv oo, Poppy," she said, grinning her gap toothed grin.

I took her and hugged her. "Wuv yoo too, Kitty-cat."

The family time over, we got down to work. "We've called Jerry in, he'll start casting for the series next month. We're assuming we'll do the show here, costs are low, and we have a good reputation with the locals, and the film commission. Any idea which network we want to pitch it to?"

They had obviously been thinking about it. "Well, if we go with cable we can get as bold as we want. Netflix originals are really hot right now, maybe we can get them interested. If we tone it down the CBC or any network in the States will probably take a look. I think we need to take a page out of the Netflix manual, and do all thirteen before we pitch it. That way we can accelerate the schedule, we might even get it done in two and a half to three months, once we start. Ideas? Discussion?"

There were a few minor points to work out, but I deferred most of the decisions to Dorian and Leah. It was their baby, something they'd dreamed of doing for years. The girls and I supplied most of the money, Dorian and Leah supplied most of the work. We had other things on our plate, so we left it in their hands.

Grolar Two was written, and as soon as the series was done filming we were going to start. This plot had the biologist, the nerd, and native girl, following the trail of the character played by Victoria, battling the prerequisite killer bears, greedy developers, and dealing with suspicious natives while they searched. Sylvia Shining Fox had a much larger part. The leading man from the first had a cameo, discovered living as a woman amd in a relationship with a Mountain Man. His trademark long locks and slender build made him very convincing, especially with top of the line stylists and makeup artists working on him. He seemed to enjoy it enough to make me wonder if he was considering changing teams.

Sometime after the series wrap and the beginning of the movie, it happened. We had gone home, and the girls finally got around to getting the horses they wanted. Paso Fino, a breed I wasn't familiar with. They got two almost identical mares, and a stallion with a pedigree a mile long. "It seems to work for us," they'd coo.

I can shut my eyes and still see Cathy rushing into my office, waving an early pregnancy test showing positive. Tory followed, crying. Seems hers showed negative. I celebrated with Cathy and consoled Tory. It was a bit tense for a few days until they came to me with a proposal.

"Honey," grinned Cathy, "you're cut off. No more nooky for you! From me, any way. From now on until Tory tests positive, all your cute little baby makers are for her. I'm not willing to go without indefinitely, so get busy!"