Gen 1 Ch 8: Going Suburban

In the hopes of cheering Bloom up, Arthur took him for a ride in the police cruiser that evening. After all, it gave Kaitlin a huge thrill every time. However, it did nothing to wipe Bloom's somber look off of his face.

But when Arthur pulled up in front of the local museum, Bloom's face lit up. It didn't take them long to see Twinbrook's entire meager collection of artworks, but Bloom mood had brightened considerably.
"Dad, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, Bloom. What is it?"
"Today the kids at school asked me why I look the way I look and I told them what mom told me - that she grew me and Broccoli in little pots and you picked us when we were ready..."
Arthur cringed at that and knew that whatever came next could not be good.
"And then they..." Bloom swallowed. "Then they started laughing and said that you weren't my parents at all. They said vegetables don't have parents." His voice trailed off.

Arthur felt a pang in his heart as he saw Bloom's eyes well up with tears.
 "Well, do you know what parents do?", Arthur asked.
"They... they have children and take care of them and make sure they grow up?"
 "And what do your mom and I do?"
Bloom was quiet for a moment and bit his lip, obviously thinking hard.

"Bloom, you are my son. Your mother's son. You, Broccoli, Beryllium and Bismuth are all our children. We are your parents and we love you. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise!"

It was a huge relief when Bloom quickly stepped towards Arthur and hugged him tightly.

When it was time for Broccoli's first day of school, Arthur was nervous once again. It was one thing to be a little green boy at an elementary school, but a little green boy named after the single most hated vegetable?

He needn't have worried. As it turned out, Broccoli's sunny disposition gained him a lot of fast friends right on the first day. When other kids laughed at him, he simply laughed with them, which usually ended the matter.

Finally the day had come! Arthur's promotion to Dynamic DNA Profiler meant that he had reached the top of his career and fulfilled his biggest goal in life!

On his long way home he had some time to think. As he made his way over the bridge, moving farther from the nice part of town and closer to the shack in the swamp, he wondered if it was time for a long-overdue move.

He had first toyed with the idea when the boys were still toddlers, but at the time Kaitlin had thought that growing up in the relative wilderness of the city's outskirts would be the best thing for them.
"Once they are older, the humid air won't be enough to sustain them with nutrients. They can swim in the bayou and hydrate that way!"
Her theory was debunked, however, when the boys came back home from their first attempts of swimming in the murky waters and declared it "yucky".

They much preferred soaking in the tub.

Of course the bathwater did nothing to sustain Arthur's nutritional needs, but sometimes he tried to imagine what it must be like for his boys.

So since all Bloom and Broccoli needed was an occasional bath, and Arthur and Kaitlin had saved up more than enough money to buy a proper house in town, there was really no reason to stay in the rickety shack they had called home for so long.

Besides, Artur worried that the layer of fog that constantly creeped through in between the wooden boards could be a health hazard for Beryllium and Bismuth.

Kaitlin still seemed reluctant - was it sentimental attachment? It seemed unlikely, but it would not be the first time she surprised Arthur. But when little Bismuth grew into a toddler, she finally agreed that they could certainly use more space.

Snowflake day was right around the corner, and they would move soon afterwards.

They even threw a little party and invited Rebekah over - the children had grown very fond of their babysitter.

So for one last time, the boys went to sleep in their mother's laboratory.

Bloom painted a picture to remember their little house in the swamp.

And then it was time to pack up all their children and belongings.

They would all miss their little house in the swamp, but they were also excited to move on to greener pastures - quite literally!

Arthur had found a lovely suburban home for them.

They all agreed that they liked the new spacious kitchen and living area.

Arthur even had time to have some special adjustments done before they moved in. A hidden staircase in the backyard led down into...

... Kaitlin's new laboratory! It was much larger than their entire old house. Kaitlin was ecstatic!

Bloom was more impressed by their new, luxurious bathtub and went for a soak straight away.

But then it was time for bed, even if Broccoli would have preferred to play outside on his new bee toy some more.

The babies took right to their new home and slept more soundly than they ever had before.

And Arthur and Kaitlin drifted off to a peaceful sleep as well - a bit later.