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Chapter Four: Ice Princess

The year following the twins’ birth saw continued success for the Ascott family. Rosemary completed her diploma with honours. Her brother, Timothy, congratulated her with a cheeky grin, “You’ve achieved two diplomas in two years, Rose! The Parenting Diploma last year, and now your Software Engineering Diploma.” She didn’t take kindly to his playful quip, but her dad let out a loud laugh, finding it witty.

Meanwhile, life continued its upward swing for the Ascotts: Bruce received a promotion at work, and Timothy passed his examinations and would now be in his final year of high school. Cally continued her role as the “home executive,” relishing her new position as the house mother and the nursery “boss,” well-assisted by Ruth, the lady engaged as the twins’ nurse.

The boys, now one year old, were in a demanding phase. They were commonly—and affectionately—referred to as “the brats from heaven,” constantly demanding attention and vying for focus. Cally and Ruth fully appreciated the evening arrivals of Timothy, Rose, and Bruce, who pitched in immediately to help. Respite for all was usually around eight in the evening, when the twins were finally put to bed. Thankfully, they were good sleepers, rarely crying for long and only waking up once at night to be tended to.

Rosemary applied for a junior position at Luxor IT Designs for their IT department. After two successive interviews, she was one of eleven applicants called in for a third meeting, where she was finally informed of her success. She had been chosen for the position. The conditions of employment were discussed, her starting salary agreed upon, and she was asked to start the following week. With a handshake, she thanked her interviewers and rushed home with the good news.

Time, always a precious commodity, never seemed sufficient. The boys were growing bigger and more active with each passing day. They had learned to walk and talk and, like normal children, were now inquisitively exploring everything, making their safety the family’s number one priority.

Rosemary, with each passing day, seemed to blossom and return to her old, jovial self, though minus the reckless, carefree attitude of her past. This was largely due to her increasingly enjoying her job. Getting home at night and spending time with the twins made her life feel full and focused, as they were now the core of her world. Motherhood suited her.

Despite her status as a single mother, there was no lack of suitors. Some were from the church membership, some from her work colleagues, and, astonishingly, some were from the very group of people that had previously shut them out of their lives. Much of this new found interest in Rosemary was due to her having truly developed into a “rose.” Adding to her natural beauty was a lovely personality, which she carried with an almost regal composure.

She rejected them all, however, always professionally and pleasantly.

Jack Clancy, a young man in his mid-twenties who worked in Luxor IT Designs’ Sales Department, worked up the courage one day to ask her out on a date. They saw each other regularly in and around the offices, exchanging a polite “hello” accompanied by a friendly smile.

One afternoon, post-work, they ran into each other in the parking lot, and he seized the opportunity to speak to her. She was taken aback at first, but once she recovered her composure, she gently explained that she was not ready to start a relationship with anybody. “My life outside of work is devoted purely to my sons, Jack. I assume you are aware of my situation.”

This type of scenario played itself out regularly, with all such proposals handled in a similar, firm, yet pleasant vein. Word eventually got around about her unavailability, but it did not deter some of the more persistent or gregarious types from trying.

She eventually “inherited” the workplace nickname of the “Ice Princess.” It wasn’t a nice moniker, yet she often allowed a faint smile to play out on her face when she assumed they were saying it in little discussion groups. Rosemary would not let this distraction or negativity rob her of her peace or joy. She was focused on her boys and her career, and she felt truly grounded.

Life for Rosemary and her family went on for the next couple of years on a very even trajectory. There were some significant changes that occurred, which in most cases were welcomed as blessings or good fortune.

Timothy had completed his high school studies and had chosen to enter the medical field, enrolling to become a medical doctor with a long-term vision of later studying further to become a surgeon. Her dad was again promoted at work, now responsible for the oversight of two divisions. Cally, meanwhile, remained extremely happy with her established role as the home executive.

The boys, Joshua and Caleb, were being home-schooled in the rudiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic. They quickly mastered the alphabet and sums of addition and subtraction of small numbers. Part of this was due to their intense competitive spirits; each wanted to prove himself the better of the two. This early education was done in preparation for them needing to be placed in a public school to start their formal education.

Rosemary’s track record at work—renowned for her excellent work rate, her ethics, and above all else, her friendly disposition and positive interaction with her colleagues and superiors—resulted in a significant promotion. She was asked to lead the Research and Development (R&D) team. It was considered a prestigious position, as it was a division working on the very cutting edge of technology.

She accepted this challenge, even though it meant that there would be times she would be away from home attending conventions and promotional conferences in the US and countries in Europe. Initially, the twins did not take kindly to her absence, but after her third trip, they settled into this new routine. She also missed them terribly when she went on these trips, and every departure was a bit of agony for her.