Woods Random Legacy: Chapter 4 - Autumn Advancements

 Ultimately, the clothesline-in-the-baby's-room solution didn't benefit anybody.  Greg used his mystic powers to predict mold, so the new parents scraped together some funds to upgrade their laundry situation with a dryer.

Both Lane and his parents were much happier with the new arrangement, even though it took up more space in the front room.  A clothesline had been fine for summer, but now that the weather had turned colder and wetter it was time to bring the laundry indoors properly.

Faced with mounting expenses, Greg realized that he would have to make more effort to advance in his career.  Leaving Eliza to take care of the baby, he spent his days off wandering around town and attempting to work on his social skills.  Despite his best efforts, the content of his predictions was often downright inappropriate.

Greg: "I predict that you will step on your baby, causing an untimely and gruesome death via stiletto, if you keep leaving it lying around on the ground like that."
Not only did he frequently cross the line with his occasionally-offensive predictions, but his technique left something to be desired as well.

Woman: "Mrrmmglm..."
Greg: "Hold still!  The mystical energies must flow!"

While Greg was busy suffocating the neighbors, Eliza was adjusting to life as a mom.  Her nights out on the town were over, traded for days spent at home taking care of Lane and performing other domestic duties.

With mixed success.

Oh, don't be so dramatic.  Eliza's cooking isn't THAT bad.

Sometimes, she took Lane with her when she went to run errands, bundling the infant into the stroller she'd purchased and setting off into town at a brisk walk.

While these trips started out well, they often degenerated into a mess of screaming baby by the time Eliza was finished everything she needed to do.

Lane: "WAAAAHHHHH!"
Eliza: "If you have the energy to scream, then why don't you have the energy to hold on until we get home?  Remind me again why I ever wanted to have a baby."
LANE: "UWAAAHHH!!!"
On the whole, Eliza was a caring and loving mother, even if she did have a few hiccups along the way while trying to figure things out.

Student: "...why is there a baby on the ground outside my school?"

Greg's hard work around the town must have paid off, because he soon received a promotion to the position of Palm Reader.
Greg: "Yes!  Palm reading!  THAT'S WHAT I DO!"
Yes, Greg, we know.

~*~

Let's play "spot the picture where Tigger forgot to put the walls up"!