The Rosenbergs // Tillow

1.

(July 2005)

The sun was setting on one of the last days of July. It set the mountain slopes and the clouds on fire. The crickets chirped and the family sat around in the yard; laughed and enjoyed their time together. The grass waved in mid-summer breeze and the trees waved back in response. The sun bore down, soaking into everything in sight. 

Tara, Willow, Xander and Dawn were all gathered around on the back veranda and enjoying lunch. Like every summer since Tara, Willow and Dawn had moved, the two families had spent the last two months going to water parks, lakes, mountains, bowling, rollerskating rinks, fairs, and picnic-ing. As school went back in a month, the Harris' would soon have to depart back to their Los Angeles home.

"Nervous for your big senior year?" Xander asked Dawn between mouthfuls of hotdog.

"A little. But it's all the same people, same place so it can't be that bad," she shrugged, tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear. A gust of wind blew it back into her face. Dawn was soon to be 18, and headed into her final year of high school at the end of summer. She had adjusted well, over the years, to living with Willow and Tara as her parents. Despite still calling them by their names, she was thrilled when they finally managed to adopt her back in November of 2003. Dawn still had a framed photo, of the three of them, from the day it became official, sitting on her bedside table. She had grown a few inches since parting with her life in Sunnydale and was almost taller than Tara, and made Willow feel even shorter.

Her first school year after the move was very rough on her. Her grades dropped to D's with the occasional C. Dawn's presence in class also met a decline during that first year, and she was often caught sneaking off school grounds by teachers. She struggled with depression and spent most days locked in her bedroom. It was a couple of months before it was discovered that during this alone time she was actually talking. Talking to her mother and sister so desperate to feel close to them once more. Willow and Tara, of course, took her to see a psychiatrist at the first signs that things were getting worse rather than healing with time. The first few sessions mainly consisted of Dawn's refusal about needing help, but eventually she started to open up and, with a great deal of work, things slowly began to improve for her. She still had a therapy session once a month and was still on antidepressants. These days she was also more open about what she was feeling with her mums, which had strengthened their relationship.

"That's a great outlook to have on it, Dawnie, you're gonna do amazing," Tara said, with a touch of pride in her voice. She was cuddled up to a sleepy Willow in a two-seater couch and stroked a hand through the soft mane of orange hair. The redhead nodded in agreement, as she tried her best to keep her eyes from drooping shut; she slithered an arm around Tara's front and snuggled her head on to the other lady's side.

The relationship of Willow and Tara had only blossomed more since their move. They married within 11 months of taking up residence in Island Park, Idaho, although this wasn't legally recognised. Since then, they had joined the local witch coven and started their own beautiful family.

Tara went to say something more, but her voice was drowned out by squeals and giggles. The four turned there heads and now faced the swing set where Anya was pushing the kids. The higher they soared, the louder they laughed. Anya fell pregnant, shortly after Buffy's death, with twin boys. Evan and Ezra were three years old now, and were the most energetic and wild kids you'd ever meet. They had dark brown hair and hearts of gold. She and Xander married while she was early in the second trimester of the pregnancy, but, having twins, she was already huge. Her dress was practically a tent, as Giles so nicely stated not quite out of her earshot. And the perfect dynamic of the couple continued to help them both change for the better. Usually they'd leave closer to the end of summer, but this year they had their own children to prepare for school; the boys would be starting preschool in late August.