Ryleigh sat on the couch in the living room of her and Derck's apartment in Vancouver, focusing on the news as she combed back Tommy's hair after his bath. The reporter on the monitor had been going on for at least five minutes about the Defense Committee's meeting with Counselor Anderson and the famous Commander Shepard this afternoon to discuss the strange energy emissions found just outside the Sol system a week earlier. In the background of the monitor Ryleigh could clearly make out the Committee's tower and just below it their holding area. To the right of her television monitor was a wide Bay Window, outside of which she could make out the sprawling mass of Vancouver, the skyway was clouded by transit shuttles and ships flying to and from the Committee Tower, the ground was no less crowded as people moved about their business through the streets on bicycles, on foot, or in street-cabs. It was a pretty average day in the city.
"Alright, baby hop off." Ryleigh said, lifting Tommy from her lap and setting him on his feet. She stood up and stroked his hair back once with her hand. "Go play with your brother." She said, to which Tommy responded with a grin and then bolted out of the room. "Be careful!" she yelled as he darted down the hallway. Ryleigh shook her head and headed across the living room and into the kitchen area where she opened up the slow-cooker, viewing the Roast inside.They had been living on imported food for a while so Ryleigh figured she'd surprise Derck with a human style food tonight. It was there anniversary after all. She couldn't wait until he got home from work. Her sister Aren was coming over at six to pick up the kids for the night so they could have a romantic dinner together, and afterward Ryleigh had plans to try on some new lingerie for Derck.
Ryleigh plucked an onion out of the box she kept by the refrigerator and began to dice it up finely, after half of it had been satisfactorily cut she dumped the pieces into the roast and put the rest away. After that she performed the same ritual with a potato, and then a carrot. Finally she opened up a can of corn (this was imported, oh well) and drained it, then poured it over the roast. Perfect, she thought as she finished up. It would be done shortly after Derck got home. After placing the finishing touches on dinner Ryleigh sat back down in front of the news.
"I'm told the meeting is now underway. The committee will likely withhold results from us until they have come to a true conclusion, but we'll keep yo-..." Ryleigh shut the television off and stood up from her seat at the couch, then moved across the room and into the hallway to find Danny's bedroom. She opened the door to find the boys playing some video game. She sat behind them and held Tommy in her arms.
"Whatcha playin'?" she asked.
"First Contact," Danny said.
"It's where we kill Turians!" Tommy responded gleefully. Ryleigh had never liked her children playing such violent games but she let it go. She was never very fond of Turians anyway.