Wow, so if those children aren't Justin's does that mean story progression actually made townies have children again?? Because, that is so exciting if that's true!
I wish.
But last night, I got that feeling when I realized that I finalized my grueling, extensive plans for getting original townie spouses for all generations. I really hope this one works out.
As for my update...
WARNING: This chapter is not normal. It involves a mortal live-in, his fiancee, her previous baby-daddy, and of course, yours truly trying to write something emotional. Your mileage may vary.
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Justin loved his step-daughters, but he knew that they and Amy had their own strange background that he accepted fully. Though it was indeed strange.
He had little part in it at first. It started with Marvin, and his usually-cryptic plans. He sometimes went to the library to get his thoughts down on the computer and into his email for safe-keeping. Marv noticed the most curious phenomena regarding his influence. How else could Lincoln and Julienne have children under such a powerful curse?
It must be influence, and the charismatic Marvin had to put to good use in whatever way possible.
Marvin had some advice for Harwood. He was in the last of his days, and they were both well-aware of it. Marv had trouble thinking of a better way for one of his best friends to spend the end of his life than in love. “Didn't you live next to that weird girl with the blue hair? I bet she'd love a guy like you.” Harwood tried to smile, but he originally thought it was just too ridiculous to consider as an option.
Ridiculous. He thought he would hate Amy, but she and Harwood had more in common than they realized. Her well-spoken manner and appreciation for the arts almost instantly impressed Harwood. Even her clumsiness and forgetfulness was strangely endearing. As for Amy, she didn't know what it was, but she fell for the old sculptor within hours, to the point of breaking up with Marc Brandt the next moment she could.
And on his last day alive, Harwood scooped up his precious Marci for a quick snuggle. He didn't ignore Amy either, and followed her upstairs for some alone-time with her after Marci fell asleep. He seemed so full of life that morning; Amy thought that Marvin was joking when he called her with the news of Harwood's death later that night.
At that point for Justin, it was years since he and Amy had a good conversation. He couldn't try and steal her heart after her boyfriend suddenly passed away. It pained him to leave her alone to let the wounds heal over a touch, but he had to until he couldn't take it any more. She was Justin's best friend when they were young, the best conversationalist he knew, and the most beautiful girl in Twinbrook as far as he was concerned. He called her for a night at the beach.
He hoped it wasn't too soon, and that she needed Justin by her side while she was picking up the pieces, and seven months pregnant with her dead boyfriend's nooboo. Amy was actually tickled to see him; how could she forget about someone who was such a good friend?
“Who's a nice bump?” Justin asked, “Who's a nice little bump that kicked me in the head?”
“How could you kick such a good man?” She managed to let out a chuckle.
Justin felt her warm embrace. It had been so long, and the cracks were beginning to show with him. He adored Amy; as a friend, as his soulmate.
“I love you,” he whispered gently, feeling Amy's hug grow tighter when she heard the words. “Just give me a call when you need a hand with the kids.”
When Amy wanted someone to escort her to the hospital, Justin gave her a ride, gushing with joy once nooboo Rachael was born. She needed a father, after all.
Justin should have been painting, but he spent the night at Amy's, snuggling Rachael while Amy got some well-deserved rest.
The next morning, he asked Amy if she felt the same way about him, on the small chance that she had years of built-up feelings the same way he did.
“I can't go through any of this alone,” she said.
She embraced him before he left, looking longingly into his eyes. That's what Amy was missing all along: Justin Michael Kayes, the sweet nerd on the other side of town.
“Have a wonderful day, love,” she said with a weak whisper.
That was years in the past, and nothing changed. Justin looked into his fiancee's eyes the same way all along.
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Maybe they're Harwood's?
...And we have a winner! If anyone else guessed that, well, there weren't that many other options.