Beyond Sunset Valley---A Town Jump Story

[deedee_828]

To start things off on a high note, or maybe just a spooky one, Janette told a ghost story that Tobias Bellucci and her mother listened to with avid interest.

Tobias even appropriately gasping, his hand flying over his mouth not able to hold back his squeak of terror, as Janette ended with, "And when Grim finished his guitar solo, he'd added yet another guitar and sim soul to his collection!"




Afterwards, Jemma chatted with Tobias as Lynette Swete played a video game.

"I love Fall, especially when pumpkins arrive at the stores, as not only can you carve them, but my favorite food is pumpkin pie!"




Then Tobias spent some time with Jemma, pillow fighting!




By the end of the evening, these two were the best of friends, and Jemma was definitely adding Tobias to the slumber party guest list.

And it looks like Alex Moore-Anderson wants to become friends with Jemma too!

Though I really need to do something about his unfortunate 'skunk' hair coloring, with that white stripe down the center part.




The next afternoon, cousins as well as more potential friends, were invited over again, to spend the afternoon as well as sleep over.

And Cinda did her best to be friendly, first chatting with Tobias about comic books, always a subject dear to her nerd heart!

"Captain Adventure is a new comic that's come out recently, so I don't know if you've read any of those Mrs. Frio, but it's so exciting, I can barely wait for the next issue!"

"Well, if you chat with Chase, Janette and Jemma's dad, you might be able to get the latest issue, and a signed copy at that, as he's the one writing that series!"

Tobias started jumping up and down at this and said, "Really!?! The back cover says that the author/illustrator wants to remain anonymous, so I'm honored that you told me that Mrs. Swanson!"

I can't see Cinda's face, but when she stares off guiltily, I get the feeling that she wasn't aware of Chase not making his authorship known to the public.

"Well, it's probably best if you just keep that as a secret between us comic book lovers, Tobias? I'll work on getting you a signed copy though, just between friends."

I'm a bit surprised by that information, but I check and sure enough, her and Tobias are friends!




So much so that she even agrees to a game of tag….outside!




And her grandson, Elliott, joins in the game too, keeping Cinda out their even longer.

She really surprised me chatting with Tobias and playing tag with the children!




Downstairs, I find Janette talking with Jonas Woodard, who's only wearing swim trunks!

That makes me start thinking about traits, and wondering if little Jonas here is Insane?

It certainly doesn't make him any less eligible as an heir or spare spouse, in fact, it's one of my favorite traits, and one we've had in the family since the third generation, when Logan married Sasha Crewe!

I wouldn't mind another one in this gen at all.




Then Christina and Jemma join them in the basement for a homework session.

Children and teens in sims are very studious and do homework conscientiously.

Even at parties, which is quite unlike most school-age kids I know!




Janette had hers already completed, so she cleaned up the empty plate so Jonas could sit in that spot.

And Christina must have had hers almost completed or decided she'd do it later as Jonas had barely sat down when she jumped up and went upstairs.




I followed her to see where she was going in such a rush and found her gossiping and giggling with Janette.

"Cici's OUTSIDE playing tag with Tobias and Elliot, let's go join them before she comes inside! This could be the one and only game of tag she'll ever play with us!"

But Chase and Marisol kept totally focused on their video game, true gamers, tuning out everyone and everything besides the game!

Rory seemed just as amused as the two little girls, if that look of his was anything to go by, but I wasn't sure if it was about the gamers or his granddaughters' conversation.




With Janette and Christina conspiring to join the game of tag, the two become fast friends!

Though I see Odette looking thoughtful, so I wonder if she's not really happy with their plan to keep Cinda outside even longer.

I don't think they mean it spitefully in any way, they just want to join in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play with their grandmother outside.




I follow them outside and find out that Odette's thoughts had nothing to do with the girls.

Well, not the younger ones anyway.

She'd been mulling over something concerning Marisol, teaching her how to drive!

"So what do you say about taking a motive mobile for a spin?"

"Really, Mom!?! That would be awesome!"




And they walk straight to the road and actually use a motive mobile, without any routing issues at all.




As Marisol drives slowly away, I watch the kids play, and they certainly seem to be enjoying the game.

Tobias has just tagged Janette, and she's getting ready to sprint after Christina, who's already running quickly away.




Then Jonas, who's come outside to join them, gets tagged by Janette, and he in turn tags Christina, apparently without warning, if her booing and catcalls are anything to go by!

"No fair Jonas, I didn't even know you were playing! Elliott, tell him that's not fair!"

But Christina's request falls on deaf ears as Elliott just plays with fairy dust, and replies, "He's right next to you and you're yelling so loud that half the neighborhood can hear you! Besides, everything's fair in tag, you're just mad 'cause he scared you, 'fraidy cat!"

Christina's disgust is made even more plain as she huffs and says, "Boys are mean!"

I can't help but a hide a smile as Elliott says, "I'm not mean, I'm grumpy, it's mom and Cici who are mean, but they try not to be!"

"Mean, grumpy, it really doesn't make any difference, I always end up being scared! It's just not fair!"

I check her traits and cringe as her child trait was Coward, one we luckily haven't seen much of since poor Sam, and now little Christina has to endure it.




I decide to check on our student driver and find Marisol apparently stalking Kirk as he walks down the street.

Well, with her stops, starts, and stutters, that's what it looks like anyway.

And if I'm not mistaken, that might actually be a small smile on Kirk's face!

But when Odette asks, "Do you want to stop and give him a ride?", Marisol's moan almost makes her reply unnecessary as she says, "No! I can't let him see me now!"

"But you're doing fine! You're not a nervous driver, all teens start out slow."

"It's not my driving! Prom's tonight and I don't want him to see me before the big event!"

Odette laughs and says, "It's not like it's bad luck to see a girl before prom, that's only supposed to apply on your wedding day! Oh, speaking of prom, I think we should have a woman-to-woman talk before tonight."

Her face flaming, Marisol was never more grateful for the tinted windows of the motive mobile than she was at that moment, "Mom! I'm trying to drive here, with Kirk walking down the sidewalk, and you want to have THAT talk now!?!"

Odette hid another laugh and simply said, "You're right. One momentous teen event at a time! We'll talk when we get home, before prom!"

"If I decided I didn't want to go to prom, would that get me out of THE TALK!?!"

Odette smiled widely, "Of course not! I've got to practice as the twins will be teens before you know it! Besides, it wouldn't be a true mother/daughter relationship if I didn't totally embarrass both of us and have THE TALK!"

Marisol didn't reply but Odette saw her relax a bit so she knew she'd hit the right note, they might not be blood but they have a deep bond that makes them a mother and daughter of the heart.




After her driving lesson, and THE TALK, which Odette did privately, knowing how much a teen girl values her privacy, Marisol was thankful to be chatting to her two best friends, Phyllis and Sweet.

And the topic of their conversation came as no surprise at all, BOYS!

"The new teacher for 3rd period Art is pretty cute! You should see how he blushes when any of girls come within ten feet of him!"

Phyllis giggled and shared a look with her sister, Sweet, saying, "When he saw my midriff that first day, I thought he was going to collapse from embarrassment!"

Sweet laughed too, but then added, "If you get one more complaint about your clothes, Mom's going to have a fit you know!"




"Speaking of clothes, I'm going to start getting ready," Phyllis stated as she headed for the bathroom.

Sweet moved over to take her place on the sofa near Marisol and asked, "Should we wait until Phyllis is done and use the same bathroom?"

Marisol grinned hugely and said, "Prom will be over if we do that! We can use both bath rooms by my bedroom so we're all ready at the same time."




Marisol was ready just in time to find Jemma inviting Kirk into the house.

"He won't have time to come inside Jemma, but thanks for being so welcoming. I'll take Kirk off your hands so you can play with your own guests. Christina's already here but I see a couple more of your friends on their way."




I turn around and see two more slumber party guests headed for the house, Alex and his sister Brittney.

The rain is getting heavier so everyone's arriving with colorful umbrellas dotting the area.

And the limo's actually parked right in front of the house at the end of the walkway, instead of two blocks down the street, for a change.




Then I check to see who's made it into the limo, only finding Marisol and Kirk inside.

I've never really understood why teens are so solemn once they're sitting inside, or why they don't sit next to their prom dates.

Maybe it's the luxury and formality of the limo that makes them all freeze up?

Which explains that part, but not why they act like they've never met!




Though they did seem a bit more comfortable when Phyllis joined them with a smile on her face.

And at least she sat next to Marisol instead of next to Kirk, which always throws me off, non-dating teens sitting next to each other.

Kirk's even dared to look over at Marisol, his expression one of appreciation for how pretty she looks maybe?

He confirms that saying, "You look beautiful Marisol! I'm going to be the luckiest guy at the prom, showing up with three gorgeous girls!"

Phyllis's smile grew a bit bigger as she said, "Yes, you've been quite honored to be allowed to join us in the limo, Kirk! But it's only going to be the three of us as Jeffrey's meeting me there, and Sweet got a call from Christian, and he wants her to go home so they can take their own limo, a surprise from his parents!"

Kirk laughed and said, "Guess that means I can stretch out then, with this side all to myself, unless someone would care to join me over here?"

Marisol blushed a bit, kept her eyes on the driver, but said, "That might be doable!"

Phyllis laughed and said, "You go girl! Prom's all about having some fun!"




With Sweet not joining them in the limo, I quickly tracked her down in the basement.

"What are you doing down here? Phyllis said you were heading home so Christian could pick you up in your own limo."

"He is. I am. But someone was in the other bathroom upstairs so I had to use this one. There are kids everywhere!"

"Oh, yeah, we should have planned that a bit better, as Janette and Jemma are having their slumber party tonight with tomorrow being a holiday, Love Day and all."

"Oh, how romantic, our prom is on Love Day Eve!"

"Love Day Eve!?! Is that even a thing?"

Sweet laughed and said, "It is NOW! Quick take a photo of me so I can get going before I'm late!"

This girl takes my breathe away as she's not only the cutest thing, but just as sweet as her name!

Too bad we don't have anyone in our family old enough to pair up with her, though I'm sure Christian Winterly wouldn't be too happy about that!




With Sweet safely upstairs and on her way to join the other teens at prom, I see what she means about children being everywhere.

I spot five of them down here, three listening to music, and Jemma and Tobias on the couch with Jemma chatting away about painting.

While Jonas watches Janette and her cousin Elliott strengthen their friendship, even though Elliott's grumpy, he's done pretty well to make friends with his cousins and the other kids in the neighborhood.




Well, it's been a day full of strengthening friendships for both the twins and Marisol.

Marisol's taken the first steps in learning how to drive and having The TALK with Odette, both events definitely on the teen rites of passage list.

She's on her way to prom with her best friend, Phyllis, and her teen love Kirk, with high hopes for the night to go well.

Phyllis' boyfriend, Jeffrey Riverhawk, is meeting them there, and so are Sweet Shue and her boyfriend, Christian Winterly.

And though the teens may be out for the night, the house is still full as the twins are having a slumber party!

Join me for all the details in Chapter 248: Slumber Party and Prom
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

It didn't take long for all the slumber party guests to arrive and right before a snack they all changed into pj's.

Well, most of them did.

Since Jemma's not an actual invited guest she doesn't automatically spin into pj's.

But she eagerly heads for the snacks with Christina as Jonas and Janette munch on their brownies and muffins at the breakfast bar.




And since Tobias came over for a play date, his father, Tomas, accompanying him, he doesn't change into pj's either.

But Tomas is a great chaperone, especially decked out in his military garb, and Tobias looks cute in his everyday outfit.

Chastity Chesterfield, in her pink pj's, grabs a brownie and follows Elliott into the dining room.

The blonde boy, Tracy McFarland, is new in town, his father following the performance circuit.




And, for the first time, Elliott's grumpy trait rears it's head as he says, "I wanted to sit at the breakfast bar, but I guess I'll have to settle for the plain old dining room table!"

I follow the other children's example and ignore his comment, hoping that will help him to see that grumpiness will get him exactly nowhere.




Jemma, Christina, and Alex don't have a problem sitting in the dining room, and Alex's thoughts still seem to be focused totally on Jemma.

Though it may be her instructions that he's focused on as she says, "Oh, thanks for helping clean up Alex. If we don't leave a mess or trash lying around, getting permission to have more parties will be way easier!"

But it's not Jemma or her words that I'm concerned with, it's poor Alex's 'skunk' hair!




I just can't stand it and pop him into stylist for a quick change of hairstyle, hoping a different one will hide his white roots.

And it does!

Though Alex looks a bit nervous to be the focus of my attention.




Getting back to the party, I find Janette and Jonas cleaning up in the kitchen.

Jonas looks absolutely adorable in his deep blue pj's dotted with clouds, the perfect foil to Janette's light blue ones with coral butterflies!

I am really liking the way the twins decided to pair up, with Janette choosing Jonas and Jemma, Tobias, but will they really end up as partners?

Only time will tell on that score.




After snacks, Janette tells a ghost story.

Jonas joins them right at the end, so he stands nearby, as Chastity, Jemma, and Elliott all cry out in mock terror when Janette, says, "And to this day they never found any of the robbers' bodies or the gold!"




Then it's time for bed, as I get the message, "That's what slumber parties are all about!"

I'm not sure I agree with that statement, but the kids follow orders and all head for the front lawn, where they bed down in their sleeping bags!




Over at the high school, prom is over and I catch the teens as they exit the school on their way home.

Here's Christian Winterly, Sweet's boyfriend, and the youngest son of Peter and Adele.

I wish I'd caught him going to prom to make his formal outfit a bit more…formal, but at least I caught a photo of him, even if it is rather dark.

On second thought, the darkness sort of hides his frown, which I think is a reference to his thought bubble, which was either about needing to eat or sleep.

Note to self, get to the school earlier and max motive all the teens so they aren't starving or ready to collapse!




And though it's not a suit, Jeffery Riverhawk, son of Nicholas and Francisca (Vanderburg), definitely looks handsome, and more Vanderburg than Riverhawk, to Catarina's delight, I'm sure!

I'm just thrilled that SP paired him up with Phyllis.

Though I'm sure Catarina's not as thrilled by that as I am, with Phyllis being an adopted child with no family connections, as family is what's most important to Catarina Vanderburg.

I'd thought Catarina was a snob, given the backstory for Hidden Springs, but she's not, she's just family oriented.

So with a teen grandson and another grandchild on the way, since Francisca is expecting again, I'm sure she's over the moon.




Next out the door is Phyllis and she looks so happy with that big smile and the cheer that burst out of her as she crossed to the school steps.

"Oh, prom was just so amazing Watcher! Jeffery danced every dance with me and got me punch and made me feel like I was the only girl in the room! I may not say it often enough Watcher, but thank you for arranging it so I could live in this town, have a family, and grow up!"

"You are very, very welcome Phyllis. But this wasn't a one-way effort. You made Marisol's life in Uni so much better by offering your friendship there, and you've continued to do that here in HS. Whenever I think of Marisol, I think of you! In fact, Marisol has mentioned moving to the next town as a surprise for her family, but she doesn't want to go without you. And I'd never dream of breaking up that kind of a friendship. So we're leaving that choice up to you as Marisol would be moving with family, but you'd be leaving your adopted family behind."




Phyllis's face sobered as my words sunk in and as she walked down the school steps, she softly said, "Wow, you've given me a lot to think about Watcher. When do I have to decide?"

"There's no rush Phyllis. You can decide either before or even after we leave for the next town. I can move you there just like I moved you here from the Uni campus."

"And then my life would continue in the next town, instead of stopping here after you leave?

"That's right. Once my active family leaves a town, the residents there don't really progress any further in their lives,  but unlike Uni, they do age, so going back is tricky. But it's still possible to chat long distance and visit, of course."

"Would it just be me and Marisol that you move, because of our friendship?"

"It doesn't have to be just the two of you. I can move any number of sims from other towns. And just like I don't want to break up friendships, I don't want to break up couples even more. So if you wanted to continue your relationships with Jeffery and Kirk, I wouldn't have a problem moving them as well. If that's what they wanted too. The choice to move would be up to each one of you."

Seeing how much my offer has diminished her prom euphoria, I say, "I'm sorry for mentioning that now Phyllis, my timing was a bit off."

Letting out the breathe she'd been holding, Phyllis adds, "Maybe a little Watcher. But now that it's out there, it will give me more time to think about it."




Next out is Sweet and she looks thoughtful as well.

"Something on your mind Sweet?"

"Well, prom for Phyllis and Marisol was at the beginning of their teen years, I've only got a few more days before I become a young adult. And Christian gave me a promise ring tonight! He told me he knows I'm the only girl for him and he wants us to marry soon after graduation."

"Why so quickly?"

"Well, both his parents and Granny are getting up there in age and with his mom and Granny being so focused on family, we both know how much they'd love seeing our wedding."

"But you're not sure about marrying him, is that it?"

"Oh, no, I love Christian! I can't see myself with anyone else. But the thought of his parents, and Granny being gone…."

"I see. Well, I can't make any promises Sweet, but I'll check and see if I can tweak their ages just a bit, to give them a little more time. Not just to see your wedding, but maybe to meet a grandchild too!"

"Oh, Watcher! That would be so wonderful! The Winterly's and Granny had me and Christian so much later in their lives, that it would be so nice if they could have just a little more time."




Marisol's out next and she manages to walk a bit away as I was busy chatting with Sweet.

"Congratulations on being voted Prom Queen, Marisol! And I do believe a certain someone asked you to go steady too, yes?"

"Yes, Kirk asked me while we were dancing to a slow song! It was so romantic. In fact, he even asked me if I'd hang around after prom so we could spend more time together. Do you think that would be okay?"

"It's okay with me, but you'd better ask your parents permission. And even with permission, there's always a chance you'll get caught out after curfew as I hardly ever remember to change those settings."

"I'll call mom and make sure it's okay. As for curfew, I'll take my chances! It'll be worth it to spend some more time with Kirk!"




With permission granted, Marisol and Kirk decide to snuggle up together and watch the stars.

Even looking so serious, I think these two make the cutest couple!




And when Kirk smiles after telling Marisol a joke and making her laugh, I like him even more.




They end their prom night with a romantic hug and several kisses.

With Kirk asking, "So tomorrow? Me and you, the movies?"

Marisol smiled at Kirk's eagerness to confirm another date and said, "Yes, but I was thinking it would be nice if we tripled dated with Phyllis and Jeffery, and Swete and Christian. A celebration of all of us being steadies now!"

Kirk's smile drooped a little but he said, "I'd prefer having you all to myself, but if I must share you I must!"

"Well, we'll only be sharing a cab. Once we're inside the theater, we can find a cozy corner all to ourselves."

Kirk's smiled bloomed again, and with one final kiss goodbye, he said, "That thought will definitely keep me going until tomorrow night!"




Once the cab drops her off, Marisol races down the front walkway, barely noticing all the sleeping bags filled with gently snoring children, as she's suddenly realized that all she had at prom was punch, no food, and she's starving.

I can't help but caution, "Be careful, you don't want to fall or wake the children!"

"As you recently told me Watcher, I'm not clumsy, so there's no danger of falling, and unless a family ghost drifts out here, the children will all sleep soundly until morning."

"Okay, you've got me on both of those points."




She was right, her racing footsteps didn't bother the children at all.

Once she ate, fixing the broken sink and mopping up the kitchen didn't disturb a very sleepy Tobias either.

The poor boy had wandered all over the house, even talking with a paparazzi after the other children bedded down on the front lawn and Jemma went upstairs to sleep in her bed, before he finally crashed in a rocking chair on the side porch.




But as soon as the sun hit the front lawn, around 7 am, the children all scrambled out of their sleeping bags, twirled into everyday outfits, and told Janette it was a great party.

Jonas was the first one to jump on his bike and head home.

And all the others followed, one by one.




Soon after all the children leave, I get the message that the town's population has increased,
and I excitedly send Cinda and Rory over to visit Merida and Scott.

And Cinda's thoughts proclaim it loud and clear that she has a new grandchild!

One that's not very happy at the moment.

"Merida, congratulations! Your father and I will take it from here, go lie down and get some rest, trust me, you'll need it."

"Thanks mom. I just might take you up on that."




It doesn't take Cinda long to get her grandson changed and fed, and then she settles down with him in the rocker.

"Oh, Cinda, how wonderful, he looks just like Rory! What did they name him?"

"His name is Riff, Watcher, and he's artistic too, just like his grandfather. Along with being a virtuoso, like his daddy. So they found a boy's name that reflects music for this little guy."

"And if I'm not mistaken, those are sparkles floating around him! Pink sparkles."

"Yes, he's definitely a fairy. There's a lot of fae energy in this house now!"

"That's so wonderful, that the fae genetics are continuing with another boy… Wait! Your thought bubble was of a pink bundle crying!"

"It was! Rory's taking care of that. Go see for yourself."




I find Rory holding the little pink bundle and she's no longer crying, being safely nestled in her Grandpa Ro's arms!

"Oh, twins Rory and she has your skin and Cinda's pink sparkles too! What's her name? Rory? Rory!?! Why are you looking out the window when you're supposed to be focused on your granddaughter?"

"Oh, sorry Watcher, I thought I heard something outside."

And with his eyes still focused on the window, he adds, "But I was listening to you. Merida and Scott followed through on their musical theme, even though this little one is an athletic genius, and named her Lyric."




And to my surprise, instead of spending some grandpa time with his newest granddaughter, he quickly took care of her needs and headed outside, off the back porch.

And almost hidden by a bush, he picked up a distraught bundle that was waving her fists frantically!

"Triplets, Rory! And this one looks just like Cinda with her fairy sparkles and peachy skin tone! No wonder Cinda felt so much fae energy on this lot, three more Frio's added to the family and all fairies!"

"Frio/Chesterfield's to be precise, but I'm not quibbling as it brings our grandchildren total to eight, since it doesn't officially count Sidney or Marisol, when we'd all figured five was going to be the limit! It is a wonderful day!"




As Rory cuddled this unexpected bonus grandchild, he murmured, "There, there, little Melody, everything's okay now. Grandpa Ro found you and you're safe and sound."

While Rory was busy consoling little Melody who's also a Virtuoso like her dad and her brother, along with being Athletic like Lyric, I busied myself renovating tiny Hope House to accommodate triplets.

First purchasing a fairy house for when the nooboos are older and need a place to sleep, in case I forget to add them after they become children, though with their doubled life span that may not happen before we leave HS.

Then eliminating the master on the main floor and making it a nursery for the girls to share.

Scott and Merida will now have to use the upstairs master suite as their room, but I think it's a fair trade off so they can stay in Hope House and be close to family.




Wow, first a slumber party where the twins continue building up their friendships.

Then prom, where Marisol was voted Queen, and Kirk asked her to be his steady girl.

Followed by a glorious morning where Merida and Scott welcome triplets, a boy Riff, and two girls, Lyric and Melody!

Like Rory and Cinda, I'd almost given up on any more Frio grandchildren so I was thrilled when we got the announcement that Merida was expecting.

I'd tried visiting a few times, but the social bug has definitely continued in HS and no one stays home much.

Luckily, they live close by and I was able to catch them right after the birth of the triplets and capture them in photos.

Though we might not be around when they become children, I will make sure that toddler birthdays happen before we leave town and get plenty of toddler photos to show off!

But before that happens, we've got a family day at the Spring Festival and a triple date to go on!

So join me for Chapter 249: Springtime Fun and Secrets
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

With Rory and Cinda welcoming the triplets, Odette and Chase opt for a family outing to the Spring Festival with the twins.

Jemma dances first thing, while Odette scans the park for a place to play her guitar.

And Chase and Janette search for Easter eggs.

I also see a couple of familiar faces, well, Francisca Vanderburg Riverhawk in the background, looking suspiciously thin.

And the back of Tobias Bellucci's head as he stares at Odette.




It doesn't take long for Chase to find a dark green egg spotted with polka dots.




And I hear Janette's excited squeal as she finds one too.

Hers being bright orange and yellow with red stripes!




Odette finds an open space to play for tips and Jeffery and father, Nicholas Riverhawk, are the first ones to watch and listen.

Though they don't hang around long and don't offer any tips either.

I'd always thought the Festival Lots, with so many sims around, would be great for playing for tips but, with all the free activities, it doesn't seem to work out that way.




Jeffery and Nicholas left so quickly because they got called over for lunch, so I guess I can't blame them there.

But seeing Francisca up close, she is thin, so either she hasn't popped yet or she's already had the baby and I forgot to note it down.

It's more than likely the later, so I'll have to check that next time I'm in game.

Just look at blonde Jeffery with his dark-haired parents, he definitely got that hair from his grandmother, Catarina Vanderburg.

If Phyllis decides to move to the next town with us and Jeffery wants to come along, we could be seeing more of him in the next town.

Though I'm not sure how Catarina would feel about that since Jeffery's her oldest grandchild and his uncle, heir apparent, Sebastien Vanderburg is still single, to her dismay!




Jemma has traded dancing to play a game of horseshoes with Tobias.

"I've never played Tobias. What do I have to do?"

"Just toss the horseshoe towards that stake and try to hook it on. But don't throw it too hard, it would really hurt if it hit some one!"

Jemma pauses from the wind up she was about to do and reconsiders, saying, "That's a good tip Tobias. I definitely wouldn't make any friends bashing someone with a horseshoe!"

Her first throw goes too far, bouncing off the backboard, but her second strikes true with a resounding clang and lands perfectly centered around the stake!

Tobias stands there for a moment in shock as Jemma yells, "I did it Tobias, I did it! Right around the stake!"

Tobias his voice rising and the awe unmistakable, says, "A ringer. You got a ringer on your second throw. You're a natural Jemma. I've never seen anyone do that so quickly! I'm calling dibs on you to be my partner in doubles from now on!"

"Thanks Tobias. I'd love to be your partner. But it may only be a fluke though, you know, beginner's luck."

"Whatever it is, I hope some of it rubs off on me. Let's practice some more!"




With most of the heir family occupied, I decide to head back home and check on Marisol.

But galloping hoofs catch my attention and I see a saddled Domino go streaking towards me!

I snap a photo quick enough to catch her looking beautiful in all her Unicorn power and glory!




In a great mood with a Unicorn photo captured, I find Kirk back at the house.

But he looks like he's leaving already.

His words explain it though, "Come on you guys! We don't want to be late for the movie! And check out this cool ride we're going in!"




The other teens, who'd been chatting on the covered porch, run down the entry way with Marisol in the lead.

"Cici, are you sure about this!?!" Marisol exclaims as she stares at the dark limo parked in front of her.

"I hardly ever use it and my driver's bored to tears. Besides, this way we won't worry about any of you driving on these mountain roads after the movie as my driver has instructions to hang around and drop everyone off at their homes. You kids have fun now."

Their thank you cries ringing out behind them, all the kids pile into the limo.




But once the sidewalk's clear and I check inside, I only see Phyllis and Marisol.

Apparently this is a magic limo and it renders some of the occupants invisible!




I follow them to the theater, to see what happens on that end, and just like a clown car, all six teens pile out.

Not sure if some of them were stashed in the trunk, or sitting up front with the driver, but they all arrived safely.

Though, by the time I'd gotten set up for a photo that included them all, the limo had disappeared!

And some of their thoughts are equally worrisome.

Jeffery and Sweet aren't giving theirs away and both of them looking totally focused on the theater.

Marisol's is appropriate, given that it's Love Day.

But Kirk is thinking about cooking, Christian about vegetables, and Phyllis wants to go home?

Maybe the boy's are just hungry and Phyllis is wondering if she should ask Jeffery back to her house after the movie?

Maybe I should just go with that instead of trying to figure out teenage minds, especially sim teenage minds!




But with Christian's shouted, "The smells from the bistro next door are making me hungry! Let's grab a bite after the movie!"

And Kirk's, "Great minds, bro! Great minds!"

I know I've hit upon the boys thoughts, though that was easy enough as I've never met a teenage boy that couldn't eat, any time of day.




After the movie, Marisol and Phyllis throw a frisbee around while the boys check on tables for dinner at the bistro nearby.

Laughing and chattering away, like girls do on a date, until Phyllis said, "I haven't discussed it with Jeffery yet, Marisol, but after your Watcher mentioned it, I wanted to let you know that I'm all for moving to the next town, wherever your family decides to go."

Marisol's grip tightened on the frisbee and she said, "Really Phyllis!?! Oh that's wonderful! I haven't talked to Kirk about it yet either but once his parents pass on, he won't have any family here and he's already told me he'd like to see other places. But Jeffery, he's a Vanderburg with lots of family here, do you think he'd actually consider leaving HS?"

"Maybe. Even though he's got the Riverhawk name, he's the only male grandchild in the Vanderburg line so far and he's not keen on how much his grandmother focuses on him because of that. But he told me a secret and said I could share it with you but no one else."

The two girls stepped closer and Marisol whispered excitedly, "A secret? What is it? Spill Phyllis! You're killing me!"

"Jeffery thinks that his uncle Sebastian is seeing someone and it's serious, even though the elder Vanderburg's seem to be in the dark about it. Still harping on Sebastian settling down, especially Mrs. Vanderburg."

"Then how does he know it's serious?"

"Because he found a little black box with a diamond ring inside hidden in the dresser of the room he stays in when he sleeps over at his grandparents house. Sebastian's room!"




After saying goodbye to Phyllis, who decided she'd had enough of the crowd, Marisol follows the music she can hear to the front of the theater and finds Odette rocking out on her guitar to an ever growing crowd.

Someone's even giving Odette a tip, someone in maternity clothes!




I flip around so I can get a better look at the generous tipper.

And smile when I realize it's Sidney Shawkti Winterly!

"Oh Sidney, you're expecting again! Congratulations!"

"Thanks Watcher! Charles and I both grew up as only children, not having a sibling until our teens, so we want our kids to be close. Hawk's growing so fast now and toddling all over so we felt it was the perfect time to give him a baby brother or sister."

"Do you have a preference? Boy or girl?"

"Charles and I don't, but Mother Adele is hoping for a granddaughter to spoil along with Hawk, as she only had boys! But if you promise not to spoil the surprise, I've got a secret I've been dying to tell someone!"

Just as excited as Marisol, I whisper, "Spill Sidney! I love secrets!"

"Not only am I going to be a mother again, but a big sister too!"

"Oh my gosh! El…oh, right. Secret. Oh, that's wonderful.  I love baby news and it looks like we've got several to look forward to here in HS. Thanks for letting me in on that one Sidney!"




And not only has the crowd grown since I was chatting with Sidney, but now sims are even dancing!

Look at my simself and her husband Bruce just cutting a rug right there on the bricks.

And Star Shue looks adorable in her everyday outfit, though I think like Sweet, that girl would look great in whatever she was wearing, having a natural beauty.

Since she's become a young adult, I heard wedding bells are in her near future as Dennis Chesterfield proposed recently.




When Odette takes a break from playing she spots Esther in the crowd and can't resist catching up.

"How's gardening going Esther? We still have all those perfect plants if you want some of them."

"I'm trying to build up my gardening skill right now, Odette. And actually I've been busy with something on a more personal level. Something I hadn't expected, well, not so soon after settling here anyway. I've fallen in love!"




"Oh, how wonderful Esther! Who's the lucky man?"

"Oh, he's not the lucky one, Odette, I am. Seems like my Unlucky trait has been totally overcome since I've moved to Hidden Springs."

With a big smile and a flourish of her hand, Esther added, "You're looking at the soon-to-be Mrs. Sebastian Vanderburg!"

Odette's heartfelt congratulations were obvious as she said, "So it's taken a girl with a green thumb to capture the heart of the Vanderburg heir! But I think you're mistaken about him not being lucky Esther, I think you're the perfect girl for him!"

"From your lips to Catarina Vanderburg's ear! Sebastian and I've been keeping our relationship on the down low, mostly because I was so nervous about it, but now that he's proposed, the cat's out of the bag. And though Renauld is happy for us, Catarina's not as thrilled with Sebastian choosing a University drop out turned gardener, with no family or connections of any kind, as her new daughter in law!"

"I wouldn't worry about it Esther. She's waited so long for Sebastian to settle down and give her more grandchildren, she'll get over it quick enough!"

"You may have something there! It may be in Sebastian's and my best interest to start our family sooner rather than later!"




With Odette busy talking with Esther, Marisol finds Kirk in the crowd and takes advantage of Love Day while she still can.

Squeezing both his hands in her own, she says, "It was a great triple date Kirk! So wonderful to get to spend time with my friends and our boyfriends. It won't be long before the twins have their birthday and have boyfriends of their own. I can't wait to get to be in on the sister news, and help them out with advice on boys. Though, since we've been exclusive since we've been teens, I've only got one boy to compare to…"

Kirk lost a bit of the grin he'd been sporting as he asked, "Is that a bad thing?" Adding more gruffly, "Are you saying you want to break up, play the field and date other guys!?!"

Marisol's resounding, "No!" had Kirk relaxing a bit, as she added, "Of course not! Do you? Want to break up and see other girls!?!"

Kirk gave Marisol's hands a loving squeeze and said, "No. You're the girl for me Marisol! My one and only. But what you said about comparing boys made me think that…."




"No, silly. What I was going to add was, 'and he's so great, anyone they would choose would fall far below my expectations'. Sims don't always find their soul mates in high school, but I already know you're mine Kirk! There's no one else I'd rather be with, spend the rest of my life with. I know it's a bit premature to be discussing this Kirk, since the twins aren't teens yet, but once they become young adults, you know the main family will move to another town. And I've decided to move wherever they go."

"You're planning on leaving town!?! But I thought just the heir and their partner, plus their parents, moved on to the next town?"

"Those are the ones required to move, but our family typically takes all the children and their chosen partners along, if they have one. Sometimes, a child chooses to stay behind for their own personal reasons, and sometimes the family is too large to include everyone. But even if the main house was full, our Watcher has found a way to move others to the same town. I've already decided to move, though I haven't shared that news with my family yet, and Phyllis has already agreed to move with me!"

"You've already asked Phyllis and not me!?!"

"Well, it turns out that our Watcher actually discussed it with Phyllis, so now I'm asking you! But I don't want your answer yet. I want you to really think about it and after our next birthdays, we can talk about it again, and you can give me your answer."




With their arms wrapped around each other, Marisol leaned in to kiss Kirk goodnight, saying, "Just think about it. It's a really big step and I'd be moving with family in the same town, and you'd be leaving yours."

Kirk whispered, "There's only my mom and dad here, no one else, maybe your Watcher could move them too, if they wanted to go. But you're right, a big decision and something to think about."

And then their lips met and neither of them thought about anything else but being kissed on Love Day under the stars.

That's when I realize Jeffery Riverhawk had been watching and listening long enough to hear that Phyllis had already decided to leave town, and by the stunned look on his face, the idea of Phyllis leaving town is not a pleasant one for him.




I follow Odette and Marisol home and, hearing ghostly music, discover Founder Claire upstairs rocking on the upstairs side porch.

Noticing her smile, I ask, "What's wrong? You don't usually smile unless you're in the nursery."

"There's space in the house for a nooboo isn't there?"

"Yes, but no one has popped any wishes for another child. Why?"

"You'd better check on Chase and Rory!"

"What? Why?"

"For once, don't argue with me Watcher! Check on Chase and Rory! Now! Before it's too late!"




I quickly click on Chase's icon and find him stargazing on the other upstairs porch.

Now in Sims 2, stargazing could lead to direct abduction but that's not the case in Sims 3, it's not the one stargazing that gets abducted.

But seeing an odd glow on the lawn has me freaking just a bit, is Rory running to investigate a mysterious anomaly?

I usually get pulled to those scenes but then, like Claire said, it would be too late.




I click on Rory and gasp as I'm pulled down, down, down….oh no, is he running towards the lights!?!

No. He's not! He's not even on the home lot!

He's safely visiting his new grandchildren over at the Chesterfield house.

As he settles Melody into her crib, I take a breathe and slow my heart rate.

There is no anomaly and Chase and Rory are perfectly safe, with no threat of alien abduction or unexpected weight gain!

Then I realize that not only do Merida and Scott have triplets, they also have a cat, and a dog.

A very large dog!




As the sun rises, I place appropriate pet items around the house and in the back yard.

Then movement catches my eye and I see MrsFlynn's pet bird go soaring across the kitchen!

I hadn't realized that she'd left him behind in Hope House, but it's nice to know that as long as there's a bird tree, birds survive.




But my calmness at finding Rory safe and sound, noticing the large dog and providing pet items for him, pausing to admire the beautiful pet bird, quickly evaporates as I realize I've been tricked.

And tricked by Claire instead of Jerad!

I rush back over to the main house and as my, "Claire!!!!" reverberates around the lot, I distinctly hear the sound of ghostly laughter.

Laughter that immediately stops when I focus on Claire, now rocking serenely on the downstairs front porch.

Before I can say a word, she smiles and says, "It must have been a trick of the light Watcher. Sorry, my mistake."




Now that we're in week 5 of our journey in Hidden Springs, with the Spring Festival and Love Day behind us, we all feel right at home and part of this wonderful community.

One the secrets being whispered about concerns Sebastian Vanderburg's relationship, which is out of the bag as he proposed and Esther's sporting his dazzling diamond ring!

Sidney Shawkti Winterly is not only expecting her second child, but is also going to be a big sister again, so Cinda and Rory will be adding another grandchild soon. Will they get to complete their 10 grandchildren wishes?

Phyllis told Marisol that she's on board with moving to the next town and Marisol has invited Kirk along as well.

But Marisol wants Kirk to think about it and discuss it with his parents before making a decision after their young adult birthdays.

Phyllis's boyfriend, Jeffery Riverhawk, overheard Marisol and Kirk discussing the move and he knows Phyllis is planning on leaving town, the thought distressing him and giving him a lot to think about too.

Will Jeffery stay behind in Hidden Springs and become the heir apparent or will his uncle Sebastian and his bride to be, Esther, have their own heir, leaving Jeffery free to live his own life?

Only time will tell on that score, but rest assured I'll be following up on that.

The twins teens birthdays are fast approaching, so I'd better get to aging up Christina, and then her younger brother Elliot, as well as poor little Adrienne who was born the same day as the twins and should be a child already.

That double lifespan sure does keep me hopping trying to keep all the children aged up in their birth order!

Follow along in Chapter 250: HS Birthday Explosion
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

I check the Shawkti Ranch first thing, and Ella's home, along with her toddler Adrienne!

Seeing Ella in that totally-inappropriate-for-summer trench coat confirms that she is indeed expecting!

"Congratulations Ella! I was about ready to give up hope that you and Pierce would have another child together."

"You and Mom and Dad too! We might have given it a shot sooner, but with Adrienne staying a toddler so long…"

"I know, that double age span is getting more and more difficult to keep up with! Adrienne should have been a child right after the twins aged to children as they were born on the same day. But with all inactive families being so sociable, I don't seem to be able to catch them home much."

"I understand Watcher, but now that you're here…."




Adrienne doesn't get a birthday party, not even a cake, as I'm afraid Pierce and Ella will leave before I can get all that put together, but I do get her aged up to child.

She looks very much like Cinda and, like her Cici, hates the outdoors!

I quickly send her off to school, so she can get a couple of days in before I age her up to teen, though she looks less than thrilled about missing out on cake and having to go to school minutes after becoming a child.

The sober face makes her look more like Cici, but thankfully she doesn't get a chance to complain as NRaas commands don't allow for it!

And since she's not mean spirited or grumpy, I don't think she would have anyway.




With that done, I head back to the main house and find Odette painting on the side porch.

I don't think I've ever seen this particular painting before and that's saying something with all the artistic sims that have been in this family!

"Oh, I love that one Odette! He looks so real, like he could step off the canvas and sweep you up in his arms!"

Odette contemplates the painting and says, "Then I've accomplished what I set out to do. I found a romance novel in one of the family chests, written by AC, and it's put me in a romantic mood. I just had to see if I could capture a dashing man from days gone by, the hero who swoops in at the last second and saves the damsel in distress, and then pulls her into a passionate embrace!"

"Well, you've succeeded as far as I'm concerned. Though you won't be getting any money for that one."

"It should bring in quite the sum, from the right buyer…."

"Not if it's hanging upstairs in the gallery! I usually pick one or two of my favorite paintings from each of the family artists to keep, ones that speak to me, and this one is on the top of my list!"

"Well, thank you Watcher. It is rather nice. Makes me feel all feminine and puts me in the mood for romance!"

"Knight in shining armor romance or break out the baby bottles and diapers romance!?!"

"Oh, knight in shining armor all the way! My adult birthday's not that far off and I think my nooboo days are done, until it's grandma time!"

"You're just becoming an adult Odette, not an elder! There's plenty of time for another child, if you and Chase wanted one. Try for a boy maybe?"

Odette paused, her brush trembling over her palette, and, letting out a breathe, she said, "I've thought about it, of course, and we did talk about it after Chase graduated from Uni, but he was just starting his career, and he enjoys it so much, he's already at level six. Then Marisol was such a wonderful surprise, once I got used to the shock of it! She added another child to our family, and looks just like Chase, having his skin tone and hair, but with those striking blue eyes. And the twins were still toddlers then, so we were all so busy. But now they're all in school, soon high school, and Watcher, I don't think I could do twins again!"

I followed all of Odette's excuses, but focused on the last one, "Well, with your parents still here in the house, there wouldn't be a chance for twins, only one spot is open."

"One spot….a little boy like Chase…you've definitely given me something to think about Watcher!"

"Well, don't think too long, because I think your parents will be trying to find a place of their own soon. And once they move out…."

"Oh, I see what mean, three spaces open…so we've got to decide soon. I'll definitely talk to Chase and see if he's open to the idea, but he hasn't mentioned it recently."




I find Rory working on the dishwasher and I'm not surprised when he says, "So maybe another nooboo in the house, Watcher?"

"Oh, I guess you overheard us talking. Would that be a problem Rory? Sticking around for a bit longer to ensure only one, not twins or triplets?"

As Rory tinkers with a few more connections he says, "Cinda has been asking about a home of our own, with the twins becoming teens soon. And with Ella expecting and possibly Odette, that would guarantee us our 10 grandchildren. But I don't want to put pressure on Odette and Chase that way, have them thinking they need to have another child for us. They should make that choice totally for themselves."

"But if you and Cinda got a place of your own now, the two of you might decide on having another child and we could meet them before we leave town."

"That's true. But with eight grandchildren now and another on the way, having another child of our own doesn't seem to have the same importance that it did back in MH. If you know what I mean."

"I do. Another child is wonderful, but a lot of responsibility again. Leaving you both with less time to cuddle and play with all those grandchildren and Cinda still works full time."

"Exactly. And I don't see her giving up her career anytime soon, as she's still a young adult. And I'm not sure I want to give up all my painting and reading time either. We've both gotten pretty used to just being grandparents and having our time to do what we want."

"But in a house of your own, the both of you might feel a bit lonely, you're both used to being in a pretty full house, even if you are loners! And not being part of this house, SP could give you more children, that's a risk too."

"That's true! I hadn't thought of that. Well, Watcher, like Odette, you've given me something to think about."




Later that day, Chase is chatting with Esther, who's come over for a visit.

"I hear congratulations are in order Esther! Odette was thrilled for both you and Sebastian, and I have to agree that I think you'll be perfect for each other. Sebastian's mother has tried to fix him up with every eligible girl in town, well, those she felt were worthy of his status as the Vanderburg heir. But he's just focused on his career, until now, much to the Vanderburg matriarch's disappointment. How did she take the news?"

"Well, she wasn't totally thrilled with me being a Uni drop out who likes to play in dirt with no family connections, or any family at all, but Sebastian and I've gotten around that pretty well. We told her that with no mother of my own, Catarina would be able to teach me everything I need to know about being a Vanderburg."

"Oh, but couldn't that backfire? I mean lessons on the 'Vanderburg Way' sound awful!"

"And they probably would be, but I took Odette's advice and when Sebastian and I mentioned starting a family soon, since he's getting a bit of a late start, Caterina has insisted that I take it easy, just eat right and keep myself in a positive mood, for a happy, healthy baby! And since gardening makes me happy…"

Chase laughed at that point and said, "You get to garden to your heart's content with no lessons on Vanderburg etiquette! I have to say, that was a genius way to get Caterina on your side! But are you two serious about starting a family soon?"

"Well, it started off as a way to have Catarina accept me a bit better, but the more Sebastian and I've thought about it, we've decided we really do like the idea. And with Francisca expecting, I've been visiting her a lot, learning all about nooboos and she's even said I could help with the new baby, to get some hands on experience! So fingers crossed on baby news for me and Sebastian soon! What about you and Odette? Do you feel your family is complete yet?"

"Funny you should mention that….."




By the time the twins get home from school, after their ballet class, Chase is engrossed in conversation with Sebastian.

"Esther is one of a kind Chase! I never thought I'd find a girl who enjoys the outdoors as much as I do! We spend all our free time exploring the parks and fishing holes looking for wild plants for Esther to add to her gardening collection. It's wonderful being with a girl as natural as Esther, one who's earthy and fun and not obsessed with family, money, shopping or going to the spa. I really expected to disappoint my mother and never settle down, but Esther's changed my mind on that for sure! Now if I could only persuade the town council that we need some clubs in town…my life would be perfect!"

"Congratulations Sebastian! I'm glad that the two of you have found each other. Esther deserves some happiness and it sounds like the two of you have found that together. But if you two are planning on starting a family soon, you won't have much time for partying, trust me on that! But now that our twins are home, we can get this party started. I know it won't be as exciting as one of the clubs in Bridgeport or Starlight Shores, but…"

"A party's a party, Chase, so I'm with you. Let's get this one under way."




Since I wasn't able to go over to Christina and Elliot's home for individual cakes, and both of them should be older than the twins, I invite them over, as well as other family and friends.

So Christina steps up to her cake first, with her father, Eric, being the first one to start twirling a noise maker.




Soon others have joined Eric in cheering the first birthday girl on, Marisol full of excitement to have her cousin join her in teenhood, and Jemma clapping enthusiastically, while Jonas Woodard twirls a noise maker.

My simself looks rather sober though, and I can't help wondering if she's focused on her daughter, Chastity, who will soon become a teen herself.

Cinda seems to be in a world of her own as well, looking well away from the growing crowd, probably wishing she was any place but in her very own crowded kitchen.




But Cinda surprises me yet again, or maybe she's just determined to overcome her loner self.

Either way, she's put herself into the thick of the party, watching closely as her oldest natural grandchild begins her birthday twirl in a shower of sparkles.

Esther's excitement is clearly shown as she claps and shouts birthday wishes.

While Ella's Adrienne, who'd just become a child that day and missed out on having her own party, eagerly joins in the celebration.

Just look at that trio of turquoise-haired family members, quite the tribute to Carly's Dashing Desmond!

Though it won't be carried on through the main family line, it will live on in spare progeny for some time to come.




With the sparkles twinkling away, Christina stands before us a new teen.

To my delight she gets a positive trait this time, Friendly!

And the plum dress she aged up in isn't half bad, as age up clothes go, but the hairstyle isn't my favorite.

But no time for stylist right now, we have plenty more birthdays to celebrate.




Christina and the guests have barely taken their first bites of cake when Elliott, one hand on his hip in a cocky stance, stomps his foot, drawing every eye in the room to him, saying, "Isn't it MY turn yet!?!"

Adrienne and Jemma's hands fly to their mouths as they gasp at Elliott's total lack of manners.

And I know Dashing Desmond would be appalled as well for one sporting his own turquoise hair to be causing such a scene, at a birthday party no less.

But Elliott is young, growing up with a mean-spirited mom, and a grumpy dad, and is grumpy himself, so I'm going to make allowances for him, this time.

Besides, just as there's no time for makeovers, there's no time for lectures either.




So Adrienne and Jemma make way for Elliott to reach his cake and let the party continue.

Elliott hops up on his stool, places both his hands on the table, and announces, "It's time for me to make my birthday wish, and it better come true!"

I'm not sure who he's going to blame if it doesn't, but those around him ignore his words, clapping, cheering, tooting party horns and blowing noise makers.

Maybe they're hoping they're loud enough to cover Elliott's impolite words?




Elliott steps off the stool, faces the crowd, joining them as they clap, awaiting his transformation.

As most of the family and guests are totally focused on Elliott, celebrating this special day with him, I feel, that like me, they have decided to overlook his recent transgressions.

Not so his younger cousin Adrienne as, instead of joining in the party, she's totally focused on eating her cake.

I have a feeling that it's a good thing Adrienne is human, and not a witch, because I can definitely see some bumping of heads between those two!

And with Elliott being a fairy, that would not have been pretty, a family squabble between a witch with a grudge and a grumpy fairy?

No, that would not have ended well.

So the fates have made a wise choice not giving both of them access to magic.

Though I wonder if Ella's got any extra witch or fairy potions around, and if she does, does Adrienne know about them?

Adrienne is a genius after all, and I wouldn't put it past her to want to even up the odds, and give Elliott a taste of his own grumpy medicine.

But I digress and the party needs to go on.




The birthday sparkles work their typical magic and Elliott becomes a teen.

A teen with that same odd over-one-eye hair that Christina got as a child.

His clothes are perfect, if he's planning an Indiana Jones adventure, but he doesn't seem concerned about them as he's focused on Janette, or someone on the other side of Janette.

By her thought bubble I'm guessing Jonas.

By her facepalm I'm guessing it's something she's not thrilled about.

By his thought bubble and the message I get, he's thanking her for the party and telling her he had to leave!




That's right, with the twins staying after school for ballet class, this party got started a bit later than expected.

And now with Christina and Elliott's birthdays celebrated first, because they were older, now guests are already leaving before the main events, the twins teen birthdays!

So Janette stands before her cake in the dining room with only her mother and twin sister cheering her on.

She looks a bit disappointed at the lack of guests but since there's nothing she can do, she makes the best of it.




She scrunches up her face, thinking hard, tapping her finger on her chin as she makes her wish.

I think Odette is a bit sobered by the lack of other guests as well, or more likely, she's realizing her babies are leaving their childhood behind and growing up fast.




But soon the rest of the family joins them, just in time to watch Janette blow out her candles.

Elliott looks more excited than grumpy now as he cheers wildly beside Jemma.




The sparkles do their thing once more and Janette is a beautiful teen!

She not only aged up in a decent outfit, but in her favorite lime green as well, with her headband matching her top!

And she adds Perfectionist, to her Perceptive, Disciplined, and Party Animal traits.

I'm not sure what to make of that combo yet, Perfectly Disciplined Parties?

As for her lifetime wish or career, the perfect private eye, maybe?

Maybe her young adult trait will provide other options, so we'll just have to wait and see.




I give her a moment to grab a piece of cake as she's starving by this point.

And as she eats it out on the side porch picnic table, she makes polite conversation, saying, "Thanks for hanging around for my birthday Mr. Moore-Anderson, I'm sorry it went so late that Alex and Brittney had to leave, tomorrow being a school day."

As he forks up a bite of cake, Ryan says, "No problem Ms. Frio, in fact, I'm quite impressed, I've never seen so many birthday cakes at one time and we've got four kids at home, Alex and Brittney have an older brother Terrence, and a younger sister, Trinity. I didn't realize that you had so many siblings."

"Christina and Elliott are siblings, but they're my cousins. Their dad is my Uncle Eric Frio, my mother's brother."

"But I thought your mother was the fairy with the turquoise hair?"

With a laugh Janette says, "That's Lucinda Frio, our grandmother, we call her Cici! My mother is Odette, the woman standing in front of you when I blew out my candles, and Eric is her brother. Both of Uncle Eric's kids inherited Cici's turquoise hair, and Elliott even inherited her pink wings, so a lot of people think they are her kids, my cousin Adrienne too, because she also inherited the turquoise hair. It's a little complicated having a fairy for a grandmother, because she's still so young, but we're used to it."

Shaking his head, Ryan says, "Complicated indeed! So how are you related to the one who's a witch? Is she your great-grandmother?"

With a smirk Janette says, "It's not that complicated! The witch in our family is my Aunt Ella, my Uncle Eric's twin sister. And their youngest sister is my Aunt, the fairy Merida Chesterfield, she married Scott in that big wedding in town soon after my family arrived here. They just had triplets!"

A true family man, Ryan nodded and said, "Now that's impressive, get all the nooboo years done and over with at one time! Ours were all single births, but I'm thinking my wife, Madeline, preferred it that way."

Then, his cheeks going red, Ryan realized he was talking about babies with a girl who had just become a teen, and abruptly focused on his cake!

Janette defused his embarrassment by saying, "Eat up Mr. Moore-Anderson, the birthdays aren't over yet, my twins' is  up next!"




Janette gets back inside just as the family starts cheering and waving noise makers as Jemma stands before her cake.

Jemma gives her twin a sidelong look before she focuses on her cake, their bond one that only twins share and understand.




With the last birthday girl getting sleepy, and Cinda almost ready to collapse, since it's now after midnight, Jemma blows out her candles and joins the family in her final birthday cheers.




As the birthday sparkles surround her, Jemma begins her twirl, leaving her childhood behind her.

Her grandparents, Cinda and Rory, cheer loudly.

While her father, Chase, gives his noise maker a half-hearted twirl as he realizes his youngest child is about to become a teenager, no longer his little girl.

And Odette sobers completely, much like she did for Janette.

I'm not sure what their expressions signify, but I'm sure they'll both let me know soon enough.




As the sparkles burst and fade, Jemma reaches new heights as a teen, who is now a Night Owl!

I would have thought that trait more appropriate for her Party Animal twin, Janette, but random traits are nothing if not unpredictable and, well, random.

So Jemma is now a Supernatural Fan, who's Perceptive and a Light Sleeper, that once awoken will stay up for the rest of the night.

That would really help for those all night stake-outs as a private eye!




A close up view has me liking the top she aged up in, but frowning at her new hairstyle and those odd futuristic leggings.

But there's no time for make-overs at this late hour, as the whole family is completely exhausted, so I send them all off to bathrooms to address those needs and then to their beds.




But I get the surprise of my life when I go to click on Marisol's bed and find party animal Sebastian and his fiancée, Esther, sound asleep!

Luckily for Marisol, by the time she was finished in the bathroom and ready for bed, they woke up and decided it was time to go home.

I'd have thought that would have happened before they chose to nap at someone else' house, cuddling up together on someone else's bed, but at least they didn't break it.

But I think Sebastian is a little mixed up in his fairy tales, he may look like Goldilocks, but his backstory is supposed to be that of Cinderella, with our very own Esther taking the lead role!




I've discussed the possibility of  another child with Odette and from Chase's comment to Esther, I believe she's discussed it with him, too.

With four teen birthdays in one evening, Christina, Elliott, Janette, and Jemma's, the Frio family and their guests are partied out and the fridge is full of birthday cake once again!

We now have three teen girls in the main Frio home, Marisol, Janette, and Jemma.

Will Odette and Chase decide to add another child to the mix or consider their family complete?

As the twins begin their high school days, time is drawing ever closer to moving to the next town.

Will the girls focus on specific boys they've already met as prom dates and boyfriends or will they meet new prospects?

Find out in Chapter 251: Multiples, Make-overs, and Meet Cutes
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

But Sebastian and Esther weren't the only guests hanging around after the party.

Chase was the first one up the next morning and as he stepped out the front door he found Ella standing out there.

A now very pregnant looking Ella!

Last chapter she'd been barley showing, but not so now, as she looks ready to pop.

Chase smiles as he greets her, but seeing her tight lips and eyes filled with an unknown something, he quickly says, "I'll get Cinda. You look like you might need her!"




Cinda comes rushing out and quickly asks, "Is everything okay Ella? I thought you went home hours ago!"

Ella sheepishly says, "Well that's what my plan was, but the rockers looked so inviting that I sat down to enjoy the warm summer evening and fell asleep. I woke up all stiff and achy from sleeping in that one position."

"Well, that explains why Chase came barreling into our bedroom looking wide-eyed and freaked out! He said you had an odd look on your face and might need a mother's touch. Is that all you're feeling, you're sure you're not having any contractions?"

"No contractions, but this little one is now playing soccer with my kidneys! I swear this baby has extra hands and feet! He's all over the place, day and night."




Cinda places her hand on Ella's baby bulge and gasps at the force of the kick that meets her light touch!

"Wow! I felt that out here, so no wonder you're feeling beat up! Maybe Pierce is going to get his star athlete after all!"

"It sure feels like it mom. It's times like these I wish we had a doctor in the family!"

"By your assured tone when you said, 'he,' I'm pretty sure its not because you want to know the gender."

"I've been convinced it was a boy from the start and though Pierce hasn't said anything, I think he's rooting for a son this time too. But the thing is…with me getting so large, I thought maybe you could detect something else…maybe some fae energy or something?"

Cinda gives Ella a knowing look, saying, "And by 'something' you mean if it's more than one child, right?"

"If it's possible for you to figure that out, that would be great!"

Cinda places her hands a bit more firmly, focuses deep within and says, "Oh, Ella, I do feel something extra! A stirring of fae power but something else too, magic, but not fae, and you're right, a definite boy!"




"Oh, a fairy/witch, mom! That would explain the extra strength and power he has wouldn't it?"

"It could. But you have gotten a lot bigger since the Watcher saw you and that wasn't that long ago. So I would advise you to go home, stay inside, lie down and rest. In fact, I'll take you home in one of the motive mobiles to perk you up a bit."

"Go home? But I've got ages to go until…." Seeing her mother's face, Ella stopped mid sentence and added, "Right. Go home. Stay inside. Lie down and rest. After all, mother knows best, right!"

Cinda arched an eyebrow and said, "Of course!"




With Cinda having the situation with Ella under control, I check on the rest of the household.

Chase is at work, Rory and Odette are painting, and the teens are all at school…wait, what?

Jemma is NOT at school, she's on the side porch, just standing there!

"Jemma! You're missing your first day of high school! That won't help your grade any!"

"My birthday didn't happen until after midnight Watcher, so I got the day off today, isn't that sweet!?!"

"I guess, but let's not waste it! Your age up hair cut is all ragged and that sleepwear's not fit for viewing or photos, let's get you into stylist."

For summer every day, we choose this flattering style with the curled tips just brushing her shoulders, and a lilac top, which we pair with white shorts and sandals.




Then a formal in hot pink gets a recolor to Jemma's favorite purple, with the gold accents being switched out for silver ones, along with matching silver pumps.

Jemma is just the opposite of her Grandpa Ro and mother, Odette, having the darkest skin tone in the family yet, and it's topped with golden blonde locks, making her truly unique as far as genetics in the family go.

I can't help thinking just how much more unique she would have been with turquoise hair and vibrant pink fairy wings, but then she wouldn't be her.

Besides, we've had two turquoise-haired heirs and Cinda's a fairy, sporting those wings, so I need to be content with that and move on.

Jemma wholeheartedly agrees, "Yes, you do Watcher. You knew the fairy genes would dissipate at some point, especially if you wanted to choose other town's genetics going forward, and getting five generations of fairy heirs is more than enough! Even as a Supernatural Fan, I can accept that fact!"




For athletic, Jemma goes retro with a classic leotard and tights in a deep plum with a white tee, belt, and chunky white socks to complete the look.

The stark white really pops against her skin, again making me very aware of her uniqueness.

With her outfit chosen we resume our conversation.

"Speaking of being a supernatural fan, I haven't seen any particularly supernatural wishes from you, accept for socializing with one now and again."

"Maybe it's just not kicked in yet?"

"Maybe. But your Aunt Ella gave hints of her leanings even when she was a toddler, letting your ghostly many-greats grandpa Sam hold her, and after she became a child and received the trait, she popped a wish to become a ghost right after socializing with one."

"Oh, the trait did manifest in her quickly then. Maybe I'm just not going to focus on it has much as she did. But my other traits don't really provide much direction for my future do they?"

"Perceptive could point you into having a career and lifetime wish as a private eye. Since Janette has it too, maybe you could open a business together like your ancestor siblings Karlie Jo and Matt did. Since they were both spares, it would still be an open LTW for an heir to complete. Speaking of heirship, is it something you've thought about?"




Jemma's so startled by my question that she blurts out, "Me!?! I'm the youngest child, don't Marisol and Janette have to decide if they want it first?"

"It doesn't work that way. Any child born of heir parents is eligible to become the next heir, to accept heirship. With Marisol being a time machine child from only your father's past, she's not eligible for heirship at all. But don't be upset because Marisol is okay with that, she knows she doesn't have Frio blood. When she was just a child she told my simself that she was average anyway, but the two of you had genetics that were truly unique, worthy of heirship."

"So, even though I'm the younger twin, I've got just as much right to heirship as Janette?"

"Birth order doesn't signify for heirship. You're both equally qualified to be the next heir, being born of heir parents. Some potential heir's genetics or traits stand out right away, or they feel a deep kinship with the family lineage, sometimes all three! A few heirs have felt that they got heirship by default."

While Jemma ponders my words, we choose a white string bikini with purple polka dots.

She's all smiles when she sees herself in this one, but I have a feeling her father may not appreciate her new grown up look.

But I'll leave explaining teen fashion choices to Odette, who I'm sure is quite capable of helping Chase through the growing pains of having two more teenage daughters!




As we finish up her other outfits and she's now clad in acceptable-to-be-seen-in sleepwear, we return to the side porch with Jemma asking, "Heirship by default? Like if heirship went to Janette because Marisol isn't eligible and I decided to become a supernatural?"

"Exactly like that! But those of us on this journey, past and present included, don't feel that way. We feel that things happen the way they were meant to happen. They may not have been expected, like Marisol, but they are welcomed, appreciated, and loved. Because Marisol's arrival gave both of you an older sister, someone to look up to, someone closer to your ages who played with you and loved you from the moment she saw you."

"I barely remember a time when she wasn't here. She played with us at the blocks table, and patty cake, and got us bottles when we were hungry! And her not having Frio blood never entered the picture. I love her because she's my big sister!"

"As it should be. She helped both of you grow into the lovely young women you are, along with your parents and grandparents. So her arrival changed the family dynamic, not what we'd expected or planned on, but what turned out meant to be."

"Do I have to decide right now about heirship?"

"No, of course not. I just wanted you to be aware of how things stand, make sure you knew you were just as eligible as Janette. But you'll both get another trait at your young adult birthdays, which could help decide your focus, your lifetime wishes, and your futures, so let's put that aside and just enjoy your teen years. I've got something in mind that will definitely keep you occupied!"




And with that suggestion, I check the house for adults who aren't busy.

I find Rory and Odette still busy painting, but Cinda's returned from getting Ella settled safe in her own home and bed.

So I discuss my suggestion with Cinda, who agrees it will be a nice use of Jemma's day off from school.

With that settled, she broaches the subject to Jemma.

"How about your first driving lesson, Jemma?"

"Really, Cici!?! That would be awesome! This has been a day of me firsts for a change, instead of Janette always getting to be first!"

Cinda smiles and says, "Well, with you being the last to have your birthday last night, so late and all, you deserve a few perks!"

"A day off from school, my make-over first and now my first driving lesson! Those are some perks Cici, I like the way you think!"

"I have my moments granddaughter! At least you appreciate it when I do!"




With no one else needing my attention, I pop over to the school to catch Janette for her make-over.

"Did you have a nice first day of high school?"

"It was okay, but I missed Jemma all day! I'm not used to being without my twin. How did she do on her own? The lucky duck, getting the day off."

"Since she was home, I went ahead with her make-over and then Cici took her out for her first driving lesson."

"What!?! She got to stay home from school, get her make-over first AND a driving lesson? That doesn't seem fair!"

"She actually thought it was, since you usually get to do everything first, as the elder twin."

"Oh, when you put it that way, I guess she does deserve to get to do some things first. I never thought about her feeling badly about always being second."

"Third, if you count Marisol. But then that puts you second, so I guess we should just focus on each of you getting to do things in your own time. Not who comes first, second, or third. That will only cause jealousy. Besides, you actually aged
up with a terrific hairstyle and a decent outfit, so your make-over won't take nearly as long. And don't you be sharing that comment with your twin either! I was just reflecting on how you got the better end of that deal, as age up birthday hair and clothes are known to be hideous."

"Jemma and I don't usually keep things from each other being twins, but on that point my lips are sealed Watcher. Besides if I crowed about it, I'm sure the EA birthday squad would come up with something super horrendous for my next birthday!"

"I wouldn't be surprised. But let's not dwell on that thought!"




For athletic wear, comfy, green and white striped leggings with a white off-the-shoulder tee, and a matching green peekaboo sleeve over shirt.

Seeing Janette here in stylist makes me see just how unique she is as well, with her dark hair and gray-green skin.

It's really going to be a tough choice choosing an heir between the twins, since I've already broached the subject with Jemma, I decide to see if Janette has any thoughts on the subject.

Without beating around the bush, I ask, "Have you thought about heirship at all?"

"Of course, Watcher! When Jemma got supernatural fan at her child birthday, it was pretty much ALL I thought about for days. But when she didn't seem really keen on becoming a supernatural herself, like Aunt Ella, I decided it wasn't necessary to worry about it, as she's still eligible."

"Well, I'm glad you realized that, Jemma seemed quite shocked that Marisol and you didn't have to turn it down before it was offered to her."




"But it doesn't work that way at all! Besides, Marisol's not even eligible and she's okay with that as she knows heirship is just between me and Jemma."

"That's what I told her. So it's a pretty new concept for her, but she's giving it some thought now. Especially since you've got your teen days to think about it and new traits coming for your young adult birthdays. All of which could help either of you decide if heirship is what you want."

"What would happen if both of us refused it or conceded it to the other?"

"It's happened before! Ask your ghostly grandpa Adam about his heirship dilemma between his twins, Logan and Sadie!"

Her eyes rounded in surprise, Janette says, "So heirship has been rejected by twins before!?! I really need to hear that story! But maybe Jemma would ask him? I'm not as comfortable around ghosts, even family ones, as she is."

"That's totally due to her supernatural trait. But it's a story you both should be aware of. It was early in the journey, way back in Bridgeport, our third town. It caused quite the commotion."

"Well, since we're here in Hidden Springs, our tenth town, it must have turned out for the best and an heir WAS chosen."

Smiling, I add, "Your reasoning is correct, Ms. Perceptive. Now, how do you like this for your outerwear?"

"Oh, I love the lime green, of course, and the white sets it all off, and it even gives my skin a bit of a green tint. Is that bad?"

"I don't think so. But I do know one thing."

"What's that, Watcher?"

"Marisol, though she's not perceptive like you and Jemma, or a genius, like your father, hit the nail on the head when she said that choosing between the two of you was going to be very, very difficult as, genetically, you are both unique."




And this close up of Janette in her lime green formal, with an upswept hairstyle, does little to dissuade me from that thought.

Both girls embody Midnight Hollow in their skin tone, descendants of the Winchester/Hyde families, both of which we believe were on the white/black skin tone slider, but with both Odessa Winchester and Lucien Hyde being on the pale end, they gave all three of their children the same pale skin tone.

It was only when Odette, herself the same pale white, gave birth to the twins, did we understand the true scope of those genetics, as when mixed with the intensity of Chase's Marks/Torrance browner skin tone, they produced Janette's grey/green skin tone and Jemma's even darker ebony!

"You're both breathtaking Janette! You with your gray/green skin tone, dark hair and eyes and Jemma with her ebony skin, bright eyes, and blonde hair! Wait until the two of you show up at school tomorrow, you're going to take Alpine Community School by storm when they see the two of you together for the first time, especially in your formal outfits!"

"Well, that won't be very long at all Watcher, they just announced that the prom is on Friday!"

"What? Today's Wednesday! That doesn't give either of you much time to find dates and without them, proms usually end up being disasters, with rejected dances, being ignored by crushes, and fights breaking out repeatedly!"

"I've already got someone in mind Watcher, so if you'd stop ranting and let me go home, I can call him and invite him over!"




I head back to the house in a rush to break the news to Jemma about prom, and find her in the basement with a boy!

A blonde boy that I don't recognize at all, but I frown when I see his thought bubble.

He's talking to Jemma about garbage?

I listen and find out he's not talking about garbage exactly, as he says, "And plastic bags never decompose, at least not for years and years, that's why it's so important to recycle, reuse, and repurpose."

I don't know about Jemma but the conversations not really holding my attention, but I don't want to interrupt, so I head upstairs to see if Janette's home yet since our make-over had her missing the bus.




Outside on the front lawn, I not only find Janette home, I find her flirting with a certain green-skinned young man.

It's Jonas Woodard, of course, and he's aged up to teen just in time for prom!

He still has his super cute messy hair, and his clothes, well, they may not suit many young guys, but for him, it works.

Then I focus on what Janette is saying, "I'm really glad you had your birthday last night after you got home Jonas, it's such perfect timing."

"It is? Why's that?"

"Didn't you see the posters all over school today?"

"I missed school today, I guess my birthday happened too late or something."

"Oh, you and Jemma both, she got to stay home today too and have her first driving lesson! But since I did go to school today and you haven't been there, then I'll be the first to ask you! Would you be my date for prom!?!"

"Seriously? I'd love to go to prom with you Janette! You're the nicest girl I know. And the prettiest!"

"That's so sweet of you to say, Jonas."

These two certainly don't need any help from me, let's see how Jemma's doing with her blonde stranger.




I barely move when I see Jemma on the front porch and she's not with the blonde boy anymore either.

And she seems to be moving her friendship with Tobias Bellucci forward as well, if their body language is anything to go by.

But a squeal behind me has me quickly turning and seeing the motive mobile taking off down the road, I follow to see what's going on.




At the Shawkti Ranch, I see Pierce hovering over a blue sparkly bundle, so the rush is understandable, a new baby in the family!

I immediately check the little guys stats and find out he is a fairy/witch!

"You were right Cinda! Fae and Wiccan magic! Cinda? Where are you going? Your new grandson is out here!"

As Cinda strides purposely through the front door she says, "I'm gratified that you've finally acknowledged my superiority, Watcher. But I was right in more ways than one. Pierce please pick up my grandson and both of you follow me."




Pierce dutifully scoops up little Parker, our first hybrid fairy/witch, and beats me through the door as I do as Cinda requested and follow her to the nursery.

Where I find Rory rocking with Parker's twin, Payne, who's also Wiccan!

"Twins, Rory! Oh, and look at Payne smiling at us, already content to be with his Grandpa Ro!"

Rory doesn't even crack a smile as he says, "It's probably gas Watcher. By the warmth under my hand, maybe more than that!"




Before I can make a comment on that remark, Cinda has come into the room and picked up Parker from his crib.

"Pierce just put him in there Cinda."

"And I'm taking him right back out. He needs some Cici cuddle time."

Ignoring me and focusing completely on Parker, she switches to nooboo speak saying, "Don't you my little fairy wairy witchy poo!"

"Great! Now both you and Rory are talking about poo!"

"I am not talking about poo Watcher. I may frown and wrinkle my nose about it, but I NEVER discuss it!" Turning her attention back to the baby she adds, "Do I Parker? No I don't. I sure don't. Who's Cici's little man. You are. Yes you are."

In the background Rory continues to rock little Payne, who's decided that he doesn't like his wet, nasty, diaper one little bit.

But Rory's thought bubble astounds me, he's actually thinking about how much he loves the sound of a new baby, even if they're crying!

Maybe Rory wasn't as honest with me or himself as he thought, maybe he still does want another child with Cinda.

I guess that's something that only time will provide the answer to.




But with the twin boys fed, changed and cuddled, and all settled down in their cribs for some sleep, Cinda turns her attention to their big sister, Adrienne.

"Cici, aren't my brothers just so sweet? Mama says I can hold them soon, when they're a little bit older, and after my next birthday, I'll be big enough to take care of them all by myself!"

"You're a great big sister all ready Adri! But you'll need lots of sleep to help take care of two baby brothers! I'll read you one of my own favorite fairy tales and when your brothers get older, you can read it to them."

"What's this one called Cici?"

"It’s called, 'The Bravest One of All', and it's all about fairies and witches, and a how a brave little girl broke the spell over their land so they could all live in peace again. In fact, the little girl in the story reminds me of you! She didn't like to go outside but stayed up in her tower painting day after day."

"Oh, that does sound just like me! But sometimes I take a break and play chess with daddy, too. I like chess because it's a battle of the minds, at least that's what daddy says. He says it takes brave souls to take up that battle."

"Your father is a brave man. But not quite as brave as the little girl in the story, because even though she didn’t like the outdoors one little bit, she made herself go outside to save the kingdom!"

"OOOHHH, that is brave! Tell me more, Cici, start from the beginning."

"Of course, sweetheart, it's always the best place to start. 'Once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away…."




About half-way through the tale, Adrienne fell asleep, and Cinda softly closed the book and set it aside, bent down and gently kissed her granddaughter, saying, "Sweet dreams Adri---we'll read the rest another night."

I whisper, "That was sweet Cinda, getting to read with her. Sometimes it's hard for an older child to accept a sibling, and now she's got two!"

"Luckily for her they're both artistic like she is, so they'll have that in common when they're older, and Pierce and Ella will make sure she's not left out, even with newborn twins to look after."

"The story was perfect too. I've never heard that one before."

"I used to read it all the time when I was younger, after Mom introduced me to it. She knew it would be difficult for me and Lucas, both of us hating the outdoors since we were nooboos, especially with me being a fairy, and mean along with it after I became a child.  Adri's not a fairy, but neither was Lucas, so it'll still be a big thing to deal with, you can't really live your life never going outside. So I want her to have that same brave spirit that the girl had in the book, to learn to live her life, despite the drawback of not liking to be outside. Overcoming it as best she can, like mom and dad taught me and Lucas to do."

"Well, I think you've surpassed any expectations, Cinda! You've become an International Super Spy, fighting criminals in not one but two towns, raising four wonderful children, and now helping to raise ten wonderful grandchildren. You and Rory fulfilled those wishes with the birth of the twins. You've shown your bravery in so many ways, Cinda, despite dealing with some negative traits. I know we've had our differences along the way, but you are a true inspiration to all of us, especially your grandchildren."

Cinda is silent for a moment, then she kisses Adrienne one more time, tucks the covers around her, and says, "Thank you Watcher! What a nice thing to say."




With all the children in their beds at the Shawkti ranch, I smile contentedly as I return to the main Frio home.

And the sight that greets me makes me smile even more.

First, Janette and Jonas snuggled up on the front lawn watching the stars, with red hearts revolving around both their heads.

I guess their friendly outing turned into a first date!




And Jemma and Tobias are watching the stars too.

My romantic heart turns to mush when Tobias leans closer to Jemma and whispers, "Please say you'll go to prom with me Jemma? I want to go with the most beautiful girl in the world as my date!"

Jemma smiles and nods and I give both couples their privacy, satisfied as both girls have prom dates, and with the boys I'd hoped they'd find true love with!

Now let's hope prom comes through and solidifies those relationships.




Jemma, flying high after spending the afternoon and evening with Tobias, is thrilled to get to chat with her ghostly many-greats grandpa Adam, before heading off to bed.

She excitedly waves a greeting and says, "I know we're not friends yet Grandpa Adam, but the Watcher mentioned to Janette that your heir twins, Logan and Sadie, actually conceded heirship to each other. Janette's asked me to approach you, as I'm more comfortable with supernaturals. Could you tell me what happened?"

Adam smiles and says, "Of course, Jemma. It all started because neither one of them felt they were good enough to be heir. They'd both made what they considered unfortunate choices in their teens years. Sadie almost breaking up with her boyfriend, Jimmie Hemlock, because of her own selfish behavior. And Logan almost getting tricked by his first teen girlfriend, Leia Striker, who was evil and kept shunning Sadie. Things worked out for the best in the end, with Sadie apologizing to Jimmie and fixing their relationship, and they both moved to Twinbrook with us."

"What about Logan and Leia? I don't recall that name in our family tree. Wasn't Logan with a girl named Sasha?"

"I'm glad you've kept up with your family history, Jemma! You're exactly right, Leia didn't end up marrying into the family. But that was because Sasha, a sim who was Leia's opposite, being Good like Logan, warned him about Leia before we left Bridgeport! He broke up with her and fell in love with Sasha, who became a strong heir spouse and added some craziness to the family line, but in a good way. Sasha holds a special place in all our hearts, especially the Watcher's. She was so good and patient that she was given the gift of a young again potion!"

"And Sasha and Logan were the first heir grandparents that got to stay in their third town, due to the fairy long live. Sasha's contribution to our journey was the gift of extra life to stay with her husband!"

"Right again. But due to their teen mistakes, both Logan and Sadie came to me after their young adult birthdays and told me their twin was better suited for heirship."

"How did you handle that?"

"It wasn't easy, but my Sophie, and my mother, your ghostly Grandma Rae, of course, along with the Watcher, who set up an heir poll, helped me get through it. The majority of the poll votes went to Logan, which happily coincided with both mine and the Watcher's feelings. And Sasha had a lot to do with our choice."

"So it's not one thing but many, including traits, LTW's, and even partners that go into choosing an heir! I had no idea it was so complicated!"

"Don't forget to include the potential heir's feelings toward heirship Jemma, that's important too. Some children born of heir parents don't want it all, like Logan and Sasha's daughter, Samantha, who felt heirship was just too confining, and she didn't want that for herself. She wanted to be able to do what she wanted, not have her life dictated by being the heir and having to do what's best for the family line and our journey."

"But what if both Janette and I decided we didn't want heirship?"

"Well, if both of you wouldn't accept it, didn't want to carry that responsibility, then your parents would have no other choice but to have another child or children. The journey can't continue without an heir, one that's willing to take on that responsibility, like my Logan did in the end. If he'd totally refused after the poll and being my choice, his younger brother Ronan could have been selected, though it was his lack of my Sophie's fae genetics from Moonlight Falls that had put him out of the initial running, coupled with his evil tendencies, of course. The other option would be to choose a sibling of your mother's and name them the new heir family, though only Eric and his Emily would be eligible, if it came down to that, since Ella and Merida chose spouses from this town and not Roaring Heights."

"That would make it even more complicated, Grandpa Adam!" Then the smile totally fades from her face as she makes another perceptive jump, "And our household would no longer be the heir home, all of us would stay here and not continue the journey!"

Nodding,  Adam adds solemnly, "Correct again, young Jemma. So you and Janette need to weigh all those options before deciding for or against heirship. It's a responsibility as well as an honor, so choose wisely."




Cinda's prediction came true and Ella and Pierce are the proud parents of twins, Parker, our first fairy/witch hybrid, and his twin, Payne, who's a witch too!

Our heir twins, Janette and Jemma, have both had their teen make-overs and are truly unique and gorgeous girls.

And though prom popped up super early, both girls have dates, Janette going with Jonas Woodard, and Jemma with Tobias Bellucci, so my plans are panning out, so far.

Jemma's conversation with ghostly Adam has added some very serious consequences to the heirship decision and who's family would be continuing the journey! But that decision's a ways off yet.

I'll tell you all about prom, of course, but before that happens, we have more birthdays.

Of course we have more birthdays!

But I'm really anxious to see these three birthdays because Merida and Scott's triplets become toddlers!

Will the turquoise-haired spare trend continue?

Let's find out in Chapter 252: The Triplets Become Toddlers
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

As the sun comes up early the next morning, I find Cinda rocking on the upstairs side porch.

"I don't want to interrupt your peaceful moment Cinda, but I meant what I said before about you being an inspiration to your family. And I wanted you to know, before you and Rory move out to your own place, just how special an heir you've been. To thank you for all you've done over the years in the many roles you've played during your part of this journey."

"How did you know I was thinking about moving out Watcher?"

"With the Janette and Jemma teens now, I thought you might feel your job is complete here, especially with younger grandchildren nearby that could use more of your time."

"But Rory mentioned Odette and Chase thinking of adding another child to their family, I'd hate to leave them in the lurch like that."

"I don't think that Odette and Chase have decided on that for sure yet as I've not seen any baby wishes. And Marisol will be a young adult soon, and if things go the way she wants, she'll be asking Kirk to move in. Besides, I feel it's time you got to be a little selfish, to take time for yourself and Rory. I've been chatting with MrsFlynn and she's got the perfect place for the two of you! A beautiful 4 bedroom home that she calls Briar, so plenty of space to have grandchildren visit. Or maybe have more children, if you want to or SP decides you need them!"

"More children!?!" Thoughtfully Cinda ponders that notion, adding, "I am still a young adult, and out of the main home, it could definitely happen."

"And it's got a garden, all set up in the sweetest greenhouse you've ever seen!"

"A greenhouse!?! So I could garden indoors….that does sound perfect. Frankly, I'm getting a little bored collecting space block rocks!"

"Really? I thought you loved martial arts?"

"I do! But you always make me collect the rocks afterwards and that is not martial arts and it's boring!"

"Now there's the Cinda we all know and love! I'm going to miss that spirit of yours! I'll make sure there's a board breaker in your new home."

"I'll miss you too Watcher. But I'm still holding you to that board breaker! When Rory and I decide the time is right to move out."

"As you wish, princess! The Briar house will be waiting!"




Not long after that, Cinda and Rory head over to Merida and Scott's for a triple birthday.

Unfortunately Merida was working, but we need to take advantage of Scott being home with the triplets and get them aged up.

Cinda glances at Scott, who's super excited to see his son, Riff, grow up.

"You seem eager, Scott.  I'm sure nooboo days times three were pretty rough! I know it was with twins, and we had extra hands to help out."

Scott says, "Merida and I managed, but it's more than just having the midnight feedings, bottles and endless diaper changes come to an end. I'm really looking forward to teaching the triplets all about music, especially with Riff and Melody having natural talent like me. Who knows, if I work with her, maybe Lyric will love music too, with or without the trait. And when they're teens, we could form a family band, just imagine that! Rent a huge bus and call ourselves The Chesterfield Family or maybe The Chesterfield Chorus, if the kids live up to their potential and can sing!"

Cinda raises an eyebrow and says, "You're already thinking of starting a band when they're teens!?! Let's get them aged up to toddlers first!"




Rory joins them just as Cinda helps Riff blow out his candle with Scott cheering and waving a birthday party noise maker.

I'm surprised their pet bird is his still on his perch with the sound of that noise maker so close by him, or her, as I'm not sure of the bird's gender or even it's name!




Cinda places Riff on the floor and hovers nearby to watch his transformation.

While Scott has moved on to blowing a party horn, loudly!

Not only has the bird kept to it's perch, but now their dog is checking out the bird.

And it's a very smart dog, too, because it's well aware that it's a birthday party!

Maybe the dog is hoping for cake!

But now that I've been watching the dog for awhile, I realize, this is not the same dog I saw previously.

It is a different dog, one that belongs to this household too, so the Chesterfield's have two very large dogs.

But I'm taking away from Riff's big toddler moment, so back to the party.




Riff ages to toddler with dark hair, Merida's I believe, which came from Rory.

And Scott cheers knowing he's one step closer to that family band, now that Riff's old enough to learn music.




I pop Riff into stylist for a quick close up and he's adorable, of course!

And a perfect mix of Merida and Scott, having both Frio and Chesterfield features.

Along with His Grandpa Ro's MH skin tone and his Cici's pink wings, of course.

Exactly the genetics I was hoping that one of Cinda and Rory's kids would have, but that's the luck of the draw, so I'll just be happy we got this combo at all!




Next up is Lyric, and Cinda waits a bit impatiently while Scott gobbles down a few bites of cake.




After Cinda blows out Lyric's candle, she places her on the floor.

With Rory and Scott going all out with cheers and noise makers.

It's nice that, even after all of the birthday parties Rory's attended, he still gives each one his all to make the birthday child feel special, even nooboos that probably don't care in the least!




Lyric becomes another dark-haired toddler, one who's fascinated by the sparkles surrounding her.

And I manage to capture all the family pets in her toddler age up photo, both dogs, the cat, and the bird, that's still sitting calmly on it's perch!




While Cinda goes to get Melody, I have Lyric join Riff in the girl's nursery and they play together, just as cute as they can be!

Since Riff's already musical, I have him play with the peg box  while Lyric focuses on the xylophone.




I give Lyric her toddler moment in the spotlight with her own close up photo.

I change her outfit to one more feminine and really get a good look at her.

She's similar to Riff as they both have Rory's skin tone, and she's got the Chesterfield nose, though hers may be a bit narrower than her brother's, though the rest of her facial features may come from Merida.

And I do believe her hair is more brown than black, like her father's hair.

So, again, another nice Frio/Chesterfield combo.




I hear birthday cheering again, so I rejoin the others in the kitchen as Cinda does the honors for Melody.

Dash, the cat, who I originally thought was a dog, (sorry Dash!) has jumped onto the counter, and though he'd rather be closer to the cake, he's adding his own loud meows to the party!




Dark-haired Melody drums her feet on the floor, testing out her new toddler shoes, and bats her hands at the colorful sparkles around her.

Dash has settled comfortably on the counter and Melody's happy toddler squeals seem to have taken his mind off of the birthday cake.




Since I was always brought up to treat children equally, I pop Melody into stylist for another close-up.

This little tyke looks just like her mother, Merida!

I can't tell for sure, but she might have gotten the Chesterfield nose, and her hair is dark, but I'm not sure if it's a dark brown like Lyrics, or even a touch darker than that.

I change her into cute summer outfit with yellow bows and color her hair ribbon yellow to match.




And though I really loved Riff's age up overalls, I decide he needs a summer outfit too, and re-color this adorable one with his favorite color orange.

This did give him an extra close-up shot, but I'm not sorry about that at all as he's just so cute!




Then Rory takes over and sits down with Riff to teach him how to talk.

"I'm Grandpa Ro, Riff. Can you say Grandpa Ro?"

"Gampa Ro! Gampa Ro!" Riff parroted, waving his arms and bouncing on his bottom.

I smile as I notice a ruffled purple toddler bottom trying to escape.

That's Lyric enjoying her new found mobility, even if it's crawling on all fours!

I let her go and explore the house as Rory's busy with Riff.




And Cinda's busy teaching Melody the mechanics of walking.

"Cici will help you stand and get your balance, sweetie."




"Then I'm going to step back a little…."

"Cinda! That's way more than a little. She's just become a toddler, that's too far to expect her to walk."

"Trust me Watcher! I've been doing this for a long time. Besides she's a fairy and her wings will help her balance and keep her from falling."

"If you say so…but be careful. A fall her first try could set her back for awhile."




But to my amazement, and chagrin, Cinda is right again!

Melody doesn't even hesitate or plop back down on her toddler bottom.

She focuses on Cinda and takes one step, two, three…




And when she gets close enough, she flings herself into her grandmother's waiting arms!

"That's the way sweetie! I knew you could do it. Give Cici a big hug!"

"Well, I stand corrected and bow before the master!"

With a self-satisfied laugh, Cinda says, "It's about time you acknowledged that Watcher! And believe me, I noticed the timing too, right after you mentioned Rory and me finding our own place!"

"That was just a coincidence, but I guess we're both masters Cinda, and I'm glad I'm in such good company!"

"Well, I might not go THAT far…."




I ignore Cinda's comment to focus on the cutie that's joined us in Riff's nursery, Lyric.

She stopped playing the xylophone in her own room, to crawl in here and play with the peg box.

And there was one right in her own room!

I'm going with she was just checking out the house, her sibling, and Cici.

Whatever her reasons, look at the grin she gives me when I zoom in to take her picture!

I know, I know, toddler spamming photos for an entire chapter, but not sorry at all.

These cuties won't get much facetime in the story so they deserve their moments in the spotlight.




Only toddler birthdays and cuteness in this chapter, but it was a welcome break for me, and I hope my readers, as the last two chapters were both quite wordy, even for me!

But this little break is just that, little.

Because my last game play was filled with events that kept me hopping, prom and Chase's adult birthday both on the same evening, then Odette's adult birthday that Marisol threw a huge party for, with the guest list including as many family and celebrities that she could find.

To top it off, Janette also invited all their teen family and friends from school, boys and girls, so the house was packed!

And then Marisol and Jemma double dated with their boyfriends at the Summer Festival, while Janette spent some time at the Woodard cabin with Jonas.

Cinda and Rory weren't left out either as they've been busy completing their saved wishes and getting ready to move out into their own place, another sweet build by our family architect MrsFlynn, of course.

All that and more in upcoming chapters!

Starting with Chapter 253: A Promising Prom and a Missed Birthday
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

The next day I find Janette dancing in the gallery upstairs.

"Those are some pretty nice moves!"

"Thanks, Watcher! I can't be a party animal with two left feet, so I'm getting in some practice for prom tonight."

"Well, I think you're definitely on the right track. And since I've seen a lot of dancing throughout this journey, that's saying something. You might not be a fairy, but you've picked up their love for dancing, and added some sweet moves of your own!"




Just as I say that, Janette does a deep bend to the floor, in perfect time to the beat, and Jemma adds, "Looking good Janette, as soon as I get my homework done, I'll join you so I don't embarrass myself, you, or Tobias!"

Janette smiles and says, "Sure thing, sis. Though you're not that bad! You might not be a party animal, but you've got that innate fae rhythm, just like I have."




Then Odette chimes in with, "I'm so glad you brought up prom, Janette, I think we need to have that mother/daughter talk before the big event tonight."

Janette immediately stopped dancing and stood frozen in embarrassment, saying, "Do we have to? Marisol's already filled us in on all the important stuff!"

"I'm sure she's passed on just how embarrassing her own talk with me was, but it's not so much about content as I'm sure you know the mechanics of intimate relationships. It's more about me letting you know that if you have any questions or stuff you want to talk about, I'm here to listen, and give advice, but only if you want my opinion. We've raised you three girls to be strong and independent, but that doesn't mean we're not here for you, if you need us."




"Oh, that's a relief Mom! I thought you were going to embarrass both of us with the 'birds and the bees' talk! We cover most of it in school, and between science and health classes, you're right, they go through the mechanics of it pretty well. They still separate girls from the boys to cover certain subjects, and some parents even opt out of having their kids participate in sex ed, preferring to cover it themselves. But do you honestly think dad would be comfortable discussing any of that with us!?!"

Odette pauses to reflect on that question, and then reluctantly shakes her head, saying, "As far as your relationships go with others, specifically boys, probably not. But I'm sure he'd be the one to go to about decisions for future careers or lifetime pursuits. He's done a lot for others to help give them a good life, Phyllis and Esther, especially."




Janette hugged Odette and said, "He has and I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks for making it so painless Mom! I've heard other girls mention these type of talks, horror stories most of them! Though they're probably exaggerating a bit, you know how girls can be, for some of them, the more drama the better!"

"Boy do I! As sweet and special as my sister Merida is, she certainly added some drama over the years! And so did your Aunt Ella, though her dramatics centered on her Unicorn quest, and magic, so she didn't have time for a relationship, until she met Pierce!"

"Speaking of relationships, I really, really like Jonas, Mom, but I don't know if he likes me back the same way. I'm hoping going to prom together will clarify our relationship. If it doesn't…"

"If it doesn't, don't get all hung up about it! Just have a good time and if you two are meant to be, it will happen. Though Jonas is like Merida and can be unpredictable at times, so his reactions to some things may not be what you're expecting."

"That's a good point! But you know, it's just that bit of quirkiness he has that makes me like him so much. It reminds me of a song from way back, my favorite line is, 'It just may be a lunatic you're looking for!' He just comes out with things that make me laugh all the time! His mind works so differently from others that you never know what he's going to do or say from one minute to the next."




With Janette's 'talk' completed to her satisfaction, Odette was only a bit disturbed by Janette's comments about Jonas, as sims like him and Merida were just that, unpredictable.

Which could cause havoc from time to time, but with Janette not only knowing, but actually liking that part of Jonas, it probably wasn't a big thing to worry about.

Like they say, forewarned is forearmed, but hopefully that relationship wouldn't really be a battle!

Odette shook those thoughts aside as she realized Jemma was addressing her, and probably had been for a few moments.

"Mom? You okay?"

"I'm fine sweetheart, just lost in thought for a bit. You know how us artistic types are!"

"After living with you, daddy, and Grandpa Ro, it would be hard not to Mom!" Jemma said with a smirk.

But it quickly turned into a grimace when she added, "But I'd like just a smidge of your talent, any of you, as I'm still working on that painting from grade school!"




"Well, you've still got one more trait to get, so it may happen yet. I loved music way before I was interested in art! But I have a feeling art isn't what you wanted to talk about."

"No. I overheard you and Janette but I didn't want to interrupt. And I wanted to talk to you privately."

"What's on your mind, sweetie? Something about prom, relationships?"

"No. I'm fine with both of those areas. Tobias and I are good friends, we're not quite as close as Janette and Jonas, but maybe prom will change that, but if it doesn't, that's okay too. We're not in any rush, at least, I'm not. Not yet, anyway."

"That's good to know, and if your father was listening, I'm sure it'd be a huge weight off his shoulders. He's a bit stressed right now with three teenage daughters!"

"Well, please feel free to pass that bit of information on to him, dad stressed and brooding isn't something I want to be the cause of!"




Jemma went on, saying, "But it's actually your perspective that I need right now, as I've been thinking about heirship, and with you being the heir and all…"

"I figured the topic would be brought up soon, with you and your sister teens now. Did you just have a general question or something specific on your mind?"

"I had a long chat with Grandpa Adam recently about his twins, Logan and Sadie, how they both tried  to give up heirship, though Logan accepted it in the end. But Grandpa Adam mentioned that if neither Janette or I accepted it, there would be two alternatives. Either you and dad could choose to have another child, or more than one, and heirship would be offered to them. Or, if you and dad decided not to go that route, and neither Janette or I would accept it, heirship could be passed on to Uncle Eric and Aunt Emily, with Christina or Elliott being heir candidates and their family would be the one continuing the journey!"

Odette, more than a bit startled by that option, opened her eyes wide and asked, "Are both you and Janette seriously considering giving up heirship!?! You've just turned teens, there's still a lot of time for a decision like that…."

Seeing her mother's panic, Jemma quickly hugged her and said, "No, no, mom! Just the opposite! I was afraid the other family ghosts might start discussing those options and it would get back to you, all distorted, so I wanted you to hear about it from me, since I was directly involved in the conversation."




Stepping back, Jemma continued, "I explained to Janette what I'd learned from Grandpa Adam. And we both agree that this branch of the family has come too far to break the heirship chain now! Besides, Christina's not brave enough to be heir and want to go to another town, and Elliott, well, I'll be nice and say that though his grumpiness has been tempered by his newfound charm, he still has his moments! And though Elliot's a fairy and he and Christina both have turquoise hair, neither of them has the unique MH skin tone, or a variation of it, that Janette and I have. So we're both throwing our hats in the ring for heirship, but letting our YA traits, LTW's, and partners, all be the deciding factors, and either of us is okay if the other wins the title, if that's okay with you?"

"Okay!?! Jemma, it's more than just okay, it's wonderful! But with both you and Janette being so level-headed and sensible about it, well, that's just another tick for both of you for another heirship point! If there were space enough in one house, well, I'd not mind a co-heirship generation at all!"

At Odette's words, a new thought pops into Jemma's mind, but before she can share it, the doorbell sounds throughout the house and she says, "Oh, that's got to be Tobias or Jonas, I'd better get ready for prom!"




I quickly pop downstairs and find Tobias and Jonas, all decked out in formalwear, sizing each other up on the front walk!

And by Jonas' arrogant stare, he's won the first contest, as Tobias shifts his gaze away from the confrontation.

But my take on the situation can't be accurate as these two aren't in competition for the same twin.

Then it dawns on me that maybe Janette and Jemma didn't discuss heirship with just each other, but included Jonas and Tobias in on that discussion!

Could that be why Jonas' is giving Tobias the evil eye!?!

Does Jonas want the heirship role for him and Janette?

Then I realize I'm probably way over thinking this, as it's probably just Jonas being his quirky self!




Moments later I feel that last thought was probably the right one as Jonas eagerly chats with Janette.

"Wow! You look gorgeous Janette! I hope you like the flowers I got you? I know a wrist corsage is quite old-fashioned but with ribbons matching your dress, it doesn't look bad at all."

Smiling, Janette replies, "The flowers are perfect Jonas! I'm sure most of the other girls attending prom won't have them, so that will make me special. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome Janette, but you're special even without the flowers. They just enhance your beauty."

I don't know about Janette but I have a feeling this prom is going to be extra special.




And even though Jemma and Tobias aren't sitting next to each other, or even looking at each other, at least they're in the limo together!

Then Tobias risks a glance at Jemma, and though he quickly looks away, he says, "You look really pretty in that dress Jemma. I should have asked what color you were wearing and matched my bow tie to it. I'm not very good at all this formal stuff."

Now that Tobias has broken the ice, Jemma smiles and relaxes a bit, saying, "The red looks smashing Tobias, it really makes your suit pop! Besides, I don't think very many of our class mates will be color-coordinating their outfits, Hidden Springs is a pretty laid back town."

At this remark, Tobias relaxes a bit as well, and then confesses, "My dad picked out the red bowtie! He said it'd make me stand out and get noticed. Like how Mom noticed his cap all those years ago. I'm glad he was right!"




Once Janette and Jonas join them, I follow the limo into town and see a few familiar faces, Sweet and Phyllis all decked out in their formalwear.

Phyllis is super happy to be attending prom again, though Sweet looks a bit miffed about having to wait in line to get in.

But then Sweet reveals the reason for her attitude when she says, "Kirk has to work late, so Marisol's waiting for him? I hope they make it, it's our last prom together!"

Phyllis is too happy at getting the chance for a second prom to be deflated by Sweet's concern, still clapping she says, "Don't worry, they'll be here in plenty of time. Let's get in line before it gets any longer!"

I wasn't even sure that Marisol and Kirk had planned to attend, busy as I was helping the twins get dates for prom, but with information, I focus on the teen behind them as I don't recognize her.




It's Chastity Chesterfield my simself's daughter!

And she looks gorgeous in a mauve pink dress with matching heels.

Gorgeous and much, much, older!

I wonder if she's here with a date?

I check her relationship status and she does have a boyfriend, but since he's not an original resident, I stick to my plan and match her up with Elliott Frio!

I know he's a bit grumpy, but I can't resist ensuring my simself is even more closely related to the Frio family.




Phyllis' boyfriend, Jeffery Riverhawk, is here too, and he's looking pretty dapper as he checks out the line of teens in front of him.

Jemma says, "Guess it'll be a bit of a wait to get in, lucky for us it's a beautiful night."

Tobias sighs and taps his foot in his impatience and adds, "I hope there'll be punch left by the time we get inside. I'm thirsty already and we haven't even started dancing yet!"




Before Jemma can reply, Christian Winterly, his eyes going wide, yells, "Jemma Frio? Wow! You look amazing! I'd heard you had a birthday but….I never dreamed…"

Phyllis, who'd strolled up and managed to steal Christian's spot, laughed and said, "Close your mouth Christian!  Haven't you ever seen a pretty girl before? We do grow up you know!"

The rest of the group laughed and jostled around until they'd all made it inside.

It was a very promising prom with the twins and their dates having a memorable evening, winning dance contests, being voted cutest couples, and Janette was even voted Prom Queen!

I wrote down a lot of the prom messages and rejoiced in prom turning out so well.

And Phyllis' words proved true as I got a message that Marisol was tearing up the dance floor!

She may not be a Frio by blood or have any fae genetics in her family, but it sounds like she's picked up their love and talent for dancing.




I'm so caught up with all the prom messages, that I'm a bit shocked when I get pulled back to the main house.

And find Chase already engulfed in his adult birthday sparkles, looking every bit as startled as I was!




Within moments he's standing proudly as an adult, with Cinda offering him birthday congratulations.

I give a sigh of relief, but a moment too soon.




Because before I'm finished, he's checked out his midriff in horror, though it hasn't changed even one little bit, and spirals down into a mid-life crises!

But Odette's there to calm him down, so I let her do the honors.




"You look just fine darling! Just as handsome as ever! Let's go out and watch the stars!"




Chase can't pass that offer up, and soon they're both snuggled together on the side lawn, pointing out stars to each other.

In between, Odette shares the twins confidences, those she feels he's ready for anyway, especially their decision to both be considered for heirship.




After taking in all of this information, Chase faces Odette saying, "So with the twins both considering heirship, there's no need for us to have another child? That boy, you wanted?"

Odette lips curve in a wistful smile as she says, "With Marisol looking so much like you, I think your genetics will be passed on. Besides, it might not be a boy, there's always the chance the baby would be another girl! Can you honestly say you want to go through raising another daughter?"

Chase shudders and says, "Honestly? I love our girls, all three of them, but I don't think my mid-life crises nerves could take it! So our family is complete as it is?"

"Yes, complete, until the girls choose partners. And by leaving that extra space in the house, Marisol could choose Phyllis or Kirk to move in and go with us to the next town as part of the main family. And the Watcher could bring others along, just like she did with Phyllis and Esther."

Chase's face brightens eagerly as he says, "Do you think Marisol would consider it!?!"

Odette smiles and says, "From what I've been hearing, Marisol and Phyllis have got it all planned out already! I think it's supposed to be a secret, but I'd thought it might put some of your mid-life fears to rest!"

"It has, Odette, it has! I was feeling so badly about leaving Marisol here. I know she'd be well looked after, with your parents and siblings staying here, but having her with us in the next town would be even better!"




Back at the high school, I was lucky enough to catch a few of the teens on their way home.

Christina, who looks so much nicer with should-length hair, says, "Congratulations on winning Prom Queen Janette! And I heard Jonas gave you his pin? Is that true!?!"

"Yes, it's true! He was wonderful all night and asking me to wear his pin? Well, becoming his girlfriend meant more to me than the queen's crown, even if it is a bit old-fashioned! It's just so like Jonas to do things differently than everyone else. But I heard you've started dating Terrence Moore- Anderson, Alex's older brother!"

"Yes, he's only a little older, but with my double-life span, I'll be a teen for a few more weeks, unless the Watcher can do something about that?"

"I could check his age and make sure you age up when he does Christina, if we're still in town. But….do you really want to give up those extra days? Once we make it through the journey, to the 18th town, I was planning on coming back and playing all the spares in each town."

"Planning on it? But there's no guarantee that's going to happen, right?"

"No. I can't promise it. Things don't always work out the way we plan on, or want them to. Why don't we see how things go between you and Terrence, and if things don't work out, you can keep those extra days and get other opportunities when I come back?"

"I guess it's a good idea to keep my options open. Bye Janette, Watcher, there's dad in his old car! You know how he hates waiting!"




When Elliott walks outside next, I know that Eric's going to be cooling his heels for a few more minutes as I want to chat with Elliott too.

"Did you have fun with Chastity?"

"I did. She's a great girl, pretty, smart. But it might have been nice to be consulted on if I wanted her to be my girlfriend!"

"Sorry about not giving you a choice about that, but the thing is, I really didn't have much of a choice. My simself only has Chastity and you're the only boy her age in the Frio family. If it's any consolation, I didn't ask her either."

"No. It's not a consolation. You're meddlesome Watcher!"

"And you're grumpy Elliott, which is why I almost didn't do it! I wasn't sure I wanted Chastity to have to deal with that!"

A bit taken aback by the idea that it was foisting him and his grumpiness on Chastity that gave me pause on pairing the two of them up, Elliott stops to think about that for a moment.

Then he nods and says, "In that case, I see your point." Turning on his new charm he adds, "I'll do my best to be worthy of your simself's only child, Watcher!"

Seeing the shock on my face, Elliott laughs and races down the steps to join his sister and father and head home.

Nodding thoughtfully, I'm thinking that I made the right choice after all.




Then Jemma makes her appearance, and I say, "I hear congratulations are in order for you too, Jemma. A certain someone asked you to go steady while you were slow dancing to your favorite song!?!"

"Oh, he did, Watcher, he did! I wasn't expecting prom to be all that big of a deal, like Janette was. But the music, the sparkling lights, and everyone looking their best, it was just perfect!"

"And Tobias? Is he just perfect too?"

"He is Watcher! He kept getting me punch, and never left my side all night, he told me he really likes me a lot, and I feel the same way about him. Then he kissed me and asked me to go steady! I know I told mom I was okay with him and I just being good friends, but now that we're more than that, it's amazing! My heart feels so full, like all the stars in the sky have become fireworks all at once!"

"That's a good way to express it Jemma, first love being fireworks! And with both of you now having boyfriends, you're still tied for heirship points!"

"That would work great for what Mom mentioned earlier, Watcher."

"What's that Jemma?"

"A generation of co-heirship! Me and Janette both being named heir and sharing the responsibility equally."

"Well, I'm glad you're seriously thinking of that because I've been pondering the idea myself. But we'll see how things turn out once final traits and lifetime wishes are chosen. Co-heirship would mean completing all four of your lifetime wishes and that may not be feasible as some of those can be time consuming, or just not doable in that town, though we do have the option of changing spouse LTW's. But it could make choosing the next gen heir even more difficult, though I definitely keep it in mind as an option! "




Things are now firming up as we get closer to the twins young adult birthdays.

Janette's prom hopes were fulfilled as she not only got the Queen's crown, but Jonas Woodard gave her his pin and solidified their relationship.

Prom was more than Jemma imagined as her friendship with Tobias Bellucci stepped up as their feelings for each other deepened, with Tobias bestowing her first kiss and asking her to go steady.

Jemma revealed to Odette that, after speaking with Grandpa Adam, both her and Janette have opted in for heirship, and will be okay with the heirship decision, no matter the outcome, but will let YA traits, LTW's, and partners determine the final decision.

Odette was thrilled with the news and remarked that, since the twins are equally qualified, she'd be happy with a co-heirship decision, an option that Jemma likes and that I'm considering as well.

With the twins revealing that decision, Odette and Chase have decided that their family is complete, especially with Marisol and Phyllis wanting to join them in the next town, which they can do as part of the active family, since there's space for them in the house.

But there's still Kirk and Jeffery's decisions and those may determine the active household members when it's time to move on.

There's still plenty of time to go here in Hidden Springs, though, and next up is Odette's adult birthday!

Marisol's popped wishes to not only throw a party, but to have a celebrity attend as well, so get ready for a huge birthday bash!

And a long-awaited conversation takes place as well.

I'll tell you all about it in Chapter 254: Familiar Faces and Some New Ones
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

The girls got home from Prom and, still dressed in their formalwear, sat down in the foyer to do their homework!

But that didn't stop them from chatting all about their evening.

"We were so glad to see that you and Kirk made it, prom wouldn't have been the same without you Marisol!" exclaimed an excited Jemma.

"Well, I don't know about that, with Janette getting voted Prom Queen and both of you ending up going steady with your dates, I'm thinking it was pretty special!"

The twins both smiled and dreamily said in unison, "It was pretty special."

Then they all laugh as the twins both say, "Jinx!" and focus on homework.




With homework done, showered and ready for bed in her nightshirt, Marisol was feeling unsettled and wandered around the house a bit, finally plopping down with a huge sigh on the basement sofa.

"Something on your mind?"

"Something that's been on my mind for quite some time now, but it doesn't look like I'll ever get the chance to follow through on it."

"That talk with Lorelei you mentioned when you were chatting with my simself?"

"Yes, and I was a child then, and now it's almost time for my young adult birthday! I guess she's still upset about me being a time machine child!"

"I don't think that's…"

Marisol forcefully interrupted me, "Why else would she stay away this long!?!"

"I don't know. I've been expecting to see her as well, every time I hear ghostly music, I check to see if it's her."

"I'm sorry, Watcher, I know it's not your fault. You don't have any control on when the family ghosts appear…."

Marisol breaks off as we both hear ghostly music!

I'm afraid it's just a coincidence, but I check to see who might be visiting us from the ghostly realm.




To my amazement, it is Lorelei, and I catch her heading for a rocker on the side porch!

I quickly pop downstairs and tell Marisol the news, hoping she can catch her before she disappears again.




Marisol approaches Lorelei in the kitchen, with a tentative wave and a smile, she beseechingly says, "Please don't leave, I need to talk to you!"

Lorelei stares at her unsmiling and says, "I know child, and it's my fault for making you wait this long. I… I…was …am…embarrassed! My attitude towards you and then you revealing your true feelings to the Watcher's simself. So honorable, even at that young age. I was…am…ashamed! And I stayed away because of it, making you suffer even more."




"Please don't be….um, would you prefer if I called you Lorelei instead of Gramlei, since I'm not…"

Lorelei interrupted, her face reflecting her pain and inner turmoil at Marisol's question, "That question…from my own great-granddaughter….makes me even more embarrassed and ashamed! To think you'd even need to ask! It shows just how mature you are, and that I'm not the paragon of virtue that I would like to be! My granddaughter Odette has accepted you as her child, and she's the only mother you've ever known, there is no other in your family tree. But I let my teenage past color all of that and questioned your motives, the motives of a child! Please forgive me Marisol!?! I would be honored to have you call me Gramlei!"

Clasping her hands together, overjoyed to have the air cleared, Marisol replied, "There's nothing to forgive Gramlei! It's hard to forget the past when you have one and have had a negative experience. I think that's why it's easier for me, since I didn't have a past, not one I remember. I've only ever had the present and the future, so much easier to deal with."




The two of them chatted on and on, and as the sun came up on another beautiful summer day, Lorelei and Marisol were still engrossed in conversation.

Marisol told her all about prom with the twins, her boyfriend Kirk, and her best friends, Sweet and Phyllis.

Lorelei even smiled as she listened to the tentative plans that Marisol had for the future, becoming a top celebrity being one of them.

Just before Lorelei disappeared into a plume of golden smoke, her smile growing wider, she said, "I'd be honored not to just be your Gramlei Marisol, but to be counted as one of your friends too!"

And with that, Marisol's celebrity status jumped to the next level.




Now that Marisol's finally made amends with her grandmother, I can focus on another of her wishes.

A party of course, but one that includes a celebrity, so she sets it all up for later that afternoon, inviting half the townsfolk, including quite a few celebrities, to make sure that at least one attends.

In the meantime, since it's the weekend, Janette focuses on completing an opportunity of her own.

She heads down to the rocky shoreline beyond their property and gives fishing a try as she needs to catch one for a school project that's due before Monday.




She catches one fairly quickly and heads off to the science center to get it turned in to receive the credit.

But when she gets back to the house, instead of being satisfied with her accomplishment, I find her making this dreadfully whiny face!

"You didn't even fish for an hour, and you got top credit for that fish, so why the face!?!"

"Oh Watcher, I don't know! Everything's been such torture this morning!"

"Torture!?! It's been a lovely day and …."

I break off as I notice one of her moodlets…aahh, a mood swing, that explains it!

"Janette, your mother's birthday party is starting soon and Marisol has invited a large part of the town's residents. But Marisol's guest list included family and celebrities, so why don't you invite some of your friends over? Jonas and Tobias at least?"




Calling and chatting to invite Jonas and Tobias over put Janette into a much better frame of mind so she didn't just stop at the two boys, but made multiple phone calls.

When she was finished, she even smiled, and said, "I didn't just invite them to the party Watcher, I asked them all to come over as soon as they could! It was Jonas' suggestion, he said he could tell from my voice that I was feeling down and having my friends around would help. He's not perceptive, but he understands so much!"

"Sims like Jonas usually do Janette, but remember, sometimes that means they do very unexpected things too. Things that seem right and proper to them, but that others don't always see the logic of, so keep that in mind if Jonas ever does or says something…different, than you expected."

"I will Watcher. I do love his quirkiness but sometimes it does take me a minute to figure out his train of thought. Sometimes he just jumps straight to the heart of a matter, other times the path he follows is so twisted it takes me a minute or two to figure it out!"




While I'm chatting with Janette, the doorbell rings and an influx of teenagers is waiting for entrance at the front door.

Tobias, Chastity, and Jeffery, stand patiently together in a group though no one's chatting, while Kirk has made himself comfortable and is doing homework on the flagstones nearby.

Christian is standing awkwardly, half on the walkway and half in a flower bed, as a badly dressed, and badly mannered, paparazzi nearly shoves him into a bush!

Oh wait, maybe that's not a paparazzi but Terrence Moore-Anderson, if he's as moody and impatient as he seems, he's not the partner I want for Christina!




Speaking of Christina, I see her, as well as other party guests, heading quickly down the front walk to join the waiting teens.

Louis Swete is behind her, and he's all excited that fellow law enforcement officer, and celebrity, Sebastian Vanderburg, is attending the party as well.

And that looks like Esther waiting on the road, but why is she just standing there?

Oh, is that supposed to be her formalwear!?!

No wonder she's too embarrassed to come into the party!




I pop her into stylist and find a classic little black dress that's so Esther's style, simple but sweet.

And hopefully something she can wear throughout her pregnancy, as it's much more comfortable looking than that mismatched tight skirt and fitted top, even if she hasn't popped yet!




With teens and guests arriving quickly I think it's time to find our guest of honor.

She wasn't painting at any of the easel's but pouring out her creativity on the drums in the basement.

"Odette, the house is filling up with guests, time to dress and head upstairs for your birthday!"

She smiles as she finishes up a pretty spectacular drum roll and says, "I was ordered to stay out of the way until they were ready for me, so I took the opportunity to get in some more drumming practice!"

"And it's paid off, you sound amazing! Maybe after cake you can entertain some of the guests with a composition or two?"

"Maybe. It sounds like such a crush up there that some of them might love the opportunity to join me down here. The musical lovers anyway."




Odette smiles as she stands patiently by her birthday cake, it's lit candles aglow, while family and friends join her in the dining room.

There's her sister Merida with her husband Scott, her mother Cinda, and her daughters, Janette, who blinks her eyes just as I snap the photo, while her twin, Jemma, claps excitedly.

I have no idea who the guest is in the striped suit, but he's definitely in a party mood as he claps and yells birthday wishes!




Odette steps back from blowing out her candles, as others join the birthday crowd.

Her father, Rory, watches the proceedings rather solemnly, as he is wont to do.

But Esther joins in the birthday spirit, clapping eagerly, as the unknown guest, Merida, and Janette twirl noise makers, and Cinda and Jemma blow party horns.




The sparkles hit Odette as Sweet Shue joins the celebratory crowd, her face showing her own excitement, while Rory looks even more dour.

Cinda, though still smiling, has lost some of her enthusiasm too, most likely due to the growing crowd.

But the unknown guest and Scott are more than making up for their silence as they blow party horns with gusto!




But Merida and Mr. Unknown's wild eyes and loud gasps of shock having me wondering what hideous birthday surprise has befallen Odette!

Cinda and Janette's blank stares don't give me much hope either, as they've both abruptly stopped clapping and smiling.




I quickly focus on Odette and see she's still wearing her sophisticated plum gown, and though her hair style has changed to a much shorter version, it's nothing hideous.

In fact, she looks just as lovely as ever, having an ethereal beauty, her sculpted ivory cheeks and wide forehead emphasized even more framed by the dark clouds of her hair.

Maybe that's the reason for the astonished gasps and stares of the crowd? They're all mesmerized by her beauty!

And seeing her here, poised and perfect, a new adult, I know I'll need to have Chase capture her on canvas to preserve her in paint forever!




As Odette takes her cake to the far end of the table, to make room for others to grab their own pieces, Rory joins Esther in tooting party horns as Sweet continues her excited birthday congratulations.

Merida doesn't seem happy to not only be waiting in line for cake, but to having her ears blasted by the horns nearby.




Chase, late to the party, finally arrives and twirls a noise maker, which isn't to Renauld Vanderburg's liking at all, judging by the annoyed look on his face, even from this angle!

Or maybe Renauld's just disappointed at the long line waiting for cake.

I'm just amazed that the elder Vanderburg's have actually joined us at this party.

Maybe they feel that since the upstart Frio's, or the main family of them, at least, will be leaving town soon, they can count their blessings and get their town back under their control?




But when I track down Odette, I find her chatting with none other than the self-proclaimed Queen of Hidden Springs herself, Catarina Vanderburg!

Who's smiling, actually smiling!

And her words belie the motives I feared, as she says, "From what Sebastian and my new daughter-in-law tell me, it's you I have to thank for him finally settling down and starting a family!"

"I'm not sure it's all me, Ms. Vanderburg, my husband played a part, inviting Esther to move to Hidden Springs, but more importantly, Sebastian and Esther found a connection, one they could build a life on together."

"I know what you're not saying, my dear, a connection he found all on his own, without me pushing him towards girls I considered suitable, closer to his own status. Esther's lack of family and breeding is no matter, now that she's carrying my grandchild, something I'm sure was uppermost in your mind when you counseled them on starting a family sooner rather than later, correct? You can speak frankly, my dear, one parent to another."

Odette smiled and said, "Family is the most important thing isn't it? So yes, I did give them a little nudge! But not just to make Esther's acceptance into the family easier, I thought it might be a comfort to you as well, to see your son in love, settled down, with a child of his own."

Catarina's voice trembled, revealing her over-emotional tendencies, as she said, "It does, especially a grandchild that will bear the Vanderburg name! My daughter had the option of giving it up in favor of her husband's name. Something I could never do, as that name, my family name, is such a big part of who I am. My father only had me, no sons, just a lone daughter, so I needed to pass it on! I would have had a dozen children if I'd been so blessed, not just two. I know others have felt me heartless, pushing my children to settle down, but really, that's all I ever wanted. For them to experience the same love and happiness with a soul mate that I was lucky to find twice in my life, once with their father, Watcher keep him, and now with my dear Renauld, who's been a wonderful husband and step-father! But….my children followed their own paths….just as stubbornly as I did, so how can I blame them really, that's one thing they definitely got from me!"

"I think Franscisa is more like you than you think, she and Nicholas are the proud parents of another son, Christopher! And her name has been popping up rather regularly on the writer's guild list, Francisca Vanderburg Riverhawk, so she's not forgotten the family she comes from! And the dedication page of her latest book made it very clear that she feels her artistic talent comes from you."

Catarina's smile broadened and her eyes glistened with tears as she said, "Yes, she gave me a signed copy, and we're doing our best to come to terms with our differences, and rejoice in our similarities and blessings, and with Sebastian happily married and expecting his own child, we're finally a united family after all this time!"




I hear exclamations from the kitchen and find that the dishwasher has broken and puddles are forming all over the kitchen floor.

Cinda and Jemma seem to be at odds with how to resolve the issue with Cinda pointedly placing the blame on Jemma, "Jemma! If you broke the dishwasher, you just have to say so! Not wait until the kitchen's flooded and it's a disgusting mess!"

Ella is just horrified at the dirty surroundings, while Merida stays true to form and is taking the whole event in stride; the leaky dishwasher, the puddles all over the floor, guests waiting to dispose of their own empty plates, and her mother's inclination to point fingers.

I break up what could become a huge argument, since I know Cinda will not back down without my intervention, and though Jemma's not typically moody or argumentative, she is a teen, and quick to defend what is as an unjust accusation, especially pointed at herself!




With that bomb defused, and Cinda taking on kitchen clean up duty at my…request, and Jemma trying to hide her satisfaction at that outcome, I move on to see that Chase is now taking up his host duties as he chats with Renauld Vanderburg.

"I'm sorry it's taken this long to have you and Mrs. Vanderburg as guests in our home, sir, with both of us having strong minded female family members to contend with, I hope you can excuse the delay."

Renauld nods and says, "I definitely understand Mr. Frio, as one man to another who has taken his wife's family name, we are both in the same position. A position that others may mistakenly think has us always deferring to those females. But you and I know the truth of it, in our hearts and minds, as loving those women, taking their family name is something only brave, good, or insane men can do! We walk a fine line as they fulfill their heirship duties, but never in a lesser way as we are their partners, their equals, doing all we can to support them, and making decisions based on our love for them and our families!"

"Please call me Chase and I couldn't have expressed it better myself, sir! So let's not think of this as a delay but of a meeting that took place when it was destined to, when both of our families were ready for it."

Though Renauld's expression didn't change, his eyes held a twinkle of humor as he added, "And you can drop the sir, too! It makes me feel old beyond my years and I'm planning on being around to enjoy both of my step-children's children for a long time to come, thanks to you and your wife! I must say, Esther is a refreshing change from all those society females Catarina had parading around all those years, with topics of conversation focused on clothes, spa days, and shopping! She loves the outdoors just as much as Sebastian always has, and getting him to settle down and start a family, instead of pushing for clubs to build up the night life in our mountain town is something I thought I'd never live to see! The change in Catarina is a joy to behold, having us all united as a family again!"




Sebastian is thrilled being married to Esther and expecting their first child, and with some of the family issues resolved between his mother and himself, he's getting to relax and live in the moment, just dancing to the music from the stereo in the living room.

Behind him other family and guests mingle and chat.

Janette and Phyllis are sharing highlights of prom.

Louis Swete is engaged in conversation with several others, all discussing the most recent books they've read.

Young Lynette Swete, in her new uniform, is delighted as she catches sight of up- and-coming musician and celebrity Scott Chesterfield.

And Emily and Merida seem to be entranced by something on the other side of the room.

All in all, everyone just enjoying the party and the time they're getting to spend with family and friends.




As the party continues, I find Marisol outside watching the stars with Kirk, fulfilling another wish she's popped since her party wishes completed.

They're both focused on the heavens but Kirk's expression is one of thoughtful contemplation, as he says, "It's almost time for my birthday Marisol, and I've thought about your invitation ever since you brought up the subject…"

But Marisol interrupts with, "Please Kirk, ….those moments will be upon us soon enough, with big decisions for the future being made. Let's just enjoy this beautiful night, one of our last ones as teens, just me and you and the stars."

Kirk is silent for a moment as his hand caresses the silky soft skin exposed above Marisol's dress and he turns towards her and places a gentle kiss on her lips, as he whispers, "As you wish."




Marisol finally got to resolve the issues between her and, a very contrite, ghostly Lorelei, not only solidifying their relationship but becoming friends as well, which has definitely increased Marisol's celebrity status!

Janette was helped out of a nasty mood swing by chatting with Jonas and inviting all their teen friends over, though with so many other guests at her mother's adult birthday party, she didn't get to spend much time with them.

Odette and Chase both found time to chat with Catarina and Renauld Vanderburg, establishing positive relationships with the elder Vanderburg's, one that's been a long time coming and was very much overdue.

It did show the similarities of their lives, and gave them common ground to establish the beginning of friendships, or at least lessen the animosity between these two powerful families!

But Cinda's unwarranted attack on Jemma has me realizing that it's become harder and harder for her to deal with living in the crowded family home, especially with all the young adult birthday parties on the horizon.

Cinda and Rory have gone above and beyond in their duties as the heir couple, and parents of an heir couple, and they both deserve the solitude of a home of their own.

Join me for their last days in the family home as they complete final wishes and opportunities in Chapter 255: Wishes, Ops, and Goodbyes
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

On Sunday morning, the rising sun glinted off the lake behind the main Frio home, as I wait patiently for the family to wake up and start their day.

It's hard for me to believe that our journey here in Hidden Springs is almost over, and I can't resist a photo of the lot and home here, so tranquil in the early morning hours.

Except for that sparkle of red shining out of the living room window!

I'm not sure if it's still a prank left over from Merida's teen years, or the work of one of the current teens.

Since it was Janette that was having that wicked mood swing yesterday, it's more than likely her doing, but, unlike Cinda, I'm not going to be pointing fingers and causing decreases in relationships!

Not over the next couple of days anyway, as I'd like Rory and Cinda to move out with the highest possible relationships with Odette, Chase, Marisol, and the twins.




As the family starts stirring, I check on those members who've already started the day.

Rory, working on finishing up a wish to read more books, has settled down at the dining room table with another one, while Janette eats breakfast at the kitchen counter.

I don't want to interrupt him, since time is running out for him to accomplish his last few wishes, so I leave him to his book.




As I move on to the kitchen to chat with Janette, I find that Marisol has taken her place.

"What's on the schedule for today Marisol? Any special plans?"

Marisol nods as she chews her forkful of waffles, swallows and says, "We'd all been planning on meeting our boyfriends at the Summer Festival Park, but Jonas has to work, so Jemma and I are going to double date with Tobias and Kirk! It won't be quite the same without Janette and Jonas, but I don't want to give up the opportunity for some teen sisterly bonding while we've still got the chance."

"That sounds great and the weather's perfect for it. I'll meet you guys over there soon."

As she scoops up another forkful, she says, "Sounds good Watcher!"




I head over to the park and spot Jemma and Tobias first thing, it's hard not to with his bright red t-shirt and her dark plum top!

I find them deep in conversation as Tobias asks, "I heard a rumor at your mother's party that your grandparents are going to be moving out to a place of their own soon! Is that true!?!"

Jemma stiffens as the question hits her like a thunderbolt, and says, "I'm afraid so. Our Cici's finding it harder and harder to keep from spewing mean comments and accusations, especially when the house is always so full. And even though we know why she does it, it's hard NOT to take offense when she attacks you!"

"I heard about that scene in the kitchen. I wish I'd been there to deflect that heat off you as it sounded bad."

"It wasn't pretty, I can tell you that much! But luckily for me, our Watcher stepped in to diffuse the situation and handed out her  usual punishment!" Jemma couldn't resist a grin as she added, "Making Cici clean up the mess while the rest of us enjoyed the party! It sounds harsh, but actually, being in the kitchen alone, even having to clean up, is much more to my Cici's liking, though I did hang around a bit to point out spots she missed!"

"It is fun to watch your parents and grandparents squirm isn't it! But enough of that, let's go find something fun we can do together!"




That's when I finally spot Marisol and Kirk and find them deeply engrossed in a conversation about their… favorite colors?

"Not just any green, Irish Green specifically, I like the depth of it,  the body, rather than a medium or light green."

With Marisol's thoughts drifting off to new cook pots, or maybe it's just the smell of those hot dogs on the eating contest table nearby,  I'm sure she's finding this topic as mundane as I am.




But when she responds with, "Oh, I know exactly what you mean, it's not just the color pink I love, it's the intensity of a specific shade that speaks to you! I love most of them, but a bright, vibrant pink just screams out my name!"

I can't stand it anymore and ask, "What on earth is going on! Why are you two going on and on about your favorite colors!?! Can't you find something better to do on a date?"

Neither one of them answer me and after staring at the two of them for a bit, it finally hits me!

Not only don't they have date hearts floating over them, but Kirk is taller than Marisol, more mature, NO LONGER A TEEN!

And though he's still her boyfriend, all they can do is chat about inane friendly topics.

Or is it?




I check around the park and find out that they can still take part in the festival activities together.

So I set them up at the soccer goal for a little game of one on one.

Marisol looks adorable in her white top and pink shorts and sneakers.

But I smile when I see Kirk's current athleticwear, skin tight futuristic pants with knee high white boots with a white button down shirt topped with a preppy red scarf!

A make-over is definitely in his near future, but not right this minute.




I let the two couples enjoy their day together at the park and when the soccer match is over, I join Kirk and Marisol as they chat together again.

"I know it's right after your young adult birthday, but have you checked on-line for job openings yet?"

"Oh, yeah! It was the first thing I did! And I got lucky as they had an opening at the theater, bottom of the career, but some of our greatest musicians started there so I'm in good company."

"Several of mom's ancestors were musical, along with Mom and my Uncle Scott, two of them even became Hit Movie Composers!" Giving Kirk a look, she added, "Or would you rather be a Rock Star with flocks of groupies after you!?!"

Kirk laughed and said, "Neither actually! I love music so much I want to master all four instruments, guitar, bass, piano, and drums, and become a One Sim Band."

"That's what my Great-Great-Great Glamma Carly did! But from what I read about her, even after forming a band, they didn't get very many gigs."

Kirk shrugged and said, "Whether I'm in a formal band or not doesn't really matter to me, as long as I get to focus on my music, I'm good."

"And what about all those groupies? No appeal there either?"

All kidding aside, Kirk stared into Marisol's eyes as he replied, "There's only one girl I've ever loved and I'm hoping to tell her that very, very, soon."




Then I check on Jemma, to find she's being besieged by water balloons as Tobias and Chastity gang up on her!

"Hey, that doesn't seem fair, two against one!?!"

Jemma laughs and says, "It won't be this uneven for long Watcher, Elliott's on his way over and then we'll trounce them! He has a wicked fast ball that he can put a mean fairy spin on!"

"I see. Well, then, don't let him hurt Tobias or Chastity! You know how he can be if he's losing!"

"I'll keep him honest Watcher! He hates being lectured by Cici or his Mom and Dad because none of them hold back!"




Then I head off to see what Janette's up to since Jonas couldn't make it to the park today.

I find her visiting at the Woodard house where Cassidy and Ken are still so much in love that they completely ignore their son's girlfriend to focus solely on each other!

They spent several minutes exchanging heat of the moment kisses which left Janette feeling very uncomfortable.




So much so that Janette focuses on the newest addition to the Woodard household, Jonas' baby brother, Nate.

"Well, aren't you just the sweetest nooboo ever, with that pale green skin and bright eyes!" she crooned softly, as the baby smiled and cooed at her, waving his little fists. "I bet Jonas looked just like you when he was your age."

As the thought strikes her, Janette swallows, and I wonder if she's having the same thoughts that I've been having for some time now.

That her and Jemma's unique MH skin tones paired with Jonas and Tobias' unique HS green could make for some truly interesting genetics for the next generation!

All the existing greenies in HS are on the very light end of green sliders, so odds are that Jonas and Tobias are too, couple that with Janette and Jemma's intensity on the white/black slider and we could have nooboos that are mid to dark green or possibly pale white again, if it combines like I think it might.

But before I can discuss it with Janette, which is probably a bit premature since she's still a teen, Jonas gets home from his part-time job at the hospital.




While Ken settles down on the couch to watch TV, Jonas and Janette start dancing away.

It doesn't take me long to realize that it's no wonder they were raved about so much at prom as these two have some amazing moves!

I chose this particular photo of them because it also included Jonas toddler sister, Octavia, who is just adorable, even sporting her father's HS brown hair streaked with green, not anyone's favorite that I know of!

I'm thrilled that Jonas got Cassidy's dark black as I love the contrast of it with his green skin tone.




As the suns sets, Janette asks, "It's a beautiful night tonight Jonas. Care to join me outside and see how many constellations we can find?"

Jonas eagerly agrees and I smile as they head out the door, it doesn't take a genius to figure out they want to spend some private time alone together outside, watching the stars.

So I leave them to it and head back to the house to see what's going on with the rest of the family.




I find that Lorelei has graced us with a visit again and I'm hoping she'll be showing up more regularly, now that she's resolved her issues with Marisol.

But it's plain to see that Lorelei and Cinda still have a wonderful mother/daughter relationship as they close in for a hug.

"You never know what might hold me up in the nether world Lucinda and I don't want to miss getting in one last hug!"

"Oh Mom, I wouldn't dream of leaving without saying goodbye to you! You've stayed away much too long!"

"And don't I know it! Letting my teenage angst take over and keep me from my family! I've learned my lesson, that's for sure. From now on, talk it out, don't keep it all bottled up inside. You've never, ever done that, so there's something to be said for your forthright manner after all."

"Well, I've been a little too …forthright…lately, and I need to apologize to Jemma now. Accusing her of breaking the dishwasher and at a family party no less with the house full of guests!"

"Having to apologize is definitely a humbling experience, but at least you have the excuse of still being a young adult! As an elder I've none at all, I should know better!"

"Well, I've been a young adult for a very, very long time Mom, with my double fairy lifespan, so it doesn't really excuse me much either."

Realizing that, not only are they agreeing on just how abominably both of them have behaved, but that they are both making excuses for the other, they both laugh as they pull away.

"Well, aren't we a pair! Oh, I will miss you so Lucinda, you and your Rory! But you both deserve to spend some time alone together, the Watcher wasn't wrong about that, you've dedicated so much of your lives to the family and to our journey. I've never doubted my choice, if anything, all that you've done has proven that you were the best choice for heir."

"Oh Mom! I never even knew how much I wanted it until I thought Marshall was going to take it back. And now, now I can't believe I've passed heirship onto Odette and soon she'll be passing it on to one of the twins! Time really does fly when you're focused on family, they grow up before you know it."

"They do Lucinda, so you take the time to enjoy your children and grandchildren here! And I promise to watch over all of those in the coming generations, to tell them about you and all your forebears, and never let them forget all that's been accomplished, despite our shortcomings!"




Always a light sleeper and in touch with the supernatural, Jemma is up early, hoping to get a chance to speak with ghostly Gramlei too, but just as she arrives on the side porch, all that's left is a golden haze as Lorelei returns to her urn.

"Drat! I'm too late, Watcher! I wanted to ask her about some of our past family, get to know them better, like I did with Grandpa Adam's twins, Logan and Sadie."

"There'll be other times Jemma, I'm sure of it. Now that your Gramlei's had that talk with Marisol, I'm sure she'll be popping in more often. I hope so at least. I'm not really sure how the family ghosts decide when to visit. But It seems like they always show up when they're needed, just like Adam did for you."

"That's true. I didn't have anything specific to ask Gramlei, but maybe I should think of something. Oh, I know, I could ask her about Aunt Kimberly and ghostly Uncle Antony! That's got to be an amazing story with active ghosts involved!"

"It was quite the experience, especially with them having ghost children!"

"Ghost children!?! You have got to tell me all about it Watcher, please!"

"It will mean a lot more coming from your Gramlei or your Grandpa Samuel. They were there after all, and got to hold them even! And I'm sure both of them would love a chance to share those memories with you."

"You're right Watcher! I'll definitely keep my eyes and ears open and ask one of them about it the next time they show up."




Upstairs, I find Rory in a deep discussion with Cinda, saying, "Yes, I agree Cinda it's definitely time for a place of our own. I've got a couple of wishes I want to complete before we leave though, if you think there's time for that?"

"I've got one last op I'd like to complete too---breaking up that ring of evildoers at the criminal warehouse and destroying their super weapon! So you've got some time as I can't do that until late tonight."

Rory pauses and asks, "Haven't you done that before?"

Cinda laughs and says, "Of course, multiple times! But there's always another group of inept bunglers desperate to go up against me and prove they're smarter! And I'll catch this group just as easily as I've foiled the plans of all the others!"

A worried frown crosses Rory's face, "But what if Eric's involved!?!"

"Eric's a big boy now and if he chooses to step in my path, I have to do the right thing, the honorable thing. I made a promise to protect every law-abiding citizen throughout Sim Land and I won't go back on that promise now!" With a smirk she added, "Besides, it wouldn't hurt Eric, much anyway. And cooling his heels in a jail cell would serve him right if he thought he could beat me at this particular game!"

As Rory stands there mulling over Cinda's words and nodding, she says, "I'm going to find the girls and start saying my goodbyes, so if you want to finish any more paintings, you can."




As Rory starts another painting, I find Odette working on one of her own.

And she's working on that same lovely bird in flight painting that Rory did, with her brush flying over the canvas as she confidently places each stroke!




When she's finished with her masterpiece, she heads for the stairs, ready for her own goodbyes with her mother.

"Coming dad? It's not like we're leaving town yet, but I'm sure the girls all want their own goodbyes too."

"Almost finished sweetheart. Just a few more brush strokes and this should complete my wish, five more masterpieces!"

"You've painted so many dad! Almost everything you paint now is considered a masterpiece, and I'm sure you'll continue to paint more in your new place."

"No doubt about that! But this one is special, my final painting here in the main house!"




Downstairs, I've already missed Cinda's goodbye with Marisol, but I'm in time for her parting words with Jemma, "I'm so sorry for that scene in the kitchen Jemma! It's getting harder and harder to keep my meanness in check, but that doesn't excuse it! Please forgive me?"

With a broad smile, Jemma opens her arms for a warm hug, one which Cinda quickly reciprocates, saying, "I'm sorry too, Cici! I should have understood that instead of arguing with you about it…"

"Nonsense! Don't ever back down when you're unjustly accused---always stand up for yourself and for your family!" With a shake of her head, Cinda adds, "That's something I need to remember myself, to stand up for my family instead of flying off the handle and accusing them over trivial things!"

"You've done your share for standing up for our family Cici! More than your share! Protecting us too! I've heard some of the stories about how you protected Mom and the rest of the family from all those criminals back in Roaring Heights! Saved them and the town too, and sent all of those evildoers to prison! And you've continued that work here, though the criminals might not be as obvious about it. But that could be because Uncle Eric keeps them in check and under the radar! How do you do it Cici? Fight crime and evil, but still love him? It must be hard!?!"

Stepping back, Cinda nods, and says, "It is. But Eric's not evil, just a klepto, and he's not the first to follow that path. In fact, our family is pretty split that way, starting with Founder Claire. She wasn't evil but she was a klepto and a Master Thief, and Eric chose to follow in her footsteps. Unlike her only son Heath, who was born evil, just like my sister, your Great-Aunt Kimberly, so both of them chose evil branches of the criminal career, aspiring to become Emperors of Evil. But that was tempered by all the good and brave family members that chose to stand on the side of the law, starting with your long-ago Aunt Janeva back in Isla Paradiso, and her brother-in-law Desmond, her sister Carly's husband. I chose to follow in their footsteps, along with your Great-Uncle Lucas, though he chose the forensic branch. But no matter their choice, we've kept our family ties close and separate from our careers. It's a fine line, but we've managed to  make it work."

"Wow, there's so much family history to learn about. Now I want to chat with Founder Claire as well as Gramlei and learn even more about it!"

"I'm sure they'd both be happy to share their stories Jemma! After all, family is what this whole journey is about! As long as you and Janette keep that in mind whenever you make important decisions, I have no doubt that our future generations will remain brave and strong!"




Janette rushes into Cinda's arms and hugs her tight, as she says, "We won't forget Cici, either of us! Your example, Grandpa Ro's, Mom and Dad's, all of you have provided a strong, loving foundation for Marisol, Jemma and me! Family is uppermost in our thoughts and hearts, and we'll try to follow all of our past examples as we continue the journey, doing our best to keep our strength tempered with family love."

Cinda squeezes Janette back, whispering, "Your heartfelt words show that you're well on your way to that now, Janette! And you've hit upon the crucial factor, doing all things with love. If you and Jemma do that, then your paths will stay steady and true." Then she raised her voice so all of the other family members could hear it as she added, "But it's not quite time for that journey to begin, so I'll be expecting some visits from all of you at our new house!"

Cinda waited expectantly until their responses met her own ears, Odette's "Of course, Mom, we can't wait to see your new home!" And all three teens chorusing, "Yes, Cici!"

Rory waited for all the laughter to die down after that interchange, and said, "Now it's my turn, but I'm not going to be able to say goodbye to all of you right now." His voice choking he said, "One goodbye at a time is about all I can handle."




Stepping across to Odette, waiting by the windows, he crushed her to him in a bear hug, his voice tight, the words only audible to her, "I can't believe my baby girl is an adult already, the mother of three teen daughters, soon to be young adults, and journeying on to the next town! The time has passed so quickly!" Ruefully, he added, "Probably because I spent so much of it sitting on benches, couches, chairs, wherever I could, by myself and reading and not enough of it interacting with all of you! And when I wasn't doing that, I was writing books or painting, something I regret now!"

Odette, her smile broad, said, "No regrets dad! You spent plenty of time with us, from the moment we were born, throughout our toddler and childhoods, helping us get through the devastating loss of Grandpa Samuel! Our teen years and all it's drama, being by Mom's side through all of it! An heir would falter without the strength of a good partner, and you overcame your own childhood to be the best husband and father anyone could hope for! Despite your loner tendencies and your absent-minded trait. You proved that it IS possible to overcome less than stellar traits, not just ignore them, but to actually face them and set yourself free from them! And look how much you did for me, encouraging me to keep painting." Her voice rose excitedly as she added, "So my big news is not just my own accomplishment, but yours too!"

Rory stepped back, but before he could ask, Cinda said, "Big news? What big news?"




Odette held up her hands to her mother, her face flushed with pride, "I've reached level 10 of the painting career, Mom, I'm a true Master of the Brush now!" Shooting a look at her father, she added, "And I never could have done it if it hadn't been for dad's encouragement."

Janette tilted her head, smiling at her mother, "Congratulations Mom! But a lot of the credit is yours, all those hours you've spent in front of easels!"

Cinda joined in the praise as well, hugging Odette, and saying, "The support of family really does help doesn't it? But Janette's right, all the time and effort you put into your paintings is what's brought this to pass. You've been just as dedicated to painting as you were to your music, I'm so happy you've achieved such a prestigious goal! And before we left too, what a wonderful goodbye present!" Just as she stepped back the alarm on her phone rang, " Oh, it's about time I headed off for my last op, can't let those criminals get that super weapon up and running. I didn't let it happen back in Roaring Heights, and I'm not going to let it happen here in Hidden Springs either!"

Rory, as usual in moments of extreme emotion, said nothing, his face not giving away his inner feelings, something he'd learned to control as a child growing up in the volatile Winchester/Hyde household.

I decide to let him extend his congratulations to Odette in private and move on to other family members.




I find Jemma and Marisol just steps away in the living room, Jemma has her hands clenched in excitement, and Marisol is sporting a huge smile.

"What's going on?"

"Marisol's just sworn to be best friends forever with me! So now I have two BFF's, Marisol and Janette!"

Both girls look so happy that I can't help but smile and leave them to their girl talk, not just between an older sister and a younger one, but sisters who've developed a bond of friendship so deep that they rejoice in reaching that pinnacle, best friends forever!




I decide to head across town to the criminal warehouse and check up on Cinda and I get there as she steps outside.

"Well, that was fast! Another would-be criminal mastermind trying to take over the world with a super weapon foiled again, I'm sure!"

With an almost bored sigh Cinda huffs, "Same old, same old! This group was so lame and their 'super' weapon so inferior that I was in and out quicker than it took me to get here!"

"And you defeated them in your bare feet too, though yours aren't typical bare feet, yours are pretty lethal!"

With a smirk Cinda says, "And several of them will be wearing my footprint on their backsides for some time to come!"

"Before you went inside, I'm sure you warned them that if they wanted to survive, they needed to surrender, right?"

"Of course. Me, an International Super Spy, against a so-called mastermind and his sniveling minions? It's laughable, but, if there's one thing I never have to worry about it's them ever winning!"




When Cinda gets home, she goes directly to the basement and then stops abruptly, staring at the computer, contemplating this final step.

Taking a deep breathe she says, "This is it Watcher! I've done my duty, completed my own heirship, passed it on to my daughter, and she's preparing to pass it to a daughter of her own soon. Now, now it's time for Rory and me to head off on our own journey. Don't get all mushy and sappy on me Watcher, we've already said all that needs to be said!"

Sadly, my voice full of emotion, I say, "Not everything Cinda."

"What's left!?! You've rambled on and on for several chapters now!"

"Only one more thing. Goodbye, my dear Lucinda, goodbye."

With all her grumpiness wiped away, Cinda whispers, "Goodbye Watcher."




As Cinda and Rory's icons blink from my screen, the house feels empty, though five sims remain.

Then I realize what the emptiness is, there is no longer that strong, vibrant, fae spirit flowing through it!

The fae magic that began with Adam's girlfriend, young Sophie Rodgers, back in our second town, Moonlight Falls, has now come to a close here in Hidden Springs, our 10th town, as the last fairy in the heir household leaves to start her own journey.

Cinda and Rory may not live with us anymore, but they are not gone, and certainly will never be forgotten!

But the journey must continue, and though our last fairy departs, her truly unique granddaughters, Janette and Jemma, have the honor of passing on their mother, Odette's, Midnight Hollow genetics, inherited from their Grandpa Ro, to their own children, mixed with HS greenie genes, as well, I hope!

But what genetics from Hidden Springs will intermingle with those of the Frio family?

Will Kirk Abbott, Tobias Bellucci, and Jonas Woodard all choose to journey to the next town?

Those questions, as well as others, will be answered in upcoming chapters.
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

"I want to set something straight, Janette. Marisol being my BFF doesn't change things between us."

"You know I love Marisol too Jemma, and we're best friends, but I was surprised to hear you ask her to be your BFF! I thought you and I had the closer relationship!"
 
"We do Janette! Sure we're BFF's, like I am with Marisol, but for us, it goes even deeper than that. We share more than just a sisterly bond, twins have a special connection, being together even before they're born! Nothing could ever break that! Not our friendships with Marisol, with mom and dad, or even Tobias and Jonas!"

Janette smiled in her relief at Jemma's certainty, but then her lips trembled as she blurted out her deepest fear, "But heirship could tear us apart! One of us being the heir and the other not! I know we keep saying it'll be okay whichever one of us gets chosen, but it will change things, there's no way it won't!"

"That's why I think it's best if we're co-heirs, equal partners in heirship! Mom mentioned it, and so did the Watcher, and I really think it would be the best option. The Watcher said it would be doable, as long as you and I, and our partners, choose LTW's that could be completed in our human lifetimes. Tobias and Jonas even more so as they have even shorter lifespans than we do."

"Seriously? Oh Jemma, that makes me feel so much better! Co-heirs instead of having to choose one of us over the other!"




The twins stepped closer into a hug, their bond growing even stronger with the decision to share heirship.

It felt like a weight had been lifted from both of them, one they hadn't realized was weighing them down quite so much until they were released from it's burden.

Stepping apart, Janette blurted, "I've got to call Jonas," just as Jemma yelled, "I've got to call Tobias!"

The twins smiled, and with both of them having the same thought, they knew that this truly was the best decision.

They were both so in sync with one other, that they not only felt similarly about things, but they often said them together as well.




Then they both flipped out their phones, Janette excitedly saying, "Jemma has just sprung the best solution for heirship on me, Jonas. Instead of it being her or me, and possibly causing a rift between us, we're going to be co-heirs! That would mean sharing heirship, along with our partners." Janette hesitated a moment and then added, "Which means you can stop giving Tobias the evil eye and start being friends with him, since it's no longer a competition between us."

The hesitation on the other end was even longer as Jonas said, "I'm not sure it's all one-sided Janette! I know you love my quirkiness but others aren't as tolerant. Are your parents, your Watcher, and Jemma up for having another crazy sim in the family!?! You know there's no telling what I will do in any given situation."

"We'll all deal with whatever comes along Jonas. The Watcher has become quite adept at dealing with unexpected situations, so I'm sure she can handle whatever you do!"

I was glad that Janette had such confidence in me, but now that the girls had decided on co-heirship, I was having serious doubts! Trying to complete four lifetime wishes, along with dealing with Jonas' insanity, plus who knows what other traits! But the die was cast so, like Janette said, we'll all deal. Somehow!




Jemma's conversation went a little differently.

"It's all set Tobias! Janette was more than happy to be co-heir! I thought she would be, since we're so much alike, but I was still nervous bringing it up."

"That's great Jemma, the both of you will make great heirs."

"But?"

"Well, I'm not totally convinced that Jonas is a great candidate for heir spouse! He's so…unpredictable, to put it nicely. Before prom I thought he was actually going to start something with that look he gave me!"

"But he didn't Tobias, that's the important thing. I think you two just need to spend more time together, get to know each other better. Maybe you could even be friends. At least think about it? Please? For me?"

I could hear Tobias' sigh through the phone, but I guess he didn't want to disappoint Jemma as he said, "Okay. I'll try. For you. But if he steps out of line….I won't put up with that Jemma!"

"Fair enough." Then lowering her voice she added, "I love you Tobias and I can't wait too see you at school tomorrow!"

Tobias, his voice going a bit husky with emotion, replied, "I love you too Jemma, you're the best thing in my life!"




Before catching the bus for school Monday morning, both girls decided to write love letters.

Putting their feelings into words and hoping the teen love they feel for their respective boyfriends will continue, become something deeper after their young adult birthdays, and solidify their relationships so both boys will consent to joining them on their journey, being spouses of co-heirs.

It's a big responsibility, but by the looks on the twins' faces, they both have high hopes for this ultimate outcome!




Once Chase and Odette are alone in the house, Chase broaches his concerns, "I know they're in love with both boys now Odette, I'm not discounting teen love. But isn't it a bit premature for the girls to be thinking about heirship and permanent partners?"

"Not really honey. Marisol's young adult birthday is tomorrow night, and then the twins about 6 days after hers. With Tobias and Jonas' birthdays right around that same time, so there's only a week left!"

"A week!?! I guess I've been so busy with work, painting, and play testing video games, I lost track of the time. But being at level 8 in my career and up for that promotion, well, the timing is just right for moving to another town!"

"It is, we couldn't have planned that better really. But boy am I glad that I mentioned co-heirship and both girls love the idea as now we don't have to choose one of the girls over the other!"

"That is a load off my mind too, having to choose would have been way too hard. And having Marisol coming to the next town with us, that's wonderful too. I was really struggling with leaving her behind. I know she's going to be a young adult soon, they all are, but they'll always be my little girls!"

Odette smiled and said, "In some ways they'll always be our babies. But after the twins birthday, they'll be co-heirs and we'll get to relax, well, until the grandbabies arrive, anyway!




At the mention of grandbabies Chase froze and, even though his tanned skin didn't pale, the look on his face was enough to have Odette soothing him saying, "That won't be for quite some time if Marisol's Kirk moves in and he comes with us to the next town. They may even choose to hang around a bit before finding a place of their own, so their won't be room for any additions to the family."

Then, hoping to distract him even more, she added, "Oh, if you don't want to miss your carpool, you better get ready for work! Being late won't help you get that promotion you're hoping for!"

The mention of work had Chase snapping out of what could have been a long brooding session, compounded by his current mid-life crises, which couldn't end fast enough for me.




Chase had rushed through his shower so fast that he still had some time before his car pool arrived, so to distract him even further, I had Odette pose for him, to get that portrait of her started.

Once it was under way, Odette added to the ambience by rocking out with her electric guitar.

The look on her face while she plays is one of complete joy and happiness, her music just filling the room and her soul.




After lunch, with Chase still at work and all three girls still in school, Odette headed over to her parents new home, Briar House.***

It has a lovely location on, Beryl Court, I think, and it's about half-way between the main Frio house and Eric and Emily’s Farmhouse further along the coast towards town.

Perfect for staying in touch with their children and grandchild.



 
Odette was supposed to be checking out the adorable greenhouse but was totally focused on the trash dumped on the lawn by a mischievous raccoon!

Cinda had just arrived home from work and was eager to have Odette come inside!




Once Cinda reached the safety of her beautiful kitchen, her thoughts turned to showing off her new home to Odette.




But since Odette was busy picking up the trash the raccoon had scattered over the lawn, I took that moment to show off the house to all of you.

Here's  the open view of the home from the front with Cinda’s martial arts equipment in the back hall, along with a new stereo.

Rory’s already busy at the easel in the spare girls’ room, christening the home with his first painting here!




Here's another open view from the back of the lot.

I placed a 2nd easel for Rory on the back deck and a TV in the living room.

They probably won't use it much, with Cinda so focused on board breakers, and Rory so busy painting and reading, but I gave them one anyway.




Cinda christened the board breaker first thing as Odette looks on admiring her mother’s talent.

But we both stay quiet so we don't break Cinda's concentration.




After he got off work, Chase joined them, but rather than interrupt their conversation, he grabbed a book to get in some reading.

I was hoping he would interrupt, as though they're getting along well right now, trivia challenges can quickly escalate into very negative interactions!

This one doesn't thankfully, and Cinda goes off to chat with Chase.




So Odette pulls out a guitar and blesses the home with music!

I never have to worry about Odette staying busy, as if she's not painting, she's playing her guitar or any other instrument available.




Soon after, Marisol and the twins join them to check out their grandparents new home.

Chase and Cinda were still chatting, something I have to watch carefully because, with so many of them being nerds, if they're not issuing trivia challenges, they are constantly berating each other’s ignorance!

So annoying when Chase is a genius and all the others have decent logic skill too, with the twins being on the low end with 3 or 4 points each.

Odette’s making the first meal at Briar House---her father’s favorite, Goopy Carbonara!




As the smell starts drifting through the house, Rory comes running in with two thumbs up and the biggest grin I've ever seen shouting, “This wonderful house, my family here for their first visit, AND Goopy Carbonara!?! I am a lucky man!”

I'm more than surprised at this entrance as I thought he was still painting in the girls room, and though he's over-emotional, I have never seen him do anything remotely like this before!

Him or any other sim!

But there's no way you can miss his excitement, about the house, about his family, or about his favorite food.

It's so nice to see him deliriously happy instead of stony-faced and trying to hide is emotions!




But then Lynette Swete joins them, her face sober, saying, “Mom and Dad aren’t happy about it, but they’re going to let me stay for awhile. If it’s okay with you?”

“You can stay for as long as you need to Lynette, but hopefully you can work out your issues with your parents soon.”

Lynette frowns, saying, “Not very likely! We just don’t get along and always seem to be arguing!”

“Well, try to relax and calm down, think about it with a level head. Maybe some time away will help you decide your path for the future.”




Then Marisol checks out all the fabulous special Easter eggs that MrsFlynn decorated this beautiful build with!

I don't think I've ever had any of my sims find all of these in one game before, in fact, I think they've only ever found the white/gold egg and the red/gold egg, as much as I've coveted that purple polka dot one.

But now Cinda and Rory have the whole collection, definitely a bonus in addition to the beautiful home.




And Jemma is entranced by a beautiful butterfly, flourishing in it's habitat in the corner, topped with a wild flower in it's graceful vase.

This house has so many homey touches, that I'm even happier about choosing it for Cinda and Rory.




Janette works on her homework, while Marisol chats with Lynette, trying to find common ground that will help Lynette relax despite the rift between her and her parents.
 
Chase and Rory watch a game while waiting for dinner to be ready and Chase announces he’s gotten another promotion!
 
“Executive Producer means I’ve only got one more step to becoming a Game Studio Head and once that happens, they usually offer you a position to build a branch in another town!”
 
Rory keeps his eyes on the TV as he says, trying to keep his voice firm, but failing, “So that falls in perfectly with…moving.”
 
Chase, so enthused by his promotion, is totally oblivious to Rory’s feelings, “Yes, it does! I can’t wait to see what town we’ll be moving to! The twins don’t have a preference, so they’re letting my career decide where we go.”
 
“And Marisol’s going with you too?”
 
“Yes, she’s hoping Kirk will come along, but they’re not discussing that until after her young adult birthday. And Phyllis is on board too, moving to the same town, hopefully with her Jeffery.”
 
Rory, able to speak a bit more calmly, says, “Jeffery Riverhawk is the oldest Vanderburg grandchild, but now that he’s got a younger brother, and a male cousin, it could open the way for him to choose his own path.”
 
“Exactly! Esther and Sebastian couldn’t be more thrilled to have a son! And Catarina is beside herself doting on little Bastian Vanderburg, heir to the Vanderburg line!”




Then everyone hangs out and chats, already comfortable in the new place.

Cinda working at the board breaker again, while Janette dances to music from the stereo.

Odette and Rory chatting about books.

Chase eating some of Odette’s delicious Goopy Carbonara.

With Lynette calming down, focused on homework, and her tone much more relaxed, she says, “Oh, I love that song Janette! It’s one of my favorites.”




Then the family decides it's time to head for their own home and they each head out, with Odette and Rory getting in a goodbye hug.

Janette still energetically dancing, says breathlessly, "I'll be home soon Mom, right after this song ends!"

The mood is a happy one, until Lynette breaks it with a sad sigh, "I wish things went this smoothly at my house. My dad's always so grumpy. And I've got a bit of a temper, so we just…don't get along. Maybe staying here and seeing how others interact will help me figure out a way to change that."




Unfortunately, Lynette's temper must have gotten the best of her, as soon after I followed the family back home, she moved to her own place!

Since it was Cinda I got the message from, I'm guessing that the altercation was between the two of them.

Cinda's mean-spiritedness not being much better than Louis' grumpiness when it comes down to getting along with a snarky teenager!

I'm hoping none of the girls get a young adult trait that will have the family at each other's throats, in addition to all being nerds, but we'll soon find out.

Marisol's last trait is coming up soon as it's birthday time again at the main Frio home!

I'll tell you all about it in Chapter 257.
Coming soon.
______________________________________________________________________
***Author's note: A special thank you to MrsFlynn for sharing her Briar house with me!
It's a lovely addition to Hidden Springs and so perfect for Rory and Cinda, who both deserved a very special home of their own.

[deedee_828]

After homework, Jemma relaxed in the hot tub and then chatted with a friend on the phone.

"Yes, my Aunt Ella has a unicorn on her ranch, three actually, Lady and her mate Beasley, and their daughter, Domino. I was hoping to visit them sometime soon and introduce myself. No self-respecting supernatural fan would give up the opportunity to meet a unicorn, especially when three of them are no longer wild and live with family! I'll let you know when I'm going and if you're free, I'm sure my aunt and uncle wouldn't mind us visiting the ranch."




Due to a field trip that messed up, with Marisol and Janette leaving early, Marisol's grade fell to a 'B'!

So after homework, she settled in for a lengthy tutoring session with Odette.

Again in an inconvenient spot that blocks others, from getting into the kitchen this time.




Then I found the twins in the basement pounding each other with pillows, feathers flying everywhere!

I left them to it for a bit, then decided it was time to work on some of their skills.




Music appreciation is on the agenda this evening, with Jemma hitting the keyboards as Janette bangs away at the drums.

Since both of them had maxed the xylophone as toddlers, they both shoot to level three first thing.




Then I have them switch to bass and guitar, giving them three skill points each in both those instruments as well.

Neither one of them are virtuosos like their mother, but they seem happy enough playing, so I leave them to it.




As usual, Jemma stays up late and manages to catch a ghostly Lorelei on the side porch.

She butters her up by asking for her autograph first thing, and Lorelei happily complies with her request.




Jemma didn't want to waste this opportunity so she begged her Gramlei to tell her all about Kimberly and Antony's children, the ghostly ones especially.

"Oh, child, you don't have to beg, I'd be happy to tell you all about them! Are you considering becoming a ghost to satisfy your supernatural fan trait?"

Shaking her head, Jemma replied, "All of Cici's fae stories, Aunt Ella's witch stories, and the ghostly children stories will have to suffice, as becoming a supernatural myself wouldn't allow me to be co-heir with Janette!"

"Co-heirship!?! Now that's something we've never done before! I'll have to make it a point to check in with you both in the next town and see how that works out! So…the ghosts….where to start…the beginning is probably best… so let's get comfortable in the rockers and we'll start with your Grandpa Samuel going next door to introduce himself to the Salas family. A family consisting of an actively ghostly couple, Jay and Tatiana Salas, and their two ghostly daughters, Sandra, a child, and Frieda, a toddler!"

Jemma settled into a rocker and shivered with delight saying, "Oh, active ghosts, I can't wait to hear all about them!"

The ghostly aspect of the story saved Jemma from finding it boring beyond belief and passing out on the floor, something that Lorelei had subjected both her daughter, Cinda and her granddaughter, Odette, to when she was alive!




Later that morning, the girls all head off to school, with Marisol safely sporting an 'A' again, so I check to make sure Chase is up and getting ready for work.

But I'm the one that gets the surprise of my life when I see him in his new career outfit.

"Well, hello there Mr. Executive Producer! You'll have your own groupies flocking around you looking like that, even here in Hidden Springs!"

Chase doesn't even crack a smile as he says, "Walk with me Watcher, I don’t have time to stop and chat! The carpool is waiting and I need to get to work on time and get my last promotion. I've only got a week before the twins birthdays and several days off in between."

"Spoken like a true executive Chase! But since you always work in 'crunch time' mode, you shouldn't have any trouble. You could always work from home after work or on your days off, to make sure you reach it."

Striding towards the bedroom door he says, "I may try that if needs be, but since today's my first day as an Executive Producer, I'm going to check out my new office and make a good impression!"

"Looking like that Chase, I have no doubts about that at all!"




The rest of the day goes by pretty routinely until the girls get home from school.

Marisol's party is scheduled for four o'clock and guests start arriving a bit before, along with Chase, who's striding down the sidewalk in his formal suit.

The myriad of thought bubbles is quite surprising since the party hasn't even started yet!

With the majority of them centering on the red-headed male teen dressed in sloppy techno clothes.

But it's more than his inappropriate dress that has others, including Christina, shocked.

Cinda frowning even more than usual and her hand gesture expresses her severe displeasure at the young man's words.

What on earth could he have said to generate so much disgust!?!




I move in closer just in time to hear the boy repeat his comment, "I really find you attractive Janette, and I don't care who knows it!" Then, snickering, he added, "Oh, did I say that out loud!?!"

No wonder he had some of the other guests in an uproar.

Hopefully the party will get better from this point.




Inside, Marisol is waiting by her cake, watching as the guests all find their way into the room, searching no doubt for a special someone.

Janette, happily clapping away and already enjoying her older sisters' party, is either ignoring or oblivious to the stir her teen admirer has caused outside.




Family and friends gather in the dining room, with Rory giving into his emotions and cheering wildly.

While Christian Winterly and Sidney Shawkti Winterly are both pointing and laughing, I'm guessing the red-headed boy isn't the only inappropriate sim at this gathering.

Christian seems to be laughing at another male teens outfit, while Sidney, who's expecting her third child, is making fun of some of the food that guests have brought.

At least neither of them are laughing at Marisol, but the party has just begun, so I can only hope it stays that way.




Unfortunately, the red-headed teen, who I've discovered is Jesse O'Dourke, the oldest of Liam and Carly Ruiz O'Dourke's twins, dashes my hopes as he enters through the sliders and starts laughing and pointing at Marisol as the birthday sparkles surround her.

No one else is paying any attention to him, so I do my best to ignore him too.

Chase's attention seems to be focused on Merida, so I'm wondering what's going on that side of the room again.




But no time to check as the sparkles fade and Marisol stands before us a young adult!

My simself's daughter, Chastity Chesterfield, is busy blowing a party horn with her eyes closed, so she's not bothered by Marisol's new clothes at all.

But Emily's stunned face and Jesse's continued catcalls draw attention to Marisol's less than stellar age up outfit.

The tops okay, not super formal, but I could live with it.

But the red pants?

Um, no!




But with so many guests waiting for cake, Marisol doesn't take the time for a make-over, she just grabs the first piece as is custom for the birthday girl.

Then stands their momentarily frozen by the volume of noise surrounding her as many of the attendees all starting blowing party horns at once!

Her Uncle Eric and Sebastian Vanderburg right behind her Aunt Emily and another guest whom I can't quite see.




I swing around to find out who that is but by the time I turn around and focus on that end of the room, Tobias has put away his party horn.

But Odette is vigorously blowing hers while Jemma twirls a very loud noise maker, adding to the din.

Chase is no longer focusing on Merida and seems to be in shock again as he stares at Marisol from the opposite end of the table.

It seems to be harder for fathers to lose their little girls than it is for mothers, but that may just be my take on it.

Christina's not focused on any of that but totally on Chase as she lets out a gasp and breathes, "It's my Uncle Chase the gaming executive producer! It's so cool having family members with high celebrity levels!"




I turn a bit further to the right and get a great photo of the rest of the crowd.

There's Esther cheering away, back in her little black dress, with Tobias' mother, Emmaline, looking pretty solemn next to him.

My simself even managed to make an appearance and, though she's focused on Esther, her thoughts are filled with Marisol.

She's probably in as much shock as Chase that Marisol's no longer a little girl, but now a young adult.

But I'm focused on the cutie next to her!




Jonas Woodard may not be wearing formal clothes, but just look at the sweet expression on his face!

A dreamy smile, large, dark, puppy dog eyes, all topped off with strong, black, eyebrows and messy hair.

Yup, I'm definitely crushing on this one!

And oh so glad he partnered up with one of the twins.

I'm thinking I can definitely put up with a little craziness if it comes with that face!

But, besides Jonas, and Emily, who's cheering away, the rest of this group looks quite sober.




Maybe they've just realized that, with a crowd this size, there's no way they're going to get cake?

I mean just look at all the routing issue thought bubbles!!!

Is it just me or is it funny that two of the sims with those are Rory and Cinda?

You'd think that after living in this home for so long, they'd know their way around!




I catch up with Marisol in the kitchen where she's enjoying her cake at the counter, next to Janette, who must have inhaled hers as it's gone already.

But several sims have followed Marisol to the kitchen to offer birthday congratulations.

My simself, her daughter, Chastity, and Catarina Vanderburg!

I see Janette looking away in shock as she realizes Marisol will be mortified having to speak to them, especially the Queen of Hidden Springs, dressed in less than her best.

So Janette distracts them while I pop Marisol into stylist.




I quickly find a hairstyle that's just slightly different than the one she aged up with, one that's got more angled cuts and an edgier style.

Then a hot pink short formal with matching heels,  a touch of make-up, and she's ready to greet her guests.

She starts at the top of the celebrity list, saying graciously, "Thanks for honoring me by coming to my birthday party Ms. Vanderburg."

"Why you're welcome my dear. Happy Birthday! What a beautifully coordinated outfit and that shade of pink looks stunning on you, perfect for your coloring!"

Then she shocks us all by giving Marisol a thumbs up and adding, "You certainly set a high bar with this one Marisol!"

Seeing the uncertain look on Marisol's face, Catarina asks, "Didn't I do and say that right, my dear? I've been getting tips from my grandson, Jeffery, on how to relate to young people better. I hope it wasn't offensive in any way? That certainly wasn't my intention!"

Marisol quickly replies, "Oh, no, not all Mrs. Vanderburg! Exactly right! I was just surprised by someone of your…standing in the community, using that gesture. And so naturally too!"

"Don't try to put a better spin on it than it is young lady! I'm sure it looked forced and totally out of character for someone of my….standing. But thanks for trying to make me feel better about it. Now I'll let you get to your other guests."




Marisol chats with my simself next.

"Why Marisol you look like a star already with that hair, that dress, and those shoes! You should have photos taken!'

"Photos? Oh, I'm sure the Watcher is taking plenty of those Dee."

Shaking her head, my simself says, "No, not casual photos. I'm talking headshots, a professional portfolio."

"Professional portfolio? Whatever for?"

"Haven't you looked in the mirror yet Marisol? With your cheekbones and those huge blue eyes, and that figure, why you could be a model, or an actress!"

Before Marisol can process my simself's words, they hear a commotion coming from the kitchen, party horns, noise makers, and more birthday congratulations and Marisol shouts, "Oh, Phyllis' birthday! Quick before we miss it!"




Some of the crowd has already left for home since it's getting late, but there are still a few guests to help Phyllis celebrate.

Jemma, Jonas, and Rory, are doing their best to make plenty of noise!




And just as my simself and Marisol step into the kitchen, the sparkles hit Phyllis and she ages to young adult!

With Janette adding to the noise as she blows her own party horn.

Some of the guests may have already departed, but those that remain, along with the Frio family are determined to make Phyllis feel well and truly supported on this auspicious occasion!

Though Marisol looks a bit put out at not being able to move closer to her best friend.




And Phyllis grows up keeping the same hair style and looking just as beautiful as ever.

And though her jeans aren't exactly formal, paired with a classic white top and pink jacket, she makes the outfit look great, stylish even!

If only the sims in my Frio family were so blessed by the EA birthday gods.

And with that, the guests that are left, including Phyllis, all say their goodbyes, and how great a party it was!

But the party wasn't just great, it was epic---something that, along with all the celebrities that attended, should definitely add some prestige to Marisol's own celebrity status.




Both twins have earned at least three skill points on guitar, bass, piano, and drums.

Jemma has had a long chat with ghostly Gramlei and gotten her fill of ghostly family member stories.

And to satisfy her supernatural fan trait even further, she's hoping to visit the Shawkti ranch and meet all three of the unicorns.

Chase looks quite the part as he reaches Executive Producer in the gaming industry and settles down to reach the pinnacle of the career, Game Studio Head, and getting the chance at heading up a studio of his own in another town.

And Marisol and Phyllis have celebrated their young adult birthdays with both of them looking quite stunning!

Marisol received high praise for her new look from Catarina Vanderburg and my simself even told Marisol she could be a model or an actress.

There's no modeling career available, but there is one in film, so will that be in Marisol's future besides her upcoming  graduation?

What trait did she choose for her young adult birthday and what about her lifetime wish?

And with all those guests in attendance, did you notice a significant someone was missing?

Let's see if we can answer some of those questions in Chapter 258: Marisol Makes Moves!
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

Chase has been getting up early to work on Odette's portrait!

And it's coming along quite nicely, showing off his increased painting skill, as well as Odette's natural beauty.




So after the party, still dressed in his suit, it only takes a few strokes and it's complete!

He stares at it, then nods and says, "Not bad, not bad at all, if I do say so myself!"

"Not bad!?! It's amazing! I don't care what the art critics say, I consider it a masterpiece! Maybe not from an artists perspective but the content can't be matched, you've captured Odette for posterity!"

Chase nods again and says, "On that point Watcher, I'll definitely agree. And now that I see her here, like this, I have to ask myself, what does she see in me!?!"

"Don't ask yourself Chase, ask her! I'm sure she'll be able to tell you all the things about you that make you so appealing!"

"I wasn't fishing for compliments, Watcher, just basking in my wife's beauty and the fact that out of all the male sims in Roaring Heights she chose me! She let me go off to University to fulfill my lifetime wish and barely batted an eye when I brought Marisol home! I'm just counting my blessings for having such a gorgeous and understanding wife that loves me!"

I hear ghostly music, so I say goodnight to Chase as he heads off to bed and I look for our ghostly visitor.




I find Founder Jared rocking down on the side porch.

"You're a little late for the party Jared, all the guests have gone home and the family's settled in for the night."

Jared smirks and says, "From all the jeering I heard it seems that several guests share my inappropriate trait and know the perfect time to indulge!"

"That's for sure! We had three of them here tonight! But I'm still surprised you haven't graced any of our parties with your presence."

"Oh, I'll have plenty of time for that! Lorelei tells me the twins have decided to be co-heirs so with Janette having my party animal trait and Jemma being a night owl, our new house should be party central in the next town! Hopefully, one with a bit more nightlife and not such a laid back, rural one, though it is quite picturesque."

"A back-handed compliment, but from you, I wouldn't expect any other kind! And stop fishing for hints about the next town. The twins aren't choosing one, since their current traits don't point in any specific direction, but letting Chase's career make the choice. There's a business office in every town so it's just a matter of where they want to open a new gaming studio. Only a few select sims are offered a career in gaming, and only those that work hard, like Chase has, reaching the pinnacle of Game Studio Head."

Jared nods and says, "I can't imagine there's many that choose a career playing games!" Shaking his head he adds, "A grown man making a living doing that is quite beyond me! Does it really pay anything?"

I laugh and say, "He makes $393 simoleans an hour at his current level 9 position, working Monday through Thursday from 11 am to 3 pm, so only four hours a day four days a week, which is more than you made as a Five Star Chef working Fri, Sat, and Sundays from 3 to 7 pm. As a Game Studio Head he'll shoot up to $987 per hour, and only work Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from noon to 3 pm, with his weekends totally free, plus Tuesdays and Thursdays!"

For once I leave Jared totally speechless and can't resist a laugh as I walk away!




As the house starts stirring the next morning, I focus my attention on Marisol, so we can finish her new outfits and her bio.

She looked stunning in her formal outfit at her party, so I want to show off her new swimwear.

We went with the same hot pink and black combo for it, though the pink is a different shade.

I agree with Catarina, hot pink is really Marisol's color, and it pops against the black!

A pair of shades would have been fitting for our potential starlet, but I didn't want to cover up her gorgeous baby blues.

Introducing our newest young adult:

Marisol Frio (human)
LTW: Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous (Raise 100,000 Simoleans and Gain Celebrity Rank Five)
Career: To be determined
Traits: Light Sleeper, Frugal, Easily Impressed, Star Quality, and Good at YA
Favorites: Dark Wave, Falafel, and Hot Pink
Boyfriend: Kirk Abbott

Since I have a captive audience, I chat with her a bit too.

"You know Marisol, now that you've grown into those amazing cheekbones, I really think my simself is right about you pursuing an acting career."

"But there's no film studio here in Hidden Springs. Since we're not going to be in town much longer, I'd rather focus on my lifetime wish and earn my last star! I'm at 4 1/2 now, and it would be great if I could complete my lifetime wish before we left town!"

"That would be awesome, but if it didn't happen here, you could always stick around in the main home for a bit until you completed it. Honestly, I've never actually worked on that particular LTW before, though quite a few family members are five star celebrities. Others may not be five star, but they are three or four level celebrities and should still help you if you befriended them."

"That's a good point! And since I'm not blood related they would count as friends for me, even if they are Frios!"




With that thought in mind, I check the neighborhood and find The Shawkti's at home enjoying the beautiful morning!

Ella is carrying Payne, who's a witch like her, and super cute, as he snuggles up to his mama.




While his twin, hybrid witch/fairy, Parker, sports the same contented look in his daddy's arms.




Once inside, Marisol engages in a lively conversation with both Ella and Pierce.

"I'm hoping the family funds we have will be more than enough to satisfy the $100,000 simolean part of my lifetime wish, so I'm focusing on earning that last half star I need to be a five star celebrity."

Pierce nods, saying, "Sounds like a good plan, I guess you got your father's smarts as well as his looks!"

Ella tilts her head and asks, "So how can we help?"

Marisol explains, "Relationships with other celebrities helps increase my own status. Becoming friends, good friends, and best friends with them gives me a boost each time! And since we're not actually blood relatives, I was hoping to start with the both of you."

Pierce and Ella both smile and Ella replies, "We'd be glad to help. Why don't you tell us all about your birthday party last night, since we weren't able to make it. I heard it was pretty epic, legendary even!"

Marisol laughed and said, "It really helps to have the Legendary Host lifetime reward! Every party I throw now is amazing!"

Then they chatted and talked until she became friends with both of them, and with her charisma level, that happened pretty fast.




Marisol also bought a Map to the Stars with some of her happiness points, to make it easier to track down celebrities as, even though we know where most of them live, no one is home much!

The big wedding park in town is showing quite a few celebrities hanging around so she heads there next.

But on the way into town, she spots Francisca Riverhawk with her toddler Christopher, another well-known celebrity, as she was brought up as the Vanderburg princess, so Marisol makes a short stop here.

Upon introducing herself, Marisol quickly realizes that though she no longer lives in her family home, the Riverhawk family is not hurting for cash.

But speaking of such things wouldn't be quite the thing, so Marisol sticks with other ways to impress Francisca.




With Marisol's celebrity level being higher it wasn't very difficult at all, and soon Francisca had put little Christopher down to take Marisol's photo!

Unfortunately, little Christopher had had an accident so he and Francisca smelled pretty ripe.

Marisol just put on her best celebrity smile and posed like everything was peachy.

Francisca appreciated it and commented, "Thanks for being such a good sport, Marisol, you're not stuck up like other celebrities. And you're so photogenetic! You've definitely got the look of a budding star!"

"Thanks Mrs. Riverhawk! You're not the only one that's mentioned that, so I'm definitely keeping that in mind when it's time to choose a career."

"Please, call me Francisca, after all, we're friends now!"




Marisol continues on into town and, just as she arrives at the park, she sees Catarina Vanderburg, and feels it must be her lucky day.

Even more so when Catarina greets her with, "Why Marisol, you may be the answer to my dilemma!"

"A dilemma? I'd be happy to help you Ms. Vanderburg…"

"Dear, never be too anxious to help someone, especially not until you find out what they want!"

Gulping Marisol nodded, and said, "Oh, right, of course. I'd be happy to help you Mrs. Vanderburg, as long as it's in my power to do so. Is that better?"

"Much. The thing is, my dear Renauld and I, along with Sebastian and Esther, have a political function to attend and we need a sitter for our precious Bastian! We've not engaged a full time nanny yet as Esther wants to raise him herself. These notions the younger generations have! My daughter Francisca is doing the same thing. But that's neither here nor there. At your party last night, I heard so many wonderful comments about how well you've gotten along with your twin sisters, from a very young age, in fact, so I feel that you'd be the perfect one to be trusted with his care!"

"Oh, well, sure Mrs. Vanderburg, I'm finished with school now, and I've not decided on a career quite yet, when did you need me?"

"Tomorrow evening! If you don't have any plans, 7 o'clock would be work perfectly. At the mansion, of course! Sebastian and Esther have been talking about a place of their own, but that would be such a waste, just me and Renauld in that big rambling place. Though our dogs do take up a lot of space. You don't mind dogs do you?"

"Not at all Mrs. Vanderburg. I'll see you at seven tomorrow night."




Before Marisol can take her leave, a super excited Terrence Moore-Anderson asks her for her autograph!

She writes, 'To Terrence, treat my cousin Christina well, and welcome to the family, all my best, Marisol.'

And then asks, "Is that okay? It's my first autograph so I'm not sure of the proper protocol."

Terrence giddily says, "Okay? I'm thrilled you'd even give me the time of day, Ms. Frio. I never expected you to think of me as family!  I'll be sure and take good care of Christina. She deserves it after her home life and all."

"She does Terrence, and please call me Marisol. I don't stand on ceremony, especially with family."




Catarina impulsively hugs Marisol and says, "Very nicely done my dear! More celebrities should be as nice as you are, myself included!"

"Thanks Mrs. Vanderburg. I'm easily impressed myself and don't like making others feel badly, it's just not my way."

"Well, you keep being you, Marisol! It's important to stay true to yourself, but not if it means alienating your family. I've learned that lesson the hard way!"




When Marisol steps back, she gets a call on her cell phone.

It's the famous guitar player, Hector Mendoza, who settled in Hidden Springs when his manager embezzled most of his money.

Marisol is thrilled to accept the invitation to his party!

Catarina smiles at Marisol's enthusiasm and says, "Run along dear, you don't want to be late! Though it wouldn't hurt to make somewhat of an entrance!"



 
Just before Marisol is welcomed inside by Hector, she dons her new swimsuit, even though Hector's modest lot doesn't possess a pool!

And Hector's own attire has me smirking, though Marisol ignores it as she excitedly asks, "How do you deal with all the paparazzi and fans Mr. Mendoza? I'm not used to being showered with so much love and attention from sims I barely know. Francisca Riverhawk took my photo and my cousin Christina's boyfriend asked for my autograph, and that was just earlier today! I'm wondering if I've really thought this whole celebrity thing through!"

"No worries my dear. Just be your natural self and you'll get through it just fine. At least here in Hidden Springs, where there aren't such big crowds of fans. Speaking from experience, Bridgeport can be a real mob scene, so if you live in a town with a lot of night life, make sure your home has a fence!"

"Well, there's no danger of me ending up in Bridgeport as my mother's family lived there some time back. In fact, her ancestor, Rae Frio, played with the symphony there in her elder years. She was the first virtuoso in our family and she made quite the name for herself becoming a Hit Movie Composer, and even played in the subway for tips."

Hector's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Rae Frio! She was a musical genius! I'd accuse you of name dropping, my dear, if she hadn't passed on long ago. But someone of your status doesn't need to impress the likes of me, I faded from the limelight faster than my greedy manager spent my simoleans!"

Without a pool, and very few guests, Marisol says her goodbyes and thanks Hector for inviting her to his party.

"Stop by any time Ms. Frio, no need to wait for an invitation."

"My family won't be in Hidden Springs much longer, so I may not get the chance. It was a honor to meet you, sir, and even more of one to count you as a friend! I won't forget that fence advice either, I'm beginning to think it might be a necessity, if we move to a high profile town!"




Marisol checks the time and realizes Kirk should have been home from several hours ago, so she heads to his place.

Since he greets her outside in sleepwear, she's worried that she woke him up, "I didn't mean to stop in so late Kirk. I can come by tomorrow."

Kirk just stares at her, as he's seeing her for the first time as a young adult.

"I'm really sorry I missed your birthday Marisol! I was planning on being there, but one of the other guys called in sick and, being low man on the totem pole, I got picked to stay and cover his shift."

"I did miss you Kirk, but it was such a crush that we probably wouldn't have gotten to spend much time together. I barely got to see Phyllis blow out her candles and never even got to wish her happy birthday before everyone left! Besides, being alone together is much nicer than being together in a crowd, don't you think?"

"Absolutely! Come inside. My place isn't much, but I call it home."




Inside, Marisol chats away with Kirk about his music career, asking, "So are you enjoying it as much as you thought you would?"

Kirk nods and says, "There's a lot more grunt work right now, and not so much music appreciation, but I love getting to talk and listen to the musicians."

Marisol glances over Kirk's muscled arms and chest and gulps as she says, "Yeah, it's definitely keeping you in good shape!"




Then Kirk's nearness becomes too much for her and she decides it's now or never and plants a very determined kiss on his firm lips!

Kirk doesn't protest but he sways a bit, not with desire, though their kiss certainly packed a punch, but with fatigue.

A double the day before, followed by his regular work shift this evening has Kirk wiped out.




But not too tired to keep Marisol in his arms as he kisses her again and again.

Marisol, her voice trembling a bit, asks, "Would you mind if I stayed over tonight?"

Kirk says, "I thought you'd never ask!"

And he takes her by the hand and leads her to his bedroom.




When I'm sure they're asleep, I peek in and see that Kirk is sleeping dreamlessly, but Marisol's dreams are focused on the stage.

I'm not sure if that's just a reference to her growing Stardom or if she's seriously considering a career in film.

But I'm certainly not going to wake her up and ask, a question like that can definitely wait for a more appropriate time, not the first night she spends at her boyfriend's house!




The next morning, Marisol is up and happily goes about preparing breakfast, humming as she does so.

"Making breakfast for Kirk?"

"And for me. I'm starving! Hector's nice and all, but food at his party would have been appreciated! There's always plenty at our gatherings, so I'm not sure why no one bothered to bring something to his."

"Well, he didn't even have a pool and there weren't very many guests! I was hoping you could meet a few more celebrities."

"Me too. But then I wouldn't have had the time to visit Kirk, so I think it turned out for the best!"

"You and Kirk seem to be on the same wave length, well, from what I could see, with all that kissing last night!"

"Watcher! Please. We know you keep track of our every move, but at least give us the semblance of privacy!"

"I was just teasing. I did not venture into Kirk's bedroom until you both were asleep, I promise. That's when I noticed a stage icon in your dream! Are you thinking about a career in film?"

"I hadn't been, until Dee and Francisca both brought it up. But it really does sound appealing. Lights, Camera, Action, and they say celebrity status really helps with that career, so it would be a good fit. But isn't Bridgeport the only town with a film studio?"

"Plumbob Backlot and film studio is originally associated with Bridgeport yes, but I can place it in any town that has a big enough lot. And if a large lot isn't available, I do have a smaller custom lot that contains just the film studio."

"So a career in film could actually work for me in whatever town we end up in!?! That's good to know. And every town has a theater, so that would work for Kirk. He doesn't care where he plays music, just that he gets to play."




At the mention of his name, Kirk joins us as they both grab plates and sit together at the small dinette.

As Kirk digs into his pancakes, Marisol asks, "So did you want a short or long engagement?"

I'm thinking she's in danger of having Kirk choke on those pancakes, but he doesn't even blink as he says, "Short, long, it's up to you! I just want us to be together." His voice deepens as he adds, "Which I'm hoping I made perfectly clear last night!"

Marisol says, "About us being together yes, but we didn't really talk about any plans."

Kirk gives her a caressing look and agrees, "No, there definitely wasn't a lot of talking. But I'm up for whatever you have in mind, as long as it includes you and me being together."




After eating and clearing their empty plates and getting the leftovers put away, Marisol turns to Kirk and says, "In that case, move in with me!" Shooting a glance around the room, she adds, "I know this place is yours, but you'll need to move into my house sooner or later, before we move anyway. We'll not only get to be together every day, but you'll have free access to mom's music studio in the basement whenever you want to play!"

Kirk laughs, "Now that is an incentive! But frankly, you had me at move in! There's just one thing I need to confess to you, before I do that."

"Confess? You mean…you mean you've…"

Kirk says, "Just let me tell you quickly! I've gotten in trouble a few times, Marisol, with the law. I try my best to resist, but everyone once in awhile, it gets the best of me and I swipe something that doesn't belong to me! I always feel terrible afterwards and my mom helps me to mail the items back, anonymously, of course, so I don't sully our family's reputation. It would look really bad for my Dad, him being a retired International Super Spy and family is everything to him. I know he'd be so disappointed in me if he knew."

Marisol lets out a sigh of relief, as she exclaims, "Is that all you wanted to confess to, a few episodes of sticky finger syndrome!?! I was afraid you'd been seeing someone else, with all those pretty groupies hanging around the theater! Since we're being so honest, I'll tell you a family secret, well, it's not a secret really, but it's one you obviously don't know. The thing is, our family fortune was made by a Master Thief, Claire Ursine Frio! And several other family members have inherited that tendency too. So we're used to helping family overcome that habit, if they want to."

Kirk's relief shows in his face and he says, "In that case, lets get dressed and get out of here!"




After they both showered and dressed, Kirk surprised me when he came out of the bedroom cheering!

"I get to live with my girl, in a big beautiful house, plus have every instrument at my disposal! Booyah!!!"

Marisol doesn't seem nearly as excited, but that may be because she didn't go home last night.

She did text her parents saying she was staying over at a friend's house, but didn't specifically tell them it was with Kirk.

And she's not looking forward to having to explain bringing him home today, especially to her father!




And as soon as Marisol locates her mother, to tell her she's home with Kirk in tow, the question she didn't want to answer is asked.

"So did you have a nice sleepover last night?"

Seeing the look on Marisol's face, Odette lets her off the hook, adding, "I'm sure your father will delude himself into thinking you stayed with Phyllis, but I know that look Marisol. And I'm not going to judge. You're a young adult and perfectly capable of making your own decisions. But did you get to ask Kirk about moving with us? I'd hate to think you two would agree to go your separate ways after taking your relationship to that level. Though it's pretty standard for musician's to play things fast and loose, keep themselves free from commitments. But Kirk doesn't seem like that type at all! He's always been a rather sober young man, down to earth and serious about his music."

"Thanks for being so understanding, Mom. I won't bring up the subject with dad! As for being sober and serious, you should have seen him after I asked him to move in! He couldn't dress fast enough and he let out the loudest shout, about  getting to be with me, living together in this huge house, and having access to your studio! He was like a kid in a candy shop! I've actually never seem him so enthused before, if I hadn't been so worried about a lecture, I would have been shouting along with him."

Odette's smile grew as she said, "So he is coming with us! I'm so happy for you sweetheart, and your father will be too. Once he gets over the fact that you two will be sharing a room, anyway. On second thought, let's just ignore that and leave your father in his blissfully naïve state! He's got enough on his plate with trying to get his last promotion."

"I'm with you there, Mom. Even if dad wasn't working so hard for that, we certainly don't need him spiraling down into a brooding funk right before the twins young adult birthdays."




I don't even have time to do Kirk's make-over as he's barely settled in when his carpool shows up.

I'm not sure if you remember just how sober Kirk looked throughout his teen years, but this is definitely the face of a happy young man.

Welcome to the Frio family, Kirk!

Kirk Abbott--(young adult human)
Parents: Carl and Maya Abbot---original residents
LTW: One Sim Band
Career: Music
Traits: Virtuoso, Party Animal, Heavy Sleeper, Friendly, and Kleptomaniac
Fav's: Chinese, Porcini Risotto, Irish Green
Skills at move in: Guitar--5; Piano--1; Logic--2; Gardening--1; Bass--1; Fishing--2
(HS M 377)



Wow, that was some first day for Marisol as a young adult!

Meeting several celebrities, attending her first grown up party that wasn't at her family home, though it wasn't much of a party, and then staying over at Kirk's place that very same night.

The following morning, over breakfast, Marisol and Kirk were already discussing their engagement, which had Marisol inviting him to move in, which he did!

So things are moving on quite quickly as we draw another day closer to the twins young adult birthdays.

But Marisol will still be the focus for a bit as her graduation is coming up.

Along with a surprising revelation from Phyllis!

I was shocked, that's for sure, as it was something I wasn't expecting at all.

I'll tell you all about it in Chapter 259: Graduation and A Revelation
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

Chase walks by with his laptop, planning on working from home today to increase his job performance and ensure that his next promotion happens soon.

But he pauses when he hears Odette's words, "Kirk is welcome to play any of the instruments whenever he likes Marisol. He doesn't need to stand on ceremony or ask me permission or anything. This is his home now and he's part of the family for as long as you both want to live with us. Here and in the next town."

Chase frowns a bit, thinking he should probably ask an important question, but with his thoughts focused on work, he can't quite think of what that question should be, so he continues on down to the kitchen.




After the twins get home from school, both having reached their goal of  earning that coveted 'A', I set up a jam session with Odette playing bass, Janette on the keyboards, Jemma joining in on the piano, with Marisol adding a steady, rhythmic beat on the drums!

I even talked Chase into coming down to listen as he'd worked enough for today.

He protested at first but, once he was downstairs, he couldn't stop smiling, and was soon tapping his foot to the beat, saying, "You four sound great together!"

And even with the girls on the lower end of their musical skill, I had to agree, they did sound pretty good.

They played for quite some time but then it was time for Marisol to head over to the Vanderburg house to watch Bastian, so that broke up the quartet.




Jemma took the opportunity to chat with her mother.

"Mom you have such talent, you're an artist and a musician, but I'm still at a loss for what I want to do after my birthday! I'm perceptive which is the only trait I have that points to career. Being a night owl and liking to stay up late, along with being a light sleeper, and a supernatural fan, doesn't really qualify me for much!"

Odette gives Jemma her full attention, nodding as she says, "But if you did become a private eye, your other traits would compliment that, you wouldn't mind late nights being on stakeouts, if you did fall asleep the slightest noise would awaken you, and loving the supernatural like you do, well, not much would spook you!"

Jemma nods and says, "That's true! I never thought of it quite that way. All of my current traits would work well for that. And with Janette being disciplined, like Cici, she could learn martial arts and be the muscle of our partnership!" With a smirk, she added, "She could be a Dancing Ninja, if I could tear her away from any parties going on!"

Odette laughed at Jemma's name for Janette and said, "It would be a fitting title if she pursued martial arts, but you may want to run that by her before anyone else!" Musingly she added, "And you and Janette will both get another trait when you become young adults, a trait that could give you other options."




Upstairs, Janette was deep in conversation with her Great-Grandpa Samuel, talking about her future career as well.

The twins tend to stay on the same wavelength more often than not, which is why I'm liking the co-heirship idea more and more, especially not having to choose one of them over the other!

"Perceptive points me in one direction Grandpa, and being disciplined would help with that too, along with being a perfectionist, but I'm afraid my party animal trait could be a huge distraction!"

Samuel shook his head, saying, "I think your disciplined trait would keep you focused Janette, especially if you studied martial arts and meditated, and wanting everything to be perfect would keep you on task too. To make sure that you weren't leaving any stone unturned or any line of questioning out of the picture."

Then echoing Odette's words he added, "But you and Jemma still have a final trait and that could open up other options for both of you."




Satisfied with her mother's input, Jemma invited Tobias over for some couple time.

In the hot tub, which seems to be a favorite spot of hers.

They soaked and enjoyed the soothing bubbles as they chatted about their day at school and made plans for the future.

Then Tobias commented, "You know, Kristian was thrilled that you invited him over to see the unicorns with you Jemma.  I wanted to thank you for including him. As a new teen, and being built like dad, he's had to put up with some ribbing from his classmates."

Jemma was immediately concerned, "Ribbing? Do you mean bullying!?!"

Tobias shook his head, saying, "No, nothing that bad. With dad being an officer at the military base now, most kids know better than to go too far. But I'll definitely be keeping on eye on him.  Your invitation made his day and he's really looking forward to the outing to the ranch.  I think he's got a bit of a crush on you!"

Jemma slid closer and snuggles up to Tobias, whispering, "Well, he's a nice boy and I like him, he's your  brother, after all, but you know you're the one I love!"

With her words, I leave them and give them a little privacy.




But I don't go far as I spot ghostly Rae rocking on the front porch.

"Oh, to what do we owe this honor Rae? You usually visit when there's a new baby in the house but we haven't had any nooboos in a very long time."

Rae continued to rock gently, saying, "Not a nooboo, but we do have a new family member, one that's a musician too! I'm really looking forward to hearing him play, on his own, with Odette, it doesn't matter to me as long as there's music in the house! Even though Marisol and the twins aren't musical, I enjoyed hearing them jam with Odette earlier today. I didn't drop in though as my ghostly presence tends to have a negative affect on sims, even family!"

"Well, I appreciate your consideration and thinking of that. It can be hard enough getting my active family sims doing things together only to have a ghostly appearance have them all stopping them in their tracks!"




After chatting with Ray, I go check on Marisol and find her outside on the side deck at the Vanderburg mansion, chatting comfortably with Bastian.

"Oh, you're just so cute little guy! No wonder Catarina dotes on you so much, you're irresistible! But we've had enough fresh air and it's time for your bedtime snack. After that a bath and then I'll read you to sleep. Do you have a favorite story? A Jimmy Sprocket one perhaps?"

Bastian bounced in her arms, babbling, "Jimmy Spokit!"




Once Bastian had fallen asleep, Marisol curled up on chair nearby and started reading a novel that she had found in the nursery bookcase.

She was so engrossed in her book, that the sounds from downstairs didn't penetrate until she heard a door shut nearby.

Jumping up with a startled cry, Marisol quickly stifled it, so as not to wake the sleeping toddler, but she was too late as Bastian was sitting up in his crib.

She put her finger to her lips and picked Bastian up, then walked quietly to the head of the stairs, and peeked down to the foyer, to see what was going on.

To her relief, she saw the elder Mr. Vanderburg standing there and she rushed down, set Bastian on the floor and turned to Mr. Vanderburg, saying, "Oh, you're home so early! I thought there was an intruder when I heard a door slam!"

He quickly relieved her anxiety saying, "So sorry for the rather noisy entry, my dear. Catarina wasn't feeling well, and rushed inside to the bathroom. I see we woke Bastian up too."




"It was me that woke up Bastian!  I was reading and the door slamming made me shout, rather loudly, I'm afraid."

"No worries my dear, little ones easily adapt to most any situation, and Bastian has a very easy-going disposition. See? He hasn't even made a fuss at being woken up."

And it was true. Bastian Vanderburg was sitting quietly, his hands relaxed on his knees, not concerned in the least to be woken up and unceremoniously set on the floor.




Renauld Vanderburg continued, "I may be biased, but I have the feeling he'll make a fine heir to carry on the Vanderburg line!" Lowering his voice, he added conspiratorially, "I'm thinking it's Esther's genes that have evened out that high strung quality, but it may just be his young age!"

With Mr. Vanderburg sharing such a confidence, Marisol totally relaxed, and it wasn't long before she counted another celebrity as her friend!




Once Kirk and Marisol reunited at home, they cuddled in the hot tub, which has seen more use lately than I expected.

Marisol chatted on and on about her evening with little Bastian as they both soaked away the days events, Kirk especially with all that heavy lifting of studio components.

Just as he was drifting sleepily on her shoulder, Marisol had him wide awake as she said, "How do you feel about kids Kirk? Bastian was so adorable, I'd forgotten just how cute toddlers can be, it's been such a long time since I've played with one!"

"Kids!?! Um, I don't mind them, I guess. I don't have any siblings, so I really don't have any experience with them." His voice rising a bit, showing his panic, he added, "Did you plan on us having them straight away!?!"

Marisol laughed and said, "No, silly! The two extra spaces in the house are for the twins partners, Tobias and Jonas. Then the house will be too full for any children. I was just thinking of our future, once we move to our own place in the new town."

Kirk visibly relaxed against her again, saying, "Sure, future kids sound great! It will give me time to work on my music."




Marisol, her voice going all low and seductive, said, "But that doesn't mean we have to waste a perfectly good hot tub, and she grabbed Kirk, pulling him with her under the bubbles!

Oops, I missed the privacy window there a bit!

Moving on.




Saturday morning dawned sunny and bright, and beautiful day for Marisol's high school graduation.

Here she is in her graduation cap and gown, looking all studious.




The family all takes off in one of the motive mobiles, so everyone's needs are maxed soon after heading toward town and city hall.

But when they pile out in front of the building, Odette is quite concerned when Phyllis tosses her cookies all over the sidewalk!

The rest of the family heads toward the front entrance, but Odette touches Phyllis lightly on the shoulder, asking, "Oh, have you caught a summer bug Phyllis!?!"

Holding her stomach, Phyllis heaves again, and says, "No. I'll be fine Mrs. Frio. Granny says it's perfectly normal to be nauseous in my condition."




And then to Odette's astonishment, before Phyllis can grab a cab and go home, she changes into maternity wear, with a hat no less!

Even pregnant, Phyllis looks stylish, though her shoes may prove to be quite uncomfortable as her pregnancy advances.

Her sister Sweet says, "I'm guessing graduation is out of the question now. But just think Phyllis, our kids will grow up together! Though I wasn't expecting you and Jeffery to start a family so soon!"

Phyllis says, "It was a bit of surprise for us too, but you know Granny is pleased as punch. Not only has she raised six kids, but she's managed to be around to see a lot of our grandkids too! She was just beaming when she held your son, who definitely takes after you and Granny with his greenie skin. Though she was a little disappointed that the three of you would be moving in with Christian's Mom, Adele."

"I know she would have preferred us to stay with her, but you're still at home, and Mother Adele is on her own with Christian's father, Peter, gone now. Alone in that big, empty house. I know it's on the far side of town, but Granny's still working at the Bistro, and can visit us any time."




Once the ceremony is over, Marisol excitedly throws her diploma in the air shouting, "I did it! I graduated with highest honors and was voted most likely to become a star! Nothing can stop me now!"

Chase watches her, oh so proud of his eldest daughter, and says, "Congratulations sweetheart! You did your best and it paid off. Your mother and I couldn't be prouder!"

"Congratulations Marisol! I never doubted you'd graduate at the top of your class, especially with all that tutoring time you spent with your mother.""

Kirk, standing in the doorway, adds his congratulations as well, and that's when I realize I need to do his make-over asap, as his current formal outfit is ridiculous!




That's better! A nice formal suit with an Irish Green scarf adding a bit of flair.

But who's that behind the pillar?

Oh, it's Francisca Riverhawk with little Christopher, who doesn't seem to have enjoyed his big brothers graduation at all.

Francisca tries to console him, doing the best she can with a cranky toddler, as they wait for Jeffery.

Nicholas holds his arm out for his youngest son and Francisca gratefully relinquishes him into his father's care, with a huge sigh of relief.




Jeffery Riverhawk finally emerges in his cap and gown, along with Jemma, who says, "Congratulations Jeffery!"

Jeffery stands there, frozen, then forcing the words past his stiff lips, he asks, "For what?"

Jemma puzzled, says, "For graduating, of course! What else?"

Marisol looks over and says, "She's being sincere Jeffery, she doesn't know."

Jeffery's shoulders slump as he says, "It won't matter. Everyone will know soon enough. Phyllis called me and told me why she missed the ceremony. It's all my fault!"

Marisol looked steadily at him and said, "No. It's not ALL your fault Jeffery. In fact, it's not anyone's fault! These things happen all the time. Maybe it happened a bit sooner than you and Phyllis were planning on, and it might take a little more time before you two to can join us in the next town, but it can still happen. If you want it too."

"Really? You'd still want us to move there? Phyllis said this wouldn't change anything, but I wasn't sure you or your family would agree. Mom and dad are okay with it, not totally thrilled as they wanted me to go to university, but now…"

Chase, who'd been trying to dissolve into the sidewalk as he finally realized what they were talking about, joined the conversation at that point.

"Having a family doesn't put college out of reach Jeffery! Odette and I had twins, plus Marisol joined me unexpectedly at University. I'm sure Phyllis has filled you in on all of that?"

"Yes, but your wife wasn't home alone, she had her parents helping her out. I can't put Phyllis in that situation!" Then as the full affect of Chase's words fill his mind, Jeffery says, "What if Phyllis has twins!?!"

Marisol says, "Don't freak out about something that hasn't happened yet, Jeffery! You know I would never let Phyllis go through something like this on her own. Here in Hidden Springs you'll both have plenty of family and friends to help you out. Once we get settled in our next town, and Kirk and I have a place of our own, you, Phyllis, and the baby can join us. Then if you still want to go to University, Phyllis and the baby will be with us, not on their own. Just talk it over with Phyllis and I'm sure she'll agree that it's the perfect solution. "




Without the pillar blocking my view, I see that Francisca looks quite stylish, sporting a white tank with a cute red and white checked skirt, and strappy black sandals, rather than her customary jeans, striped shirt, ball cap, and sneakers.

I actually had  to check to make sure it was her, since I've never seen her in formal clothes before.

And though she doesn't smile, her words to her eldest son show her parental support.

"Well, the Frio family sure was nice about that Jeffery. With Mr. Frio bringing up how he continued his education being married and having children, and Marisol offering to share a home with you, Phyllis, and the baby. I want you to know that Phyllis is more than welcome to move in with us. Our home will always be open to you and your family. Your father and I would love for you to stay here and raise your family in Hidden Springs, but I know what's it like to have dreams of seeing the world, so we won't stand in your way if you and Phyllis decide to join them in their next town."

Taking a deep breathe, Jeffery says, "Thanks mom! Having you and dad being so understanding really does help! Grandma was a bit miffed though!"

"She was miffed because she heard about it through the grape vine! She is a bit shamefaced that her eldest grandson is the topic of gossip this week! But if I know my mother, she's secretly thrilled that the Vanderburg line is in no danger of dying out. Even if you don't carry the name, you do carry the blood, and so will your child!"

"So maybe we should seriously think of naming the baby after her, if it's a girl?"

"Now, you're thinking Jeffery! That would be just the ticket to have her over the top, having little Bastian as the Vanderburg heir, and a great-granddaughter bearing her name! Catarina Riverhawk, it has a nice ring to it. Do you think Phyllis would go for it?"

"I don't see why not, we could always call her Cat or Rina for short. Phyllis doesn't have any natural family of her own and I don't see her naming a baby girl Granny!"

"That's a good point. Well, we best be getting home. I have a book deadline and you and Phyllis have a lot to discuss. I hope your father got Christopher fed, changed, and down for a nap, he really needed one!"

Jeffery nodded and said, "That's for sure! I could hear him yelling from where I was, way in the back."

Jeffery blanched when his mother said, "See what you have to look forward to!?!"

But she didn't have the heart to make her son suffer for too long and added, "It'll work out. Your dad and I survived you and Christopher's birthday is coming up soon, so the five of us should be able to care for one little baby. I can't believe I'm going to be a grandmother! Where has the time gone!?!"




Most of the Frio family head home, but Kirk changes into very hip musician garb and starts playing for tips, right there at City Hall.

Chase even hangs around listening, as do a few graduates and their family members, who generously drop tips into Kirk's guitar case.

And with his first tips, Kirk becomes a professional musician!




Since Kirk was engrossed in his music, Marisol decides to check out the local gym, as quite a few celebrities had gathered there.

Sebastian Vanderburg was in the lobby and he congratulated her on graduating with highest honors and then thanked her for taking care of Bastian the night before.

"I really enjoyed it, Bastian's such a little doll and so easy-going, not like your nephew, Christopher, at all! He was one unhappy little guy and he let everyone at graduation know it!" Then realizing that criticizing Sebastian's family wasn't very friendly, she apologized quickly, adding, "Oh, I didn't mean that the way it sounded…"

"No need to apologize Marisol, I've spent enough time in my youngest nephew's company to know he has quite the temper." Shrugging he added, "I'm not sure where that came from as my step-father has one himself, though he keeps his under tight control, but he's not actually a blood relative, so who knows!"

"Family genetics sure are a mystery aren't they? My twin sisters are both perceptive, but don't have any other traits in common, yet they think and say the same things all the time!"

As the conversation continues, Marisol quickly counts another celebrity as a friend.




Since her father joined her at the gym, to complete an athletic op and gain additional celebrity status himself, Marisol decides to grab the weight bench next to him and workout too.

It's been close to a week since Marisol's young adult birthday, yet she hasn't gotten a call from her agent yet, not one!

Which is disappointing since it's one of the best ways to earn celebrity status, especially if your sim has the Opportunistic lifetime happiness reward, which can double the bonus.

But even without that, Marisol does get the opportunity to increase her relationship with Catarina Vanderburg, as she joins them on the weight bench next to Marisol's.

Though the expressions on Marisol and Catarina's faces show they are finding tis type of exercise pretty harsh, while Chase is simply taking it in stride, being at a much higher athletic level.




A bit later, Francisca and her family join them at the gym, and Christopher seems to be in a much better mood after his nap!

It allows Marisol to chat with her, saying, "Oh, with tomorrow being Leisure Day, I was planning a pool party, I hope you and Nicholas can attend Francisca?"

Francisca frowns a bit, saying, "If we can convince the babysitting service to provide a new sitter. We've run through most of them already! Christopher has been far harder to keep happy than Jeffery was! He's got a stubborn streak and once he gets something into his head, he won't let go for anything!" Ruefully, she added, "I'm sure you found that out at graduation earlier today."

Marisol commiserated saying, "Yes, but it did have all of us graduates relaxing more as the focus was on him a lot of the time, instead of on us!"

Francisca shook her head, "We certainly got our share of annoyed looks from those near us! I know many of them were thinking that we should have left him home, or left when he started fussing, but it's not every day your eldest son graduates, and we weren't going to miss it!"

"Well, you won't have to worry about that at my party. It's going to be a huge crowd, so if you can't find a sitter, just bring him along. The twins nursery is still set up and he could play happily in there, with plenty of adults around if he needs attention."

Francisca nods, and says, "Why how kind of you to include him Marisol! I'll certainly discuss your invitation with Nicholas and see what he says."

And with that, Marisol adds Francisca to her celebrity friend count!




Back at the house, I find Janette meditating, the first time she's ever done so!

She looks so serene I hated to interrupt her but when she pops a wish to break a board on the board breaker, I have her workout with the training dummy, to earn some skill so she can satisfy her wish.

With a couple of skill points under her belt, she breaks her first board!




After he got home from work, Kirk headed straight to the basement to work on his guitar skill again.

Even though she didn't come out and watch in person, I have a feeling Rae was definitely listening from the netherworld, enjoying a budding guitar player as only another virtuoso and music lover does!

Whether anyone else, alive or ghostly, was listening, doesn't seem to matter to Kirk, he just focuses on his music, happy to be playing.




The twins birthdays aren't until Tuesday evening, so we've still got Sunday with Marisol's Leisure Day pool party, as well as Monday to get through, before the momentous event occurs!

Will a party with a lot of celebrities invited give Marisol a bigger push towards reaching her five star celebrity goal?

I've read that it could, so fingers crossed.

And Monday means another day at work for Chase, and maybe getting his coveted promotion to Game Studio Head!

I'll definitely tell you all about it in Chapter 260: Party Hardy!
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

There's no way I'm letting Marisol throw a pool party without a pool, so first thing Sunday morning, I  move all of the playground equipment, including the kid's clubhouse, into the family inventory, and make a small pool in the backyard.

While I'm doing all that, the twins chill out in the lounge chairs on the back patio.

As soon as it's completed, with lights, a pool bar, and a diving board, the family starts checking it out.

Marisol, Janette, and Jemma paddling around in the refreshingly cool water, while Chase makes a perfect dive into the pool!




Marisol's guests included mostly celebrity family and friends, to increase her own celebrity level.

So I had the twins invite their boyfriends over for the day.

Jonas was one of the first ones to arrive, and he brought his little brother Nate with him.

Last time we saw Nate was when Janette was cooing to him in his crib, now he's a toddler, and eager to explore on his own.

Looks like the nursery will be occupied soon as little Nate makes a beeline for the peg box in there!




Jemma invited both Tobias and his younger brother, Kristian, who's going to get teased again wearing those flippers.

He's just thrilled that Jemma included him in Tobias' special invitation.

Though I think he was a bit nervous when he first arrived, as he hung out all by himself here on the side porch.




But when food was placed in the backyard, along with the picnic table, it didn't take Kristian long to join the crowd lining up to fill their plates.

Someone even brought  a whole roasted turkey, but I'm glad there are other dishes as this crowd is huge!

Cici's even here, enduring the outdoors and the crowd.

I also spotted my simself, Dee, Emily and Christina Frio, Emmaline Rhoen, several Vanderburg family members, and a few guests I couldn't identify.




Marisol heads for the kitchen where a platter of Falafel, her favorite, is holding one last serving.

But before she can grab it, she gets noticed by Kristian, who's followed her inside.

He squeals with delight at seeing a star of Marisol's caliber, jumping up and down and looking even more ridiculous in those floppy flippers.

He even gets up his courage to ask Marisol for her autograph and she just can't say no, even if it means losing her favorite meal, that's all part of the life for the rich and famous, after all!




And the table in the dining room holds more hungry guests, Carlotta Shue, who's just finished her meal and is getting ready to clear her plate.

While Cassidy Woodard, Renauld Vanderburg, and one of the unknown guests, dig into what looks suspiciously like Marisol's beloved Falafel!

Emmaline Rhoen seems to be contemplating someone or something across the room or maybe she's trying to avoid grabbing one of those spheres of destiny on the table?

She's mellowed a bit since the Frio family's been in town and helped to get the greenie community established in it's own right.

Though I'm sure Tomas and their three children, Tobias, Kristian, and Aurora, have all played their part in making Emmaline a happier sim.




Outside, the sun is setting and most of the guest are drying off before they head home, with only Liam O'Dourke enjoying a final swim in the pool.

And the crowd must really have been hungry as the entire turkey is gone, along with several servings of the other dishes on the nearby tables!




Then most of the guests come inside, don dry clothes, and all thank Marisol for another wonderful party!

With so many attendees, it actually took several minutes for all of them to get through the front door, as using the side or back doors is, apparently, not acceptable!

No, much better to swarm the front entrance and block each other from leaving.

But even with the blockade at the front door, I was happy to see that Marisol's celebrity status did jump a bit, as she's about 3/4th of the way to her fifth star now!




Since the twins' boyfriends were invited over separately and not part of Marisol's guest list, they actually stick around, which is something I've learned throwing all these parties lately!

Janette gets to chat with Jonas and reminds him, "Jemma and I will be celebrating our young adult birthdays Tuesday night, Jonas. Do you think you can get the night off so you can attend?"

"Oh, I'll try Janette! You know I don't want to miss it, but my shifts have been crazy at the hospital lately. I never know when someone will call in sick and I'll end up pulling a double. And with it being Leisure Day weekend, I'm sure someone will party too much and beg off work for the next couple of days!"

"Well, do your best. I know you won't leave your Mom, or any other of the staff, shorthanded. You may make some odd decisions now and again, but you've never shirked your responsibilities at the hospital."

"Do they bother you Janette, honestly? My…odd decisions, I mean? Some sims just can't get past them and treat me accordingly, which means ignoring me and my crazy behavior, for the most part, though some of them yell at me for it!"

"I've always found your quirkiness rather endearing Jonas, you know that. There's never been anyone else for me besides you! I'll confess a secret that I've been carrying around for quite some time now. I've been wanting you to move in with me and have us travel together since we started high school!"

Jonas looks deeply into Janette's eyes and says, "Wow! That's been almost two weeks! I don't know what I've ever done to deserve you Janette, but I'll do my best to be worthy of you!"




Outside in the backyard, Jemma is having a similar conversation with Tobias.

"Our Watcher has it all planned out, Tobias, our young adult birthdays, that is. Since Marisol had this big party today, we're going to keep our birthdays small, just the immediate family, you, and Jonas. That way we'll all have time to blow out our candles and chat with each other as young adults, without a big crowd making it such a crush! Marisol didn't even get to talk to her BFF Phyllis at their birthday party, and she doesn't want that happening with us. Especially since it'll be four of us celebrating."

"That sounds great Jemma! I love coming to your family parties, but your Watcher is right, sometimes it's such a huge crowd, I don't even get a chance to talk to you." Lowering his voice, he adds, "A small, intimate, birthday party sounds like just thing, so we can get to know each other as grownups."




While Janette changes out of swimwear, Tobias listens to Odette and Kirk jam together.

Odette sounds pretty awesome on bass since she's already at level six.

Kirk is doing is best to keep the beat, but he's a novice a drums, something we need to remedy, and fast.

I doubt he'll actually complete his One Sim Band lifetime wish before he and Marisol move out, but I'd love to give him a good foundation in the other three instruments while he's here in the main house.

I spot Marisol chatting away with Francisca about her latest book against the back wall, and I have to smile.

Overall, the Vanderburg family has become pretty close to the Frio family members, even if it happened late in their stay here in Hidden Springs.

So much better to leave town on a positive note rather than a negative one.




I hear ghostly music and discover Jared and Adam in the art gallery upstairs.

"You're too late for the party again Jared!" I crow, as Adam shakes his head, saying, "See? Stopping to jeer at those other ghosts made us miss it, dad!"

Jared says, "Why do you suddenly care about parties anyway?"

Adam replies, "It's not the party I cared about so much as all those celebrities! I'm as easily impressed as Marisol and I love listening to all the juicy celebrity gossip!"




Monday morning Chase is up bright and early playing video games to keep up his nerd metric for work.

He's so engrossed that I don't want to disturb him, but I don't want to miss the opportunity to wish him well because today is a big day.

I wait until there's a break between races and quickly say, "I know it's due to hard work, not luck, but I want you to know that I'm definitely rooting for you getting your final promotion today!"

"Thanks Watcher! I have worked hard, done my very best, and I'm hoping that will pay off. I'm not real friendly with my boss, but that's because she doesn't spend a lot of time in the office. She's been traveling to other towns to see about opening  another office, since I'm so close to becoming a Game Studio Head. The company here in Hidden Springs is not a big one, compared to those on the west coast, anyway, so I'm a little nervous about what town I may get offered, since we're not as well known."

"I'm confident that you'll be able to handle whatever town it is Chase.  I'm more concerned with the twins final traits, choosing lifetime wishes, and how quickly their boyfriends will move in. But that's nothing new when it gets down to the wire like this. So I won't bother you with all that as it will happen in it's own due time."

Chase gratefully says, "I appreciate your confidence in me Watcher. And you're right, needless to worry about it, though now that you've mentioned it, I probably will. But not right now! My next race is starting!"




With the twins at school, and Chase heading off to work soon, I tag along with Marisol as she catches Carl Abbot, Kirk's father, getting ready to head off to town.

"Oh, I'm so glad I caught you at home Mr. Abbot. I've been wanting to chat with you for awhile now, but we seem to keep missing each other."

"My wife complains about me being home less since I've retired than I was when I was working! But since she's kept on at the Science Center, there's just no reason to hang around the house on my own. It's pretty boring after being so busy all those years! But I'm sure you don't want to hear about how an old codger like me spends his days. Was there something special you wanted to talk about?"




Marisol clasps her hands together beseechingly and says, "Oh, Mr. Abbott, it would mean so much to me and Kirk to have your blessing on our marriage! I'll do everything I can to make him happy. I love him so much and he's so good to me. I can't think of a single thing about him that I don't love!"

Carl Abbott's smile droops just a little as he says, "Are you sure about that my dear? He does have that one little fault, sticky fingers you know! He's done his best to control it over the years, but it does get the best of him sometimes! I hope I haven't overstepped and disappointed you with this information? It wasn't my intention, I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into?"




Marisol's smile grows as she pats Carl reassuringly on the shoulder, saying, "Oh, I know all about that Mr. Abbott! Kirk confessed to that before he agreed to move in. I'm not saying it's a great thing, but Kirk tries really hard not to give in to it. Besides, our family fortune was started by a Master Thief, Claire Ursine Frio, and several of our family members have inherited the trait, some like Kirk, doing their best to overcome it, and others, like my Uncle Eric, giving in to it, and following in her footsteps!"

Carl shocked says, "You're related to that Frio!?! But Lucinda Frio is one of the finest officers I've ever had the pleasure of working with! And you say her son is a thief? How does that work? Doesn't it tear your family apart?"

"It's a fine line Mr. Abbott, a very fine line!"

"I don't doubt that at all! But if your family's been able to work that out all these years, I guess Kirk is in good hands, so you and Kirk have my blessing on your marriage Marisol! In fact, I couldn't ask for a nicer daughter-in-law."

"Thank you so much Mr. Abbott!  We'll all do our best to help Kirk with his problem, but he's so focused on his music, I doubt he'll have much free time. Mastering four instruments will keep him very busy!"

Carl Abbott was all smiles again as he said, "I hope not too busy for a sweet and pretty girl like you Marisol! Focusing on his music his all well and good and I'm glad he's striving for perfection in his chosen field. But life is more than just about mastering skills and enjoying your career, it doesn't mean much at all if you don't make time for your family!"




Back at the house, I find Kirk playing guitar again sporting a huge smile.

"I guess you really like that guitar!"

"Oh, the guitar is fantastic Watcher, but that's not why I'm smiling. Music always has made happy, but right now, it's my father's blessing on my marriage to Marisol that's put this big smile on my face! And to think he always knew about my little…problem, and never let on. My dad is a pretty great man! He doesn't share my love of music, and sometimes his job would put him in a bad mood, but he's only ever wanted what's best for me. Mom too. They've both been good parents. I should make plans to get together with them sometime soon."

"Maybe you could visit with them before work tomorrow?"

"Dad's retired and never stays home, so it's hard to catch him, but Mom still works at the Science Center, I could probably catch up with her before my work shift tomorrow."

"That sounds like a great plan. You can leave early tomorrow afternoon, catch up with your Mom, and then head on to work."

"Oh, and after work I've been invited to play with a local band, nothing formal, just a bunch of us getting together to jam."

"Well, since you work at 4, you'll be missing the twins party anyway, but we'll save you some cake! With four of them, there will definitely be leftovers!"




Then I get the message that Chase has earned his promotion to Game Studio Head, along with a bonus of over $5000 simoleans and the perk of being able to hold gaming conventions now.

"You did it Chase, congratulations! So did your boss tell you which towns have been receptive to opening a new Studio?"

"She's out of town again, but she said she should be back this evening and she had some great news. So I thought I'd invite her over tonight for dinner and she could tell all of us at the same time."

"Oh, that would have been a good plan, but Odette and Marisol have already accepted an invitation to the Riverhawk's for this evening. Francisca is throwing a party for Jeffery and Phyllis. An engagement/baby shower type of thing, but pretty informal as the dress is swimwear. They don't have a pool but they have a pond. You can't swim in it, so I'm not sure why the swimwear, but Odette and Marisol can't bow out now, after they've already accepted. Especially not Marisol, being Phyllis' BFF all this time!"

"No, she can't do that. And we can't very well have a family meeting with the next town being revealed without the two of them. And the twins birthday is tomorrow night, so that leaves that night out! Wednesday maybe?"

"You know Chase, I think it would be perfect for your boss to come to the twins birthday party on Tuesday and reveal it to everyone then! Well, everyone except Kirk as he has to work and then he has plans to jam with some friends after that. But Marisol can call him and fill him in."




Chase nods and says, "If you think that works, it'd be better than waiting another day."

He starts heading down the steps and then stops as a golden star appears over his head.

"Well, Chase, today has certainly been your day. First, you top the gaming career, and now you've reached the height of fame becoming a five star celebrity!"

Chase gulps and says, "But that's Marisol's wish not mine! She'll be devastated!"

"No she won't Chase, you being a five star celebrity should help her status even more, after all, she's your daughter!"

"Oh, if it helps her out, then that's okay. I'd better get home and tell everyone all my good news!"




But Chase decides to make one more stop before going home, to the theater to see about setting up a gaming convention.

I was all excited about what this would actually be like but, once he gets inside, a bar just appears showing the length of this rabbit hole event.

How disappointing!

Since there's really nothing to see, I head home and leave him to it.




The first thing I hear when I get to the home lot is a teenage scream!

I rush inside and find Janette freaking out in the 1/2 bathroom off the living room.

"What's going on? Is there a fire?"

Janette moans and says, "No, I just….cut my hair…and I'm not sure I like it!

It's so small I can barely fit inside with the walls up to get a photo, but I finally manage it.

"Oh, I think it's cute! Flirty and perky, perfect for a party animal!"

Janette manages a smile and asks, "Do you really think so? It's not too short?"

"Honestly, I love it! But with your birthday being tomorrow night, if you decide you don't care for it, we could always switch it out for a different style."

With that teenage mood swing crises over, I thankfully follow Odette and Marisol over to the Riverhawk home.




Marisol heads inside to thank Francisca for inviting them and once the formalities are out of the way, she chats about art.

"Is that one of your painting Francisca? Why it's fantastic! I knew you wrote books and illustrated them yourself, like our Grandpa Ro, but I didn't realize you were an artist like he is too!"

Francisca, all smiles at such praise, says, "I get my artistic talent from my mother! I hated admitting that as a kid, even as a young adult, but we've mended our fences and I want to give credit where it's due."

"I'm sure having a talented artist in the family helps, but your style is really quite distinct. I can see why you're all smiles with all this wonderful artwork gracing your home!"

"Oh, it's not just the artwork that has me smiling, I've got several reasons to be quite happy with my life. First, we celebrated Christopher's birthday after your pool party yesterday, so the terrible toddler years are over! Second, Jeffery and Phyllis got engaged, and Phyllis moved in so we can help take care of her before she has the baby and then both of them afterwards. Third, that baby is going to be our first grandchild! So I'm just over the moon, Marisol! Now you go and find Phyllis and cheer her up."

"Cheer her up? Isn't she happy with the engagement and the baby?"

"She's happy, but she's gained a bit of weight since graduation! Please don't mention it! She'd probably dissolve into tears! It's the hormones, mostly, but with Phyllis having such a slim figure all those years, that part's depressing her quite a bit."




Marisol finds Phyllis outside and quickly hugs her, "Oh, Phyllis, I can't believe that you and Jeffery are engaged already, you've moved in with his family, and you're going to be parents! Congratulations!!! Everything is happening so fast! It seems like just yesterday we were playing video games on dad's couch in his house at Uni! And now look at us!"

Phyllis moans and says, "Please, don't look at me! I'm wearing Francisca's largest maternity clothes and I'm as big as a house! Whatever was she thinking to make this a swimwear event? I stand out like a sore thumb!"




Marisol steps back and says, "If you could have heard her raving inside about how wonderful her life is with you here and becoming a grandmother soon, you wouldn't feel that way Phyllis. She told me herself that she is just over the moon with happiness! Now, it's time for me to introduce myself to an important guest at this party!"

Phyllis checks out the crowd and says, "You and your mom are the biggest celebrities here Marisol. I don't see anyone else that's very important."

Marisol laughs and pats Phyllis' tummy, saying, "I'm talking about this little one here."

Then she addresses her comments to Phyllis' coming child, saying, "Hello in there! This is your Auntie Marisol, and I can't wait to meet you little one! If you're a girl, I'm sure you'll be just as beautiful as your Mom! A boy and you'll be sweeping all the girls off their feet with all those handsome Vanderburg/Spitzig/Riverhawk genes you carry!"

Phyllis laughs despite herself and says, "Oh, I'm so glad you're my friend Marisol! Just think, if we hadn't met back in Uni, I'd have been there forever, a paper girl with no future in sight." Gulping back tears, happy ones now, she adds, "Francisca is right, my life is wonderful and it's a real life! I've got family and friends that love and support me, a loving, handsome, fiancé, and we're bringing a child into the world! All that for a lonely little girl in a cowboy hat is a dream come true!"




When Odette and Marisol get home from the Riverhawk's party, Chase greets them at the door and tells them all about his day, becoming a Game Studio Head, a five star celebrity, and holding his very first gaming convention.

Marisol squeals in her excitement at his news, but it's Odette's cheer that has me laughing so hard I almost fall out of my chair!

"Woot! Woot! Woot! You did it Chase! And just in time for the twins young adult birthdays, your timing is perfect!"

Marisol laughs even louder and says, "Go Mom! It's been such a wonderful day, I feel like cheering myself! Carl's father gave us his blessing on our marriage, Phyllis is engaged and having a baby soon, and now Dad's reached the pinnacle of his career and become a five star celebrity. If we hadn't already been partying we'd need to throw another one!"




The last two days have been filled with partying and happiness.

And now we've reached the day that we've all been waiting for since the twins became teens, their young adult birthdays!

The plan is to have Tobias and Jonas join us and celebrate their young adult birthdays too.

And Chase is going to invite his boss, who will be divulging the town that's made the best offer for the new Game Studio that Chase will head up!

What final traits will Janette and Jemma receive?

What lifetime wishes will they choose?

What town will be the next on their journey?

Will Tobias and Jonas accept the twins invitations to move in?

All of those questions will be answered in Chapter 261: The Fates Are Laughing
Coming soon.

[deedee_828]

The next day I'm chilling out at the main house, just watching Odette sketch.

"That looks suspiciously like a nursery Odette! Are you trying to tell me something?"

With a laugh she says, "Not likely Watcher! Not for me anyway. It's just after seeing Phyllis last night, and then her family calling early this morning to tell us it's a boy, a son they named Van, I was just inspired!"

"Well, I love the name they chose for their son, and I'm sure Catarina's over the moon with a great-grandson, Van Riverhawk! As for your sketch, I love what you've done so far---the jungle theme, with the monkey on the wall, the bear nightstand and bookcase, and the Koala bear bed, it's very sweet! Maybe we could keep that in mind for the nursery in the next town?"

"Oh, what a great idea, Watcher! And a jungle theme in gold and green would be perfect for a boy or a girl, to cover all our bases."

I'm lulled by Odette's vision and dreaming of the nursery inspired by her sketch, when suddenly I get pulled across town!




But I don't see anything ominous, just Kirk with his hand to his chest, looking devastated.

"Kirk, Kirk, what it is it! What happened! Heart attacks aren't possible in Sims!"

He gulps and can barely speak as he says, "Not the kind you mean, but my heart is breaking!"

"Why?"

"I can't even say the words! Just look!  Look over there, on the ground."




I turn and see a headstone.

My heart in my throat, I place my cursor over the stone and I gasp, as it reads Maya Abbott!

"Oh, Kirk, I'm so sorry."

Choking back another sob he says, "I was too late! I never got to say goodbye, or tell her how much I loved her, how much she meant to me. And now I'll never get the chance."

I don't say anything, as it's much too soon, but I could send him to the cemetery and let him mourn her.

Maybe spend some time there to see if she'd appear and he could say goodbye, at least.

But I'll wait a bit and mention it after his first rush of grief passes, and then maybe he'll be ready for that, to see his mother as a ghost.




As I let Kirk get his emotions under control, Maya's gravestone disappears, just before a scientist would have stumbled over it!

Kirk stares at the now empty space in shock, and I ask softly, "Would you like to call in to work, take the day off?"

Firming his shoulders he replies, "No, Watcher. I think it's best if I keep busy. I'll go work my shift and play with the guys, focus on my music. It may be the only way to get through this."

"Shouldn't you call Marisol, at least, tell her what happened?"

"Under other circumstances I would Watcher, but the twins birthdays are being celebrated in a few hours, news like this, well, it's not very conducive to birthday festivities." Taking another calming breathe he adds, "I'll be home late, after the party, and that will be soon enough to break my news."

"What are you going to do now, before your shift?"

"I'll just chill in the park, play a little guitar, and then head off to work. Don't worry Watcher, I'll be okay. In time, anyway."

I hate having Kirk going through this on is own, but I know he's right, telling the rest of the family would really put a damper on the occasion.

"Okay, I'll let you deal with in your own way, for now. But after the party, when you get home, I'll help you break the news to the rest of the family."

 With the situation under control, well, the best it can be under the circumstances, I head back to the house to see if the twins are home from school yet.




I'm just in time to see them getting off the school bus for the last time.

Normally, I would have cheered and congratulated them on completing their last day of high school and both keeping their 'A's.

But my sadness at Kirk's loss has me unusually silent, which the girls in their teenage exuberance, thankfully, don't notice.

They both quickly run down the front walk and into the house as Chase asks, "What's wrong, Watcher?"




I turn to find him brooding by the mailbox and hate to make whatever he's worried about worse, with the knowledge I possess, the passing of Kirk's mother, Maya Abbott.

I stall for time and say, "Looks like you've got something on your mind too, with the sands of time in that hourglass running out. That's a new one, care to share your thoughts?"

Chase ponders my question for a bit, mulling it over and slowly replies, "Just that time seems to have gone quickly here in Hidden Springs, even with my two terms at Uni. When I left the first time, the twins were infants, and then my 2nd term was after their toddler birthdays, when I brought Marisol home to the family. It hardly seems possible that they become young adults tonight!"

"It has. One minute your children are babies, the next getting married and having babies of their own. But that's the circle of life, Chase. And death."

"Death? What's happened!?!"

"I promised Kirk I wouldn't spoil the party tonight, but I need to let someone in the family know, and since you're the one who asked me…"

Chase grimaces and says, "I get to be the one you tell. Okay, I'm ready Watcher. What's happened to have you making that promise to Kirk?"

Sadly, I say, "His mother, Maya Abbott, passed this afternoon, and what's worse is that Kirk actually witnessed it! He was planning on meeting her at the Science Center to say his goodbyes, before we leave town, but he was too late! So now he feels even worse. I promised I would help him break the news after he got home tonight. He insisted that going to work and joining his friends in a jamming session was the best thing for him to do."

"It probably is, staying busy can help, so they say. It's best you've told me, Watcher. And I agree with Kirk, telling the girls after their birthday party is a good idea. Learning their final traits, choosing lifetime wishes, those will be difficult enough without knowing this before hand."




Today was Jemma's turn to have a mood swing and she popped the same wish as her twin, naturally, to cut or dye her hair.

So we give her long locks a bit of a snip here and there, to satisfy her wish.

I like this hairstyle on her too, as it's not one I've used before, but she'll be wearing this one a shorter time than Janette did, with her birthday just a few hours away now.




I don't know if it was the new hairstyle, the idea that they'd be young adults soon, or what, but as soon as Jemma sees Tobias in the house, she grabs him, twirls him in for a dip kiss and says, "You are mine Tobias Bellucci, all mine!"

Tobias seems quite happy with the idea, so I leave them to their last romantic teen interlude.




Which is quickly over as they get called into the dining room to help Janette celebrate, as the first born of the twins.

I love this photo showing everyone clearly as they clap and cheer for the next co-heiress of the journey.

It reinforces my decision to go with this much smaller group for this momentous occasion.




As she claps and cheers for herself, I can't resist getting this photo of Janette, as it expresses her feelings about this birthday more than words can.

Just look at her wide-open mouth, her loud cheer proclaiming her excitement for her future!

Then she blows out her candles and waits for the birthday sparkles to dissipate.




And Janette proudly stands before us, hands on hips, in a black outfit that merges with her skin tone, except for the pops of her favorite lime green!

I press the random trait button, then I look at the screen again, doing a double take!

No wonder Janette loved Jonas' quirkiness, it's because she had the same bent all along.

That's right Janette adds Insane, to her Perceptive, Disciplined, Party Animal, Perfectionist, self!

And of the choices available, we choose Perceptive Private Eye.

Not really much else to go with as Torre completed Physical Perfection, mastering athletics and martial arts; and her father, Chase, completed Perfect Student.

Becoming a Seasoned Traveler, which requires reaching Visa Level 3 in all destinations or traveling to China multiple times to compete and become A Martial Arts Master, well both of those just don't bear thinking about with all the traveling we've done and still need to do in this journey!

So Janette, my lovely, you will become my first insane private eye, as opposed to the unstable one your Aunt Karlie Jo became!

The doorbell rings at this point and I send Chase off to answer it, hoping it's his boss, as we've invited her over multiple times and she's not shown up yet.




To my relief, it is!

Chase shakes her hand and welcomes her, "Thanks for stopping by Kendra! The eldest of our twins has already blown out her candles, but you're just in time for Jemma's! Oh, I hear party horns and cheering, we should head inside before we miss it."




As Chase invites Kendra into the living room,  Jemma scrunches up her face, places a finger on her chin, and thinks really hard about her wish.

Odette holds her breathe in anticipation of her youngest daughter's transformation, while Tobias claps and cheers wildly.

Marisol twirls a noise maker, as she watches her youngest sister, her BFF, mull over this last wish of her teen years.




Jemma is now a young adult, with that same choppy hairstyle she aged up in as a teen, those dreadful futuristic leggings, plus a lime green top her sister would love.

I click the random trait button and her young adult trait is….Dislikes Children!

All thoughts of her hair and outfit fly from my head as my jaw drops to my desk.

Jemma stands there in shock, as do Odette and Marisol, but Tobias looks…totally floored, his eyes staring straight ahead, his lips turned down into a very distinctive frown!

No one, no one, says a word, the room goes totally silent.

Marisol opens her mouth to say something, anything to break this horrible spell we're all under, but even she can't think of anything to put a positive spin on this trait.

Just thinking of it fills us all with dread, an heir that dislikes children, when one of the greatest joys and requirements of a town jump journey is bringing up the next generation to continue that journey!

With her final trait being such a shock, choosing her lifetime wish has me muddled.

I decide that trying to complete 35 cases for each twin as private eyes, just isn't feasible, though she does get that choice, along with Alchemy Artisan, Master of Mysticism, Celebrity Psychic, and have a Resort Empire.

And the rules for the Town Jump do specify that all heirs should have, and complete, unique lifetime wishes.

But will Jemma want to be a co-heir with her new trait?

I don't get the luxury of asking as the lifetime wish box is staring me in the face, waiting for me to choose one of them!

I decide to go with Master Of Mysticism, in line with Jemma's supernatural fan trait.

It's one I haven't done for an heir, so it would still keep her eligible, if she wants to be.




But there's no time to discuss that as we have another birthday to celebrate, so I quickly direct Tobias to his cake, before he cuts and runs from the house!

That face he made when Jemma's trait was disclosed has made me very, very nervous.

Chase blows a party horn and Marisol and Jemma, recovering a bit from Jemma's final trait, try to regain the party spirit by twirling noise makers and cheering loudly.




As Tobias grabs a piece of his cake, and heads outside to eat it, we see the return of his teen shaved head, which clearly shows off his large, ogre ears!

But he still has a strange look in his eyes and I'm not sure what to make of it.

Are those the eyes of yet another insane sim?

Or do they reflect something even worse?




I don't give Tobias much time at all to eat his cake, as Jonas has finally joined us!

Apparently his part-time job at the hospital has a very long shift, as we've been inviting him over since early this afternoon.

I do love the new part-time careers open to teens in town, but I haven't looked into all the work schedules yet.

But Jonas is here now, so that's what matters, and with the way he's clapping, he's pretty excited about celebrating his birthday here in the Frio home.

Everyone's actually crowded into the kitchen in this photo too, with more noise makers and party horns appearing, as the family cheers just as loudly for Jonas as they did for the first three birthday honorees.




The birthday sparkles disappear, revealing Jonas is still his adorably, cute, self with his thick black brows and messy hair unchanged!

And by her huge smile Janette agrees with me!

Though it looks like Odette is trying to hold back a sneeze as Marisol focuses on her with concern.

Or maybe she's looking at her father and wondering why he's been a bit sober throughout the celebrations this evening?




But after she grabs a piece of cake, Marisol's focus quickly shifts to Chase's boss, Kendra Chambers, who has cleared her throat to make the announcement that the Frio family has been waiting for all night.

Before Kendra speaks, Marisol has only one thought, 'please let her give dad a studio in a decent gaming town, please!'

"Since that's the last birthday, I'm not going to keep everyone in suspense any longer! For starters, Chase's Captain Adventure comic book series has been chosen to be made into a game! And with Chase's technology degree, his impressive gaming credentials, along with all his hard work earning him the promotion to Game Studio Head, we've got an offer from the west coast!"

Everyone starts talking at once, but Kendra hushes them, adding, "We never even dreamed that such a prestigious gaming community would even consider a company as small as we are, but the offer is contingent on Chase running that branch, no one else!  A branch that's located in the Hollywood of Sim Land….Starlight Shores! Congratulations Chase! You've earned this!!!"

The room erupted into cheers and congratulations for Chase, then everyone settled into chairs to eat their pieces of birthday cake, cake that I'd been denying them all evening, so they wouldn't stuff themselves.




Kendra and Jonas grabbing spots at the dining room table.

They chat as they eat their cake, Kendra saying, "Wow! When the Frios throw a party, they go all out! Four birthdays in one night!"

Jonas says, "Oh, this is nothing ma'am, Sunday they threw a pool party and invited half the town! And when I was a just a kid in grade school, they had a gift-giving party on Snowflake Day that I still remember like it was yesterday. That's the day I first met Janette! And now, well, I was worried about how she really felt about me being a bit crazy, but now she's crazy too, so we're the perfect couple!"

Jonas' words have Kendra choking on her cake, and I'm sure she's thinking that one crazy person in a relationship would be bad enough, but two sounds like a plan for disaster.

I'm hoping she's not right as I'm a bit worried about that myself.

But when I hear raised voices from the kitchen and rush back in to see what's going on, it's clear that I'm worried about the wrong couple.




"I'm just not sure if I can deal with it Jemma, family means so much to me! And now, now, you don't want one!"

I do a quick check of Tobias' traits, and sure enough he's Family Oriented, no wonder he was so distressed with Jemma's final trait!

But before I can intervene, stick up for Jemma, she defends herself, more eloquently than I can, in fact, cutting to the heart of the matter as she says, "I've always loved my family Tobias! And I love you! Disliking children was as much as a surprise to me as it was to everyone else! It wasn't anything I'd even suspected, not having younger siblings. And if you don't continue the journey with me, then I won't get to be an heir at all! Isn't our love strong enough to overcome that horrible trait?"

Well, even with all the negative emotions flying between them, at least Jemma's made her feelings clear on who her choice of partner is and that she still wants to be an heir.




Nearby, to my surprise, things are going much better between the deranged duo!

When Janette asks Jonas to move in, he doesn't hesitate, and as soon as he accepts her invitation, she pops a wish to get engaged!

I think this girl is a closet family-oriented sim!

But my relieved smile at just how cute these two are together is short-lived, because, suddenly, loud sobs are heard from the living room entry way.




Kirk is home and, after holding his grief back throughout his work shift and his practice session, he finally lets go!

He's so devastated by the loss of his mother his yells, "Why!?! Why!?! It was too soon!" and breaks down in heart-rending sobs.

With Janette getting the insane trait which gives me an insane couple, Jemma disliking children, while her boyfriend Tobias is family-oriented, and Kirk in the throes of grief at his mother's death, I know the fates are laughing!

Not just chucking, but falling off their chairs, rolling on the floor, wetting their pants, laughing!

If I didn't know better, I'd think Jared had a hand in this, this, cosmic joke!




Hearing Kirk's sobs has everyone asking what's wrong, so I tell them that Kirk lost his Mom earlier today.

Tobias is struck to the heart, saying, "His mom is gone!?! How awful for him. I don't know what I'd do if I lost someone that I love so unexpectedly!"

Then, as he looks at Jemma's tear-stained face, he realizes that, by not moving in, not moving to Starlight Shores with her, he WILL be losing someone he loves!

And it would be his own fault, for giving her up, giving up on their love!




Tobias grabs Jemma and hugs her tightly, his face transforming as he shouts, "I love you Jemma! I love family so much, I can take care of our kids, so you won't have to. We'll work it out, somehow. I promise! Kirk lost his Mom and he can't get her back, but I'm not going to lose you and ruin both of our lives!"

"Oh, Tobias, I promise, you won't regret giving me this chance! I'll have a dozen kids if it means we get to be together!"

I raise my eyes at Jemma's rash promise, thinking that with this gen deciding on co-heirship, she's pretty safe, as she'll only get to have one child, as will Janette.

But I'm sure being perceptive, she's very well aware of the math with three couples in the main home.

And that won't happen until Marisol and Kirk move out and get a place of their own in Starlight Shores!




Well, the Fates being what they are, this heirship quadruple birthday had me shaking my head.

First, Kirk loses his mother, Maya Abbott, and had the greater misfortune of witnessing her death.

Then Janette joins Jonas in insanity and he quickly moves in, which gives me my first insane couple.

If that isn't a recipe for disaster, Jemma gets Dislikes Children as her final trait, while her boyfriend Tobias is Family-Oriented!

And though it didn't look like Tobias would be joining Jemma and her family on their journey, it was actually Kirk's loss that had him changing his mind.

So I guess instead of haranguing the Fates, or Jared, I owe them an apology, as all's well that end's well!

Though maybe I shouldn't count my chickens? Or tempt fate?

Better to journey on to the next town with my eyes wide open and my mind clear, because you never know what will happen next!

Well, I do know the most immediate things, make-overs and young adult bios, for starters.

And then that call to the movers!

Hopefully, nothing else will happen before we move, but if it does, you'll be the first ones to know as I recount the final day in Hidden Springs in Chapter 262: Make-overs and Moving
Coming soon.