arranged marriage – Page 2 – Vicarious Living

Preparations

Victoria looks round the hobby room, wondering if she ought to hang the picture back. She sighs, their house needs more wall space, really. An extra room could be helpful too, but clearing land would take priority, as there isn’t enough space even for a very small box room! She grins, thinking back to the pictures she saw the other day, of the Mortina Home when Danielle and Ricardo first started the Mortina Family, and the pokey little house they had! Each generation has added to the house, cleared more land, extended rooms, or just moved stuff around. Like she is doing now, she thinks, looking at the picture in her hands again.

She finds a space for the picture, checks her phone for the time, and quickly goes to her room to change. They need to get things done today, and getting changed is her task, and it needs to be done soon, so another quest can be ticked off the list. The two men are determined that they will leave the next generation with the Internet hobby. Victoria and Tabitha are not that bothered, but they are willing to help the men with their quests. To be fair, the men usually take on the endless quests, taking them away from their jobs, even starting a new hobby.

Tabitha was a little upset one day, as she had had plans to go to a specific party. The quests had asked for party attendance earlier that day, filling up all available parties. Tabitha and Victoria had both complained to the men. “We had actually dressed for the party, I spent money on a new dress, and because of this quest we’re not able to go. This is really getting beyond a joke, are you telling us that the party quest could not have waited a few hours, just so we could go to this party? Would the whole event fail if we’d waited?” Richard had been very apologetic, and Chris had looked worried and embarrassed.

The men agreed that they would think a little more carefully about their quests, and make sure to communicate things better. At least Tabitha had been able to go to the Blue Party, where she had a great time! Victoria had laughed when she saw her outfit, all blue of course, with a funky blue turban. It was so unlike Tabitha, who tended to wear quite proper outfits, like the suit she wore for the English Tea Party. “I like it, I wouldn’t normally wear something like this, but it’s more fun than I thought! I was looking through the wardrobe choices to see what I could find in blue, and came across this. I thought I’d look for a hat as well, and the blue turban seemed to make the blue a bit more obvious. It’s so different, isn’t it? I loved the party, so many people had made a great effort to wear blue, amazing! The house was done in blue as well.”

She showed Victoria pictures of her Classy dress. “I had so been looking forward to that one! I had been planning the dress for absolutely ages, shoes, everything. Just to find out that we had no way of going. I was really upset!” Victoria had nodded, yes, she too had her outfit ready, actually hopped into work in it! When she found out that the party couldn’t happen for them she had been very cross. “I got very cross with Chris,” she told Tabitha, “I told him that I had dressed and everything to go to the Classy or Sassy Party, and that because of their obsession with this new hobby, all my plans had been spoiled! I must say, he took it very well, apologised and everything promised to make sure they checked the quests beforehand, rather than land us all in it! Mind you, there haven’t been many parties since, everyone is so busy with this event, there is no time!”

Victoria is actually sad about that. Soon, well, any day now the Gems will be handed out, and the four of them will retire. No more parties, no more dressing up, no more visiting when you want to, with whom you want to. The retirement papers came through a few days ago, always a shock! “I knew I had done lots of things, been through a lot, have an adult son, but still, you don’t really expect somebody to write to you to tell you it was time you disappeared from off the main stage of life, do you?” she had said to Chris that evening, wafting her paper at him. He had chuckled, and flapped his paper back at her. “I got one as well. I must admit, I wasn’t very happy. I felt that my life has only just started. I struggled for so long, feeling this burden of having to Save the Line, to be the one to bring Justice to an ancestor that hardly anyone had heard about. Now I’m finally free from all that, started to enjoy my self, and Boom, retirement is here! The worst thing about it is the parties. I didn’t think I would ever say that,” Chris had laughed, and stared in the distance. He kept chuckling, then go quiet, then laugh again, until Victoria felt like throwing something at him, a book, a plate, anything!

“I was just remembering some of the recent parties,” he says, when he realises that Victoria is looking round for something to throw at him. “The Tea Party was lovely, but to go to other people’s houses, to see their designs, I started to enjoy that. Now that opportunity is gone. It does make me feel very sad actually, to have regrets. I have so many regrets, you’re the exception as you have been such a blessing to me. Of course, Samuel is not a regret, apart from regretting that we didn’t have a child when we were very young.” He sighs, looks down at his shoes, feeling sad for all the missed chances.

Victoria leans a bit closer, rubbing his shoulder. She has regrets of her own. She regrets not having confronted and helped Chris earlier, when they would have had many happy years together, rather than just getting close at the end of their lives, with their traits all filled. She thinks of her quiet tears when looking at the empty bassinet all those years, and her loneliness when she and Chris had been so far apart. She breathes in and thinks about it.

She hugs him a bit tighter, “I don’t think we should think in terms of regret, really,” she says softly. “I know there is a verse that says that God will restore the years that the locusts have eaten. He has done that, I feel. Look at these last years, with our wonderful, handsome son, and the beautiful moments we have had together. We have been so close these last years, and had so many memorable times, I really feel they have made up for lost time. With regards to parties, well, I agree, I will miss them too. On the other hand, it is something that I should always miss, no matter how long I was allowed to live in this house. I think it’s one of the things that we should be content about, to be satisfied with what we did have. “

Chris holds her very tight, tears in his eyes, his voice sounding hoarse, “That’s why I love you so much. That’s exactly why I always think of you as God’s gift to me, my precious Victoria. You are right, of course you are right. We have been richly blessed these years, and you have helped me more than I thought anybody could ever help me. I was so miserable, so weighed down, felt everyone and everything was against me, that God Himself was against me. Then the sun came out, and everything looks different now, even the sky is clearer blue, birds sing sweeter, and you, my darling, are sweeter than all!”

Victoria smiles at her husband, stifling the growing giggles. He is such a star at flattering, she thinks, grinning at him, but he’s sweet. The best thing is, he actually means it. I do feel loved and appreciated, even though I feel he can be a bit over the top. Better this way round though, his coldness, sarcasm, sneering comments and looks drove me to distraction. I never knew a person could change so dramatically! There are still days of darkness, of course, days where Chris will be grumpy, or rude, but he will get out of it very quickly, and apologise and make up for it!

Many things change. Children change, and go from pigtailed staggering toddlers to tall pretty girls. Victoria looks at her niece Eva, walking past. “Isn’t she promised in marriage?” she asks Tabitha when she sees her in the kitchen. Eva looks so grown up, and seems very happy, glowing with it, making her face light up. She almost looks beautiful, although Victoria never liked her hairstyle, and she is hoping the girl will change that as soon as she is made active! Her clothes are a bit revealing, something that Victoria or Tabitha would never do, but then, once the girl has met her promised man, that could change too!

Tabitha smiles dreamily, “Yes, she is going to meet him as soon as we retire, or get the Gems. His name is Paul. They are new in town, their house is as tiny as the old Mortina house used to be! They are first generation people. Eva is very keen to meet him, which shouldn’t be too difficult. I’m friends with his mum, so I can go to her house at any time, meet the son, and call him over here. In fact, I know Richard has met the boy already. He wanted to have a proper talk with him, just to make sure you know.”

Victoria doesn’t know, although she would love to meet the future wife of her own precious son as well! Such a good idea, she thinks, meeting them first, just to see what they are like. She mentions it to Tabitha, who laughs, “Definitely! Richard was very keen, and he knew the boy a little, as he is a junior doctor in the same hospital. He has only just started, but Richard says he works very hard. He met him, and they got on very well. The boy has two younger sisters, beautiful little girls like their mum, with black hair and blue eyes.”

This makes Victoria stand up a little straighter. “Oh?” she says, trying not to look like a cat who’s spotted a bird, “Any idea how old they are, and what they are like?”

Tabitha smiles mischievously, knowing exactly what Victoria is driving at. “The older girl is called Miriam, has cute wavy hair, and is a real handful I’m told. The little girl is called Caitlynn; she has only just become a toddler. It’s a lovely family, hardworking, simple people. Eva and Paul will be the first to get married in their family, so his parents are very excited about that. I know they will retire soon, probably as soon as Caitlynn grows up. Miriam will be an adult very soon…”

Victoria smiles back, “She sounds lovely, and I will definitely have a word with my men folk. We quite like the idea of arranged marriages, you know, like Richard and I did. It worked out so well, and the wonderful bonus is that you get closely involved with friends and their families as well. How about Esther? She will be staying here, won’t she? Is she excited?”

Tabitha nods, yes, at the last family meeting it was decided that Esther would stay here. She found a young man, or rather, her parents found her a young man. Esther is the one most excited about it. “Yes, we did find her a prospective husband, a young Norse lad. Esther calls him her Viking hero, it’s so sweet! She is so happy, goes on and on about her young man, his name is Magnus. As soon as we retire they’ll make arrangements no doubt, unless Magnus is promoted before we retire and we can meet him like Richard met Paul. We don’t know the details yet.”

The dreaded family meeting had actually gone better than expected. Esther was really the only one interested, Eva having been promised to Paul already. Theodore has no plans as yet, but he is happy enough to make his own way in Sims Mobile. There are plenty of flats available, or even a little bungalow. The others were all very keen that Samuel Vince should stay. He is such a great guy, happy, energetic, kind and fun loving. He was keen too. He does believe in the Calling, as he sees it, but not in the burdened, dour way his father did. He loves his Mission, thinks it’s a fantastic challenge, and he is all up for it, as he calls it.

The others are all in agreement that Samuel Vince should be part of the Line, and they unanimously hope that his Mission will somehow succeed. “I have no idea how I’m going to fulfil my Calling yet,” he had grinned widely at the family sitting round the room, “but I’m absolutely determined to fulfil it. Maybe start a massive house for all the lost elders wandering the streets. Maybe I will start a trend of some sort, I don’t know. I’m sure I can think of something, and I’m equally sure that the whole Calling thing is going to be very exciting!”

The decisions were made, and it was agreed that soon after the Gems were received they would hand over the house to the new generation. Victoria does feel a twinge of anticipation, wondering what the next few years will be like. Beginnings are always lovely, the not knowing, the dreams and expectations… Now there are matters to sort out, jobs to finish, quests to complete. A last party here, a quick practise there. Then, time will slow down for them, they will need to choose what to wear, which is a Quest in itself as far as Victoria and Tabitha are concerned! Family photographs will be taken, and the last thing you want is to be immortalised in…in something dreadful, like a dull suit, or an awful jacket, or horror of horrors, a bathing suit! No, last days are filled to overflowing, and Victoria can feel time slipping away from her. Preparations have become serious all of a sudden!

English Tea

Tabitha keeps checking her phone, ignoring the frowns and judgmental looks clients give her. She just needs to keep an eye on the time today. Any other day she loves to spend time with customers, helping them to make the most of their photoshoot. It’s not just snapping pictures, as Chris used to sneer, to her it really is a work of art. She wants to make sure that the photos she takes are top quality picture, with the right lighting, the correct background, the best position for the customer.

Today is a little different, though. She still enjoys it of course, it’s just that today they are hosting a special party. She is the hostess, actually. The four of them had sat down a few nights ago, chatting, relaxing. Now that Chris is less obsessed about his Destiny, he is actually good fun to be with. She remembers him as the little boy, when he was like that too. Before the pressure and the tales and expectations turned him, and made him Mr Awkward. Now the pressure is gone, and Victoria is helping him to overcome his insecurities and social struggles, and she is doing a great job.

Tabitha actually smiles, causing the customer to audibly sigh, roll his eyes, and step back a little. Oh right, she is working…the guy must have worried she was trying it on… In fact, she was just remembering some of Chris’ jokes! He is using his wit on jokes, rather than on suspicious accusations and slipping into the victim role. She manages a little private giggle in the prop box, thinking about some stories Chris told them. Honestly, who knew Chris could be so funny? Poor Harry, his manager…not much love lost between those two, that’s for sure!

“I’m really sorry I can only finish off this last photo shoot, then I’ll have to dash,” she explains to a potential customer who just dropped in on the off chance. “I will be back at work tomorrow, so if you’d like to make an appointment, I can do that?” She helps the girl with the soft pink hair to fill out the form, starting to look forward to working with her. The hair colour will go very nicely with the standard background, she thinks, looking at the girl with half closed eyes, imagining her in different lights, from different angles. When the girl looks up, she finds Tabitha staring at her with half closed eyes, head tilted. The girl freezes a bit, and takes a careful shuffle back.

Tabitha smiles reassuringly at the girl, “Don’t worry, I was just thinking ahead, wondering which light setting would be best. It will be great, your hair colour is lovely, and will come out well against any background, really.” The girl looks relieved, and after setting a time she goes off. Tabitha hurriedly packs up the cameras and props, tidying things up, as she won’t be back till much later. She doesn’t want to come back exhausted, all partied out, just to have to hunt for her photography items.

The party! She is getting exciting now, as she locks the last box, and goes off home. She needs to get changed. “This is going to be tricking,” she mumbles to herself, making people look at her in a alarm, watching her march home, mumbling, frowning. “Whose idea was this, I wonder.” Then she grins, it was actually Chris who thought of it! “Imagine that,” she mutters, grinning, and doing nothing to alleviate people’s worries! “Imagine Mr Grouch coming up with a theme for a party, an English Tea Party! What on earth made him come up with a theme like that? I wonder what he’ll be like today… The wedding party was awful, with all of us worried about poor Richard. Then Victoria organised the party for us, after Eva was born. He was awful then, hardly speaking to anybody at all, glaring at guests, growling at Victoria… He really was the end, or rather, as Mum used to say, ‘the absolute terminus’, and he was.”

“I don’t know how Victoria managed all those years. Well, I do, of course, but she is one strong woman, and I’m glad that her prayers have been well and truly answered! Mind you, with that little rascal Samuel, I hope she hasn’t stopped praying just yet…!”

She is glad to be home, checking her phone for the time again. Good! Not much time, but enough, hopefully. She shakes her fist at Chris when she sees him, but he just laughs. She rolls her eyes, if only he knew how hard this is! What is she going to wear? She will probably need something new, which might be easier said than done. Just yesterday they all clubbed together, and managed to pay for another plot of land to be cleared, which doesn’t leave much money for new clothes!

Tabitha is relieved when she finds that the outfit which reminds her of the theme a lot, is actually quite reasonable. She finds a shade that doesn’t clash with her hair too much. She would have liked pink, but that really doesn’t suit her. It’s a shame, as the theme for her party will be an English Tea Party, and the colour that comes to mind is pink. Pink and flowers. She heard the stories of people who went to visit England, and everywhere they went were pink flowers. The curtains, carpets, upholstery of chairs were all decorated with pink flowers, often different shades and shapes of flowers in one room, clashing, and reminding you of wonderful gardens all at the same time. She looks round, if only there were pink flowery dresses available, Laura Ashley Style, with the huge hats to match, like English ladies wear to events like Royal Ascot! She twirls round in front of the mirror and sighs, if only…!

She quickly tidies up the house a bit, moves a few pieces of furniture around, and sets up a little tea corner. Stools here, tiny tables here, right…no, better over here. Tea tray on this one, biscuits on that one…Two jars I think, digestives, ugh, and ginger ones, that should do it. She stands back, and can’t think how to improve it, which means that it’s alright for now. She feels a bit worried, as she knows that some of her friends who will be here any minute now are amazing designers, with great taste and they might have done a much better job. Never mind, she sighs, and moves on, checking that there is enough food for everyone, the party signs are up…She is ready!

She spots Victoria in a lovely salmon pink dress, looking really pretty, matching earrings and bracelets, and she tugs at her blouse, hoping she doesn’t look too much out of place! The men look smart too, and then the first guests start to arrive! Tabitha is so excited, she wonders who will make it, as of course, the Sims Mobile Government doesn’t allow parties to grow too big, and even then they can shut down the party without a moment’s notice! The Renaldi family is actually the first to arrive. She is glad; she gets on very well with Bristol, and Victoria is very friendly with Kiera. She can’t believe Kiera has children, she still seems so young! Even Amara, hardly been promoted, and already had a baby. She gasps, Amara herself is here, at their Tea party! How amazing that is!

She chats with Bristol, gets to meet Amara, who looks stunning and congratulates her with her baby. The party is busy with so many friends, some of them Tabitha meets for the first time. She smiles, pours tea, chats, rubs aching jaws, keeps an eye on her adult daughters… She just hopes they accept her advice. Tabitha had sat them down the night before and had explained the whole thing again. “You need to make sure that you arrange things properly. If you don’t you’re heading for heartache. You can get married very easily, have a baby even easier, but to actually have a family, a strong steady family…well, that takes careful planning. You see, it’s almost impossible to get a Moving In Permit when you just meet a random person. For one thing, they might be married already, or have all their traits. You just don’t know, and can’t bank on it. So, if you hear of somebody that you like, meet the family, and try to make arrangements.”

The girls had both nodded and smiled, but Tabitha knows that with girls the nodding and smiling could mean anything! She is worried, she wants to prevent heartache and sadness, and on the other hand, she wants them to meet somebody they love or come to love. “Life can be so cruel,” she says softly, “and on the other hand, each day can be an amazing, precious gift, to be cherished and enjoyed. I pray both my daughters will find their days happy and full. Theodore as well of course, but somehow to me it feels different. I don’t know why, it just does.”

The house is humming, there are people everywhere, chatting, laughing, meeting and greeting each other. Then, suddenly, there is a gasp, followed by growing silence wherever the news is received. “Vivien Leigh has accepted retirement unexpectedly!” Tabitha stares at the girl in front of her, not believing her ears. Vivien? Retired? No, no way, that can’t be! Vivien, who has been such a help to so many people, and is so needed for her wise counsel. How can she retire, and so suddenly, with no warning, no preparation?

She rushes over to Vivien the moment she arrives. “Oh Vivien, is it true? Is it really true?” Tabitha struggles, she really mustn’t cry, what will Vivien think? She might actually be relieved to retire, and have some peace and quiet, and with everyone weeping all over her, well, she might be hurt! “I just heard the news,” Tabitha continues, looking at Vivien’s smooth face, trying to figure out if she is alright about it all, “the others told me. We will miss you, really truly miss you…” Her voice is starting to do things of its own accord, and Tabitha knows that’s the time to stop words from coming out. Words will misshape themselves, tumble and flow like a river over a rocky patch, and they will sound all disjointed. No, far better to just keep quiet, catch your breath, work up a smile, until you can feel your throat and tongue relaxing and ready to be controlled once again.

Vivien on the other hand looks very composed, calm and serene as usual, with her dark eyes and ready smile. She explains that yes, it had come rather suddenly, and she would miss everyone, especially Penny who had only just had her Coming Out party. Tabitha nods, she’d hoped to have gone, despite not owning a scrap of clothing that could be considered cowgirl style clothing, but by the time she got up, Sims Mobile Government had closed down the party. She wonders briefly if Vivien’s retirement was something to do with the party? Vivien explains that she’s at peace with it all, really. You have to accept certain things in life, she says, very philosophically Tabitha thinks, still struggling to breathe properly.

Tabitha is determined to spend as much time as possible with Vivien, and she begs the others to take as many pictures of them both as possible. She can’t believe it, but when she looks over at Vivien at some stage, she looks so happy, so at ease! As if nothing has happened, as if there is no monumental decision made, because there she is, chatting, drinking tea…looking stunningly beautiful as ever!

Tabitha and Victoria both say that the rest of the party passed in a bit of a blur after that. They meet some lovely people, one girl in particular they had never seen before. Her name is Alyssia, she has beautiful hair, and came with the rest of her family. There was the young Amara, very, very pretty, standing her ground it seemed, going round lots of people; Hank was new as well. “That’s the thing I love about these parties,” says Tabitha that evening, “meeting friends, making new friends, saying bye to amazing friends…” They all go quiet at that, feeling sad and missing Vivien, as if she’s gone already! “I loved meeting lots of new people today, having tea with them,” continues Tabitha after awhile, “saw some old friends as well, I also had some important chats! I’ve seen some of the pictures…it really was a wonderful time. I even saw Chris smiling!”

She laughs out loud at his scowl, and he just has to laugh with them all. “Yes, funny enough, I did enjoy myself. I’d never have believe it myself, but I actually had a great time, I don’t know how that happened? I have never been one for parties, so not sure why this one was so different. Maybe the tea got laced..?”

They chat a bit longer, feeling a little drowsy after the long day, content, blessed, at peace. Looking out the large lattice windows they can see the new patch being cleared. Night noises come in, cheeky Samuel can be heard softly snoring on the baby monitor. That Samuel, he had a great time too! Tabitha smiles over at Victoria, and giggles a little, probably the tea? “You better watch that irrepressible son of yours… He met a lot of people, and not once did he look shy…He was quite happy to go up to all sorts of guests, chatting away, telling them all sorts…”

Yes, she thinks, it really was a great party. She smiles, looking satisfied as a cat in Spring time, thinking back over her conversation with Kiera. “She’s a real character, she is! I just hope it will work out, I’m actually starting to feel quite excited now, but there we go, only time will tell. Who knows what will happen, but I have learned to have patience, and faith, and to trust that all things will work out the way they should. Just trust, although there is no ‘just’ about it, it is one of the hardest things I have learned in all this time. Looking back on all my traits, jobs, hobbies and friendships, there have been lots of difficult lessons, time consuming events, painful memories, but the hardest of all is still Trust. I wonder why…”

Courtship

Tabitha is standing in the foyer, envelope in hand. Her face feels flushed already, her hands are shaking, and that is even before she has opened the envelope! She recognises the type of envelope though; they are the type that normally contain invites. Party invites from friends, wedding parties, food parties, studio parties…sometimes birthday parties. Times with friends, times to socialize, opportunities to meet and greet. Most of all, chances to meet up with promised spouses.

“Is this it, then?” she whispers, “Will this be the time when I will meet Richard Knight? Will he have been invited too? Will we both get in before the party is full? Or before Sims Mobile Government in their unerring wisdom cancels the party…!” She turns the invite round in her hands, hardly daring to open it. This is going to be the day where life as she knows it will end. She will no longer be just Tabitha Mortina, she will be Tabitha Mortina, Richard’s girlfriend…then his fiancée, then his wife…

She swallows hard, “Am I ready for this? Can I actually do this? Lord, I’m scared, I can’t do this alone, it’s too uncertain, I’m too unsure of myself and who I am. I need to trust You, I know, but can I, even in this…? This is big, but I suppose in the grand scale of life it’s minuscule, and You are beyond it all, so is this small matter safe in Your Hands?”

She sighs, yes, her head knows it is, she knows she should trust, but to actually do it is not as easy as it sounds! She turns half towards the lounge to open the letter when she notices Chris. He is leaning against the doorpost, sneering. “Don’t tell me you’ve got the religion bug as well?” he says, his voice grating and nasty sounding, “I thought it was just my mum affected by it…Nobody is going to help with you getting married, you know, it’s all up to you. As it’s not that big a deal, you won’t need the help either, which I suppose is the good news in all this!”

He saunters off, his unpleasant laugh lingering in the silent foyer. Tabitha stands still, feeling dejected, hurt, angry…and more scared than ever! “Trust”, she mumbles, “come on Tabitha, just Trust, how hard can it be?” She takes determined, deliberate steps towards the lounge, ready to open the envelope.

It is an invite, of course. It’s a food party, thrown by Sierra Chisholm. That doesn’t fill Tabitha with courage at all. She imagines attending a party, where Sierra is the one to welcome you, and introduce you to the guests. Her hearts starts beating overtime again, this whole marriage thing really is more scary than she imagined! Just the initial meeting up is fraught with difficulties, let alone the courtship itself! She checks the date, the time, wondering if she really, really needs to attend, or whether there is another way of meeting Richard Knight, some quiet, private way, out of the public eye, and even better, out of Sierra’s eye…

She knows there is no way out, even though she might not be able to go to the entire party, as she will be at work. Chris will be at work as well, which means that both of them will turn up in their work clothes. Great. Knowing Sierra, she will look like a queen, and she will feel like Cinderella before the Fairy Godmother got to work… Tabitha sighs, sticks the invite on the fridge, and gets ready for work, her mind preoccupied, her hands still shaking a little…

Tabitha keeps her eyes on the clock. Tonight is he night of the party! She is so nervous, many of the photo shoots have to be redone, her hands are shaking, her legs slower than she thought possible. She keeps touching her hair, rubbing her hands dry on her simple skirt. Two more clients…one more…it’s a retake though, as something goes wrong with the camera, and polaroid photos keep flying at the client, without Tabitha being able to stop them…

It is time! She takes a deep breath, legs unsure of which way to move, hands cold and damp, and there is Sierra’s house. Sierra’s mansion, she corrects herself, the place is absolutely stunning. So is Sierra, greeting her, eyeing her simple clothes… “Well, you’re in luck,” she says, making it sound like the opposite, “one of the sticker options is ‘casual’ so you’ll add quite a few to your collection, no doubt…” she smiles, but it’s a smile that makes a girl feel anything but warm!

Tabitha goes inside, wanders round from room to room, meeting up some very kind people, singing in one room, watching the cake in another, and slowly feels herself relaxing. She spots Chris at one point, off in another room, looking grumpy and out of place in the happy crowd. Then everything changes, it seems even birds stop singing, and she feels as if everyone in the party is holding their breath…

Some young people in superhero suits have walked in. A slender girl with beautiful hair and smart glasses, and a very kind smile walks into the room where Chris is. “Hello, you must be Chris, I hardly recognised you with your hair like that. It suits you!” Tabitha hears her clear, crisp voice, not a high voice, but sweet and melodical, reminding her of the sound of a flute.

Then she forgets about the girl, as she sees the next guest arrive. It is a strong, muscly young man, also in a green superhero suit, his handsome face pleasant, eyes bright and understanding. Richard Knight! Her betrothed is here! Tabitha feels her legs staring to shake again, her feet glued to the floor, her breath coming in small gasps. Her Richard is here, now the courtship will officially begin. He walks straight up to her, his face smiling, eyes alight.

“Hello,” squeaks Tabitha, “Hi, Mr Handsome…!” The flirty introduction is made, the course is set. Now it is just a matter of time before she will be wearing a white dress, facing him in a tux…

The evening passes in a whirl of emotions. Tabitha can’t remember any of the conversations; some weren’t worth remembering, she is sure of that. Richard is gallant and kind and a great listener, and Tabitha feels herself relaxing as the evening carries on. Every now and then she catches a glimpse of Chris, although each time she spots him, she actually has to look twice, he looks so different! Gone is the scowl and permanent frown, his eyes are smiling, and even his mouth is definitely curving upwards…Who’d have thought it possible!?

The party is over before she knows it, and it all seems like a strange dream, sweet, but gone, like the Cinderella story, she thinks to herself, when she wakes up in her large bed. Reality soon knocks on the door, though, as both she and Chris begin the day with meeting up their betrothed spouses. The conversation is rather awkward at first, and a bit shallow, like discussing holiday plans at the little table, or cooking her favourite dessert.

Soon the courtship gets more involved though, their first kiss, almost inappropriate touching, a squeeze, whispering sweet nothings… Tabitha finds herself enjoying the courtship, revelling in Richard’s attention. He is such a handsome man, she thinks, I feel totally unworthy of him! He is so kind and sweet, and although he didn’t appreciate my poetry reading, he has been very good about it. She must admit, the poem she had picked wasn’t the best “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Dream…” isn’t the most manly of poems, but then, it was the first one Google presented to her on her phone…She started reading it off the device before she really noticed what it said. Richard noticed all right, and quickly stopped her! Saving her the embarrassment, no doubt…!

The time flies by, and before she even manages to catch her breath, she gets the official Government notice: She is now Richard Knight’s Fiancée… wow, she gasps as she reads the notice, this is so amazing, it’s like living a dream, I just love him already! All my worries on that score are definitely ungrounded. He is the most wonderful young man in Sims Mobile, I’m sure, and I feel richly blessed…!

The courtship is a wonderful time, one that she will always treasure in her heart. She enjoys the cups of tea, the snuggles on the sofa, and the slow dances together. Chris seems to be having a great time as well, and Tabitha finds herself breathing a prayer for him, “Please, Lord, let Victoria be the one to bring him healing and happiness…let her be the one to soften his heart, to make him see the world in a kinder light…”

Then, before Tabitha even realises their relationship had deepened to such a level, they are wearing the Government issued wedding apparel. Her dress is lovely, and Richard looks even more handsome in his wedding suit than he did in his superhero one! She can’t take her eyes off him, hugging him, whispering, imagining the big day, enjoying the flowers… It will be a long wait till the end of the wedding day, and then, soon after that, Richard will move in, they will be husband and wife! Tabitha is beyond grateful and excited, her heart is about to burst with happiness, and her jaws are aching already from smiling the biggest grin ever, like the Cheshire Cat, wondering vaguely how long she’ll manage to carry on grinning without needing corrective surgery…Life is good, oh yes, life is great, from top of her mountain anyway!

Cousins

Tabitha is standing in the large bedroom, trying to decide where to pack her personal belongings. How strange to be standing here, she thinks, looking at the blue bedspread, the large white wardrobe, this just feels strange. Only a short while ago she was counted as a child, sleeping in the nursery, the children’s’ room. Now she is an adult, counted as an adult, and given an adult’s position. She looks at the double bed again, and something shivers inside her. She gets nervous, looking at that bed…

She resolutely turns her back on the bed, and starts to put her clothes into the wardrobe. She is humming to herself, she is so excited about it all. She really thought the Promoting would never happen, and she is quite sure that if it had been up to Aunt Guinevere, it probably never would have happened. She feels guilty straightaway, even looks over her shoulder, as if anyone in the room could read her thoughts! They were a bit unfair, she admits, after all, Aunt Guinevere is perfectly at peace with the whole thing now. The grey actually becomes her, and the autumnal colours of her outfit suit her.

Soon Tabitha is installed, as she calls it. She looks round once more, checking things, looking at things, but not so much at the bed. She knows she is being silly, but she is feeling a little wobbly mass in her stomach when she thinks of her betrothed, the man promised to her in marriage, her beloved Richard. Well, beloved, she doesn’t really know him, but his name does make her heart speed up a notch! Whenever she gets ne of his regular letters, her heart does overtime! She is very, very excited about the whole arrangement.

Tabitha knows it will be a little while though, first they need to receive their shared party invite, then at the party they need to actually meet up and connect. Then there is the long and complex courtship, after which follows the proposal Event. That is something she is really looking forward to it just sounds so romantic! It makes her feel special just thinking about Richard Knight, proposing to her, Tabitha. She knows he is a very kind, charming young man, very considerate, which makes her look forward to the proposal even more!

After that, there is the very long and rather tedious wedding ceremony. Tedious, because you are limited in what you can wear, and what you can say and do. All that is regulated and ordained by Sims Mobile Government , who clearly don’t take a girl’s feelings into consideration! Tabitha is standing in front of the tall mirror now, twirling this way and that. “Will this dress suit Madam?” she askes, in a very affectatious voice. “I’m afraid we only have white this week, and blue tux for the young man,” continues the posh voice. Tabitha stops and sighs, feeling a bit down all of a sudden.

“What if they really gave us awful clothes, and we’d be stuck with them for the entire ceremony!” she groans out loud. A brusque voice answers her question from behind her back.

“Well, then you’d just have to get married with your eyes shut, I suppose.” Chris, her cousin, is standing behind her, his usual scowl firmly in place. “Who cares about the wedding ceremony or dress code or flowers? It’s the deed that matters, just a tick box exercise, dearest cousin!” he sneers, and stalks off again.

Tabitha slumps down on the bed with a sigh of relief. Chris unnerves her, the way he suddenly pops up, and always pokes his nose into things, answering rhetorical questions with his dour outlook on life. They should get him a job as undertaker, she mutters, her scowl matching his, and maybe even outscowling him! Really, the way he suddenly appears, it’s going to drive me mad! What if he comes in…her thoughts trail off, Tabitha bites her lip, and runs her hand absentmindedly over the bedspread.

Then she shakes her head, and laughs at her own worries. “Even Chris wouldn’t do that! He will probably hover nearby, but even Chris won’t be in this room on my wedding night!” She is worried about that night, nervous, excited!

Tabitha walks out of the room, passes Chris who is still nearby, of course, and gets the post in. Both of them have a letter from the Job Office, so she hands Chris his letter, and opens hers. She applied for Photographer, preferably the ASOS one, and really hopes she’ll get it. It will be so interesting and, she smiles secretly, also very convenient with Dr Knight just across the Square…

She quickly scan the letter…mmm…accepted…mmm…start on receipt of letter…oh. Not the ASOS Photographer after all, well, that is disappointing! At least she will still be a photographer. Tabitha is over the slight twitch of disappointment before the letter is back in the envelope. She can’t wait to begin her career! It will be so exciting, and the Luxury Event is almost finished, so very soon she will be able to just concentrate on her career. Brilliant!

She meets Chris, again, on her way to get ready for work. He looks just a little less grumpy, which means that he must have gotten the position he wanted as well! She asks him, not wanting to be cold towards him all the time. “Did you get your position? You applied for the office job, didn’t you? Working Downtown is quite cool, and I suppose it will make it convenient for you and Victoria to share transport!”

He grunts a bit and answers quite civil for a change, “Yes, I got the position. Of course, they could always change it I suppose. Also, that office is quite dark, and I’m sure they have lighting that can cause migraines, so I might have to apply somewhere else anyway. It said in the letter that Harry Something is still the overall manager, and he is absolutely ancient. I can’t stand most elderly co-workers, they just nag you all day, and he’ll probably pick on me because of my eyebrows.”

Tabitha just stops herself from rolling her eyes. Seriously, her cousin is worse than Eeyore, honestly, a manager picking on you just because you have slightly bushy eyebrows? As they have only just received shared responsibility of the house she decides to be extra nice to him. “I’m sure he won’t even notice your eyebrows, so you’ll be fine on that score,” she says as lightly and as upbeat as possible in front of a sourpuss like Chris.

He looks worried straight away, “What do you mean, he won’t notice my eyebrows? Why ever would he not notice them? I dislike the way you wind me up whenever you can. I makes me feel very undermined and insecure!”

This time Tabitha does roll her eyes and sigh. “That isn’t what I meant, Chris. I meant that your eyebrows are absolutely fine, and I am quite sure that the manager will not pick on you on account of your eyebrows…or for any other reason,” she adds hurriedly, seeing Chris’ frown deepening with each word. “Anyway, I have to go, my first shift starts, and I want to be on time.”

That brings the conversation to a very hurried end, as Chris most definitely doesn’t want to be late! Tabitha wonders what life with her cousin will be like, hoping they both will get married very soon. At least that will give them separate lives, and she won’t feel like Chris is watching her every move…

Transitions

It is Monday afternoon, and Guinevere and Adrianna have just finished work Downtown. Mondays are always hard, and today was no exception. Guinevere especially had been very busy, as it’s a Bank Holiday Monday. It’s Whitsunday Monday, or Pentecost, and everyone is off work. Well, almost every one. Guinevere is actually relieved to be at work today, it helps to take her mind off things. She spots a few regulars, and of course, her ancient manager is there as usual. When will he retire, or rather, will he ever retire? He never takes a day off, either…She wonders what his home life looks like. It can’t be great, that’s for sure. Guinevere can’t remember him talking about a wife or family, so presumably there isn’t much to go back to for him. The fact that he is old and stooped is strange though. Surely that should mean he’s had his papers served and accepted, and therefore should be unable to go to work?

Soon her shift is finished, and Guinevere decides to go and pour the Tea in the little café. She spots Sierra, looking her usual happy self…not! She has a few cups with her, trying to keep a conversation going. Guinevere sighs, sadly, Sierra reminds her too much of her moody son, and it’s really not something she needs at this moment! Life is depressing enough as it is, with boxes all round the Granny Annexe, Sebastian walking round with checklists, and Chris trying to look like the Victim of Injustice and Overcomer of Injustice all at the same time… She pushes any slight twitches of guilt away. It really was an injustice, after all, and the fact that it is in the past, and really not her problem doesn’t matter, surely! It’s always good to stand against injustice, she says to herself.

Guinevere sighs,and looks round the café. During one of the mentoring Events, will she be able to come back here by choice? Or will she be like some of those other elders around the café, stragglers, aimlessly wandering round the Park, in and out the café at random? Guinevere feels the lump in her throat, and breathes in deeply, and out again….and in…and out. She still has that quiet peace in her heart from yesterday, she knows it’s the way things should be, but even so, that doesn’t make her immune to sadness now, does it?

Looking at the slim, beautiful and especially young Sierra doesn’t help either. She realises that all this time in the café, she has been eyeballing people and labelling them. The put them into age categories, and felt resentful and judgmental towards anyone who fell into the ‘very young, probably only just promoted’ category. She recognises the other category, the group of people who look like her, ‘definitely got all their traits, probably holding off retirement as well’. The group she deliberately turns her eyes away from are the elders: stooped, grey, somber, dressed in dowdy clothes…

“How awful they look, and so unhappy,” she whispers into the steaming mug off very bitter tea, “none of them look at peace, none of them look attractive. Yet in a day or so I will be joining them! Oh dear, I know I need to accept and trust, and yes, I know it’s for the best, but oh, how painful to let go!” She leans over the mug, pretending to look into it, whilst covertly wiping her eyes. She breathes in deeply again, sits up straight, and feels strength flowing into her heart, followed by peace, a quiet knowing that all is well.

Yes, she thinks, it is well with me, and I will accept, and I will rejoice and be glad in this day. She smiles to herself, eyes drying quickly of their own accord, that was one of Great Auntie Alicia’s songs! She used to sing that song whenever we grumbled about something that day. She was right of course, and yes, I will decide, I will choose to rejoice.

She finishes her tea, finishes the Tea Event, and decides to go home, to check the post, to check, well nothing really, just to be home, she admits to herself. When she gets home she has a shock. The others are all there, sitting around the large sitting room. Their faces look gloomy in some cases, like Adrianna’s, and exuberant in other cases, like Tabitha’s and Chris’. Guinevere looks round the collection of Mortinas, and drops into the nearest chair. Her legs just won’t support her any longer.

“Has it come?” she is shocked at the thin, wobbly voice wafting across the lounge. Is that her voice? That old, quivery sound? “Surely the Gems haven’t come yet? Last time the Gems only came Wednesday night! Why have they come so early, why couldn’t it wait? I’m not ready, I still want to…” the tears drown out the sound of her voice however, and the family looks on, uneasy, shuffling their feet, fidgeting their fingers, as Guinevere wails and rocks herself in her grief.

Sebastian goes over to her, “Come my sweet,” he whispers, “come, don’t take on so! You know we will still have some days, we will still have time to do things together. You know there is a time for everything under the sun. This is a time to let go, to enjoy the twilight of our lives, a time to move on. There is a time to start as well, start our days here watching the new generation grow and bloom. A time for Chris to be active, to meet his future wife properly, to lead his family…”

Guinevere calms down after a while, Tabitha brings her some water, and then Guinevere looks at them all again. “So it is true, then,” she asks softly, “they really have come? Do we really have to send off for the papers right here and now?”

Tabitha shakes her head, “No aunt Guinevere, there is still a little time. Chris and I still need to make the arrangements with the Knights. We still don’t know when the meeting up party will be. I’m sure there isn’t much time, but there definitely is some. We do know that both Richard and Victoria Knight have been mad active, and as far as I know Richard managed to get that position as a doctor that he applied for. Victoria has started at the Court already, I believe, so it won’t be long before we meet up with them.”

Guinevere smiles her bravest smile and gets up. “Good,” she says, and all of a sudden there is a glimpse of the old Guinevere back in her face, “good, for I just want to lead the music one more time!” With that, she is off, back to the night club, to have one more shift. Then maybe a bit of a make over, her dress is fine for now, but once she is old and grey she wants something more flattering. The frumpy looking elders in the café come to mind… No, that would never do!

The Mortina home is buzzing with activity. Josiah and Jephta have their bags packed, most of their things in boxes stacked high in the new apartment they found. Chris is actually smiling a lot, his sour mouth and suspicious eyes looking more relaxed than Guinevere has seen them for some time. He is getting ready too, applying for a position in the office, filling in the necessary form to become Active in the House. Rooms are rearranged, plans are made, knickknacks are packed.

Time for a last complete family portrait…and Guinevere’s two sons are off. Another portrait, this time with everyone left in the Mortina home. It will be the last portrait with Lancelot and Adrianna and Sebastian and Guinevere in the active positions. The next time the family photographer will come four of them will be grey headed…Why is change so hard and painful?

Guinevere finds herself in the kitchen with kind hearted Tabitha, who is on top of the world it seems! “Well, then, have you seen this young Knight yet? Has he sent a picture to you? Now that he is active, he has probably changed quite a bit?”

Tabitha smiles, and looks dreamy, which is very sweet, Guinevere thinks. She remembers her own romance, all arranged of course, as all the townies were old. Her parents had to resort to arranged marriages for them. She loves Sebastian though, and is very happy with him. She was a bit sad and disappointed in the beginning, she remembers, as he had several traits already, and a tummy to match… But he was kind, and good natured, and he won her heart in the end! It’s obvious that Tabitha has none of these problems, she is glowing and eager to meet her Knight in shining armour!

“I’ve got a picture,” gushes Tabitha, “he just sent it this afternoon! Look, here he is, sitting round the bubble maker at their house…” She trails of a little, and her sweet smile seems to become a little bit too bright. Guinevere sees Tabitha’s green eyes darken a little. I bet she is worried, she thinks.

“Don’t you worry about their house, Tabitha, I know it’s absolutely gorgeous, and huge. That is not what is important though. They are lovely people, hard working, caring, always ready to help out. The fact that we have no bubble blower, no palace, no piano even, or any of those things, none of that will worry your Richard. I am absolutely sure of that. They are not snobbish at all!”

Tabitha sighs, and looks relieved at her aunt’s words. It is something that she is very conscious about, the fact that Richard, and Victoria too for that matter, will have to come down quite a bit in the world. She fears that the lack of niceties and fineries might cause resentment in the end, and she hopes and prays that Richard will really fall in love with her, as a person, and truly find happiness in their relationship. She is quite sure that he isn’t materialistic but still, it can be hard to do without certain things all of a sudden!

They chat a bit longer, her aunt sharing some stories of the posh party she went to at the Knight’s house, how Alex used to be a bit of a bounder (Guinevere actually blushed at that point, so Tabitha discreetly looks away!), but that rumours have it that Alex has been given the responsibility of the House, and that he takes this very seriously indeed. “Well,” Guinevere looks very mischievous all of a sudden, “well, they have a saying the Netherlands, that a fox can lose its hair, but not its tricks…So you might want to tread carefully round Alex, just in case!”

At that she laughs, hugs Tabitha suddenly, and says softly, “I am glad. Yes, I know it’s all been painful, and I don’t doubt that I will shed a few more tears, but I am glad. Yes, I still have peace in my heart, and acceptance to go wherever God leads me, and He will go with me. I can honestly say that I’m glad, as I can see the excitement in your face, and I will see this new generation moving in, taking up the mantle, growing, blossoming, thriving… I’m at peace, and I wish you and your splendid Knight peace too, when your stories begin, when highs and lows ebb your way… Have peace, dearest Tabitha, have peace always, in sadness and in joy!”

Weddings

Weddings all round!

The day dawned bright and early for Lancelot, which came as a shock in itself. Today is hopefully going to be one of the best days in his life! A special party has been arranged, and everything has been planned ahead for him to meet some one special. He tries not to think about how organised it all has been, worried that Guinevere might find out, and look at him with those green eyes dancing. He realises how it must sound, which is why he hasn’t made a sound! Guinevere is not to know, nor his parents, for that matter. Arranged marriages sound so dreadful and hyper efficient and ancient. It conjures up images of interfering parents whose only aim in life was to either preserve their estate or to enhance it.

This is nothing like that. Nothing at all, but still, it’s better to explain much, much later how the party came about. The party! He actually feels wobbly inside, and he wonders briefly whether he is actually making a mistake. After all, turning up at a friend’s party, all smiley, handing out stickers to all sorts of people you have never met, all with just one purpose in mind. The Girl.

It was surprisingly easy to set up, he muses, whilst slipping into his suit. We’ll set a time for a party, you turn up, find the girl in question, chat her up, and Bob’s your Uncle. Apart from he isn’t. Many things in life don’t go as expected, or hoped for, or wished for, or even arranged! Especially in Sims Mobile, where the powers that be have a lot of power, and do some random things. Like cancel parties, or refuse to supply the right moving in papers. Lancelot sighs, the day ahead seems overwhelming, and he wonders if it’s really worth the stress.

He has seen her name, Adrianna. It rolls around his head and rolls of his tongue easily in his thoughts. You see, that is something else that could jeopardise the whole thing. Her name, or more precisely, his tongue. What if he mispronounces it, or after all the practise in his head says it with the wrong feeling? What will she be like, anyway? Will she be washed out looking, like one of the wives of his great great grandparents relations? The one that got cheated on… Or will she be wearing clothes that give you migraines because of their constant flashing? He sighs, this is really getting out of hand.

Time to run through the mental list: do I want to find a wife? Yes. Are any of the co-workers in Sims Mobile eligible at the moment? Nope, they’re all old. So, therefore, this party invite is perfect, Adrianna sounds wonderful and lively and interesting. So, let’s do this!

His tie is straight by this time, shoes shine, Lancelot looks one more time in the mirror, and off he strides, purposefully, out of the house. He arrives at the party, he looks round with a worried air at all the people, the hot tub, the garden…and the first person he meets is called…Adrianna! The sight of her takes his breath away, she is amazing! She is wearing a fairy outfit, with beautiful glossy auburn hair, and she smiles! He cannot believe it, all his worries disappear like snow on a summer’s day! She has a beautiful smile, her grey blue eyes sparkle with life, complimented by blue rimmed glasses. He feels his own smile getting wider and wider, and fleetingly worries that he will end up looking like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland… But here is Adrianna, and all other thoughts are left behind.

Well, he thinks later, much later in fact, I could just say, The Rest was History, but wow, what history it was! He thinks about their dates, the first one in the little café, the romantic meals at the restaurant, the dancing at home, the long Wedding… He just feels giddy with happiness. He looks across the room at his near-perfect wife, wearing a simple yet incredibly elegant blue dress, matching earrings, shoes, glasses….Adrianna is definitely about the details, he grins to himself. No wonder she is doing so well at her job!

The wedding seems forever ago, although the day itself will never be forgotten! Adrianna moved into the Mortina home, fully accepted by Guinevere. In fact, Guinevere seemed pleased to spend time with Adrianna. Lancelot and Adrianna take over the front bedroom, with the special Honeymoon bed, and soon the ancient family bassinet was in use! His cup is brimming over with happiness. The most gorgeous wife, and now also a little baby boy, Josiah. Watching Adrianna feeding him, and cooing at him makes his heart melt. He hadn’t realise that he was still grinning in her direction, until she looks at him with those amazing eyes, and sweet smile, “You look like you’re a happy man?”

“I am! The happiest in the long and complex line of Mortinas!” he laughs. “I was just counting my blessings, and as ever, I count you twice…” She rolls her eyes, as he knew she would, and laughs her melodious laugh.

“You’re the sweetest man ever, and a great flatterer…it get’s you nowhere with me, you know!” She rolls her eyes, “It might work with the lady I work with, Miss Mutton-Dressed-as-Lamb, Skyler Miner. She is awful, really judges people based on appearances, not realising that at her age dying your fringe pink is no longer cool, but sad!”

They both look serious at that, as it is such a tragic thing, and potentially disastrous for somebody. Adrianna works in the Court office with Skyler, and they do have to be so careful in how they advise people. Their advice could potentially ruin somebody, and Skyler is definitely a disaster waiting to happen.

“Is there still no word about her retirement?” he asks. “It seems that all offices in Sims Mobile are waiting for papers to come through. Could there be a strike up at the EA offices? Somebody on holiday who didn’t leave clear instructions? Wherever I go, and whoever I talk to, it seems that all shops and businesses have senior staff, and then I don’t mean Senior in rank or experience, merely in birthday candles…!”

The both look around rather awkwardly at that, as Guinevere has recently married a man who definitely has more candles on his cake than her…! He is very, very nice though. His name is Sebastian, she met him at a party very soon after Lancelot met Adrianna! Turns out that they both decided to go down the arranged marriage route, although from what Guinevere told him, her arrangement almost fell flat, thanks to Sims Mobile government officials! There was apparently a moment of panic when Sebastian couldn’t attend her party as arranged, but fortunately they managed to make other arrangements. In fact, Guinevere always boasts that she was actually the very first person to arrive at the party! Who’d have guessed that Guinevere would go for arranged marrage! Probably working with an ancient DJ colleague did it for her, Lancelot grins slyly to himself. He is very pleased for his sister though.

Sebastian looks a bit older, has blond hair, which makes him stand out in the Mortina household, and a very kind, good natured face. Guinevere and Sebastian only just got married, in fact, they are still debating over surnames. Guinevere is quite desperate to have the Mortina name, as she is still hoping that she and Sebastian might have a child who could inherit the Mortina Name. They have left it, however, as Sebastian was under a lot of stress. He struggled to find a job, and ended up working at the offices downtown. It was obvious that he hated it, he looked so unhappy!

Just a few weeks ago an opening came up in the local Mobile hospital, and Sebastian got accepted. He was thrilled, and his mood has improved! The change is enormous, helped maybe by the beard he has grown. “I just had to keep explaining that yes, I am definitely old enough to be taking charge!” he laughed, his hearty laugh bouncing round the newly painted walls. “I jut find people somehow take me more seriously with a beard. Aren’t people sad?!” Again that laugh, which in itself makes you feel better! No wonder he is such a successful and sought after doctor, thinks Lancelot, smiling at his brother in law. Unbelievable, both of us happily married, doing our very best to keep the Inheritance going! How thrilling to be part of making History!

Baby Josiah has started a new generation, Joash and Christie are still around, there is a special Events week on in Sims Mobile… Life is busy, and full and good…whatever next?