Spouses – Page 2 – Vicarious Living

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…

Time is up

Is time up?

Raised voices can be heard from the Granny Annexe. Adrianna and Lancelot look at each other with raised eyebrows, curiosity and weariness on their faces. This must be the third argument this week, although this one sounds a lot more dramatic and involved. “Will it have anything to do with the letter that arrived for Guinevere this morning? Do you think it will be her retirement letter? She looked absolutely horrified when she opened it. After all, it has been a while since she got her last trait…” Adrianna’s whispered voice trails off as Lancelot holds up one hand to stop her, tilting his head to hear better.

“I’m sure I can hear Chris’ voice as well!” he whispers back, a frown screwing up his face in what should be a concerned look, but because of his new hair do makes him look like a weird teenager with beard. Adrianna looks away, as the new hair style still annoys her. She loves class and great taste; Lancelot seems to just have reached a midlife crisis, dressing in gaudy colours and a wild hair style. She sighs, and in the silence that follows she can hear the three voices quite clearly. It sounds as if Chris is really agitated. Well, nothing new there! The poor chap is a mess, to be honest.

It isn’t that long ago since Chris reached adulthood, which did nothing to improve his moods or his attitude. He can be very charming and sweet, but only when he will benefit from it. When a situation feels slightly out of his control, well, you will see a totally different Chris! Adrianna is convinced that he grew his hair long just to wind up his parents. It doesn’t actually suit him, and Adrianna, like all the others in the Mortina household bar Chris, can’t stand long hair on the guys. She might be old fashioned, or rather, they might all be old fashioned and prejudiced and what ever else people like to call it, but the fact remains that they don’t think it looks good.

Of course, Guinevere moaned and fussed over Chris’ hair, and Sebastian made his usual vague but snide comments, and Chris just sneered at his parents, enjoying their discomfort. He dresses in ripped jeans and a hoodie, and glowers at everyone he meets. That is, until he needs something. It’s like the sun comes out then, he is fun and charming, and you would never recognise him as the sullen overgrown teenager.

“Extended adolescence,” says Lancelot suddenly. “That is all it is, and I’m afraid they had it coming too, with all their crazy schemes and talk of ‘Injustice’ and needing to put the record straight!”

Adrianna looks confused, “What are you on about?” she says, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. She is tired and actually a little worried about life in Sims Mobile.

“I mean the lad, Chris. He is a basket case, he is. One minute crying, next minute laughing and spreading charm like a farmer spreads manure… It’s all this talk about ancestor Chris that has done that. The boy doesn’t know whether he is coming or going, he doesn’t even know if he will be able to stay in the Mortina Home! Who knows what will happen, no decision has been made yet with regards to the Line, and who will carry it on. I’m not even sure that the boy should be considered, he isn’t particularly a great representative now, is he?”

Lancelot walks off, ready to do more work. The garden patch is almost cleared, and in a very short time they should have enough Simoleans to clear the next patch! What about those shoes he saw the other day…he does fancy some new shoes, but reckons that the ladies will want to go to town first. After all, he did pay quite a bit for his new hair do! He touches the wavy bits, worried that it will all go down and just look flat again. So far so good though, and when he passes one of the many mirrors he can’t resist a look and a smile.

Adrianna is left behind by herself. She sits down for a moment, tired and worried. She has been so distracted lately, thinking and fussing bout the future. Somehow she feels drawn to the past, and people have already commented about her frequent visits to her old home. I just need to touch base with my roots, she argues in her head. What is wrong with me visiting the old Family home? Anyway, I’m sure I can be of help there to, the Knight family is growing as well, and there are bound to be younger people there who need an auntie’s input!

The thing is, Adrianna is scared. Scared of changes ahead. After all, the children are all grown up, even little Jephta, and it seems that all four of them have been served their retirement papers. They can hold off, naturally, but really only for so long. For one thing, it is always possible to accept the next reminder, and you’ll be retired before you realise. On the other hand, the next generation will want to live out their lives, find spouses, have careers, and how much longer will they wait?

It isn’t that long ago that Jephta had his birthday, so obviously nothing has been mentioned yet. Also, she is quite sure that Guinevere had her notice only this morning. She must have waited till after the Events, between shifts, to show Sebastian. What is Chris doing, though, how did he get involved in all this? Mind you, he is very hyper vigilant, always worried that he will be the victim of some imagined injustice, so he was probably hanging around, watching everything with those black eyes of his…!

Adrianna gets ready, relieved to be able to still make it to work at the Court, paranoid that she will accept the retirement call when it comes again! How awful that would be, in the middle of your shift, really in the middle of your life, to accept the call and find yourself back home, grey and useless…It has happened to others recently; even one of the Starlettes retired like that. She shudders, if it can happen to Betty, it can happen to anyone!

Things have changed in the Mortina Home, that is for sure. When Adrianna comes back from the Court she can just sense it. Things aren’t as they were. Guinevere looks different, even has a new (expensive!) haircut, and brand new boots, and a totally different style of clothing. What is that all about? Then there are her angry comments that keep reminding the others that she is not old, that she is not ready for retirement, whatever the Sims Mobile Government might think, and that she has still many years of service left.

Sebastian, Lancelot and Adriana avoid her, Adrianna feels her own adrenaline rising whenever Guinevere goes off one. She knows the score, she knows that the papers are served soon after your last trait, and she knows that once the next generation is all grown up, you really can’t avoid reality. Guinevere isn’t so good at reality though. The arrival of the letter took her completely by surprise. Yes, of course she knew she’d had her last trait, but this feels so final. To hold a bit of paper that coolly states that it is really time for you to end life as you know it…the cruelty of it took her breath away.

“I’m not ready yet!” she wails to Sebastian that evening. “I have still so many things that I enjoy. I have friends I want to get to know better, I have just become better acquainted with Audrey Hepburn of all people. Do I really need to give all that up, all the chances I have at this stage, just to move into some dreary old people’s flat somewhere Downtown? It’s just so unfair, I’m not ready at all, and why should I give everything up?” She sobs as if her heart would break, and Sebastian runs through a list of tranquilizers in his mind. He hates sedating people, it never really helps long term, and it takes away healing tears as well. Guinevere got herself into a real state though, and he knows the number on her birth certificate, even if she herself denies it… Soon she falls asleep on the double bed in the Granny Annexe, and Sebastian breathes a sigh of relief. He can’t think of anything worse than Guinevere’s hysterics! Fortunately, she is usually quite calm and self controlled, something that hasn’t been passed on to their son, he thinks, scowling in the semi darkness of the room.

Guinevere is not the only one that had a letter that fateful day. The postman seems to have a regular beat to their postbox, with many letters in a sprawling handwriting found there in the morning. Tabitha is the one making off with these, her pretty face looking prettier still under a blush. Even Chris seems to get some post, and he looks a bit less like he’s suffering all the world’s ills after the post has been.

Days go by, but before too long, the children ask for a Family Conference. Guinevere promptly bursts into tears when Sebastian tells her. “This is it! This is the end, I know it is! They want to throw us out, stuff us in an old people’s home, tuck us away! What about my Chris, what about my boy, will they cut him off as well, just like ancestor Chris? Will the injustice in this family be perpetuated? What if I refuse, what if I carry on working, will they really force me to accept my retirement? Can they actually do so?” She cries and throws herself on the bed. When she is calmer she goes into the gold bathroom, and upon seeing her face in the star shaped mirror burst into new floods of tears. Sebastian is at a loss, he hates dramas, and he suspects that a lot of these tears are crocodile tears…caused by fear, and a dislike of change.

In the end the whole family sits in the spacious lounge of the Granny Annexe, as it has more sofas to sit on. Josiah scrapes his throat rather pompously, and looks round. “Ahh well, ehm..we as children would like to discuss a few things…ehm..you know, about the house and all that…eehm…well, yes, just to see what you think.” Guinevere stops herself just in time from rolling her eyes. Adrianna is watching her, and however pompous and over the top Josiah might seem, his mother adores him.

The adults look at each other, and in the end Lancelot speaks up. “Well, as you know, we all have been served our retirement papers, irrespective of how we feel about that.” He looks down at his bright red trousers, new red loafers on his feet, and sighs. “You know that we love this house, we love the family, and we don’t really feel old enough to go into a home and just play snooker all day…or darts…or whatever they do Downtown…” he trails off, unsure of what to say next. He certainly doesn’t feel ready to leave, but then, on the other hand, the children must feel ready to leave Limbo, and start living their lives and building their dreams. Surely they have a right to be heard in this matter?

“I understand that you will have a view about all this?” asks Adrianna, her courtroom voice clear and crisp, but Lancelot can hear the tiniest tremor in her voice. “We do understand that now you’re all grownup you might want to share your ideas with us.” She looks at her three children, cute little Josiah, so grownup and sure of himself, even if he is not the best speaker in Sims Mobile. Tabitha, her little girl, beautiful and sweet, considerate and kind…and her baby, Jephta, how did he get to grow up so fast?! Then there is Chris…looking sullen and stubborn, twisting his fingers in and out, shuffling his feet, glowering at whoever looks at him.

In the end it is Jephta who explains what is on their minds. He is a lovely young man, Arianna had high hopes for him; saw him as the next Mortina Clan leader. It isn’t to be, she realises as soon as Jeptha takes the floor. “We know that you all have had your papers served, we also know that you’re all four young at heart.” He pauses for a second, hesitates, and the others all try to avoid looking at Sebastian at this point. Sebastian who actually allowed his hair to go grey, who looks, dresses and walks like an old man…

Jeptha looks around at the family, and carries on. “We do know how you feel, and it’s not that we want to get you out, or stuff you away somewhere Downtown. The thing is, though, Josiah has got plans already, even got his eye on a little apartment, and so have I.” He looks at his mum apologetically, as he knows the dreams she had for him. “Tabitha and Chris, well, that is a different matter. You see, we can see aunt Guinevere’s point, and Chris has really been well prepared to take on the Family Line. It would be a shame to stop that from happening. We, as children, feel that there is no reason why he shouldn’t stay here, and carry on the Line.”

Apart from his mental health, Lancelot fills in quietly to himself. On the other hand, being placed in a position of responsibility might do him some good. Who knows, he might find a good wife who will be able to help and support him?

“Tabitha also would like to stay on, she met somebody the other day, and has been in touch with him a lot.” Jephta smiles at his older sister, who is blushing, and looks even prettier than usual, sitting on the warm coloured sofa, looking round with her large eyes glowing.

Tabitha takes a deep breath. She doesn’t like these type of meetings. Her parents look anxious, and Aunt Guinevere looks like she is on the edge of a breakdown! She smiles at her brothers, glad for their kindness and support. “Yes, I met somebody, the son of one of mum’s posh friends,” she laughs, “His name is Richard, which I thought was really providential. You know, with our Founding Father being called Ricardo,” she explains as all the faces around her have gone completely blank. “He is very kind, considerate, and has excellent manners. I love him, and really want to marry him. His parents have already agreed, and he even has a Moving Permit promised to him as soon as we need to. In one of his letters he explains how he is conferring with his parents about his career and hobbies. Just as an example of his character, which I thought said a lot about him!”

She breaths out, only then realising that all this was said whilst she was holding her breath! Honestly, how stressful families can be!

Then Chris speaks up, and waves a letter that he has just pulled from his pocket. “I’ve also been writing to a girl,” he states matter of factly, “Her name is Victoria, she is Richard’s sister, so she comes from a very well to do family, Mum’s friends, the Knight Family. She is very sweet, and loves me a lot, and is prepared to move in as well. Of course, we talked about this at great length, and she totally gets my important position in the Mortina Line, and will do all she can to support me in setting past injustices to rights.”

His parents gasp, they had absolutely no idea he had found a girl! Sebastian’s eyes are dark, he blames Guinevere, and her hysterics, for this oversight. If she hadn’t taken up so much of my time I might actually have noticed something, he thinks. Who knows what this girl is like, and what she really has promised Chris? I know she comes from a very well to do family, and is she really prepared to give that up, just to marry Chris? I hope she knows about his moods…! The boy has a very skewed take on life, I just pray the girl can cope with that…

Not much is left to be said after all this. It seems very much a done deed, Adrianna thinks to herself. In a way she is relieved, this dreaded retirement has been hanging over them all for sometime, and at least it’s all out in the open now. The decision is made that nothing will be done until the Gems are handed out by the Government. After that they will retire, and Tabitha and Chris will take over the house, and a double wedding will follow soon after that.

Guinevere is secretly relieved as well as upset about having been kept in the dark by her darling boy! Not much time is left them, so Guinevere is determined to make the most of the little time she has! There is a party to attend…friends to chat to…work to be done. Then there is the packing and sorting for the retirement home…No time to waste!

Lancelot and Guinevere, his sister!

Lancelot looks round the house that is now his own home. He grew up in it, of course, but that is totally different from being the one to keep the Mortina line going. That is, if he finds a wife. And soon! He is the representative of the seventh generation, no way is he going to be the last!

Time in Sims Mobile moves fast, and it isn’t easy to find a wife that will get permission to move in. To make matters even more complex, his sister Guinevere has shared responsibility. He groans when he thinks her name. Whatever were his parents thinking, giving them all Arthurian names, apart from his eldest sister, Genevieve, which sounds as if it should be Arthurian anyway! Having a sister called Guinevere, and an older brother named Arthur made for some very awful jokes when he was younger, and smaller, and physically weaker. And as for his little sister Morganna, well, his parents obviously didn’t read the King Arthur stories very carefully…!

He is actually a very handsome young man, with the Mortina auburn hair, a small beard, broad shoulders, and straight back. He has dreamy eyes which look just a wee sad, but that just adds to his charm. He is neatly dressed, and catches your eyes with his good looks and aura of friendliness.

Guinevere also has the trades mark auburn hair, in a ponytail, green eyes smiling away at the world. She is tall, like her brother, but much slighter, which make her legs seem endless. Guinevere loves to dress in different styles and colours, and fortunately Sims Mobile has provided them with several options, although some at great costs! She just got the key to the family home as well, and found herself a job soon after. “I’m the new DJ,” she grins at Lancelot, “together with some old guy who has been there for centuries it seems!”

“All staff in this town seems to have forgotten to fill in their retirement papers,” grumbles Lancelot, “I hope it’s not going to be like that all our lives? I would love to meet someone, you know, go to the restaurant for a meal with someone younger than 86!”

They share a look, and Lancelot rolls his eyes. It’s no secret that he has absolutely no patience for older people. In fact, it was his grumbling, and covert comments that made his grandparents move into the retirement home before they actually were made to! Guinevere felt bad about that…

“I know what you mean, but working with someone old is different than living with them, you know, especially your own family.” She looks at Lancelot’s proud face, and sighs, yes, he is handsome and he knows it. She loves him though, although somewhere deep down she can feel annoyance bubbling away. She loves her grandparents, and now she will miss out on Family Events with them.

“Don’t try to send me into a guilt trip, just because Gran and Grandpa moved out! You know they preferred their own apartment, and anyway, our house was getting ridiculously crowded.” He sulks, something he has down to a fine art, it seems.

“Don’t sulk too long, you’ll get wrinkles in the wrong place, and my children will evict you,” says Guinevere pointedly, knowing that his will make his mad.

She is right, it works, the sulk is replaced by a fierce scowl. They both know how hard it can be to find a spouse, and they are absolutely determined that their spouse will be on the Family record, which means that they have to have a moving in permit. They know about the previous generations who were so desperate that they got married without a permit in sight. They are aware of how much trouble and heartache that caused, so just like their grandparents Gabriella and Zachery, and their parents Joash and Christie, Guinevere and Lancelot are both determined to do things the right way.

“I have already got a party invite, dear sister, so don’t you worry about children and evictions, etcetera,” he says with only a little bit of a nasty smile. He may be proud, and he may not like the fact that they have to share the house, and probably endure more King Arthur jokes, but he is really very fond of his sister Guinevere. Lancelot is also very kind, and having his grandparents actually move out was quite a shock to him. He does love them, he just never realised that they were taking his ageist jokes seriously. It has taught him to be more guarded in his words, as he truly hates grieving people.

Lancelot also found a job, as the ASOS photographer. He really enjoys it, in spite of the horror stories his Gran told him. There seems to be a fault with the equipment box, which can be very nasty if you are looking for suitable props. It hasn’t happened to him yet, but he is dreading it, as he hates being in awkward positions, especially as his co-worker is rather ancient as well. He has tried to cut down on snide comments about missing papers, and pension funds gone missing, as he knows she will pay him back the moment he lands face first on the prop box!

Both Lancelot and Guinevere work hard, something they learned from their parents. Christie was a successful doctor, who is at the brink of retirement as well, having jut received her last Trait. She has spent a lot of time with her medical senior nurse, so Lancelot hopes that when his mum retires, the nurse will too. “The new nurse will hopefully be young, and sweet and pretty, although by that time tomorrow’s party might have paid off!”

What will happen at the party? How long will all these seniors carry on working? Surely some place must be able to get younger staff? Questions aplenty, finding answers is another matter! Thankfully there is the EA forum…!