Chapter 3 Part 1- Complications
As the news of Kester and Kaylynn' marriage spread through the family, reactions were almost uniformly negative. Neither his aunts and uncle nor his cousins approved of the union. His youngest aunt, Opalessa, already an adult, used the event as an excuse to move out on her own.
Kester's eldest cousin, Spring Thayer, now living with her father Lester, called him up to tell him she thought he should have been thinking with his head rather than his gonads. His next younger cousin, Bertillis Ryan-Genester, went to her brand- new, private room when she heard the news and cried till she couldn't cry any more then laid on her bed planning what she was going to do. She had had a crush on Kester since they were in primary school and she didn't want to give him up. Oblivious to the storm swirling around them, Kester and Kaylynn remained absorbed in each other.
A few weeks later Bertillis talked Kester into stopping by her house for a few minutes after school to see her brand new room. It was the first room to be completed on the second floor of the Ryan-Genester home. Since Kester had the day off from his EMT job he agreed. He and Bertillis had been best friends for so long he couldn't deny her a little thing like that. Pendillis was busy with the toddlers and B.J. was still at school as was little sister Janeesis. So no one saw Kester go upstairs with Bertillis. Just as she had planned. Once Bertillis had excitedly pointed out all the features of her new room, she suddenly flung her arms around Kester and hugged him, then just as abruptly stole a kiss. Her very first.
That simple kiss triggered feelings for her that Kester had always held in check and he responded ardently.
Then Kester drew back, remembering his status and his face filled with sadness.
Bertillis didn't care and let him know it in no uncertain terms. She threw herself back into his arms and pulled him onto the bed, kissing him passionately and declaring her love for him.
Kester succumbed to the inevitable, throwing all thought of the consequences from his mind.
They fell asleep in each others arms and slept until B.J. knocked on the door to call Bertillis to supper. "I'll be down in a minute, Dad. I've been taking a nap." Bertillis went down to eat and while the family was all in the kitchen, Kester slipped downstairs and out the door, then went home. He told HIS family he had been at the library working on a research project. Everyone believed him. He was especially attentive to Kaylynn that evening. Later she told him that she was expecting. Kester was stunned. He hadn't expected this so quickly. His thoughts were in turmoil with his feelings for Bertillis and for Kaylynn at war with each other. He did his best to act pleased at Kaylynn's news. She was so elated that she didn't really notice his less than enthusiastic response. Kester lay awake a long time after Kaylynn was asleep, trying to decide what to do. No, not WHAT to do, just how. He knew he had to stay away from Bertillis but it would be hard since they were in the same school and rode the same bus. He was positive that she was not going to be happy about it.
The weeks passed and life grew quiet again. Kester had managed to convince Bertillis that nothing more could occur between them and she seemed to have accepted that. Kaylynn was quietly content, becoming more beautiful as her pregnancy blossomed. Kester continued to be very attentive to her and she radiated happiness.
It was soon time for Soressa's thirteenth birthday. She convinced the family that she did not want a party, not even a quiet family celebration. So on the appointed day she transitioned quietly, as she was helping to get supper on the table.
Hester and Abhijeet had both been busy during the past months, painting as well as romancing. They had separate studios complete with dressing rooms and couches for the live models so they could take rest breaks from posing. They both preferred painting natural figures.
Kester had been taking art lessons from them for several years and had become quite good also. He decided to do a portrait of Kaylynn during this time that she was at her most beautiful.
Abhijeet had been trying to get the new maid, Hailey Tellerman, to pose for him. But she was not quite the same type as Kaylynn had been. His attentions to her had made her so nervous that she almost started hiding from him.
Eventually the quiet weeks ended. One day on arriving home from school, Bertillis insisted on getting off the bus with Kester. She told him she needed to talk to him about something very important. They stood outside for some time while Bertillis informed him that she was expecting a baby. She had managed to hide it from her parents so far. They just thought she was getting a little chubby. But she was not going to be able to hide it much longer. She told him she was going to refuse to tell them who the father was, but she wanted him to know about it first. Kester's thoughts were in turmoil again. What should he do? Before he could think of anything, they heard screams from inside the house. Both the teens rushed inside and found no one downstairs. The yelling was coming from the second floor. They rushed upstairs and saw what appeared to be the whole family standing in one of the bedrooms. When Kester reached the doorway and saw what was going on, he nearly fainted. Kaylynn was having the baby!!
His mother, sister and grandparents were all there, congratulating Kaylynn and welcoming the baby. He could hardly believe it.
When Kaylynn saw him, she came to him with a radiant smile and laid the baby in his arms. "We have a son, Kester," she whispered. The reality of the moment hit Kester like the proverbial ton of bricks. Here was a new life. That he was responsible for. He was awed by the immensity of that responsibility as he cradled his son. Kester glanced toward Bertillis, who was moving back to the door. And there was another new life that he was responsible for. He wondered what he should do. Then Kaylynn murmured, "What shall we name him?"
"uh, gee, I don't know, I hadn't thought about it yet," responded Kester.
Hester stepped forward then and smiled at them both. "I think Prester would be an excellent name for him. Old Genester family name, you know."
Kester looked at her in surprise. First he had ever heard that. But the name sounded good. "Sure, Grandma, that sounds like a great name. Don't you think so, Kaylynn?" Kaylynn's smile faded but she nodded assent. She had really wanted to give her baby a unique name, not some old family name. The family crowded around then to exclaim over little Prester and somehow Kaylynn found herself outside the circle. Kester didn't notice, he was too absorbed in Prester himself. He didn't even notice when Bertillis left.
At the Ryan-Genester home, Pendillis was expecting again also which may have accounted for why they didn't notice the changes in Bertillis. This was Pendillis's fourth pregnancy and she hoped it would be the last. B.J. was well over 60 and Pendillis felt that at his age they should be satisfied with what they had. A few weeks before Prester's birth, this fifth child, a baby boy, was born. They named him Fletcher. He looked just like his older brother Chester.
Then there were transitions to celebrate. First the twins, shortly after Fletcher's birth, became school-age. Then a little later it was Janeesis' turn to transition to teen.
Pendillis eventually realized that Bertillis was not just putting on weight. Then the grilling started. Who was the father of the baby? Bertillis had never shown any interest in any of the neighbor boys, not that there were many who were not related to her. Could it have been one of her teachers? Or some other adult? Bertillis, true to her word to Kester, refused to tell. She said maybe she picked it up from a public toilet. Or perhaps it was a miracle. A doctor's exam ascertained that it would NOT be a Virgin Birth. Relationships between herself and her parents deteriorated quite a bit. Finally the baby was born, a little girl. Bertillis named her Cosetta. No clue there.
But as soon as Pendillis looked at the baby she knew. Red hair, green eyes. The only person she knew with green eyes was Kester's father. As a knowledge sim she was widely read and knew at least the basics of genetics. Her mother, Hester, and youngest sister, Opalessa, were red heads. (Well, true, Hester wasn't any more but had been.) So red hair was not much of a clue. But those green eyes with the hair could only have come from either Hawer or Kester. And Bertillis had been close to Kester for years. When she confronted Bertillis with her suspicions, Bertillis hotly denied it. Pendillis threatened paternity tests. Bertillis responded with her own threat. She would take her baby and run away. Pendillis finally gave in and kept her suspicions to herself, her heart aching for her eldest daughter and the mess she was making of her life. Others outside the Ryan-Genester family assumed that Bertillis had been sneaking around with some boy at school and gotten caught the hard way. Even B.J. concluded that, when Bertillis would not tell them anything else. Gradually the furor died down and the family concentrated on raising two babies at once again.
At #3 Heritage Trail, the home of Estarr and Korey Jitmakusol, another type of drama occurred. And this one involved death rather than birth. The household had been calm and happy since the birth of Bethesda. Estarr worked on her cooking skills, developing new recipes, while she tended Bethesda through infancy and toddlerhood. Jeekobey was doing well at school and little Bethesda was looking forward to the day she would be old enough to go too. Finally that day arrived.
Korey also worked hard to further his career in the military. His 'friend', Sterling Chun, was often a visitor in the home, but he and Korey kept their relationship cool when he was there, just occasionally meeting somewhere else to express their true feelings for each other. Finally, Korey received the coveted promotion to astronaut. He was so proud and his family was equally proud of him. He would be going into space on the next mission. The big day came.
Korey, Sterling and the other three astronauts suited up, entered the spacecraft and blasted off. Once into orbit they had several jobs to do, one of which involved working outside the spacecraft servicing a satellite. Korey, because of his mechanical expertise, was one of the two men chosen for that job. Sterling was the other. Sadly, tragedy struck while they were in the midst of their task. A tiny, pebble-sized meteorite, traveling at astronomical speeds, hit Korey and drilled him like a bullet. Loss of air from his suit and blood from his body killed him before Sterling could reach him. But Sterling got him into the ship then went back out to complete the assignment before breaking down. The mission completed, the group returned to earth where Korey received a military funeral with full honors. His ashes were presented to the family with great ceremony and once home his urn was given a place of honor in his and Estarr's bedroom where the family could mourn frequently.
At #4 Heritage Trail, the home of Lester Genester and his children, there was no drama. Lester had recently been elected Senator and as such spoke at Korey's funeral, to honor his brother-in-law. Spring continued to be an honor student while working as a security guard. She was dedicated to the idea of being a police officer and had no social life. Young Laser was also doing well in school though only because Lester and Spring saw to it. Lester continued to romance as many women as he could, his list of girlfriends growing longer and longer. Besides every eligible female on his staff he had a horde of girlfriends in Trash Town besides Platal Enabler and Ivy Copur, mothers of his two sons. One of those other girls was Marsha Bruenig. Marsha was actually his first girlfriend, way back in high school. They had lost touch after he graduated and only recently gotten back together. Not believing what she heard of his reputation, she thought that if she got pregnant, he would surely marry her. She was wrong, just as Ivy had been wrong.
She gave birth to a son about the same time as Fletcher and Prester's births and named him Dexter.
So now Lester had another child to make support payments for. That didn't stop him from setting out on another conquest. Oh, those romance sims.
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posted by hedgekat @ 11:01 AM
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