All My SimChildren

Chapter 36 - Abduction!

2005-11-26T13:12:00.000-06:00

at #1 Lineage Way, home of Robi (age 51, knowledge) and Mabal (age 56, knowledge) Charvat, last seen in chapter 29

(Robi was the first husband of gen 2 heiress, Genesis Genester. His current wife, Mabal, is sister to Chader Enabler and cousin to Hawer Enabler, current husband of Genesis. So the families have many ties, not least of which is Soressa Kauker, daughter of Robi and Genesis. Soressa is grown and married and does not live in either household now but she is still a bond between them.)

The Charvats are both knowledge oriented as is their son, Sager, now 18. Robi continues in his position as Mad Scientist and Mabal still teaches band at the high school. She has pretty much given up her old dream of being a professional musician but still enjoys playing with various local amateur groups. Sager has just graduated from high school and is thrilled that the University has opened in time for him to attend. Korena, the youngest member of the family, is now 15. She is still focused on being popular and is undoubtedly one of the most popular girls at the school, with both students and teachers. She remains unfailingly nice and is a good student as well, though it is not the most important thing in her life like it is with Sager. Robi and Mabal had never considered putting their children into private school. Since Mabal taught at the public school they preferred having the kids where she was. But both kids were in the advanced placement track. And the family frequently had the Principal, Sullivan Curtin, over for dinner. He and Robi had become quite good friends over the years, sharing many interests, one of which was their mutual fascination with astronomy.

The second most important thing in Sager's life was his relationship with Cosetta Genester. She was a year older than he and was attending the local junior college
that he had long feared would be his only option. But they had been dating since Sager was a freshman and neither of them had ever even considered dating anyone else. Sager planned on marrying Cosetta as soon as he finished University. Deciding on a future career had been a lot harder as he was interested in so many different things. But he had finally settled on Parapsychology as the first field that he wanted to tackle. He thought though that he would probably not be content in the same field his entire life as his father appeared to be. Korena was the glue that bound the family together. If not for her, they were likely to each become so absorbed in their mental pursuits that they would forget everything else. She prompted them to interact with each other and with the outside world. She also did a lot of the cleaning up after them.

And she did it all cheerfully. Despite being so popular with the other kids at school she rarely saw any of them outside school. And she didn't have a boyfriend yet. But there was one boy that she did like more than any of the others. And that was Hunter Strahan. The family wasn't much for entertaining but Korena finally got Robi to agree to hosting a dinner party and letting her invite Hunter to it. They both had a great time.

Everyone else had a great time too, even Robi. Though he was so tired afterward that he had to take a nap. Well, working nights as he did, he wasn't used to getting up as early as he had to when they had guests.

Robi's position of Mad Scientist gave him a lot of free time to spend in independent research. And since he could set his own hours he preferred working at night so that in his off time he could stargaze without having to constantly be changing his sleep schedule. If he were not going to the lab, as soon as he woke up in the evening, he was outside at the telescope often without even changing out of his pajamas. He continued to learn something new about the Universe every night. But one night he learned something he wasn't expecting. As he was focusing the scope on a different sector of the sky, he became aware of a strange humming sound and suddenly found himself surrounded by blazing light and then a tractor beam began lifting him off the ground.

He yelled in astonishment. Loudly. His family heard and came rushing to see what was wrong. The last thing he saw as he was jerked into the sky was their upturned faces below.

The family saw Robi disappear into the light which appeared to be coming from some aircraft far above. Then the light shut off and the craft disappeared. They stared at each other in amazement. Sager was elated. Wow, that had to be an alien spacecraft. He had of course read of such things happening, but had never thought that his father would be involved. Wow. He had been about to leave on a date with Cosetta when it happened. Now he hurried to the car to tell Cosetta all about it.

Hours later, as Sager and Cosetta were coming back, they saw the alien craft swooping toward the house.

It stopped and hovered over the street directly in front of the house.

Sager saw a figure appear on the street directly below the craft. It looked like Robi.

The figure immediately disappeared again as an opening appeared in the side of the craft and light blazed out.

Robi appeared again in the light, apparently thrown from the craft and falling toward the ground.

Sager, out of the car now, heard his father scream in terror as he fell.

Mabal and Korena were outside now, drawn by the sound of the craft and Robi's screams. They watched as Robi seemed about to hit the earth with a killing impact.

Then he was suddenly jerked skyward again.

Almost back to the wildly gyrating craft. It appeared there was some struggle and perhaps they were going to take him back again.

Then the craft stabilized and Robi was dropped unceremoniously into an undignified heap almost at their feet.

Robi lay there, unmoving, for what seemed an eternity to the horrified watchers, a look of sheer terror on his face.

Then slowly, as though in great pain, he rose to his feet.

Then looked back over his shoulder at the hovering craft

And again his face took on an expression of terror.

Which changed to astonished disbelief as he remembered all that had happened to him.

Mabal had reached him by now and embraced him, holding so tightly as if she might never let go. She thought she had lost him and would never see him again.

He then told her the astounding news that he learned while in the ship. He is going to have a baby! An alien baby! What an opportunity for learning!

Robi was walking on a cloud as he headed back into the house. He was already planning how to make the most of this new experience: documentation to do, experiments to perform, papers to publish. He'd envied Kester his alien experience for years especially since Kester never shared anything of it with the
medical and scientific community. He gave Sager the thumbs up as he passed him. While Mabal remained standing at the curb, her mouth hanging open in astonishment.

How will Robi occupy his time in the months and years ahead? Will the coming child be anything more to him than a research project? Could it be twins? How will his wife and children deal with this? Stay tuned to All My SimChildren to find out.

Next episode: Facing the Future

2005-11-22T16:12:00.000-06:00

Just a little graph to show how I'm doing on my Nano novel. Don't click the Read more. There isn't anything more to read.

Chapter 35 Another Wedding

2005-10-22T10:12:00.000-05:00

at #1 Tradition Street - home of Genesis (gen2- family-age 58) and Hawer (popularity-age 54) Enabler (continued from chapter 28)

(Synopsis - Genesis was the gen 2 heir and is mother of Kester, the current heir. Hawer is Kester's father but they were not married at the time of Kester's birth. Genesis later married Robi Charvat and they had a daughter, Soressa. When Soressa was a teen, Genesis left Robi to be reunited with Hawer. She and Robi divorced and they both remarried. Genesis and Hawer had three more children, Jager, Loral and Frazer. Hawer's cousin Chader lives with the family, as does his son, Viggo. Viggo is also the son of Hawer's sister, Platal. In the last episode Chader, age 50, married Arianna Jalowitz, and Viggo, age 22, was dating Iris Baxter, age 17)

At the beginning of this episode, Jager is 15 and has become interested in girls. No one girl in particular although he does seem to really enjoy the company of Lily Baxter, Iris's twin sister. The Baxter twins have just turned 18. Lily likes Jager too, even though he is really much too young for her at the moment. But there are several other girls in his life, mostly still kid friends from grade school but not far behind him. Then there is Cristiona Stompel, who is hot, hot, hot and is just his age. But Jager doesn't just think about girls. He thinks about money too, and what career he should go into so that he can make a lot of it. Jager is very outgoing and has always been fascinated by show business. He thinks that might be the ideal path for his life.

Loral has just turned 13 and transitioned to teen. She refused a party and hid in her room for her transition, not even wanting family to watch. For years, Loral had been focused on school and learning all she could. She didn't have many friends outside her family. The only kid at school she liked was Yansey Stompel. Now suddenly she found her body flooded with hormones and her mind filled with images of boys she barely knows or has not even met. And thoughts of wanting to kiss and hug and who knows what. Poor Loral, daughter of a family sim and a popularity sim, she has inherited the romantic proclivities of her grandparents and is having a rough time coping with them.

Frazer is still just a kid, 8 years old, but growing fast. Genesis wishes she weren't too old to have another baby. She misses having a little one in the house. Even grandchildren would do. But Kester doesn't seem interested in remarrying and having more children. (Genesis doesn't know about his babies with Bertillis.) And Soressa shows no signs of having any kids yet despite having been married some time now. And it will be years before her younger children are old enough to start families. Maybe she and Hawer should adopt. Thoughts such as these cross Genesis's mind every now and then, but the busy round of everyday life has so far prevented her acting on them. Hawer would probably be agreeable. He agrees with pretty much anything she wants. He loves his children and thoroughly enjoys his relationships with all of them and also enjoys getting to know his grandchildren. Plus his ever-widening circle of friends.

Though having helped to finance the lovely new master bedroom suite, Arianna still wanted to have a home of her own. She kept after Chader about it enough that he finally agreed to looking just to get some peace on the subject. They eventually found a little house available over in Trash Town, at #7 Vintage Road. Just a few doors down from where the Enablers began life in Heritage. Formerly owned by Orlando and Tosha Bertino, it has still never been completely finished. But Arianna plans for that to be taken care of quickly. So one bright morning, they pack their bags and move.

Genesis and Hawer immediately move into the new master suite, leaving Loral in possession of their old room. She is estatic over having so much space to herself after the years of being in the nursery cubby. And her very own bathroom that she doesn't have to share with anyone. What more could a teen girl ask for?

Viggo meanwhile, has been pursuing his own love life. Iris is now 18 and has graduated from high school. She has no desire to go to college, despite being knowledge oriented, like her grandmother. She believes the knowledge she seeks cannot be found in books. At least not at this point in her life. She is deeply in love with Viggo and wants nothing more at the moment than to be with him and share his life. Viggo, being a family sim, feels the same way. A life and family shared with Iris is all he wants. That and to make the neighborhood a safe place for his family. He is attending police academy and takes seriously the police motto, "to serve and protect". The young couple spends a lot of time planning their future together.

But they are not always serious. They enjoy play too. Here a planning session ends with Viggo tickling Iris till she screams.

Which leads to kissing

And more kissing.

Eventually Viggo has saved up enough money for the ring. And even though they have already made their commitments and picked out their rings together, Viggo is romantic enough to want to present the ring to Iris in the traditional manner. So one evening after the kids had gone to bed, he did so.

Iris was thrilled.

Now that Iris had the ring, Viggo called Genesis and Hawer in to tell them the news. Though they had been planning this for quite some time they had never said anything to the older couple before. Hawer was quite pleased, happy that Viggo was happy. But Genesis was another matter. For some reason she had never really approved of Viggo's relationship with Iris. She really couldn't pinpoint any reason for it, other than she thought Iris was too young for a serious relationship. But she had kept her mouth shut. Until now. But now she told Iris exactly what she thought of her planning to marry at such a young age. "Ridiculous", she said. "You should be continuing your education, at least through junior college, before making such a commitment. You can't possibly know your own mind yet."

Hawer later scolded Genesis for her attitude, reminding her of the consequences of her mother's interference in their youthful love. Which had been prompted by jealousy. And that made Genesis wonder if her feelings were due to jealousy also. At any rate, she swallowed her pride and apologized to Iris. And to Viggo also. Then she did all she could to help them with their wedding plans. Since they had been planning for some time, they pretty much knew what they wanted, so it didn't take long to get everything arranged. They chose the Enabler residence for the wedding since the living room was much larger than Iris's home. And with Iris's large family there would be a lot of guests. The day of the wedding, Iris came over early. It was a school day but the ceremony wouldn't occur until the afternoon.

The day sped by quickly with work interspersed with play. Here Viggo is explaining some visionary idea that he has.

Finally the preparations were complete and the guest began to arrive. Many were coming directly from work or school. Here you see Viggo talking to his young, soon-to-be-brother-in-law, Cosmos Baxter, while Iris's mother, Marigold looks on. Behind them are Daisy Baxter, Zinnia Baxter-Hamilton, and Poppy Jeffress, Iris's same age aunt. A full buffet is ready for the reception. And there is Frazer just home from school, plopping his homework down on the floor in his excitement. Looks like the other kids did the same thing.

Doesn't Viggo look handsome in his formal suit? I love that gold brocade vest. And there is Iris in her beautiful silver lame gown. She wanted to sparkle on her wedding day. She is about to take her place under the wedding arch but stopped for a moment to speak with her brother Acanthus. He has just told her that his wife, Vesta Genester-Baxter, was unable to come today due to her advanced pregnancy.

After a quick change into his tux coat, Viggo joins Iris under the arch and the ceremony begins. Vows are said and rings exchanged. (You can see Viggo's father, Chader, sitting at the dining table in back. He arrived straight from work and was starved so decided to start on the buffet even before the ceremony. Well, Chader is like that. Not the most couth person in the world.)

And the couple is wed as everyone claps.

"Ngoyo" (Forever)

Now the wedding kiss

Iris's youngest sister, Viola, thinks this is all so romantic. This is the first wedding she has gotten to attend. That is her next older sister, Daisy, beside her. Something off to the left of the picture seems to have distracted the attention of many of the guests. But I have no idea what it was.

Here's a shot of some of the guests. Left to right, that's Cosmos Baxter, thinking very strongly about Loral Enabler, next to him. Next to her is Iris's aunt, Poppy Jeffress. The redhead in back in Iris's twin, Lily Baxter. Next are the bride's parents, Marigold and Gordon Kim Baxter. The blond in back is older brother, Trollius, and almost out of the picture is brother Acanthus.

A final shot of the newlyweds under the arch, just before they join their guests for the party.

Someone has turned on the music and now the guests get down and boogie. Hawer and Genesis are there to the right. Loral, now 14, has become more used to her hormone flows now and is finding even older guys attractive. She seems to have focused on Iris's good-looking blond brother today. The 24 year old brother, instead of the one her own age.

Jager is 16 now, and over the past year his relationships with both Lily Baxter and Christiona Stompel have grown. But Christiona isn't here today and Lily is. The romance of the day gets to him to and sometime during the festivities he finds a moment alone with Lily and they share their first kiss.

Looks like there may be other ties between the Baxters and this branch of the Genester family at some time in the future. Yes, these young people are Genesters, even though their name is Enabler. They are full siblings to Kester, the gen 3 heir.

Eventually the festivities end and the honeymoon limo arrives. Everyone had a marvelous time and Viggo and Iris have many wonderful memories to treasure in the years ahead. They leave for a short stay at a nearby honeymoon resort. A handful of tiny cottages, set among parklike woods, where newlyweds can wander amongst nature's wonders, undisturbed by the outside world. Their first night together is everything they dreamed it would be and they face the future together now, with high hopes for what it will bring them.

What does the future hold in store for the newlyweds? What kind of mischief will the young Enablers get into? Well, it will undoubtedly be some time before the cycle returns to this household and we find out. But excitement awaits in the next household we visit. So stay tuned for more drama among All My SimChildren.

Next episode: Abduction!!

Chapter 34 An Encounter With Death

2005-10-22T10:10:00.000-05:00

And Another With Life

At #2 Vintage Road, home of The Bertino Bunch, life continues to be totally chaotic. And no one in this household is very particular about household cleanliness. So it seems like someone is always getting sick. No one remembers who came down with flu first in the latest round of illness. But no one will forget who was last- teenage Roland. Everyone had pretty much recovered except for Roland and even he was feeling better. Well enough in fact to take a shower to get all the sickroom grunge off. But as he finished dressing after his shower he was overcome with a fit of coughing and soon found himself choking, unable to breathe.

Gasping for breath he gave a strangled cry and fell to the floor as an ominous presense filled the tiny bathroom.

Orlando, just outside the room waiting for his turn in the shower, heard Roland's cry and rushed in. To find death had arrived.

Orlando fell to his knees and begged for Roland's life. "Please, please, don't take my son."

"He's so young, he hasn't even begun to live."

Death offers a game of chance. And Orlando wins.
YEEEHAHHHH!!!
But Orlando is not a gracious winner. He badmouths Death. Not a good idea.

Yah, yah, I beat you! You're not so smart! Yah, yah!
"Watch what you say there, BOY. Your time is coming. And it will now be sooner than later."

Gulp
`Yes, Orlando now has his son back. But what will he lose in the future? Oh, is he ever sorry now for his hasty words.

Orlando has never been good at expressing his feelings verbally but later tries to tell Roland how devastated he was at the thought of losing his first born son.

As the family now all recovers from their illness the house settles back into a more normal state. Time to go back to school. Aura, Platal's youngest daughter is always hard to wake up. Someone usually has to go shake her awake. Here Orlando does the job

And she always argues and whines too.

But the threat of Social Services coming for her almost always gets her going in time. Yes, it usually takes threats to get her to school or to do her homework or to do much of anything except play.

Orlando has continued his habit of spending a couple of hours after work each day indulging in romantic pursuits involving various women. One day his relationship with Lisa Creelman matures to the point of her slipping into a clothing booth at the Mall with him.

The activity within the booth attracts a small crowd including one of the young Cormier girls, who hasn't a clue as to what is going on. A few crude remarks from a male bystander shock her to the core.

Medora Trollop remonstrates with the boor. She too is a romance sim but she doesn't approve of such gross behavior in front of children. Though the clerk seems to think it is all hilarious.

After Orlando emerges from the booth, Medora has a few words with him also. And a new relationship blossoms for both of them.

Roland, though not yet 15, is a family sim and is already having thoughts of marriage someday. But just which girl is provoking those thoughts? Tori Scott? Or his step-sister Lyra?

Lyra is still seeing Dominic Phillippine on a pretty regular basis. Usually at the Romper Room where they can pursue their idea of romance without interruption.

Here is a rare family dinner with most of the family present. Aura is probably taking a nap and Orlando is not yet home from 'work'. Leda, engaged to Forest Cormier, has already moved in with him. But the rest are there. Counterclockwise from the left, its's Lyra Enabler, Javier Bertino (Orlando's youngest) Roland Bertino, Platal Enabler-Bertino and Tesler Go, Lester Genester's youngest son.

And the situation between Lyra and Tesler, now both 19, continues to heat up.

Whenever no one else is around, they can't keep their hands off each other.

Something has to give. The tension between them is becoming unbearable.
They start going for 'walks' after dark in order to have more privacy. They have to slip out of the house so the younger kids don't try to tag along. There are a couple of old trees and a bunch of overgrown bushes out behind the house to give them some seclusion. And there in the dark they can let themselves go.

Tesler can't think of anything except how much he wants this girl

And of course she feels the same way. They decide it's time to take their relationship to the next level.

The ground may be hard....

But they don't notice.

And if they come inside from their walks a bit disheveled, with grass stains on their clothes, no one seems to notice.

How long does Orlando have before Grimmy returns? Will anyone find out about Tesler and Lyra carrying on? What will happen if someone does? What will happen if someone DOESN'T? Stay tuned for the next episode of All My SimChildren.

Next episode: Another wedding

Chapter 33 Lester's Other Sons (last seen in chapter 26)

2005-10-16T19:34:00.000-05:00

At #1 Vintage Road, Lester's second son, Fester Copur(popularity), finally decides where his heart lies and asks Jody Carr to marry him.

Jody, who had dated several different boys during high school, had never found anyone that she cared as much for as she did Fester. He had been her best friend since she was a small child and her feelings for him had matured into a lasting love. She knew her parents wanted her to go to college now that she had graduated from high school, but she wanted nothing more than to spend her life with Fester, so she immediately said yes.

OH NO, a burglar has invaded the Copur home.

Oh, wait, that's not just any burglar. That is Fester's step-father, Randy London, just home from work and trying to fix that darn stereo that keeps breaking. But Randy was just too exhausted to concentrate on it. (Despite the controller's repeated instructions to him to fix it, he kept stopping with complaints of sleep deprivation so he was finally allowed to go to bed.)

Next morning, Fester's mother Ivy decided she would have a go at the machine. After a rather serious but non-fatal shock she decided it might be better to call a repairman.

At #6 Vintage Road, the Bruenig-Stompel home, Lester's third son, Dexter Bruenig(knowledge) has his 20th birthday and his adult transition.

Not bad looking. Looks a lot like his Dad.

Step-father Christopher Stompel congratulates Dexter on his new status

Chris has always been there for Dexter and has never distinquished between Dexter and his own children. Though Dexter has always enjoyed his visits to Lester's home, he regards Chris as his true father.

Chris and Marsha have a strong, solid and very loving relationship

Marsha has been a stay-at-home mother ever since she married Chris and has had plenty of time to lavish on her family and her home. And her friends. The Stompel home has frequent guests.

Here is Marsha and two of her best friends, Lucy Hanby Genester and Christy Stratton Lillard having a lunch party.

The childrens' friends are always welcome too and there are usually a bunch of kids at the house every day.

Two of Christiona's friends chat with each other while she is ignored.

But not for long. Time to say goodby to favorite boyfriend, Brewster Genester.

And now time for the family to have dinner together.

Bedtime for the younger boys now. Perhaps the only set of identical twins in the neighborhood, Yancey and Norven would be indistinquishable if not for their different hairstyles. They do differ somewhat in personality though both are extremely active and extremely nice.

Here's Yancey ready for bed

And here's Norven

With the kids all getting older, and the constant flow of friends, the little lavender house has been feeling a little cramped. Chris and Marsha decided they needed a larger living room, so have started an addition. The interior is not quite finished yet but all the exterior work is done. Here's a pic of the larger house.

(I love this little house. It may be my favorite in the whole neighborhood. And I love the way Marsha decorates it too. )

What of Lester's youngest son, Tesler Go? When last we saw him, he was engaged in a clandestine relationship with his step-sister/aunt. Have they been discovered yet? How far will this go? To find out stay tuned for the next chapter of All My SimChildren. Yes, that's right, the VERY NEXT chapter. LOTS of drama coming up.

Next episode: An Encounter With Death

Chapter 32 Family Matters

2005-10-16T19:10:00.000-05:00

at #3 Heritage Trail - home of Estarr (gen 2-knowledge-age 62) and Chandler (fortune-age 60) Platz (last seen in chapter 28)

life is quiet and uneventful. The children, all in high school, are getting good grades. Estarr and Chandler go to work. Chandler goes to play at Bertillis's house when he is supposedly at work. Estarr continues clueless as to his extracurricular activities. Chandler transtions to elder. That was a shock to the old self-image. But Bertillis didn't seem to mind. Or even notice. And he was still able to keep up appearances at home too. He was rather proud that he still didn't need Viagra, though he had gotten some just in case.

at # 11 Legacy Drive
Estarr's children from her first marriage were doing well in their chosen life paths. Jeekobey's sex therapy practice was flourishing and he often had clients from early morning to late evening. He was working hard (working?) and rarely got enough sleep. He was always ready to collapse into bed as soon as he got home. Sometimes he didn't even make it inside the house.

Bethesda's love life blossomed also. She kept acquiring new boyfriends and still continued seeing the old. As long as they didn't start talking marriage. Here she is off to the mall to meet Ratna Sartor for some 'shopping'.

Trying on clothes. Well, well, cousins Laser and Vesta are in the audience. The rest of the family will soon know all about her escapade.

Bethesda does not seem too happy to see Ratna talking to Vesta afterward.

Forest Cormier is another of her boyfriends.

As is Neil Bachman.

All that romancing can have unexpected - and undesired - results. And Bethesda gets them. Looks like the Jitmakusol name will continue to another generation. Well, Estarr will probably be happy about it, even if Bethesda isn't. Bethesda is determined that this complication of her life will not ruin her figure so she works out daily.

at #4 Heritage Trail, home of Lester Genester (gen 2-romance-age 64) continued from chapter 25

Lester is still mayor but has recently made some changes to town policies which have not been popular with some people. Lester receives a visit from his nephew-in-law, Jonathan Ternynck, who lets him know exactly what he thinks of the new policy. Good thing daughter Spring Futa is a police officer. She can protect him. But then Jonathan is a police officer too. Uh oh. Guess the police department didn't like the budget changes.

No new women in Lester's life at the moment though he is always on the lookout for new prospects. But the faithful 10 still keep him busy. Laser and Lucy are enjoying married life but have no plans for a family yet.

Laser is now campaign manager and chief of staff for his father. Lucy gave up her maid job when they married and has taken over running the house. She is not as good a cook as either Lester or Spring but she is great at cleaning and has been teaching herself how to keep everything repaired also. But one day she tackled something that her small expertise couldn't handle. Her friend Marsha Stompel was visiting and luckily her brother-in-law, Alvin Futa, had just arrived home from work.

Alvin couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He worked all day long as an emergency room nurse dealing with all sorts of traumas. Then to arrive home to deal with another tragedy was almost too much. But he rose to the occasion and was able to save Lucy's life for which everyone in the family was extremely grateful.

It was time for transitions again. Little Brooke, Alvin and Spring's daughter, was almost 5 and ready to start kindergarten.

And Spring's son, Leith, was almost 13. So celebrations were in order. Lester invited his sisters to come and celebrate with them. Genesis wasn't able to make it as her team had a big game that day but Estarr, Pendillis and Opalessa all came.

Alvin took Brooke to her cake and held her so she could blow out the candles.

Then everyone cheered as she made her transition.

Now it was Leith's turn and he didn't waste any time. He was eager for new experiences. Especially having a girlfriend. Well, lots of them actually, just like Grandpa Lester. Yes, there is another romance sim in the family.

Later that evening, after the guests had gone and all the excitement died down, the family shared a quiet dinner together. It wasn't often, with their busy schedules, that the whole family could be together like this and they all thoroughly enjoyed it, especially Brooke, who was able to sit at the table with the others for the first time.

Nothing very exciting here, was there? Maybe in the next chapter? We will visit with Lester's other sons and see what they are up too. All three are at the beginning of their adult years, ready to tackle the world. To find out more, stay tuned to All My SimChildren.

Next episode: Lester's Other Sons

Chapter 31 - New Arrivals

2005-09-26T13:45:00.000-05:00

at #2 Heritage Trail - home of Pendillis(gen 2-knowledge) and Cleve (popularity) Wilson (last seen in chapter 27)

Eldest son Chester (age 24, family) and his new wife, Maura (also family) waste no time in starting their family. Every day when Chester gets home from work, he and Maura spend time dreaming of their future.

Chester will soon be finishing his graduate degree in astronomy. He is already working on his doctoral dissertation and his preliminary work has been highly acclaimed by his professors. He has a small salary as a graduate assistant and expects to have a significant raise once he gets that diploma.

Second son Fletcher (knowledge) has finished high school and is enrolled in cooking school. He still wants to be a famous chef some day and works part time in his aunt Estarr's restaurant, learning all he can there as well. He now has a girlfriend too. A young woman who he met at cooking school. Her name is Jenna Cameron and he has shared his first kiss with her.

Youngest son Clever really enjoys all the delicious desserts that Fletcher concocts and it is beginning to show in his figure.

Pendillis's first husband, B.J. Ryan, keeps watch over his children on occasion though none of them have ever seen him. He has finally stopped doing his touring in the daytime, instead appearing in the evening, making a quick tour of the grounds, then checking out his bed and usually back to the cemetary long before anyone is ready to retire.

He always seems to be in a good mood and has never jumped out at anyone. But one evening, Cleve decided to go to bed early and arrived upstairs just as B.J. was doing his bedcheck. Cleve got the shock of his life when he came face to face with B.J.

Clever and Fletcher share their next transition days. No party, just the family to celebrate with them. First Clever becomes a teen. (Still definitely looks much like his mother butlike his father he is much more interested in making friends than in studying. He has a strong interest in the paranormal and wants to go to University and then become a parapsychologist.)

Then Fletcher struts his stuff with the dancing lights.

He has graduated from cooking school now and is ready to find a full time job. He also decided he was tired of looking exactly like elder brother Chester and let his curly hair grow a little longer and also grew a mustache.

Eldest granddaughter Cosetta (family) can be seen in the transition picture above. She has finished high school also and will soon be having her adult transition as she is only a few months younger than Fletcher. Since her father, Kester, told his other children about her, she has been a frequent visitor in their home and has bonded strongly with her siblings. She is currently enrolled in junior college, studying child care and home economics. She has no strong career ambitions. She knows she will need a job and would like to work with children in some way, perhaps as a nanny? Or maybe a clown doing children's parties. Eventually she wants to marry and have a family of her own. She and Sager Charvat are going steady now but Sager is very knowledge oriented and definitely wants to go to University. He is a year younger than Cosetta and has just graduated from high school. So it will be several years at least before they could marry.

Pendillis is 60 now and ready to become an elder so she can retire and concentrate on just learning. She would already have transitioned but the residual effects of elixir have not yet left her body. Cleve is 58 and a senior officer in the military. He too is looking forward to being able to retire.

All three of Pendillis's daughters have their own homes. We just saw eldest daughter Bertillis (age 34, romance) in the previous chapter, giving birth to her fourth child. Second daughter Janeesis (age 29, knowledge) is focused on her husband, Jonathan (family), and daughter Jasellis. Jasellis has become a toddler. .

and is busy learning her toddler skills. Janeesis especially concentrates on her daughter's learning. As a teacher, Janeesis knows that getting a good start is very important.

But Jasellis is very much a daddy's girl. Jonathan reads to her every day and tells her madeup stories too. And she loves the games he plays with her.

But Janeesis and Jonathan still have plenty of time for each other, and plan on having another child soon.

Pendillis's youngest daughter, Vesta Baxter, is expecting a baby soon also, though she is not as far along as Maura.

Speaking of Maura, it's nearly time for her baby to arrive. Maura has been having a rough time of it. Well, not really rough. She just can't seem to sleep long at at time, waking up at all hours of the night hungry. Having to take lots of naps in the day. Generally uncomfortable all the time with frequent backaches. But not sick or anything. One night as usual she got up for a midnite meal and then went to the living room to watch TV for a while. The backache had been much worse that day and she just couldn't seem to get comfortable no matter what she did. Suddenly a strong contraction in her abdomen nearly doubled her over. Wow!. It must be time!

A few more of the astounding sensations convulsed her whole body as she felt an incredible force building within her. She yelled for Chester but he was sound asleep on the second floor as was everyone else. Then she was forced into a twirling dance, just as when she last transitioned.

As she twirled her whole body felt fluid and suddenly the child was propelled from within her into her arms.

Black hair, blue eyes, and the family face. She looks just like her aunts Bertillis and Janeesis and her daddy and Uncle Fletcher. Maura cleans up herself and the baby and takes her to her father. She is christened Agnessa.

A few weeks later, Vesta gives birth to her baby, a little boy who is named Crocus, according to the Baxter family tradition. He has his mother's eyes. And looks like he might have red hair like his grandfather Gordon Kim Baxter.

The alien heritage is alive and strong in all three of these newest gen 4 scions of the Genester family. Next stop- the homes of Estarr Genester Platz and Lester Genester. Stay tuned to the continuing saga of All My SimChildren.

Next episode: Family Matters

Preview and a Question

2005-09-26T12:22:00.000-05:00

A few months after moving in, during a late breakfast, Linnea is chattering the latest gossip. Suddenly Kester looks at her with the most shocked and hurt expression. While Prester looks totally stunned as if he can't believe he heard her say that.

Kester immediately got up from the table without a word and left the room, even though he had not finished eating. A short time later he left the house to go to the clinic, still without saying anything to anyone.

As he cleared the table Prester told Linnea why Kester had acted like that. And he was clearly upset himself. After hearing his explanation Linnea was also quite distressed and had no idea how she could repair the damage she had done.

Okay, what do you think she said? I wasn't in the room to catch what she was talking about, only to get the reaction. It was obviously pretty bad. So what do you think it was?

Chapter 30 Gen 4 Comes of Age

2005-09-26T11:22:00.000-05:00

Another cycle of years begins in Heritage. Each of the chapters covers a period of two years in the lives of the families, with a varying number of chapters needed to include all families in the cycle. But each new cycle will always begin . . .

At #1 Heritage Trail - home of Kester Genester (gen 3, knowledge) last seen in chapter 24

Kester is 36 as this cycle begins. Despite being a widower and the father of teens, he is still a young man, and in the prime of life. The circumstances of his wife's death lend a romantic, tragic aura to him in the eyes of some of the ladies of Heritage as does the fact that he still wears his wedding ring. And the fact that he is handsome, wealthy and a prominent doctor doesn't hurt his standing any either. But Kester is generally oblivious of the admiration he engenders and is equally oblivious to the attempts of said ladies to put themselves in his path. Besides being quite busy in his medical practice, he has two families of children that take up all his leisure time.
Kester is very proud of his sons, Prester and Brewster, who are both teens, and he loves them dearly. But he has a very special feeling for his alien daughter, Celestial, his gift from the heavens. It doesn't seem possible that it is time for her to become a teen also. It seems only yesterday that she was born. But time it is. She chose not to have a big party, so basically only family is there. Kester got her a lovely new outfit for the big day. Here she is now, all grown up and dressed in her new clothes. Fate has given her the Family aspiration and she has already begun thinking of her future.

I have no idea who that little girl is, stuffing her face in the dining room. One of Celestial's friends who came home from school with her. And why she is wearing a swim suit is a mystery as despite the family's money, they still don't have a swimming pool.

Now Kester congratulates Celestial on her new status.

A few days later, grandmother Genesis came for a visit to congratulate Celestial also. They always enjoy talking sports together. Celestial is thinking of possibly following in her grandmother's footsteps in the athletic career. Genesis is quite smug about the fact that she is the only one of her generation to have a green-skinned child and a grandchild also.

The little boy in this picture is Celestial's very best friend, Cosmos Baxter. You'll be seeing more of him later.

Let's see what second son, Brewster, is up to now. He's 15 now and a romance sim. And he doesn't plan on wasting any time. He has invited a pretty friend home to try out the hot tub with him.

They seem to be quite cozy in there. This lovely young lady is Cristiona Stompel, Marsha Bruenig's daughter.

Once out of the tub, Brewster practices his flirting techniques some more.

Christiona is a romance sim herself. Do you suppose she is believing everything he says? But she is enjoying it.

Isn't she a beauty?
Some more cuddles and hugs

Umm, you smell nice.

And then their first kiss.

And Christiona decides it is time to go home.

Brewster is not too disappointed. He made great progress and there will be other times. Many other times.

With three teens in the house, there are always other teens visiting. The three enjoy meeting each other's friends. Prester is out of high school now and in Junior College. But he still enjoys playing games with his younger sibs.

They don't forget little sister Cassia either. All three of the teens make a point to spend time with her so she doesn't ever feel left out. Here it is Saturday morning. While Brewster plays doll house with Cassia, Prester talks with one of his many friends. He is a popularity sim, after all, so has to keep up those lines of communication. One of his best friends is Linnea Hamilton, the grocery girl. He spends a lot of time on the phone with her.

Finally the day arrives for Prester's adult birthday. And he invites Linnea as his only guest. Celestial's friend Cosmos Baxter is there too and he is a teen now also. Cosmos seems to be around the house a lot lately. Now it's Prester's big moment. A brief dance with sparkling lights.....

And the confetti flies everywhere. Linnea seems pretty impressed.

Prester seems pretty impressed with himself too.

Kester seems somewhat dismayed. Does the fact of having an adult son make him feel older suddenly? Is he thinking that Prester is already older than he himself was when Prester was born? Would he turn back the clock and change things if he could? No, he could never wish away as fine a son as Prester is. Whatever mistakes he made, they had a purpose.

After the cake and ice cream are eaten and the rest of the family wanders off to their own activities, Prester and Linnea spend some private time together. And eventually have their first kiss.

And a few more. Some time later, they come up for air and Prester asks Linnea to move in with him. Right now. He's not wasting any time. And she says yes.

What fortune sim in her right mind would say no? Prester is now the most eligible bachelor in Heritage. Heir to a fortune and handsome to boot. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what to do. Does she love him? Love, smove, it's money that makes the world go round, right? A girl has to ensure her future. So Linnea will move in. And do her best to consolidate her position.

We noted earlier that Cosmos Baxter is a frequent visitor to the Genester home. Celestial is also a frequent visitor to the Baxter home, where Cosmos is a little more forward than when he visits her and attempts a little flirting.

Celestial was quite receptive to that and soon she too is having her first kiss.

Cosmos is a good looking young man, much better looking than his older brothers who we met at Vesta Genester's wedding in chapter 27.

Over at #2 Lineage Way, Kester's second family is about to grow a little bigger. Kester spends as much time with Bertillis and the twins as he can and as much as she will let him. He continues to dream of having them in his home with him but knows that the iron clad terms of Hester's legacy would never allow it. But he could always do what his own mother did. Move out once his heir is established. Yes, he could definitely do that. Meanwhile, snatch what joy he can. So one night when Bertillis calls and asks him to come over, he doesn't hesitate.

As soon as he gets there, Bertillis tells him she thinks she is in early labor and she wanted him to be there if she were.

Kester is nearly overcome with emotion at the thought of being present at the birth of this next child, whose mother he loves so much.

Kester spends time with the twins, working on their toddler skills, and bedtime arrives with no new baby yet in sight. Kester is quite happy to spend the night. With Prester and Linnea at home, he doesn't have to worry about the younger children so he can relax and enjoy whatever comes. The little ones are put to bed and he and Bertillis enjoy some time together. Just as they begin to fall asleep a yell from the twins' room brings them out of bed. Kester goes to check on them and finds that Rosella just wanted a drink of water and a little cuddle from her daddy.

That taken care of he tucks her back into bed where she goes right to sleep.

Bertillis has come to see what is taking so long and gets a hug too.

Then back to bed and a quiet night. It is not until dawn that Bertillis is awakened by real labor. Her first shriek brought Kester awake instantly.

It seems no time at all before the baby arrives for which Kester was very thankful. He couldn't bear those screams Bertillis was emitting and he unable to do anything about it.

But as Bertillis coos over the baby, Kester stares at it in dismay.

He moves closer for a better look. But sees the same thing. Flashbacks of Cassia's birth roll through his head.

It's so LIGHT.
Bertillis looks at Kester and then at the baby in confusion, seemingly not understanding what he is talking about.

Uh, oh, looks like someone in the nursery is getting up

Bertillis studies the baby. "Well, she sure doesn't look like Rosella or Keller, does she? Or Cosetta either. "

"She looks just like my baby pictures. Except she's light like your father. And she has your green eyes. Isn't it amazing that all four of our children look so different from each other but each have parts of both of us? What shall we call her? "

With that Bertillis holds the baby out toward Kester, so he can get a closer look and accustom himself to her.

His misgivings gradually subside. Yes, his father and all his father's relatives are light skinned. There was no true reason for him to suddenly doubt Bertillis. That was only Kaylynn's legacy to him. And he soon found his heart swelling with love for this youngest child of his when Bertillis placed her in his arms and went to clean herself up. When she returned she asked Kester how he liked the name Calandra for the baby. He just grinned and said that was fine with him.

Will Kester ever find out the truth about this youngest child of "his"? When the twins start talking who will they call Daddy? How much longer can Bertillis continue her balancing act? Stay tuned to All My SimChildren for the answers. Eventually.

Next episode: New Arrivals

Chapter 29 Mid-life Crisis? Not

2005-09-04T13:45:00.000-05:00

Two families of growing importance in the neighborhood are related to but not part of the Genester legacy. Meadow Thayer Cormier, first love of Lester Genester, and Robi Charvat, Genesis Genester Enabler's first husband, both found love and contentment elsewhere and began new legacies.

At #5 Nostalgia Lane, home of Ricky and Meadow Cormier -last seen in chapter 22,

With a family as large as the Cormiers, it seemed someone was always having a birthday. Now it was Leigh's turn. And she wanted everyone there to celebrate with her.

All three of her big brothers have come as well as her oldest sister, Spring. And there is little brother Cliff. Leigh invited her best friend from school also, and Mom even brought another officer, Dorian Kauker, home from work with her, though he doesn't appear thrilled to find himself at a kid's party. But he gets in the spirit of things as Leigh blows out her candles. Ah, there is big sister Valley and little sister Dayle too.

Transition time now. Wow, Cliff is so excited he jumps halfway to the ceiling!
Everyone cheers as Leigh's transformation is complete. Ah, there is Dad cheering from the kitchen. Bet he has a scrumptious celebration meal ready. He is as good a cook as Meadow and gets home earlier. Leigh loves her new dress, just like her sister's. Fate has endowed her with the popularity aspiration and she has already collected quite a few friends.

Meadow is proud of her growing children but fears them all growing up, so she suggests they adopt another little one. Ricky agrees and soon they welcome another five year old into the family. This time a little boy named Craig.

Here is a better picture of him, after a haircut.

Still not content, Meadow wants an even younger child. It's been so long since there's been a toddler in the house. She longs to hold a warm little body in her arms again. She has granddaughter Brooke of course, but she doesn't get to see enough of her as she is really not comfortable visiting Lester's home. She wants the everyday caring for and cuddling of a little one again. And she still has lots of vacation to use up. So less than a year after adopting Craig, the Cormiers again apply to Social Services for another child. On the big day, she and Ricky take turns watching out the front window for the Social Services van. Ricky is the first to see the van pull up and the Social Worker lift their new child out.

He and Meadow are appalled when the woman just puts the child down on the lawn near the mailbox and leaves. Ricky rushed out to get him before he could crawl into the street. He found a tag pinned to the baby's shirt, saying "His name is Fenn." Well, Fenn is going to stand out a bit from the other children with that red hair and brown eyes. Everyone of the other kids has blue eyes and all but Dayle have black hair. But Meadow is blond so he won't look too out of place.

Little Fenn is only a year old so Meadow will have several years of childcare still ahead of her. But this child is the last. Social Services told Meadow that they would not be allowed to adopt any more children due to their advancing ages. Meadow is 54 now and Ricky 55. They will be elders long before Fenn finishes school. But Meadow is content. She has the ten children she always longed for. And what a fine family they are. She is so proud of all of them. She foresees a long and happy golden age ahead of her, with a growing crowd of grandchildren to dote on, hopefully. Though so far, only Spring and Valley have become family sims and Spring seems quite content with only two children.
But she will always have Ricky. And no one could have a better husband. When the house is quiet, Meadow often stops and comtemplates the portraits that son Field has painted of her and Ricky and wanders through her memories of their years together. They have had a wonderful life together.

Ricky has indeed been special. He has been an excellent husband and father. Despite being a romance sim, he has strayed only twice and very briefly. Much less than fortune sim, Chandler Platz. His relationships with all except his youngest children are above 90, and remain there even though the three oldest no longer live at home. And through the births of 6 children, Ricky never once spun up the fear of having a baby, nor even of changing a diaper. A phenomenal accomplishment for a romance sim.

at #3 Lineage Way, the home of the three oldest Cormier sons, last seen in chapter 22

The boys have adjusted well to having their own place. When Field is not in classes at the Heritage Academy of Art, he is usually found painting at home. His paintings are highly acclaimed by his professors and he has already sold several. Art is his passion and he pursues it. Though it is not his only love. He does leave enough time to spend with his sweetheart, Leda Enabler. And he recently went so far as to propose. Marriage will be deferred though until he graduates and has a paying job. Although if his paintings are selling well enough by then he might just work at home.

Forest is in the police academy and is considered one of the best cadets they have ever had. He leaves plenty of time for a social life though. He is a romance sim like his father, but unlike his father, he is not devoted to one woman. He pursues as many as he can. His latest love is Bethesda Jitmakusol, another romance sim like himself.

Marsh is 18 now and will soon graduate from high school. He plans to attend community college but hasnt' yet decided what career he will embark on. All three young men remain close to their parents and younger siblings and the younger kids visit often. Cliff especially likes to visit. He spends a lot of time with his older brothers, regaling them with stories of his latest triumphs or embarrassments at school, asking their advice, or just sitting and watching Field paint, if Field is the only one home and is busy. Field seems to have the most time and patience with young Cliff, perhaps because he is the least focused on his own social life.

at #1 Lineage Way, home of Robi (age 50, knowledge) and Mabal (age 55, knowledge) Charvat, last seen in chapter 23

(Robi's wife, Mabal, is cousin to Hawer Enabler, husband of former Genester Gen 2 heir, Genesis. Mabal is also sister to Chader Enabler, who lives with Hawer and Genesis.)

Life was tranquil and quiet for the Charvats with the whole family immersed in their pursuit of knowledge. Robi continued in his position as Mad Scientist with Mabal still high school band teacher. 17 year old Sager worked hard in school and at home on his skills, hoping that the proposed University would open before he became too old to go. He was a very serious young man.

Korena approached her teens with excitement. She was really looking forward to the fun of high school. Finally her big day arrived. The family wasn't much for parties so after a quiet family dinner she transitioned to only their applause.

Her parents hadn't thought to get her anything new for the occasion so all she had to wear were older sister Soressa's hand-me-downs. Well, they were okay clothes and had looked great with Soressa's dark beauty but Korena didn't think they did much for her. And that old fashioned hairstyle had to go. A makeover was definitely in order. Mom and Dad indulgently agreed to let her go shopping by herself, trusting her good sense. But reserving the right of veto on whatever she brought home. But the veto right was not needed. Korena didn't want anything that looked slutty like some of the girls wore. Nor did she want the punk or goth look. She just wanted an outfit that would attract everyone's attention and make her stand out from any crowd she was in. And she found the perfect outfit. A new layered haircut completed her new look.

On her first day at high school, Korena got all the attention she craved, quickly becoming the center of a growing crowd of friends. She wasn't particularly outgoing, but she was so nice that once people met her they couldn't resist liking her. She always knew the perfect thing to say to make someone else feel good. And she definitely proved the adage that to have a friend you must first be one. She was always willing to help her friends in any way she could (as long as it was ethical). And being as good a student as her older brother, she was frequently found helping less able students with difficult assignments. She quickly became a favorite with all her teachers also and they would often ask her to tutor other students. Great! A chance to make another friend! The only fly in Korena's ointment was the fact that her parents wouldn't let her have parties.

As Mad Scientist, Robi's work hours were short so he had a lot of time on his hands that he no longer needed just for study. After all, he already knew practically everything there was to know. An accomplished do-it-yourselfer, (he had done much of the work on their home himself) he spent some of his time in further home improvement projects. And he never called a repairman when something broke down. He could do a better job of fixing anything than any of the repairmen he had ever hired.

One day though he became just a little overconfident when fixing the trash compacter.

That was a sobering experience for him. And a terrifying one for his children. They made him promise to call a professional in the future. He tried to reason that a professional could be shocked also. But it wouldn't be THEIR father, they said. He finally agreed to their demands but that left him with even more time on his hands. So he decided to take up a new hobby. Stargazing. Every night after getting home from work, he would work at memorizing a different quadrant of the heavens.

It was a fascinating study and a real challenge for even his phenomenal memory. And so much beauty in the sky too. He especially loved it when the two moons were full. Even though all that moonlight cut down on visibility of the stars.

Will Ricky Cormier continue to be a model family man? How will Meadow cope when her children all leave the nest? Will Robi keep his promise not to do any more electrical repairing? How long will his love affair with astronomy last? And what future lies in store for the young of these two families? Stay tuned to All My SimChildren to find out.

Next episode: Gen 4 Comes of Age

Chapter 28 Birthdays, Careers and Romantic Goings-on

2005-09-04T12:39:00.000-05:00

at #3 Heritage Trail - home of Estarr (gen 2-knowledge-age 60) and Chandler (fortune-age 58 ) Platz (last seen in chapter 22)

While the excitement of their children's weddings were occurring for her brother Lester and sister Pendillis, Estarr had to content herself with birthdays. But the Platz family were not much for parties so celebrations were very private. The twins Calder and Carissa transitioned to teen without even a cake. Both still remembered the circumstances of their last birthday and had a superstitious feeling that disaster would again befall if they had a party. So they transitioned without witnesses. Carissa was endowed with the family aspiration and Calder chose knowledge like his mother.

Carissa had enjoyed the family telescope all through her childhood, not for watching the stars, but for surveying the happenings of the neighborhood. If people were outdoors, Carissa wanted to know what they were doing. She enjoyed looking at everyone's backyard gardens too and seeing the flowers closeup, which she couldn't do walking by on the street. It had never occurred to her that anyone would object and all those years no one had. But the day after her transition she received an unexpected reaction, when her cousin Janeesis's husband, Jonathan, noticed her scanning his yard.

He gave her a huge lecture about spying on people. But Carissa was not intimidated. She told him he shouldn't be doing anything outdoors that he objected to people watching. (Though all she had seen was him going out to get the mail.)

Shortly after that, Estarr took Carissa to the beauty shop for her first makeover. Then she took both twins to Chris Stompel's photography studio for formal portraits.

Carissa is quite lovely with her new look. And Calder is the spitting image of his father, though he is quite different in temperament.

Estarr still owned her restaurant, The Peacock Garden, which was very popular both in and out of the neighborhood. She had also written several very successful cookbooks, featuring recipes from the restaurant. Her working hours were often long and late. One night as she arrived home, she began feeling the familiar tingly sensation that preceded a transition. She had entirely forgotten that today was her birthday! As she stepped out of the cab onto the landing strip she began to shiver and shimmer and soon the light show began and she burst into her new form as confetti showered around her.

Chandler also worked long hours and his landscaping business was thriving. He still loved Estarr deeply and had no desire to leave her. They had a good solid relationship even if it no longer had the fire it did when they were younger. They were partners in all of life's endeavors, if not often lovers anymore. He wasn't sure how he felt about her becoming an elder though. He knew that meant his turn would be coming soon but he still felt so young and he knew that was due to Bertillis. He had missed her terribly after she quit calling him. Every day he had gone to work expecting her to call and when she didn't he would be overcome with longing. Finally he could stand it no longer, and had dropped by her house one evening after work. He had been so astounded at what he found. And so thrilled too. No wonder he still felt young, with twin babies. And another on the way now too. Bertillis called him often again. Not as often as before but he could understand that with the children to care for. He wished she would let him do more for her, like set her up in a larger home. He could certainly afford it as well as his business was doing. He often found himself just staring in the mirror at his reflection, in wonder at the way his life was going. He had the best of two worlds. A talented and lovely wife and teen children, plus a beautiful young mistress and a second family. He had somehow managed to convince himself that he could continue to lead this double life forever with no damage to anyone. Or perhaps he just refused to think about any possible consquences.

at #12 Legacy Drive, home of Jeekobey Jitmakusol (gen 3- romance - age 30) his sister Bethesday Jitmakusol (gen 3- romance - age 22) and his girlfriend, Brittany Parker (popularity) last seen in chapter 22.

Life was purring smoothly for the young Jitmakusols. Jeekobey's career was now well established. He had decided to enter a very specialized area of psychology and was now a certified sex therapist. All of his clients were women who needed help overcoming their sexual hangups. He favored a strong, hands-on approach.

He had a lovely specialized therapy room in the back part of his office, complete with hot tub, incense, flowers, etc. where he taught relaxation and sensual modalities.

But he always made sure he left enough time in his busy schedule for Brittany.

Bethesda wanted to try for a career in modeling. She loved to show off her body. She was just beginning so she spent more time hanging around the modeling agency than she did actually working but it gave her plenty of time to socialize and meet new men. She still dated her highschool boyfriend, Ratna Sartor, but their relationship had gone far beyond that first kiss so many years before.

Her newest intimate relationship was with Dr. Sebastien Mace, cousin Kester's partner.

Sebastien was a frequent visitor to the Jitmakusol home. He was several years older than Bethesda but that certainly didn't matter to her. What did concern her was his beginning to hint about marriage. Time perhaps to cool that relationship. She'd have to make it plainer that she wasn't interested in longterm commitments at this time in her life. Ratna at least seemed comfortable with her attitude about that.

at #1 Tradition Street - home of Genesis (gen2- family-age 58) and Hawer (popularity-age 54) Enabler (continued from chapter 23)

The Enabler home was a happy one, full of growing children and contented adults. Genesis and Hawer were still deeply in love and looked forward to their golden years together. Their careers were stable and provided well for the family's financial needs. Genesis continued as assistant coach of the Llamas but planned to retire as soon as she transitioned to elder. Hawer was still rising in the executive ranks of Llama and Flamingo Inc. though he would never be CEO nor did he aspire to. He just didn't have the ambition to devote that much time to his career, preferring to spend it with his family. He was so proud of his eldest son, Kester, and grateful for the growing relationship with him. Kester visited often, frequently sharing a meal with his parents and siblings.

The grandchildren visited too, though not as often. And he and Genesis visited them. Genesis also gloried in her burgeoning family. She was thrilled when daughter Soressa married Dorian Kauker, but wondered what was taking them so long to start a family. They really ought to have a place of their own, instead of living with Opalessa. And Opalessa ought to be finding a man to settle down with. She was 36 already. She would be middle-aged before she knew it. It still seemed strange to Genesis to have a sister so much younger than she was. But then Kester's youngest sibling, Frazer, was 30 years younger than Kester. She hadn't been a kid when Kester was born either. No, she had been a full-grown woman of 23. Ah well, life had many variations and quite a few of them were strange.
Frazer had only recently transitioned to child and had just started school. He was a beautiful child who looked much like his sister Loral. Genesis thought he looked a lot like Hawer, at least more so than any of the other children, except for his coloring.

Loral finally agreed to haivng her picture taken but only if her brothers were in it with her.

Hawer's cousin, Chader, nearly 50 now and always pretty much a loner, surprised everyone by bringing home a woman several years younger than himself to meet the family. Genesis wasn't sure how old she was but thought she must be about 40. Her name was Arianna Jalowitz. Chader was the outdoorsy type. He worked for a group that organized white water rafting and fishing expeditions. Arianna was the group's office person, the one who answered the phone, did the scheduling, bought supplies, took care of advertising, etc. You might say the brains of the operation, while the guides like Chader were the brawn. Chader began bringing her home a lot and seeing her elsewhere too. They soon got the idea that he might actually be courting her. And sure enough, it wasn't long before he proposed.

Arianna didn't have to think twice before accepting. And as soon as she got the ring on her finger, she started organizing Chader. She wanted them to start shopping for a home. But Chader wasn't quite ready to leave the comfort of his established life. He suggested that instead she move in with him there. Well, Chader could be pretty stubborn. So eventually Arianna gave in. For the time being. But there was no place for her to move in to. Chader had been sharing a bedroom with his son, Viggo, ever since they moved in with Hawer and Genesis. Jager and Frazer shared the third bedroom while Loral slept in the tiny room off the master bedroom which used to be the nursery. It wasn't much bigger than a closet. So Chader proposed building an addition onto the house. He and Arianna put up half the money while Genesis and Hawer put up the other half.

When it was done and furnished, the couple married at the registry office and Arianna moved in.

Chader's son Viggo, now 22, was still seeing Iris Baxter, who was not yet 18. Her family didn't seem to object. Her father had come to Viggo's transition party with Iris, in order to meet Viggo, and he was now a frequent visitor at their home and Iris was often at the Enabler home. Genesis watched them closely as she didn't want any bad example set for her children. After all, Iris was only a few years older than her son Jager. He could easily get ideas she didn't want him to have yet. But Viggo and Iris always behaved circumspectly. No one was around when they finally had their first kiss.

Not that anyone would have seen much. Iris ducked her head just as Viggo leaned to kiss her so he got her on the forehead rather than the lips. But they did much better on the second try.

Ah, young love, how sweet it is. And not so young love too. How long can Chandler get away with his double life? What will happen if/when Estarr finds out? Has Carissa given up the telescope or will she just get sneakier about it and try to see what Jonathan was so sensitive about? Will Jeekobey and Bethesda be able to continue their romantic lifestyles without complications? Will Jager get ideas from Viggo and Iris? Will their relationship continue to grow? Will Arianna get Chader to do things her way or is he stubborn enough to keep resisting? Can two married couples of the same generation inhabit the same house without conflicts? Wow, what a lot of potential drama from these rather mild scenarios. Well, stay tuned for the next drama in the lives of All My SimChildren.

Next episode: Mid-Life Crisis? Not

Chapter 27 Almost a Triple Wedding

2005-08-28T10:01:00.000-05:00

The Ryan-Genester clan was having weddings right and left. The first occurred at #12 Legacy Drive, home of Janeesis (gen 3-knowledge) Ryan-Genester and Jonathan (family)Ternynck. (last visited in chapter 22)

Though they had wanted a big, fancy, formal wedding at a wedding chapel somewhere, the impending arrival of their first child decided the young couple to settle for a less pretentious ceremony. They rented a wedding arch and set it up in their front yard, then invited as many of Janeesis's family as could come. The ceremony was simple but touching

And unadulterated love shone in the couples' faces.

The guests were all happy, though a variety of expressions appears on their faces. Mother Pendillis looks very satisfied to have a child married. Some of the siblings look as though they might be thinking of their forthcoming nuptials though none of them were yet formally engaged at this point. But it was a happy occasion for all.

As soon as the ceremony was over Janeesis had to make a mad dash for the toilet. Perhaps all the stress caused it? Not likely. She had been having morning sickness for days.

As soon as she was recovered the happy couple posed for a wedding portrait.

Sister Bertillis had not yet completely recovered from the birth of her twins at this time. She was still having bouts of melancholy that could only be alleviated by a little romancing. Even if only an effigy.

The refreshments had been eaten and all the congratulations said when Janeesis spotted the honeymoon limousine coming. She immediately ran out into the street to make sure it stopped at the right place.

As soon as the vehicle stopped they scrambled to see who could get inside first. Wow, they are really anxious to go.

After a lovely honeymoon, they are finally home again.
"Welcome home, Mrs. Ternynck"
It's been a long eventful day. Time to relax for a while and dream of the future.

Some months later, their future arrives. They name her Jasellis, following the ancient Simmish tradition of using components of grandparents names to make a brand new name for the baby. The grandparents so honored were Pendillis and Bartholomew Jasper (BJ) Ryan-Genester.

at #2 Heritage Trail - home of Pendillis(gen 2-knowledge) and Cleve (popularity) Wilson (last seen in chapter 22)
During the months between Janeesis's wedding and the birth of Jasellis many events transpired at the family home.
The first event of significance was Chester's proposing to Maura Simpson.

Then with Pendillis's assistance, they talked Maura into moving in with the family, putting a third bed in the girls' room for her. Not long after their engagement, Vesta was invited to the adult transition party for her boyfriend Acanthus Baxter. They had been in love for a long time but Acanthus refused to make any formal commitments until he was in a position to support her. He wasn't about to have anyone in either his family or hers say he was having his brother support his wife.

But as soon as the confetti settled, Acanthus pulled out the ring that had been burning a hole in his pocket and dropped to his knees to propose to her in front of his whole family.

And of course she accepted. Soon the first tie between the two most prominent families in Heritage would be formed. There would be many others in the years ahead.

With Vesta's announcement coming right on the heels of Chester's, the whole family got busy preparing for the double weddings. It would have been so nice if both couples could have celebrated their weddings at the same place but neither home was large enough for that and as yet there was not a Community Wedding Chapel available. So Chester would be married at home and Vesta at Acanthus's home though both on the same day.

The family wedding arch was set up in the usual place in the lovely backyard, in sight of father BJ's grave. They liked the idea of including him in the festivities this way. The guests assembled and the vows were said.

All of Chester's siblings were there, including youngest brother Clever, who refused to dress up, and also all of Pendillis's. With elderhood rapidly arriving, there wouldn't be too many more of these occasions for them.

Bertillis was well advanced in her third pregnancy but said she wouldn't miss her little brother's wedding for the world.

Finally it was time for the wedding portrait.

Then a little cuddle time while the guests enjoyed the refreshments

And a good time was had by all. Pendillis enjoyed telling her youngest sister Opalessa about BJ's latest apparition while Janeesis, recovered from the birth of Jasellis, exchanged recipes with Fletcher, the budding chef.

A few hours later, Chester left his new bride at home in order to attend his twin's wedding. Pendillis, Janeesis, Fletcher and Cosetta also attended. This was another simple home ceremony as the young Baxters don't have much money. Vows and rings were exchanged.

From Acanthus's family, his father, grandfather, two brothers and five sisters attended. Janeesis was Vesta's Matron of Honor and Acanthus's four younger sisters were identically clad Bridesmaids.

Acanthus's brother Trollius is a policeman and couldn't be there for the ceremony, but did arrive in time to initiate the toasting.

There were refreshments but guests didn't hang around long. The house is tiny with only one small bathroom. Which rapidly became the most popular room in the house.

By the time the honeymoom limo arrived guests were already leaving and the newlyweds made a mad dash for the limo.

Finally, able to sit back and relax. It's over and now the fun begins.

Here is Vesta's new home which the newlyweds will share with four of his siblings.

Back from their honeymoon they relax before bed.

I can't believe that we are finally really married.
After returning home from Vesta's wedding, Chester and Maura took off for a short honeymoon of their own. Just a weekend in the city, they couldn't afford a long trip. Maura is giving up her firefighting career to be a stay-at-home wife and mother. They hope to begin their family as soon as possible. Chester is a graduate student in Astronomy and works at the Heritage Observatory. He has a long way to go before he is making much of a salary. But the family home is roomy and both Pendillis and Cleve are happy to have them live there forever if they want.

Well, Pendillis has three of her children married off now and only two unmarried ones left at home. And granddaughter Cosetta. Fletcher and Cosetta are both in their last year of school and will soon have to decide what their future will be. How many grandchildren will grace Pendillis's elderhood, which is fast approaching? She has four already, with another already on the way. And Chester and Maura are both family sims. She is ahead of her elder siblings. Lester only has two grandchildren so far. And Estarr has none. But twin sister Genesis has five already, though no one except Kester and Bertillis know that. Yet.

Well, had enough weddings for a while? After weddings usually come births, right? What else might lie ahead in the saga of All My SimChildren? I can guarantee you there is plenty of drama ahead, though it might be a circuitous path to get to it. So stay tuned for the next episode.

Next Episode: Birthdays, Careers and Romantic Goings-on

Chapter 26 - Trash Town Legacy

2005-08-28T08:57:00.000-05:00

Lester's younger sons experienced some peace in their lives for a while. Well, at least two of them did.

At #2 Vintage Road, last visited in Chapter 21,

Fester Copur continued in his life of crime, for want of something better to do. He was mainly just drifting. Once he reached adulthood, he found his relationship with Poppy Jeffress becoming more and more unsatisfying, despite the physical excitement, and finally broke up with her. He then found himself drawn back to his longtime best friend Jody Carr, though he continued that relationship as just friends. He found Jody's company very satisfying and spent more and more time at her home. Her father, Joe, frequently encouraged him to join the military, outlining the many advantages of that career.
Fester also spent a lot of his free time with his little brother, Dolf. No one else had any time for the kid and Fester felt sorry for him, so he did everything he could to give the kid a leg up, like helping him with homework every chance he got. No one had ever done that for him but he wanted Dolf to have more opportunities ahead of him than he saw for his own future.

Mother Ivy spent her life concentrating on having a good time. She worked as a DJ and was in demand at a lot of private parties in the area. Father Randy didn't seem to think about anything except how much money he could make and how fast. He lived his life on the line, as a rather successful burglar, or something equally shady.

At #6 Vintage Road, last visited in chapter 16

Dexter Bruenig continued to paint, becoming better and better at his chosen career. He was enrolled in the two year program at the Heritage Academy of Arts but did not plan to attend University. The family home was still the prettiest little house in Trash Town but was getting rather cramped since the twins had transitioned to childhood.

Marsha and Christopher had had walls repositioned so that there were now four bedrooms rather than three, so Dexter didn't have to share with the little guys which Dexter deeply appreciated. And he knew it was his stepfather's idea. Chris had even consulted Dexter on the design. Chris was really a great guy. Dexter enjoyed his times at his father Lester's home but he had to admit that his stepfather had a much higher place in his esteem than his father did. From the very first day that Chris moved in, he had been there for Dexter, helping him, encouraging him, even when he didn't want it.
Dexter didn't spend much time with his younger siblings though, preferring to spend as much time as possible painting. He didn't dislike them or anything, but just kind of ignored them. The twins were pretty inseparable anyway, doing almost everything together and not needing anyone else.
Now his sister Christiona was another matter. She DID get on his nerves with her constant chatter about boyfriends. You'd think she never had another thought in her head. Though she was good to help out around the house and even helped the kids with homework once in a while.

At #7 Vintage Road, home of The Bertino Bunch, also last visited in chapter 16,

Tesler Go was living a much more exciting life at the moment than any of his brothers. In the Bertino household there was always something going on. And his primary delight at the moment was his "step-sister" Lyra. She had this aura about her that made her absolutely irresistable. He was drawn to her like a bee to honey. And what's more she seemed to find him irresistable also. He often felt like he was sitting on a powder keg just waiting for someone to light a match. Then one day she did. Or he did. He wasn't sure after who started it. But everyone else was out of the room for a moment and magic happened.

They were both the same age, 18, but he was pretty sure it was not her first kiss. Gee, as gorgeous as she was, how could it be? And he knew she had a boyfriend when his family first moved in. But he hadn't been around since then. After that first kiss, any time the young couple got a chance they sneaked another kiss.

The times were few and far between cause the house was small and always full of people. But it was enough to keep Tesler smoldering and sleep hard to attain when he went to bed. He would invariably find himself thinking of Lyra and wind up having to go take a cold shower.

Lyra was a compulsive romantic, a true daughter of her father, Abhijeet Deppiesse. Hmm, that makes her Lester's half-sister, doesn't it? And Tesler's aunt. But that fact is buried somewhere in the dim recesses of Lyra's mind, and Tesler knows nothing of it at all. If Platal knew what was going on, she would say something. Probably. If she thought about it. But she is pretty oblivious most of the time. But Lyra had not broken off with her other boyfriend. Dominique worked evenings so Lyra had to make time to see him in the day. Usually by skipping school then meeting him at the Romper Room. And she was always scouting for fresh meat. After all, a girl couldn't have too many boyfriends, as long as she was careful to keep them separated.

Lyra's twin, Leda, was still seeing Field Cormier. They had been sort of dating now for four years. Leda had been quite content with the platonic relationship during those years. One reason she had been drawn to Field in the first place was his shyness. Whether Field was satisfied with platonicity is another matter but he was too shy to do anything about it. After four years of companionship with Leda he knew exactly how he felt about her. He thought she was the nicest, sweetest girl he had ever known and compared her favorably to his mother. He couldn't imagine ever wanting to be with anyone else. But he didn't intend to ever do anything to make her quit seeing him. So he kept himself to himself. But now at 18 Leda was ready for a more mature relationship. So she subtly let Field know how she felt.

Field was shocked and delighted when Leda started flirting with him but he wasn't really sure how to respond.

So Leda kissed him. The first time for both of them. And right out there on the street.

Well, that was enough to give Field some ideas. He held her tight and kissed her thoroughly.

He was soon kissing her forehead, her eyes and any other part of her he could reach, while his hands roamed up and down her back. Leda was overwhelmed by the intensity of what she had unleashed but she didn't pull away or resist, instead pressing closer to him.

After a few moments of that they stood for a long time just holding each other and whispering love words in each other's ears.

The next time Field visited he had a surprise for Leda and a question.

She answered "Yes", and they began making plans. Soon she would become Mrs. Field Cormier.

Platal accepted her daughter's news quite happily. She was glad Leda's future was assured. One less child to worry about. She and Orlando were both as happy as clams in broth, with each totally accepting of the others idiosyncracies, and both equally scatterbrained. The household was likely to become even wilder with Leda gone as she seemed the most stable of the group. Orlando's son, Roland, had just transitioned to teen and was beginning to feel the surge of teen hormones. His brain was likely to disengage for some time.

The two youngest, Orlando's son, Javier, and Platal's daughter, Aura, had both transitioned to childhood and were now seven. They were both quite wild and undisciplined, doing whatever popped into their little heads. Their parents did make sure they went to school and did enough homework to keep Social Services away but otherwise life was all play.

How long before Field and Leda marry? Will Tesler find out he is not the only "man" in Lyra's life? How long before the tinder between them catches fire and the powder keg REALLY explodes? What will happen between Fester and Jody? Will Joe convince Fester to join the military? Will Dexter ever take his nose away from the canvas long enough to get a girlfriend? Tune in to the next episode of All My SimChildren when SOME of these questions may be answered.

Next Episode: Almost a Triple Wedding

Chapter 25 - Another Gen 3 wedding

2005-08-13T12:02:00.000-05:00

at #4 Heritage Trail, home of Lester Genester (gen 2-romance-age 62+)
(continued from chapter 20)

Lester has still not retired. He enjoys his job too much. He has finally stated that he will not retire until he either dies or gets voted out. And the public still seems enamored of him. He continues to defeat all opponents in the polls by a large margin. He may be getting old but he still obviously has what it takes, both to please the electorate and to attract young women. During the weeks of son Laser's engagement, Lester added another conquest to his list, another of the Trollops of Trash Town. This one is Numidia.

That makes 10 women that Lester romances more or less regularly. And a total of 19 all together.

Finally Laser and Lucy's big day arrives. Both are popularity sims so of course they want a big wedding. So everyone in the family is invited though not nearly all are able to come.

Some familiar faces and others less so. From left to right are brother Tesler Go, father Lester, Sager Charvat who just happened by, brother Fester Copur, aunt Estarr Platz, aunt Genesis Enabler, mother Platal Bertino, sister Spring Futa, nephew Leith, brother-in-law Alvin Futa, and behind Genesis is brother Dexter Bruenig.

Vows are exchanged and traditional words spoken. (You can see Dexter behind Leith and Platal in this shot.)

Ngoiyo

Then the first kiss as husband and wife

Following the ceremony, Lucy had to make a mad dash for the bathroom. In all the excitement of the wedding she had forgotten to go before. Then a quick shower and change into her going-away outfit. Meanwhile Laser entertained the crowd with funny stories about growing up.

He describes a scary incident from his childhood when he met a bully.

Leith seems to be a little scared by the story. Or perhaps he just thinks Uncle Laser is being a little too silly. He has undoubtedly heard this story before.

The crowd begins to scatter as some wander off to the refreshment table. Laser now must tell his stories one on one. I wonder if he got into the celebratory champagne before the ceremony?

Hmm, is brother Dexter laughing or upset? Is this his reaction to Laser's story? No one seems to be amused by what he is saying.

Estarr decided to head for the refreshments also. Look how gingerly she goes up those stairs. She is showing her age. She will soon be an elder too.

Lucy is finally ready to go but takes a moment to help little Brooke with the potty and put her down for her nap. She is officially Brooke's aunt now and enjoys doing things with the toddler.

The party continues with lots of food and festivity. Finally dusk slips down and it is time for the newlyweds to leave for their honeymoon. The guests wave goodby and depart for their homes.

In the now quiet house, Lester relaxes with yet another new girlfriend. Another of the Trollop girls, this one is Medora. Hmmm, wonder where she is from?

And yet another notch in Lester's belt. That makes 20 now. Only 10 more to go. Can he do it?

So where did everyone else go after the guests left? Leith conked out on the couch.

Spring and Alvin had gone out for a walk for a little romantic remembering of their own wedding.

Then Brooke woke up. She was quite able to get herself out of her crib and walked out to find everyone gone.

This prompted her to go on a hunt to find someone, anyone. It's scary to be only two and think you're in the house all alone.

Luckily mommy and daddy got back in the nick of time, before Brooke had to start howling.

All the Gen 3s are reaching adulthood. Whose wedding will be next? What surprises lie in wait for them? And for us? To find out stay tuned to All My SimChildren.

Next episode: Trash Town Legacy

Chapter 24 A Serpent In Eden

2005-08-13T10:15:00.000-05:00

at # 1 Heritage Trail. - home of Kester Genester - gen 3, knowledge (continued from chapter 19)
A couple of weeks passed after Kaylynn's disappearance, during which Kester saw Bertillis whenever he got a chance. He found her the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal life. Her pregnancy had only added to his tender feelings for her.

Then Kester got a call from Dorian Kauker at the police station. Fishermen had found a body in the river. A woman's body. With long black hair. Dorian asked Kester to come down and see if he could identify her but warned him that it was pretty bad. She had been dead and in the water for two weeks. Kester went down and yes, it was Kaylynn. The police then began investigating to ensure there was no foul play. Checking records of the taxi service they found that from the Genester house Kaylynn went to the Pander house the day she left. Dorian visited that house and spoke with Monique Pander, the owner. She told him that Kaylynn was a frequent visitor to see Cassius and that on that particular day, Cassius was not in. Kaylynn waited a couple of hours then left again by taxi. The taxi company then reported that from there she went to #6 Heritage Trail, the home of Opalessa Genester. And they had no further records of a pickup at that address or anywhere near it. Opalessa was astonished when Dorian asked her about it. She said if Kaylynn came there she found no one home because Opalessa and Soressa would have been at work. (Which Dorian well knew since he was now married to Soressa and lived at that address also, but it had to all be formally put in the record.) A little information was given to the media and both TV and the newspaper had a "Have you seen this woman?" piece, with a picture of Kaylynn.. This elicited one new piece of info. A motorist saw Kaylynn walking on the big bridge over the river and stopped to ask her if she needed assistance. She told him no, she was only out walking for exercise. But he noticed when he looked back in his mirror that she was just standing and looking over the edge of the bridge. He supposed she was resting for a moment and enjoying the view. This connected to Opalessa's address also since hers was the last house before reaching the bridge. Since all indications were that Kaylynn commited suicide, despite the lack of a suicide note, the police closed the case. Kester wondered how long he could keep this news from his kids. What a burden for them to have to live with. Of course he was a free man now. But he would never be able to share more of his life with Bertillis than he did now since they could never legally marry. They must just snatch what happiness they could whenever time allowed. Yet he ached to have all his children under one roof with him. But he could not even do that. By the terms of Hester's legacy, no relative who had moved out or been born elsewhere could ever move in. Of course, he could always move out, but he had accepted the terms of the legacy and in honor must abide by them. At least until one of his children was old enough to take over.
He finally told his kids about Kaylynn's death when he realized that it was only a matter of time before they found out from someone else and he didn't want that to happen. None of them had any serious problems from it since she had never made any efforts to establish closeness with them. Celestial was even secretly glad that Kaylynn was never coming back but she said nothing to anyone of her feelings just as she had never told about how Kaylynn verbally abused her. So the children's routine soon returned to normal and for a short time there were three of them to play together.

The months passed quickly and Bertillis awakened one morning with the unmistakable twinges of beginning labor. Quickly she called Kester. He was at work but promised to get to her as soon as possible. Then she called her doctor.

But these babies didn't waste any time. Before any one could come to help her, Bertillis had delivered both infants herself.

Then she collapsed in shock.

The doctor arrived and checked her condition then administered the needed therapy.

By the time Kester arrived, Bertillis was herself again and could present him with a black haired, blue-eyed son who they named Keller.

And a pretty little blond-haired, browneyed daughter who they named Rosella.

Kester was happier than he had been in years. His only regret was that he could not acknowledge these children publicly and have them in his home. But he spent as much time with his second family as he could without neglecting his first.

Shortly after the twins birth it was time for Brewster to transition to teen and he looked just like his father did at his age except for lighter skintone and green eyes.

And fate gave him romance for his aspiration so he would be following in his great-grandfather's and great-uncle's footsteps as he traveled through life. But Kester planned to make sure he had a thorough understanding of his responsibilies toward the women he would love. And hopefully the knowledge to avoid what he had done as a teen. Not that Kester regretted Cosetta. But he did regret the ongoing secrecy about her.

A few months later, Kester got a pleasant surprise. Dr. Sebastian Mace, a new face at the hospital, approached Kester with an offer of partnership in a new pediatric clinic. Kester quickly said yes, of course.

Brewster happened to be present when this occurred and was very proud of his father. (And don't these two look almost mirror images of each other?)

About this time Bertillis got a surprise too. Chandler showed up on her doorstep. She hadn't seen him since she had become involved with Kester again. It had been over a year. And he had never come by her house before without her calling him. He had vowed to himself that he never would but when months passed without her calling he could no longer stay away. So here he was. And Bertillis found that she could not resist him.

Chandler was astounded to see the babies and made a lot of assumptions. First, that they were his, and second, that her pregnancy was the reason she had stopped calling him. He scolded her thoroughly for keeping it from him and insisted on setting up regular child support payments. As Kester had already done. Well, a girl could always use some extra money. But this advent of Chandler back into her life presented a problem for Bertillis. She found she didn't want to give him up. Anytime she thought about doing so, she wound up calling him over. And no way could she give up Kester. He was life and breath to her now. She didn't know how she could resolve this problem but meanwhile she just had to ensure that they never came at the same time. Which shouldn't be too hard since they both had families to care for. And she had made it clear that they should not come over unless she called them. After all, she had twins to care for and was exhausted a lot of the time. She had to snatch naps whenever she could. And now she had another complication. She was pregnant again.

And she was pretty sure that this time Chandler WAS the father. She had had a premonition when it happened. Just as she had when she conceived the twins. She couldn't understand it as she had been obsessive about using protection. She had never really wanted ANY children although she loved them after they arrived. Although she had to admit she had never bonded well with Cosetta. Probably because she was so young at the time. Ah, well, she sighed. Thinking about the past wouldn't solve her problems now. A few weeks later it was time for the twins first transition. No time for a party, Bertillis was just too exhausted all the time. Kester was constantly fretting because she wouldn't let him visit oftener. But she had to see Chandler once in a while and she had to get some REST. Being pregnant while caring for two babies was the pits. And she knew it was likely to get worse once they could get around by themselves. So with trepidation she assisted them through their transitions. First Keller.

Her black hair, blue eyes, and odd little ears, her father's full cheeks and mouth. Not much of Kester. Maybe the brow and shape of his eyes.

then Rosella

Kester's eyes and nose. Her father's blond hair and full lips.

Her little one bedroom converted country church was going to be a little inadequate before long. Right now the bathroom was doubling as a nursery. But she wasn't sure she could squeeze another crib in there. Her bedroom was full of her orchard of money trees, which had been her primary source of income until Kester started giving her a monthly check, so no room to put one in there. Both of her lovers had suggested that she move to a larger place but she liked her little out-of-the-way home, with no neighbors close enough to see what was going on. She thought she might be able to make a second bedroom in the skimpy attic, once the kids were a little older. But right now they would just have to squeeze.

At Kester's home a semblance of tranquility had returned. The kids had returned to their normal pattern of living and Kaylynn's absence was rarely mentioned. Or even noticed. After all she had been pretty much absent in spirit for years before her death. Kester on the other hand was doing a lot of brooding. He found himself regretting the secrecy in his life more and more every day. It was time to tell his other children the truth and make Cosetta more a part of his family.
So one Saturday at lunch when the girls were at their music lessons Kester told the boys the whole story of his teen years, the mistakes he had made, and the consequences. Though he emphasized that he did not regret having any of his children despite the disaster of his marriage. Then he told them of their younger siblings. Both the boys were thunderstruck and frequently forgot to eat as they listened and asked questions. Though they were both able to accept Kester's revelations it was the longest lunch in family history.

Later that evening Kester told the girls about their other siblings also though it was a much simpler discussion since they were only 8 and 12. He did emphasize to them that this was family stuff and not to be discussed at school or elsewhere.

Over the next weeks Kester's revelations were a frequent topic of conversation among the children. Cosetta's visits were more frequent and she was thrilled by her acceptance as a sibling. The younger girls liked having a big sister to talk girl stuff with. It did cause a bit of friction between the brothers as Prester, 18, sometimes felt compelled to lecture Brewster, 14, whenever Brewster would start going on about another pretty girl he had met.

A few weeks later on the 10th anniversary of her death, grandmother Hester's ghost appeared for the first time.

She wandered the house for some time, appearing to Kester with whom she had a long talk, expressing satisfaction of his discarding secrecy but reminding him that he could not move his second family into the house. Kester was quite thrilled with the meeting as he had missed his grandmother immensely and was glad to know that she was still watching over the family. Hester also spoke with each of her grandchildren. No jumping out of furniture to scare them but they were still all shaken by the event and hoped it wouldn't happen again. None of the three cared to share what Hester had to say to them.

How far will Kester go in dispelling the secrets from his life? How long will Bertillis be able to keep her double secret? What will happen when the twins learn to talk? Who will they call Daddy? How will these secrets affect the larger family? Stay tuned to All My SimChildren for the answers. Eventually.

Next episode: Another Gen 3 Wedding

Chapter 23-Tranquil Times, Happy Families

2005-08-07T14:02:00.000-05:00

at #6 Heritage Trail - home of Opalessa Genester, youngest gen 2 (popularity) and her niece, Soressa Charvat.. (last seen in chapter 17)

Opalessa was going on 34 and had no significant other, nor did she appear to be interested in having one. Her romance with Travancor Pander had cooled though he still called her. But whenever he called she always had some excuse for not seeing him. She had lost her job as an executive chef, briefly tried her hand at business and was now in politics, though had no plans to stay with it. She really wanted to get back into restaurant work, but was just drifting for now. She enjoyed having Soressa as a roommate and visiting relatives to play with and care for their babies and toddlers. She always enjoyed that but was always glad she could leave when she got tired of it. However her greatest pleasure was obtained from giving parties. She had at least one every week, and oftener if she was not too tired. And she had lots of friends to invite to them too.

Soressa wasn't much for partying. She preferred the company of one man, Dorian Kauker.

As the months passed she saw more and more of him but any time he tried to bring up the subject of marriage she shied away.

She couldn't get her parents divorce out of her mind and was afraid to make a commitment for fear it would happen to her. Opalessa watched her torture herself for several months then finally had a serious talk with her about what she wanted from life. She pointed out that her parents' problems stemmed from her mother not going after what she truly wanted and marrying someone else instead. (Of course if Genesis had done differently Soressa would never have been born, but that was not the point.) Opalessa encouraged Soressa to make up her mind what she wanted and then go get it. With that encouragement and much serious thought, Soressa finally decided to accept Dorian's next proposal.

And they didn't waste any time getting married either. No fancy wedding for them, just a quiet ceremony at the Registry Office.

at #1 Lineage Way - home of Robi Charvat and second wife, Mabal Enabler
(last seen in chapter 17)

The years following Hester's death were quiet ones at the Charvat home. The only event of note was Sager's transition to teen.

He became quite a good-looking young man. And one of the very few that I think look good in this hairstyle.

He was a quiet, serious boy who was most interested in learning. Very much like his parents. But he did have a girlfriend of sorts, Cosetta Genester. Well, he considered her his best friend rather than a girlfriend. They had shared a few shy kisses though nothing more than that. But he enjoyed her company a whole lot and frequently visited at her house. Robi had had a serious talk with him about birds and bees and not doing anything you might be sorry for later. He had taken that very much to heart.

The Charvat home was finally completed, inside and out, even down to the landscaping. Robi was very proud of what they had accomplished.

at #1 Tradition Street - home of Genesis and Hawer Enabler (continued from chapter 18)

These years were tranquil, happy ones for Genesis and her family also. Her fifth and last pregnancy came to fruition on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

And her labor quickly brought forth another son. With dad's green eyes and mom's black hair. He is named Frazer.

Big brother Jager thinks he is fine.

The Enablers have also completed their home inside and out and are quite pleased with it.

The whole family enjoyed gathering for dinner every evening and sharing their day.

A number of transitions occurred, both with and without celebrations. Loral transitioned to child in the bathroom after Daddy had shooed her away from playing in a clogged toilet.

And somehow she managed to consistently avoid the camera after that though she was a lovely child with nothing to be shy about.

A few months later it was time for Frazer to become a toddler

Hawer immediately set about teaching him to walk.

Two years later it was time for a double transition.
First Jager became a teen.

Surprisingly he looks very much like his uncle Lester. As much or more than Lester's own sons do. But then perhaps not surprising, since Genesis's features are just more feminine versions of Lester's.
Then it was Viggo's turn. He had invited one of his buddies and also his girlfriend, Iris Baxter. And she had brought her father along to meet Viggo since Viggo had been too shy to visit her at her home to meet her family.

He completed his transition to become an extremely handsome young man. (At least I think so cause he looks a whole lot like my son. LOL)

Genesis couldn't be happier. Her husband, Hawer, was devoted to her, and his nephew, Viggo, regarded her as a mother. She still worked as an assistant coach but fiound plenty of time to spend on family. Her three younger children were all healthy and happy. And she remained close to her two elder children. (She had managed to make up with Soressa after the messy breakup and divorce with Robi) She also enjoyed being the grandmother of three and looked forward to more grandchildren.

at #5 Vintage Road - home of Christy Stratton and Brandon Lillard. (continued from chapter 18)

Christy's third pregnancy was a rough one and so was her labor.

But she managed to produce a healthy son without complications. They named him Shaddoc.

A year later he uneventfully transitioned to toddler

Followed by Branna's transition to teen. And she has finally gotten over her fear of the camera so we can see what a pretty girl she is.

at #9 Vintage Road - home of Joe and Trista Carr (continued from chapter 18)

Happy, uneventful years were the norm at the Carr household also, with the only excitement coming from transitions.
Baby Lynette was soon a toddler.

Less than a year later Joe transitioned to elder. But he seemed to be camera shy too. That was about the time that 15 year old Jody had her first kiss with her best friend Fester Copur.

But Fester was almost like a brother to her. They had been so close since she was a small child. You couldn't marry someone that was almost a brother, now could you? So she looked around for a real boyfriend. And she found one in a young man named Hunter Strahan.

Hunter was a nice boy and only 16, just a few months older than Jody. He was perfect. For now.

Two years later it was time for Lynette to transition again and she became a pretty little girl

Then it was Isolde's turn to become a teen.

Just quiet, happy uneventful years. What could go wrong in households as content as all these were? Stay tuned to All My SimChildren to find out.

Next episode: A Serpent in Eden

Chapter 22-Fledglings Leave the Nest

2005-08-07T01:50:00.000-05:00

at #2 Heritage Trail - home of Pendillis and Cleve Wilson (last seen in chapter 15)

Cleve remained deeply involved with his son, Clever, throughout his toddlerhood and was right there with him when it was time for Clever to transition to child.
Clever had not wanted a party but Cosetta had invited her friend, Sager Charvat, over for the evening.

After everyone had congratulated Clever, Cosetta and Sager went out to the back yard to swing. There they shared their first kiss. Cosetta was 15 and Sager a year younger.

Once Clever was in school Pendillis was finally free to return to her job as a fashion consultant full-time. With four teens in the house, two of them nearly grown, she didn't need to worry about Clever during the hours after school before she got home. The next two years passed quietly as the children grew, attended school and made the grades that their father would have expected of a teacher's children. In what seemed like no time at all it was time for Chester and Vesta to transition to adult. They chose to have only the immediate family for the celebration, but they did decide to have two cakes. Chocolate for Chester and strawberry for Vesta.

They both elected to transition into their best grown-up clothes for picture taking and when they got their first look at each other they were both astounded. Where was that awkward kid that had been their best buddy for so many years? Now they saw a handsome man/lovely young woman instead.

By the time pictures were taken, the cake consumed and all the congratulations done, 7 year old Clever was ready for bed. 17 year old Fletcher had gotten up a few hours early that morning to bake the two cakes so he was worn out too and volunteered to see Clever to bed. Then he retired to his own.

The rest of the family retired to the backyard for swinging and more camaraderie.

Cosetta was quite subdued at the family party. Well, she had never been as outgoing as the rest of the family so no one really noticed it. But she had a lot on her mind. Ever since her 16th birthday in fact. She was struggling to assimilate what she had learned about her parents. She had become quite close to Kester since she met him at Pendillis and Cleve's wedding. Finally on her 16th birthday, Kester told her he was her father but warned her that she should not mention it in the family as it would cause them a lot of upset. She had always been humiliated by her mother saying she didn't know who her father was. But now she knew why she said it. Cosetta was determined not to follow in her parents' footsteps. She wanted to have a strong marriage and many children just like her grandmother. She already had a sweetheart. He was Sager Charvat, son of Robi Charvat and Mabal Enabler, and he seemed to be a strong and caring person. They had shared only an occasional kiss, but Cosetta felt he would be the man for her. The knowledge of her parentage though had deepened the way she had already come to feel about Kester so all things together she was glad he had told her. And now she was beginning to get to know her younger siblings also. Kester had not told them yet. He had said that due to the turmoil in their lives because of their mother he intended to wait a while before telling them.

Chester had been seeing a young firefighter, Maura Simpson, for a couple of years. She was two or three years older than he was and had so far refused to commit to any kind of serious relationship. But they were good friends and he hoped to be more. As far as the family knew, Maura was the first and only girl he had been interested in. What they didn't know was that for several years Chester had been sneaking out at night to visit the "happy houses" with a couple of his male buddies. There he had his first experiences with "love".

But he wanted to marry and have a family and those girls were not what he was looking for in a wife. When he met Maura Simpson he had liked her a lot. And she seemed to return the feelings. So he had given up partying and had been working hard on his studies to prepare himself for getting a good job. He had graduated with honors from his community college program.

Maura had been unable to attend the transition celebration due to her work schedule. But she had promised to stop by after she got off work that evening and she did so. One look at Chester and she knew where her future lay. And after a few words exchanged she laid her heart at his feet.

It wouldn't be long now before family sim Chester reached the first of his life goals.

Vesta's boyfriend, Acanthus Baxter, had attended the party but it would be several months yet before he transitioned so Vesta ended the evening feeling just a little let down. However, Chester was still her best friend and they had not left all of their youth behind. After everyone else went to bed, the twins shared one of their last playtimes together before going their separate ways into the future.

Second daughter Janeesis had stayed at home until she was 22 as she and boyfriend Jonathan Ternynck pursued their relationship. Finally they had decided that they wanted to share their lives more fully and bought a house together at #12 Legacy Drive. They had all their marriage plans made and shopped for rings together, but though everything was agreed beforehand, Jonathan insisted on presenting the engagement ring to Janeesis with all the formal ritual.

They wanted a formal wedding too but after buying the house they didn't have enough money left for the wedding so just moved in together until they could save up what they needed. But before that happened, despite precautions, Janeesis began suspecting she was pregnant and a pregnancy test confirmed it. Now what to do? Have a wedding or have a baby?

at #3 Heritage Trail - home of Estarr and Chandler Platz (last seen in chapter 15)

At the Platz's home more fledglings were preparing to leave the nest. Jeekobey managed to keep his romantic impulses to a minimum until he was 27 while he worked to save up a nestegg. He didn't want to live in some crummy little apartment or a one room hut. He wanted a decent house to begin with, maybe not completely finished but something he did not have to be ashamed of. After all he had his professional position to consider. Wouldn't do for a promising psychologist to appear to be a pauper. But finally he had enough and was able to move out.

Bethesda had made him promise that she could come and live with him as soon as Mother would let her. And she had her own nestegg growing which she promised to put in on the new house.

Jeekobey didn't propose to live alone though. After weighing the pros and cons he had decided to ask one of his girlfriends, Brittany Parker, to move in with him. He made it plain up front though that he wasn't interested in getting married or having kids but she said that was fine with her. She had her career to think of, just as he did.

Jeekobey planned to open his own office as soon as possible. He had already rented the space and installed his psychotherapy machine. He had some interior decorating to do though before he could open. But he was already lining up clients.

A few months after Jeekobey left, it was time for Chalmer's teen transition.

No doubt who he belonged to with that nose. (Or lack of nose) Had some of Grandpa Abhijeet's features too. Chalmer chose popularity as his aspiration which was a surprise to the family as he didn't have many friends yet and what he did have were all younger boys.

A year later it was finally time for Bethesda to escape. She transitioned to adult, packed her bags and said her goodbyes. And it wasn't just a desire for easier romancing that inspired her to leave. Every two or three nights the ghost of her father would roam the house and seemed to take particular delight in appearing to her suddenly. She loved her dad but when he kept jumping out of the piano at her it was too much. She knew he was just playing with her but that was worse than all the tickling he used to do.

Then she caught a cab to Jeekobey's pad.

At #5 Nostalgia Lane - home of the Cormiers (last seen in chapter 17)

As Meadow's youngest child, Cliff, rapidly grew toward childhood,

her older sons were trying their wings in the wider world. Eldest son Field was a fortune sim and worked hard at his art studies but enjoyed late nights out with friends as much as any other young man, despite being quite shy. On one occasion he didn't get in until the rest of the family was getting up one morning.

Second son Forest was a romantic and spent as much time as he could chasing girls and hanging out at the Trash Town party houses with his friend, Chester Genester.

Third son Marsh, though popularity oriented, seemed to prefer being most popular with his siblings. He engaged in a lot of activities with his sisters and little brother, even going so far as to help Cliff with potty training. Needless to say, Cliff regarded Marsh as a hero.

The older the boys got the more crowded the house seemed. It was only a three bedroom house and none of them were large. It seemed that when little Cliff transitioned he would have to bunk in with his sisters as there was just no room to squeeze in another bed in the boys' room. Field however, offered a solution. Since he was beginning to make some money from sale of his paintings and it was nearly time for Forest to graduate, Field suggested that the two of them get their own place. Ricky and Meadow considered the idea thoughtfully and finally decided that the boys were mature enough to handle life on their own so agreed. When Marsh heard of this he strenuously objected. He didn't want his older brothers to go off and leave him. Now if they would consider letting him come with them, that would be okay. The three broached that subject with their parents with trepidation. After all, Marsh was not quite 16. But Marsh was probably the most mature of the three for his age so Ricky and Meadow agreed, to the boys' surprise and pleasure. With stipulations that there were to be frequent visits in both directions. So the arrangements were made and the three prepared to move out as soon as Cliff had his transition party. The big day arrived with lots of fanfare.

"Wo ho, go for it, Cliffie! You can do it!"

And Cliff did it.

After the festivities and putting Cliff to bed in a room now totally his own, the older boys gathered up their belongings and called a cab to take them to their private digs at #3 Lineage Way.

Not too long after that, Valley had her transition to teenhood.

Which ultimately brought daughter Spring back into Meadow's life. Meadow wept tears of joy when she said goodbye to Spring after that first visit and they both planned many more.

With the three noisiest members of the family out of the house now, it suddenly began seeming quite empty to Meadow. She longed to fill it up again but knew she was past the age to have more children. She and Ricky were both over fifty now. But there was no reason they could not adopt more children. Ricky made a quite good salary, they had a very decent home and with her working, they had money for savings. And if they adopted a school-age child she wouldn't have to stay home either. Though she still had lots of vacation time saved up. When she presented her idea to Ricky, he agreed instantly. He loved all their children as much as Meadow did, and even more he loved her. So anything that she wanted that was in his power he would agree to. After nearly 25 years of marriage he still felt the same as he had when they first wed. NO, that wasn't true. He loved her even more now. Despite the few slips from total fidelity that he had experienced. So they applied to Social Services for an adoptee. They were soon told that a five year old girl was available and they agreed instantly. She was the same age as Cliff and would be perfect. Her name was Dayle and when she arrived they couldn't have been more pleased. She had the same dark skin and hair as Ricky and Cliff. No question of her ever being pointed out as "different". Ricky immediately pitched in to help her learn to study right along with older sister Leigh.

How will being out of the nest work out for all the fledglings? How long before even more leave the nest? Stay tuned for the next chapter of All My SimChildren.

Next episode: Tranquil Times, Happy Families

Chapter 21 - Growing Up in Trash Town

2005-06-03T09:44:00.000-05:00

at #2 Vintage Road - home of Fester Copur (last seen in chapter 16)

Lester's second son, Fester (gen3-popularity) was rapidly approaching adulthood. His last teen years were spent working the streets to make spending money which he then spent at the Hooker house. But he also had girlfriends his own age. The most longstanding one was Jody Carr who had been his best friend since they were children despite being four years younger. She had her first kiss with Fester though it was long past his first.

He never went further than kissing with Jody though. His almost brotherly feelings for her prevented him from taking advantage of her feelings that way. His relationship with Poppy Jeffress was an entirely different matter. Poppy was the same age as Jody and they were in the same class at school. Both girls also belonged to the Marasong Girls' Club. They had a special uniform that they wore for club meetings and many of them wore it all the time. Fester had actually met Poppy through Jody. He had been really surprised that she was in the MGC when he found out who she was. Most of the girls in Trash Town belonged to the club but uptown girls usually belonged to a different one. He soon found out that Poppy was not much like the other uptown girls. She was wild as a doe and was looking for a buck. And he was the first one she met. A few days after they first met she called him up and invited him to her home. If he hadn't spent so many happy hours at Lester's home he might have turned her down. That was really a big, fancy house she lived in. But he went and had a great time. He had another first kiss with her in the kitchen.

And before long they were upstairs in her bedroom

She kept him there all night. He had to sneak out of the house in the predawn hour just before the rest of the family got up. Wow, that girl was HOT. What she lacked in experience she made up for with enthusiasm. Definitely a relationship he wanted to continue. And a lot cheaper than the Hookers. So they had other trysts at her home, though not too often. And they took advantage of the clothing booths at the department stores. And any place else they could manage. She had said something a couple of times about 'going steady'. Well, she was still a kid in some ways. So he decided to humor her. He actually invited her over to his home for supper one evening. Then he officially asked her to go steady with him. Of course she said yes.

But Fester's home was too small to avoid the rest of the family for some fun and games. And Fester's mother Ivy made herself downright unpleasant when she started teasing Poppy about going steady.

So that evening ended early.

Fester found conflicts growing between himself and his mother and step-father as he got older. He had come to accept his baby brother, Dolf, after he wound up being the one to assist the kid with his first transition.

That experience was a transition of sorts for Fester also as he found himself bonding with Dolf.

So during the final years of his adolescence Fester and Dolf became closer. When the time came for Dolf's next transition it was also Fester's turn again. There was no party and the brothers were the only ones in the house as both Ivy and Randy were at work. First Dolf became a child....

Then Fester transitioned to adult

At last no more school and no more after school jobs. He was ready for the real world now. With his experience on the street he quickly got a job as a bagman. He knew his father, Lester, would not approve of that but, hey, a guy's gotta have some bread. Maybe something better would come along later.

At #6 Vintage Road - home of Dexter Bruenig, Lester's third son. (last visited in chapter 16)

Dexter's mother, Marsha, sailed through her last pregnancy without difficulty and went into labor soon after getting up one sunny Saturday morning.

She quickly gave birth to a baby boy. Husband Christopher got that far fairly complacently.

And then another one. Christopher's complacent facade broke then and he let out a big yell. Whether of elation or dismay it was impossible to tell. They settled on Yansey for the first baby's name and Norven for the second. And also decided they would have to keep colored tags on the infants so they could tell them apart since they appeared identical.

Dexter and Christiona had arrived in time for Norven's birth and were now anxious to see the babies. At least Dexter was.

Christiona's nose was a bit out of joint. She had been the youngest for so long that she didn't really want to give that postion up. So she kind of resented the intrusion of these two squallers. But Marsha and Christopher both assured her that she was still their favorite daughter.

The next year passed tranquilly and soon it was time for the twins first transition.

First Yansey

Then Norven

The boys were still pretty identical. Can't keep them in matching outfits or they'll get mixed up.

Dexter's life was quiet and tranquil also. He focused his attention on his studies, his painting and his family. He had few friends besides his brothers.

#7 Vintage Road - the Bertinos, home of Tesler Go, Lester's youngest son.
(continued from chapter 17)

It was time for Tosha and Orlando's son, Roland, to transition to child. But there was no question of a party. Even just a family one. Besides the perennial lack of funds, Tosha was having a pretty rough time with her pregnancy. So Roland did it all on his own.

Finally it was time for Tosha to go into labor. Orlando was really worried. He wanted Tosha to go to the hospital but she refused. They just didn't have the money she said. Just as she had refused to go to the doctor during her pregnancy. Women had done this all through history without doctors, she said. She would manage just fine.

Well, she was right. She got through labor just fine, giving birth to a healthy baby boy. They named him Javier.

Then she went back to bed, as she was exhausted, while Orlando cared for the baby. She slept like the dead for several hours then suddenly woke to a horrible pain in her abdomen. It brought her out of bed screaming.

She knew something was terribly wrong. Her vision began swimming and going dark. She was dizzy and could no longer stand. As she fell to the floor, she called out, "Somebody, anybody, help!

Her family heard her calls and came running. But though they reached her quickly it was already too late. She was gone. Death had arrived before they did.

Orlando was in shock. He knew he should have insisted Tosha seek medical attention. Now it was too late. And all because he wasn't a better provider. And what would he do now? He couldn't take care of a baby and work too. And Tesler was only 14, too young to take up the slack. And probably wouldn't want to anyway, as grumpy as he always was. What was Orlando to do? Briefly he considered turning them all over to Social Services and just getting on with his own life. But the thought of giving up his son, Roland, was unendurable. So he had to find another way. He finally settled on a nanny for the hours that neither he nor Tesler were home. Then he threw himself into his job with more determination than he had ever shown in his life before. When Tesler would get home from school he would dismiss the nanny for the rest of the day to save a few dollars. So the bachelor family struggled along for a year. Then Javier had his first transition. Orlando was at work so Tesler had to help him, thus establishing a lifelong bond.

Tesler shed a few tears then while he thought about his mother and the fact that this little brother would never know her. Not that she had been that great a mother but better than nothing.

During the year since Tosha's death, Orlando had not let his social life slide. He had been renewing old contacts as well as seeking out new women. Every afternoon after work, he spent a couple of hours pursuing love interests. Since he always got home at the same time, Tesler just assumed he was at work during that time. But finally Orlando's pursuits paid off. His relationship with Platal Enabler blossomed to the point that she invited him to move in with her. Well, that had to mean the boys too, he pointed out. That was fine with Platal, cause she just loved kids. So the two families combined with the Bertino's moving to

#2 Vintage Road - home of Platal Enabler (last seen in chapter 18)

Platal's last pregnancy ended at the same time as Tosha's but without the tragedy. She had home birth also as the majority of women in Heritage did. But she had seen her doctor throughout pregnancy so went into labor with all possible safeguards in place. It was an easy labor and produced another little redhaired girl. She was named Aura.

During her pregnancy, she had finally had the house exterior painted, at the twins insistance. She had let them pick out the paint. And she had to agree it looked pretty now.

The girls were only 14 when Aura was born but they both already had boyfriends. And they weren't boys either. Lyra was going out with Dominic Phillipine, a 20 year old whom Platal suspected was a romancer, but so was Lyra.

She really hadn't expected anything different from the girl. Nor did she criticize. After all, she had been no different and her life had turned out fine. Platal was surprised at Leda though. Leda had always been more of a bookworm than Lyra and not much interested in boys. So when Leda brought home 22 year old Field Cormier one day, Platal had been shocked. But after watching Field for a while she figured she didn't need to worry.

Turned out he was an artist and every bit as bookish as Leda. And very shy. There was never any handholding or kissing going on between the two like there was with Lyra and Dominic. Leda and Field just had serious discussions about all sorts of boring topics that Platal was not the least interested in. But nonetheless, Platal made sure both girls knew how to prevent unwanted babies. She had never bothered with such measures herself as she had wanted all she could get, but she wanted her daughters to have the options.
Meanwhile she had her own life to worry about. Aura's father, Travancor Pander, hadn't been around much since she had gotten pregnant. He didn't want any responsibilities. So she had to look around for someone else. She wasn't getting any younger. And men were getting scarcer. Men of a suitable age anyway. Orlando Bertino had been a 'close' friend before his marriage to Tosha Go. Well, admit it, even after his marriage. But that had fizzled out after a while. Then after his wife died, he had started coming around again. By the time Aura was ready for her first transition, Platal and Orlando were pretty thick again.
pic 29 aura transition
Aside from her coloring, Aura didn't look much like her sisters or her mother either. Nor did she look much like Travancor. She was just herself and unique.

Finally Platal and Orlando's relationship advanced to the point that Platal wanted him around all the time. She had never felt this way about any of her previous boyfriends. Oh, she had loved them all while she was with them, but once out of sight, she didn't think about them much until she felt a romantic urge again. And when she was involved with her cousin Chader who lived in the same house she found his constant presence an annoyance more than anything. But now, with Orlando, it was different. She found herself wanting to wake up beside him every morning, to eat breakfast with him, to share all the daily trivia, even to hear him snore every night. So she asked him to move in.

He immediately said yes after making sure she was willing to take on his sons too. And so the whole tribe moved in.
But as soon as they arrived, Orlando went one better. He proposed.

They had an immediate simple marriage ceremony, while Platal's twins welcomed their new brothers.

Afterward, Lyra made a joke about them being just like that family in the old TV show they used to watch. With three boys and three girls they were now "The Bertino Bunch".
Then Orlando and Tesler demonstrated a new game they had invented, called Stomp the Feet. They held hands and each tried to stomp the others foot without getting stomped themselves. Tesler won the match which Orlando ruefully said that he usually did.

Later in bed, Orlando confided to Platal that he had invented the game to help Tesler get rid of some of his frustrations and hostilities. He thought Tesler blamed him for Tosha's death and he thought Tesler might be partly right. He promised Platal he would try to do a better job now than he had in the past. He didn't promise fidelity though nor did she expect it. She had what she wanted, in fact more than she had asked for. So she was very content.

Will Fester manage to avoid the law in his new profession? Will Dexter remain untouched by the intriques of Trash Town? How will The Bertino Bunch adjust to their new relationships? Stay tuned for more drama among All My SimChildren.

Next episode: Fledglings Leave the Nest

Chapter 20 - A New Patriarch and a Reconciliation

2005-06-03T08:34:00.000-05:00

at #4 Heritage Trail, home of Lester Genester (gen 2-romance-age 60)
(continued from chapter 16)

Gen 1 was gone and Gen 2 was aging. Lester was now the eldest in the family so had become the patriarch and de facto leader. He was well suited for the position with his background in politics. He was still mayor, never having any serious opposition in the elections. And even though he was still unmarried, his responsible attitude toward the children he had engendered gave him more authority within the family.

As Lester prepared for his 60th birthday party, he thought that he should have been his mother's official heir as he would have been much better at it than Kester was with his messed up marriage. But he knew that he had terminated that possibility himself when he had elected to leave the famly home. His mother had told all her children that her legacy was set up to pass to the eldest child in each generation WHO REMAINED IN THE FAMILY HOME. They were first told of this on becoming a teen and again on reaching adulthood. And the last time when they announced that they were leaving. They were also told that if at any time all possible heirs had left the family home the estate would go to a charity and the property sold. So none of those who left could say they had not been fully informed. And he knew Kester was doing the same thing as he had spoken with Kester about it. That home though was still the heart of the family and always would be since their parents graves were there. And those who left would do their best to ensure that an heir always remained.

Lester stopped ruminating on that topic and started reviewing the events of his life since he left, especially the last few years. He thought about all his past loves as well as his current ones. (pic shows Lester's age when he began seriously pursuing a relationship with the woman. Some relationships were brief, others long-standing and yet others brief but recurrent. Initials indicate current status. D=deceased, M=married to someone else and no longer an active girlfriend, AL= active love, though how often Lester sees them varies considerably. Kay Bachman remains the one seen most often.)

Then he thought about his children. Spring (gen3-family) was 32 now and very happy in her marriage to Alvin Futa. She was still with the police department and doing very well there. He knew she was highly regarded by the Chief and by all the other officers too. She had recently been promoted to SWAT team leader. And she had been the first officer in Heritage to win the coveted Officer of the Year award given by the Crimestoppers organization.

Well, Spring was on maternity leave now. Had been for several months. Lester remembered the morning Spring had told him that she would be having another baby and how happy she had been.

Far different from her first pregnancy. Then Lester thought of Spring's son, Leith. He was such a lively, active boy. His favorite toy was his little rocket ship. He would run all over the house with it, yelling ZOOOM, ZOOOM.

Spring was a doting mother too. Despite her tiring job she spent much of her time every day with her son, and even more so now that she was pregnant and on maternity leave.

Lester had overheard Spring tell Alvin once that her children would never be raised apart from each other as she and her siblings had. He thought she was referring to her mother's other children but it made him a little uncomfortable since she had not been raised with his other children either, except for Laser. And he had to admit that it was mostly his fault. He was the one who had precipitated the break with her mother by his romancing. But Meadow was the one responsible for leaving Spring out of her life. Well, maybe he should see what he could do about repairing the mess he had started.
Lester's thoughts then wandered back to Leith. Alvin had been a wonderful father to Leith, doing much of his early training and unfailingly kind and patient. And one certainly needed patience when dealing with Leith. He was definitely the most active child that Lester had ever seen. He needed to be taught to swim very soon so that he would be safer around the pool. Well, they could start that tomorrow as Leith would be transitioning at the celebration that night also.
Alvin indeed was a good father, and a good husband to Spring. Lester was glad he had persuaded the young man to renew his relationship with Spring after Leith was born. He had been sure that Alvin loved Spring and he had not been wrong. At least that was one thing he had done right for his family. Alvin was working as a nurse in the hospital emergency room and was often assigned to accompany paramedic crews. He seemed to enjoy the fast paced work and to be very good at it. He had a very logical mind and could think quickly in any situation while maintaining a cool head.

Then Lester thought of his eldest son, Laser. He was so different from Alvin. Laid back and easy-going, he seemed to never have a care in the world. Laser was co-hosting this party tonight. And he would have his own share in the celebration. He had finally decided to follow in Lester's footsteps in politics, though Lester privately doubted that Laser had the stamina to go all the way. But he could surprise people on occasion. Like he would do tonight. His friendship with Lucy Hanby had finally grown to the point of love. Lester had seen them one day out on the patio talking.

And then kissing. Lester was pretty sure that was the first time that Laser had ever kissed a girl.

But he seemed to get the hang of it pretty fast.

Lester had quit watching then and gone back to his book. But that same evening Laser had asked him if he minded if Lucy moved in. Well, what else but yes could Lester say? He knew that Laser was not about to follow in his romantic footsteps. Most of his friends growing up had been boys, other than female relatives. Even after becoming an adult. Lester had wondered from time to time if Laser might be gay but he hadn't shown any romantic interest in boys either. Just wanted lots of buds to hang with. Well, that had changed somewhat now. He had chosen a Very Best Bud and he wanted to spend his life with her. They seemed ideally suited too. She also seemed to be all about partying and having lots of friends. Though she did seem to be just a bit more serious than Laser was. She also took an interest in Leith which Laser rarely did.

Lester heard voices then from the family room. Ah, one of his other sons had arrived. He peeked in and saw Spring talking with Dexter Bruenig, his third son.

He had better take over now and let Spring get dressed. It wouldn't be long before the party started.

A few hours later the party was in full swing. Leith had transitioned to child, then Lester to elder and nearly everyone had eaten. Now it was time for the third major event of the evening, the surprise one. First, Lester presented Lucy to the family as Laser's girlfriend.

Then Laser stepped up to Lucy and dropped to his knees and proposed, right there in front of everyone.

Lester felt as thrilled as Laser when Lucy accepted

Way to go , boy!

A few weeks later, Spring went into labor in the bathroom as she was getting ready for bed. (The bathroom seems to be one of the most popular places to do this.) She seemed somewhat dismayed when the rest of the family all rushed in.

What are you looking at?

Well, she may not have wanted an audience but she got one anyway. And she didn't have time to argue about it. Very quickly the new baby arrived.

It's a girl!
Everyone cheered and welcomed the baby.

Then Leith crept closer and asked, "Can I see?"

Of course you can.
After Leith got a good look at his new little sister, Spring presented the infant to her husband, who was totally glowing.

Here's your daughter.
Then they announced that the baby's name was to be Brooke. Because, Spring said, of how happiness now flowed through her life like a laughing little brook, as she gazed with adoration at her beaming husband.

A few months later, Lester had occasion to do something about Spring's estrangement from her mother. Leith had come in all excited from school one day and announced that his new friend Cliff wanted him to come home with him after school the next day. Spring was reluctant to give permission since Leith couldn't even remember the boy's last name. But when Lester saw the huge disappointment and rebellion on his grandson's face, he asked Spring to let him check it out and see if it might be arranged. That pacified both Spring and Leith. So Lester got in touch with the teacher and found out that the child's last name was Cormier and he was the son of Ricky and Meadow. Why, the boy was Leith's uncle! Lester didn't tell Spring that. He just said the teacher told him the child was from a good family and would be a safe playmate for Leith. Thus reassured, Spring told Leith he could go. And Lester volunteered to pick him up after supper. If Cliff wasn't any better at last names than Leith was then Meadow probably didn't know that Leith was her grandson. Lester looked forward to telling her.
The next evening the appointed time arrived for the pickup. When Lester arrived at the Cormier home he found they were in the midst of a birthday party.
The elder daughter, Valley, was transitioning just as Lester walked in.

Meadow knew Leith's grandfather was coming to pick him up but didn't know who that was. Leith had a bit of a speech problem and often garbled or shortened long words. So Lester was Grampa Nesta (Genester) and he gave his own name as Leif Foota. So when she saw Lester and realized who he was, she had a big shock. Not only that he was in her home but how he had aged.

While the family celebrated with the cake, Meadow and Lester had a long talk.
No, she hadn't realized that Leith was her grandson. And she also hadn't known that Captain Futa, Officer of the Year and leader of the SWAT team was her own daughter. Meadow had only recently gone back to work at the police department when Cliff had started school. And her position as a desk sergeant didn't put her in contact with the SWAT team so she hadn't actually seen Spring there. Then she told Lester how much she had missed her daughter and how often she had wished she had not left her with Hester. And how guilty she had always felt for doing so. And how that guilt had kept her from contacting Spring in recent years thinking that Spring must hate her. So Lester responded by telling Meadow how Spring had always longed to see her mother and know her siblings but felt too shy to make contact thinking that Meadow did not want her. That intensified Meadow's guilt then and she broke down and cried. But she swore she was going to do something about it.

And the very next day she did. As the day shift was drawing to a close, Meadow made a point of going to the SWAT office. When she walked in, Spring knew at once who she was, even though she had not seen Meadow in years. She hadn't ever known that Meadow was a police officer though, since Meadow had been out on maternity and child care leave for so much of the time. Meadow asked to talk with Spring privately and Spring agreed. Then Meadow told Spring just what she had told Lester the night before. Soon they were both crying and after that they found themselves hugging like they would never let go.

But they did. Long enough for Spring to go home with Meadow to meet her siblings. And she stayed for supper, beginning the process of getting to know her brothers and sisters and becoming part of their lives.

Meadow had explained to Spring how Lester had brought all this about so when Spring got home she had a big hug and thank you for her father. He had done something for her that she would never forget.

What other changes will the new patriarch initiate? Will he attempt to meddle in the lives of the other Genester families? And what is going on in the lives of his younger sons? How do Spring's siblings feel about her advent into their lives? Tune in to the next episode of All My SimChildren for the answers to SOME of these questions.

next episode: Growing Up in Trash Town

Chapter 19 - Shattered Lives

2005-06-01T22:01:00.000-05:00

at #1 Heritage Trail - home of Kester Genester (gen 3 heir, knowledge, age 30)
and wife Kaylynn (former maid, family, age 48)

Following little Cassia's birth, Kaylynn's behavior became increasingly erratic. She did not resume her long walks, instead spending hours lying on the ground in the yard, just staring at the clouds. Sometimes until long after dark. She did on occasion make an effort to care for Cassia and once in a while even went into work at her job at the newspaper. Just often enough to keep from being fired. She finally quit that though just before being canned.

Most of Cassia's care, however, was done by Prester. He felt so sorry for this baby sister, although he could not forgive his mother for the baby's birth. Kester even pitched in now and then on his days off, if Prester were in school and Kaylynn could not be roused to care for the baby. He found it extremely distasteful but better than hearing the baby cry for hours. It wasn't that he actually had hostile feelings toward the baby herself but he could not avoid thinking of everything she represented for his family when he looked at her. But there were still the hours when both he and Prester were gone. Kester feared that Social Services would hear of a baby being neglected in his household and would come for her. And take HIS children also. And of course, his daughter, Celestial, was still a toddler and needed care during the day. So he hired a nanny for the hours he was at work.
As Kaylynn sank deeper and deeper into apathy, Kester found himself becoming depressed also. Without his grandmother to vent to of his despair he had to keep his feelings bottled up all the time, for the sake of his children. They were too young to deal with his feelings as well as their own and he had no one else that he felt free to talk to. Finally he turned to Bertillis. Since the birth of their daughter, Cosetta, fourteen years before, he had seen Bertillis only at family gatherings. And any talk between them had been strictly circumspect and formal. Yet he still felt that she was his soulmate and best friend, just as he had when they were kids. So at last, when he could stand the burden of his feelings no longer he called her and asked to talk. She immediately told him to come to her home where he could talk freely. Besides his emotional torment he was also physically ill with food poisoning. He was often called away from his meals at the hospital and this one day his food had spoiled when he finally got back to it. The effects of that were just beginning when he arrived at Bertillis's home. She welcomed him with a warm hug.

And he felt the dam around his heart begin to crack. All his feelings of despair and loss poured forth into her sympathetic ears. When he finally broke down completely and let his tears flow, she cradled him in her arms, murmuring soothing sounds, as though he were a child, until the storm was over. Then the poison hit. Over the next hours, Kester was alternately trying to turn himself inside out in the bathroom or passed out exhausted in Bertillis's bed. When the spasms of vomiting would come, Bertillis would assist him as much as she could and when they were over and he slept, she would watch over him until the next time he woke. She felt herself in heaven, despite the grim reasons. She had never stopped loving Kester and now found her love to have acquired a new dimension. She felt almost maternal toward Kester at the moment and joyed in her ability to give him some kind of comfort now. When morning finally dawned, Kester had recovered enough that he was able to go home. No one there had realized that he had been gone all night.
Over the next months, whenever Kester felt the emotional pressure building up, he would call Bertillis and sometimes go by her home. And she was always ready to offer what consolation she could

On one such occasion, the increasing warmth between them finally exploded into flame.

Bertillis was overcome with joy. She felt his need of her and welcomed it. She had not initiated this as she had when they were teens, but she wasn't about to stop it.

Suddenly Kester released her and backed off. He told her there was no future for the two of them and to continue would be unfair to her.

She told him what she thought of that idea with a minimum of words. Joy, wonder, gratitude and profound love all showed in Kester's face as he again found himself in her bed.

He spent the whole night again and this time he wasn't sick. They slept very little.

Kester's visits to Bertillis became more frequent and always ended the same way, although he usually didn't stay all night. He still had his children to consider and still spent most of his free time with them. But he ceased worrying about Kaylynn. She had chosen her course, he would let her follow it as she pleased. He no longer felt she had any claim on him. Kaylynn didn't even notice.

Finally it was time for transitions again. Celestial was approaching childhood. The thick black hair that she had when she first became a toddler had quickly fallen out, long before Hester's death. When Kester had expressed alarm, Hester told him that it was not uncommon among her people for that to happen. Sometimes it grew back, sometimes not, only time would tell. So as Celestial approached transition she was bald as an egg.

On the big day she was attended by Prester. Kaylynn was there too as she had just put Cassia to bed. She didn't notice though when Celestial transitioned. Or more accurately she just ignored her. Prester couldn't help but remember when he had helped Celestial with her last transition. He felt somewhat like a parent does when they watch their children grow up. Proud but at the same time kind of wishing she were still little. (And note who baby Cassia is thinking of while being tended by her mother.)

And Celestial did have hair again. And a lot of it.

A few hours later when baby Cassia awoke and began crying, Prester was the one who responded to her need. After Celestial's celebratory supper, Kester had gotten busy with his medical studies. He tried to keep up with all the latest advances. And Kaylynn was as usual, outside on the ground. In the misty mazes of her mind, was she hoping to be impregnated by aliens as Kester had been? Or was she hoping that the sky would fall on her? No one will ever know.
Anyway, Prester got the thrill of assisting his second little sister into toddlerhood.

And again he felt that special bond, just as he had with Celestial. Only this time it was even more intense, because of all the care and protection he had already given Cassia. Prester was only 15 but he felt an almost fatherly bond with this baby. No one else wanted her so he would claim her as his own.

Some time later two events happened that would change the course of many lives. First, Bertillis discovered that she was pregnant. Even though Bertillis had not been able to completely give up the other man in her life, neither Kester nor Chandler visited so often that she was in any doubt as to who the father of this baby was. It was Kester. But she put off telling him as long as she could. Nor did she tell Chandler.

Finally, after the doctor told her she was going to have twins, she knew she had to tell Kester.

With trepidation she called him and asked him to come over. When he arrived she greeted him nervously.

His grin when he saw her condition reassured her.

Again he spent the night

He was thrilled that he would be able to share at least part of this pregnancy with her, as he could not when she carried Cosetta.

He only wished that she had told him sooner and that he could be with her more often. But at least he could ensure that she did not want. He arranged for regular deposits into her bank account.

The second life-changing event was the disappearance of Kaylynn. She had seemed for a brief period to be coming out of her fog again. She began spending time with Cassia, snuggling and talking to her.

She spent time talking to Prester and Brewster and stopped skywatching quite as much. She even paid attention to Celestial though that little girl didn't appreciate the attention as it involved being made fun of for her alien heritage and appearance. Kaylynn seemed to take malicious delight in needling the child. She never did this in front of anyone else and Celestial was too proud to tell but she grew to hate Kaylynn.

Then one morning, Kaylynn spent nearly an hour just holding Cassia.

Then she got in a cab and left. Without a word to anyone or even a note. It was the eve of her 50th birthday.

In the afternoon when the kids got home from school, they didn't see Kaylynn but they were used to that. When Kester got home she still had not shown up but when no one had seen her by bedtime, Prester got worried and went looking for her. She was nowhere to be found in the house or anywhere outside. No worries about a pool since they still didn't have one. He was agitated enough that he got Kester to call the nanny and ask about Kaylynn. Kendal told Kester that "the Mrs." had spent a lot of time hugging and talking to Cassia in the morning then left the house shortly before 11. She had said nothing to Kendal about where she was going or when she would be back. Kester and Prester both spent several hours searching the house for a note, even checking the computers, but found nothing. Neither slept well in what was left of the night but managed to go to work and school the next day anyway. When they got home that evening, there was still no word. Kester then called the police and was told that since Kaylynn had obviously left under her own steam , there was nothing they could do, since she was not a minor. No one felt like cooking so Prester ordered a pizza for himself and the kids. Kester put on his thinking cap and poured himself into his studies, after having a drink or three. Prester finally heard little Cassia screaming in the nursery and found that Nanny Kendal had left the little tyke trapped in her high chair. Cassia was worn out from crying, so Prester put her to bed. The kids ate their pizza, did their homework and the younger two went to bed. Prester heard Cassia crying again and got her up, then spent quite a bit of time snuggling and kissing her before going back to finish his homework. Cassia spent the next hour or so crawling from Prester to Kester to the foot of the stairs wanting someone to pay a little attention to her. Finally she gave it up. It was her birthday and everyone had forgotten so she had to do her transition with no one watching. She wasn't very high on the aspiration bar either but at least was not in the red.

She became a very lovely little girl, who looked very much like the father that she was named after. Of course, no one but Kaylynn knew who he was, since no one else in the family had ever met him. But if they ever did, they would sure see the resemblance.

What has happened to Kaylynn? Has she run off with Cassius? Will she ever be heard from again? How will Bertillis's pregnancy complicate matters? What does life hold in store for the unfortunate Cassia?

To find out stay tuned to All My SimChildren.

next episode. A New Patriarch and a Reconciliation

Chapter 18 - Shockwave part 4

2005-05-25T15:56:00.000-05:00

at #1 Tradition Street - home of Genesis and Hawer Enabler (continued from chapter 9)

Genesis and Hawer wasted no time in arranging their wedding as soon as her divorce from Robi was final. They had no party but did invite family to witness. And they took plenty of pictures. However it did not go off as smoothly as Robi and Mabal's wedding did. First they had to delay the ceremony because it was time for Jager's first transition.

His red hair and green eyes seemed to kind of clash with his green skin.

But now he was able to watch with the grownups while the ceremony took place.

After the ceremony Genesis regaled Opalessa and Viggo with a funny story. At least Viggo thought it was funny. Opalessa seemed more shocked. Of course Viggo approved of everything that Genesis did. He didn't exactly have a crush on her, but he pretty much felt like she could walk on water.

A few weeks later, Genesis gave birth to a baby girl. She also had Hawer's green eyes, but Genesis's black hair.

Hawer got to be present this time too. He was again so thrilled when Genesis laid the newborn in his arms. They named her Loral.

The next year passed quietly and soon it was time for Loral to become a toddler.

And for Jager to enter childhood

Even though past 50 now, Genesis had inherited her mother's lengthy fertility. She and Hawer had not planned on another child but they weren't quite careful enough. Genesis was in the middle of her last pregnancy when Kester called to tell her that her mother was dead. Genesis didn't grieve as much as many others did. Though she had always been close to her mother, she carried a lot of secret resentment over the way that Hester had warned her away from Hawer. She felt she had lost out on a lot of happiness in her life because of that. But now that Hester was gone she was finally able to forgive.

at #2 Vintage Road - home of Platal Enabler, Hawer's sister and mother of Laser Genester and Viggo Enabler. (last seen in chapter 9)

Platal had continued seeing Travancor Pander. Yes, that man got around. Two Genester women (Hester and Opalessa) plus Platal and who knows who else. Well, he was after all a romance sim, so what could you expect? Platal didn't really care. As long as he was available. And he always was.

Of course eventually she wound up pregnant again, which just delighted her. Why, her twins were nearly teens. In fact, before her pregnancy was over, Leda and Lyra had their transition. First Lyra....

Then Leda.

They had thoroughly enjoyed dressing alike and wearing their hair alike as children. But now they wanted to stand out. Lyra, who was now a romance sim, chose a striking sun-streaked look for her hair.

While Leda, a knowledge sim, chose a practical, shaggy crop.

When the news of Hester Genester's death circulated through Trash Town, none of the family in this household were affected. They knew who she was but they weren't related to her. Platal had not kept the girls' father's identity secret from them, so they also knew that they were related to the younger Genesters. But they had not yet met any of them. Both the girls had sunny personalities so harbored no resentment of their rich relatives. They were too busy with their own lives. And they had never known want, thanks to their father's provision for them in his will.

at #5 Vintage Road - home of Christy Stratton and Brandon Lillard.

Christy had once had hopes of marrying Lester Genester but had finally given up on him. Brandon had been a longtime lover of Hester. Brandon and Christy had lived together for years without benefit of marriage and were pretty content that way. They had been only roommates at first, but with a romance sim like Brandon in your house, sharing a bed is only a matter of time. They had two children together and although Brandon had never been marriage-minded he did find he liked being a father, after their first child, Kristor, was born. When Christy became pregnant a second time, Brandon decided he wanted the child to have his name so he had actually proposed to Christy. He was totally amazed -and devastated-when she refused. How could any woman refuse someone as great as he was?

He just could not accept no for an answer so he began waging a campaign to win her consent. Not that he gave up his romancing of course. That would have been impossible. But he changed his image and started acting like any normal suburban family man.

Both their children had been quite precocious as infants, being able to walk and escape from their cribs before they were a year old

Kristor walks early.

And so does Branna
Brandon continued his family man charade for a couple of years but any time he brought up the topic of possible marriage, Christy changed the subject . Then one day Christy told him that she was pregnant again. That did it. With uncharacteristic humility he again asked her to marry him. In fact, he practically begged.

This time she accepted. He was thrilled that he had succeeded but still had an awful sinking feeling in his stomach at the thought of the commitment.

Christy didn't give him time to change his mind. She hied him off to the Registry office right away. Then told the kids when they got home from school. Their daughter Branna had started school a couple of years before. She was a quiet, shy child who always did her homework and loved helping with the housework. And avoided a camera like the plague. Oldest child, Kristor, had become a teen quite some time back and he was as unlike Branna as chalk and cheese. He was a romance sim like his father and was extremely outgoing, but he was different from his father in a major way. He liked boys better than girls.

After his first kiss with Geoffrey Gregory, he didn't waste any time going as far and fast as he could. And considering that Geoffrey was several years older than Kristor they became very close very fast.

Hester's death had small impact on Brandon. While she was a memorable woman, there were so many others in the world. Although he had found that his pretense of being a family man had had a strange effect of making him feel more and more like one. Not that he would ever give up his romancing of course.

at #9 Vintage Road - home of Joe and Trista Carr (last seen in chapter 13)

Trista was one of the last of Abhijeet's lovers. She and Joe had been no more than friends before Abhijeet's death. But with Abhijeet gone she had turned to Joe and they had soon had a little girl, Isolde. Joe already had an adopted daughter, Jody. (People speculated that she was a natural daughter that the mother had left with him. Why else would a single man adopt a child?) After Isolde's birth Joe had proposed and they had married and moved out of the Stratton household where they had lived for so long. They bought a lovely little home on the edge of town.

Here their daughter Isolde transitioned to childhood.

And Jody became a teen. Her first act after her transitioning was to set the kitchen on fire when she tried to fix supper.

Then Trista became pregnant again. Joe was thrilled. He was 57 and Trista was only 10 years younger. But he still had what it took.

Joe was Hester's first lover after Abhijeet. Though their relationship had ended years ago, his memories of her were still green. But he was happy and content in his life now and knew he would always have those memories so felt no loss when he heard of her passing. And he was totally surprised when he received a small bequest. He would use it for his daughters of course. It wasn't long after Hester's death that a new life entered the Carr family. Of course Trista went into labor in the middle of the night when she had gotten up to get something to eat.

So in the wee hours a third daughter was born to the Carrs. They named her Lynette.

Hester's death affected a great many people in many different ways and would continue to affect many of them for a long time to come. What further changes would occur in these families as the result of her life and death? Stay tuned to the continuing saga of All My SimChildren.

next episode: Shattered Lives

Chapter 17 - Shockwave part 3

2005-05-25T15:11:00.000-05:00

#7 Vintage Road - the Bertinos (former Tosha Go) -(last seen in chapter 13)
Tesler Go was a year younger than Dexter and had more rough times to his name. He continued to dream of living with Lester and dreamt that his older brothers would live there too. He always had such happy times when he was there. The family didn't live with the Lillard-Stattons any more. Shortly before Roland's first birthday they had moved.

The house the Bertino family moved to was small and not quite finished but it was theirs alone and they finally had privacy.

Roland celebrated his first transition there

Orlando really enjoyed the privacy. He preferred wearing as little as possible and had often hung out at the Lillard house in his underwear, but now he even dispensed with that much of the time.

Orlando had never thought of getting married until he felt he had to but now he found he rather liked it.

And he also found he enjoyed being a father and doing little things like tuck his son in at night.

However he was never able to get close to Tesler again after Tesler had walked into his and Tosha's bedroom on their wedding night. Tesler still kept his distance and wished for a different life. He was even more sullen after transitioning to teen.

He couldn't even bring his friends home because he never knew whether Orlando would be dressed or not. Not even when Orlando was supposed to be at work. Orlando had a rather lackadaisical attitude toward work and would often call in sick even though he wasn't. So in addition to Tesler being unable to have friends over, the family wasn't as well provided for as they could have been. The support payments Lester sent often paid the rent or bought groceries, instead of buying him new clothes or other teen necessities.

Orlando's habit of going nude would sometimes get himself an unexpected shock too.

Gotcha!
Although the results of that were usually to his liking.

But eventually there were consequences, even though both he and Tosha were fifty.

#5 Nostalgia Lane - the Cormiers (former Meadow Thayer)(last seen in chapter 13)
Meadow's seventh pregnancy ended in a quick and easy labor at 2:30 AM on a Wednesday. Leigh had awakened fussy so Meadow had gotten dressed figuring they would both be up for a while.

It was so quick that none of the rest of the family ever even woke up. She hadn't had time to call anyone.

The baby was another boy with Ricky's dark skin and blue eyes. They named him Cliff.

That evening was Marsh's turn to transition to teen

With three teen boys in the family there was usually something noisy going on. The two elder, Field and Forest, both had part-time jobs now and they both liked to workout. Which they usually did together in front of the tv.

The two were not quite as identical as they had been as children. At least if you had them side by side. Many people though still mistook one for the other if they were alone. But they were both good-looking and the girls at school all dangled after them.

Birthdays come often when you have a large family. Soon it was Leigh's turn to become a child and a beautiful little girl she was. That was the same day that Hester died and Brewster became a child. So Leigh and Brewster entered school on the same day though they were in different classes.

And on that same day Field experienced his transition to adulthood

Ricky was very glad none of his family were around when he heard of Hester's death. Robi Charvat called him the day after it happened as Robi knew Ricky had been a friend of the family for a long time. It had been ages since Ricky's short-lived affair with Hester but the news still struck him like a baseball bat against the head. He staggered and had to lean against the wall to keep from falling and for a few moments he couldn't speak. He finally mumbled a few inane comments to Robi and hung up, then went for a walk to compose himself before rejoining his family. Hester was a woman that no man could ever forget.

Meadow had an entirely different reaction when she heard the news. She didn't care that Hester was gone, and perhaps was even glad. At the time of her and Lester's breakup she had blamed Hester, thinking that if Hester had had a different lifestyle, perhaps Lester would have too. Now of course she would not even think of trading her years with Ricky for Lester. But there was still the issue of Meadow's missing daughter, Spring. It was Hester who had insisted that Spring would be better off remaining in the Genester home. So now her thoughts began focusing on Spring, wondering if there were some way she could get Spring back.

at #6 Heritage Trail - home of Opalessa Genester, youngest gen 2. (again last seen in chapter 13 but very briefly)
Opalessa was the first person Kester called to tell of Hester's death, after his own mother. They had grown up together and had remained fairly close even after he married and she moved out. She took the news fairly well but was totally shocked. She had really thought her mother would go on forever. She had been so hale, never sick, always so active. So YOUNG. She wished now that she had visited oftener. She had frequently put off visiting because she had so many other things to do. Now it was too late. She felt more alone than she ever had in her life, despite the large number of friends she had. She had always been happy in her little house alone. But now it felt empty and she didn't like the feeling.

Within the next few weeks she invited her niece Soressa Charvat to come live with her. Soressa jumped at the chance. She wasn't really happy at home so as soon as she became an adult she was ready to move out. Soon the house was echoing with new sounds as Soressa entertained her brother Kester and her boyfriend, Dorian Kauker.

at #1 Lineage Way - home of Robi Charvat and second wife, Mabal Enabler
(continued from chapter 9)
After Robi and Genesis's divorce was final, Robi and Mabal were finally free to marry. They had a simple, quiet ceremony at the Registry office and didn't even have pictures taken. Then they settled down to do what they loved best. Learn. And teach their children. When Korena transtioned to toddler it was without a party and again no pictures. In fact the only picture taken of Korena through her entire toddlerhood was taken by Soressa one day with possibly the intent of future blackmail.

The years passed quietly until time for Soressa to transition to adulthood. Little brother Sager, now 10, managed to get one picture for her.

Not too long after that, Hester called Robi and asked him to come over. It had been a good while since they had seen each other and he had thought of her often, despite being content with Mabal. When he came home that evening he was pale and shaken. Mabal didn't notice but Soressa did. When she asked him what was wrong he told her that her grandmother was gone. Soressa was griefstricken. Hester had been such an important part of her life from as far back as she could remember. She moped around for days. When Mabal tried to give very clumsy comfort by saying that "Well, look how old she was. She is much better off now in Avalon than she was here making a fool of herself chasing young men." ARGGGH. Soressa wanted to strangle her. Right then and there she decided she was moving out.

Soressa stayed just long enough for little Korena's next transition...

Then she moved in with her aunt Opalessa.

Chapter 16 - Shockwave - part 2

2005-05-24T16:13:00.000-05:00

at #4 Heritage Trail - home of Lester Genester (continued from chapter 13) same time period as Chapter 14 & 15

Spring's romance with Bordeau Pander had ended when she told him she was pregnant and he disappeared from her life. Her pregnancy had seemed endless to her and was marked by long periods of depression when she would indulge in hours of weeping. When her brother Laser got her to try meditation her spirits began to lift and her last few weeks went smoothly, much to her family's relief. Finally, one morning after Lester had gone to work and Laser to school, her labor began. It was short and easy and she soon held a beautiful baby boy in her arms.

As she looked at him and saw how much he looked like his father, her tears began to flow again. She stood cradling him and crying for long moments, again mourning for the loss of Bordeau yet feeling love swelling within her for this tiny person.

Finally she turned to the task of naming. She chose the name Leith, which means "wide, slow river" both for the river of tears she had shed and the deep river of love she now felt for her son.

Lester and Laser were suitably enthusiatic on return home and life settled down into a new routine centered around this new life in their midst. A few weeks later Spring received a surprise phone call. From Alvin Futa. She had not seen or heard from Alvin in over a year. And suddenly here he was wanting to see her. She hesitantly agreed and he came over. He seemed a lot different now, not nearly so shy, more sure of himself. A confident man rather than the backward boy he had seemed before. It wasn't long before he made it plain to her that he wanted to take up where they had left off before. He even seemed to totally accept little Leith, showing no signs of jealousy or resentment. Spring was wary though. She had thought she loved Alvin before she met Bordeau and perhaps still did, but after what Bordeau did she was afraid to trust again. Alvin seemed to understand without being told and didn't push her toward any intimacies. Nothing stronger than friendly hugs now and then. Until one evening when several family members had come for dinner. After dinner as everyone gathered in the living room, Alvin dropped to his knees and pulled a box from his pocket. Right there in front of everyone he proposed to Spring.

He said his vows to her right then, promising to be faithful, to cherish her all his life and to do everything in his power to make her happy. And to raise her son as his own. Weeping tears of joy, Spring could do nothing else than say yes. She could barely believe that fortune had favored her with this second chance. Wanting to make sure of her, Alvin suggested they formalize the union immediately. With Lester's assistance, he had gotten a special license before even asking her. (Yes, he had asked for Lester's permission and help ahead of time.)

The kiss he gave her at the end of the ceremony was a gentle one. So gentle that she wondered if she would ever again experience the ardency that she had with Bordeau.

But she didn't need to worry. When they retired to their room, all the passion that Alvin had restrained in the past weeks of courting her was unleashed in full and Bordeau was completely wiped from Spring's mind. They fell asleep in each other's arms both fully content and happy.

A few days later Lester went over to his mother's after work. She was having her 84th birthday and he wanted to celebrate with her. When he returned hours later with his eyes swollen and face still tear-streaked, Spring was alarmed. "What's wrong, Dad, what happened?," she shrilled. He told her as calmly and gently as he could of Hester's death. Spring shrieked, stormed and cried, becoming more and more hysterical. She had grown so close to her grandmother during the months of her pregnancy. Hester had come to take the place of her absent mother in her life. She couldn't bear to think of never seeing her again. Finally, exhausted, she collapsed on the floor.

Seeing the condition she was in Alvin called for emergency care. A doctor came and administered therapy, then gave her a sedative and sent her to bed. Then baby Leith began to cry. It dawned on Alvin then that it was time for Leith to have his first transition. They had no party planned and no cake for him. So Alvin did the best he could. He went to Leith, cleaned him, fed him, cuddled him, then tossed him in the air.

Leith came back to his arms shrilling with laughter.

Then Leith nestled close to Alvin, gurgling something that sounded to Alvin very much like "My Daddy". Alvin's heart filled with wonder and love. This WAS his son.

A few months later it was time for Laser's next transition. He elected for a change to have no party. Grandmother Hester had always attended his previous parties and he still didn't have the heart to have a party without her. The only non-family member in the house was the maid, Lucy Hanby. But she was not on duty. Laser had become good friends with the young woman over the past months and on this particular day he had asked her to hang around after she finished work. So that evening, with Lucy and his family gathered around, he made the transition.

Then it was time for Lucy to go home. No dramatic pronouncement of love or anything like that. Laser was still more interested in having friends than anything else. And that was solely how he saw Lucy. A friend. Well, maybe his best friend. He still had not determined what he wanted to do with his life. In many ways, despite the man's body, he was still a boy.

#2 Vintage Road - the Londons (former Ivy Copur)
Next son, Fester Copur, had a much rougher life than Laser. He didn't particularly like his new step-father but Randy pretty much ignored him so it wasn't too bad. He was much closer to his mom's cousin, Joe Carr, who had lived with them all his life. And Joe had an adopted daughter who was just a couple of years younger than Fester. Her name was Jody and she had been Fester's best friend when they were little. He still felt very close to her even though she was still a child. When Joe married Trista Shaw, Fester got to be the "usher" even though it was a home wedding. His job was to seat his mother and Jody.

It was the first real wedding Fester had seen and he was impressed.

But after the wedding, the Carrs moved to a home of their own and even though Fester was able to visit them he felt that he had lost two good friends. It just wasn't the same as when they lived with him.
He did have new friends though. The visits with his father Lester had introduced him to his two brothers who also lived in Trash Town and they also were becoming friends. Especially Dexter, the older of the two.

By this time Fester's mother, Ivy, was expecting a baby.

In due time a baby boy was born, who was named Dolf.

So now Fester had another brother. But way too young to ever be a companion.

Although Fester was four years younger than Laser, in many ways he was much more experienced in the ways of the world. Living in Trash Town he was exposed to a lot more of the seamy side of life. Like living right next door to the Hooker house and seeing the men coming and going all hours of the day and night. He knew it cost money to go in there so he saved his up until he thought he had enough and ventured in one night after dark. He got quite an education. And the first thing he learned was that he needed more money. So he got a part time job as a street hawker. Before long he had enough to dance with the girls and got his first kiss. More saving finally got him entrance to one of the back rooms with a pretty blond named Willow. `

Now THAT *WAS* an education. And an experience that he repeated whenever he had the money.

#6 Vintage Road - the Stompels (former Marsha Bruenig)
Dexter Bruenig got along well with all his siblings, on both his father's and his mother's sides. He was three years younger than Fester but considered Fester his best bud. Although they hadn't reached that status until Dexter himself had become a teen.

Dexter had been of an artistic temperament since a small child and was very creative in his approach to everything. So his mother, Marsha, had gone all out to get him a really artistic outfit. And he loved it.

Dexter was the one who designed the landscaping for the house.

A year later his little sister Christiona transitioned to childhood

And Marsha was expecting again, despite being 48. And she was happy about it, going around her housework singing or whistling all the time.

Chapter 15 - Shockwave - part 1

2005-05-24T15:18:00.000-05:00

at #2 Heritage Trail (continued from chapter 11) same time period as Chapter 14

Pendillis Genester Ryan Wilson (gen 2, knowledge, age 50) was a happy and contented woman. Her second husband, Cleve Wilson (popularity, age 49), was a constant delight to her and she was even enjoying what she knew would be her last pregnancy. Even if she were still able to get pregnant after this child was born she wasn't going to. Six children were enough. She wanted time to enjoy the family she already had. Cleve was agreeable with that. One child of his own would be enough for him. Finally at 8 o'clock one morning as Pendillis prepared to have a shower the labor pains hit. All the older children wanted to stay home and watch but Pendillis shooed them off to school.

With only Cleve in attendance she gave birth to her last child, a son. Cleve was ecstatic as Pendillis placed the child in his arms. Pendillis insisted on giving the baby a variation of Cleve's name and called him Clever. (Rhymes with Beaver)
There was no doubt as to who he belonged to. He looked just like his older brothers and sisters except for his lighter coloring.

As soon as possible, Pendillis called up her mother, Hester, to tell her of the birth of her latest grandchild. This made 20 grandchildren for Hester. Hester promised to visit soon to meet this new prodigy.

A few days later it was time for second son Fletcher's next transition. The immediate family plus a few friends gathered for the event.

Fletcher knew just exactly what he wanted to do in life. Learn as much as he could, be a gourmet cook and see the ghost of his father. His love of fine food was already apparent in his appearance and he was well on the way to the first two of his goals although he might have to wait a long time for the third as BJ had only appeared twice since he died way back when Fletcher was 6.

One of the guests at the party was third daughter Vesta's boyfriend, Acanthus Baxter. Acanthus was a scion of the second leading family in Heritage. He and Vesta both enjoyed the same things, especially parties and lots of friends. After the cake (which Fletcher had baked himself and was delicious) the young couple had retired to the backyard to play on the swing. Out there in the dark, with no one watching, they had shared their first kiss.

A few weeks later it was time for both Cosetta (child of eldest daughter Bertillis) and second daughter Janeesis to transition on the same day. Of course a big party was planned but Cosetta suddenly began feeling shy about transitioning in front of everyone. She got so anxious about the whole thing that she managed to trigger transition early without any ceremony or anyone watching. Afterward she snuck off to her room to dream about the big family that she wanted when she was grown up.

Cosetta stood out from the crowd in this household, looking nothing like her mother or aunts and uncles

Later that evening Janeesis (knowledge, age 20) had her transition to adult at the family party as planned. She decided to pursue a career in education as her father, B.J. Ryan, had done.

The festivities were cut short by a phone call from Kester, informing them of Hester's death. Pendillis retired to her room in tears and the rest of the family spent the evening reminiscing about Hester.

Over the next few weeks Janeesis began seeing Jonathan Ternynck, a young man that she had met when Bertillis brought him home with her one time before she moved out. Janeesis and Jonathan had been friendly ever since then but now their relationship began getting serious.

It wasn't long before they had their first kiss.

Soon it was time for Clever's first transition and daddy Cleve gave him the toss.

Cleve spent a lot of time with Clever. He loved kids and enjoyed doing things with them. He had been an active part of his stepchildren's lives even before he married their mother. But Clever was his own and that made everything he did with the boy more special. So he spent a lot of time teaching and playing with him.

at #3 Heritage Trail - same time period (continued from chapter 12)

Estarr Genester Jitmakusol Platz (gen 2, knowledge, age 53) was currently as happy as a hog in mud. She might be approaching elderhood but her three younger children were keeping her young. And combined with her job as a restaurant owner, kept her very busy. She was blissfully unaware of husband Chandler's ongoing affair with her niece, Bertillis, and spent her time between her restaurant and her family.
Chandler (fortune, age 51) himself was only 2 years younger than Estarr. He couldn't understand how he could be so addicted to Bertillis. Estarr was his first and only love for so many years, from high school, all through her marriage to Korey. He was never interested in anyone else, just devoted himself to building his landscaping business and making money. Then finally, when over 40, marriage to Estarr and the arrival of his three darling children who were the light of his life. And he loved his stepchildren as much as his own. Then Bertillis became an adult. And life had not been the same since. He had become quite adept at making excuses for being out beyond regular work hours but since he owned the business, they were always plausible. And really didn't occur too often. Not as often as he would have wished but so far he had never gone without being invited. He had kept that much pride. But his frequent gifts of money to Bertillis had caused him some problems with his business. He was having to economize in some areas. Like going to work in a clunker.

His elder son, Chalmer, had had his second transition shortly after the baby twins had become toddlers.

Chalmer was so excited that now he was old enough to go to school like his big sister Bethesda.

The ghost of Estarr's first husband, Korey, continued to roam on a fairly regular basis, though it was a long time before anyone saw him. Toddler Calder was the first person who did and he never told anyone because he could not yet talk at the time and by the time he could talk he had forgotten the incident. (Besides Bethesda's thinking she saw Korey at the twins' transition.)

Estarr's two eldest children, Jeekoby, age 24 and Bethesda, age 16, were both romance sims. And both still chafed at the restrictions that family life placed on their aspirations. But they were finding ways around it. Jeekobey could always go to a girlfriend's place. Brittany Parker was about the only girl he was seeing.

But Brittany had no curtains on her bedroom window and that window was right in line with Estarr's telescope. Not that she ever looked into people's bedrooms with it. But Bethesda did.

Getting away from parental supervision was harder for Bethesda. They didn't let her go out much but they did allow her to have friends over at reasonable hours. So that had to do. And it was occasionally possible to avoid the eagle eyes for a few minutes. Long enough to get that first kiss with boyfriend Ratna Sartor.

Bethesda thought no one saw. But Korey saw, and he didn't like it. And he let her know it in no uncertain terms.

That didn't stop Bethesda from doing it again the first chance she got. And this one wasn't nearly as tame as the first. Bethesda was getting a lot of ideas from using that telescope.

Finally the day of the little twins second transition arrived. A simple family party was planned but even that was cancelled when a phone call informed them of Hester's death. The transitions took place but pictures were forgotten. Later Calder posed with his teddy bear for a picture but Carissa hid in the closet and refused to come out until promised that she did not have to have hers taken. No one ever did find out why she was so fearful of it. She couldn't have explained it because she was so young at the time. But it was the emotions released when the news of Hester's death arrived that did it. Her mother's and big sister's sudden burst of weeping. The distress emanating from big brother Jeekobey. Her father's concern. Carissa was an extremely sensitive child and she started crying too. Somehow she subconsciously associated all of this with picture taking.

Chapter 14 - End of a Legend

2005-05-22T14:03:00.000-05:00

At #1 Heritage Trail - home of founder Hester Genester and her grandson and heir Kester (continued from chapter 10)

After the birth of Celestial, life resumed its normal pace in the Genester home. Kester (gen 3 knowledge, age 27) happily returned to work, glad that his ordeal was over. And each day when he returned home he spent time with each of his children. He would cuddle and play with Celestial, then spend time playing with and teaching Brewster.

Later in the evening he would help Prester with homework or play a game with him. Something had changed though in his relationship with Kaylynn. Since Celestial's birth she had been sleeping in a separate room. When he would try to talk to her about it she would just turn away, saying she didn't know what was wrong with her. He tried to get her to seek counseling but she refused, stating she would work it out on her own. He had to accept that, but as a doctor he felt particularly helpless when he could not get through to her. He suspected part of it had to do with their age difference. He had noticed her searching for gray hairs and appearing miserable whenever she found one. He had repeatedly assured her that her age meant nothing to him, that he would always find her beautiful. But it seemed to make no difference. Finally he gave up and concentrated on his work and his children. Kaylynn had said nothing more about wanting another baby herself since Celestial was born.

Hester had a long talk with her boyfriend, Bordeau Pander, about trifling with her granddaughter Spring. But she didn't boot him.

She even made him the subject of her latest painting.

Occasionally she would have one of her other men join them for a threesome. It seemed the older she got the more adventurous she was.

Despite being well past 80 now, Hester seemed to have the energy of a young girl. She was constantly on the go. If not painting or romancing she was visiting relatives or inviting them over for dinners. And she established loving relationships with Kester's children too. Yes, Hester was one busy woman.

Kaylynn's idea of how to work through her problems continued to center on long walks and parties at the Pander house. Cassius Pander had no scruples about romancing a married woman if she were willing. And he figured that if Kaylynn were there, she must be willing. So eventually their relationship progressed beyond just talking

On more than one occasion.

Kaylynn was 45 now. After the many attempts to become pregnant again before Celestial was born failed, she assumed she was in menopause. So she didn't worry too much about protection in her encounters with Cassius. She was very much surprised - and horrified - to finally realize that she was pregnant.

Yes, she had wanted another child very badly. But not this way. How was she going to explain this to Kester? There was no way she could pass this baby off as his, at least not to him, not after avoiding his bed for several months. Maybe she could say she had been abducted by aliens while at the mall? She laughed bitterly to herself at that idea.
But Kester surprised her. The first time he saw her in maternity clothes he appeared shocked. But then he came to her and smiled, patted her growing belly and said, "well, it looks like we were successful after all. Why didn't you tell me before?" She looked at him, stunned, then stammered, "I, I, didn't realize before. I thought I was in menopause." He put his arm around her and gave her a hug. "Well, I am glad you are getting the baby you wanted." Kaylynn couldn't believe her good fortune. Could he really believe the baby was going to be his?
No, Kester did not believe any such thing. He knew the time span since Kaylynn had shared his bed made it impossible. But how could he say anything about her infidelity when he had fathered Cosetta before he and Kaylynn had been married a year? He only hoped that Kaylynn's mental state would improve now. And for a while it did. As her pregnancy progressed Kaylynn seemed happy again. The long walks stopped and she didn't seek out Cassius anymore. She even spent time with her sons.
The time soon arrived for Prester's next transition.

He was 13 now and as his body grew into it's next stage, his personality crystallized also. He was now definitely focused on making friends and influencing people. Although he would always have a love of learning it was no longer one of his main goals in life.

A few hours later Prester got the honor of assisting baby Celestial in her first transition.

Being allowed to do this made him feel very proud and grownup. And very protective and loving toward his little sister. From then on he saw her as his special charge. While Celestial continued to have the wisdom of ages in her expression.

On Hester's 84th birthday she celebrated by having her latest boyfriend, the young grocery deliveryman, Mitch Wolosenko, over for a session in the hottub.

Afterward she was feeling quite strange and felt that she was going to be seeing Abhijeet again soon. She called several other boyfriends whom she wished to have last words with and by 5 PM the house was full of people. She just had time for one last woohoo before 6 PM but unfortunately decided to go the long way around the house to the bed and was met by the Reaper at the back door.

As Hester protested that she wasn't quite ready yet, family and friends gathered round.

Wait, I can't go yet. I still have people to do.
"Honey, there are a lot more for you to do in Avalon," said Grimmy. With that encouragement, mai tai in one hand and suitcase in the other, Hester shuffled off to Avalon.

Her attendents were stunned. Everyone had kind of felt that Hester was so special that she would go on forever. They couldn't believe that she was really gone.

Sadly, she did not receive a platinum tombstone. She was survived by 5 children, *20* grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. Her insurance paid off to 27 people with her 5 children all getting large bequests. Of course grandson Kester was her principle heir since he got the house and bank account. As the reality of her passing began to soak in those who loved her began to break down. Some in public and others in private. Kester was bereft. He would miss Hester's love and wise counsel so much

Great-grandson Prester, who is the gen 4 heir was inconsolable. He cried off and on for days.

Son Lester, who was the only one of Hester's children who was present, was also very distraught.

But the most ardent mourner was boyfriend Travancor Pander. He was unable to leave her death site for hours, while he wept and wailed. Even headmaster Kenneth Scott, who had only recently met Hester was bereft.

Finally Travancor was able to stop crying. But only long enough to paint her face on a paper plate attached to a mop and romance her effigy one last time before going home.

One other was deeply affected by Hester's death. Robi Charvat, who had first been Hester's son-in-law, then later her sometime lover, was as stunned and shocked as the rest. He wondered why Hester had asked him to come over today. She had never gotten around to talking to him. But he could not display his grief openly. So he went to the nursery where little Celestial was crying for attention. And he gained comfort from comforting her.

There would undoubtedly be several individuals in the neighborhood requiring shrink visits as a result of this legendary lady's death. Her tombstone was later placed in the front yard cemetary next to her partner's for ease of community mourning.

At the time Hester was dying, little Brewster, Kester's second son, was transitioning to child. Poor Brewster seemed to be the forgotten middle child.

The household was in turmoil with frequent outbursts of grief by Kester and Prester for several days. Kaylynn again found herself in the shadows as her third pregnancy came to a close. But a few days later her moment came as she was painting on the back porch. Kester and Prester were both at home and rushed to her side when they heard her cries, just in time to witness the birth of her daughter.

Kester already knew this was not his child but now Prester knew it too. The baby was very, very dark. Much too dark to belong to Kester. Prester turned and walked into the house.

Once inside he gave way to the rage he felt inside. His fists clenched and his whole body trembled as he fought the urge to cry. He couldn't believe his mother had done this to his father. Several times throughout the evening he would get the same expression whenever he thought about what had happened.

When Kester saw the child he was stunned. Although he had known all along that the baby was not his he had not expected this. A baby that he couldn't even pretend to have fathered. And when he saw Prester's face something inside him broke. This grief, coming so soon on top of his beloved grandmother's death, was more than he could handle. He didn't break down or even cry. But his love for Kaylynn evaporated and was replaced by an icy feeling in his heart. He berated her for what she had done to her sons.

Then Kester too left the porch. Kaylynn just stood there for a while with a blank look on her face, holding the newborn infant. Then she laid it down on the porch floor and walked off, seeking sanctuary in her bedroom. She lay down on the bed and curled up, thinking about her adolescent desire to have 10 children. And also thinking about making friends with yet another man. She seemed to have slipped even further into the abyss.

Later Prester heard a mewling cry from the porch. When he investigated he found the baby. He was overcome with compassion for this poor little thing, who was after all his baby sister, just as much as Celestial was. So he picked her up, fed her and put her to bed. It was not until the next day that he was able to approach his mother who he found lying out in the backyard, to ask what the new baby's name was to be. She looked puzzled, as if she didn't know what he was talking about. But a few minutes later she said, "Oh, just call her Cassia." Then she went back to contemplating the clouds. And so the unwanted and unloved infant received a name. Kaylynn had not yet been to the nursery to see her daughter or even asked about her. She seemed to have almost forgotten the baby's existence.

Will Kaylynn come out of her funk and begin caring for Cassia? Will Social Services arrive if she does not? How will these events affect Prester and Brewster in the long term? What will Kester do about the situation with Kaylynn? Stay tuned for more drama among All My SimChildren.

next episode: Passing years - part 1 It will cover the same time period as this chapter has but at #2 Heritage Trail, the home of Hester's daughter Pendillis.

Chapter 13 - In a Pickle

2005-05-22T13:59:00.000-05:00

at #4 Heritage Trail home of Lester Genester (continued from chapter 8)

Lester Genester (gen 2-romance- age 54) was verging on elderhood now, but kept himself in shape and the gray rinsed out of his hair. He looked years younger than he actually was. People who saw him with his daughter Spring often thought she was his sister. or perhaps another of his many girlfriends. His romancing lifestyle continued unabated with 15 girlfriends to his name now, though not all were current. He continued to hold the position of mayor but would probably retire soon after becoming an elder although he was not ready for that yet.

Spring Thayer (gen 3 - family - age 26) achieved the rank of detective in the Heritage Police Department. However, her quest for love and family had taken a wrong turn. She gave up on Alvin Futa when he quit calling or coming by and turned solely to Bordeau Pander. Bordeau was not the least hesitant to embark on a flaming romance with Spring and she was confident that they would soon be married. After all he was spending nearly every night with her although he had not officially moved in. She was so confident that she was not as careful woohooing as she should have been and wound up pregnant. When she was sure of her condition she told Bordeau.

He was quite loving and reassuring but when she woke up the next morning he was gone. And she hadn't heard from him since. When she called his number his roommates always said he was working and would call her back. Hah. What was she to do now? She had blown her best chance. She asked her grandmother to come over and poured out her story to Hester.

Hester didn't mention her own acquaintance with Bordeau but privately thought that she would have a few things to say to him the next time he showed up at her house. Over the next weeks Spring and Hester became very close just as they had been when Spring was little and lived with her grandmother.
Lester was supportive also. He assured her that she and her baby would never want for anything as long as he was around.

He was kind of looking at her situation from a new viewpoint for him. But at least he was responsible enough to provide financial assistance to his girlfriends who wound up in this position. Seeing the misery she was going through though made him vow to be even more careful in his romantic dealings and not to get involved with any women who wanted more from him than he was willing to give. But despite the love and support of her family Spring still felt betrayed and lost. And after she was placed on maternity leave at the police department and was home all day by herself she found she had way to much time to think about how she had messed up her life.

Yet she felt love for this unborn child growing as her pregnancy progressed. Laser had suggested she try meditating. She did so and found that it helped so she began spending many hours meditating and found herself beginning to accept the situation.

She stopped thinking about Bordeau and began looking toward the future and the birth of her baby with anticipation. After all she was a family sim and having children was something she had wanted all her life. She just hadn't expected it to happen this way.

Laser ( gen 3 - popularity - age 18) was no closer to making any life choices than he was a year earlier. All he thought about was having fun with his friends. The more the better. He did his best to cheer up his sister but privately thought she was making a big deal out of the whole thing. He was quite relieved when she began spending so much time meditating. It was sure a lot better than the moping around that she had been doing. He did enjoy Grandmother's frequent visits and spent a lot of time with her. Dad didn't let him have a party very often but his friends were always welcome at the house and there was always someone around to chum with. Relationships with his younger brothers were growing too as they continued to visit.

Life was fairly tranquil at the homes of Lester's younger sons. At the home of Fester Copur (age 14), #1 Vintage Road, his mother Ivy (age 36) had finally married the man she had been living with for some time, Randy London(age 28). Ivy's other roommates, Joe Carr (age 54) and Trista Shaw (age 44) had a baby girl they named Isolde.

After her birth, Joe had proposed to Trista and been accepted.

Most recently Isolde had become a toddler.

It seemed that everyone in the household was getting along for a change.

At Dexter Bruenig's(age 11) home at #6 Vintage Road his baby half sister, Christiona, was doted on by their mother, Marsha (popularity age 45).

And by her father, Christopher.

And she too had transitioned to toddler. Dexter guessed she was okay but couldn't quite see what the appeal was.

Youngest son Tesler Go (age 9) still lived at the Lillard-Stratton home with his mother. But he had acquired a stepfather when Tosha married Orlando Bertino. It had been a quiet, hurry-up wedding at the JP office due to Tosha's advanced state of pregnancy.

Orlando was another of those romance sims. He had managed to avoid complications in his relationships until middle age but when Tosha became pregnant he felt marriage was the right thing to do. Tesler wasn't sure how he felt about it. He had liked Orlando really well before as Orlando had always had time for him ever since Tosha had started seeing him. But that night after the wedding when Tesler walked into their bedroom to ask a question he was really upset by what he saw and heard.

Brightest bedroom fireworks I have seen
So now he was upset with both his mother and Orlando. He started rebuffing their attentions. Not long after that the new baby arrived. It was a boy and they named him Roland.

Tesler wasn't very happy about that either. Everyone was all gaga over this new baby and he wasn't getting any attention at all. Well, so what if he had been surly and distant. That didn't mean he wanted to be ignored, now did it? Even the other kids were all gaga. There were two of them, Kristor and Branna Stratton. They were the children of Christy Stratton and Brandon Lillard. Kristor was a teen now and a romance sim just like his father.

Father and son have a chat about the birds and the bees.

Branna had transitioned to toddler shortly before Roland was born. She didn't get a party. Both her parents were at work at the time so Tosha helped her.

So Tesler was feeling pretty alone. Kristor felt much too grownup to play with a 9 year old very often and Branna was way too young. Feeling very put upon, Tesler went outside to see what he could find to kick. Maybe the trash can if nothing else. But then they would make him clean it up. Not a good idea. He often fantasized lately about going to live with his father. He really enjoyed the visits he had at Lester's home. And even though his big sister, Spring, was already grown up, she still had time for him. And so did his older brother Laser. Yeah, he really wished he could live there all the time.

at #6 Heritage Trail

Lester's youngest sister, Opalessa Genester (gen 2- popularity - age 26) lost her job as executive chef at the Mincing Llama due to missing too much work while promoting a kitchen gadget she had endorsed. However she quickly found a position as a senior manager at Llama Industries Inc. utilizing all those things she learned in her ill-fated venture. But her sunny personality was unfazed and she continued to make new friends whereever she went. Her current boyfriend was Travancor Pander.

Hey, isn't he one of Hester's new boyfriends too? Those Panders sure do get around. Bet she doesn't know he is also seeing her mother.

at #5 Nostalgia Lane, the home of Spring's other siblings, the Cormiers, the kids kept growing up and Meadow(family age 45) kept getting pregnant again. Valley, the eldest girl child in the household learned all her toddler skills quickly and was a delight to everyone.

When she transitioned she became an equally bright and lovely girl.

The same day was baby sister Leigh's first transition. Oldest son Field (fortune age 18) got to take her to the cake.

And assist her with her transition.

She was only a year old but Meadow was already in maternity clothes again. Strangely for a romance sim, Ricky (age 46) had never developed a fear of having a baby. Instead he had welcomed every one of his children and seemed perfectly content to provide Meadow with as many as she wanted. He worked hard at his job as a scientist with the military and helped out with housework when he got home as well as taking an active part in toddler training and helping with schoolwork. His romantic forays had been few and far between.

Will Spring and Bordeau get back together or has he disappeared from her life for good? Will Tesler get to move in with Lester? Will Opalessa find out about her boyfriend two-timing with her mother? Stay tuned for the next chapter of All My SimChildren.

next episode: End of a Legend

Chapter 12 - Achievement, Duplicity and Dissatisfaction

2005-05-20T13:52:00.000-05:00

at #3 Heritage Trail - home of Estarr Genester Jitmakusol Platz (continued from chapter 7)

Estarr (gen2- knowledge- age 51) used her time on her last maternity leave to good advantage, developing unique recipes and making all the necessary plans for a restaurant of her own. When she was able to go back to work she immediately set in motion the necessary financial arrangements and was soon the owner of a fine new restaurant, The Peacock Garden. She featured exotic cuisine with a middle eastern flavor. Her new venture kept her very busy and most of the care of the three babies fell to the others in the family.

Off to work at The Peacock Garden

Chandler (fortune-age 49) didn't mind the child care. Since he waited so late in life to become a father he was thoroughly enjoying caring for his children. Being the owner of an established landscape gardening business he was free to set his own hours and could come and go as he pleased. That also made it easy to continue his intrigue with his wife's niece, Bertillis.

He's wasn't really sure how he got into that. He had considered her just a charming child when she kept seeking him out at family gatherings during her teen years but when she transitioned to adult she really became a hot tamale. That day she asked him to advise her on landscaping her new home was one that would live in his memory forever. And he couldn't seem to stay away from her no matter how much he wanted to. And he did want to for he did not want to endanger his marriage. He had loved Estarr since he was a teen and loved her even more now than he did then. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her. But he couldn't seem to help himself. When Bertillis called him he had to go. She was like a drug that he could not stay away from. And she always needed money too. Luckily he didn't have to account to Estarr for his business finances.

Jeekobey (gen3-romance- age 22) enjoyed his counseling positions. He did some group therapy and also was counselor at a children's camp. But he didn't like having to fill in as babysitter so much at home. He liked his little siblings, loved his mother and considered Chandler a good friend. But he wanted a life of his own. Specifically a lovelife. And he didn't see any way to get that without moving out. The rare occasions when he could go out he was usually too tired to do so. If he could find a compatible roommate he would be all set.

Jeekobey is bored.

Bethesda (gen3 -romance - age 15) also felt like she had no life. Babysitter par excellence 24/7. Babies were fun once in a while but dirty diapers were the pits. And she had had her fill. She had boyfriends aplenty but they were all phone friends. She never got a chance to go out. She knew that Jeekobey was thinking of moving and wondered if she could convince him - and mother - to let her move out with him. What fun they could have together!! Party city!!

The time arrived for the twins first transition. Estarr as usual had to be at work so Chandler arranged a little party for his babies.

First Calder transitioned.

Then Carissa.

During the festivities Bethesda thought she saw her father going up the stairs.

But later decided it must have been her imagination. She wasn't just imagining things though. Korey was there and wandered around the house for some time that night though he disturbed no one.

The three youngest in the family were all toddlers now, with Chalmer due for his second birthday very soon. Then he would be off to school.

Will Chandler be able to break his addiction or will Estarr find him out? Will Jeekobey manage to get a love life? Will Estarr allow Bethesda to move out before she graduates? Stay tuned to All My SimChildren for the answers. Eventually.

next episode: In a Pickle

Chapter 11 Marriage and Seduction

2005-05-20T13:12:00.000-05:00

at #2 Heritage Trail - home of Pendillis Ryan-Genester (continued from Chapter 6)

After spending a night of love with Pendillis, Cleve Wilson (popularity-age 48) vowed to renew his offer of marriage to her as soon as he returned from work. When he got home that evening, as soon as he had cleaned up and changed clothes, he called Pendillis and all the kids into the family room. There, with the children as witnesses, Cleve went to his knees and proposed to Pendillis.

Pendillis (gen 2-knowledge-age 48) looking around at her children's grinning faces, as well as into her own heart, couldn't say no this time and leaped into his arms.

The children all heartily approved.

Way to go, man!

They were all so excited that they immediately began making plans and preparing the house for the wedding while Pendillis called up her mother and siblings to invite them. The new patio in back of the house with its huge swimming pool and lovely flower garden was deemed the best place to have it.

By the time the guests arrived everything was in readiness and a lovely ceremony ensued.

The guests assemble

The nearby cemetary with its solitary gravestone was a reminder of what had gone before as the couple said their vows.

I vow to be a good and faithful husband.

Little Fletcher was late arriving and even brought his good clothes out to the patio to scramble into them right in front of everyone, just as Pendillis was saying her final vows. He was so excited about Cleve becoming an official part of his family that he had decided to take a bath first and almost missed all of it.

But he was the most enthusiastic clapper at the end when Cleve and Pendillis sealed their vows with a kiss.

Wow, that's my Mom! She looks so beautiful.

The party lasted well into the night with the last guest not leaving until 3 AM. All Pendillis's siblings as well as her mother were there. And of course daughter Bertillis attended. And Pendillis's nephew Kester was there also. So it was a family reunion as well as a wedding. Many of the guests tried out the new pool, which was the first private pool in the neighborhood. Kester took the opportunity to get to know his daughter, Cosetta. Even though he could never acknowledge her did not mean he did not love her. He had often thought about her since her birth and longed to know her though he had never felt free to visit without an invitation and those had not been forthcoming until now.

The hired limo never showed up for the honeymoon but Cleve and Pendillis didn't care. They had their honeymoon right there at home after everyone else was gone or asleep. Surprisingly, even though Cleve was a popularity sim, his first want after the wedding was for a baby. Pendillis, ever happy to accommodate a loved one, readily agreed, even though she was nearly at menopause. And their second night of love resulted in them hearing a chiming lullaby as they fell asleep.

Janeesis (gen 3- knowledge -age 18) was now the eldest child at home. She had wanted to get into private school ever since she was old enough to know what it was. Finally Pendillis agreed that they were in a financial position good enough that it could be done. Their home was completed after all these years and was a credit to the neighborhood. So Headmaster Vince Walters was invited for dinner. All five children made a special effort to impress him once he arrived and Pendillis prepared a fine turkey dinner.

After dinner, Chester, the oldest son, offered a tour of the house but Headmaster Walters declined, saying he had already seen enough to know that they would be a fine addition to his school.

The family all retired to bed satisfied with their lives. Everyone but BJ. During the night he appeared again. Just standing by the desk where his urn had been. (Prior to the wedding, his remains had been moved to the cemetary plot and a new tombstone erected.) Finally, when the sun came up next morning and Cleve had left for work, B.J. floated up to his bed where Pendillis was still asleep. He jumped in and did a little yelling but didn't wake her.

Then he toured the house checking out all the improvements made since his death. He seemed especially interested in the new swimming pool
.

When the kids returned home from school Janeesis sensed his presense. She spent the afternoon trying to get him to speak to her through the teddy bear, but to no avail. He didn't appear to anyone, just watched. When the sun set he returned to his final resting place in the cemetary.

at new satellite, #2 Lineage Way

Eldest daughter Bertillis had moved out and gotten a place of her own. She found an abandoned and delapidated old country church near the edge of town and bought it. It had a nice piece of land with it and cost nearly all of her inheritance but she thought it would make a wonderful party pad when she got it fixed up. She loved the old bell tower and the four stained glass windows. The siding was faded to a silver gray but she knew all it would take was a coat of paint to fix that up. The foundation was a little shaky and it took much of her remaining money to get that fixed, but the roof was sound.

The interior was as timeworn as the exterior but all she could afford to do was have a toilet installed. That, a double bed and a phone were the extent of her furnishings.

Her first act on moving in was to call her Aunt Estarr's husband, Chandler Platz. He was a landscape gardener and she asked him to come over and advise her on future landscaping. She had been fascinated with him for a couple of years and had always sought him out to talk to at family gatherings. But he had always treated her like a child. Well, she was totally grown up now and she intended that he acknowledge it. She put on her favorite outfit, a light pink sheer lace halter that left nothing to the imagination, and low cut, skintite, hot pink stretch capris. When Chandler arrived, he nearly choked when he saw her and received a welcoming hug.

He had a really hard time keeping his eyes on her face while they talked about landscaping. It wasn't long before Bertillis was putting the moves on him...

And he was putty in her hands.

In no time she had him inside trying out her only piece of furniture.

Before he left that afternoon, she had coaxed him into loaning her money and materials to do some needed fix-ups on her home (like adding a shower in the bath and some kitchen cabinets and appliances) and to come over frequently to assist with the renovations. Of course she had no intention of paying him back the money. At least not in cash.

Pendillis is getting pretty old to be having babies. Will all be well with this pregnancy? Will B.J. ever learn to do his roaming at night like a normal ghost instead of in the daytime? Will Bertillis fly from man to man as her grandmother does? Stay tuned to All My SimChildren to find out.

next episode: Achievement, Duplicity and Dissatisfaction.

Chapter 10 Zenith and Nadir

2005-05-18T23:27:00.000-05:00

At #1 Heritage Trail - main legacy house (continued from chapter 5)

Hester Genester(gen 1- romance) was 80 now and still going strong. She seemed obsessed with acquiring new lovers. She hoped to have 20 before her time was up and to go out in a 'blaze of glory'. Perhaps she wanted lots of mourners for her funeral? The latest additions to her stable were three handsome young gigolos in their early 20's.

Jamnagar Pander

Travancor Pander

Uh oh, isn't this Spring's boyfriend, Bordeau Pander?

Well, Hester didn't know that Spring was seeing him as Spring hadn't mentioned her involvement with Bordeau to her grandmother. And Hester didn't discuss her boyfriends with her family either.

Hester also hit on every male service person who came to the door. Her seductive powers were legend in Heritage despite her advanced age. Other women asked themselves what it was that Hester had that could still attract young men at her age. Hester of course knew that the secret was her alien pheromones. She should definitely have been a birth queen, but she no longer regretted not having achieved that position. Her life had been wonderful right where she was now.

Grandson Kester (gen 3- knowledge-age 26) had not been back to his telescope since his abduction. He had been too busy coping with the mysterious changes occurring in his body. A lengthy discussion with his alien grandmother eased his mind about what was going to happen to him but the process seemed to take forever. He developed a whole new respect for women who undergo pregnancy repeatedly. It seemed an awfully long wait. Kaylynn had given birth to Brewster several hours after he was returned by the aliens yet the time for Brewster's first birthday arrived with Kester still getting bigger.
With all the tension surrounding his condition they did not manage to have a big party for Brewster but only a small celebration with just the immediate family.

Kester brings Brewster to his cake as Prester watches.

Time for transition as Kaylynn watches. Doesn't she look excited?

Brewster didn't mind though, he completed his transition in high spirits and ready to tackle the world. He had Kester's red hair and Kaylynn's light skin and green eyes and was a pretty baby, looking a lot like his dad and older brother did as toddlers.

Finally, the morning after Brewster's party, Kester's time arrived. He had slept late and was awakened by extremely painful sensations in his abdomen that quickly brought him out of bed yelling.

His screams brought his grandmother running to his side and she assisted him through the strange process of alien birth. His memory of it was quite blurry afterward but it seemed both similar yet somehow different from normal sim birth. At last it was over and he held a baby girl in his arms.
He was in awe of her appearance. She was so incredibly alien. It wasn't just the green skin, llama lip and nearly absent nose. Not even the huge black eyes. After all, his grandmother, mother, aunts and uncle all had at least some of those features. No, with this baby it was her expression that made her seem as though she were still not of this world.

A gift from the heavens

In tribute to her appearance and her origin, he christened her Celestial and introduced her to her great-grandmother.

Finally Kaylynn managed to drag herself into the room to see what all the shouting was about. Hester handed her the baby.

Kaylynn glanced at her briefly and handed her back to Kester....

Then stood watching with her usual droopy, hangdog attitude while Kester and Hester enthused over the ugly little thing.

Celestial absorbs the homage as her due.

Kaylynn (family age 43) desperately wanted another baby herself, and that ugly, green alien did not qualify. (Kester had been doing his best to give her one, even during the advanced stages of his pregnancy. With all his time off for maternity leave any hour of day or night was available. One day the maid, Hailey Tellerman, walked into their bedroom, not realizing they were busy.

She didn't seem to appreciate the romance.

But no conception had occurred. ( Kaylynn cooperated but didn't seem to have much interest in the process.) Kaylynn was not sure WHY she wanted another baby, she had not really had any interest in the ones she already bore. Once they were separated from her body they didn't seem like her children any more and she cared for them only out of duty. She felt so alienated from everything in her life, she didn't seem to have any interest in anything. She did try getting a job but had no interest in that either and planned to quit as soon as her vacation time was used up. The only thing that Kaylynn did enjoy these days was taking long walks.

Every evening as soon as it was dark, sometimes earlier, she slipped out of the house and walked for miles. She had begun walking all the way to Trash Town on the other side of Heritage. Here she had gotten acquainted with the Hookers and Panders who had romance as a career. Here, for a little while each evening at their parties, she felt alive.

Kaylynn especially liked talking with Cassius Pander

She hadn't yet broken her marriage vows but she had thought about it. She was so thrilled and happy when she married Kester, sure that he was the fulfillment of her lifelong dreams.

Answer to a maiden's prayer
(I had to put this in here just because he looks so darn handsome in this pic.)

She didn't know what happened, it just all went flat after Prester's birth and nothing had been the same since. Perhaps it was the still constant feeling of disapproval from Hester. Older family members had never approved of her. Both because she was the maid and because she was so much older than Kester. But Hester had no business disapproving on that score with her many involvements with men no older than Kester. Kaylynn didn't know how to resolve her problems so just kept going on the way she was.

Prester (gen 4)was 10 years old now. He was the fair haired child in the family and not just because he was blond. His great-grandmother and father doted on him and he visited with both his grandparents regularly. Prester's favorite game was golf and he practiced putting every day. He was an extremely charismatic young man as well as a handsome one. He would undoubtedly cut a swath among the girls when he reached his teens no matter what his aspiration became. He loved learning but he loved having lots of friends too so his future was still very much up in the air.

Will Hester ever quit chasing men? Will Kaylynn's wanderings lead her into trouble? Will Celestial fulfill the promise Kester thinks he sees in her?

Stay tuned for the next chapter of All My SimChildren.

next episode: Marriage and Seduction

Chapter 9 Divorce, two proposals and more births.

2005-05-11T12:35:00.000-05:00

Genesis Genester-Charvat (gen 2-family-age 47) was living with her lover, Hawer Enabler (popularity - age 43, and his cousin Chader (popularity-age 38) and Chader's son Viggo. Genesis became pregnant shortly after moving in with Hawer. Despite her family orientation she had never wanted a third child in all her years of marriage to Robi Charvat yet as soon as she was with Hawer, that want popped up.

While she was waiting for the baby Genesis became fast friends with young Viggo and she replaced the mother who had never had time for him when he was little. (Viggo's mother was also the mother of Lester Genester's son, Laser, so Viggo was related to the family twice.) Finally the big day arrived and Genesis went into labor attended by Viggo and both men.

They were all thoroughly shocked when the baby was born GREEN like Genesis. Despite her color they were totally not expecting this. This is the 18th child in Gen 3 and the first to be born green, despite all of gen 2 being green. The baby had his mother's black eyes at first though they later changed to green like Hawer's.

Chader seemed more than just surprised at the green. He seemed disturbed and quickly left the room. Might he be a bit prejudiced? He hadn't been all that friendly with Genesis but had never been negative before.

Hawer lost his surprise quickly when Genesis placed his new son in his arms. He was filled with overwhelming awe and love. They decided on the name Jager for the baby.

In all the excitement of the birth, everyone forgot that Viggo was due for teen transition, even Viggo himself. It snuck up on him when he was doing his homework. He became quite a handsome young man (popularity).

Genesis immediately wanted to have yet another baby. In fact she decided she would like to have 10 children. Well, at her age that was not possible but she did manage to get pregnant again right away.

Hawer was SOOO thrilled with his son, he spent as much time with him as possible, just holding him. So he was all too willing to have another. He still regretted not being able to be part of his older son's life but perhaps now that he and Genesis were together he could get to know Kester. He had already met his grandson, Prester, while waiting for Jager to be born and could not get over the fact that he was a grandfather before he experienced the joys of fatherhood. In fact the whole family seemed to enjoy having a baby in the house. (Well, everyone but Chader. He just kind of ignored the whole thing, minding his own business.) Genesis was enjoying very much caring for the baby.

"Big Brother" Viggo also vied for time with Jager. He was very family oriented.

Even Aunt Opalessa came over to help out. It was such a novelty to finally have a green baby in the family.

The only fly in the ointment of their happiness was the fact that they could not marry and Jager was given the Charvat name. So before the next baby's arrival, Genesis wanted to get a divorce from Robi. She asked him over on a Saturday morning to arrange the matter. He arrived early as Hawer was going to work. He wanted to get a divorce as much as she did. But they couldn't agree on anything. They began to argue.

He became rather verbally abusive and reduced her to tears.

Viggo jumped to her defense and started insulting Robi.

When Robi responded to Viggo threateningly, Chader stepped in and told Robi he better leave right now if he knew what was good for him.

So Robi left. It took two further meetings before the legalities could be arranged satisfactorily for both but thankfully the divorce was final at last. Hawer wasted no time in proposing.

Robi Charvat (knowledge-age 40) and daughter Soressa (family-age 18) were living with Mabal Enabler (knowledge - age 44 and Chader's older sister) They had a son, Sager, who was born before Genesis and Robi split up. And it wasn't long after they moved in together that Mabal became pregnant again. Just a few months after Genesis did. Work on their house had proceeded slowly. The wall framing was not yet completed much less interior work, but with a toddler and another baby on the way a nursery was now a priority.

In due time Mabal went into labor and had a baby girl.

They christened her Korena.

The exterior work on the house was done just in time. All the walls up and three bedrooms, two baths and a small nursery. Lots of interior work still to do but Robi kept chipping away at it. Robi had finally been selected to replace Abhijeet as Mad Scientist. At only 40 he should hold that position for some time.

It was now time for Sager's second transition.

He became a pretty little boy.

When it was time for him to start school, Robi finally realized that the boy did not have his name and neither did little Korena. And they couldn't have as long as he and Mabal were not married. That prompted him to continue the divorce discussions despite the first disastrous meeting.

Finally they were able to iron out the details. Now Robi was free to propose to Mabal. He didn't love her like he did Genesis but he wanted to raise their children as a family.

Soressa had become reconciled to her parents' breakup in the years since it happened so was not further devastated by the divorce. She had even become friends with her little half brother and helped out with the new baby, though she still only tolerated Mabal. Being a family sim she couldn't help but enjoy being around little children. She had seen her mother a few times but had not yet met her new green half brother. She didn't have any boyfriend yet and was somewhat leery of getting into that kind of relationship after what happened with her parents. But her desires for a family of her own when she grew up overcame her hesitation. She met a good-looking boy at school named Geoffrey Gregory and they soon became friends. He often visited at her home (now that it wasn't embarassing to bring anyone into a construction site). And one day they experienced their first kiss.

And what of Viggo and Laser's mother, Platal Enabler? How was she managing with twin babies now that all the other family members had moved out? Well, Platal couldn't live without a man in her life and soon had a new boyfriend. This was Travancor Pander, another fine romance sim.

But she didn't feel limited to only one man. After all she was not married yet. Or even engaged.

And Platal didn't even need to go to work. She had applied for family assistance from Social Services. As long as she had children at home and was not married she would get a check every week. Well, toddlers grow quickly and soon it was time for the twins to transition.

The girls were not identical but they liked having the same haircut and often dressed alike. From their first day of school, they were always up, dressed and out of the house before their mother ever woke. And they could even help with the housework now. Not that housework was ever Platal's priority.

Leda and Lyra get ready for school

Will the weddings come off without problems? Will there be any more children for these middle-aged couples? Will Soressa be able to experience the joys of love or will her family history thwart her? Will Platal ever manage to get married or stay a single mother all her life?

Stay tuned for the next chapter of All My SimChildren.

Next episode: Zenith and Nadir

Chapter 8 - Politics and Romance

2005-05-11T11:16:00.000-05:00

Politics and Romance normally mix like oil and water. But Lester Genester (gen 2 - romance - age 52) seemed to be able to balance the two without upsetting his electorate. He recently embarked on a successful mayoral campaign and became the first mayor to bear the Genester name. He was now easily the most well known person in Heritage. He thoroughly enjoyed the perks of the office, like going to work in a helicopter.

He still lived in a fairly modest home though since despite an excellent salary for some years now, he spent most of it on his children and his many girlfriends.

He was STILL single though past 50 years old and was considered a prime catch by all the single women in the nation. Each new girlfriend thought that SHE would be the one to win him. However he did not plan to ever stop playing the field. He thoroughly enjoyed his lifestyle. He did draw the line at intriques with married women. If former girlfriends gave up on marriage plans with him and wed someone else, they were out of his life, which was as it should be. If he were not in the prominent position he was in, he might have done differently, but he wanted no scandal to tarnish his name nor irate husbands after him. But he was very egalitarian in his selection of women.
He loved 'working girls' with their willingness to please and no demands.

He loved upper crust worldly women.

He loved middle management types.

And he loved women in uniform.

In fact there weren't any women that Lester did not love, as long as they were willing to love him back and not try to tie him down. He just loved women.
His closest relationship was with Kay Bachman. She had been his campaign manager for years and now that he was in the top position she was his office manager, top aide and Chief of Staff. He spent most of every working day with her. And she often accompanied him home to finish up some project they were working on and wound up staying all night. He was always comfortable with her and could say anything he felt like. She was as independent as he was and didn't seem to mind his other women. You might say she was his "office wife".

When Lester had any spare time, he engaged in the family hobby - painting, though he wasn't nearly as good at it as his parents or his sister Pendillis.

His daughter, Spring Thayer, (gen 3 - family -age 26) was so different from her father that one could almost wonder if she were truly his. Quiet, serious, reserved and very shy, she had great difficulty in getting to know new people. She finally was admitted to Police Academy which had been her dream since she was a young teen. It had taken a long time working as a security guard before her name worked its way up the waiting list, but once admitted she completed the course in record time and graduated with the highest honors. Since then her rise in the police department had been meteoric with five promotions in five pay periods. She had definitely found a place where her abilities were appreciated. Meanwhile her adolescent dreams of romance and motherhood had yet to bear fruit. She did have two boyfriends. Alvin Futa was one. Homely and possibly even shyer than she was, he yet shared many of her interests and was a steady worker. He would undoubtedly be a good husband and father. She had her first kiss with him and it was his first as well as hers. But they were both too shy to take the next step.

Her other boyfriend was Bordeau Pander. She had met him once when the family had gone shopping together.

Her brother and father would chat up anyone they came in contact with and they usually monopolized the other person's attention but when they met Bordeau, he had immediately concentrated his attention on Spring. She had quickly fallen under his spell. Handsome and flashy and a consummate romancer, Bordeau was always available as he did not seem to have a regular job. She was not sure how he made his living, something about investments, but she did know that being with him was always thrilling. She didn't mind that he frequently borrowed money from her and kept forgetting to pay it back. He had virtually swept her off her feet and could do no wrong in her eyes. He had taken to spending a lot of time at her house too, even staying when she was at work and ingratiating himself with her father and brother. She finally succumbed to his romancing and allowed him to spend the night with her. He didn't officially move in but it seemed pretty close to it.

Needless to say with her concentrating on Bordeau she seemed to have completely forgotten Alvin and he seemed too shy to compete for her.

Young Laser (gen 3-popularity-age 17) was doing well in school though not from desire. He was not really interested in studying but just did enough to keep his dad and sister off his back. He would rather party any time. It was a rare day that he did not have at least one friend over after school.

Most of his friends were boys and he did not think much about having a girlfriend, though with his looks, the girls certainly paid attention to him.
He was beginning to think about what he wanted to do after he graduated as that day was fast approaching. He thought being an athlete might be exciting but he was not really all that athletic. He might go into politics like his father but that did not really appeal to him either. Being a DJ might be neat. He could attend lots of parties that way. Well, he had a little while yet before he had to make a decision. And anyway, Dad wouldn't kick him out if he hadn't yet made up his mind by graduation. He could just kind of knock around for a while, maybe see the world a bit. Meanwhile, let's have another party, even if it is only relatives.

Lester regularly contributed to the support of his other three sons: Fester Copur, Dexter Bruenig and Tesler Go. Fester was 13 now and something of a punk.

He still lived with his mother in a small house on Vintage Road

Lester had never been there. Kay picked Fester up for visits and delivered the child support payments. She told Lester that the home seemed pretty decent but there seemed to be more than one family living there.

Dexter Bruenig was 9 now. His mother Marsha had married a young photographer, Christopher Stompel, and they now had a baby. They also lived on Vintage Road and Kay said their home was lovely and the family was charming. Not only that but Christopher seemed to have established a good relationship with Dexter and was assuming a fatherly role. Dexter was already taking art lessons.

And Christopher encouraged the boy to do his best in school, often helping with his homework.

Tesler Go was now 7. He and his mother, Tosha, still lived with Christy Stratton and Brandon Lillard and their children, where Lester used to visit Tesler and Tosha. However, Lester was no longer visiting at the house since Tosha was involved with another man. But he did keep check on the child through Kay.

Kristor Stratton 'conducts' appropriate background music as Brandon explains the facts of life to young Tesler.

Spring and Laser were becoming acquainted with their younger brothers when Lester had them for visitation. The visits also enabled the three boys to get acquainted with each other. Spring especially envied the younger boys their having contact with both of their parents. Laser didn't remember his mother so well so did not miss her presence in his life much but Spring well remembered her mother and sorrowed that they no longer had contact. Yet she did not feel comfortable in getting in touch with Meadow. After all it was not Spring who left Meadow. She felt that Meadow's long absence of contact meant that Meadow did not want Spring in her life and she was too shy to force it. Perhaps Lester needed to spend some time encouraging Spring to be more outgoing. Goodness knows there was nothing shy about him.

Lester's youngest sister, Opalessa Genester (youngest gen 2- Popularity- age 25) lived right next door to him. She had been out on her own for several years now and was making lots of friends and working toward owning her own restaurant. She also had a romance boyfriend but had no thoughts of marriage. She was enjoying life way too much to want to settle down with one person. Though she would have liked a roommate. But she thought she would prefer another girl to room with.

Opalessa's simple home

And what of Spring's other family? Her siblings are growing up without knowing their elder sister. Soon after the Cormier's fourth child (and Ricky's first daughter) was born, second son Forest had his teen transition and what a handsome young man he was.

Then it was Marsh's turn (third son) and without fanfare or party, he transitioned to child.

Then it was baby Valley's turn for her first transition. And this time the family had a party. Their very first. Only family and one of Marsh's school friends but it was very exciting for them. Meadow was already expecting her next child at any time.

Meadow spent a lot of time bonding with all her children, even when she was expecting. She was an excellent mother, a good cook and managed to keep a house full of kids looking fairly clean. And on top of that she had a job when she was not on maternity leave. Here the family spends a quiet Sunday morning at home.

Labor Day arrived again and Meadow gave birth to another daughter. She was named Leigh.

Field was old enough now to be thinking seriously about what he wanted to be in life. And he decided that he needed to go to private school. Ricky, being a scientist, encouraged this desire and soon arranged for the headmaster to come for dinner and an interview. The visit was a resounding success despite the family's very modest home, and all three boys were accepted into the elite school.

Marsh wasn't sure how he felt about having to wear a uniform to school but after Meadow told him how grown up he looked in it, he decided it was okay.

Will any woman ever capture Lester? Will Spring marry Bordeau as she is dreaming of? What kind of 'investments' is he involved in? Will Laser settle down and choose a career or will he slack his way through life? What kind of life is in store for Opalessa? Why has Meadow excluded Spring from her family's life? Will they ever get together?

Stay tuned for these answers and more. Eventually.

Next episode: Divorce, two proposals and more births.

Chapter 7 - Transitions, births and more twins

2005-05-07T11:50:00.000-05:00

While Estarr (gen 2-knowledge-age 48) was awaiting her third child, she and Chandler (age 46- fortune) had some work done on the house. Chandler owned his own landscaping businees and had considerable savings. With that and the insurance from Korey's death, they were able to fix up the house quite nicely.

A new dining room provided a lovely setting for family meals as well as entertaining.

Estarr's pregnancy was a tranquil one and in the wee hours of a lovely spring morning she produced a son for Chandler. He had his father's light skin and green eyes but otherwise looked like his mother and was the only one of Hester's grandchildren to have the alien nose.

They named him Chalmer and within a few short weeks Estarr was pregnant again. She hadn't really wanted another pregnancy at her age, but Chandler wanted another child so Estarr thought it best to get it done quickly before she got too old. Oh, well, she did manage to promote to executive chef before she got pregnant with Chalmer. So she had a great job to go back to. This pregnancy was a lot rougher than the previous one but she did manage to throw a party for daughter Bethesda's third transition.

In the presence of grandmother, aunts, uncle and cousins, Bethesda transformed into a very lovely teen. (gen 3-romance.) Stepfather Chandler did all the honors of the evening as Estarr had to go back to bed as soon as she had a bite to eat.

The rest of the pregnancy was a struggle for Estarr. She could never get her needs adequately taken care of in order to meditate. And couldn't get her aspiration bar high enough to use the energiser. But she struggled along until time for Jeekobey to have his fourth transition. Jeekobey (gen 3-romance) wanted to throw his own party so invited several of his cousins and friends over. However he put off the cake ritual a little too long and transitioned to adult before he could blow out the candles.

He got himself some spiffy new clothes for the occasion. He had a yen to be a professional man.

Jeekobey had had a really long adolescence. He had never gotten a job and despite being of a romantic disposition had never had his first kiss. But he managed it tonight. That was the highlight of his evening and as far as he was concerned made the party a success though everyone else considered it a disaster.

To top it off, Estarr went into labor just after everyone left the party and in a very short time produced another son. He looked just like his father.

Estarr barely had time to hand the baby to Chandler when the pangs hit again. In no more time than it took to spin around a baby girl appeared. She also had red hair, but had her grandpa Abhijeets' medium skin and the alien heritage brown eyes.

The boy was named Calder and the girl Carissa. Both older children gathered close to welcome the new additions though they weren't entirely sure they approved. Their mother really was getting kind of old for this.

Jeekobey decided to embark on a career as a psychologist. He liked wearing a suit to work. And perhaps someday he could be a psychiatrist like Dr. Shrink. But to be a psychologist you have to go to college so he got a parttime job while he went to school.

Just a few weeks after the twins birth it was time for Chalmer's first transition. Just a small family gathering to celebrate.

Note the almost non-existent nose

Despite not having much nose, he made a cute toddler. He has Mom's black hair and Dad's green eyes.

Now Estarr felt she had been off work long enough. She missed cooking fancy recipes for masses of people. So any day that someone else could be at home with the babies she went to work. At home she practiced making new recipes and did a lot of sampling of her own cooking. With the expected result for her figure.

Chandler looked forward to taking care of the babies when he was home. He treasured these days and was sorry that there would be no more. But that was the penalty of waiting till your middle years to marry.

Time to sit back now and enjoy those middle years. Watch the kids grow up and the hard work of years pay off. Right? Right. If fate does not decree otherwise.

Will Chandler and Estarr be able to settle comfortably into middle age? Will Jeekobey and Bethesda be able to romance successfully? What is in store for the young Platzes? Stay tuned to All My SimChildren to find out.

next episode: Politics and Romance and the results of combining them. (No, it's not about Clinton and Lewinsky LOL)

Chapter 6 - Pendillis finds new love

2005-05-07T10:29:00.000-05:00

Following BJs death, Pendillis (gen 2 -knowledge- age 46) had a nervous breakdown. She required emergency care from Dr. Shrink and several therapy sessions with Professor Von Ball before she was able to cope with everyday life again. He recommended painting for its therapeutic value so she went back to the hobby that had given her so much pleasure over the years and reached her 8th skill point.

Some of Pendillis's paintings

BJ died in the front hall and his urn rested there for a day while several family members took time to mourn. Then it was moved to a place of honor on a lovely new desk in the future dining room. At 5AM the next morning BJs ghost appeared in the hall where his urn had been.

He just stood there, erect and motionless, staring straight ahead until 5PM. Yes, throughout the daylight hours. Just standing and staring. And he was totally bald! As various family members walked through the hall that day, they would turn and look toward him, as if they sensed his presense, but gave no other sign of seeing him. At 5 PM most of the children were gathered in the front room along with several friends, watching TV and socializing after school. Suddenly BJ dropped his head into his hands and began sobbing silently.

He cried for several minutes then wiped his eyes,

straightened his shoulders and started walking toward the front room with a big smile on his face. He was walking more erect than he had been able to for years.

Suddenly he stopped and lost the smile. Then he started floating instead of walking and turned and floated upstairs. This was still broad daylight. He floated into the bedroom and jumped into his bed and screamed several times.

Then he floated into the exercise room where he had had his 'stroke'. Floated around second floor a while, returning twice to the exercise room then back downstairs. He then floated into the dining room and jumped into his urn. About 6:30 PM. No one saw him.

When Pendillis's life-long friend, Cleve Wilson (popularity - also age 46), heard of her loss a few weeks later, he came by to offer his condolences and a shoulder to cry on. It was the first time he had had his arms around her since they were high school sweethearts and it brought all his former feelings for her surging to the surface.

But he knew it was no time to tell her of them, so he merely offered to stick around a few days to help out with anything she needed. He was currently on leave from the military and didn't have any real home of his own so he said it would help him out too. And he didn't mind sleeping on the couch. A lot more comfortable than a military cot or bedroll on the ground. So she agreed and Cleve was a big help in getting the family organized again. He also started making friends with the kids. Without mentioning anything to the family, Cleve put in for a transfer to a local posting so that when his leave was up he would be able to stay in Heritage. When it came through, he pretended to be surprised and asked if they minded him staying around a while longer, until he could find a place of his own since the military did not provide lodgings in Heritage. The family all assured him that he could stay as long as he wanted. Over the next months they all came to depend on him, especially Pendillis. Thus encouraged, Cleve went shopping and picked out a ring. The next morning, after all the kids were gone to school and Bertillis still in bed, Cleve cornered Pendillis in the kitchen, dropped to his knees, declared his love for her and proposed.

Pendillis was so shocked that at first she was speechless then she refused him vehemently and ran off to her room.

Cleve collapsed on the floor in tears and totally out of it....

and Dr. Shrink had to make another emergency call.

Cleve later had a session with his Cup Buddy for further therapy.

Pendillis thought about it all day and wished she had not been so harsh with Cleve. She loved him as a friend but that was all yet she didn't have to hurt his feelings like she had. That evening after the kids were in bed and the house quiet again, she went to Cleve and apologized, trying to explain her feelings.

He assured her he understood and gave her a hug which was a little tighter and lasted a little longer than he had intended and brought his smoldering feelings to flame again. Then he gave her a tender little kiss...

and when she did not pull away he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her deeply. Pendillis on her part found passions awakened in her that she had thought cooled long ago. She had loved BJ deeply but after all he had always been more than 20 years her senior. So she responded to Cleve's kiss and they were soon making out ardently. It was only a few steps up the stairs to her bed where she experienced a passion never known to her before.

The next morning Cleve left for work without awakening Pendillis but planning to renew his offer of marriage as soon as he got home.

Meanwhile since her father's death and her transition to adulthood, Bertillis (gen 3-romance - age 22) had been pursuing her own hobby. Men. She spent much of each day at the Mall or the park seeing who she might run into. Several times she had brought a man home with her but Pendillis had made it plain to her that all such guests had to remain downstairs. Well, since her daughter, Cosetta, shared her bed, she couldn't very well take her friends to her room anyway. She was working as a 'reseller'. (Rummaging through dumpsters for good stuff other people had thrown away then reselling it.) She met quite a few people at her little booth at the flea market. Early the next morning after Pendillis and Cleve's romantic encounter, Bertillis finalized arrangements for a place of her own to live. She had told no one but her mother that she wanted to leave and only now that she was ready to go told her siblings what she was about to do. She told Janeesis, "Cosetta will be better off here with you and Mom than with me."

Bertiillis found a place of her own.

Since it was a Saturday all the kids were at home to say goodby to her when she left. Cosetta was puzzled but not bereft. She did not feel deserted as Pendillis and Janeesis had been more mother to her than Bertillis had. Bertillis didn't give any special attention to Cosetta when she said goodby, but then she never had.

Cosetta watches her mother leave.

The other kids were all too involved with their own lives and plans to care much that Bertillis was leaving.

When Pendillis awoke that morning she couldn't believe what had happened the night before. And also couldn't believe how good she felt and how happy that it had happened. She stretched luxuriously as she got out of bed, feeling like a girl again. She looked forward to Cleve returning home that evening and wondered what the future held in store for them.

Will Cleve propose again? Will Pendillis accept this time? How would the kids feel about that? Stay tuned for the next chapter of All My SimChildren.

Next episode: Transitions, births and more twins

Chapter 5 - Hester's laments and an abduction

2005-05-07T09:13:00.000-05:00

The Genester home was very quiet after the death of Abhijeet and the departure of Genesis, Robi and Soressa. A house designed to house a large family seems pretty empty with only four.

Hester surveyed her home with quiet pride as she thought about the things she had accomplished in nearly 60 years on this planet. She was nearly 80 now and had slowed down a lot in the romance department. She still thought about it all the time and spent a lot of time on the phone with various male acquaintances but physically she was slowing down. Only two new lovers in the years since Abhijeet died, bringing her total to 12. A long way from her youthful dream of 20 lovers but still a sizeable accomplishment.

Hester's lovers and her age when she acquired them

She was quite satisfied with her latest. She had always considered her sons-in-law off limits, no matter how attractive they were, as she valued her relationships with her daughters more highly than any particular dalliance. But she had had a hard time keeping her hands off Robi Charvat all those years he lived in the house. He was so darn handsome. But once Genesis and Robi separated, she had considered him fair game. It didn't take much persuasion to get him to pose for a painting and from there to the hot tub didn't take so very long. Now he was a fairly frequent visitor.

And she wasn't dead yet. There was still time to get in a few more. But it did seem like all that was left in the neighborhood anymore was boys. Well at her age most of them SEEMED like boys regardless of what their actual age was. (Ah well, she sighed and went back to her painting.)

Hester had been more interested lately in cementing her ties with her descendents and had all her children over for dinner at various times. She wanted to get to know her grandchildren better also. She had 18 of them now and likely to be a few more. With three babies in her house Estarr said she wasn't about to have any more, but Genesis and Pendillis were still fertile and Opalessa was only 25 and still single so there were lots of opportunities yet. Then there were her three great-grandchildren and another very special one on the way. She looked forward to that next birth with great anticipation. It would be Kester's third child and it would be unique.

Hester and first great-grandchild Prester

Kester (gen3-knowledge-age 24) had finished medical school and completed his internship in record time and was poised to complete his residency as quickly. But fate intervened. Every day on arriving home from work, Kester made sure he spent a little time playing with and teaching Prester. The little fellow was so smart, he seemed to absorb learning like a sponge.

Kester plays with Prester while Kaylynn waits despairingly for attention.

Kester had not wanted to have another child until Prester was older but finally gave in to Kaylynn's pleading. He hoped that another baby might snap her out of the depression she has been in since Prester's birth. At least she would not have to compete with his mother for time with the baby.

Kaylynn gets pregnant

But Kaylynn just didn't seem to understand that with his work, studies and responsibility of being a father that he just couldn't spend as much time dancing attendence on her as she wanted. There were just not enough hours in the day. Kester had pretty much given up sleep as it was, using the Energizer to keep him going. He knew it could be addictive and that if he used it too much he might crash and burn but he had to get more time some way. He had been working and studying during the day and had taken up stargazing at night since Robi left his big telescope at the house. The very first night that he used the telescope he saw the fabled two moons and a host of shooting stars.

That was quite exciting and encouraged Kester to continue. Every night after had been a marvel of enlightenment. So many stars, so much beauty.

Kaylynn meanwhile, pregnant again, was much more content. She didn't mind his absence from their bed as much as she got bigger and bigger. She really rested better when she was in bed alone.
Kester had to miss a night of stargazing for Prester's second birthday but the special time with his son was worth it. After the transition they had fun playing indoor golf together.

Then later Kester tucked Prester into bed thinking how quickly he was growing up. He was glad now that he had given in to Kaylynn's pleading for another child. It would be nice having another baby.

Then three nights later, the unbelievable happened. At 9:55, while engrossed in his gazing he heard a strange, high-pitched humming. When he looked up, he saw a huge, terrifying shape looming above him.

Then a beam of light flashed from the shape and focused on him and he felt himself being lifted from the floor. He grabbed hold of the telescope which was bolted down and hung on for dear life ....

but the beam kept pulling him harder and harder until he felt his arms would be pulled from their sockets and he had to let go. As he flashed upwards his last sight was of his wife and son standing on the deck below. They too had heard the strange sound and run upstairs to see what was happening. They reached the observation deck just in time to hear his screams of terror and see him disappear into the maw of a strange flying object.

Hester, awakened from sleep by the noise, missed the sight. Her old legs could just not get her up the stairs in time. After crying for a while, Prester had to go to bed, exhausted from all the excitement. Hester and Kaylynn kept vigil, wandering from room to room, occasionally going outside to look at the sky, wondering if they would ever see Kester again. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, they heard the humming sound again.

They rushed out the front door in time to see the flying object whir lower and lower. A hole gaped open in the side of the machine and a bright light appeared, thrusting a body onto the ground. It was Kester who lay there unmoving.

As the women ran toward him he began to rise shakily to his feet, hurting in every part of his body.

He looked back over his shoulder at the ship above him as its humming sound reached a crescendo.

Kester managed to stand erect and watch as the ship zipped into oblivion.

Kaylynn reached Kester and threw her arms around him, sobbing with relief. As she helped Kester make his unsteady way into the house Hester stayed behind to stare at the sky where the ship had disappeared. She had never expected to see one of those again since one brought her here so many years before. She stood there for a long time then burst out laughing, then finally went back into the house and to bed.

Meanwhile Kester and Kaylynn had both gone to bed exhausted also. They were all still sleeping when Prester awoke. The first thing Prester thought of was his father and he ran to his parents' bedroom. He was so relieved to see his father there asleep. He had thought he would never see Dad again. He was so happy that he got himself ready for school and on the bus without waking anyone else up.

A couple of hours later the adults were up too and going about the business of the day when Kaylynn went into labor. With only Hester, Kester and the gardener and repairman to welcome the new baby into the world it was a big difference from the hoard of people present when Prester was born.

This baby too proved to be a boy. They decided on the name Brewster for him. He had Kester's red hair and Kaylynn's green eyes.

Kester had no sooner greeted his new son than he had to flee the room due to an overwhelming urge to vomit. He spent some time hanging over the toilet wondering what could have caused this. Could he have been infected with some disease while on that ship? His memories of the experience were very hazy. He didn't really know what all they did to him other than some of it was very painful while others were very pleasurable.

He didn't want to infect the family with some alien disease so he went down into the basement and turned on the Biotech lab. He made up and consumed several batches of medicine until he thought he had covered any possible infections.
The next weeks went more or less normally. Although Kester continued to feel strange and sometimes queasy at times he was able to begin his residency. Kester was a little fearful of doing any more stargazing although he had a sneaking desire to see the aliens again. And he found that he usually didn't feel well enough to use the energizer anyway. So most nights he went to bed early which made Kaylynn happy too since she was no longer uncomfortable with pregnancy.

One night Kester was awakened by strange sensations in his belly. It felt like something was moving in there!! And his abdomen had begun to swell! It almost looked like he was pregnant! Omigosh!

He had heard of such things but thought that was all tabloid fiction. What was he to do? First he got on the internet and researched everything he could find on male pregnancies. Yep, his symptoms matched. When Kaylynn and Hester awoke he discussed his predicament with them, then called the hospital and talked with the Chief of Staff. The CoS put him on "maternity" leave on condition that he submit himself for study. This would be the first male pregnancy in the Heritage area and the scientists and doctors all wanted to study him. Well, all for the good of increasing knowledge.

Hester was secretly quite gleeful. She had known when Kester returned from the alien ship what the likely outcome would be. After all, that was the kind of work she used to be engaged in. But she kept her knowledge to herself for the time being. Now though she was able to quietly give Kester some needed reassurance and counseling.

Kaylynn on the other hand was quite disturbed at the news. She was still depressed even after the birth of Brewster and was already wanting to have another child herself. It wasn't that she really wanted another child right now but she was already 42 and her clock was ticking. She didn't have much time left to have the large family she had always wanted. But that wasn't her real problem. What she wanted mostly was more time with Kester. They hardly ever talked because he was always so busy with some research project or another. And teaching Prester. He never wanted to spend time dancing or watching tv or playing with her. He was ardent enough in bed although he didn't often take the time. Though things were better in that area since the abduction.

Kaylynn had broached the subject of a third child with Kester and was surprised when he readily acquiesed.

But she found that having her husband pregnant with an alien child was a bit of a turnoff. She tried pretending that he was just getting fat and never went so far as to turn away from him but she did stop soliciting his attentions like she had been doing ever since they married. She began having nightmares about the alien creature growing within him and found herself having very strange thoughts and fantasies when awake. She felt as though she were walking along the edge of some deep abyss in fog so thick she could not see the ground in front of her. Could she pass through this fog safely or would she plunge into the abyss?

Will Kaylynn plunge into the abyss? Will the alien child be as special as Hester envisions it to be? Will Kester ever see aliens again? Will he manage to complete his residency or will he give up medicine and become an astronomer? Stay tuned for more drama among All My SimChildren.

Next episode: Pendillis finds new love.

Chapter 4 Family Matters-Part 2

2005-05-04T10:32:00.000-05:00

Hester Genester's third daughter, Pendillis, was the mother of five children and became a grandmother just a few months after her twin sister, Genesis, giving Hester and Abhijeet their second great-grandchild. She and her husband,B.J. Ryan, were married for nearly 25 years. Their eldest daughter, Bertillis, was a great worry to them. After the birth of her little girl, Cosetta, Bertillis started skipping school frequently, then either hanging out in front of the TV, talking to who knows who on the phone, or gadding off downtown and being gone for hours. As a consequence, care of baby Cosetta was left pretty much to Pendillis, who also had her youngest child, Fletcher, to care for. B.J. and second daughter, Janeesis, did all they could to help out with baby care. Finally, just a few weeks before the death of Pendillis's father, Abhijeet, little Fletcher had his first transition. The family had a small party to celebrate.

It seemed Fletcher was going to be a carbon copy of his elder brother Chester.

A few weeks after Abhijeet's death, Cosetta also had her first transition. She looked like she would be a beauty. Certainly a different type than the rest of the family. Her only alien feature seemed to be her ears.

Bertillis's erratic behavior continued. She was barely able to keep her grades above failing, much to the distress of her father, who had spent his entire working life in education. B.J., now 68, was a professor of history at the University, but found that all the stress was taking a toll on his ability to do his job. So he decided that it was time for him to retire. He could help out more with the toddlers and free Pendillis to go back to work. She had been wanting to return to her career as a fashion photographer full time, instead of the little part time work she had been doing for so long. And it was nearly time for Bertillis to graduate and the young ones to start school. So the time seemed right. And besides, he hadn't been feeling really well lately.
B.J. enjoyed his first months of retirement. Besides helping with the children and housework, he spent time on painting, a hobby he had enjoyed for some time but had little time for. His work was nowhere near the quality of Pendillis's paintings. Her work was hanging in several galleries in town. But he enjoyed it.

B.J.'s last painting

Finally it was time for Fletcher's childhood transition. B.J. had wanted to have a party for him again but things got a little too hectic to get it organized. They didn't even manage to get any photos at the time, instead taking him to the portrait studio later.

Bertillis also elected to transition to adulthood at this time when she announced she was through with school whether anyone else agreed or not.

That night after everyone else went to bed, B.J. decided to paint for a while, since he had taken a nap in the afternoon. Still feeling restless though, he thought perhaps working out for a while in their new upstairs exercise room would tire him and help him get to sleep. The unaccustomed physical activity was too much for him however and he suffered a stroke. He lay on the floor unconscious all night. He finally awoke as the family was getting ready for the day and only half sensible, staggered down the stairs as the children were leaving for school. Here he found the Reaper waiting for him in the front hall.

Only Pendillis witnessed the event as Bertillis and little Cosetta were still in bed and the others were already on the schoolbus. She was so overwhelmed that she went into shock and had a nervous breakdown. It was lucky that Bertillis had elected to stay home again that day so she could summon help for her mother. However Cosetta was the first to respond to Pendillis's screams.

Cosetta climbs out of her crib

and goes to her grandmother.

She added her cries to Pendillis's and that finally woke Bertillis who actually did something useful when she called 911. After calling for help she stood and wept over her father's remains. She was so sorry now that she had given him so much trouble.

The doctor arrived, gave Pendillis emergency treatment, plus a sedative, and sent her to bed. He also prescribed further therapy for a later date. Bertillis met her sister Janeesis at the door when she got home from school and told her what had happened. The two comforted each other.

That evening was the occasion for Chester and Vesta's transition to teen. Due to the circumstances they didn't have a party either and the whole event was very subdued.

The next day Pendillis had another therapy session, this time with Doctor Von Ball.

A few days later things had settled down and the family was able to have a meal again without someone bursting into tears.

A few weeks later Cosetta had her childhood transition and began school. She got a studio picture too.

Here is the family's home. In 25 years it had become quite a substantial dwelling.

What was elder brother Lester doing while his sisters were having such upheaval in their lives? Working and romancing. As always. He had recently been elected Senator which had increased his work load. His daughter Spring transitioned to adult a few months before her cousin Kester and his son Laser had become a teen not long before Abhijeet's death.

His younger sons still lived with their mothers. Fester Copur was now a schoolchild. His mother, Ivy Copur, had finally given up on Lester and was now engaged to someone else.

Fester plays with his best friend, Kristor Stratton

And Dexter Bruenig was in school also, though a couple of years younger than Fester. His mother, Marsha Bruenig, had taken the first child support payment Lester had given her and made a downpayment on her own home.

Here Dexter soon transitioned to toddlerhood.

Marsha too gave up on Lester and married and settled happily into domesticity, preferring not to work outside the home. Her husband treated Dexter as his own and the two developed a very close relationship.

Dexter ready for his first day of school

Lester had also acquired another child. Another of his girlfriends, Tosha Go, had a baby boy that she named Tesler.

Lester attempted to remain a part of this child's life, more than he had done with the others. He was even present for the child's first transition.

Daughter Spring still worked as a security guard. She had her name on a waiting list to go to Police Academy but it appeared the wait would be a long one. She was extremely shy and had become friends with a young man named Alvin Futa who was just as shy as she was. Their attempts to flirt with each other were almost painful.

One day Spring became brave enough to want to kiss Alvin But when she tried he became so embarrassed that he ducked away from her. Needless to say she didn't try again.

Finally Alvin became brave enough to try it himself so Spring finally had her first kiss. The first for them both, at the advanced age of 22.

Spring had not heard from her mother in quite some time and had never met any of her mother's younger children. However she was still curious and made a point of finding out as much as she could about the Cormiers. She knew that when her second brother Forest started school people had trouble telling he and older brother Field apart, even though there was two years between them.

Alike as two peas. Field is the taller of the two.

But that changed when Field became a teen.

A third little boy had been born about the same time as Dexter and Prester so was now a toddler. He was named Marsh.

And a baby girl had recently been added to the family. Her name was Valley.

Spring longed to know these siblings. She was a family sim and all forms of family were important to her. But she was afraid to contact her mother for fear of being rebuffed. She felt like her mother must not want Spring in her life or she would have kept up the relationship. Spring vowed if she ever had children she would never leave them as her mother had done her.

Pendillis is alone now. Will she remain so or find new love? Will Spring ever be reunited with her mother and get to know her siblings? Will Hester and Lester continue to find new people to woohoo with? Stay tuned for the next chapter where SOME of those questions may be answered.

Chapter 4 Family Matters-Part 1

2005-05-03T12:57:00.000-05:00

The months following Abhijeet's death were eventful ones for all of his children and for others as well. All three of his daughters' lives were turned upside down as one marriage for each ended and another was begun. The Enabler family became increasingly enmeshed in the lives of the Genesters, despite their great differences.

By the terms of Abhijeet's will, Kester found that he was appointed executor, and as part of his duties he was trustee of the funds set aside for his infant aunts. He had to make sure that they received their check each month and that it was used to care for the children. That proved to be a harrowing chore. His first view of the Enabler home showed him a sadly run down building with no landscaping and not even any exterior paint.

The interior was just as bad and the discord within was awful. Kester was admitted to the house by the man he knew was his father but had never met before. That would have been a moment to dwell on if not for all the noise. Babies were crying and two adults were yelling at each other and the man appeared ready to strike the woman.

Hawer intervened then and introduced Kester to them. They were his sister Platal and his cousin Chader. Platal was the one that Kester had come to see. From what Kester had heard of the argument she had apparently asked Chader for money and he was angry about having to support another man's children. What Kester brought with him solved that problem for both of them. He explained to Platal that she would be receiving money every month for the children's support. Then Kester got to meet the little girls. When the adults' yelling had stopped so had the children's wailing. When Platal took him into the next room to see them, he found them sound asleep on the floor.

He was surprised to find that they were already toddlers. Somehow he had expected them to still be babies. The elder baby, Leda, seemed quite fussy and demanding, but also seemed to be Platal's pet.
.

The other little girl, Lyra, waited contentedly to be cared for and put in her crib. Kester suspected that she did a lot of waiting in this household.

About the time the little girls were falling asleep in their cribs, Kester heard another baby crying in a different room. Soon a blond woman came into the living area carrying an infant. She was introduced as Mabal Enabler, Platal and Hawer's cousin and Chader's sister. Kester remembered seeing her when his grandfather died and wondered who the baby's father was but did not feel free to ask. Mabal said the little boy's name was Sager, but volunteered no further information.

Finally Kester completed his business and returned home, thankful for the tranquil atmosphere that was the norm there.

Not too long after that, Genesis and Hawer finalized their plans. Genesis had put off leaving due to Soressa's extreme distress over her grandfather's death. Genesis wanted to be sure that Soressa would be okay and able to weather this further change in her life. Soressa was 16 now and Genesis hoped she would be mature enough to understand what was happening or at least to forgive. But when Genesis approached Soressa with her plans and asked her to move with her, Soressa refused and became very upset, berating her mother for breaking her father's heart. Genesis had to leave alone, with her daughter's revilements ringing in her ears. She had told Kester the evening before. Considering that it was his own father that she was going to, he didn't know whether to be sad or glad. Sad for Soressa's sake he thought, and perhaps for Robi's. Though he had never been able to become close to Robi for some reason, even though they shared so much with their mutual love of knowledge. But now he guessed he would get the chance to know his own father better.

Genesis met Hawer and they went to the house that they had picked out in advance.

The house was newly built and had taken all of the couple's savings. (Most of which was Genesis's.) The interior was mostly unfinished and they didn't have enough left to finish it. It took their last simoleon to buy the basic furnishings they would need.

Hawer asked if she would mind if his cousin Chader and 10 year old nephew Viggo moved in with them. Chader wanted to get away from Platal and he and Hawer both thought that Viggo would be better off away also, as Platal was likely to just let him run wild with the little girls to care for. Genesis was surprised but said it was fine with her. She knew Chader had a steady job so could pay his and Viggo's way. She hoped that Robi would soon agree to a divorce so that she and Hawer could marry, but if not, "c'est la vie".

Genesis hadn't had the nerve to tell Robi in person that she was leaving him. Instead she left him a "Dear John" letter. He was understandably upset but said nothing to anyone else in the family, instead going about his normal routines, perhaps spending more time stargazing. Even with Soressa he acted as if nothing was changed, until she confronted him about it. He then told her that he still loved her mother but if she were no longer happy with him then he did not wish to stand in the way of her happiness.

It wasn't too long after though that Robi decided that he no longer felt comfortable living in Genesis's former home. So he bought a plot of land and started construction on a small house. As soon as a few rooms were framed in he and Soressa moved in. The roof was only canvas over the beams of the few rooms that had been framed. But they each had a bedroom and one bath was finished plus a small kitchen. Only the most necessary furnishings could be purchased.

Robi had kept in touch with Mabal Enabler and knew that she had given birth to a baby boy. Now that Genesis had left him, he felt justified in moving the two in with him rather than just making child support payments. He wanted to be as much a part of Sager's life as he had Soressa's. And if he and Genesis could arrange a divorce then he would marry Mabal.

Robi invites Mabal to move in

Soressa was horrified when Robi told her. She had been doing a lot of crying since her mother up and left her and her father. But she was equally astounded and upset to have this strange woman and her baby move in with them. And her baby, a little boy named Sager, looked just like Robi! And they were sharing Robi's bedroom too! Arghh.

Soressa was really, really upset with both her parents. She decided she was going to stay in her room and totally ignore all of them.

So Robi and Mabal took the opportunity to get reacquainted.

Later Robi started getting to know his son.

A few weeks later Sager had his first transition. No party as the family was still adjusting to being together and Soressa was steadfastly staying in her room except to eat and go to school.

With Genesis, Robi and Soressa gone, things were even quieter at #1 Heritage Trail. Prester got less attention but he was so busy exploring his world now as a toddler that he didn't mind. Kester was busy with his job and medical school and Kaylynn with whatever it was that she did all day. Hester had her painting and her boyfriends and now seemed to find more time to visit with her other children. Estarr especially called on her mother quite often. She was very lonely since her husband Korey was killed. Besides her mother she began visiting with other old friends, some who she had not seen in a long time. One of those was Chandler Platz, her old high school sweetheart. She confided her loneliness to him and cried on his shoulder.

They started seeing a lot of each other and he finally told her that she held a place in his heart that no one else had been able to fill, which was why he had never married. Then one day he surprised her with a ring. He told her he had bought the ring with his first job, before they had broken up, and he had carried it with him ever since. Overcome by such devotion she agreed to marry him.

That evening she told her children the news. They were both happy about it, Jeekobey especially. He missed having a father in his life and quickly set about making friends with Chandler.

The engagement was short and a small, private wedding was soon arranged.

They weren't married long before Estarr became pregnant. At 46 it wasn't something that she really wanted. But Chandler wanted a child of his own so she agreed.

Korey had been a quiet spirit all the months since his death. Even when Estarr remarried his urn had remained in a place of honor in her bedroom and he had not appeared. But when she became pregnant he began roaming, frequently waking up Chandler.

Korey finds his old bed has been moved upstairs to Jeekobey's room. Could that be why he haunts?

But what of the third daughter's bereavement? Isn't she still happily married? Stay tuned for part 2 of Family Matters.

Chapter 3 Part 2: More complications and a final goodby

2005-05-01T10:52:00.000-05:00

After the flurry surrounding the births of their first two great-grandchildren died down Hester and Abhijeet returned to their normal routines. Which for these two, despite their advanced ages of 74 and 70 respectively, still involved extensive romancing.

Hester had been retired for a while. She had been brooding over the nasty things said to her by Meadow Thayer, just before Meadow had moved out of the Genester household and she now achieved what she considered the perfect revenge. She seduced Meadow's husband. Ricky had been Abhijeet's friend for years and often visited, sometimes when Abhijeet wasn't home. So it had been a simple matter to make him her friend also. And Ricky was after all a romance sim too, even though he rarely acted on his longings.

Abhijeet had finally met and made friends with Platal Enabler (mother of his grandson, Laser) with the expected results.

Platal quickly became pregnant to her great delight. A few months after Cosetta's birth, Platal gave birth to twin daughters. She named them Leda and Lyra, after characters in a show about mythology that she had been watching. Abhijeet was quite proud of having sired twins at his age. The thought of it put an extra jauntiness in his step as he went about his business.

This is Leda, the first born of the twins

Abhijeet finally decided that it was time for him to retire. He had been Mad Scientist for several years and his work had made Heritage known in a wider community. Time to turn the mantle over to another and he thought his son-in-law, Robi Charvat, was the man to wear it. He called all the family together for a party to celebrate his retirement

With the recent births, Abhijeet decided it was time to update his will. He wanted to make sure these baby daughters were provided for since he felt that he was not likely to be around to see them grown. Not that he was sick, just a few twinges here and there, nothing to see a doctor about, but still..... Best to be safe. Then back to dancing and dating.

Many mellow months passed by with the flavor and flow of fine wine. Abhijeet invited a new girlfriend that he was pursuing over to the house. This was Platal's cousin, Mabal Enabler. As big as the house had grown there was always someplace where a couple could be alone for a few minutes for some flirting or cuddling. After he hung up the phone he was surprised to see another of his girlfriends come home after work with his daughter, Genesis. Well, that complicated things. So he met Mabal out at the mailbox. After some flirting and hugging he finally scored his first kiss with her. As he felt that familiar surge of elation through his veins, he also felt something else. Like a cold finger touching his heart, followed by the sensation of ice spreading through his veins. As he looked past Mabal he saw a dark robed figure approaching. And not walking either, it was floating. He recognized the specter as the Grim Reaper, also called the Ferryman. Mabal didn't seem to see the figure, instead looking only at Abhijeet, with an expression of great grief as he released her and backed away.

Now Abhijeet noticed that the specter was wearing a garland of hot pink flowers and was accompanied by a pair of scantily clad dancing girls. Hey, they looked pretty interesting. Mabal had started wailing like a banshee, attracting the attention of his family who were coming out of the house.

"It is time, Abhijeet, for you to join us in Avalon, " spoke the ghostly figure in a deep, sepulchral voice. "You have fulfilled the assignment you were given and have earned your reward. Come, drink the cup of Lethe and enter the land of eternal romance." With those words, the specter handed Abhijeet a tall glass of some fruity smelling beverage. Abhijeet took it and sipped. Ahh, delicious and it seemed to remove that icy feeling from his veins. He took a hearty slug of the juice and felt even better. He noticed a suitcase beside him and somehow knew that within it was everything he would need. He picked up the bag, took another swig of juice, and started walking toward the Ferry where he could see even more beautiful girls awaiting him. He didn't even notice the mourners as he faded from their sight.

Most of the family was able to accept Abhijeet's passing philosophically. They put up a lovely memorial stone for him and had a brief commemorative service. Only the two girlfriends stayed to mourn after the ceremony.

Granddaughter Soressa however took his passing hard. She cried for hours afterward and could not be consoled and continued grieving for weeks.

Genesis, too, was affected by her father's passing though she showed it in a much different way. He had always been so vital that she felt he would live forever. His going made her realize that life was short and you had to grab what happiness you could when you had the chance. After the birth of Soressa, who was now 15, Genesis had desired no more children, despite being a family sim, and had poured herself into her career with the Heritage Llamas. Her feelings for Robi, never really intense, had cooled even more. Oh, yes, Robi was still handsome. He was a considerate husband, a good father and a wonderful provider. But there was just something missing. Robi hadn't minded or really noticed the decrease in number of their romantic encounters. He was absorbed in ascending the science career ladder and spent all his spare time studying and researching. And he had recently taken up stargazing which caused him to spend many hours at night with his eye to a telescope. When he did go to bed it was to fall into exhausted sleep. So things seemed content between them. But something simmered beneath the surface. And Genesis knew what was missing from her life. She had never gotten over her love for Hawer Enabler, the father of her son Kester. Some years previously, she had run into Hawer by chance at the shopping center. Seeing him again had been like being hit in the solar plexus. They talked briefly and she knew that the longing she saw in his face was reflected in her own.

Then their feelings exploded. First their hands met, then she was in his arms being kissed with so much passion that her senses reeled. She didn't care that they were out in public where anyone could see them. The whole world apart from herself and Hawer had disappeared for her.

Without even speaking they headed for the nearest motel. Genesis was quite late getting home that night, but once home she vowed not to see Hawer again. She did love Robi and she loved her daughter. She couldn't sacrifice them for her passions. But that resolve was five years old. She thought she had successfully buried the past until Abhijeets' retirement party. Then her brother Lester had started talking to her about Hawer and how well he was doing in his business career. Genesis had listened avidly as Lester wondered why Hawer had never married.

That simple conversation had reawakened all Genesis's longings. She was in constant torment over what to do. Now her father's death had crystallized her feelings. If he would have her, she was going to spend the rest of her life with Hawer. She called him up and asked him to meet her at Cooter's Romper Room, the local gathering place. He quickly agreed and they were soon ensconced in an alcove out of sight of prying eyes. Genesis poured out her feelings to Hawer and he responded just as she had hoped he would. Tears of joy coursed down her cheeks.

After feelings were calm again the couple made plans.

Meanwhile Robi was having his own crisis of conscience. A few years previously he had given a lecture on one of his favorite topics to a group at the library. After the lecture one of the attendees had approached him with some questions. In discussing the topic over coffee he had found the woman to have a mind quite like his own, even though she was not a scientist. Her name was Mabal Enabler. This was the beginning of a growing friendship. Every now and then when something of interest in the scientific world came up they would enjoy a discussion over the phone or in person. After a while, Robi counted Mabal as one of his closest friends. One day, just a few months before, they had again met for coffee and conversation. For some reason Robi had taken it into his head to flirt with Mabal. Just a simple bit of fun. But somehow it grew into something much more and before long he found himself at her home and in her bed.

He had considered it only a temporary lapse. He didn't love Mabal and he was sure she did not love him either. Neither of them had ever mentioned the word. They were just very good friends. Neither of them ever mentioned the incident in subsequent phone conversations. Then when he saw Mabal at the time of Abhijeet's death he was quite shocked to see that she was pregnant. Later he had called her and asked about it and she had admitted that it was a result of their encounter. But she insisted that she was fine and needed nothing and she simply wanted their relationship to go on as it had previously. The whole situation gave Robi a lot more than science to think about.

Problems had developed in Kester's and Kaylynn's lives too. Kester had finally finished his premed classes and had his third transition, shortly after Abhijeet's retirement. .

He threw himself into medical school with a passion, delighted that he was so much closer to his goal of becoming a doctor. Between his classes and his job as a paramedic he had little time left over. But every day when he got home he spent some time with his infant son, Prester, and with Kaylynn.

Kester also finally visited his Aunt Pendillis's home again. He hadn't been there since that fateful day so many months before when he had given in to his feelings for Bertillis. But at last he could no longer deny his desire to see his and Bertillis's baby daughter. He was both thrilled and grieved when he held her. She was so tiny and so precious but he could never claim her as his own.

Kaylynn had problems of her own. She has been depressed ever since Prester's birth. She was still not accepted by the family and they seemed to have taken over Prester's care. And Kester was very involved in his medical studies and had much less time for her. She took to spending most of her time in their room playing computer games. If only she could have another baby, one she did not have to share.

Kaylynn spoke to Kester about the possibility of another child since Prester was so near his first transition but Kester felt that he had enough responsibility for the time being and insisted they wait till he at least finished medical school.

Kaylynn did not argue. Nor did she cry. She simply withdrew even further from the rest of the family, even her son. Kester didn't notice. He was the typical knowledge sim, totally absorbed in his own affairs, just as his step-father Robi was. Prester didn't notice either. He had so much attention from his father, his grandparents, great-grandparents and Aunt Soressa, that lack of attention from his mother had little impact on him. They had all planned a big party for him for his first transition but Abhijeet's passing drove it from everyone's mind. That evening after the family had calmed down a bit from the excitement, Prester transitioned all on his own.

Chapter 3 Part 1- Complications

2005-04-28T11:01:00.000-05:00

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.

"You are so beautiful and I have always loved you but we are cousins. And I am a married man."

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.

The two studios

Hester's favorite subjects

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.

Don't look at me, old man.

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.

Vesta

Chester

Janeesis

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 leaves for his first mission

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.

Here she discusses her probable future with Lester with one of her housemates, Brandon Lillard. Brandon tells her she is crazy if she really thinks Lester is going to marry her.

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.

Chapter 2 - Fruitful Years Part Three - Surprise Wedding

2005-04-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

The next two years in Heritage were quiet ones. Adults went to work, improved their skills and got promotions. Children went to school, did their homework and grew. An occasional birthday or other party added a little spice to the even flow of life. Hester and Abhijeet continued their discreet romancing as did Lester. Advancing age had not slowed any of them down yet. Hester was now past 70 and Abhijeet was in his late 60's but both were still hale and hearty. Very hearty, as their increasing numbers of lovers proved. They were both still working but worked different days which made it easier for their romancing. And both still enjoyed painting.

At the Ryan-Genester home, the family celebrated the first birthday of the twins.

Just a quiet family party

Chester got his father's eyes and nose, his mother's mouth and ears. Not a beautiful combination.

But better than Vesta. Poor little thing could win an ugly baby contest.

And at the Jitmakusol home there were also two birthdays. First Jeekobey became a teen.

Then Bethesda had her first birthday.

Jeekobey enjoyed teaching Bethesda

Over in Trash Town two babies had their first birthdays without any celebration. First Viggo Enabler, then Fester Copur, Lester's youngest son.

But at #1 Heritage Trail, drama was brewing. Kester Genester, age 16, and grandson of two romance sims, felt the stirrings of teen hormones and started noticing women. Especially that luscious maid who wore such a revealing uniform and was in the house every day.

Kester checks out the maid

Is that a spot on your.....dress?

Kester was a brilliant student and was in the fast track at the private school he attended. He planned to become a doctor and was already working as an EMT in the evenings after school. Between his job and his studies (he was already taking college level classes in a premed program) he didn't have a lot of time left over for socializing with girls his own age. And that maid was so.... accessible. Over the next months Kester flirted with her every chance he got. And she started dragging out her work hours to make sure she was still in the house when he got home. It was so nice to be getting all that attention, even if he was so very young. It made her feel so feminine.

Kaylynn had been working for the family a lot of years by this time. Since Kester was a baby, in fact. It had been a long time since her affair with Lester and even longer since the one with Abhijeet, a long time in which to wish for love and family. Despite the fact that Kester was less than half her age she found herself responding to his flirting. So one day when Kester got brave enough to steal a kiss, she did not rebuff him. Kester was astounded. He had fully expected to be shoved away.

Continued kissing in corners whenever he got the chance soon had Kester convinced he was deeply in love.

If Kester had been like his granddad or Uncle Lester he would have coaxed Kaylynn into the hottub or even his bed. But he was a totally different type. So he proposed instead. He had been saving his earnings from his job and bought an engagement ring which he offered her. Kaylynn didn't take two seconds to think about the age difference and how his family would respond. She said yes and leaped into his arms. Finally, after all those years, she would be a married woman. Kester briefly considered waiting until he graduated before they married. It wouldn't be that long anymore after all. But his desires nixed that idea. He wanted Kaylynn NOW. So they began planning their wedding. They could have sneaked off to the closest JP for a private ceremony, but Kaylynn had always dreamed of a formal wedding under the arch. And Kester was fine with that. He wanted everyone to know that he was proud to be marrying her. Well, everyone but his mother. He was pretty sure she would not be happy about it and he was right. So he arranged the ceremony for when Genesis would be at work and didn't say anything to anyone else until the last minute.

On the fateful day, Genesis left for work and Kester got busy. He called the family at home together and announced his plans, then called up the guests that he wanted to come. By the time everything was ready and the guests assembled it was nearly time for Genesis to get home. Finally the ceremony could begin.

By the end of the ceremony, Genesis had indeed arrived. She even quickly dressed for the occasion so as not to embarrass the family.

After the ceremony, Kester and Kaylynn posed for a wedding portrait at Hester's insistance. Hester had long ago decided that Kester would be her heir and she wanted this day recorded on canvas whether she approved of his bride or not.
Genesis waited around watching. She hadn't had a chance to speak to the happy couple yet. But she would. Though not as a couple. She would speak to them individually. She had some very choice words to say to Kaylynn especially.

Kester is getting hungry. "How much longer do we have to pose, Grandma?"

Finally Genesis had her chance and really laid in to Kaylynn, telling her just what she thought of her. And she knows about Kaylynn's past affairs. The tongue-lashing left Kaylynn in tears.

Then Genesis had a little talk with Kester, berating him for marrying before he had completed school and most especially for marrying a woman nearly as old as herself. She ranted about being too young to be a grandmother, assuming that Kaylynn was already expecting, while on the other hand stating that Kaylynn was OLD enough to be a grandmother. Kester was at least able to deny that Kaylynn was already pregnant. (Though he hoped to take care of that quickly)

The day finally ended and Kester retired to his room with his new bride. They had to forego a honeymoon as Kester's savings didn't go quite that far and Kaylynn didn't have any savings at all. The rest of the famly retired also with conversations about the days events lasting long after bedtime.

Hester and Abhijeet discuss the wedding