When Clarissa returned home on Sunday night, she immediately filled Esmeralda in on everything that had happened – from the fluffy down pillow she slept on to seeing the Grim Reaper at the gym.
Esmeralda: You TOTALLY like him.
Clarissa: I know, I know! It’s terrible. He’ll never like me like THAT. And even if he did – what if I’m the heir??
Esmeralda: Cross that bridge when you come to it! Life should be FUN! Live in the moment, Clarissa!
Clarissa: But Roy would never want me anyway…you’ve seen him! He’s so handsome and fit. He could have any girl he wants, and you should have SEEN how all those little gym bunnies were looking at him… If I even want a shot with Roy, I need to look like THEM.
Esmeralda: You’re being so hard in yourself! If Roy is the right guy for you, he’ll love you just the way you are. Besides – exercise sounds like way too much work.
Clarissa: Too late, Esme! I’ve made up my mind! I’m giving up cake and taking up running!
She started off small, just jogging in the neighborhood, but she wanted faster results. She asked Grainna to buy her a treadmill, but it just wasn’t in the budget – so Clarissa decided to go to the gym instead.
Esmeralda was right – working out WAS a lot of work. By the time Clarissa was finished, she was dripping in sweat, and her muscles were already screaming. She went to the locker room to shower, and ran into a good looking guy in the process. Of course she was already in love with Roy, and this guy was a little too old for her anyway, probably closer to Seraphina’s age….
Seraphina! She was so shy, and so serious all the time – but maybe with a little push in the right direction, Clarissa could get her sister to loosen up. Maybe, with the just the right motivation, Seraphina would even decide she WANTED to be the heir! Clarissa saw this for the opportunity it was – after all, she didn’t want to be heir any more than Seraphina did.
So she decided to go and chat the guy up. Having his number in her little black book might prove to be VERY useful someday….
And so Clarissa left the gym feeling better than she had in a long time. She was making progress in her gym routine – her body was visibly changing, slimming down and toning up. Soon she would be ready to see Roy again and this time, she hoped he would notice her in the way she noticed him. And if he did notice her – if she could make him fall in love with her – she just might have discovered the key to escaping the fate of a Hasslich heir.
——————————————————————
Clarissa returned from the gym feeling svelte and fit, and it turned out she wasn’t the only one who noticed. Seraphina checked out her little sister’s newly transformed body and felt a twinge of jealousy. She shoved another forkful of cake into her mouth and immediately felt better.
Seraphina: Lookin’ good, Clarissa! Your hard work has really paid off – Roy won’t know what hit him!
Clarissa: Thanks! I’m not done yet though – I want to build a little more muscle and maybe even get a makeover before I see him again.
Seraphina: Well – I WAS just thinking about hitting the new spa. I’ve been working so hard to paint a masterpiece so I can finally make some money for this family! You know how much I love to paint, but it’s starting to stress me out.
Clarissa: Well let’s go, then! I can try out some yoga and you can splurge on a massage or something. And then maybe we can both get makeovers! I mean, you really should do something to tame that wild mess you call your hair…
Seraphina: I happen to like my hair! Anyway – we should ask Esmeralda, too. You know how plummed she’d be if we didn’t invite her.
Clarissa called out for her sister, and was surprised when Esmeralda didn’t respond. The girls went room to room in search of their little sister, but she was nowhere to be found.
Clarissa: Where the plum did she go?
Seraphina shrugged.
The spa was calling……
———————————————————-
Seraphina relaxed with a massage…..
And Clarissa tried out yoga…….
And in the end, both girls came home from the spa with a fresh, new look.
Seraphina: Why did I let you talk me into this?
———————————————————-
Meanwhile, Grainna was only a few days away from her birthday, and she knew the time had come to choose her heir. It was a difficult choice to make – the legacy was so important to her, but she also wanted all of her daughters to be happy.
Grainna realized that she needed some unbiased advice, and so she went to Oasis Springs to see her old friend Dina Caliente.
It turns out that Dina had also gotten pregnant on that fateful night long ago, and she and Don now had a daughter the same age as Seraphina, as well as a younger son. So Dina understood Grainna’s love for her daughters, and was happy to share her advice.
Grainna: I just don’t know what to do. Clarissa carries the most desirable genes, but I know she’s already in love. Seraphina is responsible, and of all my daughters I trust her the most with my legacy. But she’s already seen so much heartache and the burden might be too much for her to bear. And then there’s my wild card, my little Esmeralda. She’s a firecracker and I know she’d have no problem finding men to father her children – but she’s unreliable and a party girl – she takes nothing seriously.
Dina: Well in my opinion, the only option is Seraphina. You trust her, Grainna, and that’s what’s most important.
Don: I disagree! Clarissa is the CLEAR choice. She’ll pass on the best genetics to her children. I personally volunteer to woohoo with her. You know – in the name of the legacy, of course.
Dina shot him a sharp look, before her daughter, Laila, jumped in.
Laila: I think you’re both wrong. Clarissa doesn’t want to be the heir and neither does Seraphina. Esmeralda is laid-back, cheerful, and up for anything! She would be the perfect heir!
Grainna sat quietly, deep in thought. Seconds turned into long minutes as everyone held their breath, waiting for Grainna to speak.
Grainna: I’ve made a decision.
———————————————————-
Meanwhile, somewhere across town…..
It's All PeachyKeen 
Crosses fingers!
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