Chapter Eighty – Tom (Un)Locke(d)

 

 

I love my job. When I’m in the suit, leading llama cheers and shooting hot dogs into the stands, that’s me at my my best. The dancing, the jokes, the slapstick – I love very second of it. I make them laugh til they cry, and I do it without ever saying a word. They watch me, goofing around inside the suit, but they don’t see me, not really.  And that’s just the way I like it.

The first time I saw Tabitha I thought my heart would explode. She was so beautiful, and she made me so nervous. Most people make me nervous, actually. But Tabitha? Well – Tabitha was something else.

I stared at her, blinking, trying to think of something to say. She looked back at me with those big blue eyes, and as I searched desperately for the right words, I wished – not for the first time in my life – that I could wear my llama suit every day, everywhere I went.  Tabitha  would love Llama-Suit Tom! Llama-suit Tom would make her laugh.  Llama-suit Tom is irresistible.

Regular Tom?  Not so much.  Mercifully, she spoke first. The words flowed from her lips so easily, so effortlessly that I couldn’t help but feel jealous.  I mean – she just opens her mouth and words come out!  To me, this particular trait is very impressive.  I’ve never been good with words. I jumble them, mumble them, say the wrong thing.  It’s not easy sticking my size 10 foot into my mouth, so most of the time I just keep quiet.

Unfortunately, Tabitha asked me a question.  Which, naturally, required an answer.

What do you do for a living?  she’d asked. A simple question, really, with a simple answer.

Unless you’re me.

A little of this, a little of that.

That’s what i said to to the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I cringed. A little of this, a little of that?! That wasn’t even true! I had a job – ONE job – to BE A LLAMA!  A little of this, a little of that.  Not. Even. Close.  I tried desperately to find something to say, some way to keep the conversation going, but words – as usual – escaped me.

So, Tom….tell me about yourself, she said.

I panicked – she was moving onto open-ended questions now!  So you know what I said to her? I like French fries. French fries! For real, Tom? French fries!? I could have told her that I love to cook. That my favorite Saturday night begins and ends with Simflix and a gourmet meal of my own making. I could have said that I like chess, and that even though I’m quiet, I actually have a wicked sense of humor. But no. I tell her I like French fries.

She got up to go then – some nonsense about her hair – and I can’t say that I blamed her.

But panic struck as she walked away. What if I never saw her again? It took every ounce of courage I had to chase her down and spit out the one sentence that would set the rest of my life into motion.

Can I call you? The question spilled out before I had time to think, time to back down.  And for the first time in recent memory, I didn’t regret my words.

You realize that would actually require you to talk to me right?

I said nothing, stupidly, but by some small miracle, she took my phone and punched in her number anyway. Not that I’d be calling, technically.  If you haven’t guessed, texting is much more my speed.

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It turns out that I can hide behind texting the same way I can hide behind the llama suit.  Through text, I can be charismatic, funny, and on a good day, maybe even a little flirty.  And over the next few days, I’d never been more thankful for modern technology.  Once I gathered the courage to send off that first text, it wasn’t long before I scored a date with Tabitha.  How I did it, I’ll never know.

Of course, a real live date presented a new set of challenges, and since I’m told llama suits are inappropriate date attire (thanks, Brennan!), I knew I would have to go as Regular Tom.  Regular Awkward Tom.

You know how they say that if you have stage fright, you should imagine the audience in their underwear?  I didn’t do that, but I did imagine MYSELF in the llama suit.

Whatever I did, I must have done something right, because today was my lucky day.

Maybe Tabitha just really needed a date for her aunt’s upcoming wedding.

Or…… maybe I really didn’t need the llama suit to be charming or funny.  Or maybe, somehow, Tabitha saw past my awkwardness.  Maybe she saw me, the real me, even outside of the llama suit.

I didn’t know, and quite honestly, I didn’t care.  All I knew was that she was hugging me, and I sure wasn’t going to go sticking my foot in my mouth now.

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When Aurora’s wedding rolled around a few weeks later, I put on my new suit and checked myself in the mirror.  No broccoli in the teeth, no noticeable nose hairs.  I sprayed on some cologne and drove to meet Tabitha.  Tabitha, my date.  My date, Tabitha. Because I was dating Tabitha.

When I saw her, my jaw hit the floor.  She was stunning in that little black dress, and I smoothed my shirt, suddenly self-conscious.

The truth is I barely remember the wedding.  A whole bunch of people I didn’t know, pretty flowers, blushing bride, blah blah blah.  A couple of shots to soothe my nerves.  I’m sure I had a great time.  But the whole thing pales in comparison to what happened after the wedding.

The cool thing about woohoo is that nobody expects you to talk.

The cool thing about woohoo with Tabitha is that… well, it’s woohoo.  WITH TABITHA.

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Unfortunatley, I didn’t hear from Tabitha for awhile.  Days passed, and my texts (even the charming, funny ones!) went un-returned.  I agonized over what I did wrong – I must’ve SAID something after one too many shots, or maybe I was a let-down in the woohoo department?  When you’re quiet like I am, you don’t get much practice in that respect. Maybe she just didn’t feel the fireworks like I did.

I was mortified, but more importantly, I missed her.  I missed her smile, her no nonsense attitude, and the way she laughed at even my lamest jokes.  Tabitha was outspoken – she says what she means and she means what she says.  And that’s why her silence was so troublesome.

So when Tabitha showed up on my doorstep with a beach ball under her shirt… well, you can only imagine my surprise.

It’s yours, she whispered. I’ve been afraid to tell you.

I heard baby head smells good. 

Here we go again, Tom.  Where is that llama suit when you need it, anyway?  Baby head smells good?  Seriously? How creepy can I be?  What I wanted to do was cheer, to yell, to do my favorite llama chant! To take her into my arms, to kiss her, to tell her what a wonderful family we would be.  To drop to a knee and propose on the spot.  But no, I’m over here talking about baby heads.  Right.

I cringed, and looked away, trying to force the words from my lips.  Why can’t I ever just say what I mean?  Why can’t the words just come out the way I think them? Why can’t I tell her how I feel?

But when I looked back at Tabitha, what I saw was the one thing I never expected.

Don’t ask me why I’m doing this, she said.

She shook her head irritably, as if she didn’t quite understand it herself.

We barely know each other and of course there’s that whole not talking thing, which I swear is super annoying, Tom.  It’s not like I can’t do this baby thing on my own!  I’m a Hasslich woman, plummit, it’s in my blood!  But there’s something about you.  You’re weird, don’t get me wrong.  And you’re sure not an open book. But I have a funny feeling you’re one worth reading.  So how about it, Tom?  How about the three of us make a go of this as a family?

Of course, I said yes.  Well, I didn’t actually say yes. I nodded.  True to form.

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So here I am now.

Nontraditional wedding attire, that much is for sure.  But it’s the only way.  If there was ever a time to tell her how much I love her, it’s now.  It’s today, on our wedding day.  And as I walk down to meet her, standing there beautiful as ever, I can feel the power of the suit.

What on earth are you wearing? she says, but she’s laughing.  She looks gorgeous, as always.

You know it’s hard for me to express myself.  But when I’m in the suit, it’s so much easier.  And you deserve to hear it, Tabitha, today of all days.  I’ve loved you since the first day I met you, and I love you more every day.  I love that you accept me, for who I am, and that you allow me to be myself.  I love your sense of humor, and the way you’re always direct in the things you say.  I admire you for that, and I promise to try to tell you more often, that you’re amazing and beautiful and that you mean the world to me.   You’re my everything.  There is no one I’d rather spend the rest of my life with, and I’m honored to call you my wife.  My very own Mrs. Llama Suit!

 

 

Now go take off that llama suit, Mr. Llama Suit, she said.  You won’t need to talk where we’re going!

I beamed at her, my beautiful wife.  I grabbed her hand, and headed towards our new home.  Toward our bedroom.

And I never said a word.

 

 

Keeping Up With The Hasslich’s (Part III)

It’s been a bit longer since my last update, but I’m finally back and it’s time for the third installment of Keeping Up With The Hasslich’s! The Hasslich clan just keeps on growing, so here is our latest update on the distant relatives of Aurora & Co. Fair warning, there are a lot of relatives, so this is bound to get a little pic-heavy!

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We’ll start this time with Esmeralda’s line, since it’s the smallest to date.

Last time we checked in with Dayton Hasslich (only son of Esmeralda’s granddaughter, Betsy), he had stolen Mackenzie Pancakes right out under Roxas’s nose! Here is Dayton marrying Mackenzie in a casual ceremony:

You already know that Dayton and Mackenzie had a daughter, Kierra, who is Coralie’s best friend. But Dayton and Mackenzie also had two other daughters, twins named Emerson and Scarlett.

This is Scarlett. She’s a noncommittal, childish genius, and with the Joke Star aspiration, she’s also gregarious. Scarlett has had her fair share of suitors, but she turns them down without a second thought. She’s too busy brainstorming her next clever comedy routine to waste time on relationships.

The twins do have a lot in common, including their aspiration and their gregarious nature! But where Scarlett is noncommittal, Emerson is a hopeless romantic. Unfortunately, she is also a loner, which seems to be getting in the way of her finding her soulmate. When she first met her crush, Paolo Rocca, Emerson knew it was love at first sight. Rocco was athletic and charismatic, and she was helpless to his charms.

But things didn’t pan out quite as she planned. Every time she opened her mouth, she stuck her foot right back in it. Her jokes fell flat, her flirty laugh sounded awkward, and Rocco was not responsive to her advances. Emerson had no choice but to skulk home in embarrassment, where she hid under her covers until she developed a plan. She would make him fall in love with her yet!

Meanwhile, the oldest Pancakes-Hasslich sister had embarked on an adventure of her own – motherhood! This is Kierra with her daughter, Brielle Pancakes-Hasslich. Brielle was the product of a MC-Command Center-initiated pregnancy, which chose none other than Kierra’s distant cousin Sebastian Hasslich for the father. I briefly considered deleting Brielle from the game, but she’s just so cute I had to keep her! And anyway, Sebastian and Kierra are something like 5th cousins on the family tree, so I think technically it’s legal? Probably best not to think too much about it. In my imagination, Kierra and Sebastian (who thought he was quite the ladies man, if you remember) had (a lot) too much to drink, and the rest is history.

While Brielle has her mom’s coloring, she actually reminds me a lot of Sebastian. It should be interesting to see how she turns out as a teen!

So while all of these lovely ladies are descended from Esmeralda through her granddaughter Betsy, you might also remember Betsy’s twin brother, Desmond. Desmond’s live-in girlfriend was the lovely Reagan Oliva (who rejected Desmond’s marriage proposal). Last time we saw Desmond and Reagan, Reagan was pregnant.

She gave birth to a baby boy named Peter, who as an adult is the spitting image of his father.

Peter had a hard time meeting the right girl, but eventually he met Mikaela Harden (who is actually cousin to Coralie – Mikaela’s mother is Lamont’s sister!). Luckily for Peter, Mikaela was so charmed by his creativity that she was able overlook his lazy slob ways.

Things quickly got physical, and Mikaela found herself pregnant.

Peter wasted no time. He loved Mikaela and after a string of rejections, he wasn’t about to let her get away.

But just like his father before him, Peter’s proposal was rejected. It looks like marriage is just not in the cards for the men in this family. Naturally, Peter was mortified, and I was worried he might keel over and die, but he just spent some time crying in bed and then he and Mikaela went back to woohoo like nothing ever happened. For the moment, Peter is just happy to have a girlfriend and a baby on the way.

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Next we’ll check in with Clarissa’s line, which is only slightly bigger than Esmeralda’s line at this point. Last time we checked in with this branch, Orchid Landgraab had married an alien and given birth to her two green daughters, Rosemary and Sage.

As an adult, Rosemary lived up to her name and fell for a gardener named Trevor Solomon.

Trevor was quite the ladies’ man, and when Rosemary fell into bed with him, she thought she was the only one.

Rosemary was head over heels in love, and she decided that as a modern woman, it was up to her to turn her dreams for the future into reality.

But what Rosemary didn’t know was that Trevor was not only an evil genius, but he was the furthest thing from a one woman man. She soon found that her little one would have not one but THREE half-siblings, all from different mothers. Needless to say, Rosemary did not gain a husband in Trevor, but she did gain TRIPLETS! Here are her three beautiful children:

There’s Stefania, who you’ve already met. She is a gloomy geek who loves the outdoors…

Her brother Spencer – a noncommittal and creative snob…

And last but not least, Maxwell – the squeamish, gloomy, and insane black sheep of the family…

While her sister fell for a bad boy, Sage made sure that she was the bad girl! Sage was mean, hot-headed, and creative, and she had zero intention of repeating her sister’s mistakes. She did want children, though, so she put her love ’em and leave ’em mantra to good use with this guy, whose name I can’t remember because I accidentally deleted him from my townies (oops).

Sage was not very impressed with him, but she figured he would do, and soon enough she found herself with a set of teenage twins of her own.

First is her son, a self-assured snob named Phillip. He’s sporting that Hasslich chin proudly!

And of course, his twin sister, the beautiful (one of the prettiest Hasslich descendants so far, I think) Alivia. Alivia is childish and creative.

All of the cousins are currently living together at Affluista Mansion, along with Sage, who is an elder now, and without Rosemary, who has recently passed away.

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Last but not least, here is a look at the other branches of Seraphina’s line, starting with Elliott’s granddaughter, Phoebe Hasslich-Goth.

Phoebe wound up with a man by the name of Minkz Baez. They had a pretty standard courtship, at least for a Hasslich woman. Minkz was a sweetheart, and when a particularly enthusiastic afternoon woohoo resulted in a pregnancy, Minkz took her by surprise and popped the question. They were completely in love, and they both knew it would have happened eventually anyway. Under the circumstances, there was no point in waiting!

She accepted, of course, and just like her cousins Sage and Rosemary, her pregnancy resulted in a multiple birth! Minkz and Phoebe now live at Ophelia Villa with their twin teenage boys:

Zachariah B. Hasslich-Goth and Jared B. Hasslich Goth. Here they are taking a selfie together. Of all the Hasslich descendants, these two still look the most like Grainna, I think. (also, Palani cameo in the background!).

As for Emmeline’s branch, you already know that Roxas found his happy ending with Beth Elstree.

You can read about their adventures – including their wedding, honeymoon, and expanding family – over at Sabreene’s Elstree Prettacy!

Of course, you also know that Addie found her happy ending with Brennan Summerfield from The Summerfield Legacy. Addie and Brennan wound up having (you guessed it!) MULTIPLES! There must be something in the water…

Here are Addie and Brennan’s twin girls, Morgan and Ada, on their teenage birthday:

Morgan aged up first. She is an outgoing glutton.

And Ada followed, growing into a cheerful slob. c

Of course, the twins are not Addie’s only children, which brings us to Beau.

Beau struggled after moving out of the house. Living with Sebastian was no walk in the park, what with the revolving door of women that his cousin brought home to their apartment. Beau’s sanity broke the morning that he caught Kierra sneaking out the back door, and he took to wandering around the local parks like a homeless man.

But Beau and Sebastian were not the only Hasslich’s that lived in their building. In fact, Axel and his wife Peyton had moved in shortly after their wedding, followed by Peyton’s sister, Danna, who had wanted to stay close to her little sister. It was Danna who noticed the change in Beau – it was Danna who took and interest in him, and Danna, who ultimately brought him back from the brink of insanity.

So now Beau and his pregnant fiance live next door to Axel and Peyton, and once Beau and Danna tie the knot, he and Axel will officially be brothers-in-law as well as cousins!

Here are a few photos of Axel’s family, which now includes their TWIN boys, Rez (top photo) and Tanner (bottom photo).

While Beau and Sebastian did eventually make amends after the Kierra incident (they ARE the inseparable cousins, after all!), Sebastian has since moved out of their apartment (which is just fine with Beau, since now he and Danna can have it all to themselves!). After all of his carousing, Sebastian finally settled down when he met Alysia Barbour.

Sebastian and Alysia now live in Oasis Springs with their young daughter, Rachelle.

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Finally, we’ll check in with the other branches of Andalie’s line – Milo and Sylvie.

Sylvie and Abe, of course, had started this whole multiple births business back when they had their twin boys, Auggie and Isaac.

Isaac now is happily coupled up with his girlfriend, Krystal Somberg.

Auggie, on the other hand…. well, he’s perfecting his diving skills.

And as for Milo’s line, you already know what Tabitha is up to!

But I’ll leave the rest of that story for next time!

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Chapter Seventy Nine : Baby You’re A Firework

On the morning of her mother’s wedding, Coralie woke with a smile. The sun was shining through her bedroom window, a light breeze fluttering the curtains. It was a perfect day for a wedding. And a perfect morning for a run.

Coralie tied on her sneakers, crept down the stairs, and tiptoed out the front door. The kitchen was already a hub of activity – she could hear the photographer asking questions, Lola bouncing around the room in her childlike excitement, the clatter of plates as someone (Xander, probably) washed the dirty dishes. Aurora’s voice – serene and composed – floated above the chaos, happiness infused in every word.

Coralie closed the door quietly and jogged down the sidewalk. She was a bridesmaid, along with Lola, but her bridesmaid duties could wait an hour longer. She breathed in the fresh air as she ran, basking in the warmth of the sunlight.

These were the things she missed while she’d been gone, the little things that filled her dreams of home, when she was stranded on Sixam where the night never ends.

But today, she was home.  And today was a good day.  She hummed to herself as she ran, full of cheerful energy.

This is the best day ever, she thought. It doesn’t get better than this.

She scanned the horizon, enjoying the scenery, when her gaze settled on a vague, dark figure down the road. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she stopped dead in her tracks. She was being watched – she could feel it. Coralie gasped, panicked – her stomach sank.

And then, the figure waved.

Cheerily waved. Right at her!

The figure began to move towards her, and the closer it came, the more familiar it looked. She squinted. Was that….? It was! She grinned, relieved, and laughed. But what was he doing here?

Coralie: Kody Wells, what the plum are you doing here?!

She was grinning ear to ear. She’d met Kody back before the “incident,” at Roxas’s wedding to Beth Elstree. Their meeting had been brief, but Coralie smiled at the memory. There was a spark, maybe even a mild flirtation – but Kody was an Elstree cousin, and the Elstrees rarely left their hometown. Coralie had never expected to see him again – but by some stroke of fate, here he was in Newcrest!

Kody: I just moved in, actually.  Right down the street…

He gestured to the house he’d come from.

Coralie:  I just can’t believe it!  Your town is so….tight-knit, you know?

Kody: You know, seeing Beth so happy with Roxas like that – it lit a fire in me, I guess. Why should I let someone else plan my life for me? So…. here I am.

Coralie reached out and touched his arm before she could stop herself. She blushed.

Coralie: Well, I’m really glad to see you, Kody. Welcome to the neighborhood!

Kody: Thanks, Coralie – that means a lot. It’s been a little lonely coming here alone, but I’m getting the hang of things.

Coralie had an idea. She paused, mulling it over in her head.

Coralie: Say, Kody – how would you like to come to my mother’s wedding with me? It’s tonight, so I know it’s short notice, but maybe you’d like to get out of the house a bit? Meet some new people, make some friends?

Kody: Go to a wedding? With you? Like….a date?

 

Coralie cast her eyes to the ground, blushing furiously.

Coralie: Sure….yeah…like a date.

She looked up at him hopefully, and Kody grinned.

Kody: Abso-plummin-lately!  It’s a date, then!

 

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As the hour drew near, Aurora studied herself in the mirror, smoothing her gown and fixing her veil.

It was a surreal feeling, seeing herself like this – all dressed in white, the epitome of the blushing bride. Aurora never imagined this for herself – she never played “wedding” like the other little girls or dreamed of color schemes or centerpieces. She never wished on a star for some fairytale love, or for her knight in shining armor. It wasn’t that Aurora didn’t believe in love – it just never seemed to fit with her vision of the future. True love was for Enrique and Emmeline, for Roxas and Beth, even for Addie and Brennan. It was for Sylvie and Abe, and Milo and Juliana, for her grandmother, for her sons, and hopefully one day for her daughters. Love was for the people she loved, and Aurora drew her own happiness from theirs.

And she was happy. There were so many types of love, and Aurora had been blessed to know so very many of them. She’d experienced the vulnerability of motherly love, and the sheer, boundless devotion of sisterly love. There’d been the harsh complexity of her love for her mother, and finally, the undeniably passionate love she felt for Palani.

But still, as she gazed into the mirror, her reflection now blurred by the fine netting of her veil, Aurora wondered if she was making the right choice. She was a whole, happy person long before Palani came along – was it really fair to marry him, when she didn’t need him?

Aurora shook her head and smiled at herself.

Cold feet, she thought.

But why? It was true – she didn’t need Palani. But she loved him. And wasn’t that better? To marry a man, not out of need, not to make her life whole or to fulfill some silly girlhood fantasy, but because deep down, she loved him? Wanted him?

Aurora grinned.  She wasn’t marrying Palani because she needed him.  She was marrying him because as wonderful as her life already was, Palani made it better.

Her heart flip flopped in her chest as she looked at the clock – it was time to marry the man she loved.  The man she didn’t need to complete her, but who she loved completely, with her whole heart.

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The guests congregated at the church, abuzz with excitement and eagerly anticipating the arrival of the bride.

Palani was dashing in his tuxedo, though he found the suit too restrictive for his taste. Growing up in the Amazon, he hated wearing a shirt at all, let alone a cummerbund and tie! But such was the tradition in this part of the world, and Palani was determined to give Aurora the fairytale wedding she deserved.

Coralie graciously worked the crowd, welcoming guests and cracking goofy jokes. As a bridesmaid, it was her duty to keep everyone comfortable until the ceremony began. She said hello to her brothers and her sisters-in-law, and made Beau laugh with one of her infamously bad impressions.

She said hello to every friend, relative and random plus one, until she could delay the inevitable no more. It was time to greet Addie and Brennan. She plastered a smile to her face.

Coralie: Addie! Brennan! How good of you to come, lovely to see you both, of course…

She faltered. What the plum was she supposed to say to these two? Hi, Addie, you stole my first love right out from under me and I’ll never forgive you? Hi Brennan, I’m mortified by your rejection and you broke my fragile teenage heart?

But in that moment, Coralie realized that neither of those things were actually true anymore. She’d forgiven them both already, even if she hadn’t realized it until now. Addie had changed, any fool could see that. And Brennan had never been for her in the first place.

Coralie turned to face Brennan.

Coralie: It really is good to see you both. You have a good girl here, but I’m sure you know that already!  But, Brennan, would you excuse us for a moment? My cousin and I have a little catching up to do…

Coralie laughed out loud and grasped her cousin’s hands tightly in her own.  As the two women chatted animatedly, Brennan spotted Tabitha across the room, pleased to see that she’d brought a date.

He wandered over to greet her.

Brennan: Good to see you, Tab! Looks like things are going well with Tom, then?

He looked at Tom, who only smiled agreeably before sidling up to the bar. Tabitha turned to Brennan.

Tabitha: He sure doesn’t say much. But there are worse things than a guy who knows when to keep his trap shut.

Brennan guffawed.

Brennan: Well, you two look great. Have fun! And don’t forget to tip your local matchmaker!

And with a wink, he was off.  He’d just spotted Addie when the unmistakable chords of the traditional wedding march began to play.

The bride was in the building, and it was time for the ceremony to begin.

After the ceremony, the real fun began.

Guests tore up the dance floor…

Cousins caught up over drinks…

Sisters documented lasting memories…

And while one date went south…

Another date lit up the night…

And as the reception drew to a close, Aurora took a step back to take it all in.  She watched as Lola did the robot, and as Coralie flirted with her date.  She saw Tabitha scowling at Tom, but Aurora smirked – Tabitha wasn’t fooling anyone.

It might be our wedding, Aurora thought excitedly, But sparks are flying for more than one Hasslich lady tonight!

True love or fizzy juice-fueled fling, it didn’t matter. Her family was happy – and so was Aurora.

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The next morning…..

Tabitha proved Aurora right…

And Coralie came down with a mystery illness…

She pushed the hair out of her face.  Was she sick? She certainly wasn’t hung over, she’d only had one drink! Or maybe there was something in the food? Obviously this couldn’t be morning sickness – she’d never even woohoo’ed before!  Even her date last night went no further than a sweet kiss goodnight on the front doorstep. There was no way she was pregnant.

Right?  Right.  Must be food poisoning.  Or maybe the stomach flu.

Coralie stood and stared at herself in the mirror.  She pictured Kody’s face and sighed dreamily, remembering the kiss they’d shared before he walked her home.

What a gentleman, she thought, stars in her eyes.  I just really hope I’m not contagious!

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My notes:

First, a big thank you to Sabreene for allowing me to introduce Beth and Merri’s cousin Kody into my story!  Kody first appeared at Roxas and Beth’s wedding over on her WordPress, Distractedly Daydreaming.  If you haven’t checked it out, GO NOW!  It’s a fantastic, well-written story with great characters and a whole lot of heart!  As a sidenote, Kody is supposed to have strawberry blonde hair.  I forgot to download the CC before playing out the wedding, so don’t be surprised if he turns up next time as a strawberry blonde…

In other news, Generation Five is upon us!

Back In Generation Two, we did an heir vote to determine the Generation 3 heiress. I really loved the way it turned out and how it forced me to go in a direction I didn’t plan on. So I’ve decided that from here on out, every other heiress, will be decided collectively by vote – starting now!

Usually my rule is to wait until the youngest eligible heiress is a teen – but in this case I’m really liking the element of the unknown. Is Coralie pregnant? And what will Lola’s teen spin bring?

Stay tuned…. The heir vote poll will be posted shortly!

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The Orchid Cliff Chronicles : 1.1 Meet Mellie Mayberry

“Sophie!!” She called up the stairs, juggling a coffee cup in one hand as she buttoned her blouse with the other. “Sophie! You’re going to be late for school!”

Sophie bounded down the stairs two at a time, and made a wordless beeline for the refrigerator.

“We’re out of eggs,” Mellie said over her shoulder. “Sorry, hun.”

She heard her daughter’s exasperated sigh, and watched as she rooted around in the refrigerator. Mellie cringed – she already knew there was nothing left but granola bars. She was in desperate need of a trip to the grocery store.

Sophie ran out the door, mumbling irritably as she went, and Mellie sank heavily into her chair. Things had been far from easy since Frank left, that much was true. Every morning, as she woke to an empty bed, a surly teenager, and bare kitchen cabinets, she had to remind herself it was for the best.

Frank always did have a wandering eye, even back when they first met in college. Mellie had recognized something deceitful in him even then, but if she was honest with herself, her feelings for him were ambivalent at best. She was young and naive, and it seemed that marriage was the next logical step. Mellie knew they were never the perfect couple, but she thought that they were happy enough in their arrangement. Frank was a good father to Sophie, and Mellie turned a blind eye to his occasional transgressions.

So while Melinda Mayberry was not at all surprised to find her husband in bed with another woman, she never expected him to vanish from their lives the way he did. It had been two years since Frank walked out on them, and the only contact she’d had with him had been through their divorce attorneys. Twenty-four months without so much as a phone call, or a card for Sophie’s birthday. For all Mellie knew, he was halfway around the world by now.

Mellie took her coffee to the porch and settled in on a weathered wicker chair. She had twenty minutes before she had to leave for the gallery, and she intended to use her time wisely. The screened-in porch, with it’s painted blue floor and abundance of natural light, was her favorite part of the little house she now called home. It wasn’t much, but it was hers, and that had to count for something.

Her coffee had gone cold by the time she got around to drinking it, but the cool liquid was refreshing on such a warm morning. Mellie browsed through the newspaper, a daily routine she clung to as the rest of the world dove further into their gadgets, getting the news on their cell phones and laptops. She checked her horoscope first, as she always did, and Sophie’s, too, before moving on to the obituaries and the classifieds.

Turning the page to the local news, a photograph in the lower corner caught her eye. It was a small photo, accompanied by a brief article and a title that read, “Historic Orchid Cliff Lodge Set to Re-Open.”

Mellie felt her jaw drop as she quickly read and re-read the article. Her eyes drifted again over the photograph, studying it closer this time. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The Orchid Cliff Lodge had been defunct for years, crumbling in disrepair, full of broken windows and graffiti. She’d seen it once, in an impulsive moment after the divorce, when nostalgia had gotten the better of her. She’d driven out to the place in search of some piece of her former self, but the sight of it had brought her to tears.

The building in the photograph looked nothing like the dilapidated ruins she found that autumn day, but she recognized it nonetheless. The building in the photograph was pristine, painstakingly restored to it’s former glory, contemporary in a way that only added to it’s historic charm. It was breathtaking.

The memories floated to the surface in waves, one after the other, sepia-toned snapshots of her past. Far from the hustle of everyday life, The Orchid Cliff Lodge was a peaceful retreat for the affluent. It had been a stretch for her middle-class family, but Mellie spent a full month there each and every summer from the time she was six years old until her seventeenth birthday. The Orchid Cliff Lodge was the site of her first kiss, the backdrop for her first romance. It was there that she held a paintbrush for the very first time, that she caught her first fish off the lodge’s wooden dock. It was at Orchid Cliff that she first met Enid, headstrong and impossibly sure of herself, even as a kid.

The thought of Enid snapped her back to reality. Mellie glanced at her watch and immediately jumped into action. She should have left for work ten minutes ago, and Enid would tear her apart if she was late again. But as Mellie hurried along, her latest painting tucked safely under her arm, she knew all would be forgotten once she told Enid about the Lodge.

If there was anyone who loved Orchid Cliff as much as she did, it was Enid.

---

 

Enid was waiting for her at the door, her arm protectively draped across her pregnant belly.

“You’re losing money by the second, Mel. Every second you make these buyers wait is another strike against you. And when you lose money, I lose money. Capiche?”

Mellie smiled apologetically. She and Enid had been friends for more than twenty years. Enid had been by her side through it all – through the childhood innocence, the teenage angst, and that first ill-fated young love.  It was Enid who’d stood up as the maid of honor at her wedding to Frank, and it was Enid who dried her tears after the divorce.  It was Enid who believed in her talent, who pushed her to follow her dream.  And last year, it was Enid who co-signed the business loan for the Melenid Gallery of Art.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry I’m late, but – Enid! Did you read the paper this morning? The Orchid Cliff Lodge is re-opening!”

Enid stared at her, slack-jawed. “You can’t be serious!” Excitement filled her eyes.  “You know this has to be him, right?”

Mellie stared at the ground in silence, and Enid shook her head in disbelief.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to Windenburg?” Enid gasped.

“I’m not going to Windenburg, Enid.  We are.”

---

 

This is the first installment of my new Windenburg rotational story, The Orchid Cliff Chronicles.  You can read more about my plans for the story HERE!

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Chapter Seventy Eight – The New Normal

When Aurora brought the antidote to Coralie the following morning, her daughter was still sleeping soundly.  Aurora hesitated, as a pang of doubt shot sharply through her gut. What if she’d been wrong to trust Niko? What if the antidote didn’t work after all?  But there was no use in waiting – it was time to find out, for better or for worse.

Aurora administered the antidote, carefully studying Coralie’s still face, watching, waiting for a flicker of movement – for some sign that the strange elixir had done its job.  It felt like hours – in reality, just minutes – before Coralie stirred. She groaned, her eyes flickering open and adjusting to the morning light.

When her gaze landed on her mother, her eyes lit up, and she launched herself at Aurora, throwing her arms around her neck.

Coralie: It worked! Our plan worked! Oh Mom, I’m so glad to be home! Where’s Niko? Is he okay? Have you seen Jaz?

Aurora sighed in relief. The antitode had worked – just like Niko said it would.  Her daughter’s obvious kinship with Niko and his wife put her at ease, validating Niko’s story and erasing Aurora’s lingering doubts about his character.

Aurora: Niko is fine, honey. We met him last night, but he had to leave to find his wife.

Coralie’s eyes widened in surprise, and Aurora didn’t miss the concern reflected there. Jazlyn’s separation had clearly not been a part of their plan.

Coralie: What do you mean, find her? Jaz was supposed to be with us…

Aurora patted her shoulder reassuringly.

Aurora: Its going to be alright, Coralie. He’ll find her. And one day, we’re going to help him find his mother, too. But for now I want you to relax. You’ve been through a lot.  You have to recover –

Coralie nodded resolutely – she agreed one hundred percent.  When the time was right, they would help Niko find his family.  But she knew that for the time being, the most important thing – the only thing – to do was to lay low.  They’d talked about this part, she and Niko.  The aftermath.  And they’d agreed – the only way to proceed would be to resume life as usual.  Coralie was absolutely overjoyed to be home – and she was all too happy to stick the plan, especially when the plan was normalcy.

She threw the blankets off of her, ignoring her mother’s insistence that she lay back down.

Coralie: I’ve been gone for – how long have I been gone? I don’t even know! I’ve missed out on everything, Mom!  All day, every day, all I did was wonder what was happening at home!  How you were, how Sebastian and Axel were.  The last thing I want to do is relax! Tell me everything I missed!

Aurora: I don’t know, sweetie – shouldn’t we talk about…. about what happened?

Coralie shook her head.

Coralie: All I know is that Niko and Jazlyn took care of me. They were good to me, and they brought me home. Other than that, I don’t remember. I don’t know how I got there, or why, or what happened before Niko. All I know is I’m home now, back where I’m supposed to be, and I want to be with my family.

And so, over waffles and coffee, Aurora told Coralie about about her engagement, about Axel’s new girlfriend and Sebastian’s new bachelor pad. She told her about her brother Xander, and her baby sister Lola.  Coralie grinned.

Coralie: I have TWO new siblings?! And you’re engaged?!

Aurora blushed.

Aurora: A new sister, and a new brother, yes – it’s a lot to take in, I know, sweetheart. But at least now you won’t be forced into the heirship, right?

Coralie: Forced? I never felt forced – why would you say that?

Aurora sighed in relief.

Aurora: We thought you ran away. Because you didn’t want to be the heir…

Coralie: Mom! I would never leave my family by choice! I’m not exactly sure how I feel about being heir, but I would never run from it.

 

She smiled broadly and changed the subject, eyes wide with excitement.

Coralie: So…. Where are these new siblings of mine?

Aurora: Well Lola is upstairs sleeping, and Xander is at school, of course – it’s Thursday morning, in case you were wondering. But tonight is a special occasion – it’s a triple birthday. Axel is becoming a young adult, Xander is becoming a teenager, and baby Lola – well, she won’t be a baby much longer. We’ll just have a small family dinner, though, honey, so don’t worry. I don’t want to overwhelm you – we’ll just keep things low-key.

Coralie: Low-key? Low-key my plum! I’m back, and I want to celebrate!  I want to throw a party of epic proportions!

Aurora laughed.  Her daughter’s spirit was unbreakable.

Aurora: Well in that case, I better get to work! And maybe get an extra birthday cake – we may have missed your young adult birthday, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate it, together.

With that, Aurora scampered off to start the party plans, and Coralie bounded up the stairs to meet her baby sister.

---

 

Later that night, friends and family alike descended on the Hasslich household.  Sebastian and Beau were in attendance of course, as well as Isaac, Auggie, Addie, Rosemary, and of course, Peyton Holiday-Scott.  There was an unmistakable air of excitement and curiosity surrounding Coralie’s return. But Aurora was adamant – tonight was to celebrate the birthdays – not to turn her romantic, goofball, lone-wolf oldest daughter into a spectacle.

 

Lola was the first to age up, catapulting from her crib just in time for the festivities. She had just enough time to snap a selfie with her big sister before Coralie ran upstairs to change for the party.

Being a geek, her first inclination was to disappear behind the computer screen, but the excitement of the party was too much for the bouncy little girl to bear, and Lola soon found herself in the thick of the action.

Xander was next, transitioning as gracefully into his teenage years as he had transitioned into childhood.  As a teenager, he had acquired the neat trait.  Combined with his bookworm tendencies, Xander had grown into an intelligent and responsible young man.

But he was a teenager, through and through, promptly pulling out his cell phone for a selfie for his new Simbook profile picture.

Finally, it was Axel’s turn.  He blew out the candles, spinning into a young adulthood full of creativity, snobbery, and laziness.

And as the party went on around him, Axel made a beeline for his love – his Peyton. If he’d learned anything from his sister’s disappearance, it was that life was short, and anything can happen.  He had a ring in his pocket and he was more than prepared to use it.  Little did he know, his girlfriend had other plans.

Peyton: I love you, Axel. I know we’re young, and I know that the future is never certain. But I don’t want to waste a minute not being with you. This is right – we both know it – so why wait? Will you marry me?

His answer was obvious, of course, and after a round of congratulations from their friends and family, they dashed upstairs (to his mother’s bed, no less!) for a private celebration of their own.

---

 

Downstairs, the party continued and Coralie climbed into the hot tub beside her mother. She turned to Aurora and smiled knowingly, squeezing her hand gently.

Coralie: So what about your wedding, mom? Why wait?

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Note:  I didn’t want to break the flow of the story to include the CAS screens for Xander and Lola.  I thought they were better suited here at the end, just for reference in case anyone is interested.

Lola:

Xander:

AND, just for fun: if Xander had been Xena.  Although I doubt her chest would’ve been that perky had she actually been born a Hasslich girl.

 

 

 

 

Chapter Seventy Seven – Without A Trace

“Coralie!” Aurora screamed, throwing her arms around her daughter. Tears streamed down her face in rivers, hands trembling uncontrollably with shock. “I thought I’d never see you again…”

Aurora felt the surge of gratitude, the flood of relief as it washed over her in waves. Her shaking hands gripped her daughter with surprising force.  She’d lost Coralie once – but here she was now, flesh and blood, so close that Aurora could smell her hair, hold her hand.  This time, Aurora was never letting go.

She sobbed, and reached up under the dark hood, but as she looked into her daughter’s blank, emotionless eyes, Aurora’s heart stopped. Time stopped. Something was wrong with Coralie.  Very wrong.

Aurora froze, suddenly aware that they weren’t alone. She turned on the stranger, fierce and protective. When she spoke her voice sounded strange – shrill, animal, and increasingly louder with every word.

Aurora: What have you done to her?

She lunged at him, anger and hatred coursing hot through her veins. He’d done something terrible to her daughter, she was sure – a million awful scenarios ran through her head.  Her fists made contact with his hulking form, but the stranger was bigger and stronger and he quickly restrained her. He clapped a hand roughly over her mouth.

“Shush, woman,” he hissed. “Get yerself inside!”

He didn’t wait for her to answer, instead shouldering his way through the door, pulling Coralie and Aurora forcefully in behind him. Aurora dove for for the baseball bat, her mind racing – her baby upstairs, her family in danger…

She raised the bat and faced him. The man only exhaled heavily, shaking his head, frustration and sadness etched into his face.

“I’m not gonna hurt ya, woman. Yeesh. Just put the bat down now, ya hear?”

Aurora hesitated, unsure. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Coralie wandering aimlessly through the living room. She seemed lost. Her eyes were empty – unseeing. She hadn’t spoken or reacted, or even made eye contact. Coralie was here…but she wasn’t.

“What have you done to my daughter?” Aurora growled, waving the bat in the air.

The stranger moved toward her cautiously, slowly.

He came closer, one step at a time, and looked her dead in the eyes. His voice was soft, gentle. He put a hand up, steadied the bat with his hand until Aurora lowered it.

“My name is Niko,” he said. Slowly. Calmly. “Niko Hasslich. I’ve come to bring your daughter home.”

Aurora eyed him suspiciously. Niko Hasslich? Who was this man? Could he really be who he said he was?  It wasn’t possible….. or was it?  And what did he have to do with Coralie?

There was a cacophony on the stairs as Palani rushed to her side, fear and adrenaline coursing through his body, with Tabitha at his heels.  Palani charged, overtaking Niko in one swift motion.

Aurora: Wait, Palani! Let him go. I want to hear him out.

She turned to Niko, face set in cautious resignation.

Aurora: If you’re lying, I’ll know. Now tell me – who are you and what did you do to my daughter?

 

Coralie was sitting at the computer desk now, staring intently at the blank screen.

Niko: I didn’t do anything to your daughter! I brought her home…I smuggled her out, hence the disguises, ya see? I’m green, sure, but I’m sure I’m no alien –

Aurora: Home from where?

Niko: From Sixam, of course –

Aurora: And you say you’re a Hasslich?

Niko: Niko Hasslich at your service, ma’am.  My mother is Elphie Hasslich…

Aurora bristled.

Aurora: LIES! Elphie Hasslich has been dead for over a hundred years! Her son would be long dead by now!

Niko’s eyes flew open.  Was that fear she saw on his face?  Was he afraid of them?

Niko: Time is different on Sixam! I swear!  It’s…slower, somehow. My mother is still alive, my brothers and sisters too… at least I hope they are… Ask Coralie when she wakes up! She’ll tell you everything!

Aurora: Wakes up? What do you mean by that?

Niko: Coralie’ll be fine, I promise ya that. We made a plan, her and I. A plan to escape, to get back here… But I had to drug her – she was afraid she’d get nervous and blow our cover. She took it willingly, afore you go accusing me, and the antidote is in a pocket in that hideous robe she’s got on….She can take it in the morning, after she gets some sleep.  She’ll be good as new.

Aurora: Escape? You mean….you’re telling me Coralie didn’t run away?

Niko: No, ma’am. You’re daughter was taken. Just like my ma, and my sisters after that. It’s a mystery to me, why they took ’em exactly, except they wanted to destroy my ma’s legacy. First they took my ma – we thought she ran away, like you thought your Coralie did. But then Philomena disappeared – she was the heir, of course.  And after that they came for the rest of the girls – my little sister Luna, and Bianca and Maisie too.

He hung his head despondently, and Aurora saw that he was fighting back tears. He pulled a worn and shredded photo from his pocket and laid it on the coffee table before them :

(Left to right: Luna, Bianca, Niles, Niko, Elphie, Maisie, Nolan, Philomena)

Niko: This is us, see….it was so many years ago – before I lost them all. We all should be dead by now, together in the Netherworld, with a legacy to carry our name, just the way my mother planned.

He paused, shaking his head.

Niko: Maybe they are dead, I don’t know.  My brothers – well, we went together to Sixam to bring them all home. My wife too – she wouldn’t let me go without her, stubborn as she is. We split up, to find them faster, but I never saw my brothers again… And my sisters, and my ma….I searched high and low, but they were gone without a trace…

Niko signed heavily with sad nostalgia. And when Aurora looked into his eyes, she found she believed him.

Aurora:  I’m sorry about your family.  But what does all of this have to do with Coralie?

Niko: She’s a Hasslich, of course. I reckon it has everything to do with her, and with you, too, for that matter. I found her wandering around in the Quill Fields on her own. I felt bad fer yer girl.  She didn’t know where she was, or how she’d gotten there.  So I brought ‘er back to my wife. My Jazlyn – she’s a smart one. She’d been trying to invent a wormhole for – what, years?  I don’t know how long.  She wanted to go home, and understandably so. But I never wanted to leave without my family.  It was a point of contention between us, in truth. But when Coralie came – well she and Jaz get along like gangbusters. And Coralie must’ve learned a thing or two from her auntie – Sylvie, was it? – because when those two put their heads together, next thing you know the plum wormhole is up and running. All we had to do then was get our disguises and sneak through the thing without any of them noticing.

Aurora frowned.

Aurora: So…..you left your family behind?

Niko: I don’t rightly know if there’s anyone left to leave anymore…

Aurora remembered something Sylvie had said many years ago. Something she’d brushed off as fantasy, the result of an active imagination.

Aurora:  Niko – a long time ago my Aunt Emmeline was involved in a rocket ship crash. The family didn’t talk about it much, but I could swear my sister said something about Elphie being involved. We thought it was funny at the time – we always thought Elphie’s disappearance was just a myth…. Something about a woman on the radio who said she was Elphie – and that she needed help.

The green flush drained from Niko’s face.

Niko: Then there’s hope, however small. Aurora, I need to go find my wife. Take care of Coralie and make sure she takes the antidote in the morning. I’ll be in touch.

He was walking out the door.

Aurora: But what do we do now?

Niko: Just keep your head down. Everything will be fine. They don’t even know we’re gone, so we’re not in any imminent danger. But if you see anything strange – anything out of the ordinary – call me immediately.

And then he was gone.

Aurora turned to Palani.

Aurora:  We have to help him find his family, Palani.  Our family!  I don’t understand it, but I believe him – and if it’s all true, then that makes him family.  We can’t just abandon him after he brought Coralie home to us.

Palani:  Okay.  I promise – we will do everything we can to help him.  But you heard what he said, Aurora – for now, all we can do is continue our lives as usual.  Coralie is home. Let’s just be grateful for that for the time being, and take the rest as it comes.

Aurora knew he was right.  She needed to help Niko find Elphie.  She could never repay him for bringing her daughter home safely – helping him in his time of need was the least she could do – but for now, all she could do was tuck her daughter into bed, kiss her forehead, and count her blessings.  Her daughter was home.