Hello all! Chapter 18 is ready for your entertainment. This one is a little longer than usual; I even had to condense it down from it's original draft. I hope everyone enjoys. If you do, please feel free to leave me a comment. I'd also appreciate a thank and rating!
For those of you who have asked for a family tree or are having trouble keeping track of all the characters: I have finished the family tree as far as the story has progressed so far! Here is the link to view it. There is also a link on my profile as well as in my signature.

SIM STATE UNIVERSITY

It was graduation time at Sim State University. Jane Stacks was the only senior in the Bright house, and got the graduation party all to herself. Ricardo embraced his girlfriend, placing his hands around her waist. “Congratulations, babe. I’m so proud of you.”
Jane smiled back, glowing with pride and happiness. “Thanks sweetie. I’m going to miss living with you so much! I won’t see your face every day. It kind of stinks being older.” She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.


Ricardo smiled sympathetically. “I know. I’m going to miss you too.”
Jane grew serious for a moment. “I love you, Ricardo. I promise I won’t let us lose touch.”
Ricardo smiled coyly. “Oh, I’m not worried about that…”


Ricardo suddenly bent down on one knee, clasped his hands over his heart, and gazed up at his girlfriend. “Jane, I love you too. I’m going to make sure we never drift apart. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Jane looked down at Ricardo lovingly, her pulse starting to quicken.


Ricardo removed a black box from his pocket and opened it, unveiling a shining engagement ring. “Jane Stacks, I want you and only you forever. No matter what part of life we’re in. Will you marry me?”
Jane gasped at the presentation of the ring. She took it gingerly, and slid it on her ring finger with shaking hands.


Jane threw herself into Ricardo’s arm and nuzzled her face into his chest, whispering yes. After a long hug and a lot of clapping from surrounding party guests, the newly engaged couple released themselves and looked deep into each others’ eyes. Jane wiped a tear from her eye and whispered, “I love you.” Ricardo smiled uncontrollably, feeling like the luckiest guy in the world.


The Bright house wasn't the only Sim State building throwing a graduation party as Lucy Burb and Alexander Goth ended their senior year. Although he was grateful to see his big sister, Alexander didn’t enjoy all the attention that came with having a party. Cassandra pulled him into a warm hug. “I’m so proud of you, Alex! I knew you’d do great things in college!” Alexander smiled uncomfortably and hugged his sister back.


While Alex was getting praise and hugs, Lucy was hitting the fruit juice. Hard. She wasn’t enjoying the party. In her mind, she had failed her goal of getting engaged. Here we are graduating and still boyfriend and girlfriend. We’re about to start our lives and still just going steady?!, she thought while guzzling the purple fizz. Lucy had already beaten the odds and made the prude Alexander Goth her boyfriend, but it wasn’t good enough for her. Lucy wiped the sticky juice off her chin and started looking for Alex, ready to make a hard decision.


Once Alex was located, Lucy pulled him into the semi private cafeteria for a serious discussion. They sat down and Alex looked at Lucy obliviously. She raised her hands into the air. “I don’t know what to do anymore, Alex. I really don’t.”
Alex smiled, blind to Lucy’s sad demeanor. “What do you mean?”


Lucy frowned. “I love you. I know you love me too despite that you never say it back because ‘love is too unpredictable a feeling to risk expressing’ or whatever lame excuse you always say.” She sighed deeply. “I love you, but I can’t wait around forever. We’re graduating. We’re adults. I don’t want to walk out of this dorm not knowing what’s ahead, who I’m going to live with, who I’m going to start my life with. You’re the only one I want, but you don’t want the same things I do. I’m done trying to force your feelings. I’m breaking up with you Alex. I’m sorry; It’s for the best.”


The reality of the situation hit Alex hard. He tried to reason with Lucy. “Oh Lucy, c’mon now, let’s talk about this. Don’t be rash. I’m sorry you feel this way but…”
Lucy cut Alex off. “No! Don’t you get it!? I’m tried of being the one doing all the work! It’s over. Don’t make this harder than it is.”


Alex sighed as a cheeky grin spread across his face. “You should really learn to be more patient.” He brought a small, black box from underneath the table and slid it across the white plastic surface to Lucy.
She gasped and brought her hands to her lips. “Alex, what are you doing?”
Alexander chuckled. “I planned on a much more romantic way to do this, but you just could not wait.”


Lucy snatched the box from the table and whipped it open to find a gleaming, diamond ring inside. “Alex, it’s beautiful! I don’t know what to say!”
Alex laughed. “Well, there’s a first time for everything. That’s why I love you though. You’re so full of spunk and life that you light up any room you walk into. You are incredibly smart and beautiful. I would not want any other human being in the world to be my best friend, my partner, my wife. Lucy Burb, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”


Lucy slid the ring onto her finger, her face glowing. “Did you say you love me?”
Alex laughed nervously while holding hands across the table. “Yes, I love you. Please though, do say yes before I go into cardiac arrest.”
Lucy smiled lovingly at her fiancée and giggled herself. “Yes, I will marry you.”
Before the newly engaged couple could experience another moment of romantic bliss, Lucy’s sister Tabitha strutted in.


“Oh my God, Lucy! Did he just propose to you?!” Tabitha practically screamed, alerting the other party guests of the big announcement.
Alexander closed his eyes and brought his palm to his face. Lucy frowned and threw her hands up in a defeated fashion. “Thanks a lot, Tabitha. You really know how to kill a mood.”
“Yeesh, sorry!” Tabitha started to walk away but before she was out of an ear shot yelled for her twin brother. “Tristan! Where are you? Lucy just got engaged and guess what, it’s technically after graduation so you owe me twenty bucks!”
Lucy groaned and looked to Alexander. “Welcome to the family.”

PLEASANT

Daniel Pleasant stood in front of the frozen food display at Belladonna Groceries. The cool air from the freezer made him shudder as he eyed the different instant chicken dinners and frozen lasagnas. Ever since Mary-Sue moved out, dinners had not only been lonely, but prepackaged.


Daniel mumbled to himself while he threw random boxes into his shopping basket. He paused for a moment, hearing a familiar voice. He turned around, and was delighted to see his son, Felix.


Daniel walked over to his son and tapped him on the shoulder. Felix turned around and smiled. “Dad?! Hi!”
Daniel chuckled and smiled back, setting down his grocery basket. “My boy! It’s great to see you! What are you doing here?”


"Oh I’m just here on behalf of the dorm, picking up a few things.”
Destiny Goth walked up behind Felix and smiled. “Felix, who is this?”
Felix blushed and stepped aside so Destiny could shake hands with Daniel. “Destiny, this is my dad. Dad, this is my girlfriend."
Daniel smiled at the young woman and shook her hand gently. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Destiny. Felix is a lucky kid to have a beautiful girl like you on his arm.”
Now Destiny’s cheeks were flushed red to match Felix’s. “Well, thank you Mr. Pleasant. It’s great to meet you.”


The group of three chatted a bit longer until Destiny announced she was going to go check out. Before Felix could accompany her, Daniel pulled him aside. “She’s a great girl, son. You’re lucky.”
Felix nodded. “Thanks Dad. I know.”
Daniel looked sideways, the cogs in his mind turning. “You know…you don’t really need college. You can come live in the house with me for free. There’s enough room for you to bring Destiny and enough saved up that neither of you will have to work.”
Felix protested. "Oh c'mon dad that's nuts..."
Daniel was being serious. "No, really Felix! It'll be great! Just me and your family."


Felix was not amused by his father’s suggestion. “Dad, are you kidding? I love college. I want to be an architect. I need to get my degree. I’m sorry you’re lonely, but that’s not an option.”
Daniel sighed. “I guess. Well, just come and visit me more. Okay?”
Felix nodded. “Sure, okay Dad. I have to go now though.” Felix started to walk away, but turned around at the last minute. “Dad, do everyone a favor and get Mom back. I love you. I know she does too.”
Daniel smiled halfheartedly as he watched his son walk out the tall glass doors of the grocery store.

DREAMER

Cassandra Dreamer stood alone in the newly redecorated bedroom that used to belong to her daughter, Eden. Eden was gone at college, and would never need the bedroom again. A retired architect, Cassandra designed and decorated the room for a grandbaby that still hadn’t come yet.


Cassandra frowned and sighed. She was suffering from empty nest syndrome despite her step son Dirk and daughter in law Lilith moving back in. She desperately wanted pudgy little grandbabies squalling all throughout the house, but Lilith and Dirk were more interested in their careers and hobbies than having children. Cassandra feared the room she so carefully designed would never be occupied. It had been a several years since the couple moved back in, and having children had never once been brought up.


That night at dinner, everyone besides Cassandra talked and laughed with one another. She picked at her salmon glumly, not joining in on the conversation. It didn’t take long for Darren to notice his wife’s unusual demeanor. He rubbed her arm playfully and smiled. “Care to join us for dinner, Cass?”


Cassandra looked around the dinner table at everyone staring at her, amused expressions on their faces. She sighed, and made the quick decision to stop holding her tongue and just speak her mind. “Are you two going to give me a grandchild, or what?”


Dirk’s eyes went wide while Darren choked on his salmon. Lilith screwed up her face and looked to her husband. “We just…”
Dirk looked back at his wife, eyes still big as saucers. “We uh…”
Cassandra frowned and gave the table a little smack. “What could you possibly be waiting for? We have the money, we have the room. You’ve both reached the top of your careers and fulfilled your lifetime wants, Dirk twice over might I add?! I can even watch him or her while you’re working!” Cassandra whined and whimpered while Lilith and Dirk furrowed their eyebrows, searching each others’ faces for a good excuse.


Not receiving any help from Dirk, Lilith decided to just be honest. “We’re just…we don’t know if we want any children.” Lilith knew this would either offend or crush her mother in law, a family sim deprived of enough of her own children during adulthood. Lilith grimaced, anticipating Cassandra’s response.


Cassandra closed her eyes and pouted. Through gritted teeth she mumbled, “That’s absurd. Why would you not want children?”
Daren chuckled nervously. “Now now, Cassie. Just because they’re married doesn’t mean they’re obligated to have kids. Not everyone has such as strong of family desires as you.”
Darren looked at his father thankfully but Cassandra didn’t seem to care.
“Fine. Excuse me for wanting grandchildren. I’m just saying, it’s the perfect time.”


Everyone finished dinner quietly with one thing on their mind: babies. Lilith carried her thoughts upstairs and even still while she relaxed on her bed. The perfect time. She replayed her mother in law’s words over and over until Dirk walked in, bringing her out of her thoughts.


Dirk flopped down on the bed and groaned, tired from a long day at work and an emotionally exhausting dinner. “Sorry about Mom. I know you don’t like when people assume we’re having kids.”
Lilith shrugged her shoulders. “It’s alright. She’s right you know. It would be the perfect time.”
Dirk raised his eyebrows, taken aback. “Lil, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”


Lilith shocked herself with her words and quickly tried to make a recovery. “No! Of course not. We never talked about having kids. I’ve never wanted children. Can you imagine me, a mom?” She snorted.
Dirk pursed his lips and shrugged meekly. “I think you would make a great mother.” His response put butterflies in Lilith’s tummy.


Lilith looked away quickly, trying to hide her sudden excitement. “I don’t know.”
Dirk chuckled. “Look, Lily Pad. I want whatever makes you happy. I think you would make a fantastic mother, and I know I would love fatherhood. I also wouldn't mind it being just you and me. Whether you want ten kids or none, I’ll be happy with whatever you decide.”


Lilith pondered her husband’s words for a moment. She nodded her head and took a deep breath. “Okay, what if we just stop not trying? We’ll just see what happens. If it’s meant to be, it will be.”
Dirk smiled a big smile at his wife and wrapped his arms around her. “Well then, let’s get busy not trying.”


While everyone else was in bed, Cassandra was downstairs feeling blue and slightly embarrassed. Unable to sleep thanks to the upset at dinner, she thought maybe watching television would help. Sweets kept her company, even more engrossed in the soap opera than Cassandra.


Cassandra was paying close attention to her program when she felt like someone was watching her. Alarmed, she turned her head slowly and found a strange young man in her living room. She screamed and threw up her hands. The young man jumped and yelled as well, equally surprised. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you or rob the house or anything! I knocked and waited but nobody heard and I just saw you sitting there through the window! Please, I…”
Before he could finish his ramble, Cassandra interrupted. “Who are you, and why are you in my house?! You’ve got one minute to explain yourself before I call the police!”


Ricardo panicked, and began waving his arms. “Please no, no, no! Don’t call the cops! My name is Ricardo Caliente and I’m looking for Cassandra Goth!”
Cassandra quirked an eyebrow. “Well, I was Cassandra Goth. I’m long married, Cassandra Dreamer now.” She paused. “Did you say Caliente?”


Ricardo could tell Cassandra was no longer afraid and calmed down himself. “Yeah, Ricardo Caliente. But this is perfect! You’re just who I want to speak to then.”
Cassandra looked at the young man curiously. “Well, go on with it.”


Ricardo smiled and took a deep breath. “Well you see, my mother is Dina Goth. I have recently learned that technically, you are my step sister. I don’t know how much you know, but your father Mortimer helped raised me. Since he has passed, everything has gone to my mother. Now, I’ve also learned that my mother’s means of obtaining Mortimer’s assets were not honest or deserved. Now that she’s…unable to make legal and financial decisions, everything belongs to me. Here’s the good part, I’m signing it all back over to you and your family.”
Cassandra sat silent, letting everything sink in. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish. “I…don’t understand…”


"You must be crazy! Are you aware that fortune is worth over half a million dollars? That’s not including the house, the vacation home.”
Ricardo stared at Cassandra with a cheesy grin on his face. “I know. But, I’m not crazy. I’m simply returning what was taken from you. My little brother, Gideon, he’s a true Goth but too young to be in charge of so much. I can’t manage it all in the mean time. It’s best somebody older and wiser handle everything. If you just sign a few papers I have in my car, it'll all be taken care of.”


Cassandra leapt up from her chair and wrapped her arms around the young man before her. “Thank you. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me.” Tears began to well up in her eyes.
Ricardo hugged her back, filled with joy. “It’s my pleasure, ma’m.”

BROKE

Unlike her sister, Angela was busy popping out babies left and right. She’d already given birth to her first child who was now a toddler, a daughter named Rose. Now Angela was squatting in the family study, moaning and hollering as her second baby tried to make it’s way into the world.


Dustin was gone at work, but luckily Brandi was napping in the other room. She sat up groggily and rubbed her eyes. “Angela I heard screaming are you…oh my gosh the baby is coming!” Brandi’s face lit up with excitement. After four children of her own and one grandchild, the panic of childbirth wore off of Brandi.


After plenty of screams and cringes, Angela delivered another healthy baby girl. “Wow,“ she breathed. “Another dark haired daughter!” Everyone was surprised when little Rose came out with big brown eyes and jet black hair, despite her blue and green eyed parents with red and blonde hair. This second baby had shocked everyone all over again by following the same suit.


Before she could say another word, Angela felt another cramp run down her middle. “Oh my…” Angela twirled around and soon was holding another baby girl in her hands. “Twins!”, she and Brandi cried at the same time. Angela laughed. “Well, it does run in the family. Won’t Dustin be surprised when he comes home from work?!”


Brandi scooped the first twin off the floor while Angela admired the second. “Flora and Fauna,” she said lovingly. Dustin and Angela both loved the nature hobby, and Angela worked as an ecological guru. It was only natural they'd chose to name their children after flowers and nature.
“I love it,” Brandi said. “It’s perfect, and little Rosie will fit right in.”
Angela nodded in agreeance while she studied her baby’s face. The dark features were those of her own mother, Mary-Sue. Mary-Sue had yet to meet her grandchildren; Angela felt a pang of guilt upon realizing that. Angela sighed as she set the baby down in a nearby swing. “I’ll be right back, I’m going to give my mother a call.”