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No story here, just a look at Zera's childhood bedroom at Teddy's house

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In the fall of 1910, it was time for Harry to say goodbye to his family, everything had been happening so quickly for him, from his many offers to graduation, to his birthday, to finally this. He hugged his parents goodbye before getting on the train to Brichester, where he would be picked up by Professor Sanders and taken to his home. It was strange, but hugging his father, he reflected on all they had been through as a family. Things had started off great between them, then gone downhill, and now, well now that he was a man he actually felt like he could forgive his father for the past. He felt close to his father like he never had before. (caution: long post)

For George, yes it had been difficult to accept that his eldest son wouldn’t be inheriting the family farm, but he was the youngest son himself, and he had three other sons to prepare for taking over the farm. Peter was the next obvious choice, he loved animals just as much as George and had no love of school like Andrew. And who knew how little Liam would turn out. His fear for the future of the farm had driven his actions to push Harry towards farm chores, but now he felt he could let his son embrace this new future ahead of him, and he was very proud.

Rosalie cried, of course, hugging her oldest baby, who had just yesterday been a wiggly infant in her arms, teaching her about motherhood. She had always been supportive of her son’s academic pursuits, so proud that her son was so smart and showing up all the other students in his class. She had long been dreaming of his successful future, but now that she had to let go of him so that he could pursue that future on her own, she didn’t know if she had the strength to do it.

Finally, Harry was allowed to board the train and waved goodbye to his parents as it pulled away. He spent the ride reading up on the history of Brichester, his patron was a history professor and had worked there for two decades, so he wanted to brush up on possible topics that might impress or interest him. Finally, after a few hours, the train pulled into Brichester Station, Harry had only brought a modest suitcase with a few photos, his chess trophy, and a few outfits. He carried himself and his luggage off the train and searched the crowd for Professor Sanders, it only just now occurred to him that he would have no idea what the man looked like. Did he have a picture of Harry to recognize him? They hadn’t designated a specific rendezvous place, so how was…

His eyes swept over a familiar face and he had to do a double take. Wait a minute, was that? Yes, it was!

Smiling from ear to ear he moved through the crowd, waving a hand in the air. “Aunt Cordelia!”

“Ah, there is my favorite nephew at last,” Cordelia said, only a hint of a smile on her lips. “Let me guess, you barely boarded the train without your mother attached to your neck, hm?”

Her tone was mean, but Harry thought it was funny, and she didn’t actually mean it as mean, that was just how her voice sounded. The same could be said for her face, although at rest it looked judgemental and angry, he knew her better than that. She was happy to see him.

“Aunt Cordelia, what are you doing here? Not that I’m upset to see you, of course, it hasn’t been the same since you moved out.”

“Yes, of course, it hasn’t, you have four squalling siblings now, I’m fortunate enough to have escaped when I did,” Cordelia answered. “As for why I am here, I must admit to telling a few lies. But we best worry about that on the trip.”

“Trip? I’m sorry, I can’t go anywhere right now, I’m waiting on someone.”

“Oh I thought you were smart, boy,” Cordelia sighed. “I’m the one you’re waiting on.”

“You’re Professor Sanders?”

Cordelia hesitated. “Well, for the purposes of your offer, yes, somewhat, as I said, it’s a lot to explain, so let’s get going.”

Harry curiously joined his aunt on a half-hour car (yes a real automobile) ride through Brichester. She had her own driver, so the two of them sat in the back and talked. During this time, she explained that Professor Sanders was a friend of hers. It had not been the professor who had sent the scholarship money for Harry’s secondary schooling, it had been her! She explained that she knew how his parents would feel about her offering them money and never would have accepted it, so she sent it in the form of a scholarship instead. Then, when it was time for his university applications, Rosalie had written to her about Edwin’s visit and how much Harry dreamed of attending Brichester.

“Honestly, for such a genius, Edwin sure is stupid,” Cordelia commented as the strange car contraption bounced across the road. “If he had any sense at all he never would have offered your family money, no matter how he phrased it, he should have known how your parents would react.”

“So you disguised your own offer, and made it so that I still had to do some work because you knew my parents would swallow that better?” Harry asked.

“Indeed, but also, I agree with your father, you shouldn’t accept handouts, you’re far too smart for that, and you’ll never appreciate anything if you don’t work for it,” Cordelia paused and looked far away. “My time with your family taught me that.”

“So my room and board?”

“With me, not Professor Sanders, it will still be 2 simoleons a week and you’ll still have a curfew and other rules to follow. You’ll have a room and an office,” Cordelia answered. “You will still be Professor Sanders's research assistant so don’t worry about that, he is very excited to meet you, but I wanted the pleasure of seeing the look on your face when you found out about the ruse.”

Something akin to a grin crept across her face, and although initially disappointed, Harry was impressed by his aunt’s cunning.

“You did all this for me? Why?” He asked.

“Why?” Cordelia asked incredulously. “Dear child, do not be daft. When I lived with your parents it was not a good time for me. I was barely older than you, I was a spoiled brat whose parents were dead and I was being pawned off to my vindictive, run-away sister. The only thing that ever made that experience bearable was you, perhaps not the diaper changes, but the way your eyes would light up when I came in the room. The way you would giggle at my exasperation and exhaustion, made my heart lift. I would never want to have children of my own, but if I did, I would want him to be just like you.”

Harry sat with a soft smile on his lips and Cordelia demanded he wipe it away. She hadn’t said “I love you” exactly, but it was close enough.

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Book 1: Normal Type | Chapter Sixty-One: Hello, Childhood!

Not long after the Winter Solstice Festival, it was time for Zera’s fifth birthday! Zera watched as Teddy sang songs while making her cake. Her birthday party was another small one, just close family like Uncle Stan and Aunt Lilli, but she didn’t mind. She blew out the candles and felt inexplicably taller!

Now that she was a child she was properly outgoing, gone was the caution of her infant days, she had learned more about the world and in that learning, she had discovered that she wanted to be friends with everyone! She was already planning her birthday party for her sixth birthday, she would make friends with everyone at school and invite them over for a slumber party! She couldn’t wait to have bigger and better parties, and she suspected the parties would only grow in size and creativity as she got older.

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That summer, just a few weeks after his graduation, Harry turned 18 and reached young adulthood. His mental skills clearly outweigh his physical skills, as he is prone to fall or trip even when walking across flat ground. His greatest aspiration right now is to go to Brichester University and do all that he can to be the best student there as well. He’ll be a big fish from a small pond jumping over to a much larger pond, but he looks forward to the challenge.

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Book 1: Normal Type | Chapter Sixty: Gifts!

It was the Winter Solstice Festival and Zera was with her father that year, which meant the gifts would be small but the joy would be big! At her mother’s house, she would get plenty of pretty gifts and pose for the camera (which she was rather starting to enjoy now that she was older and understood what “likes” were), but there was hardly any laughter.

Early in the morning, they awoke to find that Father Winter had left two gifts under the tree, one for Teddy and one for Zera. She was too young to wonder why Father Winter could bring more gifts to her mother’s house and bring only one gift to her father’s. Teddy got a set of very nice notebooks, one moleskin, one spiral, and one composition, perfect for all the notes he loved to take! Zera didn’t understand why he was so excited about paper and quickly tore into the wrapping of her own gift.

Inside the box, she found a doctor playset with a tiny medical bag and a teddy bear to practice on. She loved it! She hugged her daddy around the neck and the two of them spent the rest of the morning playing with their new toys.

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In the spring of 1910, Harry graduated from high school at Henford Town School, and was by far and away the best student and was Valedictorian of his class. It wasn’t even really a competition. He spent weeks writing and rewriting and then practicing his speech in the mirror. When the day of graduation finally came, he needed a quick pep talk from Rosalie, and then felt ready to take on the world.

The whole Carter family was in attendance, the ceremony was held in the old gym. Harry was one of six students in his class, so the ceremony didn’t take too long. His speech, however, was an absolute hit, it was inspiring and just the right amount of funny to put people at ease. Harry felt he was certainly on the path to success.

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Book 1: Normal Type | Chapter Fifty-Nine: Overachiever Zera

Zera was barely four and she had already mastered all of her toddler skills, she was way ahead of everyone else in her daycare class and it was all thanks to the undivided attention of her father. It was really something when he considered that every other week she was barely able to work on those skills at her mother’s house. Sometimes he worried that he was being too harsh on Violet, but then he remembered the way he acted when Zera was a baby and he got angry again. Luckily, the way he calmed his anger was to snuggle peacefully with Zera. Now that she was finished with her skills they could simply play and have fun!

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It took a few weeks for life to return to normalcy at the Carter house, but eventually, George did come to understand the scholarship Edwin had been offering and apologized (sort of) to Harry for barging in. Rosalie and George both assured Harry that eventually he would get more offers like Pleasantview’s, and it was better to wait and see than make a rash decision with all the pieces before him. They were right, Harry discovered, as more acceptance letters and scholarship offers rolled into the mail.

It wasn’t until the day he got the acceptance letter from Brichester though, that he really believed it. Not only had he been accepted to the University, but he had been accepted into the distinguished program as well! They also were offering him a couple of different scholarships based on his credits, it wasn’t a full ride, but it was close. He spent the next few days agonizing over the decision. Go to Pleasantview with a full ride, or go to his first choice school, Brichester, and have to work harder to pay for it?

His answer was handed to him in another letter, a personal, handwritten one that read:

Dear Mr. Carter, I trust this letter finds you well. I recently received a letter from our mutual friend, Mr. Thompson, your headmaster, and it fills me with joy to hear about your academic aspirations. Your dedication to your studies is commendable, and I believe you possess great potential. In support of your journey, I am pleased to offer you accommodation in my small home near the Brichester University campus. The cost will be a modest 2 simoleons per week, covering the essentials. I have always believed in extending a helping hand to those who show promise, and I am confident that this arrangement will create a conducive environment for your studies. I want to take this opportunity to share something that you may not be aware of. I was the anonymous benefactor who provided the scholarship that enabled you to attend secondary school, again after being informed by Mr. Thompson of your promise and potential. I believe in offering assistance to help talented individuals such as yourself get a foothold on the path to success. However, it is up to you to do the bulk of the work yourself, I will not hold your hand through the University nor offer you full financial assistance. I will, however, offer you a place to stay and an internship as my research assistant while you attend Brichester, should you choose to do so of course. This arrangement would not be without rules, including prompt payment of rent and adherence to a reasonable curfew. I see this as a mutual opportunity for growth and learning. I look forward to your response and hope you consider this offer seriously. Best Regards, Professor Harold Sanders Brichester University, History Department

Harry cautiously approached his parents about the offer, but their attitudes were much more positive to this offer than Uncle Edwin’s. Partly because this wasn’t a relative, and partly because it clearly wasn’t a handout, and George approved of the arrangement suggested, it would be enough to help Harry get started without help from his parents (as they really couldn’t offer him much), but would also still require him to work hard for himself. They told Harry that if he wanted to accept, they would support his decision, but also encouraged him to think hard about all of his offers.

Harry pretended to take a few days to consider it, but in his heart, he had already accepted. Brichester was his dream school, and the more he thought about the opportunities the history program offered, the more excited he grew about the proposition. He would have a place to stay, a job to help him cover expenses, and a foot in the door to a prestigious program. He wrote back to Professor Sanders within the week to accept his generous offer. In the fall of 1910, he would attend Brichester University in the distinguished history program!

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Book 1: Normal Type | Chapter Fifty-Eight: Slow Down, Teddy

Teddy decided at the new year that it was time to start getting back in shape, he wanted to look better for himself and for Jolene, but also exercising also made him feel lighter in every way! It was always a risk to do anything in public as a teacher, so he did his best to only go to the gym when he was certain he wouldn’t see any students or their parents there…he was not always successful.

As he was on the treadmill one night he felt a sudden clarity, he was in love with Jolene, and he didn’t want to wait anymore. It was time they got married and started their own family. He wanted another child. He didn’t pop the question just yet, instead testing the waters by offering her a key to his trailer. It was baby steps, but they were steps to a baby all the same.

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Not long after his university applications had been sent off, Harry answered a knock at the door and was surprised to see his Uncle Edwin. Edwin had not visited the family farm since he had come to collect Cordelia more than 10 years ago! They had received a few letters with big life updates and such, and he always sent gifts for all the Carter children’s birthdays, but he hadn’t made the trip in person in so long. (caution: long post)

Harry greeted him somewhat awkwardly, and Edwin immediately commented on how much Harry had grown since he had last seen him. A few minutes of small talk later, Edwin told him that he had a proposal for his parents, and hoped to speak to both him and Rosalie. Curious about what kind of proposal he meant - the last proposal he had was to let Cordelia stay with the Carters, but surely it couldn’t be that again - Harry led him around back to where his mother was doing laundry.

Peter, Andrew, and Florence were quickly introduced and then dismissed to finish their chores. Andrew was the most curious about his uncle and what he was doing here, none of the other Carter children had ever actually met him, just heard stories about him and sent him thank-you notes for their birthday and Christmas gifts every year. He was shooed away by Harry though before the real conversation could start. Andrew pretended to move along but hid around the corner of the house so he could hear what was going on.

By the time he had gotten into a good position, the conversation had already started. “You know, Harry,” Uncle Edwin was saying. “You and I have a lot in common, we have both been considered geniuses since we were children, so I have some idea of the challenges you have faced growing up.”

Harry doubted that, since Edwin had grown up wealthy and therefore had not had to convince his father just to let him go to school, he had been celebrated for his genius while Harry’s genius had been often spurred in his youth. His father had started to come around now that Harry was older, but that didn’t erase the past. He doubted that Edwin’s father had been so dismissive of his intelligence. He didn’t say anything though, and just let his uncle continue.

“I understand you’ve applied to several universities as well as more than a few scholarships.”

“And how would you know that?” Rosalie asked suspiciously. It was true that she and her siblings had reconnected and been closer the past dozen years or so, but that didn’t mean she trusted Edwin to have Harry’s best interest at heart, nor that of any of her children.

“Well, I’m sure you know that I have friends on a few boards, and I am on the board for Pleasantview University, I also knew that young Harry would be graduating soon, so I took it upon myself to look into it. In fact…” Edwin pulled an envelope from his jacket and handed it to Harry. “Part of the reason I am here was to give you this acceptance letter to Pleasantview University personally, congratulations Harry!”

Harry stared open-mouthed at the envelope and tore into it so he could confirm it really was an acceptance letter - his very first acceptance letter! Pleasantview University wasn’t as prestigious as Brichester, and it was much further away, but his heart leaped into his throat at the idea of having a serious offer out of this place.

“I’m sure you’ll want to wait for more letters, and based on what I saw in your application to Pleasantview, I can’t imagine any of them would turn you down,” Edwin continued. “However, things like room and board, tuition, books, and other supplies, all tend to pile onto the costs. So I am also here to offer Harry a full-ride scholarship to Pleasantview, which includes tuition, room and board, any supplies you might need, along with a weekly stipend of 5 simoleons, which should be plenty to cover any groceries or entertainment needs.”

Harry didn’t think his jaw could drop any lower, but it did! A full-ride? Plus a stipend? Pleasantview University was starting to sound like a much better option than Brichester.

“Uncle Edwin, that would be amazing! Would you really do that for me?” Harry asked.

“You’ve done it for yourself, boy!” Edwin assured. “Pleasantview was very impressed by your application, and knowing that you’re my nephew, that makes you a legacy! Pleasantview would be lucky to have you among their alumni!”

“Edwin, that is a very nice offer, but I think Harry should wait to see what other kind of offers he gets before rushing to accept something,” Rosalie said, aiming a side-eye at her eldest. Yes, it was an amazing offer, and she could see how excited Harry was getting just thinking about it, but she knew her son’s potential, and she suspected that if Pleasantview had made such an offer, they wouldn’t be the last.

Andrew was distracted from the conversation by the sound of hoofbeats coming down the road to the house. It was George, just getting home from work. The 10-year-old boy left his post to rush over, getting in the horse’s way and forcing George to pull to a stop.

“Pa! Uncle Edwin is here! He’s talking to Ma and Harry in the back, he said he was going to pay for Harry to go to college!”

George’s face turned beat red, after a hard day’s work he didn’t want to come home to learn that some well-dressed snake, even a relative, was offering out charity to his family. He urged the horse on and Andrew sprinted off to the side, then followed behind. By the time he reached his father, George was already chewing Edwin out.

“We’ve never accepted your charity before and we won’t be doing so now!” he was yelling. “If all you want to do is take advantage of my son’s intelligence I can tell you now that I will hear nothing of it! You get back in your carriage and carry yourself away! A few gifts here and there are fine, but any son of mine is going to be his own man and work hard for his own future, not take handouts!”

“Why do you always have to ruin everything?” Harry yelled back before Edwin could respond. “Why don’t you want me to have what I want? You’ve never cared about me or my dreams, all you care about is your pride and your farm, you’re a wicked father!”

Andrew watched the conversation disintegrate from there, and eventually, Harry stormed off somewhere in the hills, Edwin left, and Rosalie tried to explain what Edwin had really been offering was a scholarship, not a handout, but George was too pumped up to care at the moment.

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Book 1: Normal Type | Chapter Fifty-Seven: Smuggler and Alien

It was Spirits Night and it was Teddy’s turn with Zera for this holiday in which you were encouraged to dress up in costumes and tell ghost stories. Teddy had them do a themed costume this year, he was a smuggler and Zera was the alien had found on his adventures! Zera loved holidays with her dad because they always made it so much fun! They ate too much candy, watched movies that were maybe too scary for Zera, and giggled all night long!

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Now that Andrew had become top of his class at school, he could finally put his entire focus on what he really cared about. The piano. Rosalie loved to watch him play, he was an absolute natural, almost as talented as she was! She hoped that he would pursue his musical talents into adulthood, perhaps he could make it where she could not. She imagined him up on stage, playing for big symphonies and becoming famous. Her boy, the pianist, she was so proud.

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Book 1: Normal Type | Chapter Fifty-Six: Doll Drama

One weekend when Zera was supposed to be with her mother, Violet called Teddy and said that something had come up at work and she needed him to “babysit” Zera for a couple of hours. He didn’t like her use of the term “babysit” and he doubted something had come up at work, she was probably meeting some guy. However, this was just more to add to the pile of evidence he was mounting against her, and he would never turn down a chance to hang out with his daughter. He took her to the Newcrest Recreation Center not far from Violet’s house.

They had a ton of fun. They played dolls, although Teddy’s doll playing became a little too much like an episode of a drama that Zera was too young to watch or understand. So instead, she directed his attention to the small library and had him read her some books. She loved books and she loved the way her dad read, with many different voices, and asking her questions now and then about what she thought of the story.

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Harry applied to as many universities as he could, his first choice was Brichester of course, it was a prestigious school and was just far enough away by train that his parents wouldn’t visit but he could still make it back home in case of an emergency. He wrote so many application letters that his hand cramped, but he knew that university would require much of this type of work from him. He didn’t mind the mental challenge at all it thrilled him, it was his wrist joints that were doing all of the complaining. He spent the whole school year nervously awaiting a response from every university.

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Book 1: Normal Type | Chapter Fifty-Five: A Different Kind of Late-Night

Staying out every other week to ridiculous hours was throwing off Teddy’s schedule, but it always got corrected when it was Zera’s week with him. While she had slept just fine as an infant, she had entered a phase where she was having nightmares almost every night. They were always varied and didn’t have any kind of logic to them of course, but it was getting to be hard on Teddy’s rhythms to have his sleep interrupted so often.

He never let on to his daughter though, since he was sure that when she was at her mother’s she probably didn’t get comfort. He was always happy - although dead tired - to let her crawl into his bed to feel safe, and she usually stayed there until it was time to get up in the morning.

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Just a quick announcement to say that according to my personal sim calendar, it is officially the year 1910 in the Carter Decades Challenge! And luckily it perfectly coincides with Harry becoming a young adult very soon! So we are officially switching over to Gen 2 with Harry as the heir! Don’t worry, we will still see plenty of the rest of the Carter Family and I’ll be keeping up with them every so often, but our main story is going to follow Harry off to university and we’ll see what happens from there!

(Keep reading for an update on the extended family - you can find pictures on the family tree link here!)

And now a quick look at the other extended family for the Carters. Here’s the state of our extended family in the year 1910!

Isabel Carter continues to raise her two younger children, the twins Anna and Norman. They both turn 16 this year and are in secondary school. Anna is a music lover like her mom and wants to pursue her education in the violin. She would love to play with a symphony one day. She is also loyal and would never do something to hurt someone she loves, she is torn between her wish to be a good wife one day and her desire to play the violin across the world. Norman is squeamish but romantic and prefers to stay indoors, he’ll probably grow up to be a businessman with a nice wife and 2 kids and never do anything extraordinary with his life. Meanwhile, the oldest, Eva, is already 19 years old, she’s ambitious and she is ready to move out but has not found a suitable husband yet, she has high standards. She is mean and a snob, so only the best of the best can provide for her. In the meantime she has reluctantly taken a job as a babysitter for some of her mother’s younger friends, she does not like it and has already resolved not to have children in her marriage if she can help it. Yet another reason that finding a husband has been going slowly.

Emily and Thomas still live just down the road from the Carters and visit often, their children are all friends. The oldest, Emmaline, is 26 and married to a man named Patrick Gallagher. Patrick is adventurous and spontaneous, as well as very charming and talkative. He took advantage of the government’s Homestead Act and bought land in the west to start his own farm and a new life for his new family. Emmaline moved with him to the very far away town of Chestnut Ridge. Although she stays in contact with her parents and siblings through letters and telegrams, they don��t hear from her nearly as often as they would like, and it’s nearly impossible to visit for how far away it is. Things are going well for them though, and they recently had a baby! Margaret Gallagher was born on October 31st, 1909.

Next is Willem, who is 24 and recently married. He married a young woman named Lila and moved to the coast, but not the same coast his aunt Isabel lived on, further south. It’s just far enough away from both his family and Lila’s that they feel they can be independent, while close enough that they can still visit for the big holidays. They also just recently had a daughter, a year older than Emmaline’s daughter. Her name is Katherine Wilson and she was born on May 17th, 1908.

Lucy, who was just an infant when this legacy began, is 22 and engaged to a man named Benjamin Turner, they’re perfect for each other. While Lucy is paranoid and creative, he is loyal but doesn’t want children, which suits Lucy just fine. Soon they’ll be married and move to Willow Creek, where they plan to live out their days indoors, just the two of them, Lucy painting and Benjamin writing, perfectly compatible lifestyles.

Meanwhile, back with the full Wilson family, Joan is just a few months older than Harry and will turn 18 this year. She is neat and romantic, she hopes to find the love of her life quickly so that she can spend all of her time with him and have many beautiful babies. For now, though, she’ll have to finish secondary school, which has not been easy on her with all of her daydreaming. The youngest Wilson child is Jacob, who is only three years old now and was clearly an unexpected pregnancy. He is a very sensitive infant.

The Davis family still lives in Windenburg up North, Clara and Davis’s oldest daughter, Theresa is almost 17 now and is doing well in school. She is an active tennis player and loves to be in the know about things, making friends with a lot of different people around school, she’s very popular. Melissa is freshly 13 and thriving in her teenagehood, she’s cheerful and a vegetarian after reading “A Fleshless Diet” by J.L. Buttner.

On the other side, Edwin is married to Glenda but they have no children due to some medical complications. Cordelia lives on her own in a rotation of houses, as she gets bored easily, and for similar reasons, has not married. She prefers to spend time with her cat, Agatha, and in her lady’s groups at the country club. Don’t worry, we’ll be seeing more of them soon…

And I think we are caught up! If you want to know more or see more of any of these family members I do play with them too! I just don’t post about them to keep the story more streamlined. So just let me know if you are interested in learning more about anyone!

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Book 1: Normal Type | Chapter Fifty-Four: Young and Hip

As Teddy and Jolene’s relationship was heating up, she was coaxing him out of his comfort zone. On weeks that he had Zera, they would go on dates as the three of them to family-friendly locations, but on weeks when he didn’t have Zera, she would drag him out to rave parties and lounges filled with people 10 years younger than him.

He always felt sweaty and queasy at first, but once Jolene was done dancing and would come to sit on his isolated couch or chair with him, they would make out for the rest of the date. He liked this part the best.