Preschool was coming to and end for the little ones. Jada did manage to exceed expectations, though she was similar to most of her classmates. Alexander, on the other hand, was advancing well beyond the preschool curriculum. He had learned to read. Bella wondered how he would fit into school when he already knew how to read. Yet, she didn't want to prohibit him either. Bella spent time looking at books with Alexander. Reading became his new focus. At first it was just reading, then he started reorganizing the bookshelf. Bella noticed some books had gone missing and after following Alexander one afternoon she found them squirreled away under his bed.
Cassandra was used to having Darryl over to her house after school. One day he finally invited her over to his house. Darryl never wanted anyone over so it was really special that he invited Cassandra. Bella had called Bebe to make sure the plan was okay. Darryl decided to invite Cassandra over because his grandparents no longer lived at home. They went to a special home for the mentally ill. Cassandra was a little nervous about going over to Darryl's to play because she had never been there before. One of the nice things about heading over to Darryl's was the shorter bus ride. He lived right in town.
Darryl's house was much smaller that her house. Cassandra looked at and figured his whole house was probably the size of her living-room and kitchen. Bebe greeted the kids with chocolate chip cookies and milk for an afternoon snack. Cassandra soon found out that Bebe was just like her mom; she made them do a little homework before they could play. Cassandra and Darryl did a couple question quick as they could, then ran to his room for toys. Darryl's room wasn't very big so they both grabbed an armful of toys and headed into the yard. They played in their own world until Bebe interrupted because Mortimer was there to pick up Cassandra.
Mortimer once believed that he was destined for a boring career in the boardroom at Doo Peas. With his mother's encouragement he found the strength to pursue a field that held his interest. Mortimer still had to oversee some minor business at Doo Peas, but he left most of it up to the Landgraabs and Altos. His real passion was in the lab and after years of hard work and painstaking details he finally realized his dream. Mortimer had become a Creature-Robot Crossbreeder. The first several experiments failed, but Mortimer finally had a prototype that worked. He named it Laganaphyllis Simnovorii; the cow plant. The key to success was using his previous knowledge of carnivorous plants as a synergist between the cow and the robotic parts. The end result was largely plant like, had the head of a carnivorous cow with udder on the bottom of its chin, robotics in the planter pot to keep necessary enzymes flowing through the stalk, and robotics to control the vine-cake used to lure its prey. Mortimer was hoping to market the cow plant soon after, but due to creatures unstable and volatile nature the cow plant was kept under high security lock-down.
Mortimer's colleagues may have held him in the highest esteem at the laboratory but at home he was a regular husband and father. Some may think that the different schedules between Bella and him would create stress for the marriage, but it surprising worked out. Mortimer enjoyed his evening with the kids. Bella always had a dinner ready for him to serve so all he worried about was bath and bedtime. Between dinner and bed he helped Cassandra with any homework she had left, played and read with Jada and Alexander, and snuggled Damen. Mortimer was spoiled rotten.
After Bella came home from work Mortimer pulled her into the master bathroom and locked the door. All of the kids were playing quietly and Mortimer wanted to take advantage of the few moments of silence to have some quality time with the love of his life. She spent her evenings at the diner slaving away over a stove so Mortimer gave her a back rub while they caught up with each other. He wasn't supposed to talk to anyone about the cow plant but he often indulged details to Bella. Bella would talk about he time at the diner. She wanted to transfer to the bistro soon, but the change in restaurant style meant a more stressful work environment.
Mortimer turned Bella around so they could face one another. "Bells, I will support you with whatever decision makes you the happiest. The whole family will support you," Mortimer said reassuringly as he played with her hair. He softly kissed her on the lips. She kissed him back. Slowly, yet feverishly, their kisses grew more passionate until Mortimer twirled Bella around and pressed her up against the counter. Time seemed slow as they found each other; their pleasure, their love blocked out the rest of the world momentarily. In a quick couple of minutes they were spent. Mortimer and Bella rested with each other for a couple seconds longer before they went back into the other areas of the house and resumed their roles as parents.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Time seemed to go by so quickly for the Goth family. Mortimer looked fondly at his oldest daughter and reflected it seemed like just yesterday they were bringing her home from the hospital. Cassandra had given them some of the most frustrating moments as parents when she was a toddler. Mortimer smiled to himself; he suspected that as she became a teen he and Bella would have many more frustrating moments. Cassandra was ready to take on the world. Mortimer found his daughter in the hall getting ready for school. He gathered her up in a hug.
"Happy birthday baby girl," he exclaimed while holding her tightly.
"Thanks daddy!" Cassandra wiggled in his arms.
"Alright, alright. I'll let go. Hurry and get some breakfast before the bus gets here." Mortimer ushered her off to the kitchen. "And don't forget to come home for your party!" he shouted after her at the last minute.
Cassandra's party was small. It was just perfect. Darryl and his older sister Marsha came over. Grandpapa came home early from City Hall. Both her parents took the day off from work. Cassandra was excited that her mom had baked her birthday cake and her favorite meal for dinner. A few other people had come to the party, but they were her parents friends. She supposed her parents were celebrating too. After dinner it was time for Cassandra to blow out her candles. She closed her eyes and made a wish; I wish I would have more friends....and for lots of money. She extiguished the small candle flames in one breath and smiled as she anticipated the change.
Soon after becoming a teen Mortimer and Bella discovered Cassandra needed glasses. Cassandra wouldn't fess up to it at first, but after some convincing she agreed to go to the optical store. She picked out a super cute purple frame to match her jacket. Cassandra was surprised when no one made fun of her new look at school. She realized that lots of classmates had glasses. Cassandra still felt like an outcast though. When her mom took her shopping for new clothes she decided on a mix of teen style and business sensibility. Cassandra enjoyed her sleek professional look but her classmates just thought she was uppity.
Darryl had gotten a job at the grocery store almost immediately after he became a teen. His mom needed a little help with the bills since she was a single mom and paying for the care of her parents. He also needed his own money if they decided to see a movie or go to a concert. Unfortunately for Cassandra, it meant she was stuck at home with nothing much to do. Cassandra always did her homework first to free up the rest of the evening. Sometimes she played with her little brothers and sister, but she mostly enjoyed shutting herself in her room. Cassandra's favorite spot was in the old arm chair curled up with a book and the radio on in the background.
Mortimer was able to spend more time at home since he was close to the top of his career. Of the time he spent at home a good portion was taken by the upkeep required on the Manor. The sink in the half bath off the kitchen had broken again. Mortimer fixed it for the fifth time that month. He suspected they would have to remodel the half bath soon because all the water leaks were causing a lot of damage. Bella had to scrub the tile down once a week to keep mold from growing on the grout. The manor was an old house. It was approaching its centennial and Mortimer didn't know if they had enough money to keep up with the house.
It seemed like he had just finished fixing the sink when he discovered yet another household fixture which needed repair. Unfortunately, no one noticed it at first. Around lunch Mortimer saw a stream of water trickling down the wall of the dining room. He muttered under his breath. He went upstairs to the master bath to find the tub faucet sprung a leak. Mortimer mistakingly broke off one of the handles causing even more water problems than before. He went to the store to get a new part and had the tub fixed up in no time. The water damage was more than superficial; Mortimer called an interior designer to redo a section of wallpaper and fix the floor in the dining-room.
Eventually Mortimer had spilled his wish to have more children to Bella. As he suspected, she thought he was crazy. Sure, Damen was in a super cute phase at the moment but that didn't outweigh the fact he was still a baby that fussed and cried. Bella loved the four children she had with her heart and soul. She thought the family was perfect. Bella had three pregnancies and felt she was done. She wondered how she could break the news to her husband. More children just wasn't in her plan anymore. She was eager to watch them grow and become more independent.
Jada's birthday approached quickly. Mortimer and Bella had watched her blossom like a spring flower in the sunshine. They knew they were losing their sweet toddler girl. In return Jada's childhood lay before them. Mortimer remembered the shy little baby in the lab. She had grown so much there. Then he was able to bring her home and she grew strong and healthy. Jada had changed the family for the better. They hoped she would continue to do so. For as much as they hoped, they knew she would bring even more life and light to the family.
Jada didn't remember much about the lab. In fact she didn't remember much about anything before becoming a Goth. Mortimer and Bella were slightly concerned but the pediatrician reassured them Jada's lack of memory was due to age and not trauma. As parents they felt it was in her best interest to tell her the truth if she ever questioned her place in the family. They hadn't expected the questions to come in preschool but the difference in appearance was obvious. Mortimer and Bella always told her she was their family and they loved her no matter what. Then they told the truth. They were lucky that Jada's birth mom placed her for adoption and they were lucky that Jada came to them.
Since Jada was older than toddler age Cassandra was more interested in hanging out together. Cassandra often invited her up to her room where they would listen to music and talk. Occasionally, Cassandra would allow Jada to bring Barbies up and indulged in make-believe. Often Cassandra would stop by Jada's room on the way down to the kitchen for breakfast. She would snuggle her sister for a moment before pulling her out of bed and downstairs with her. Jada was nervous about starting school. Cassandra took Jada under her wing and promised she would make sure the first day was the best.
Cassandra still wasn't making friends at school. Her peers just didn't understand who Cassandra was and Cassandra couldn't relate to the typical life of her classmates. Mortimer and Bella surprised Cassandra with a cellphone of her own. Soon after it seemed they never saw her without the cell pressed up to her ear. Darryl couldn't afford a cell phone so Cassandra had to wait until he was home from work before she could call him. Then they spent hours talking to each other. Her parents eventually had to set limits; Cassandra agreed that talking on the phone during dinner probably wasn't the best idea but she thought they were being unreasonable to limit her time while she was working on homework.
With her newly found freedom Cassandra started spending more time away from the Manor. She enjoyed catching a movie whenever she wanted or visiting the art gallery. Sometimes she sneaked a little money from her parents to pay for Darryl to go with her. It was more fun to catch a movie if she could get into a popcorn fight with someone if the movie got boring. One of Cassandra's new favorite place was the neighborhood pool. She would visit almost everyday whether Darryl was there or not. Deep down Cassandra hoped she would catch the eye of some of the boys at her school and they would ask her on a date. While she was swimming she would practice her coy responses and flirty looks in her head while sneaking glances at the guys to see if they were looking her direction.
As Gunther considered his remaining future he found comfort in holding the youngest of his grandchildren in his arms. He had invested so much of himself in the shaping of Sunset Valley. The public touted him as one of the most influential politicians the neighborhood had ever seen. Most of his policies were accepted without debate. After the scandal earlier in his career, the public could have abandoned there support of him. They reelected him nonetheless. It didn't seem likely his campaign would survive the forthcoming election and if it did it would be one hell of a fight. Gunther didn't believe he had it in him to tough out that fight. He gazed at his grandson. This one seemed to have inherited many of his features. As the baby cooed at him Gunther made his choice. It was time to let the younger generation take the reigns of Sunset Valley.
Gunther's most loyal supporters were disheartened by his decision. Once the media got wind of the news, reporters were calling to get the exclusive story. Gunther's campaign manager arranged a neighborhood wide retirement open house for Gunther in Central Park. At four o'clock those in attendance gathered near the fountain to hear Gunther's final speech. Many supporters rallied in celebration pulling out past campaign banners and signs and threw confetti into the air. Many had expected Gunther to throw his endorsement behind one of the new candidates; he surprised them all by keeping his speech neutrally inspirational and Gunther expressed his final gratitude.
The party had lasted well into the evening. It was dark before Gunther was able to leave for home. He dismissed his limo driver and hailed a cab to head to the cemetery. He looked over Sunset Valley, watching the light glow in the darkness. Gunther walked along the stone pathway by the pond. The gentle lapping of the water along the embankment soothed his aching soul. The ghost began to wander from their graves and Gunther did not feel so alone. He smiled fondly as some of his former friends appeared into the night. Gunther recalled the joys and sorrows of a life that seemed so foreign to him. It had been much to long since he had last felt alive.
Planning to retire wasn't the only decision Gunther made the other week in his grandson's nursery. Gunther was ready to move on from the corporal world. His son was happily married with a family of his own and successful in his career of choice. Gunther once thought Mortimer's decision was a slight to the family name, but he was proud of his son's accomplishments. Cassandra was becoming a lovely young woman and Gunther made sure that an addendum was added in his last will and testament to explain he believed Cassandra should become the heir with Mortimer's blessing. He was sure with Mortimer's and Bella's guidance all of his grandchildren would leave their mark on Sunset Valley. Gunther held the thought of his descendents in his heart. His mind wandered to visions of Lolita. Time and space would no longer separate them. Gunther entered the mausoleum to greet the end.
