Fern was gaining in fame as a painter, and she was becoming more and more proficient. As Poppy’s skills were not too far behind hers, they always had something to talk about. Since Fern’s self-recreation back around the time of her and Dahlia’s birthday a few years ago, Poppy and Fern seemed to get along so much better than before.
Poppy had a harder time with Daisy, though. She had always made a point of asking Daisy how her day was and offering bits of cheery news if she seemed down. For the life of her, Poppy couldn’t understand why Daisy acted the way she did.
The major drama these days, though, was not sister to sister, or niece to aunt. It was heart-pumping, skin-tingling, birds-singing love between a man and a woman – or so Rose wrote in her diary at night after another date with Cedrick.
After a few months of watching Rose dance around the house with stars in her eyes, nobody in the family was surprised when she announced that she was going to propose to her beloved. The couple hadn’t spent a lot of time around the rest of the family, but Dahlia had to admit they made a cute couple and seemed to have similarly unique fashion ideas. Dahlia just hoped that Cedrick’s feelings ran as deep as Rose’s.
When the happy couple walked in together to announce their engagement, almost everyone clapped and cheered. Wedding plans commenced, with Lily offering suggestions about the wedding gown and Dahlia starting a long guest list. Rose insisted, though, that she and her fiance only wanted a small wedding at home.
“Mom, can I ask you something?” Rose looked back over her shoulder at her mother as they stood on the lawn a little before the wedding. “I’m not smart like Lily or good like Poppy or …resourceful with money… like Daisy. Why did you choose me?”
Dahlia drew close to her daughter and smoothed her hair. “Rose, I chose you because I believe my mother, your grandmother, would have chosen you. You never knew her, but family was very important to her. I know family is important to you, too, and you’re demonstrating that today. I love you, Rose.”
As pleased as Dahlia was to see Rose starting out on her married life, she was also interested in the heartlife of her other daughters as well. She knew that Lily and Monty had been dating for more than a year now, and from time to time she would talk with Lily and urge her not to put off marriage too long. Lily, however, was very dedicated to her medical career and knew that the life of a trauma surgeon was not easily combined with marriage.
With all this lovey stuff going on around the house, Daisy made a point of being out most nights and catching up on her sleep during the day, when she wasn’t working out. Most of the family was unaware of exactly what she was doing at night.
To be fair, there was an awful lot of romance going on at home for a single girl to face, and even the new pool area in the back yard was not exempt.
Soon the day that Dahlia had been hoping for arrived – Rose announced that she and Cedrick were expecting! The family and all their friends were speculating about the possibility of twin girls, as that was all the Foliage family had known.
Rose felt a little nervous with all this twin talk, especially knowing that Cedrick was hoping for a boy. Still, she couldn’t blame him. It must have been shocking to move into a house with six women after living on his own in a bachelor pad near the firehouse. Speaking of which, knowing that he was about to be a father made Cedrick reconsider his career. He and Rose talked and decided that the military might offer more advantages, with its better pay and early retirement option. Plus, he’d always had a secret dream of being an astronaut. So he started working out and jogging…
… and sometimes even jogged to the library to read books on pregnancy and parenting. Some of the women sitting in that section gave him strange looks, but he knew it was worth it!
Rose enjoyed being pregnant, although her back did ache sometimes after she spent too long fishing. She loved to fish in the park and watch for her man jogging up the hill toward home.
Cedrick loved watching his wife glow with her pregnancy. He couldn’t help smiling whenever he saw her, even when she was curled up in their bed napping.
Fern made her contribution by learning a new recipe to make use of Rose’s fresh catches: fish and chips! Her mother used to make it for her, so she thought she would introduce the dish to the next generation. It might even satisfy some of Rose’s odd cravings. Well, maybe if you topped it with ice cream.
Daisy found herself grimacing at the lovebirds when she passed them holding hands and staring into each other’s eyes and calling each other silly nicknames.
Meanwhile, Dahlia was feeling very fulfilled these days, more than she had ever dreamed. Of course, she missed Win, but she was glad to be at the top of her career as well as to see her daughters seeking to achieve their goals in life. The excitement only increased when one night the time came for Cedrick to take Rose to the hospital. Would they come home with one, two or three, girls or boys?
The arrival of little Reed was a happy surprise to all. In fact, although the family knew that boys were born quite often in Legacy Valley, the possibility had not seemed real enough for them to think of redecorating the nursery before he came home.
Cedrick had already receiving one promotion on his job and was bringing in enough to cover the redecorating, and Lily and Poppy were happy to take care of the details. Soon, the nursery was looking more something that would suit the first son born into the Foliage family.
Cedrick had already receiving one promotion on his job and was bringing in enough to cover the redecorating, and Lily and Poppy were happy to take care of the details. Soon, the nursery was looking more like something that would suit the first son born into the Foliage family.
There was one person in the household who thought all this happy family stuff was too much. She would watch from behind the scenes, and she was biding her time.
She walked into the nursery one afternoon behind Cedrick as he was taking a bottle to his son, and she heard him saying in a soft voice, “Little man, have you dropped your pacifier again? Here, it’s time for your bottle. Drink up now, and when you’re bigger we’ll work on your grip!”
Daisy could hear the proud smile in Cedrick’s voice as he held Reed and talked to him. She just had to interrupt.
“Hey Rick,” she said, using the nickname that she knew he didn’t like, even though he had never said so, “if it’s a workout you’re interested in, I think he might be a little small yet. But I can give you some pointers.”
Cedrick returned Reed to his crib and covered him with his blanket before turning to study Daisy. Her tone was hard to read. Finally, he said, “Well, now that you mention it, I was challenged by my C.O. to bulk up some more before reporting for duty next time. I’ll go change and meet you downstairs.”
Daisy blinked as Cedrick was out the door and into more populated parts of the house before she realized it. Hm. All right, if that’s how he wants it, she thought to herself. She went downstairs to put him through one of the most torturous workout routines she knew.
That evening turned into an early night for everyone, except for Lily, who was assigned to the overnight shift at the hospital, and Daisy, who was off to run with that bad crowd all night again.
Fern had just finished a painting that, even putting personal pride aside, she had to admit was a masterpiece. If the art critics were to be believed, it would be her fifth. She had really learned how to make the paintbrush an extension of her own hand, and there were no painting challenges left unmastered. She had just finished washing out her paintbrushes and was getting into bed, when she heard something upstairs. It sounded like something falling. She grabbed her robe and dashed up the stairs.
Dahlia had woken up feeling very peculiar. She had a tingly sensation, and not in a good way. She felt lightheaded and reached for the lamp as she stood up from bed. She thought she saw the faint outline of someone off past the foot of the bed, and she had to see who it was. She had been having the most delectable dream of Win, but it couldn’t be him, could it?
As her arm reached the lamp, suddenly everything turned fuzzy and bright.
When Fern reached the source of the noise and realized what had happened, she stopped, then put one hand to her heart and the other over her mouth. The lamp, the one with the lampshade custom-made in Dahlia’s favorite shade of blue, was in a broken heap on the floor beside the bed. Across the head of the bed lay Dahlia herself, still and pale. Rose ran in at that moment, stirring Fern from her shock. Fern checked for a pulse while Rose yelled for Cedrick, who tried CPR, but it was too late. Rose fell into Cedrick’s arms in tears. Poppy tried to console Fern, but the scene became even more nightmarish as the baby’s disconsolate wail drifted in from the nursery. Fern made the two phone calls she never thought she’d have to make. Lily came right away, although for days after the funeral she cried over her mother’s grave for having been away when she might have actually put her skills to use for her own mother.
The second phone call went like this: “Daisy. I know what you’re doing and who you’re with. Stop it and come home now. (pause) No, I don’t care. Drop it all and get here now. Your mother is dead.”
The others looked at Fern with shocked expressions that she would speak so coldly and firmly to Daisy at a time like this, but she more than anyone knew what it would take to have a chance at getting through to her. Only time would tell if this would be enough to make a change in Daisy.
You wrote Dahlia’s death really well. And hello to the Nooboo!
Thanks, Rad! It was a little surprising, as my sims don’t often wake up to die. And I had kind of expected Fern to go first, because she never exercised, while Dahlia did some.
How ’bout that baby boy? First single birth and first boy, all in one fell swoop! The nursery decor comment was more about me than the family, lol. After I took that picture of poor Reed surrounded by pink, I realized that a little redecorating was probably in order.
Congrats on the marriage and baby Reed!
Naughty naughty Daisy…
and RIP Dahlia, another death scene beautifully written DB 🙂
Thanks, Ness!
Daisy really is quite good at being bad, isn’t she?
Everytime I start reading a new update, I always have a huge smile on my face because I love this family so much.
I know they need a little girl to carry on the line, but I was pleased to see a little boy Foilage. 😀
I must admit, I didn’t feel too sad about Dahlia’s death. I was just happy that she and Win can be together again. I will miss her, though, in a happy-sad sorta way.
Fern. I’ve always liked her despite her evilness, and she did herself proud in this update, laying down the law to Daisy like that.
And as for Daisy, well. She better not mess with the happiness of this family or she’ll have ME to deal with. Don’t make me disown you, Daisy. I’ll do it.
Super, super update, as always. 😀
Yay! Smiles are good.
Actually, although you wouldn’t know it from the Y-chromosome-deficient history of this family, it wasn’t started as an official matriarchy. I had even contemplated making it an “alternacy” before I started it, but decided to leave it open. Until now, there have only been girls to choose from. Who’s to know what may happen?
I’m very fond of Fern myself, and I’m glad she has stuck around this long. She is better than anyone so far at handling Daisy, but that’s a big job. I’ll pass along your warning, though. That might do it.
awwwwwwwww. Well Dahlia had a long full life.
So Daisy is making the moves on Cedric then. He does seem a little oblivous though. Maybe once Rose goes back to work they’ll be time for them to get preg. Or is it just my toruting sim mind that would get them preg? Maybe both sisters could be preg with Ced’s baby at the same time? That would make it intersting. Anything to make Rose’s life a misery and get her out of the heiress and put Daisy in to rule.
Sorry I like turning things into soap operas. Plus I don;t like Rose but like Diasy.
Great story.
Wow, that would definitely be a soap opera! Rose has had kind of an odd beginning to her time as heiress, because she was still a teen when Dahlia announced her choice. Poppy, Lily, Daisy and Rose all still have time to develop. And who knows what will happen now that there are TWO males living in the Foliage household for the first time ever! 😉
It is the most oestrogen-tastic legacy house I’ve ever seen, I think. Not that that’s a bad thing, but it must be nice to have some more male sims about.
It’s nice to see Rose and Cedrick so happy. The make a gorgeous couple. I’m sure Reed will be a real looker. Congratualtions on having a first male Foliage descendant!
Well done Dahlia for mastering all the painter challenges. She was a great leader and it’s sad to see her go…
Thanks for the congrats! Rose and Cedrick are very cute together. She autonomously runs to kiss and hug him sometimes.
Awww….poor Dahlia. She didn’t even get to see Reed grow into a toddler. I am very concerned about Daisy…she has the potential to cause so much trouble. I have a bad feeling about it…
Dahlia did get to see that the legacy was being carried on, though, and I’m sure that satisfied her.
As for Daisy, well…
It’s a boy! A cutesy lil boy! He so cute 😀 *bounces around him happily* I forgot how boys look like almost reading this legacy 😉
And Awwwwe! Dahlia 😦 At least she gets to be with Win and her parents again! I bet Win been up in simheaven counting the hours lol. I’m glad Fern still around to help keep Daisy in check, who knows what that girl would do next
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