“Sure, I’ll meet you there about 7 0′clock” Sheila said, then hung up the phone. Brianna had called and wanted Sheila to meet her after work for dinner and a night on the town. Brianna had been worrried about Sheila. Since graduating from University it seemed that all she did was to mope around the house. Brianna didn’t think Sheila had gotten over the heartbreak of not only losing her first love Brian….but of losing him to someone she had thought of as a friend. Admittedly Olivia and Sheila had not been close friends…but Olivia  had known that Sheila and Brian were dating and had continued to relentlessly pursue Brian nonetheless. That just wasn’t right!

Sheila sat in the tub, thinking of the evening ahead as she bathed herself in the hot, soapy water. If only she could wash away all her worries so easily! After graduating from University, she and Brianna…her best friend in all the world…had moved into the house Brianna had inherited from her grandparent’s estate. Both had managed to get good jobs. Life should have been good for Sheila….yet it was not. She had managed to put on quite a few extra pounds, which only added to her depression. If Brian hadn’t wanted her when she was still slim, then who would want her now?

“I’m not going to worry about all that!” Sheila thought as she toweled herself dry and got dressed for the evening. “I’m going to go out and have a wonderful time!”

Sheila arrived a little early and sat down in the lobby, waiting for Brianna. She felt strange sitting there by herself. The party scene really wasn’t for her at all, and she was beginning to wonder why she had agreed to meet Brianna here in the first place.

Looking around Sheila suddenly noticed a familiar face. “Oh no”, Sheila thought as Olivia walked towards her.

“Where is he?” Olivia demanded loudly, looking right at Sheila. “I know you’re here with him…now where is Brian?” Sheila was completely surprised  and embarrassed as the people sitting nearby began to stare at the two of them.

Sheila stood and walked towards Olivia in an attempt to prevent Olivia from yelling across the room at her. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I haven’t seen him” Sheila said, as she stood facing Olivia. “Don’t you lie to me! I know he’s here with you! You’ve been trying to get him back since he left you for me!” Before Sheila could respond, Olivia swung and slapped Sheila across the face.

At that very moment, Brianna arrived to see her best friend being slapped by Olivia. The next instant, she heard the sharp crack as Sheila’s open palm met Olivia’s cheek. It left a bright red welt and imprint of Sheila’s hand which was clearly visible even on the flushed cheek.

“I told you I haven’t seen him…neither do I have any desire to see him! If you can’t keep up with him, then that’s your problem. He’s not my problem anymore!”

 ”Well that was long overdue” thought Brianna. She had never seen Sheila so angry before.

Brianna grabbed Sheila by the arm, walking with her to the bar before anything further could happen. Olivia had been escorted out of the building, as many had witnessed her assult upon Sheila.

“I can’t believe the evening is turning out this way”, said Sheila to Brianna. Brianna listened as her friend talked. Maybe that was what she needed to do…to just talk about her feelings so that she could move forward.

“Don’t you see…he is doing the same thing to her that he did to you. Some people just don’t change. He will make any woman miserable if she allows it. Just be thankful that he really isn’t your problem anymore!”

“You know…you’re right Brianna. For the first time, I really am glad that Brian and I are not together anymore! I deserve someone who will love me and who will be faithful to me.”

“That’s my girl” Brianna said. “Now remember tonight the next time you think about Brian.” Brianna tipped her coke towards Sheila and took a big swig. “I’ll drink to that” she thought.

That night Sheila decided that she was going to put Brian in her past and look forward. There were other men besides Brian…and one was sitting right beside her! Why…if he didn’t ask her to dance soon then Sheila decided that she was going to ask him!

Brianna smiled…happy that her best friend had finally seen the light and moved on.

(Authors Note: Sheila is just too, too nice! Even after all this she has a want to “apologize” to Olivia! Can you believe it?????  Well…it just ain’t gonna happen….nope!)

As the new year began, Anna received a call from her father from abroad. Her mother had taken ill and had quickly succumbed…leaving Samuel alone in a far-away country. Samuel arranged for Victoria’s body to be flown back to May Valley. They had given her an elaborate funeral and laid her to rest at the Lost Soul’s Cemetery. Samuel did not handle the death of his wife…his companion for over 50 years…very well. Not surprisingly, he too died within 6 months of Victoria’s death. 

Anna mourned the death of her parents, though she had never been particularly close to them. They had been away from her as much…if not more…than they had been around. She often wondered why they even had a child since they were never home. Tonight Anna was making a special dinner. Her twins, Brent and Brooke, were going to celebrate their birthday. She had invited Brianna and some of her friends over to share in the celebration.

Brooke blew out the candles on her birthday cake…then transformed into a beautiful teenager.

She had her mother’s soft, gray eyes…and her father’s blond hair. She truly had grown into a beautiful young woman.

Brent shared the same features as his twin sister…the soft, gray eyes of his mother and the blond hair of his father. He grew to be a very handsome young man.

Sheila had come to the party with Brianna…as had Olivia. She and Olivia had never again been friends after Olivia’s betrayal of their friendship by taking away Sheila’s boyfriend. Olivia and Brian were still together. She occasionally saw them around campus. But…as much as it hurt…she tried to move on.

Olivia, on the other hand, had continued to be rude and condescending to Sheila every chance she got. Sheila couldn’t understand why Olivia was upset with her. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?? After all, it was Olivia who had broken up her and Brian. Sheila just tried to ignore her…but it was hard sometimes.

Meanwhile: Graduation Day finally came for our university students:

When her grandfather died, Brianna was to inherit the house they owned in May Valley as a graduation present. When Brianna graduated university, she moved into the house. Her friend, Sheila Reynolds, moved in with her. She and Tosha had always talked about moving in together after graduating…but Tosha was head-over-heels in love with Logan Ku and they were planning to get married very soon.

Sheila Reynolds moved in with Brianna Lovely upon graduation.

Logan Ku and girlfriend Tosha Go moved into their own place after graduation.

Tosha Go,

Brian Waldren and girlfriend Olivia Devall moved into their own place after graduation.

Olivia Devalle.

Meanwhile…at the Reynolds household:

Archie Dunlap became an elder.

Kevin’s birthday came and he quietly transformed to an elder. He didn’t want a big fuss made about it…so there was only the family present to watch his transformation.

Brandi was once again pregnant…this time with their last child. She was getting older, and this pregnancy had been much harder on her. Brandi found herself feeling much more tired all the time. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that she had an energetic school-age boy…and a toddler that demanded almost all of her time. All Brandi wanted to do was sleep.

Brandi tried to split her free time between her children….but…Cherie required more of her mother’s time. Calvin didn’t like having to share his mother with his little sister.

When Cherie had her next birthday, things should have gotten better around the house. She and Calvin were now old enough to do a lot of things for themselves…and they could do a lot of fun things together.

Instead of things getting better…suddenly they were worse. Calvin picked on his little sister constantly.

Kevin had to intervene on a number of occasions when he heard Calvin and Cherie fighting. Calvin was usually the one being mean to Cherie, causing her to cry. Kevin hated having to punish his children. “All right, you two! That’s enough! Calvin, get dressed. You’re coming outside with me!” Kevin knew that some hard work would utilize a lot of that energy Calvin had in a more postitive direction.

Cherie often brought friends home with her from school. The other girls seemed to like her…but…Kevin and Brandi noticed that Cherie was the one who seemed to lead the other girls around. They seemed to look to her as the leader of the group.

Kevin continued to read every night to his children. He had always read to Sheila when she was a little girl. He had tried reading with Calvin…but Calvin wouldn’t sit still long enough to finish a story. Kevin had only gotten a few pages into a story when Calvin was squirming and ready to do something else. But Cherie loved it when her dad read to her.

Kevin worried about his son. He sometimes acted violently towards his toys. He even saw Calvin beating up on his beloved teddy bear…

…only to turn around and carry it around with him everywhere.

Kevin wanted to talk with Brandi about his concerns regarding Calvin. But…This pregnancy had been hard on Brandi. She barely had energy to take care of Calvin and Cherie. She was due to have the baby any day now. Though he didn’t want to admit it, Kevin was worried about Brandi. She had always been so full of life and energy…but now…she seemed to sleep all the time. Kevin had done the best he could with taking care of the children, but he still had a lot of work to do to keep the farm running smoothly.

Brandi finally went into labor the very next night. The children had already gone to bed. Kevin had recently taken up the hobby of painting. He was attempting to paint a portrait of Brandi when she suddenly began to experience severe contractions.

Brandi gave birth to her third…and their last…child…a boy. They named him Charles. He was a beautiful baby…and…not surprisingly…he looked so much like Kevin and their other two children. Brandi was so proud of her new son.

Kevin sat on the porch, enjoying the peace and quiet, listening to the rain as it pelted on the roof of the porch. He felt happy and content. He had a beautiful wife that he loved even more today than he had years before. He was so proud of Sheila. She would be graduating from university in just a few months. He had three children at home, and was proud of each of them. Admittedly, things were sometimes hectic…but he had wanted a large family, hadn’t he? Kevin had been an only child and had often felt lonely. He and Brandi had both wanted children, and God had blessed them with three beautiful, healthy children. Kevin sighed contentedly, breathing in deeply the fresh rain-cleansed air.

Brianna sat, trying to enjoy a quiet game of chess when suddenly one of the guys at her dorm decided to run by where she sat…completely naked! Brianna could hear the cheers of some of the other students, which only served to encourage the guy on. She just tried to ignore him, and continued on with her game.  “What a loser,” she thought. Brianna had started attending university as soon as she graduated from high school. She and her good friends Tosha Go and Sheila Reynolds had left on the same day…as did Logan Ku. These last three years had flown by.

Sheila had fallen hard for Brian Walden. She had liked him since high school when he would come home with her after school. He seemed to have fallen for her as well…or at least that was what Sheila thought!  One of the other girls in their dorm was Olivia Devalle. Sheila and Olivia had become friends. Olivia knew that Sheila was Brian’s girlfriend…but…Olivia seemed always to be watching her and Brian when they were together. It was kind of creepy the way she seemed to follow Brian and Sheila around.

Anna would often invite Brianna and her friends over for Sunday dinner. She knew that Sheila and Brian were a couple. It was sweet the way Brian would hug Sheila when they were together.  As usual, Olivia wasn’t too far away from Brian. Though Olivia didn’t like the fact that Brian seemed attracted to Sheila…she knew that…if she was patient she would be able to win him over for herself. She already knew that Brian found her attractive. She had seen him watching her when he thought noone was looking. It was only a matter of time…and Brian would be hers.

“Hey Brian…it’s my turn now!” Olivia said, walking up to Brian and Sheila. If she had to watch the two of them much longer she was sure to get sick! It was time to get a little more aggressive and kick her plan into action. She felt bad for Sheila because they were friends…sort of.  But…she wanted Brian more than she wanted Sheila’s friendship.

Sheila watched as Olivia blatently flirted with Brian…right in front of her. Brianna noticed too as she played chess with her little sister Brooke. She also noticed that Brian didn’t seem to mind a bit. In fact, he seemed to enjoy the fact that two women were vying for his attention. Brianna had never really liked Brian…not since the first time she met him and he had accused her of being mean to Logan. She understood the attraction, however, as Brian was a good-looking young man. The problem was…he knew it! Being attractive on the outside did not make you pretty on the inside! Brian was a good example of that in Brianna’s book.

One day they had all gone over to Sheila’s home. Brandi and Kevin missed Sheila so much…as did Calvin and Cherie. As usual, Olivia came along with the rest of the group. She wasn’t about to let Brian and Sheila out of her sight if she could help it. They had all been outside…enjoying the nice weather. Sheila saw Brian and Olivia beside the greenhouse. As she walked up to them she saw Brian caressing Olivia’s cheek in a very intimate way. They hadn’t seen her as she walked up.

“How could you! You’re nothing but a two-timing loser! I hope you and your little slut are very happy together!” Sheila said to Brian as she slapped him across the face. Sheila had never slapped anyone before…but it felt so good! Bursting into tears, Sheila left immediately and went back to her dorm. She would deal with Olivia later.

“You better stay away from my friend!” Brianna said to Brian. She had been out in the yard with Logan and Tosha when she heard what was happening. Brianna then left to make sure that Sheila was all right.

Not everyone was having such a hard time romantically. Logan and Tosha Go were definately a couple. Logan thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met!

After her break-up with Brian, Sheila found it harder to concentrate on her school work. If Brianna hadn’t been there to encourage her…Sheila may have just went back home. But…Brianna had reminded her that they only had one more year to go until graduation. She couldn’t quit now…and besides…what would her father think? He had worked so hard so that she could go to college. Sheila knew that what Brianna said was true. She would graduate…for her father! Anyway…she wouldn’t give Brian and Olivia the satisfaction of know how deeply she had been hurt by the two of them.

It was a beautiful fall day. Brandi and Kevin had invited Anna, Robi and the family over for the day. Sheila had specifically asked her dad to grill hamburgers, which was her favorite food.  “We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day, could we?” Brandi said to Anna.   “You said it. Fall is my favorite time of  year!” Anna said.  “So, how have you been feeling?” Anna asked.  “Need you ask! This baby better get here…and soon! I’m already a week overdue!” Brandi was definately ready for her baby to be born.

Robi and Brianna played kicky-bag, as Sheila and Brent cheered them on.

Brandi and Kevin loved having their friends over. The house was full of people laughing and children playing.  Brandi was happy that Anna’s children and Sheila had become such good friends. She felt as though they were all one big, happy family.

“It feels so good to see this old house full of life again” Kevin said to Robi as they sat on the porch talking.  “After my first wife died, I didn’t know if I would ever feel this way again. But…after meeting Brandi…and having such close friends as you and Anna…I feel almost as though my life has begun again. You know it was your wife that introduced me to Brandi, don’t you?” Kevin asked Robi.   “That doesn’t surprise me a bit,” Robi said. “If Anna thought you two should meet…believe me…she was going to make sure to make it happen!” Robi said to Kevin.   “Well…I’m sure glad she did!” Kevin said.

Just a few days later, Brandi started going into labor. Brandi called Anna, asking her to come over. This was her first baby and she would have felt better having her friend with her. Anna came over right away. She reminded Brandi to relax and to breathe as the contractions became more intense and frequent. Soon…Brandi was ready to have her baby….Anna was almost as happy as Brandi when the time finally came.

Brandi and Kevin had a little boy and named him Calvin. Kevin was so proud as he held his son in his arms. He loved his daughter Sheila more than he could say…but he had always wanted a son. Looking at Calvin, Kevin definately saw the resemblance between himself and his new son. Calvin looked just like his daddy.

Kevin was the one who usually got Calvin out of his crib in the mornings and fed him his first bottle. He was an early riser, and had always gotten up early to cook a good breakfast for Sheila before she went to school. Even after he and Brandi had married, he continued to get up early with Sheila…and then started working in his garden. Since Calvin’s birth, Brandi was up several times during the night. Kevin encouraged her to sleep in so that she would feel more rested. 

Brandi watched Calvin while Sheila was at school and while Kevin worked out in the garden and the fruit orchard. Today Brandi didn’t feel very well. After laying Calvin down for his nap, Brandi suddenly felt overwhelmed with nausea. She felt like she was going to throw up. As the nausea passed, Brandi went in her room and lay down on the bed.

Sheila was growing up fast. Her birthday was only a few months away. Though she had her father’s hair coloring, Sheila looked very much as her mother had looked.

Sheila had always worked around the farm. From the time she was just a toddler, Kevin had carried her around with him on his hip…taking her out to the greenhouse. She loved working out in the garden with him.

Soon Brandi and Kevin were expecting another baby. After the initial nausea of those first few weeks had passed, Brandi felt well enough to help Kevin out in the fruit orchard while Calvin slept.

On her birthday, Sheila made a wish and blew out the candles. Anna and Kevin cheered her on as she transformed into a teenager.

Sheila helped her dad and Brandi with caring for her little brother Calvin. Brandi was expecting another child, and appreciated all the help that Sheila offered. In just a few short months, Sheila was going to be moving to unversity with Anna’s daughter, Brianna and some of her other friends from school. She could hardly wait!

Now that she was a teenager, Sheila decided it was time to get rid of her pigtails and started fixing her hair differently. She even talked her dad into letting her get contacts so she didn’t have to wear her glasses all the time.  As Kevin saw his little girl growing into a woman, he saw the strong resemblance she bore to her mother, who was a beautiful woman.

Brandi had never been around little children before, so she looked to Anna for advise from time to time. She loved being a mother, and Calvin was such a good baby.

Calvin learned his skills very quickly as Brandi and Kevin tried to teach him. Kevin was thrilled when Calvin finally learned to walk.

Their second child joined the family…this time they had a girl. Brandi named her Cherie. Cherie looked so much like her older brother…and her father.   “Hmmm” thought Brandi, “I do all the work and you wouldn’t know it by looking at my children. They look exactly like their father!”

Brandi placed her newborn daughter in Kevin’s arms. “What a beautiful little girl you are!” said Kevin as he held his daughter for the first time. It was hard to believe that Sheila had ever been this small.

As soon as Anna heard about Cherie’s birth, she had to come over and look at the new baby. Sheila’s friend, Logan, was over as well. He was just taking Calvin out of his crib when Anna entered the nursery and held up little Cherie to get a better look at her.

Kevin had met several of Sheila’s friends. He really liked Logan. True…at first glance he did look a little different…well, a lot different…but he was a nice kid. He and Calvin had become buddies. He seemed like just a nice, sweet person…not like some of Sheila’s other friends.

Sheila and Logan were good friends…and only friends. There was no romantic attraction between the two of them…which was just fine with Kevin. At this point, he didn’t want his little girl romantically involved with anyone! He knew the time was coming though…and fast!

Kevin was more concerned about another one of Sheila’s friends, Brian Walden. Brian had come home from school with Sheila on several occasions…and Kevin knew that Sheila thought he was “hot”. He would just have to keep his eyes on these two. Kevin knew that Brian would be attending university the same time as Sheila.

Sheila moved on to university, and Calvin and Cherie continued to grow. Today they would share a birthday. Kevin had invited Sheila home for the birthday party. She had come, bringing some of her friends along with her.

Calvin and Cherie transformed as family and friends watched.

Cherie transformed to a toddler, looking more than ever like her dad.

Calvin and Kevin Reynolds…father and son look-alikes.

 Hmmm…looks as though Brandi and Kevin are trying for #3!

Authors note: I am using the autonomous casual romance mod in my game now. This allows sims to flirt, kiss, have casual woo-hoo and even try for baby with whoever they are attracted/in love with. Cherie was conceived as a result of Kevin initiating ‘try for baby’. He’s a family sim, so it’ll be interesting to see just how many children they decide to have before they get too old!

On another note: Not only do Calvin and Cherie look exactly alike, they also have the exact same stats. They’re both Scorpio 10 neat, 7 active, 9 active, 3 playful, 1 nice. So…essenstially…they are identical…except one is male and the other is female.

Brianna watched from the window as Archie, her biological father, and her brother Logan approached the house. Archie’s live-in girlfriend Celeste, and their daughter Chelsea weren’t far behind. Brianna had talked with her mother about her desire to get to know Archie, and her half-brother and half-sister better. Anna agreed to do what she could to bring all of them closer. She had invited them all to dinner in hopes of giving them the opportunity they needed to get to know each other better.

Robi and Brooke met them all as they arrived. Robi was glad that Brianna wanted to get closer to Archie. Robi had adopted Brianna when she was just a few months old and had always thought of her as his very own daughter. He understood though, now that she was getting older…a young woman…that she would be thinking more about her biological father. Robi didn’t feel threatened in the least. He and Brianna had a wonderful relationship…they had always been close.

Brooke liked having a new friend to play with. Chelsea looked a lot like her dad, while Logan appeared to have more of his mother’s features.

Brianna and Logan didn’t get off to a very good start however. Logan got upset at something Brianna said, startling Brianna with his strong response. Logan appeared to have a quick temper…or was it just that he was very sensitive because,since he was a little boy, he had been teased and made fun of because he looked different than everybody else in May Valley?

Brianna attempted to get back at Logan for startling her. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to Logan’s shirt. As Logan looked down to see what Brianna was pointing at, Brianna thumped Logan on the nose.

“Gotcha!” Brianna laughed, pointing at Logan. For Logan it seemed that here was just one more person making fun of him. He had been looking forward to getting to know Brianna…but now he wasn’t so sure.

Logan’s best friend Christopher had come along with Logan. He had seen people make fun of his best friend one too many times. Before Logan could say anything, Christopher pointed at Brianna and angrily said, “What do you think you’re doing? You’re supposed to be on his side. You’re no different than the other bullies at school!”

Brianna and Christopher stood nose to nose, glaring at each other. Suddenly Brianna noticed how blue Christopher’s eyes were…and how extremely good-looking he was. Christopher was suddenly aware of how close he was to Brianna, and that she had the prettiest blue-gray eyes he had ever seen! Both Brianna and Christopher turned two shades of red and quickly moved away from the other, leaving Logan a bit confused.  

“Aww, he knows I was just joking with him, don’t you big brother?” Brianna was beginning to understand a little more about why Logan seemed so sensitive to her joking with him. Suddenly she grabbed Logan, getting him in a head-lock and scrubbing his scalp something fierce. Christopher continued to look away, still confused about what had just happened between him and Brianna.

As evening fell, they sat down for dinner. Celeste and Archie sat together with Anna and Brianna at one table. “Looks like we’re going to have to buy a bigger dining room table” said Anna. She wanted to have them all together as often as possible.

Christopher left shortly after arriving with Logan and his family. Brianna felt bad about teasing Logan and invited him to play a game of chess with her. They talked throughout the game and Brianna felt much closer to Logan and the rest of the family as the evening came to an end.

Seeing her mother and Archie sitting together and talking Brianna wondered how they had met and how she had come to be. She would have to ask her mother about that sometime.

That night as Brianna went upstairs to get ready for bed. This was the happiest she had felt for quite some time. Brianna looked at herself in the mirror from all angles. “Yes, I can see a little resemblance between me and Archie. I wonder if Christopher likes the way I look?” she thought as she stepped into the shower.

Brooke was a very pretty little girl. She had Robi’s blond hair, but it was hard to tell who she would look like as she aged into an adult. Brooke was friendly, and often brought friends home with her from school.

Brooke loved being outdoors…summer or winter! She loved playing catch in the front yard with her friends.

Brooke and her twin brother Brent got along most of the time. They occasionally had their disagreements…but…no more or no less than other brothers and sisters. They both loved their older sister Brianna, and looked up to her.

Brent preferred being indoors playing chess or reading to being outside. He and Chelsea Ku often played chess together after school before it got too late and she had to go home.

Brianna had become best friends with a girl she met at school named Tosha Go. Tosha was a lot of fun to be around. She and Brianna had plans to attend university together and then move into their own place once they graduated.

On her days off from her job, Anna enjoyed going down to the bakery with Robi to help out. She usually stayed in the kitchen, baking pies or cakes to re-stock as they sold out. She enjoyed it…and Robi seemed so happy these days. He was working hard and the bakery was actually beginning to make money.

At the end of the day Robi closed the bakery, then began to check their inventory and re-stock the empty shelves with pies and cakes. He was in a hurry today, because it was Anna’s birthday. They were going to have a little birthday party for her this evening.

Here’s a picture of the bakery. (Authors Note: Yes, this is the J’Adore Bakery that Gilbert Jacquet owned in Bluewater Shopping District. I moved it to lots and houses and now can move it to any of my neighborhoods.)

After working hard at the bakery all day, Anna took a shower as she thought of her birthday party. The guests would be arriving any second now, so she had to make it quick.

Anna met Brandi and Kevin as they arrived. “You haven’t had that baby yet?” Anna kidded Brandi. “No, but I will have just any day now…and I can hardly wait!” said Brandi.

Anna made a wish and blew out the candles on her cake. Brent watched with a worried look on his face. He didn’t want his mother to change. He loved her just the way she was! 

But Anna did indeed transform into an elder. Her parents were not here…once again they were traveling…somewhere. Anna couldn’t keep up. She quit trying a long time ago. It was something she had gotten used to from the time she was a small child. She only knew that she always wanted to be with her children any chance she got!

Anna was happy that she and Brandi had remained such close friends over the years. Anna was older than Brandi, but that didn’t matter. Brandi had been there when she and Robi had started dating. She had attended their wedding…and had been present at most of the birthday parties they had celebrated. She was like one of the family. And…here she was…having her own child after all these years. She hoped that they would always be as close as they were now.

Anna Lovely, elder.

Brianna had her birthday, becoming a teenager. She was a beautiful young woman. But…Brianna wanted to change her looks a bit…she wanted to look more grown up.

Brianna really liked her new hair style and make-up.

Anna and Robi had been talking about…and saving up… so that they could start their own business. They had discussed what kind of business they wanted to start…and had decided to open a bakery. Robi liked to bake, and he liked the idea of being his own boss…rather than working for someone else. Finally they were financially able to purchase a building and start the family business. Robi got a lot of advice from his father-in-law, which was greatly appreciated. The entire family was excited to finally see their dream become a reality.

Robi and Anna continued to make sure the family ate their meals together. Everyone stayed busy…Brianna was now in high school. The twins, Brooke and Brent, were in grade school. Sometimes it was a challenge to get everyone together at the same time.

Anna was continuing to get promotions in the adventurer field. Her last promotion was to be a pirate. She was up for another promotion soon.

Robi started working at the bakery with the realization that most of the work would fall upon his shoulders. Anna loved her job and wouldn’t think of quitting. She had promised Robi that she would help out when she could…which didn’t turn out to be very often. Mostly, she helped out with baking the pies and cakes.

The most difficult job for Robi was running the cash register. It wasn’t so bad if he only had one or two customers at a time.

Some days were very busy…with long lines at the cash register. Sometimes as many as three people would be waiting to check out…

…and sometimes even more! Robi realized that more people meant more money…and a successful business.

When one of the customers just threw down his bags and stormed off because he had to wait too long, Robi knew that he desperately needed more help!

Robi hired a woman named Denise to help him in the Bakery. She had come with a good recommendation from Samuel, Robi’s father-in-law. Robi found himself relying on and calling upon him on more than one occassion for advice and help about how to make his bakery a success.

One day Robi noticed Brandi, Anna’s best friend, in the store. She was very noticably pregnant. Anna had introduced Brandi to Kevin, the man she eventually married. He also noticed that Brianna’s biological father, Archie, was in the store.

Brianna and Archie had not spent a lot of time together, though they had kept in touch infrequently over the years. Robi knew that Kevin still lived with his girlfriend and that he had another daughter as well as a son.

I hope that’s not a cheesecake in your bag Brandi!

Robi stopped off at the grocery store on his way home from work. Victoria, Robi’s mother-in-law was at the store. She dropped in often, making sure everything was all right. The elder Lovely’s owned the store, but didn’t actually work there. They hired employees to do the work, dropping by from time to time.

Robi picked out the items he needed, taking them up to the counter to pay for them. Victoria nodded hello to Robi. She seemed to be having a serious conversation with another woman in the store.

“Thanks Amy” said Robi, as he turned to leave. “Tell Brianna I said hi and I’ll see her tomorrow at school” Amy said to Robi. Seeing Amy working at the store gave Robi an idea. “Why couldn’t Brianna work a few hours a week for me in the bakery?” he thought. He would talk to Anna and Brianna about it later. Robi said good bye to Victoria and left for home.

Robi got home at about the same time that Anna returned from work. Brent ran out to give his mother a big hug. Anna was happy because she had just gotten a promotion!

When Robi wasn’t at the bakery, he stayed busy at home…baking pies. One of his best sellers was cherry pie. Robi made a lot of cherry pies! He had gotten the recipe from his own mom.

The other best seller was cheesecake. Robi always made sure the shelves were stocked with cheesecake. Was it his imagination…or was it mostly women who bought them from him?

All the hard work was beginning to pay off. One day Robi had a special customer. The man kept walking around the store, watching how he interacted with the customers. He looked at the shelves…noticing that they were frequently restocked any time they started to look bare. He even sampled some of the pastries. Robi was pleased when the man told him that he thought the bakery was a very fine establishment and he was going to give them a good review! 

While everyone else in the family stayed busy, Brianna spent a lot more time in her room. Sometimes her little brother and sister got on her nerves! Brianna loved her family, but lately she had been thinking about Archie, her biological father. Maybe it was because she was growing up. Brianna wanted to have a closer relationship with Archie.

She also had a brother that was a little older than her who went to the same school that she did. She had met Logan on a few occasions, but didn’t really know him. She had a younger sister named Chelsea. Chelsea was the youngest of all her siblings and had just started elementary school.

If Brianna had anything to say about it, she was going to bring all of her family together!

Brandi got ready for her date with Kevin. She felt nervous…did she look all right? Her friend Anna had told her she should wear her hair down because it made her look prettier…gave her face a softer look. Brandi had always just pulled it back in a ponytail to get it out of the way. But tonight Brandi wanted to look pretty for Kevin.

Kevin took her out for dinner. ”So. How come a girl like you isn’t already married? Do you want to get married and have children?” Kevin asked Brandi. ”Yes, I would love to get married and have children. I just haven’t found anyone I wanted to get married to…yet.” Brandi looked at Keith. Was it possible that she had finally found the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with?

The conversation had gotten so serious Brandi thought she would lighten things up a bit. She threw a sprig of her salad at Kevin, prompting him to retaliate by throwing a chunk of cucumber at her. Soon the two of them were laughing and just enjoying the evening and being in each others company.

At the end of the evening Keith pulled Brandi close to him, kissing her gently. “I had a wonderful evening Brandi” Keith said, looking into Brandi’s eyes. “So did I. Thank you for dinner.” Neither Keith nor Brandi had eaten much.

The next morning Anna stopped by. She wanted to know all about their date the night before. “Well…did you do it?  Tell me all about it. I can’t wait to hear all the details!” Anna stood, waiting for Brandi to speak. “Anna! I can’t believe you just asked me that! And…no…we didn’t ‘do it’! We had a nice dinner…and that’s all that happened!” Brandi looked at her friend. She loved Anna…but sometimes…

Keith stopped by and brought a flower to Brandi to thank her for their wonderful evening the night before. He would have bought dozens of roses for Brandi if he could have afforded it.   

Keith stayed for a while. He and Brandi were finding it more difficult to keep their hands off each other. But…still…there were no juicy stories to tell Anna! Just a lot of kissing and hugging going on….though the PG rating was definately beginning to be R rated!

Keith and Brandi continued to see each other over the next several months. He hadn’t realized how lonesome he had been after his first wife’s death. Yes…Keith had fallen in love with Brandi and he was going to ask her to marry him. He had invited Brandi over for dinner and he was going to propose to her this very night!

Keith and Sheila dressed up for their dinner. Keith cooked salmon, even though Sheila would have preferred to have hamburgers. But Keith wanted the evening to be special. As he handed over the box containing the ring Keith said, ”I know it’s not the biggest diamond you’ve ever seen…but I want you to know that I love you. I would be honored if you would be my wife!” Keith watched as Brandi looked at the ring. “No…I would be honored for you to be my husband! Yes, I will marry you!” Brandi said as she slid the ring on her finger.

Brandi and Keith held hands across the table. The engagement ring looked perfect on Brandi’s finger. Sheila felt a bit awkward watching her father holding hands with another woman. But…she liked Brandi and was happy for them. She and her dad had talked about whether or not he should ask Brandi to join their family. Sheila just wanted her dad to be happy…and she knew that Brandi made him happy. No one ate very much…they were too happy…and excited.

The wedding took place with Keith’s friend, Logan, standing in as best man. Brandi invited her best friend in the whole world, Anna…and Lucy joined in at the ceremony.

Brandi made a beautiful bride.

Keith was very handsome in his tuxedo….and he was very happy.

Brandi fed her new husband wedding cake.

Though money was tight and they didn’t have a big wedding, they did have a few appetizers for their guests to snack on.

Brandi loved living on the farm. She jumped right in…helping with all the work that needed to be done every day. She even harvested the oranges when they became ripe. They bought a new juicer so they could have fresh orange juice every morning with breakfast.

Keith occasionally got help from the gardener with keeping the weeds out of his tomato plants.

Sheila had her chores to do as well. She made sure her room was always kept neat and clean…and she made her bed every morning before leaving for school.

Sheila worked hard at school. Soon she was making all A’s! Brandi and Keith were so proud of her.

Brandi hadn’t been feeling very well….she just felt so sick to her stomach. Ugh!

Soon Brandi and Keith were expecting their first child. Keith continued to read to Sheila every night, just as he had always done since she was a little girl.

The smile says it all. Brandi was so happy. She was in love with a wonderful man…she loved Sheila as though she were her own daughter. And…she was expecting her first child. Her life had changed so much in one short year!

And two bonus pictures:

Brandi shows off her assets to an appreciative audience.

I guess the honeymoons over!

Anna sat on the front porch of her friend Kevin Reynolds’ home. It was a beautiful day out and Anna had taken a walk. She saw Kevin sitting on his porch and asked if she could join him. Anna had met Kevin months ago at a PTA meeting. He really stuck out because he was the only father who had attended. Anna later found out that Kevin’s wife had died, leaving him with their little girl Sheila. Sheila was in the same class as Anna’s daughter Brianna.

Kevin had lived in this same house his entire life. His father had been a farmer, and his grandfather as well. Kevin had been raised  farming, and he didn’t know anything else. He lived a simple life…and he wouldn’t trade it for anything. Yes…Kevin’s life was nearly perfect. The only thing missing was a wife for him…and a mother for his daughter Sheila.

Getting off the school bus, Sheila ran to the porch. “Hello, Mrs. Lovely! I saw Brianna today. She’s in my class you know!” After giving her father a quick hug, Brianna went into the house to eat an after-school snack. “She’s growing up so fast!” Kevin said to Anna. “Tell me about it!” said Anna. “My twins are already in school, and Brianna will be in college before I know it!” Kevin sighed. “I don’t know Anna. Sometimes I worry about Sheila. She needs a woman to show her how to dress like a girl…how to fix her hair to be pretty. I don’t know anything about all that stuff.” Sheila was a bit of a tomboy, but she seemed to be a very happy little girl to Anna. “I wouldn’t worry too much about that, Kevin. You’re obviously doing a wonderful job of raising your child.”

As Anna got up to leave she suddenly had a wonderful idea. “I know just the right person for this man! Brandi! She would fit in just perfectly with this family!” Anna thought. Turning to Kevin Anna said, “Kevin, My best friend’s name is Brandi. Brandi LeTourneau. Here is her phone number. Why don’t you give her a call? I think the two of you would get along just great! Will you think about it at least?” “Uh…okay…I’ll think about it. And….thanks Anna” Kevin said, tucking Brandi’s phone number in his shirt pocket. “Goodbye Mrs. Lovely” said Sheila, “Tell Brianna I said hello!”

“Don’t even think about it, Lucy Hanby! I’ve already found the perfect match for Mr. Kevin Reynolds!”

That night after Sheila had gone to bed, Kevin decided to take a long, hot bath. Sometimes he found it hard to fall asleep and a bath helped him to relax enough to doze off quickly. He thought of Anna’s visit…and the phone number she had given him. Should he call Brandi? It had been a couple of years now since his wife had died. Sometimes he felt so lonely…especially at night. The most important thing to him right now was to make sure that Sheila was all right. But…wouldn’t having a woman around again be good for Sheila as well? And…anyway…he trusted Anna…trusted her judgment. Perhaps he would give this Brandi a call.

The next morning, Kevin awoke early and made breakfast for Sheila and himself. It was Friday, so Sheila had to be getting up soon in time to catch the school bus. Kevin had decided to invite a few friends over later in the afternoon…including Anna….and Brandi! He thought that would be the best way to go about meeting Brandi….and less socially awkward.

Kevin hugged Sheila as she left for school. “Have a good day, honey” Kevin said. “I will daddy. You too!” said Sheila as she left for the school bus. Kevin was proud of his daughter. She was doing well in school, and wanted to go to college. He had been saving up for that for several years now. He wasn’t a rich man…not even close…but he believed in working hard and he knew the importance of a good education. He hadn’t gone to college, but he wanted his daughter to have the opportunity to go.

Kevin called Brandi, asking her if she would like to come over later in the afternoon. He explained that he was having some of his friends over and would like to meet her. Brandi knew all about Kevin. Anna had already told her what she had done – that she had given him her phone number and to expect a call from him. Brandi told Kevin she would be happy to stop by…and that she was looking forward to meeting him.

That evening Kevin and Brandi finally met. They immediately felt a physical attraction towards the other (3 bolts!)…but would they really like each other?

“Well, Anna was right. She told me her best friend was beautiful…and I agree!” Kevin said to Brandi. Brandi suddenly felt shy around Kevin.

Kevin and Brandi talked most of the evening. Kevin told her of growing up in May Valley. He told her about his parents, his passion for farming. Kevin also told Brandi about his marriage…and that his wife had died a couple of years before. Kevin spoke proudly of his daughter, Sheila. Brandi could tell that sheila was very important to Kevin.

Brandi got to meet Sheila as she came into the room. “Do you have any children?” Sheila asked Brandi. “No, I’m afraid not. I don’t even have a husband! But…I would love to have a little girl just like you one day” Brandi said to Sheila. “Don’t worry. You will. I think you’re nice. Don’t you think she’s nice daddy?” Sheila asked Kevin.

“Yes honey. I sure do! I think Miss Brandi is very nice!” Kevin said, looking at his daughter. Brandi blushed. “I think I’ll try to find Anna.” Brandi said. “Why am I feeling so happy?” Brandi thought to herself…though she already knew the answer.

“Well? What do you think?” Anna asked Brandi as she sat down beside her. “Didn’t I tell you he was perfect for you?”

“He is perfect Anna! Do you think he likes me too?” Brandi felt uncertain. She had never felt this attracted to a man before. “Oh, I certainly do think he likes you too!” said Anna, smiling to her friend.

After all his guests had left, Kevin made sure to spend a little time with Sheila before her bedtime. He read to her one of her favorite books…a ritual they had tried to keep up since Sheila was a very little girl.

A few weeks later Kevin asked Brandi to come by for breakfast. “I’m not the best cook you’ll ever meet…but I make delicious pancakes!” Kevin had said to Brandi. She had accepted, of course. Kevin had called her every night for the past two weeks, yet he hadn’t asked her out on a date. In a way, this could be considered a date…couldn’t it? Brandi was so excited to get to see Kevin again.

Kevin had surprised Brandi as he gently kissed her just as they were sitting down for breakfast.

No, Brandi hadn’t minded at all. In fact…she was wishing that the kiss would never end!

Brandi was too nervous to eat very much, though she was careful to eat enough to let Kevin know how much she had appreciated his thoughtfulness in fixing them for her. Brandi kept thinking about that kiss. She wanted Kevin to kiss her again…and again…and again…

Kevin asked Brandi if she would like to dance. As he put his arms around her, Brandi could smell just a hint of soap and cologne. They danced slowly right there in the living room, looking deeply into each other’s eyes.

Kevin drew her closer, slowly lowering his hands from her waist to her hips to draw her body even closer to his own. “Breathe!” Brandi thought, as she felt her knees grow weak.

Brandi wasn’t sure just how it happened, but suddenly she found herself sitting on Kevin’s lap. He was kissing her more passionately than she had ever been kissed before.

Kevin and Brandi were very quickly falling in love!

As Brandi left, Kevin kissed her goodbye….right out in front of the cows and the chickens. Right in front of the whole neighborhood. No…Kevin didn’t care who saw him kiss Brandi!

Anna and Robi continued to talk about starting their own business. In the meantime, Anna decided to go back to work leaving Robi home to take care of the children. Brianna was in school most of the day, so Robi could concentrate on Brooke and Brent. The nanny still came to help out because…well…there were two of them…need I say more?

It was just as well that Anna was the one to go back to work because she seemed to worry about every little thing when it came to her children…while Robi was a little more laid back about it all. Once when Brent got so tired he fell asleep in the kitchen, Anna worried about it while Robi just laughed and thought it was cute! He knew they would grow up to be perfectly fine adults! They had a loving home and all their physical needs were being met. What else did they need?

Eventually, Anna got a promotion to pirate in the adventurer field. She happily left for work at the same time that Brianna went to school….knowing that the twins were being well taken care of by Robi.

Robi was a good daddy. He helped both Brett and Brooke with their skills. Of course, he appreciated all the help he got from Calista, the nanny!

One day Anna brought home a visitor from work with her…none other than Archie Dunlap…Brianna’s biological father. Even though Robi had adopted Brianna long ago, Anna and Robi thought it was important that Brianna know the truth about Archie. From the beginning, they had told Brianna how Robi had loved her so much that he had adopted her so she would be his very own little girl. She had never met Archie before. Archie had asked Anna if it was okay for him to meet Brianna. She and Robi had discussed the matter between themselves…then they had asked Brianna what she thought about it. Brianna decided that she would like to meet Archie, so Anna had agreed that he could come home with her and meet Brianna.

“I really appreciate this, Anna,” Archie said as they stood outside the house. “I know this is long overdue.” “Well,” said Anna, “Don’t expect too much Archie. After all, Robi is her father…the only father she’s ever known…and the two of them are very close. I don’t know how she will react to seeing you.” “I understand,” said Archie. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity to get to know her. It means a lot to me. I guess seeing my son Logan growing up so fast made me think about Brianna. Thank you for letting me see her.”

Robi and Archie sat on the sofa watching television. It was a little awkward, but Robi wasn’t at all worried because his relationship with Brianna was incredible. Robi knew that, no matter what, Brianna would always think of him as her father.

Brianna had seen pictures of Archie, so she knew exactly who he was when she saw him. They talked for a while. Archie asked her about how she was doing in school. He asked her about her friends…what her hobbies were. They had a nice conversation.

 Archie told Brianna more about what her half-brother, Logan, was like. Brianna thought she would like to meet him sometime.

“You’ve done a wonderful job with Brianna, Anna” Archie said to Anna after he and Brianna had visited with each other. “Yeah. Robi and I have tried very hard to make sure she had everything she needs. As you can tell, she’s grown up well.”

Archie picked up Happy. “Is this…it can’t be…is this the puppy I gave you?” Archie looked closely at the puppy’s face. “I can’t believe you still have her! How are you, little girl?” Happy wagged her tail, loving the attention. Unfortunately, since the birth of the twins, both Poncho had Happy had been a bit neglected…and they weren’t happy about it either!

“Would you like to have her?” Anna asked Archie. “Are you kidding? Sure! Logan and Celeste would love her! Oh…by the way…did I mention that Celeste and I are expecting another child?” “No, I don’t think you did. Congratulations! So…did the two of you ever get married?” Anna asked. “Uh…no…not yet…I suppose it’s about time we did though, isn’t it?” Archie laughed. “Way past time” Anna thought, but didn’t say anything. “Well, she’s yours if you want her.” Anna gave Happy to Archie who very happily took her home to her new family.

(authors note – I have tried everything to get the dogs to age and nothing works. So I’ve decided to just get rid of them rather than have the same pets forever!)

Anna had been working hard…between work and the kids…so she decided to invite Brandi over for a visit. Anna greeted Brandi as she arrived. “It’s just us girls for an hour or so anyway. Robi took the kids to the park. Let’s enjoy it while we can!”

Brandi told Anna about the ‘date’ she had been on the night before. “You wouldn’t believe it, Anna. This guy asked me out to dinner and a movie. I thought the guy was pretty nice, so I said yes. Well…for dinner he took me to McDonalds! I’m not kidding. Then…he wanted to rent a movie and go back to my place to watch it! That was his idea of taking me out to a movie! I just made up some excuse…I told him I wasn’t feeling well and ended the date! Can you believe the nerve of the guy!” By the time Brandi finished telling her story, they were both laughing so hard their sides ached!

Anna warmed up the spaghetti leftovers from last night’s dinner (everybody knows spaghetti is so much better the next day!) They ate a quick lunch, then headed for the hot tub.

“I don’t think I’ll ever find my Mr. Right! You are so fortunate, Anna. You and Robi seem so perfect for each other! I would love to have a family like the two of you have!” Brandi sighed wistfully. “You can, Brandi! Don’t you remember how Robi and I met?” Anna asked. “I don’t think so. Just how did the two of you meet?” asked Brandi. “Well…this is between you and me, okay? I used a matchmaker! I paid her to introduce me to someone that I would be compatible with. You should try it too! It really works!”

“Well, it’ll take more than a matchmaker for me to find a husband…a plastic surgeon, perhaps?” Brandi said, half jokingly. “Are you kidding! You haven’t looked in the mirror lately girl! With a little make-up you could be georgous! Now come on. Let’s go  make you georgous!” Anna playfully splashed Brandi with water, then got out of the hot tub. “Come on!” Anna yelled back at Brandi as she went into the house. Brandi slowly followed. Just what was her friend up to now?

Anna gave Brandi a makeover…showing her how to put on her make-up to bring out her beauty. To complete the transformation, Anna gave Brandi one of her blouses to put on. “There! See what I mean? You may want to get your hair styled, but don’t you see how beautiful you are?” Brandi looked at herself in the mirror. “Beautiful? Well, maybe not, but definately an improvement!” Brandi thought as she looked at herself. “Thanks Anna! Today was so much fun!” Brandi left, still wearing the blouse that her best friend had given to her.

Before long, it was time for Brooke and Brent to have a birthday. This time, Anna’s parents were in town and able to come to the party. Samuel watched as his daughter took his grandaughter to her birthday cake. He never could understand all the fuss people made about getting older. He sure didn’t want to get any older!

Brooke cheered as she became a school aged girl.

Brandi watched as Brent quickly followed his twin sister Brooke into childhood.

Samuel sat by his grandson Brent. He had never felt very comfortable around children. After all, wasn’t that what mothers and nannies were for? Once they became adults, he was more than happy to give them advice on how to make the best of their life…especially financially. For some reason he couldn’t understand, people didn’t always appreciate his advice either.

Victoria and her grandaughter Brianna talked about Brianna’s “biolgical father”, as Brianna referred to Archie. She knew he was different…that Archie’s father had some strange name like “Pollination Technician”. Brianna and Archie had talked a couple of times on the telephone, but she hadn’t seen him since he came home with her mother that day.

“Do you think they are going to have a puppy now?” Brooke asked, watching her grandparent’s kissing and hugging. Brianna looked at her little sister in disbelief. “I think it’s time for mom to have a little talk with her!” Brooke thought, shaking her head.