Victoria Hill

How are you, my friends?

Grandma Missy is back again, to tell you another story, this one not so sad as the last one. That was a silly thing to say! Birthdays are always happy occasions, aren’t they? Although, in this case, the parties were completely forgotten, and the birthdays nearly were, too.

For a start, Andrew, Cherry, and George were rather busy playing with Lee, and then George seemed to realise that it was his 13th birthday, and he was no longer a child.

Handsome young devil, isn’t he? Then again, I am his grandmother, so I would say that, wouldn’t I? I rather think that he preferred to let his birthday slip past, as he couldn’t have his two best friends, Georgia and Henry, over, thanks to the argument between Andrew and Brian. I wish they’d start speaking to each other again, if only for the sake of their children,

Speaking of Georgia and Henry, it was their birthday today, as well.

Brian and Jill were too busy arguing to notice that their babies got bigger, but that’s nothing new. Arguments in that house seem to be a daily occurrence now, and I really don’t know why Jill stays with him.

The kids went out just after they got bigger, and the three of them were meeting at the arcade, and Cherry and Jill have gone shopping. Perfect!

Gotta go, folks, I’ll show those boys! I bet they’ve never had food thrown at them before! At least not by me! I’ll show ‘em to be so darn stubborn!

Love,
Missy

Heya folks!

Grandma Missy is here again! Oh, you should have seen the look that my twins got on their faces when they heard the news!

Oops, I’m getting ahead of myself, there.

You probably already know this, but after those stubborn little monsters didn’t show up at my funeral, my Ed decided that they weren’t getting anything when he passed on, not one penny. Well, that’s exactly what happened! My Ed passed on earlier today, you know. He was only 79, too.

I had a nice little chat with Grim before he left to pick up my Ed, and he asked me if I’d mind if he had a little rest at the house when he’d finished. I had to laugh a little at that, you know. Who would have thought the Grim Reaper would be so polite?

From what his girls tell me, he made himself right at home when he had sent my Ed on, and they took some rather funny photos, which I’ll share with you.

Anyway, I better go now, and see how Ella’s holding up.
Love, Missy

(I know this is short, but I’m having a hard time stopping myself from laughing. I’d heard that Grim would sometimes settle in for a while, but I’d never seen it happen. Note to self: update family tree.)

Nobody could call Ed Hutchings stupid.

He had not worked his way up to the Chief of Staff position at Victoria Hill Memorial by standing around, or kissing anyone’s back cheeks. So, when he awoke suddenly in the early hours of Monday morning, and saw that Missy was not by his side, he was sure something was wrong.

Sometimes, Missy would wake up in the night hungry, but that wasn’t the case this time. He couldn’t smell anything cooking, and besides, Missy had a habit of humming or singing to herself when cooking. There was no sound from the TV, so she wasn’t watching infomercials to ease a bout of insomnia, and there was no sound of running water which would indicate she was in the shower. Ed supposed his wife could be asleep in her favourite chair, but something inside told him that wasn’t the answer, either.

He rose slowly, absently making the bed, went to the half-open door, and was about to call his wife’s name when he saw it.

(something went funny with the night/day settings there for a while, but it seems to have come right now. That’s why it looks like Missy is having an early dinner, when it was, in fact, almost midnight.)

She had obviously been in the process of preparing herself some late-night lobster when Bobby called another of his daughters home. Ed had been a doctor, and knew his wife was gone, but something inside made him check, just in case there was something, anything, he could do, even though he knew it was hopeless.

There was nothing he could do now, except phone the family. They would all know what was up, a phone call after midnight in the Hill meant that someone had died. Ed knew he had to make those calls, but he couldn’t help but gaze at his wife one more time. they had so many years together, and now there was only the memories left.

(That was a shock, I mean, I thought Ed would go first! I must remember to update the family tree. Also, I’m a little worried about what Sasha will do when Ed goes, because I’ve just discovered she has a mega-crush on him.)

“An’ guess what, Henry? My brother’s getting a chocolate cake! With candy sprinkles!”
“Cool! I wish I could have come to Lee’s birthday, George, but my dad won’t let me.” A touch of sadness crept into Henry Hutchings’ voice as he talked with his cousin on the phone, something which was expressly forbidden by his father, Brian.
“Don’t worry, Henry. I’ll take lots of pictures with the camera that Santa brought me, and I’ll save you a bit of the cake, too!”
“Thanks! Oh, I’ve got to go, my dad’s home!”
“Bye-bye!”

Cherry had tried not to listen in on her son’s conversation, but as the phone was in the kitchen, and was she, it was unavoidable. Their boy was so good-natured, not just toward his cousins, who he only got to see at school, but to everyone. He had even asked, on Christmas Eve, if Santa got presents too, as well as giving them, and had asked if he could wrap up the toy truck, which he’d brought with his allowance, and leave it out for Santa. Both Cherry and Andy had agreed. It had seemed so cold-hearted no to, especially when George looked so earnest.

After he had eaten his piece of birthday cake, George looked up at his mother.
“Mama, can we save some cake for Henry and Georgia?”
“I’ve already wrapped a piece each for them, and you can take it with your school lunch tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Mama. Can they come to my next birthday, Dad?”
Andy just didn’t have the heart to give his son an outright “no”.
“We’ll see, George. It’s about time for your bath.”
“Can I put my toy battleship in with me?”
“Not tonight, George, it’s already past your bedtime, you know.”
Cherry put in, as she lifted Lee from his highchair.
“Okay, Mama.”

(I’m quite pleased with George and the way his personality is developing, at least on paper!)

“I still say its awful about what’s happened between them two.”
“I’m not denying that, Missy, my sweet, but I still agree with Andrew. He did the right thing, you know.”
“I know Ed, it’s just…”
“Just nothing! We should be discussing our new grandson, Lee!”
“You’re right, but I still can’t help it, Ed. They were inseparable when they were younger, and now look what’s happened. And what about the fight they had about baby naming rights. What’s wrong with the both of them, Ed?”
“Nothing is wrong with them, my sweet, just a rather large difference in opinion, that’s all. Now, that’s not wrong in itself, but the subject of their differences, in this case, paints a rather thin line between the ethical and the unethical, the helpful and the harmful, the… well, you get the idea. They’ll either stop this nonsense or they won’t.”
“But can’t we do anything, Ed?”
“No. you know how stubborn they both can be. Anything we did do would only make things between them worse, and I think you know that better than I do.”
“I just wish there was something we could do.”
“Missy, my sweet, there isn’t anything. Now how about we talk about young Lee, instead.”

“I have to admit, Ed, I didn’t like the name at first, but it is growing on me.”
“Yes, well, Andrew was always fond of Lee Majors, he was his favourite actor, in fact, so I’m not really that surprised that that’s what they named the new baby.”
“I think it suits him. He looks a bit like a Lee, doesn’t he, Ed?”
“Hmm, well, I suppose so,”
“Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, my sweet, at least, I think I do,”
“Now you’re just being difficult.”
“Please, my sweet, it’s rather late, and I’m quite tired.”
“Fine. Off to bed with you, and I’ll finish badgering you in the morning.”
“Goodnight my sweet.”
“Night, Ed.”

“Is it just me, or do we always seem to be talking on the phone when its time for birthdays?” Andy asked his brother as he rolled a ball back and forth with George.
“It’s just you, buddy. We always seem to be on the phone, period. So what’s new?”
“Not too much, although George’s getting a brother or a sister.” Andy commented with some pride. He was looking forward to being a dad again.

“Well, well, well. What does George think of it? Or doesn’t he know yet?” Brian asked his brother.
“He knows. He overheard me telling dad on the phone, and now he’ll wander over to his mother and say ‘Baby!’ then wander off again.”
“So, he’s a flake, just like his old man, then?” Brian asked, slightly angry at his twin.
“That was below the belt, Brian. I have to go.” Andy rumbled, then slammed the phone down, while next door, Brian was holding the phone almost hard enough to break it.

After spending nearly every waking moment mimicking each other, the Hutchings boys were slowly growing apart. A rift, small at first, and then widening, was developing, until their once fun telephone conversations had turned into little more than verbal sparring matches. The rift had begun when Brian’s boss had asked him if Andy would, in his lab, do some research for the company, research which, to Andy, had been highly unethical.
“Come on, bro! This could be my foot in the door!” Brian had protested, but Andy had refused to back down.
“That may be, but I’d need a valid reason for something like this, not flaky dollar-sign logic!”
“It’s not dollar-sign logic! It could save lives!”
“It could, Brian, but it would also take lives! Tell your boss to find some other gullible fool to do his dirty work!” Andy had thrown his brother out of the lab at that point, and so the rift between them grew. When Brian was passed over for a promotion two weeks later, he knew who to blame.
He had made a scene, a big one, at his mother and father’s anniversary party, accusing Andy of everything he could possibly think of, finally demanding that Jill and the children leave the party right that instant, after Eddie threatened to call the police.

Their children were supposed to be having a combined birthday party, but now that was out of the question. Cherry and Jill knew their husbands weren’t all that happy with the situation, but there didn’t seem to be a lot they could do about it, other than hope it would all blow over eventually.

“It’s such a shame,” Cherry commented to Andy while she mixed the ingredients for the birthday cake.
“What’s a shame?” he looked up from the table, where he was reading a scientific journal of some kind.
“About you and Brian.”
“Huh! With a brother like that, I don’t need enemies.”
“Andy…”
“Brian’s a bit like dad, you know, money on the brain, but even dad would never have gone to those kinds of lengths to kiss the boss’s backside for a promotion. The formula they supplied me with has done the rounds of all the labs, and yeah, it does kill the common cold, among other things, but it does it by killing off the body, not the virus. Sure, it gets rid of your flu, but what good is that when you’re dead?”
“Well, I suppose that makes sense, it’s just a shame, that’s all,”
“Can we drop this subject? It’s giving me a headache.”

Next door, a slight argument had occurred when Brian hung up the phone. He had decided that there was no way his family was having any contact with that next door, and Jill told him exactly where he could shove that idea. For one thing, she and Cherry had been best friends since high school, and there was no way she was going to throw that away just because Brian was acting like a child, and if the twins wanted to be friends with George, Brian was not going to stop them.
“What the hell have I done that’s so wrong?” he had shouted.
“Well, for starters, there’s the fact that you’re a selfish, money-hungry little SOB that thinks the world revolves around him, and I’m telling you that if it wasn’t for the twins, I’d be out of here Brian! Or maybe I should just take them and leave!” he’d had no answer for that, and had slunk out to the living room to watch some TV while waiting for the cakes.

(Yes, I’m on Andy’s side of the fight. I’m actually beginning to loathe Brian, and I have no idea why.)

“Don’t you just love the smell of baking birthday cake?” Andy asked his brother, holding the phone with one hand, and baby George in the other.
“I do, but you’ve only got one to worry about. Jill and I are baking one each! Do you know how hard it is to bake a cake while you’re talking on the phone?”
“That’s my bro! Always grouching about something! How’s the twinnies?”
“They’re thriving, thanks for asking. What about George?”
“He’s fine. Although I don’t know what he’s going to think of his nickname.”
“Aunt Sasha came to see you, too? What’d she name him? She’s stuck the twins with Hankie and Giggles.”
“Hankie? Oh, man, that’s cruel. But it’s better than Gherkin.”
“Gherkin? Poor George, that’s horrible!”
“I know. Cherry just about had fits when she heard it. How come Ella didn’t get her twins saddled with anything silly?”
“Yeah, they just ended up Dilly and Danny. It ain’t fair.”
“I know. I got to go, Cherry’s giving me the Evil Eye here, and the cake’s all ready.”
“Catch ya, bro.”
“Later.”

Andy hung up the phone and laughed. No matter what Brian happened to be doing, he never changed, not one little bit. He was still the same crazy kid he used to be. Andy, for one, hoped he’d stay that way. But there were more important things to worry about, like his son’s birthday, for one thing. It wasn’t every day that you got to celebrate a birthday like this, and the little one wouldn’t stay little. And besides, Andy wanted to see who his son looked like, something that nobody could really tell at the moment. Also, they needed to take pictures, lots of pictures, so they could show George off to everyone else, and to embarrass him when he grew up and got older, wiser, and bigger. Andy was also looking forward to the fact that, after this, George would do more other than eat, sleep and fill his diaper. Also, he’d be able to watch him more.

The boys had given up their competition for now, and were more concerned with making sure their children were happy, healthy, and all the rest, and not getting the better of one another. For now at least.

“Are you going to stand there woolgathering all day?”
“Hmm, sorry Cherry. Right Gher…George, are you ready?” He stopped himself from using that hideous nickname just in time. Cherry would have killed him if he’d let it slip. She’d looked like she wanted to kill Aunt Sasha after she’d come up with it.
“Well, I’ve got the camera all ready, now I’m just waiting for you.”
“Ah, sorry. Can’t help drifting away like that occasionally. Here we go.” he held his son over the cake, and took a deep breath.

“Hah, he looks like me! Look, Cherry! I’ve got my own Mini-Me!”
“I told you we should have named him Andy Jr!” Cherry shot back, pleased. She had hoped more than anyone that their baby would look like his father.

Next door, Brian was starting to panic a little. His cake definitely didn’t smell the same as Jill’s did. In fact, his smelled awful. He looked back over the ingredients he had mixed, and realised with horror that the little red jar he’d used wasn’t baking powder. It was curry powder. Jill, meanwhile, had realised her husband’s mistake, and quietly laughed as she watched him getting into a bigger flap. She had prepared for this eventuality, and had a backup cake, just waiting to be taken out of it’s box.
“Dammit, how did I manage to do that?”
“Don’t worry, Brian.”
“Don’t worry? It’s the twins’ birthday, and I’ve messed up one of the cakes!”
“Look, calm down! There’s a cake in the box on the counter.”
“What?”
“I figured there might be some drama, so I prepared.” Jill lifted the lid, and showed him the perfect cake that sat inside it, just waiting to be eaten. Brian immediately dumped his cake in the garbage bin, muttering under his breath all the way.

He was still muttering as they held the twins beside their cakes, while Eddie readied the camera.

“Andrew, come quickly, I think this is it!” Cherry called out, as she struggled off the sofa, and her husband came running from the bathroom.
“What is? What are you…? Oh, my God!”

The moment they had been waiting for was finally here, and their baby was on the way. 9 months of waiting was finally over, and now they would get to see if their first child was George or Georgia, names that they had both agreed on, much to the disgust of Brian, who was adamant that his first child would have those names. Now all it came down to was who’s baby came into the world first.

Next door, Jill had also gone into labor, and as she cried out and clutched her stomach, Brian got ready to hold the newborn, which meant first turning off the television. He wanted to be able to call his brother, and rub his nose in the fact that, although he, Brian, was the younger by 5 minutes, his child had been first into the world.

Typical of the Hutchings twins, their children arrived at exactly the same moment.

As Cherry delivered their healthy baby boy, George, Jill was busy bringing…

(Another set of blasted twins!)

Georgia and Henry into the world. Now the race was on to see which son would be the first to call Missy and Edward, who had gained three more grandchildren all in the same night. There would be time for showing off to each other later, once the new arrivals had been fussed over. Not to mention all the other relatives that had to be told that the family had just expanded by three, then, of course, there would be all the time in the world to show off their children to the residents of Victoria Hill.
‘No, that’s not fair,’ Andrew thought to himself as he sat beside George’s crib, watching his small son as he slept.
‘They aren’t trophies we can use to get the better of one another,’ Brian thought as he fed his son, while Jill changed their daughter. They would not use their children to see which one of them was the best, that was definitely not the right thing to do.

“You got to admit, bro, it is kinda funny.” Andrew commented to his brother as they chatted on the telephone.
“I admit it, but it seems a bit bizarre, too.”
“What’s bizarre about it? We went to college on the same day, we got engaged on the same day, and we got married on the same day. It fits in with it all that Cherry and Jill should find out they’re both pregnant on the same day. Wouldn’t it be cool if our kids were born on the same day, too?”
“Cool? No, that would be rather disturbing. Because then you’d want to know if conception took place at exactly the same moment, and, you’re my bro and everything, but I really don’t want to know what goes on behind your bedroom door, and certainly not the precise time!”
“Aw, come on, Brian! Don’t be a stick in the mud!”
“I’m not. You stop being difficult. Anyway, don’t you have to go to work? Because I do.”
“Okay, point taken. I’ll talk to you later.”

Despite their rather odd telephone conversation, both of the Hutchings twins were utterly delighted that they were going to be dads, even if Andrew started making science out of coincidence.
‘I know we sorta do everything together, but this is ridiculous!’ Brian thought to himself as he began to get ready for work. And still, he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe his brother was right.
‘Nah, that’s just silly.’
“You look deep in thought. What did Andrew have to say?” Jill asked him.
“Just the usual ‘Andrew Zone’ stuff. You know, this is all happening because we’re twins, all that rubbish.”
“What if he’s right?”
“You’ve got to be joking! Well, if he thinks he’s right, then he can just study the problem, can’t he? I can just see him as a mad scientist!”
“He’s got a long way to go before that, though. At least that’s what Cherry tells me. I know what you can do, Brian. While you’re at work, try to come up with a name for this baby.”
“All right love, I’ll see you later.”
Jill smiled to herself as she watched him walk out to meet the carpool. He was a good guy, but sometimes it seemed as if she was married to his brother as well.

A discussion of a similar sort was going on next door, at Andrew’s. Although Cherry thought like Brian: that her husband was trying to make science out of coincidence. She wasn’t as thrilled by the thought of her pregnancy as Jill was. It wasn’t that she didn’t want kids, on the contrary, but the thought of having to care for a baby was frightening. It was all right for Jill, she had worked with babies before she went to college. Cherry, the youngest of three children, had no idea what to expect. What she wanted was a little egg, that she and Andy could take turns sitting on, and then when it hatched, out would pop a child, already talking, and ready for school.
‘That’s silly thinking. Maybe I could get Andy to study that, instead of whatever it is that he’s studying at the moment.’

(No wedding party, they won’t work no matter what I do, so I’m making it up as I go along.)

“I still don’t feel right,” Brian Hutchings commented to his brother, as they both stood beside a large mirror, trying to straighten their bow-ties. It was a big day for the twins, as wedding days always are, and they were both nervous. Their father was trying to calm them both down, but that was turning out to be a rather futile exercise, as both young men managed to find something wrong with their outfits. First, it was the jackets, then the bow-ties didn’t look right, and on and on, until Edward and the boys were quite ready to just chuck the towel in, give up, and have a traditional living-room wedding.
“Everyone is waiting, boys,” Payton commented, sticking his head into the room.

The women weren’t doing much better. Neither Cherry nor Jill could sit still, eventually causing Molly and Belle, who were taking care of the hair and make-up, to throw their hands up in the air. In the end, Rosie and Allyn had to practically hold them down, while Josie did her best to soothe them, and Sasha tried her hardest to get a good portrait of the two blushing brides, while Danae and Erin, the flower-girls, giggled nervously to themselves as they admired their pretty dresses. At the moment, they seemed to be the only ones who were having a good time.
“Are you all ready?” Missy asked, poking her head around the door.

Night had already fallen by the time everything got sorted out, and Cherry looked in the mirror one last time. There was a little bit of disappointment in the air, as both Brian and Jill had decided that they were going to do it the traditional living-room way, after their nerves had got the better of them. So it was that Andy waited, his stomach in knots, under the arch that had been erected in his back yard. It was all worth it though, when he saw Cherry, looking nervous but happy, as she stepped from the house, with Eddie at her side (her own father being in prison, Eddie was the next best thing).

Meanwhile, at the house next door, Brian and Jill were preparing to do things the way they both felt comfortable with. The twins would have laughed if they had only known, that they both said those two magical little words at almost the exact same time.

Then, it was on to Josie and Payton’s house for the lavish reception, everybody laughing and chattering. Nobody blamed Brian for his attack of last-minute nerves, and even his mother said that a living-room marriage was a family thing, but, this time at least, the party was mandatory.

The party went on for most of the night, and, thankfully, they never got loud enough for noise control to show up, even though a great amount of liquor had been consumed, and everyone was rather boisterous. It all wound down when the two flower-girls fell asleep at the kitchen table, and Eric was starting to get to that cranky and tired stage of his babyhood. Nobody was really bothered, and as they all trooped out into the grey light of dawn, wishing both sets of newlyweds all the best, they were all glad for the fact that, for that one night, they had all been together.

The whole family, together. All the children, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Together.

Andrew and Brian stepped slowly out of the taxi, and looked at their new homes. Just as they had with their dorms, their homes were next door to each other, numbers 3 and 5 King Street.
“Well, Bee-bop, what do you think?”
“Other than it’s good to be home, Andy-bugs?”
“Listen, are you guys going to stand there and natter all day? I need to make money here, you know.” The taxi driver interrupted, heaving their bags out of the trunk.
“Huh? Oh, sorry man! Here.” Andy handed the man some money.
“Yeah, sorry.” Brian told the man, handing him a generous tip.
“Flip you for who’s cooking dinner!” Andy tossed a coin in the air.
“Nah, let’s save the dinner party for when Cherry and Jill get here.” Brian replied, picking the coin off the sidewalk, and handing it back to his brother.
“Aw, no fun! All right, I suppose we should get on to the unpacking stage.”
“You want a hand?” Brian offered.
“Yeah, sure! With two of us, it’ll be quicker. Then I suppose I’d best be brotherly and give you and hand, too.”
“Well, lets get going then. The sooner we get it done, the quicker we can relax!” Brian grabbed one of his brother’s bags and headed towards Andy’s house.

(Andy’s House)
Considering the amount of gear, the hauling in of the bags took very little time, even with Brian’s stuff included (he didn’t want to leave it out on the sidewalk.), and the unpacking began. Then there was the matter of arranging the gardener, and Brian took care of that while Andy made them both some lunch. It was a relief to get off their feet, even if it was just to eat hamburgers. Then it was back to unpacking.

“Right, that’s you all sorted. Now for me.” Brian commented, as he finished putting the books in the bookcase, grabbed one of his bags, and the moving began again.

(Brian’s digs)

It seemed to take much longer this time, perhaps because they were both tired, or maybe because Brian had much more stuff than his brother, but they got there eventually. After a quick dinner, they set to unpacking and rearranging again, and by 8pm, it was all done.
“You know, I think I’d prefer the couch over there…”
“Brian!” Andy threw a cushion at his twin, and headed for the door.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!”
“Either way, I’ve got to go, I have an early start in the morning. Later, bro!”
“Yeah, later!”

“Well, let’s see if we’ve got everything!” Andy and Brian immediately swapped suitcases, and began to thoroughly check the contents.
“Clean socks!” Andy said.
“Check. Clean shirts!”
“Check. Toothbrush!”
“Check. I think we’ve got everything, Andy.”
“Yeah, clean clothes, hairbrush, wallet, comb, other necessities. It’s all here.”
“Now we’ve just got to hope that the cab is on time.”
“I’m sure it will be, boys. Did you remember to clean your rooms?”
“Yes, mom!” Both boys answered Missy at the same time.
“Are you sure that you won’t stay and have dinner with us?” their father asked.
“We’re right, dad. We’ll grab something at the dorms. They do have cafeterias, remember?”
“Yeah, dad! Hey, Andy, we’ve got time for one last blast on SSX. You up for it?”
“Only if you want to get your butt kicked again! Let’s do it!”

Missy and Edward watched silently as their boys thumped down on the sofa, pulling their controllers towards them, as the game loaded up, and soon, a rather noisy competition was going on.
“Do you think they’ll do all right, Eddie?”
“They’ll be fine, my sweet. They’re going to have the time of their lives.”
“It’s a bit of a shame they’re going to be in different dorms, though.”
“Not really. They’ll accomplish more if they aren’t distracting each other, and getting in each other’s way.”
“Okay, you’re right. So what do you think Ella will have?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t mind either way, a grandchild is a grandchild, after all. I wonder what she’ll name it.”
“Dylan Edward if it’s a boy, and Danielle Erika if it’s a girl. That’s what she and Ralph have decided.”
“Dylan Edward, hmm? I like the sound of that!”
They were interrupted by a loud honking outside, and Edward got up to check that it was the taxi, and not the boys’ video game.

“Andrew, Brian, the taxi is here,” he yelled over the sound of hollering twins.
“Hah, right on time, let’s go, bro!” Brian placed the controller back, turned the game off, and stood waiting for his twin.
“Eager, aren’t you? Or is that just because you lost?” Andrew taunted, as he placed his own controller back, and grabbed his suitcase.

(Another cameo, this time from my brand of beer.)

‘Oh, my God, why did I drink so much Steinlager last night?’ Missy thought to herself as she looked at her pale face, and bloodshot eyes in the mirror. It had been her birthday the day before, and her twin boys had decided she needed a night out on the town. They had taken her out to the newly refurbished Lazy Pirate Bar and Grill, and managed, somehow, to get their parents totally plastered. Eddie was still in bed, the drapes pulled, hiding his head and hangover away from the light.

Still, the party had been a big success, the whole family had been there.
‘Well, most of them. Jamie and Jane couldn’t come, Molly was busy, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one that was pleased when Sasha didn’t show up.’
They had a nice family dinner beforehand, and watched the transition.

Then Andrew had forgotten his exercise regime, in favour of going out for a few drinks (they weren’t allowed to drink yet, of course, but the cola was nice).
‘And then they let me make a fool of myself,’ Missy sighed to herself, as she looked at hair that had once been jet-black, and was now grey.
“Hi, mom! How’s your head?”
“Andrew, please, I…” Missy cut her statement short, and made a mad dash for the bathroom.

“You just had to do that, didn’t you?” Brian asked his brother.
“I couldn’t help myself!”
“Sure you couldn’t.”
“Okay, okay! Jeez, cool off, bro. I’ll tell you what, I’ll go and make her a cup of that herbal tea stuff she enjoys so much.” Andrew sighed.
“What about dad?”
“What about him? You can make him one when he finally drags his hangover out of bed! I am not the Maid, Brian Donald Hutchings!”
“Yeah, well. Imagine you in a frilly maid’s uniform, Andrew Michael. Yuck!”
“Boys, please. Keep your noise to a tolerable level. And yes, I would like a cuppa, thank you Brian.” Edward had finally risen, and he looked awful.
“Where’s your mother?” he asked.
“Mom? Oh, she’s busily worshipping the porcelain goddess right now!”

“Dad, are you just going to sit there, and sulk all day?”
“I am not sulking, Andrew, and I bitterly resent the accusation!”
“Andrew, leave your father alone, okay? Why don’t you go and see your sister?” Missy put in, trying to stop an argument before one developed.
“It’s not my fault he’s in a crabby mood!”
“Andrew, just go!” Missy watched as the teen stomped into his room, slamming the door behind him.
“He is right, Eddie. We can’t stop the aging process, you know.”
“Oh, I know, my sweet, but I don’t want to be an old man, with my hair all grey, and grumping at everybody.”
“And sulking is going to help?”
“Well, no. But what else can I do?”
“Eddie, for goodness sake, there are lots of things you can do. Like paint, or read, or how about you potter around in the garden? Honestly, being melodramatic is not going to help, and 50 isn’t old.”
“But… I’m not going to win this argument, am I, my sweet?”
“No, so don’t even try. Go on, out to the garden with you!” Missy was glad when her husband obeyed, she hadn’t really expected that he would. It was hard for her to understand why he was so upset about his birthday, but she was trying, and she supposed it might have something to do with the Retirement party that would be held for him next week. Eddie had always been the money-maker, and to have to give it up… well, he didn’t like that idea at all.

“Andrew?”
Andy was sitting at his desk, sketching, when his father stuck his head through the window.
“You look like a floating head, dad. What are you doing out there, anyway?”
“Your mother talked me into pottering around the garden. I just wanted to apologise for snapping at you before.”
“Oh, so mom got sick of you sulking, and sent you outside?”
“Yes, Oh Impossible One. I must say, it is kind of relaxing. Although, I hope your mother doesn’t look at the garden for a while.”
“Why?”
“Well, I can’t tell the difference between weeds and plants, so I’m just guessing.”
Andy stuck his head out the window, and started to laugh.
“What is so funny?”
“Oh, dad! Mom is not going to be pleased with you!”
“What? Why?”
“You’ve left the weeds, and stomped all her flowers!”
“Oh, dear! I am in trouble, aren’t?”
“Are you coming inside for your cake, or shall we have it outside on the deck?” Missy called, and Eddie felt his heart sink.
“I’m coming, my sweet. We’ll have it inside, it’s too hot out here.”

(Contrary old fool! I got him a cake at 5pm, and the old stinker mucked around for an hour before doing it all himself. Just can’t please some people!)

“Mrs Hutchings?” Missy turned around to find Ella’s fiancée, Ralph, wringing his hands nervously.
“Yes, Ralph?”
“I,I,I,.. just want to t,t,thank you, and Mr Hutchings, for inviting m,m,me to the twins’ birthday p,p,party.” Ella was right, he did have a bad stutter when he was nervous.
“That’s all right dear, you’re going to be one of the family after all.”
“M,m,might I help w,w,with anything?” Ralph stuttered away.
“Absolutely not. You just sit down, and make yourself comfortable. We can’t have the guest doing all the work.” Missy watched as he opened his mouth to reply, but the twins came in just then, and saved him the trouble.
“Hey, Ralph! Want to play SSX with us?” That, of course, was Andrew, who always seemed to be the spokesman.
“S,s,sure.” Ralph’s smile lit up his whole face, and he followed the twins from the kitchen.
“Well, what do you think, my sweet?” Edward asked, from his spot at the table (Missy had pressed him into peeling the potatoes for dinner).
“The poor boy. Anyone would think we were going to eat him for dinner, instead of roast pork. Ella made an excellent choice. What do you think?”
“Ouch! Have we got a potato peeler, my sweet? That’s the second time I’ve sliced myself with the knife.”
“It’s in the cutlery drawer.”
“Ah, that’s better. As to Ralph, I feel rather sorry for him. I think he’s absolutely terrified that Ella’s going to find someone else. That’s a major self-esteem problem he has there. Once he realises that Ella loves him, and nobody but him…” Missy cut her husband off with a wave of her hand.
“He knows that, Eddie, but I don’t think he understands why she loves him. I believe he thinks that she could do so much better.”
“Since when have you two been shrinks?” They both turned to look at their daughter, as she glided gracefully into the kitchen.
“We’re not, my darling. This is our equivalent of gossip.” Eddie told her, smiling.

The dinner was a great success, the twins behaved themselves, and Ralph began to feel more at ease, so much so that his stutter completely disappeared. After dinner, the table was cleared in two minutes flat, and the birthday cakes set up.

(I think Andy’s in Green, and Brian’s in Red.)

“Okay, boys. Ready when you are!” Eddie commented, while Ralph and Ella readied the cameras.

“5,4,3,2,1! Happy Birthday!” Everyone yelled, as, engulfed by confetti, the twins turned teen, the family cheering them on.
“Hah, nice look, Bee-bop!”
“Take a look at yourself in the mirror, Andy-bugs!” The twins mocked each other, while Missy heard Ella explaining the nicknames to Ralph.
“So what was your nickname, Ella?” he asked her.
“Earwig!” the twins yelled, before Ella had a chance to shush them, and Eddie turned to his soon-to-be son-in-law.
“My wife’s sister, Sasha, is just a little crazy, and has a thing about nicknaming the children. But don’t worry, Ralph, the rest of us are completely normal.” (If I ever heard that particular statement, I would not be at all relieved!)
“Now, how do I get abducted by aliens?” Andrew wondered (Knowledge sim).
“Aliens? Man, you’re already an alien! How does Brian Hutchings, President, sound?” his brother argued (Fortune sim, like his papa).

(It’s funny, isn’t it? Brian, who has 5 in niceness, always looks mild, whereas Andrew, who has a 10 in niceness, always looks angry! As to Ralph, he’s written the way he is because, before the engagement, he used to stand a wee way from Ella, wringing his hands, while an Ella thought bubble, complete with little red hearts, danced above his head!)

“Oh, man! Where have all my socks gone? Mom!”
Ella Hutchings was starting to freak out. The taxi would be arriving in about ten minutes, and she was no where near being ready.
“Ella, calm down! I’ve got your socks here. Have you got your toothbrush?” Missy walked out of the laundry, a huge pile of socks, handkerchiefs, sweaters, and other clothing items bulging from her arms.
“Yes, but I can’t find my hairbrush!”
“It’s in your room, on your desk.” Missy told her daughter, calmly.

“Look at her, Andy! She’s rushing around like Moses on a motorcycle!” Brian chuckled to his twin.
“I know! When we go to college, we’re going to be all ready hours before!” the twins continued to chatter, as their heads went back and forth like spectators at a tennis match, watching their sister running around, trying to find everything she needed, while keeping an anxious ear out for her taxi.

A car horn sent her running, almost tripping over her own feet, to the window, but it was Eddie arriving home from work.
“Hello, children. Hello, my sweet. What’s going on around here?” he asked, looking around at the mess in the living room.
“Ella’s getting ready to head off to college, only, she’s a little unorganized.”
“Yes, I can see that. A bit like me, when I was going heading away, actually. But never mind that, she’s got everything, and the taxi is here.”
“What? Heck, its early!” Ella picked up her suitcase and ran for the door.
“If you’ve forgotten anything, we can bring it to you on the weekend!” Eddie yelled as he watched as his eldest left the house.

“Now we just have to wait for them to go,” Missy said, pointing to the twins as they started fighting over which TV channel they were going to watch.
“Yes, my sweet. Then we can enjoy the sweet sound of silence!” the twins had decided on ‘SlopMan, and Stinky’, and the noise of the TV filled the house.

“Andrew, Brian, come in here a moment, will you?” Edward yelled from his small painting studio, and the twins, who were enjoying some TV with their sister, rose almost as one.
“We’re coming, Dad!” Andrew yelled.
“Yeah, Dad!” Brian echoed, and the boys both laughed as they trooped in to see what their father wanted.
There was a small surprise waiting for them when they entered, as they saw the chess table that definitely hadn’t been there yesterday.
“Ah, boys! I want you to sit down and have a game of chess,”
“But, dad, we don’t really know how to play chess,” Andrew stated, while his twin looked utterly baffled.
“Oh, yes, I know that, but I want a portrait of my boys together,”
The twins looked at one another in some surprise, before taking their seats, Edward waiting patiently.

“All set?” he asked, picking up his brush.
“No, I’m uncomfortable!” Andrew looked over.
“My legs are going numb!” Brian added his thoughts.
“For goodness sake, you two, it won’t be for very long, just sit still!”

“Hey, mom!” Ella poked her nose out of her book long enough to greet Missy, who had just come in from shopping.
“Hi, Ella. Where are your brothers?”
“Dad wanted a portrait of them, so he’s got them sitting at the chess table. I don’t think it’s going very well.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, I’ve heard him tell them to sit still three times already, and he’s told them not to squirm twice. Mind you, I wouldn’t want to sit still on a pile of uncomfortable old telephone books.”
“Get back here, you two! I haven’t finished yet!” Edward’s voice rang out, as the mutinous looking twins stomped out of the studio, and Missy wandered in to see how he was going.
“I guess I’ll just have to do it from memory,” he grumbled.
“Eddie, they’re just children. You can’t expect them to sit still for more than five minutes at a time,” Missy scolded him gently.
“You’re right. It’s a good thing I was almost finished.”
“I’ll make you a cup of coffee, and you can show us when you’ve finished,” Missy quietly left the room.

“Well, here it is!” Edward exclaimed, 10 minutes later, carrying the bulky canvas under his arm.

(Actually, Annette, ‘nuncle’ is from a book I read, although I’ll be damned if I can remember which!)

‘Please let the camera work this time!’ Missy thought to herself, as she took the camera from its shelf next to the bed. It was Ella and the twins’ birthday, and their mother was determined that it was not going to be a repeat of the last one. They had borrowed Josie’s camera as well, just in case.
“You’re going to miss the spectacle, my sweet!” She heard Edward call from the living room, and she ripped the camera out of its box, and ran.

Edward was already armed with Josie’s camera, aiming it at Andrew.
“I’ve got this one covered, you get Brian!” was all he had time to shout before the snapping began.

(This is Andrew, or ‘Andy-bugs’)

(Brian, or ‘Bee-bop’.)

As the twins looked at one another, and laughed, their parents turned their cameras towards Ella.

(Last but not least, Ella, or ‘Earwig’. Sasha and her nicknames, jeez!)

“Well, what do you think, Ella?”
“I think the sooner I’m at college, away from those two little snots, the better off I’ll be, Dad.”
As Edward and Missy looked at each other in some annoyance, Ella laughed.
“Jeez, lighten up! I’m kidding! They’re pretty cool kids, really!”
She playfully made a grab for Brian.
“Hah, you missed, Earwig!”
“You wait till I get my hands on you! Ella yelled, charging out the front door after him, while Andrew followed.
“I think she’s finally accepted them.”
“Yes, my sweet, and not a moment to soon!” Edward laughed at his wife, as they made their way out to the porch, and watched their children.

(Short update today, as I suffered from deleted-the-picturesitis! I know I took some, but Aaarghh!)

“What’s wrong with this stupid thing?” Edward exclaimed in frustration as he fiddled with the family’s camera, which had decided, at the most inconvenient moment to stop working. It was the twins’ birthday, and they were all determined to get good photos of the event.
“I’ll run up the street to Josie’s, and borrow theirs,” Missy told him, heading out the front door, Ella hurrying after her.

“Joy, there’s someone at the door,” Bobby called out from his spot on the sofa (he was a bit more muddled than usual), as Missy leaned frantically on the doorbell, and Josie ran to answer it.
“Need…Camera….” Missy tried to get her breath back, and her point across.
“Here it is, Aunt Missy,” Royce butted in, appearing suddenly at his mother’s side, and handing the camera over.
“Thanks, I’ll explain later!” and with that, Missy was headed back down the street, practically dragging Ella, who had picked that precise moment to throw a rather large tantrum.

Edward, meanwhile, had stopped pacing around their living room, and was trying to amuse his twin toddlers, while awaiting his wife’s return. She had, thanks to their faulty camera, missed the big moment, but came rushing in several minutes after.
“Here Ella, take a photo of your brothers,” Missy handed the camera to the girl, who was obviously not very happy at the task she had been set.

“Well, what do you think, my sweet?” Edward asked his wife.
“Brian’s got my hair, and Andrew’s inherited my mother’s,” Missy told him, practically spitting the word ‘mother’.
“And what does my little angel think?” Edward turned towards Ella.
“I think they look ugly,” she replied, and stomped off towards her bedroom, her parents watching as she went.
“She’s definitely got a bee in her bonnet this time, hasn’t she?”
“Oh, definitely, and somehow, I don’t think she’s going to be a bit ladylike as she gets older, my sweet.” Edward replied, as he began to teach Brian to walk, and Missy began to teach Andrew the same thing.

(Ella’s hatred for her siblings is not just writing on my part, she seems to, I dunno, loathe them. She’s got an 8 in nice, too. Bizarre. Brian is the one in the black tux, and Andrew is in a blue tux.)

(I got my posts backwards! Yesterday’s was supposed to be posted today, and this on was supposed to be yesterday’s!)

“You’re looking pale and tired this morning my sweet. Is everything all right?” Edward asked his wife as she came into the living room, Ella in tow.
“Yes I’m all right, its just… poor Sasha, she thought that she was all set with Pierce, and look what’s happened now!” Missy burst into tears, and Edward led her toward the sofa, and, sitting beside her, placed his arm around her shoulder.
I know that you’re worried, but I think Sasha will be fine, she’s a tough cookie. And I think she’s well shot of him.”
“ I know that, it’s just …” Missy had to stop there, and run for the bathroom at that moment, for a strong wave of nausea of rolled over her.
‘ Oh, God, what now?’ She thought to herself. She was hoping for another baby, but surely not this soon.

The next morning they knew for sure. Missy had picked up a test, and had told them something that she already knew.

‘ Well this is certainly going to put Ella’s nose out of joint,’ Missy thought to herself, as she happily patted her growing stomach. Speaking of Ella, it was her birthday that afternoon, and Edward had promised to be home early.
‘It’s Molly’s birthday soon, too. I wonder what I should get her?’ Missy hoped that Sasha’s little girl would not look like Pierce, but as of yet, they couldn’t really tell. She definitely had the Denzel black hair, but beyond that, nothing was certain.

Missy was a little disconcerted when 6pm rolled around, and Edward still wasn’t home, but Ella didn’t seem to mind one little bit, and as her mother got one last shot of her as a toddler, as she prepared for her transition.

At that moment, there came a honking out in the driveway, as Edward arrived home, two minutes too late to see his daughter’s birthday, and Ella rushed out the front door to greet him.

“Who is this beautiful little angel running out to meet me?” Edward exclaimed as he swept his daughter into his arms, and held her tight.
“Daddy! You’re finally home! You missed my birthday, you silly!” Ella laughed, as he swung her around in a circle until she was dizzy, then he put her down, and together, they walked back inside.