Dear Diary, this is my last entry before passing you along to Bea. My little Chicken. As the Spring months turned to Summer, I watched her blossom and graduate from high school. She was a young lady who had grown into her own, confidence soaring and a bright future ahead. I was as proud as any dad could be and I wondered at how Iād created such a lovely human being.
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Ellie and Iād had our difficulties over the years but we both felt weād turned out a daughter ready to take on the world.
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Bea and Jem decided they would share their birthday celebration. And so, J.P. and I put a lot of planning into the whole affair. This was the big one. The birthday where they would become young adults and the legal age to do as they pleased.
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Before birthdays, though, we had one last outing as a family. The kids wanted to go to the dog park so Murphy could come, too.
Bea was very excited to tell me news sheād received.
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āRemember Perla Forelli from Sunlit Tides?ā
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I took a second before I could put the name and the face together. She was the nice old lady weād met outside the grocery store while we were on vacation. āOh, yeah, the retired schoolteacher.ā
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āRight! Well, it so happens she has a guest cottage and she would like to rent it to meĀ when I move there.ā
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āThatās great,ā I said. I had to admit Iād worried a little about her accommodations once she moved. She had her job figured out but where she would live was a big loose end that needed tying up.
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āIsnāt it, though? Perla says it isnāt much, only one room with a kitchenette, but itās furnished and cheap, so I told her Iād take it.ā
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āI thinkĀ thatĀ was a good idea.ā
Instead of relief or happiness, I saw concern and uncertainty in Beaās expression.
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āWhatās bothering you?ā I asked.
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When she hesitated, Jem spoke up. āShe doesnāt want to tell her mom.ā
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āJem-uh!āĀ Bea said, shoving his arm.
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He shrugged and gave her a half-hearted apology smile.
While I wasnāt happy Bea didnāt feel she could talk to Ellie about her move to Sunlit Tides, I also didnāt blame her. Ellie was still having a hard time accepting the fact Bea was grown and moving out.
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I provided my daughter with my sternest face. āYou should tell her, Chicken. SheāllĀ be relievedĀ you have a solid plan.ā
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Bea held Murphy closer to her, stroking his fur as he snuggled in. āI donāt thinkĀ so.Ā I thinkĀ the only thing that would make her happy is if I go to school in Fortress Rock and never move out or have my ownĀ life.ā
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Glancing around us to make sure Ellie wasnāt within hearing distance, I said, āYouāre being hard on her.ā
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āReally? BecauseĀ I thinkĀ she doesnāt care about my future at all. SheĀ wants me to fail.ā
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I stepped in closer, my voice lowered so it wouldnāt carry. āThat isnāt true at all.ā When Bea protested, I kept talking. āListen, itās important you understand. Your mom loves you more than her own life and, no, she doesnāt want to see you go. But she definitely doesnāt want you to fail either. We both want you to succeed and find your own happiness.ā
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āAll she does is cry.ā
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āThat will pass, believe me. Sheāll get used the idea and learn to look forward to the times you come home or we visit you. Do you understand that sheās trying to adjust? She wants nothing for you but the best.ā
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Again, she hesitated, and I wasnāt sure if Iād gotten through to her or not. Finally, she nodded and told me what I wanted to hear. Time would only tell if she agreed with me or not.
āI told you we were dressing casual today,ā I said as I approached my sister.
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āThisĀ isĀ casual,ā she responded with no noticeable expression.
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āWhat did IĀ walk into?ā I asked.
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A slow smile spread across Rosettaās face. āWe were speaking about a new policy I would like toĀ implementĀ for the betterment of my people.ā
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As my eyes met Ellieās, I saw doubt even though she smiled.
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āYour people?ā
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āYes, Holden,Ā myĀ people. Are you still not accustomed to my appointment as Leader of the Free World?ā
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That was a good question. As I tried toĀ planĀ an acceptable response, I also attempted toĀ determineĀ whether or not she was in my head. If that was the case, she already knew I was nervous about her newĀ āappointment.ā
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Before I could answer, she waved her hand at me in a dismissive manner. āNever mind. It is not important.ā
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āUm,Ā I thinkĀ we should do that family portrait we were talking about,ā Ellie cut in.
Ah, yes, the good oldĀ family portrait. Our last picture as a family with teenagers. No matter how we tried, we couldnāt convince Calpernia to join us. Instead, she was the person who took the photo.
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As we lined up, there was impatient pushing and shoving between Bea and Jem. Ellie didnāt want to stand in front, Rosetta hated standing in the grass near the weeds and water. And, J.P. kept telling everyone we werenāt looking in the right direction.
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By the time we got a picture, we all looked like a bunch of grumps who couldnāt stand each other.
āAre you kidding? I still have a baby crib in my room,ā I heard Bea say from her bedroom later that day.
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She and Jem were in there with the door openāthat was the rule. If Jem was in her room, the door had to be open. I trusted them, mostly, and didnāt even figure they had that kind of relationship. But, I also knew temptation could hit. Better safe than sorry.
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āIf they canāt get rid of a baby crib, how are they ever going to letĀ meĀ go?ā
āMaybeĀ they wanted more kids or something,ā I heard Jem say.
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Before I continue, I want to say right here that I know eavesdropping is wrong. Even so, my feet felt planted and I couldnāt bring myself to move on.
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āWell, look at this,ā Bea continued, āI told them ages ago I didnāt want a bunny lamp anymore. They think Iām still a little girl.ā
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Jem laughed. āNah,Ā I thinkĀ they donāt like to get rid of stuff. That rabbit lamp doesnāt prove anything. I mean, the calendar on your wall isnāt even current.ā
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I heard Bea punch a pillow as she made a grr noise.
āHey, kids,ā I said as I made my presence known and entered the little bedroom.
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āDad-duh!ā
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āWhat?ā I said, my face as innocent looking as I could make it. āI wasĀ justĀ going to tell you dinner is almost ready. Your momās been slaving away in the kitchen and trying to keep J.P. from eating everything while she cooks.ā
āI will miss your momās cooking,ā Jem said.
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āYeah,ā Bea agreed.
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āBefore long, youāll be teaching us all kinds of things about cooking,ā I said to Jem.
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He rewarded me with a small smile. It seemed he was warming up to going to culinary school. If I wasnāt mistaken, Bea regarded Jem with pride in her eyes.
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It was true, I often wondered about the depth of their friendship and what it all meant. Were they only best friends who grew up together? Or had their relationship developed into something more? Time would tell on this point, too, I decided.
āDad, after dinner, could we go on a walk again?ā
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āSure, Iād love that.ā
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āOkay, but itās a different kind ofĀ walk.ā
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When it was clear she didnāt feel like explaining, I excused myself to see how dinner was going.
It turned out, she wanted to revisit her favorite places right at home and reminisce with me.
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As we approached her treehouse, she said, āI remember when you finally decided I was big enough to climb the ladder. I couldnāt wait to play so high upĀ in the branches.ā
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A smile played at my lips as I recalled climbing behind her in case she lost her balance.
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āWe put a new roof on together so you could play in there while it rained.ā
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āThatās right,ā she said with a grin. āI still love the rain.ā
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āYouāve always liked watching the lightning.ā
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She nodded and slipped her hand in mine as we continued on.
Coming up the steps, we came to the old, rusty swing at the side of the house.
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āYou didnāt play here much.ā
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āI played on the swing more than you know,ā she said. āI liked to see how high I could make it go. It felt like I was flying. One time, my foot touched that branchā¦ over there.ā She pointed up at a nearby tree.
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āWow! Thatās high all right.ā
We walked past the swing set toward the front of the house where a bench curled around a large tree.
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āI played with my dolls here. The bench was their castle.ā
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āYour mom and I have spent more than one evening on that bench.ā
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Her grin widened, revealing the straight, white teeth, EllieĀ and I had spent a fortune on with braces and retainers. āI know that.ā
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āOh, you do, huh?ā I laughed.
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A giggle escaped her throat. āOh, yes. I used to think it was ridiculous and gross how much you kissed each other. But I donāt think thatĀ now.ā
It was late when we got the kitchen back in order. As we worked, Ellieās mood dropped lower and lower. It didnāt take a genius to figure out what she was thinking about.
J.P. could also see this coming on but he was no help at all. He thought he was, but in typical J.P. style, he made it worse.
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āIām looking forward to Jem going to school. I mean, yeah, I love him and Iāll miss him, but Iād like to get back into some hobbies andĀ maybeĀ find a job.ā
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Ellie tossed an oven mitt at him and threw her arms in the air. āHow can you be so cold? How can these kids be so flippant about leaving us?ā
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I glared at J.P. as a thank you for getting all this started again.
āWhat gives them the right to thinkĀ justĀ because theyāre grown up, they can leave us and have lives of their own?ā she sobbed into her hands.
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āWhoa, honey,ā I murmured. āTheir age is exactly what gives them the right.ā
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āAnd think about all the free time you will have. Shoot, you could even turn her room into a den or something.ā
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I shot J.P. another look. āYouāre not helping.ā
āWhat? I mean, thatās a positive of them leaving. Iām turning Jemās room into an exercise area. Iāve already ordered the weight set.ā
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Ellie wasnāt holding back now.
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āAre you happy?ā I demanded as I passed J.P. to get to her. āLook what youāre doing to my wife.ā
Taking her in my arms, I felt her hand snake into my hair, her face against my shoulder.
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āYou need to have confidence in your daughter,ā I said with a tender voice. āWe raised her well and we have to believe in that.ā
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After a moment, her tears subsided, and I felt her nod a little, her body still against mine. āI know. Youāre right. And I doĀ have confidence in her. I know sheāll do well and be fine.ā
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Taking her chin and lifting her face so she could look into my eyes, I said, āDo me a favor and tell Bea that. Say itĀ the way you didĀ to me. She needs to hear you say that.ā
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Ellie nodded, drying her eyes on a dishtowel. āYes, Iāll do that now. I need her to know I have faith in her.ā
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My heart overflowed with relief as Ellie made her way to Beaās room. They would make amends and all would be well, I was sure.
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Turning to J.P., I said, āIs that your wife calling you?ā
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He sighed because he knew by now that when I said that, it meant heād overstayed his welcome. āYeah, yeah, Iām going.ā
āHowād it go?ā I asked as Ellie changed into her sleepwear and flopped down on the bed next to me.
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āIām glad we talked,ā she said. āWe both needed that. Sheās getting ready for bed now.ā
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With gentle fingers, I stroked Ellieās smooth, soft hair.
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āI still donāt want her to go,ā she said, tears in her voice, āyet, I know sheās looking forward to it. And she should. IĀ love her so much and want the best for her. I thought I could provide that, and sheād never want to leave me.ā
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āWe provided something better. We helped her become a person who can do whatever she wants to with her life.ā
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I saw a small smile turned the corners of Ellieās mouth. āYes, Iām counting on that. And, Holden?ā
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āYes, honey?ā
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āShe will do great things.ā
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āYes,ā I agreed. And I believed it.
Authorās Note:Ā Happy Saturday!Ā So now we have reached the end of Holden’s generation. I hope with all my heart you enjoyed his story. More than that, I hope you enjoy Bea’s story! š
As is my usual practice when changing heirs, I am taking a week off from writing. So, Chapter 6.1 will be posted on December 8, 2018. I haven’t decided if there will be a sneak peek or not since you already know where she’s going to live.Ā
Until then, I wish you days full of joyful blessings. Thank you for your support.Ā
As always, thank you for reading, liking, lurking, and commenting,
Discover more from Kymber@booomcha.com
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Good morning, my beautiful friend, your stories are beautiful, thank you
Good morning, and thank you so much. You are very kind, my friend. I hope you’re having a nice Sunday!
Too bad they only had one child. Maybe if Bea had a sibling, Ellie wouldn’t have clung to her this much.
Thank you so much. I tend to agree with you there. I do think the family would have been better off with another child.
Poor Ellie! She has empty nest syndrome. I really feel for her because I know how that is. I hope she will be OK and wonāt end up having to take some antidepressants or something. Bea will likely have her difficulties, but Iām sure she will be OK in the long run. Sunlit Tides is beautiful, and Iām sure she can make a go of her life there. Iām always in a bittersweet mood when a generation ends. I really enjoyed Holdenās story and am looking forward to the next adventure.
Empty nest syndrome is hitting hard. lol You’re right about Bea. She’ll have her difficulties, but it will all work out. š
I feel the bittersweetness, too, when a gen ends. Is that a word? Bittersweetness? LOL If not, it is now. haha I’m glad you enjoyed Holden’s story.
Man, I’m so curious to see what Calpurnia looks like haha. Does she exist as an actual sim in your game?
Yikes at Ellie saying what gives her kid the right to leave. I can’t really understand her feeling because I’m not a mother, but I’m glad she talked with Bea and they seem to be on the right terms now.
What a wonderful generation this was, as with all of your legacy! I’ve really enjoyed reading Holden’s story. I think he might be my favourite heir so far. I’m hyped to see what will unfold in Bea’s story!
Thank you, Lila š She was an actual sim in my game, yeah. hahaha I literally had the worst time catching her because every time I thought to, she was working. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the show Frasier, but Calpurnia kind of became the Maris of that show. lol Always talked about, but never seen.
I think Ellie had a sudden realization that this was it, Bea really was leaving. LOL
I’m so glad you loved Holden’s generation. And, he’s your favorite heir? That is so awesome! xoxo I loved him a lot, too. š
What a lovely ending..! I’ll definitely miss Holden, he’s been one of my favorite characters! <3 I love his relationship with Bea, they're so close!
Hopefully Ellie will fully accept that she needs to move on and let her daughter do what she needs… JP was so not helping though, lmao!
Oh, and I love that ongoing joke you have with Calpurnia not making an appearance… ever! Love that! š
I can't wait for the next generation (I love Sunlit Tides and Bea's personality seems so interesting to me)! I'm sure it will be a blast! <3 <3
wow! your getting better and I didn’t think that was possible because you have such a high standard already
its is sad to let your characters that you build up go, we grow so attached to them… I haven’t been able to do that yet it so difficult… generation 5 was great and this chapter is awesome once again š cant wait see what you’ve got in store for us for next generation Kymber and I love the snow effect š
Thank you so much for all of the kind words and encouragement. I appreciate it so much. You’re so right that it’s hard to let go of characters we’ve spent so much time with. It’s bittersweet. I’m looking forward to Bea’s story, so that helps. š
We’ve never seen Calpurnia. Sometimes I think JP made her up. š
And he was so not making the situation better for Ellie. Also, you could have already gotten a job, JP. Jem’s been old enough for a while. š
I’m glad that Ellie explained that she is proud of Bea. It’s hard but she doesn’t want her to fail.
I thought the part with Bea looking at the old stuff in her room was funny. Maybe they are having a hard time moving on, but it makes sense especially when she’s their only child.
Looking forward to Bea’s generation!
Maybe J.P. did make her up. š¤š²š Maybe he only imagines she’s real. haha
I love what you said about J.P. and how he could have already gotten a job. Right? š
I’m glad Ellie and Bea had their talk. It will be interesting (I hope!) to see what Bea thought about that pow wow.
I’m glad you liked the part where Bea was looking at the crib, lamp, etc. I agree that since she’s their only child, it’s probably a little harder to move foreward.
I’m so glad you’re looking forward to Bea’s story! I am, too.
Oh wow. Holden’s generation is over! I’m so sad – but I look forward to seeing Bea’s life as she flourishes. I understand Ellie’s sadness but her attitude is a little frustrating! I’m so used to being pushed to be independent that to see the opposite grates, weirdly enough. Luckily Bea will do as she wants. And I’m excited to see how that goes!
I’m kind of sad to be saying bye to Holden’s story, too. I’m glad you’re looking forward to Bea’s narrative, though. I totally get what you’re saying about Ellie. In fact, I think Bea was somewhat frustrated with it, too. lol I can’t wait to dig into Bea’s generation!
Where has the time gone? I feel like Holden’s generation went by so fact (then again I have said that about each generation so far).
I am glad to see that Ellie & Bea had their mother-daughter heart-to-heart. I think that was important for them before Bea moves out on her own.
There is just one mystery of the generation that I still want to know about: what does Calpernia look like???
Where has the time gone indeed? I’ve been asking myself the same thing. I think I do that with each generation, too, though. lol
I think the next generation would have started off on the wrong foot if Ellie and Bea hadn’t spoken.
What does Calpurnia look like? Does she even exist? lolol I was kind of doing that Fraiser thing where we never saw Niles’ wife. š
Speaking as a daughter who once lived half way across the country from her parents, I can tell you that FOR SURE the relationship would have been strained.
And I guess some mysteries are better left unsolved.
Ah, so you really get it about the need for them to clear the air before Bea moves out. š
I find it strange that someone who went out on her own and did well would be so resistant about her daughter following in her footsteps.
Yes, it’s a bit hypocritical, really. I think Ellie will adjust. But I wonder how Bea will react to reading Holden’s diary and finding out the depth of what Ellie thought about it all.
Oooo good point!
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I can’t wait to delve into her story!
Holy Smokes! Did you disappear in a time warp? I visited several times by linking out to your website and was probably going to the last page I read. I never saw any of the chapters and thought you had taken a lengthy hiatus. Of course, we INFJs would do that so I thought nothing was amiss. Turns out, Iām just a lousy WP navigator. No worries, now I have lots of cool scenes to catch up on and a new generation coming soon. This is awesome story telling Kymber.
Thank you so much. I’ll explain what I think has happened as best I can…
When I switched my site from wordpress.com to self-hosted with wordpress.org, I kept my domain name the same. Somewhere during the process of moving my site over, an error occurred whereby most of my subscribers came with the new site and there was no glitch. Some, I have noticed, were still being routed to the wordpress.com site where my posts come to an abrupt halt. I’ve spoken with wordpress about this and they thought it was an error in jetpack. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled jetpack several times and this last time, I think the problem is fixed or mostly fixed.
Regardless, I’m so glad you were able to find the continuing story! š I can see why, as we’re both INFJs, you thought perhaps I took a hiatus. I am inclined that way on social media in general, to disappear and reappear. But I also have OCD (which I like to call “CDO” because that’s in alphabetical order lolol). This means that I’ve committed to a chapter a week and no matter how I try, I can’t deviate from that. sigh
That was probably more explanation than you wanted. haha Sorry to ramble on. Thank you again for the encouraging words regarding my storytelling. I hope you will enjoy the scenes you’re catching up on. š
An amazing story Kymber. The WordPress gremlins are quite mischievous, they trick me all the time. So glad I made it through this time. Ah, CDO is that well ordered soul that achieves perfection in the smallest of repetitive details. For you and I, it gives us super powers and can be a pain in the southern hemisphere at times. Iām looking forward to this amazing story.
LOL š Thank you so much. You have a marvelous way with words.
š good people bring out the best in me and we INFJās have to stick together.
I know that’s right! š
When you get a chance, we should work on our take over the world plan. šš
LOL That sounds lovely!
Iām positive Bea and the next generation can do it. š
Haha! You just never know what will happen. š
Thatās what makes it so cool š
I’m so glad you think so š š
Iāll be visiting this weekend to catch up. If you hear someone rummaging around in the early chapters donāt be concerned. Itās only me. š¤
That’s perfectly fine šš I only hope you enjoy what you read.
Iāll let you know all the great impressions that overwhelm me. Of course, you know you can tell me to STFU when it gets too much. I will definitely understand š
And you already know I would never say that. hahaha šš³š I look forward to hearing your impressions. Truly. š
LOL, I promise not to abuse your kind tolerance. Iām a slow reader but I absorb every tiny nuance. That just makes reading you so fun. The sim images are so expertly matched to the story, itās like watching a movie.
What a wonderful compliment. I thank you.
You are most welcome. Iāll be by soon for a visit. š
Wonderful! š
JP needs a permanent time out LOL. Like, doesn’t this guy ever spend time at his own house? He probably drives Calpurnia crazy with all that talking, and she’s the only one who doesn’t put up with it LOL.
You know I’ve always felt like Ellie has been hypocritical with this whole moving out thing, but I’m glad she finally spoke to Bea, and I’m glad it went well. I’m still very curious to see how Bea will react when she sees how Ellie really was about everything, he he he. (Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! LOL ok, not that bad, hopefully. š )
LOL! Oh, you got me laughing again!
J.P. could probably use that time out, for sure. I think you must be right about Calpurnia and how she is the only one who won’t put up with him. LOL
I think it was time Ellie let Bea off the hook with the moving out thing. We’ll see just how this talk went from Bea’s point of view in Gen 6. And, oh, yes! Wait until she reads Holden’s journal! Oh, my! LOL
tee hee hee
šš
What a sweet ending for Holden’s generation <3 I'm glad he and Ellie have come to terms with Bea leaving, and there's not too many hard feelings between them about it. They are wonderful parents. I'm sure Bea will do just fine! Cannot wait for the start of her generation!
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the ending to Holden’s story. You’re right in that there aren’t hard feelings. I think it was important that Ellie have that talk with Bea. Someday, Bea might even understand what her mother was going through.
I think Bea will be just fine as well. ā¤
Ellie’s reaction is that of my own mom whe I went to college in a different city. With only children, they feel like their baby is abandoning them. I know Bea will be fine though.
Awww… Yes, I think you’re right about only children and how parents feel when it’s time for them to go off on their own. I agree with you that Bea will be fine. It probably won’t all be smooth sailing, but they raised her well.
Holden and Bea are so close. I think Ellie is freaking out because he only child is leaving. Iām glad he got her to go talk to Bea. And, yes, Rosetta still freaks me out! I hate the thought that she has Ellie working for her… I have to think that was the root of some of her and Holdenās problems. But she seems to be wary of her too now so I am happy about that.
Ready for Beaās gen! I think it will be fabulous…just as all of the previous ones have been.
I’m sure you’re right about Ellie and the fact that Bea is an only child. It was important for Ellie and Bea to have that talk. I reckon we’ll find out soon what Bea thought about that. lol
Ah, yeah, Rosetta… On one hand, I think Ellie feels she has an important job. On the other hand, I think she is growing wary of her sister-in-law. I do agree that her working for Rosetta was the cause of some of her problems with Holden. Ellie definitely has seen another side of Rosetta now.
Thank you! I hope you will enjoy Bea’s story. š
Wow I finally caught up after binge reading this for the last week. You really are a great writer. Your characters seem so real! Can’t wait for the next gen to start!
Wowzas! Thank you so much for the kind words of encouragement! I’m very happy you’ve enjoyed the story thus far and I hope you will continue to as well. š
This was a lovely ending. I’m glad Ellie and Bea had a talk. It seems a bit like Bea is daddy’s little girl, though. He’s a great dad. This has been a wonderful generation – you threw some true curveballs at us with Holden being shot and everything. I already like Bea a lot, though as others have said she’s a bit of a mystery! Can’t wait to learn more about her.
Your Christmas theme is just extremely cute, by the way! š Love how big a difference it can make just change the background and colours of a theme š
I’m so excited for December 8th now. Bring on the next generation! This was delightful, Kym <3
I think it was good, too, that Bea and Ellie had a talk. I can’t wait for you to get to know Bea better. š Hopefully, you’ll find her story just as engaging as you did Holden’s.
I’m so glad you like the Christmas theme! It means a lot to me to have some feedback on that. I get bored so easily but don’t want to completely overhaul the theme again, so this is a way to keep it fresh for me. lol
A very, very sad, but fond farewell to Holden, I will miss his story, too. I really look forward to hearing how Bea thinks, and I’m also anxious to see what she and Jem look like as young adults! I was wondering why Calpernia never actually made a showing in Holden’s story. She was always a bit of a mystery, so I’m hoping she may show up in Bea’s story if Jem is visited by his parents. I certainly want to know what Rosetta has in mind for “her” people, too!! I trust her about as far as I could throw her. I hope she has no negative impact on Bea’s life. I think any parent with adult children can relate to what Ellie is going through! The empty-nest syndrome is very real. =( I hope you enjoy your writing hiatus, and sure do look forward to starting a new adventure with Bea! ā„
I’m glad you enjoyed Holden’s story and wish it wasn’t over. š I’m in the same boat. I do think Bea’s story will be fun to write as well. I can’t wait for you to see what they look like as young adults! š Jem, I think, is rather handsome.
As for Calpurnia, she does exist, I swear she does. I was kind of doing the Frasier thing where you never actually ever see Niles’ wife. LOLOL Perhaps we’ll meet her yet, you never know.
You only trust Rosetta as far as you could throw her? You and me both. LOL Oh, she has plans, believe me, and yes, they very well might affect Bea and her life.
You’re so right about empty nest syndrome. I’m going through a bit of that myself at the moment. š
Goodness. Time flies. Even though I knew it was nearing time to hand over the diary, I wasn’t 100% ready to say goodbye to Holden being the writer/keeper/family historian. Looking forward to getting to know Bea further as well as finding out if Jem is a best friend or possibly more. As a parent of an only child, I can understand some of what Ellie is feeling but … it was my husband who got very emotional when she packed things and we helped her move. Now, she is applying to graduate schools and some of them are out-of-town or out-of-state so it will be interesting to see how our “dolphin pod” handles it.
I love that you used the term “dolphin pod.” š I’m also glad you understand where Ellie was coming from. I think she’ll be fine, and Bea will be as well.
It’s hard for me to let go of Holden as he was so much fun to write. Hopefully, Bea’s story will be a good read. š I will do my best. As for Jem, that’s a good question! š
Congratulations ! I really loved this generation . I adore Holden . Bea is a bit of a mystery to me, so I’m looking forward to getting to know her!
Thank you, CT! ā¤ I’m so glad you loved this generation. I’m even more glad you adore Holden. He was a lot of fun to write. I totally get why Bea is a mystery since I never showed her POV in this gen. I’m looking forward to showing you what she’s all about! š
When I was reading today’s chapter, I reflected on how much I love that Holden can’t abide conflict. He really is Peace embodied, to me.
That is such a high compliment, thank you. I found it refreshing to write a character like Holden and am glad he came across to you the way it was intended. Thank you again, CT. I find this so encouraging.
I can’t believe Holden’s generation is over already! It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago that he took over the reigns from Marty. I’m sure Bea will do great things, and Ellie will have worried for nothing! I bet it’s a lot harder to let go when you have an only child. If Bea had younger siblings, at least Ellie would still have some kids at home to help take her mind off her worry for her eldest.
I look forward to Bea’s generation and finding out if Jem will ever become more than her best friend! š
Thank you so much š It’s hard for me to believe this generation has come to an end, too. I really enjoyed Holden quite a bit because he was so different to write. I think you’re right that Ellie would probably not have such a hard time if Bea wasn’t an only child. I’m sure Bea will prove to her parents that she can handle this move. I’m looking forward to digging into her generation! š
I feel so bittersweet now, as I do at the end of each generation, no matter if it’s your story, mine, or someone else’s. I’m glad Holden managed to get back on his feet after the idiot Ella shot him. I’m glad he managed to find the love of his life in Ellie. I’m glad he managed to raise such a pretty, independent young lady as Bea. This was a great generation.
I did enjoy when you took us on a walk to reminisce about the good old times. Seems today is the day for father-daughter bonding with your and Louise’s story.
What can I say? I look forward to your sixth generation and to getting to know Bea better. I know I will enjoy it just as much as I enjoyed all you previous generations, Holden’s included! š ā„
Thank you so much, Jowita. That means a lot to me. For all of the terrible things Holden ever went through, he really was quite successful in life. Since we didn’t see anything from Bea’s POV during this generation, I thought the walk would be an important thing to add. I hope Generation 6 with Bea is a good one and I’ll do my best to make it so. iI really appreciate all the support you’ve shown me. ā¤