Gen 2 Chapter 9: Saying Goodbye

Ah, another day nearly done with the Song kids.

The girl's birthdays were fast approaching, and we knew our time was running out on teaching them their skills. We decided we would at least try to teach them each 2 skills, and hope they would get desirable traits as they aged up. It was the best we could do!

"Come on, pretty girl, walk for Mommy!"

The girls were adorable, and our little man Cadence was doing great too, he never lacked attention, his grandparents always looked after him while Jeanna and I taught the girls.

Soon enough, the girls birthdays came! 1st was Harmony;

She was a cutie! She developed the Brave trait, add that to her Athletic and Genius trait, and it looked like we were going to have quite the adventurer on our hands!

Then, Symphony was next.

She developed the Over-Emotional trait, just like her momma. We knew with her Artistic trait, she was going to love painting, so we made sure she had her own easel in her room.

Then, came Melody.

She developed the heavy-sleeper trait. And, sharing a room with 2 other girls, she would need it!

We quickly rearranged their rooms, their present from us was new beds, in their favorite colors, plus a few new older kid toys. Just in time for bedtime too, the girls were exhausted from all the excitement!

By this time, Cadence's room was done too, so we moved some of the baby's toys in his new room along with his crib.

Wow, I was now a daddy to three big girls! I couldn't wait to get to know them better and spend time with them. I hoped I could be their friend as well as their daddy.

The girls were so excited for their first day of school! Jeanna and I didn't have to say a word to them, they got themselves up, had breakfast, then caught the bus!

With girls off to school with no problems, we found ourselves home with just the baby. And, since the grandparents had the monopoly on time spent with Cadence, Jeanna and I could work on other things...

I decided to work on my painting I had been wanting to finish...

and Jeanna, who was a little stir crazy by now, went out jogging to the gym, and to go swimming there. She was so ready to work out and get her body back!

I also finally started that children's book I had been asked to write. I called it, "Goodnight Gnome".

Soon it was time for me to go to work, and Jeanna came back to the house to look after cadence and be with the girls as they got home from school. It seems the evening went down hill from there... Lakeisha had been making dinner and all of a sudden....

Jeanna was the 1st one to her mother's side, and then Berjes. It was Lakeisha's time to go, she was 91 days old.

Then, little Harmony came in and saw her grandma dying. Jeanna said she saw her little girl's heart break right then and there.

All 3 girls fell into a heavy depression. That night, Harmony announced that she was going to become a doctor, so that she could help people live long healthy lives. It really bothered her watching her grandma go.

It was so hard to see my girls in such emotional pain. In all the commotion, we realized it was Cadence's birthday. Jeanna and I witnessed our little boy grow into a toddler.

He was a handsome boy, with Jeanna's hair and my eyes! We dressed him in his favorite color, Red.

Jeanna and Berjes took a few minutes to comfort each other.

"Daddy, I'm so sad she's gone too, but we will just have to stick together and help each other. I'm going to hire a maid too, to help out around here."

"That's sweet of you, Jeanna. At least your kids bring a ray of sunshine in my otherwise sad life. They will help us get through this too."

"You are so right daddy. We'll get through this together."

Then Berjes went to try to get some rest, and Jeanna put our boy to bed. I hope somehow, we get through this. I feel like I've lost a mom all over again. But, it is different having the kids here. They give us all the strength to keep going.

Everyone seemed to get a good night's sleep, and the girls were up early getting their homework done and getting ready for school.

Of course, everyone knew when Cadence was awake...he made sure of it!

"I waaaaan dinner!"

"Ok, Ok, Cadey boy, I'm coming! Here's your bottle..." He cracked me up, every meal was 'dinner' to him.

After raising 3 toddlers simultaneously, it seemed like a breeze to just train one. Cade was so smart, he picked up everything super fast.

He was quite onery too. Although he had a room full of toys, he always chose to sneak into the girls' room and play with theirs, whether it was the block table, or the doll house! But the girls loved their little brother, and didn't mind.

Although there were moments of tears, we were all dealing with the loss of Lakeisha fairly well.

The girls soon were back to their normal interests. The one thing they were obsessed with talking about were vampires. We had heard that vampires were taking up residence here in Sunset Valley, but not to be concerned, they usually were no danger to others, especially babies and children. But the girls were completely fascinated. They all wanted to meet a vampire, and when they learned that Uncle Jacques' boyfriend Cody was one, (yeah, I didn't see that one coming either... but they are happy together)

they were always asking to go visit him, just so they could meet a vampire. When it came down to it though, Melody was the only one that actually went over.

The other girls met a vampire when Berjes invited one of his old co-workers over, and that seemed to satisfy them enough, but not Melody. She went out of her way to try to make friends with Cody. We trusted Jacques and Cody both, so we let her go over and visit.

Symphony not only loved to paint, she also wanted to write a book. I guess from seeing me working on mine. Since I already had a publisher, it wasn't hard for her have a crack at it. She worked on it when she had free time. I was so proud of how smart she was!

Harmony spent most of her free time reading, and playing chess. I have to admit, if she wanted to be a doctor, she was getting a great head start! She never had to be told to do her homework, and was the first of the girls to get on the honor roll at school.

Berjes seemed to have his own way of coping with his wife's death. He spent less time with the kids, and more time upgrading things around the house.

It was a pretty handy hobby for him to take up, because now some appliances around the house cleaned themselves!

Our little man was growing fast too.

He almost had all his skills learned, and with the girls help, he was so easy to keep happy...

"Fanks for dinner, sissy."

"Your welcome, Cadey!"

"Nighty night, buddy."

"Night Daddy."

After putting Cadence to bed, Jeanna and I spent some much needed time together.

I think the loss of Jeanna's mom had more of an effect on both of us than we realized. As we laid in bed and chatted, we both talked about how Lakeisha's death helped us both respect the gift of life so much more, and one thing lead to another...

After she fell asleep, I laid in bed, smile still on my face, but fear in my eyes... what did I just do? Did I just get my wife pregnant again?

*buckey's notes*- Argh. Yes. They BOTH wished for another kid. And I figure, now, there's 7 people in the house, so this may be the best time to have a kid because at least I'm guaranteed just one, right? Right?!? Oh, and I find it hilarious that Jacques falls in love with the one guy in town who has the same hairstyle as him! LOL.

Thanks for reading! :)