Chapter 79) Vicissitudes Of Fate

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths.

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

vicissitude NOUN
a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.

First, let’s get you caught up briefly.
Much change has occurred in less than a year following the last chapter, so I will fast forward you through the months that followed my last writings.

I’ll start by listing a cluster of weddings. Since Blaine abhorred weddings, we only attended two of them, which ones should be obvious, but still, that’s a lot of weddings in one year for poor Blaine, especially since one was still coming up. Declan and Rory’s. Oh yeah, that still hadn’t happened, but would, soon. It was one Blaine and I were looking forward too.

Caleb kept his word and found a suitor for his sister in form of the Grand Master vampire by the name of Draven Kyran. Surprisingly, rather than the expected kicking and screaming, Lilith swooned. Wedding number 1.

While seeking for a match for his sister, Caleb stumbled across a young, recently turned vampire who had lost her master, the one who turned her, before he could complete her schooling. As the leader and Grand Master Elder, Caleb took her on and well … they fell in love, and Miss Breona Velo ultimately became Mrs. Vatore. Wedding number 2.

When a new family of four, the McKenzies, consisting of father Judd, mother Mollie and the two late twenty something kids, son Jace and daughter Kerri, moved to sleepy Brindleton Bay to start over fresh after all four lost their homes and belongings during some devastating hurricane in Roaring Heights, another set of relationships started to sprout. During a morning jog Kerri rolled her ankle, our young doctor grandson Collin happened to walk by and … yup. That sweet boy lit up like a Christmas tree. They started dating and eventually we had wedding number 3.

Turned out that the McKenzies had incidentally moved to the empty home directly across the street from our granddaughter who was also Collin’s twin sister Claire. Let’s just say they all ran into each other, a lot. Especially Claire and Kerri’s handsome and charming older brother Jace, my guess would be that wasn’t a coincidence, even though Claire was initially guarded, but her walls went down in a blaze of glory when she discovered her toddler boys adored Jace and vice versa, which melted her resistance fast and apparently was the key to Claire’s heart.
Her useless and dismal ex-husband Lance had meanwhile perished in a tragic, albeit not all that surprising fatal drowning accident. He was a fisherman by trade and an abusive drunkard all the time, evidently that’s a dangerous mix and got the best of him.
Free from all old shackles Claire allowed things to evolve … found the love and passion she had been craving with Jace … and sailed straight into wedding number 4.

Wedding number 5 mostly concerned our grandson Declan’s friends. The planned wedding of his friends Dale and Ashleigh never happened due to their dramatic breakup. Then she moved in with his other friend, single dad Chad, but eventually we heard she married yet another young man, Massimo Russo, whom she was already pregnant by, which lands us at wedding number 5.

Wedding 6 was still outstanding and would be our grandson Declan and Rory’s later this year.

There, all caught up now. Let’s get on with it then … there is so much left to tell, about a rollercoaster of emotions in a relatively short amount of time. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Del Sol Valley
Everett Cameron and Maeve Reed's mansion

There had been screaming and yelling, drinking glasses, vases and bowls had been thrown into walls and shattered, unflattering, hurtful words exchanged. Again. As so often of late. Almost nightly. Luckily there were no immediate neighbors.

Now Everett was banging his fists on the door to the master bathroom of their mansion, which Maeve had locked herself in.

“Maeve, baby … open up! Let’s talk … I didn’t mean it … I know you didn’t mean what you said … I’ll replace that bowl or vase or whatever that thing was. Come on …” Rett pleaded.

“Go away, you stupid moron! I don’t want to see or hear you anymore tonight! Get lost!” she hissed from the other side of the door.

“Maeve, come on now, open up, this is fucking childish! I only called you … that … because you tried to kick me in the tender regions … so let’s be fair!”

“YOU are childish! And I wish I hadn’t missed, you would have deserved it! Leave me alone!” she yelled, sniffling, from the floor.

“Open the fucking door – NOW – or I will kick that shit off the hinges!” Rett banged against the door, harder, then demonstratively kicked it.

This hadn’t been the first major fight, just one in a series of many exchanges like this, too many to even count anymore of late. Worse and worse each time, even though they never laid hand on each other, but broke inanimate objects aplenty.

They would fight over practically anything and nothing, but no matter how negligible the reason, it would snowball out of control and get intense, loud and bad, yet at the end nobody could ever remember what they were even fighting about, making it hard to apologize.
So far they had always made up again.
Until the next day.
Rinse, repeat.
A vicious circle.

Needless to mention that no relationship can withstand something like this for too long, especially not when both partners are stubborn and strong, neither of them willing to back down and be the bigger person.
And then the inevitable happened, it came the day Maeve had enough and left. Without a word, without a threat, she just packed her bags, loaded up her car and was gone by the time Everett got home from an interview at a local TV station, only a note left in her wake.

He called her a few dozen times in a row, before realizing she was serious about leaving him.

After a serious episode of rage, in which he broke every single frame with Maeve’s picture in them, only to replace them and hang them again later that day, he tried calling her again. And again. And again.

For days on end he tried, morning, noon and night, in vain. She wouldn’t answer or reply. Not once. The only reason he didn’t flip out for worry about her wellbeing was that he could see she read the texts.

Rett fell apart when he realized the full magnitude of what had happened. She was ignoring him, and evidently this wasn’t something that would blow over in a day or two, once she stopped being angry with him. She was serious about this. And he was devastated.

The next time he would see her wasn’t until over a week later when she showed up to an interview with both of them together for an episode of a popular celebrity talk show, where both kept up appearances, smiled, faked the happy couple thing, while promoting their latest duet.
After the appearance she agreed to have dinner with Rett, even though neither of them had much of an appetite.

Sitting across the table from each other, Everett tried finding a good angle to get her to listen and talk to him, maybe even change her mind. Still her replies remained short and detached, until she finally looked up at him.

“Rett, I have to tell you something.”

“Please do! I have been waiting for us to finally talk about this shit. It ain’t right. I don’t even know what really happened here, but …” Everett began, but Maeve cut him off.

“Everett – I am pregnant.” she said, her voice breaking, freezing him in his tracks.

“What?!”

“I’m pregnant. About 6 weeks along now. My guess is it happened that night of the Accolades afterparty, when we both got drunk and you tossed all of our birth control off the cliff … before we ended up … well. You know how things like this happen.”

“Are you sure? And it’s definitely mine?”

“Are you serious?! Forget it! This was a mistake!” Maeve attempted to get up, Rett held on to her arm, she remained seated, glaring at him, obviously hurt by his words.

“I am sorry! That was a shitty thing to say! I didn’t mean it, it just came out. Please stay! You have to understand that this is quite a … shock … I mean … a surprise.” Rett tried to backpedal.

Maeve looked at him, but relaxed.

“Yes, Rett, I know. Well aware. Same boat, remember.”

“Are you … moving back in then?”

“No.”

“But … why not? What about the kid? What about your pregnancy? How is this supposed to work? Where do I fit in?”

“I do not know, Rett. Not like I asked for this or planned it out in loving details in my scrapbook. All I got at this point is that if other people figured out how to deal with a messed up situation like this, pretty sure we can too. Somehow. Right now I have bigger problems with this. A baby really does not fit into my life, or yours. I, for one, am crazy-busy in the the recording studio and will be for months, then I have a tour scheduled already, tickets are sold, I cannot cancel or postpone now. The fees and fines alone would kill me, not to mention the angry fans and I would definitely lose some. So I am going to be about 5 or 6 months pregnant and on stage, traveling for weeks on end, new city every night. That’ll be rough and I am not looking forward to having to explain myself over and over everywhere I go. Media is going to eat this up and eat me alive! No, I guarantee you I didn’t plan that.” Maeve frowned.

“But you are gonna keep it, right?”

“To be honest, I am not sure. Rett, I know what you are gonna tell me now, it’s easy for you to say, since you are not the one growing a baby inside of you at the worst possible time under the worst possible circumstances, but even with all that aside, the truth is, a baby is literally the last thing we both need now.”

“Maeve … I’ll help, you just have to let me. Just please don’t … I swear we’ll figure it out. Postpone the fucking tour. I’ll pay the fines.”

“I do not want – or need – charity! I need to think about this more, just found out myself yesterday, so this is very fresh for me too, and I still haven’t got my head wrapped around it. But if we do go through with it, if this is going to happen, we have to figure out how to tell our families. Including the part mine especially will have a huge problem with. Ugh, that’ll be a fun conversation.”

“Which part? The Rett’s the daddy part or the Del Sol Valley is far away from Windenburg part?”

“The single parent thing, Rett. You know how conservative they are. Don’t look at me like that, this pregnancy doesn’t change any of THIS. I do not believe in glue-babies to patch up broken relationships. Ours is shit. I am not gonna play-pretend here that all is hunky dory between us when it isn’t. And I sure as hell will not be pregnant, nor try to raise a child in the environment we have created of late. If I keep the baby. Jury is still out on that. I just need to find some quiet time to sit down and really think. I don’t even know which way is up right now.”

“Do I not get any say in it? It’s my baby too! And why do you make it sound like we are over, Maeve? I know we fought, a lot, but we are both under a lot of stress right now … I mean, it’s normal that there would be some friction. The business we’re in is crazy and demanding. We can get through this. Not like this is new or something. It gets insanely busy and then we have months worth of downtime. Besides, we always bickered and argued. That’s just who we are together.”

“Quit downplaying, Rett. We used to bicker, but recently we have gone full Angelina and Brad, if I hadn’t walked, we would probably be at Bobby and Whitney level now, the only question would be which one of us would be Whitney and which one Bobby! Yeah, I know I am a bitch and you are a dick, we are both equally bad and I do not see either of us change without drastic actions. That’s not healthy and I am not doing it anymore. Your addictions are not helping either.”

“Addictions? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Alcohol, for starters.”

“Here we go. I don’t … okay … come on now. I drink casually, socially, when we go to events … no biggie.”

“And when we get home … and when we are home, and when we are at restaurants .. I mean … case in point, this is your fourth glass of red wine, and that is not counting the two glasses of hard liquor you had at the bar while we waited for the table. I am still on my one cup of coffee.”

Rett rolled his eyes as he let out an exasperated sigh.

“Okay, well, cut me some slack, my job is stressful, my lovely fiancée just ditched me, then drops the baby bomb on me. Gimme a break here, woman! You think this is easy on me?!”

“Excuses. Always excuses. Maybe I could deal with you getting trashed almost nightly, but the drugs, no. Just no. I hate seeing you like this, Rett, declining. You visually aged like 10 years in the past few months, addict isn’t a good look on you. I tried to help you, tried to stop you, but you can’t hear or see me anymore. Just yell at me and throw shit against walls – then do it anyway! When that started, I knew I was out. I mean, what’s the point.”

“Oh – gee – thanks oh so kindly for that lovely compliment! So I look like shit because of stress. Big fucking deal, not running for Del Sol Valley’s Next Top Model here, but trying to throw together an album! And as a musician, a rugged look isn’t necessarily a bad thing, plus my brother is already doing the babyface thing. And wait a minute, we BOTH have a temper, you instigate stuff too, you throw shit too and you scream and yell at me plenty! So don’t you go putting that on me. Plus, we also have been slobberknocker drunk together more times than I have fingers and toes to count it out on! And what drugs are you talking about?! The bong at that party that one time? Are you my mother now?! What the fuck?! Last I checked I wasn’t underaged. And while we are throwing around industrial-strength accusations here, let me add my own gripe, namely that we’re engaged, promised to be married, yet you just up and leave me after a couple fights.”

“Everett – it wasn’t just ‘a’ bong, let alone just ‘that one time’. You know I am talking about the harder stuff and that you are on the road to an addiction, if you aren’t there already, so quit lying to me and yourself. You are just confirming the cliché of the stereotypical celebrity. And it wasn’t just a couple of fights, we did nothing BUT fight anymore. Every damn day, Rett! That is insanity. And I am not your fiancée anymore, Rett. Thought that was clear now.”

“What?! You are breaking off the engagement?! I thought you just needed a break for some girly froo-froo self-finding shit or something like that! You tell me I am gonna be a father and in the same breath you are sending me into the relationship desert with nothing but a farewell wish and my dick in my hand!? Are you fucking kidding me right now?!”

“I am not just breaking off the engagement now, I thought that was clear from my letter. Or were those too many words to read? Not interesting enough because it wasn’t all about you for a change?! Or were you too high or too hungover for any of it to register with you?!” Maeve snarled.

Everett instantly got very angry, jumped up so hard the chair nearly toppled over, he barely managed to catch it, as he growled at her.

“Fuck you, you stupid, ungrateful bitch! I made you into what you are now, you would be NOTHING without me and this is how you thank me! Then go and stay gone, I am better off without you anyways!” Rett tossed some money bills on the table and ran out, racing his car home at almost twice the speed limit. Which did not go unnoticed …

Del Sol Valley
Valley Grace Memorial Hospital
About a week later

Everett looked fearfully at the doctor who entered the room after a courtesy knock, her face somber.

“I am Doctor Garrison. Miss Reed, Mister … uh … are you the father?”

“Cameron. It’s Everett Cameron. And yes, I am ….” Everett confirmed, still out of breath from hurrying to the emergency room of the local hospital to find Maeve after her frantic call. He had just arrived minutes before Dr. Garrison.

“I am so very sorry, but unfortunately all I could do was confirm a spontaneous abortion, in other words you miscarried. There is no more heartbeat, nothing anyone can do at this point, except avoid complications and possible infertility, so we will get you ready for the D&C momentarily, Miss Reed. As heartbreaking as this is, it sadly does happen and nobody did anything wrong here.” The doctor said in a kind, but well rehearsed voice, making obvious this was probably not the first time she had to deliver this type of news that day. When she noticed neither of them had any words, she continued.

“Mr. Cameron, there is really nothing here for you to do right now, maybe you could go home and prepare an overnight bag for Miss Reed. It’s already late afternoon and we would like to keep her overnight to monitor her after the procedure to make sure everything is okay, just a precaution, because her blood pressure was pretty low when she was admitted and a few minor things we want to keep an eye on. And again, I am really very sorry. My sincere condolences. I will send some pamphlets with available resources to help you work through this traumatic event home with the both of you.”

Two nurses entered and accompanied a sobbing Maeve out of the room, Rett tried to follow, but was held back by the doctor shaking her head, so he could only watch her disappear. When the doors slammed shut behind them, Everett broke down.

Windenburg
Cameron Lake House

Blaine found Everett sitting on the ground of the patio, facing the direction of the lake with an empty stare.

“Hey kid …” he said softly, which still made Rett wince.

“Hey grampa.” Everett said with an occupied voice, as he quickly wiped his face, reflecting the current state of his emotions.

“See you working hard on that bladder infection. You should be almost there, sitting with that ass in the snow and ice, you ding-dong! We have chairs inside. In other words, RELOCATE! And did your mommy not stick you in a jacket?! Sitting in the deep snow in a t-shirt! This isn’t Del Sol Valley, you consolation prize, you’ll catch every virus known to mankind this way! Get up, get inside to defrost you, we need to talk anyway.”

“Grampa! Seriously, none of that now … Last thing I need now is get yelled at by you, after seeing both my parents, my brother and his fiancée burst into tears when I told them what happened. I cannot take any more emotions right now!”

“I won’t be the one crying here, you will be from the spanking I’ll give ya! Get up and MOVE – NOW! Bad enough that you’ll be ruining our couch with that wet ass now! Twentysomething years old, big musician, and reverts back to wet butt like a toddler. Seriously!”

Everett followed Blaine inside, they sat down next to each other on the couch.

“So, what’s up with you, Rett? Not the story again, I heard you. I got that, it’s rough. What I am asking is, what is really going on with you?” Blaine asked straight on.

“I don’t know how to answer that. My life is fucked, I am fucked. You chase your dream, you achieve it, and then of a sudden it’s gone again, leaving you to wonder what happened. So if that’s what you are asking, my answer is that I have no clue. I think she broke off the engagement for real, but that just can’t be, right? We should be going through this together, not like this! FUCK!”

“So, what are you doing about any of that? Other than wipe your snotty hands all over my patio from crying I mean? Any constructive or productive ideas or is your big plan just one big pity party, attendance: you?”

“Wow, thanks for the heartfelt comfort, grampa.”

“I asked you a question! You don’t need me to coddle you, your parents and grandmother are doing that plenty, probably your brother and his fiancé too. If you want more coddling, go to them. But you are here, deliberately, because you know you get what you need here, kid, namely a big spoonful of real life, no snuggly fluffy smoke and mirrors BS to lift you off further into oblivion! You need a mirror, the truth and tough love, and you need it quick, too, before you’ll sink deeper and deeper into that hole until you can’t get back out again. If that sounds like I know what I am talking about, it is because I know what I am talking about!” Blaine challenged.

“What would you have me do? Go out party to try and forget everything, nail the first available chick to get over the industrial-strength trauma I just went through? Or am still going through. I don’t even know.”

“Nope, you knucklehead! You need to be sad, process this crap, cry, scream, mope, you have every right to all that. But you need to remember that for you there will be a tomorrow and a day after that and a day after that, so you cannot allow yourself to get sucked into the depression for good. I am very sad, too. I know you are not supposed to have favorites, but you know very well that you have always been mine and any child of yours would be very special to me. But this is not the first time this family goes through that kind of loss. So, I know what that is like. Doesn’t get easier.”

“Really? You and granma?” Everett’s eyes grew wide. News to him.

“No, not us. Your parents, kid. They wanted a little girl after your brother. Five miscarriages full of heartbreak later, they decided one child was enough. Then suddenly you happened. A miracle baby. A multiple rainbow baby.”

“What the hell? How come I never heard about that before?! And what’s with that rainbow stuff? Are you calling me gay or something?!”

“No you ignorant dipshit, I said you’re a rainbow baby. It’s what your next baby will be, Rett. The one born after you lost one is your rainbow baby. Your next one will be strong and healthy and very, very special. You have always been special in many ways, Rett. Wish you wouldn’t have had to go through this, just about damn broke that sweet mother of yours and my poor boy. Brendan can be tough if need be, but not if it comes to his family. Especially not if it affects Natty or you kids. But, as you see, you can get through it and find happiness again. And to answer your earlier question, no, I was not suggesting you go out party and nail the first chick who will let you. If that’s your go to solution to everything, I am not surprised Maeve left you!”

“Okay, screw this! I am going home!” Everett shot up, but Blaine held on to him.

“Everett, you know I won’t say things just to hurt you. You need a mirror held up, a reality check, and you need it now. I know your father, your mother and your grandmother as well as I have tried to talk to you, but you are not listening, so I am finding a way to get your attention. Worked, didn’t it?! Don’t forget how much you are like me. As amusing as that may be to most of us, I know what that really means and I also know how to reach you. And you need to be reached right now. I see the signs, and they are neon and flashing brightly to me. Last thing you need from me is to snuggle you and kiss your booboos, kid. You need me to talk to you straight before this spirals out of control. Now keep that ass planted and let’s talk brass tax.”

Everett glared at the old man, but did as told, the anger cleared his face.

“Grampa, I don’t know what to talk about, I don’t even fully understand what is going on, nor how to fix it. I thought I had it all figured out, now everything is gone, I am all empty and I don’t know how to even start trying to fix it. I tried to patch things up with Maeve, I tried and tried and tried, but she doesn’t want me anymore. Now even less, she is so heartbroken and I only remind her of the child we lost. A child neither of us wanted, until we lost it. God, that sounds so wrong already. I am such a terrible person.”

“Ok, lets’ start somewhere. What reason did she give you for leaving?”

“I don’t know … just …. we fought. She had enough, I guess. So did I, but I would never just leave her …”

“Rett. You are forgetting again who I am. Love is never easy. Especially not in the business you are in. This is why I did everything I could to keep your aunt Anastasia out of it. Oh, she would have made it far, has a great voice, lots of charisma, great stage presence, she seems strong and forceful, but is so very fragile inside. I couldn’t protect her from all heartbreak, but I kept her from this mess. You are much more sturdy, stronger, assertive than three Anastasias. And yet, look at you now. I taught you all I could to prevent this. Yet, wasn’t enough, here we are. I got out of it for this very reason. Oh, I could have made it big, even bigger than that dusty old ‘legend’ I supposedly am. I got close … and then I was put before a choice. My family or this. I chose. And I would make the very same choice again and again. I remembered where my loyalties lay.”

“How does that help me? Maeve and I aren’t even together anymore and she won’t even listen to me anymore. And even if she did, what are you asking of me? Give up my career to chase my tail with her? She seems to be through with me, for whatever reasons now, and whatever I say, she won’t listen to it.”

“And here is problem number one identified. You do not listen. I am pretty sure she already told you what she wants and it went straight over that fire-engine red head of yours.”

“Now you sound like Maeve.”

“Ah, pretty sure I can guess why you can’t focus. So let me identify problem number two then. Booze and drugs. Ah, that face you are making tells me I hit the bull’s eye again. Stop that crap you are doing to yourself and to those who love you, right now. No discussion.”

“Grampa …” Everett shook his head, about to argue, but Blaine’s stern look silenced the young man.

“Rett! Don’t even try. You heard me.”

“Why does everyone paint me as some drunk-ass crackhead!? I am not! I did what everyone does, attended parties to rub elbows with celebrities and important people and had some fun. I am still young, it’s just what happens at such parties.”

“We tell you that, because there is no such thing as a little bit drug addicted, a little bit alcoholic, just like there is no such thing as a little bit pregnant or little bit dead. Either you are or you aren’t, it’s a slippery slope. And clearly kid, if you ever had a handle on that shit, you lost that thing a while ago. I can tell you that by just looking at ya, and don’t even start with me about jet lag and rough times. I know, Rett, know, am not guessing.”

“Okay, fine. I give up. So lay it on me. What would you have me do? Not attend parties anymore, even though you know those are vital to not vanish into the faint memories of everyone? Or do you want me to come across like a Catholic nun, rather than a musician, because I start curling up on the floor sucking my thumb when someone mentions alcohol or other stuff?”

“No, I ask you to man up. Let those airheads drink till they fall over. Let them loose all their fortune on drugs. There are ways to have fun and be fun without all that, or with just one glass. Nurse on one glass all night, that way you got something in your hands to make you look cool, but you keep what’s important. Trust me, THAT took me almost all my life to figure out. Without my babygirl, and all her patience with me, I would NEVER be sitting here. I would not have a daughter, or a son, let alone you! I’d be nothing but a pile of dust left at the bottom of an unmarked grave by now, as useless in death as I was in life! Your grandmother made me into a decent man worth the skin I am in. And you, kiddo, you made me a promise once, that you would not get into booze and drugs. Don’t think just because I am this old fuck now that I forgot. I didn’t, and I am STILL gonna hold you to it, so you better pull that arrogant, entitled big head out of your rear, and remember where you came from – PRONTO! Oh, and to save us that breath, your aunt tells me a lot of secrets … and I trump attorney-client privileges if it comes to my grandkids. So, we are driving drunk and drugged up now, huh?”

“She told you! Dammit, aunt Ana! One DUI, one single lapse in judgement after Maeve dropped the baby news on me and we had a fight. Aunt Ana is trying to keep it off my record. This is not a thing I usually do, I swear! It was after that big fight …”

“Which one?” Blaine’s facial expression told Rett it wasn’t a question, but a statement.

“Ok, fair point. Limit booze, no more drugs. Got it. Still doesn’t get me anywhere with the real problem. I don’t have to tell you that real relationships are next to impossible to find in Del Sol Valley, especially at the celebrity status level I am at now. Either the girl wants to spend my money, or she dates me for the fame, the persona I am on stage, in my music, not the real Rett. I may be an idiot, but even I know that.”

“Does that mean you are over Maeve then? Since you are apparently planning ahead without her.”

“What?! No, but I told you, she doesn’t want me no more. She gets angry with me if I only try to at least see her, just over dinner. Just to talk … even just as friends. She totally rejects me. As if she’s disgusted by me. And that was before the miscarriage.”

“That because she is frustrated with you. And because you miss the conversation while getting trashed anyway.”

“That is not me! I am not like that!”

“Yes, it is, because it was me, too, knucklehead! Quit forgetting you cannot bullshit the bullshitter! I wrote that book you are living, Rett! I am trying to rewrite the ending for you, like babygirl rewrote mine!”

“Ok, what do I do? Really, I mean it.”

“Do you still want Maeve?”

“More than anything.”

“Then tell her that! Take her somewhere special, quiet, NO BOOZE, before, during or after. And talk. Honest. Don’t try to impress her, don’t try to screw her. Talk to her, like you do to me. Curse if you must, poor girl’s probably immune by now anyway, but talk straight. Don’t hold back, don’t act tough, don’t add fluff, just you, the real Rett. That’s the ONLY way this will work. IF it’s not too late.”

“Poor girl, my ass. She has a worse sailor mouth than I ever did. And … thanks grampa. I mean it, not being sarcastic now. I’ll try.”

“Nah. What’s that hideous green teddy bear’s name again, from that space movie your brother loves so much, the one that says ‘do or do not, there is no try’?”

“That’s Master Yoda, from Star Wars, not a teddy bear. He’s a Jedi master.”

“Whatever, listen to that yoga master teddy, if you won’t listen to me. Put some effort in it, or forget about it, kid. And I love you, Rett. I want this to work out for you, all of it.”

“I know grampa and I love you too. You have always been my master yoga teddy.”

“At least on me, only the eyes are green … but if I ever start turning all green, it’s time kid. Get me to the funeral home before I leave a stain and your grandmother gets angry with me, can’t do anything to fix it when I am in rigor mortis. Don’t want her to be pissed at me for all eternity.”

“Grampa, I want to hear nothing about death and funerals right now!”

“Who the fuck is talking about funerals? I was gonna say get me cremated and put in a douche bag, so your grandmother can run me through one last time, unless rigor mortis has me stiff in the right places, than leave me alone with her until body parts are coming off!”

“OH MY GAWD! Grandpa! I shouldn’t be hearing any of this! Ugh!” Rett protested appalled, while trying not to burst into hysterical laughter.

“Well, then why the heck do you have such a big grin on your face, huh? As I was saying, can’t bullshit the bullshitter, now go fix yourself and life will go on. If there is any chance left with that girl of yours, waiting too long is a mistake here. You need to man up, face her, and be real. And give her time, do not make the mistake to expect her to run right into your arms and forgive. That will NEVER happen, not if the girl is serious about you.”





A.N.: Thank you to Audrey from NewBeginnings for the four new Sims (plus Jace and Kerri’s parents!). She did an amazing job and helped inject some fresh blood into the story (lame vampire pun fully intended).