Nikki congratulates Petruchio

Rhiannon and Petruchio take a moment to read

Patrick was eventually promoted and even busier with work. He often spent his free time reading up on do-it-yourself books in order to raise his handiness. Rhiannon loved sitting outside with him and they could often be seen reading together by the pond.

Rhiannon enjoys being fit

Of course, I too liked being around my wife. She had been on a fitness kick recently and I feared she would grow bored with me and my sedentary lifestyle. During our nights watching TV in bed, she reassured me that I had nothing to fear. She said she was only interested in her health for the sake of her grandchildren. I couldn’t argue with that.

Antonio's romantic interest grows up

Intruder Alert

Antonio was happy to see that the boy he had taken an interest in long ago was now of a legal age. My son may be insane, but he seemed to have some sort of knowledge about the age of consent and statutory rape laws. Meanwhile, Petruchio had generated some interest of his own. As we were celebrating Ben and Bert’s birthday, an uninvited guest crashed the party and happened to walk in on Patrick as he was taking a shower. She lingered long enough for me to have security escort her off the premises. Rhiannon laughed and reminded me that Patrick was a hottie. Patrick remains clueless about the whole situation.

Ben and Bert play with their teddies

And as I said, we had been celebrating the twins’ birthday. My grandbabies were now toddlers and enjoyed spending time playing near each other. They were similar in a way I couldn’t really understand. For example, whenever one of them cried, the other would seem to take a special interest in the other’s misfortune. I couldn’t explain it, but it was as if one was always delighted when the other one was miserable. Fiendishly so, I might add.

Benedick: Toddler

Bertram: Toddler

As for appearance, Benedick had inherited Rhiannon’s brown hair and natural light highlights, resulting in a kind of streaky look. I have no idea where he got his eye color from, but I found it very unusual and a little eerie, given what I had witnessed from the boys. Bertram had the blonde hair and brown eyes that had been passed down the line in the family. Nothing about his appearance indicated his propensity for the delight shown in the misfortune of others, which I also found disturbing.

I can’t quite put my finger on what I find disturbing about my grandsons, but I’ve a feeling it isn’t good, whatever it is. Their lives are in the hands of Fate and my only hope is that they grow up being strong and just, like their father.

To Be Continued!

Nikki and Petruchio bringing home the boys

Putting the boys to bed

Petruchio and Nikki welcomed twin boys to the Prospero family. They named their sons Benedick, after a witty and eloquent man in a play, and Bertram, named for a Countess’ son in another play. Family tradition, of course. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of deja vu as I watched them come inside.

Helena watches over the babies

Nikki tells Antonio to vote circle before he can see the boys

Antonio loves his nephews

The days passed quickly and it was hectic having babies in the household once again. Of course, we had plenty of help and the boys were never neglected. Helena, who had taken a great interest in her nephews, now spent time with the babies. In a surprise move, Antonio actually showed some feeling for them as well. Of course, Nikki was a bit apprehensive with him around, but she eventually saw how much he adored his nephews and couldn’t keep him away.

Helena celebrates her birthday alone

Helena: Elder

We were all so busy with the babies we didn’t even notice when it came time for Helena’s birthday. She didn’t seem to mind one bit, though, and cheered for herself as she transitioned to a full-fledged elder. I felt bad, but she insisted it was fine and that she didn’t mind.

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Nikki and Rhiannon talk pregnancy

Hugging cures everything

Rhiannon and I quickly got over the hurt feelings we had over their impromptu wedding and expressed our excitement in our future grandchild. Rhiannon, always the doctor, doled out lots of great medical advice to Nikki, who was very receptive to her advice. I felt that things had definitely been smoothed over.

So you're having a baby

She's watching you

To prepare for the baby, Nikki read all the pregnancy books she could get her hands on. When she had finished reading, she insisted Patrick read them as well. She even sat down with him to make sure he was reading, which I found funny.

Knock Knock

Still in there?

In the evenings when Petruchio was free, he tended to hover over Nikki. He always wanted to listen to the baby and feel her tummy. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have sworn he thought the baby bump was going to disappear.

It's Coming!

Stop staring and take me to the hospital

OMG she's gonna blow

Finally, as they lay sleeping, Nikki felt the baby stir. As she gingerly made her way out of bed, Petruchio jumped up and shouted, “It’s coming!” and began the panicky dance all expecting fathers do. Thankfully it didn’t last too long and he was able to calm down enough to rush Nikki to the hospital. Antonio was coming home just as they were hopping into the car and he spent moments wringing his hands with worry. He didn’t quite understand what was going on and feared the baby would come bursting out at any moment.

You think she's sore?

As they arrived at the hospital, Patrick was full of wonder and ideas. His main thought of the evening? That Nikki sure must be sore. Brilliant Patrick, just brilliant.

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Nikki enjoys playing with the fireplace

We all knew Nikki was the daredevil type. What we didn’t know was her fascination with fire. She loved poking and prodding the fireplaces. Thankfully, they had all been fireproofed by my father a long time ago so I didn’t have anything to fear with her strange behavior.

Antonio remains unpredictable

Rosalind doesn't understand her nephew

I was still getting surprised by Antonio even though I knew he would continue doing whatever he wanted. One evening I observed him cleaning up the bathroom floor. When I asked him about it later, he said that he had just been following the orders of the mysterious gnomes. Rosalind called me up one night to tell me that she had had a brief conversation with Antonio in the park. Apparently, he had expressed an interest in her personal life and asked her questions about life “on the outside”. She figured I should be concerned but I wrote it off as typical Antonio.

Midnight fishing with Helena in her nightie

Helena still spent her time fishing and even visited the cemetery. Sometimes she forgot to get dressed and fished in her nightie.

Great Minds think Alike

Around this time, Antonio and Helena managed to finish a pair of paintings. It was fascinating how alike they were and I was happy to see Antonio exhibiting some “normal” behavior.

Petruchio and Nikki celebrate together

In the days following their wedding, Patrick and Nikki spent a lot of quality time together. I didn’t expect them to try for a family straight away, but then again, they never seemed to do what I expected. I’m sure Patrick had no complaints because he often talked about what a great kisser Nikki was.

Nikki's typical midnight snack

Nikki's nausea

And I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised when Nikki showed all the typical signs of being pregnant. She had all the signs, from the weird cravings to the morning sickness.

Expectant Mother

Sure enough, it didn’t take long before she herself knew what was going on. I must admit that Rhiannon and I were rather happy at the idea of grandchildren.

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Rhiannon making plans with the caterer while Nikki enjoys cake for breakfast

Finally, the day of the wedding party had arrived. Rhiannon spent most of the morning on the phone working out details. We were all very excited.

Surprise! Elopement

However, Patrick and Nikki shocked us by running off to elope. I didn’t really understand the reasoning, but later Patrick mentioned that Nikki had some commitment issues and was nervous about staging a big ceremony. Patrick feared she wouldn’t go through with it so he took her out to Simhenge and they exchanged vows alone.

Petruchio and Nikki celebrate their love alone

The couple exchanging rings

Love and Cherish with no sight of parents

Forever

Rhiannon and I were very sad not to be included, but we couldn’t hold grudges. At least we had some pictures to remember their moment, even if we had to get them from the paparazzi. Since we had gone through the trouble of planning their wedding party, we went ahead with it anyway. Rather than witnessing the actual ceremony, we hosted a grand reception.

Nikki quietly sits with Rhiannon

Rhiannon didn’t speak to neither Patrick nor Nikki the entire evening but did manage to be civil.

Romeo cornered by a guest

I spent much of my time talking to guests and was even cornered in my bedroom at one point by a disappointed voter.

Antonio uses the party as practice

Antonio, immune to the awkward silence from his family, decided to bring people together with his music. He considered it good practice for honing his skills.

Helena cries alone in the bathroom

Helena was handling her disappointment in her own way and spent most of the evening crying alone in a bathroom upstairs. Strangely enough, the party was a success despite the strained relationships within our family.

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Petruchio stays fit for work

The days that followed were spent preparing for Patrick and Nikki’s wedding. Patrick was busy with his job which required him to spend a lot of time keeping in the best shape possible.

Nikki dives into her studies

Nikki decided to pursue a career in politics so I put in a good word for her with some people and got her a job polishing podiums. I even gave her my books dealing with charisma and told her that skill would come in handy. When she told me her lifetime wish was to max charisma and guitar, I knew she was off to a great start with my books. She planned to have golden fingers as well as a golden tongue.

Antonio runs into Earnest, his teen romantic interest

Playing for the masses

As for Antonio, he had no plans on a career and instead focused on improving his guitar skills. He earned money by visiting the park and usually spent all day there, playing for tips. On one such occasion he ran into his friend Earnest, who was still a teen. Rather than continue his awkward flirting, Antonio decided to play for him and everyone else.

Rhiannon pleads with Romeo to keep his robe closed

I was close to finishing my second term as Leader of the Free World and was looking forward to a comfortable retirement. I played chess with Rhiannon in my free time and liked hanging around the house in my robe. I often got the feeling I was embarrassing Rhiannon with my attire, and I found her attempts at begging me to put on pants amusing.

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Petruchio joins the military

Romeo approves of Petruchio's career choice

Soon after his birthday, Patrick expressed a desire to join the military. His lifetime wish was to become an astronaut because he felt it required someone who was fearless and very daring. I was proud he had such strong feelings about the military and expressed my approval of his goal.

Antonio opts to study guitar instead of looking for a job

Antonio had other plans for his life. In pursuit of his goal to master guitar as well as painting, he purchased a fancy new guitar and began studying it day and night.

Petruchio discusses the cosmos while Nikki believes she's in love

Whispering sweet nothings

Patrick was eager to resume his relationship with Nikki so didn’t hesitate to ask her to accompany him on a picnic at the lake. As they stood there watching the waterfall, they realized they were both deeply in love.

Petruchio pops the question

Patrick, who was always seeking the next thrill, decided proposing at such a young age would be somewhat extreme. I’m not sure if he dared himself to do it or not, but the deed was done and Nikki readily accepted.

Rhiannon sees how much Petruchio loves Nikki

Romeo plays air guitar in a virtual world

Later, as Patrick tried explaining himself, Rhiannon could see how serious he was about Nikki and gave her approval. I feared that such an early engagement would cause some kind of political scandal so I began spending time relaxing in my virtual world. Hey, air guitar is harder than it looks.

Antonio scares Petruchio

Antonio had his own opinions on the engagement of his brother. He chose to express this by sneaking up behind him for a big scare.

Nikki agrees to move in if Patrick will stop eating dirt

Following tradition, I told Patrick that if he wanted to marry Nikki he should have her move in with us. After all, she needed to know what she was getting herself into and I needed to learn more about the girl. Nikki agreed to move in on the condition Patrick had to stop showing off with his dirt eating.

Nikki's makeover

Upon moving in, Rhiannon and I sent her out to the spa for a makeover. Nikki was somewhat unconventional and daring, just like Patrick. I think her new style reflected her personality better.

Helena's aquarium collection

As everyone was running around planning a wedding, Helena completed her lifetime wish of having 13 species of perfect fish. It’s a good feeling when all your hard work pays off, isn’t it? I was proud of her accomplishment.

Helena mentors Antonio

She resumed mentoring Antonio in painting and provided gentle, yet constructive criticism when necessary. I enjoyed watching them paint because while their styles were similar, they had their own unique spin to them.

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Juliet and Rhiannon notice Romeo is missing

They go ahead and celebrate anyway

Finally, the day of my birthday was upon us. I hosted a party for everyone, as usual. When it came time to blowing out the candles on my cake, I was held up in another room debating politics with a concerned taxpayer. Juliet and Rhiannon took my absence in stride and resumed their own birthday celebrations.

Romeo: Elder

Rhiannon: Elder

Although Rhiannon and I were sporting more wrinkles and a head full of gray hair, I think we managed to age gracefully. I chose to wear a deep blue sweater vest which my sons called the “Mr. Roger’s sweater” while Rhiannon looked a bit more elegant in her purple jacket.

Juliet, Nikki, and Antonio watch Romeo put away his cake

I’m afraid the years were not as kind to my sister Juliet. Her once glorious black hair was now white and her fashion centered on comfort rather than style. As I was putting away the leftovers from my cake, I noticed Nikki and Antonio watching me with interest. Nikki, who had left my house days ago as a teenager, had just had a birthday and was now a young adult. Poor Patrick had to wait a few days before he could continue his romance with her.

Petruchio and Antonio close their eyes to make a wish

Fortunately, the wait was not too long. The very next day, we had a pool party to celebrate my boys’ graduation from school.

Everyone enjoying the party except Helena

Helena's boyfriend Roy dancing with himself inside

The party was wildly successful and everyone enjoyed themselves. Well, everyone except Helena who spent most of her time sniveling because her boyfriend Roy preferred dancing alone to dancing with her.

Rosalind's new husband, Xavier Ellsworth

Xavier boos himself while Antonio engages in trashy talk

We also met Rosalind’s new husband that evening. His name was Xavier Ellsworth and from what I could tell, he didn’t have a high opinion of himself. I was actually surprised to see that Rosalind had settled down. I had originally thought her to be too lazy to care about settling down and having a family. And even though it was fairly late in her life, I was happy for her.

Petruchio: Y. Adult

Antonio: Y. Adult

My boys looked as nice as they did when they were teens, in my opinion. Patrick really was a looker, at least Rhiannon thought so. She was so proud to see her sparkly hazel eyes had been passed down. Patrick developed a tendency to forget what he was doing from time to time and this absent-mindedness was somewhat amusing. Antonio managed to retain his own style as he aged. Poor boy though, he really hated anything remotely flirtatious. I wasn’t sure how far a mean, unflirty, insane guy could go in the world-but I’m sure we’ll all find out soon enough.

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Romeo gets a surprise at the theatre

Grim remembers Romeo fondly

With my birthday fast approaching, I decided I should get out and see the town a bit before I became a crotchety old man. I wasn’t the only one getting around town though. A quick visit to the local theatre resulted in witnessing another member of society kicking the bucket, so to speak. Of course, I wasn’t too pained seeing this because it afforded me another opportunity to chat with one of the 3 Grim Reapers whom I had met.

Petruchio and Nikki enjoy their pb&j at the bistro

As I was talking to Mr. Reaper, Patrick was out to lunch with his girlfriend Nikki Bass (yeah I eventually learned her name). They happily munched on their peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and discussed extreme sports.

Helena catches up on reading

Fishing at sunset

Helena also enjoyed visiting different locales around town. She loved going to the bookstore for fishing tips and would sometimes sit around reading the latest fishing magazine. Her favorite place was the beach, though. Sometimes she’d stay for hours trying to hook the biggest fish possible.

Romeo doesn't think too highly of Antonio's random gibberish

Antonio's artwork is simple, yet profound

Antonio didn’t go out as much, mostly because we kept him medicated to control his outburts. It was always easy to tell when he was off his meds because those were the days he’d sit around speaking madness to everyone. I didn’t like it when he confused me. Helena encouraged him to focus on his painting and this caused him to declare his desire to be a Master of the Arts. He set out to master both guitar and painting after that.

Petruchio is a philanthropist

Like most wealthy people, my family was interested in philanthropy. No one exhibited this more than Patrick. He reminded me a lot of my mother and aunt Liv with his various foundation donations.

Nikki's visits are spent playing video games

Patrick’s girlfriend usually visited the house every weekend. However, she spent most of the time playing video games. She wasn’t a couch potato or anything, but instead, I think she lived vicariously through the extreme games she played on the console.

Lucius and Latrice are still very much in love

The house was far from quiet when everyone was asleep. Lucius and Latrice’s ghosts made sure of that. You think hearing your parents woohoo is traumatic? Try listening to your grandparents woohoo and then we’ll talk. Dad used to tell me his parents were always groping each other in the hallways but I didn’t realize he was telling the truth until now.

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Leader of the Free World

So obviously, my pursuit of my ultimate goal was successful. I was now Leader of the Free World and at the top of my career. Who knew that wearing swanky leopard-print shirts with gaudy medallions was a sign of success?

World-Renowned

Rhiannon also celebrated her achievement of her lifetime wish soon after mine. We were both now free to sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labors.

The Family Graves

Life, as you know, is always moving forward. And as the population ages, some must succumb to death. The week I was elected as President, I learned that both my Aunt Ophelia and cousin Lysander had passed away. I was never that close to either of them, but I couldn’t help feeling a sense of loss when I realized that there was no one left of my family from the previous generation.

Petruchio shows off his new car

Antonio runs off with his mother's car

Our family didn’t dwell on the past, however. To show my appreciation to my boys for their support through the campaign, I bought them each a car. Patrick wanted a classic hot rod type of car in his favorite color, hot pink. I didn’t trust Antonio with a brand new car and instead let him have Rhiannon’s purple sports car. I knew he didn’t deserve it because he was such a mean person, but I believed him to be responsible enough to treat this car well.

Helena and Rhiannon tend to Julius's garden

My father’s garden was also being taken care of, thanks to my wife and sister. Neither of them had the skill Dad had, but together, they were able to share the burden of harvesting and replanting the different types of plants.

Helena pursues her lifetime goal

Helena even quit her job at the science lab in order to fish full time. She really wanted that aquarium and spent time out on the beach fishing for that perfect specimen to add to her collection.

Helena at the park with Rosalind

Of course, she kept in touch with her sisters when she could. She knew that Rosalind liked to spend her time before work at one of the chess tables in town so Helena would often head there for some quality time.

Petruchio studies at the library

As for Patrick, he was doing well in school due to his afternoons in the library. He spent a lot of time researching his brother’s illness. I think he actually enjoyed living with someone insane.

Making a Move

Officially a couple

His dates with the now Vice-President’s daughter were going well. His beast of a car offered him plenty of opportunities for copping a feel. They also officially became a couple and celebrated by making out in the study of our home.

Fabian faints at the sight of his mother's ghost

Yes, things were going well for the Prospero family. We were even treated to a new sight as some of the older ghosts finally made appearances around the house. One evening as I was heading to bed, I spotted old uncle Fabian’s ghost passed out from fright. The cause of his terror? Great-grandmother Jamie’s ghost, of course.

I am looking forward to what the future has in store for us and can only imagine how my sons will carry on the family name.

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