The nouvelle Nouvel Legacy

I had been trying to catch Blythe for a while. I really needed to speak with her, to pass on the Nouvel legacy and all our hopes for the future. But between her job and med school, I never had a chance. I finally cornered her one morning outside the bathroom.

“Blythe I need to talk to you. It’s very important.”

“I’m sorry Mom. I have an early clinical today. I’ll be home this evening though. I promise we can talk then.”

I had to satisfy myself with that. Getting old made me impatient, I suppose. I had a strong desire to make sure everything was settled before I died. I know I was expecting a lot from Blythe. She had chosen a demanding career but she would also have to make time for a husband and family and watch over her sisters. Bryony might decide to move out. She would probably prefer living on her own. But Babette needed to stay with family.  Her condition could very well worsen over time.

That evening I waited for Blythe, pacing back and forth anxiously. At 8:00 I expected her return any minute. At 9:00 there must have been an emergency at the hospital. At 10:00 I was falling asleep on the couch and reluctantly mad my way to bed. I pulled the covers back and found this note from my oldest daughter.

“Mom, by the time you read this it will be too late. I know what you want to talk to me about. I’ve always known. You expect me to take up the mantle of the Nouvel family and carry our line into the next generation. I’m sorry Mom. I love you but I can’t do it. By now Chris and I are married. I am a Crosby. You have three other children that will continue the name Nouvel. You’ve made it a good name, you and Dad. It’s something to be proud of. But I had to give it up for my love. You know Chris is his parents’ only child. The only chance they have to see their name continue. I cannot ask him to give that up. I hope you understand. I love you but I have to grow up and find my own way, create my own legacy. I choose to do that as Mrs. Crosby.”

So many emotions ran through me as I read that. I was shocked, worried and I’ll admit, a bit annoyed. My perfect plans had been ruined by my perfect daughter, crumpled up and thrown away like someone else’s trash. From the time she was little, I had assumed she would be the heiress to our legacy. I had acted on it as a foregone conclusion, building all my dreams around her future. Now that future, my future, was dashed to pieces, leaving me with two fragile vessels to choose between.

Bertram was a very solid, driven individual. He set goals and would die trying to reach them.

Working out was a prime example. Unfortunately, Bert had a natural tendency to be heavy. He had struggled with weight since he was a child. But he was stubbornly determined  and never missed a work out. None of us were surprised that he had a detailed plan for the rest of his life as well.

Bert earned two promotions very quickly and added those bonuses to the regular savings he was keeping from his paychecks. In a short time he had enough money for a down payment on a house. There was just one piece missing.

Taryn Cantina

Taryn had been his bestfriend/girlfriend since kindergarten. She was the oldest daughter of my co-worker Lorraine and Hal Breckenridge, George’s partner. Her parents never made their relationship official. I think they were both too independent and set in their ways to live together. Taryn was a beautiful girl, but a little odd. She was very forgetful and often behaved inappropriately. I wonder now if Bertram just ignored her increasingly erratic behavior because he did not want to abandon his plan, even though he was six at the time he promised to marry her. Whatever the case, Bertram scheduled his proposal like he scheduled the rest of his life.  He decided to make it official at the same place where George and I had exchanged vows.

Taryn was ecstatic and quickly said yes.

My son and his bride promptly exchanged vows and moved to the little house he had purchased.

Bertram was really looking forward to having children of his own. He and Taryn decided that he would work and she would stay home with any kids. Even though George and I had our concerns about Taryn, we still couldn’t wait to see our first grandchild.

**Author’s Note** Sorry for the recent dull repetitiveness of posts. It seemed like nothing happened but birthdays for about 3 Simweeks. I decided to cram all the last of it together in one post. Things get more interesting once the kids are grown.

Babette

Bryony

Babette soon took over Bert’s easel. It had been gathering dust while he concentrated on Taryn and working out. Babette seemed to have a natural flair for art. Her skill quickly became apparent.

Dr Wilson encouraged her hobby, saying that the practice allowed her neurotic and disorganized tendencies to be expressed peacefully and constructively. He was concerned that her opposing traits could lead to further emotional problems and painting was a good outlet.

Bry, on the other hand, pulled away from us more and more. She spent most her time in her room buried in a book.

Bertram and Blythe were both seniors when the twins started highschool. Blythe had excelled so much in her schoolwork that she was bumped up a grade. We had a joint graduation party for them, ready to send them off into the world.

Bertram : Friendly, Light Sleeper, Ambitious, Clumsy, Workaholic

Blythe: Genius, Exciteable, Ambitious, Computer Whiz, Handy

George and I were thrilled to see how well our oldest children had grown. Thankfully neither of them exhibited the pschological frailties of their sisters. Bertram immediately applied for work at Doo Peas Corp. He was fascinated with the world of business. Blythe had been offered a work study program at Sacred Spleen. She had an enty level job and was attending med school at night. Now that she was grown, she and I needed to have an important conversation.

Blythe soon followed her brother into high school.

Bert was a year ahead of her but being a certified genius, Blythe often helped him with homework.

Like her brother, Blythe also found companionship with the opposite sex.

That strapping young lad she’s with? That’s Chris Crosby. Remember him, sweet baby Chris that inspired me to begin my own family? He seems to be inspiring a similar emotion in my oldest daughter.

George and I were a bit concerned about why a senior would be interested in a freshman. But at least we knew him and his family well. We figured this was a safe first love. Chris would graduate soon and move on to his adult life and their relationship would slowly fade. Both of our kids were doing so well in school and not causing any real trouble.

Bert trying out his "goth" phase for artistic inspiration

Blythe driven to be the first to discover new satellites and planets

George and I were very proud and tried to give them as much freedom as possible to learn and grow on their own and know that we were always there for them.

It took a while for us to realize that Babette and Bryony had a much harder time making friends at school. The two girls only played with each other.

They loved the playground but would only go there when no one else was around. And they never brought other kids home from school or even mentioned the other students in their classes.  When we asked them about it, Babette said that the other kids were all computer generated holograms that disappeared once they got on the bus  so it was impossible to bring any of them home. Bryony replied that she wouldn’t want to invite them over, even if it was possible. She was painfully shy around groups of people. Sometimes even just the whole family in one room was enough to make her stammer and shake. We took the girls to see a psychiatrist who diagnosed Babette as having neurotic tendencies while Bry had acute enochlophobia or a fear of crowds. Dr. Wilson said that children with abnormal psychology were increasingly common around Riverview. He theorized that it was related to the chemical spill over a decade ago. Both conditions seemed to start about 18 years ago, although the psychological effects often took years to reveal themselves.  Unfortunately, that theory was a very dangerous one to speak aloud. A recent joint research project between the hospital and the science center had just gone up in flames, literally. The explosion and deaths were being blamed on a “chemical accident” in the lab. George and I were both frustrated beyond belief. Even with our high positions in politics and law enforcement, the criminal underworld seemed untouchable. George was constantly raiding their hideouts and business fronts but could only find evidence of petty crimes. Every organized crime law that I got passed was overturned by the courts, or simply ignored.

The years passed in a whirl of confetti and cake. It seemed like someone was celebrating a birthday every other day. First George had his 40th birthday and then it was my turn. We were really on the downward slope now and definitely felt an urgency to complete our lifelong goals. George was very close to reaching the top of his career. A few days after his birthday, he achieved that dream and became an International Super Spy. He would speed off to work every day in a sporty little roadster, wearing a full tuxedo. I had become well known around town, thanks to the mommy network. Once my maternity leave was over, I threw myself into work. I decided to make a name for myself globally now and won election after election, from mayor to governor to vice president.

The changing years were more obvious in our children however. Blythe challenged her father to many a game of chess and picked up on the skill very quickly.

I think Bert still had some jealousy issues. He tried to compete for dad’s attention by working out and talking energy supplements.

We had a nanny to watch over the twins for a short time once I went back to work. But pretty soon that wasn’t necessary. My babies grew into beautiful little ladies and proved to be as ambitious in their school work and hobbies as their siblings were.

Babette - Neurotic, Slob, Ambitious

Bryony - Brave, Loner, Ambitious

Not long after the Babs and Bry started elementary school, it was Bertram’s birthday. He was thrilled to finally be a teenager.

It was pretty obvious why he was so excited.  His best friend Taryn Cantina had moved up to high school the year before. Bert wasted no time in letting her know he was grown now.

Babette ( God is my oath) : Neurotic, Slob

Bryony (to grow well, sprout) : Brave, Loner

I apologize for the lack of infant pictures but with twins, a toddler and a school-age child, I didn’t even think to pick up a camera until the twins’ birthday. As you can see, both girls have my hair color. Babs has her father’s eyes and lean features. Bry is the spitting image of me as a child.

Just like with the older kids, George and I worked together to teach the girls everything they would need to know. We both worked on potty training.

I taught the girls to talk.

Babs’ first word was a little unnerving.

George had them up and running around in no time.

Our days were full of diapers and bottles and toys strewn across the floor. It was a relief to have our second child grow up and start school.

Blythe: Genius, Excitable, Ambitious

Both of our children were growing so fast. It seemed like just a couple of days and Bertram’s birthday was here. It was such a beautiful sunny day, we decided to celebrate outside. Blythe was down for a nap, so Bert had mommy and daddy all to himself while he blew out the candles.

You can see how much Bert resembles George and Bennie.

But he had definitely developed an ambitious nature similar to mine.

Whether it was baseball or art, Bertram was determined to excel. His ambition even extended to school and he had no trouble keeping up with his assignments.

Bert was not the only one geting bigger.

I was pregnant again. But this time, George got the morning sickness.

I wanted to have the baby at home this time. I figured after two, I knew what to expect.

Man, was I wrong.

About the time that I was really starting to miss that nice epidural, it was finally over.

I was overjoyed that my second child was a girl. I yearned for that special bond between mother and daughter, the same kind of bond that George shared with Bertram.  I chose a name for my daughter that expressed my feelings.

George and I showered Blythe with love.

I think Bertram was a little jealous. We tried to make sure that both of our children got all the affection and attention they needed.

Blythe grew quickly and soon it was her birthday.

Blythe: Genius, Excitable

She had my eyes, but a strange greenish-brown hair color. We later found out that several other children in town had the same odd coloring, a result of a massive chemical dump in the water supply during a crucial stage in my pregnancy. Because the effect was deemed harmless, we had no legal recourse against the Upstanding Citizens Warehouse, where the “accident” had occurred.

Aside from the hair, Blythe seemed like any other toddler. She enjoyed playing in the toybox, just like her big brother.

But her favorite seemed to be the block table. She could spend hours holding and gnawing on the wooden blocks.

Blythe was a fast learner. In no time at all she mastered walking

and talking. See how smart she was? Her first word was book!

And yes, that is a maternity dress. . .

Now that Bert was a toddler, I started thinking about having another baby. I really wanted a daughter. I bought some nice lingerie and ambushed George as he was getting ready for bed.

Needless to say, my plan worked.

George had heard my morning melody and was concerned about having another baby so soon after Bertram. He had always wanted several children but didn’t think I felt the same way.

He asked if I was really ready for the whole diaper and bottle routine again.  I assured him that I was definitely ready. I  found that I loved being a mother. Bertam and I spent a lot of time out in town, meeting other moms and toddlers for play dates at the library and the park.

Unfortunately our second pregnancy was not all roses and butterflies. George’s dad, Bennie was getting older and it didn’t look like he would be able to meet his second grandchild. George tried to spend as much time as possible with his father.

Bennie loved to hear about his grandson's newest accomplishments.

He passed on old family recipes.

and tips for growing the perfect garden.

Bennie passed away quietly in his sleep.  We got the call from his roommate Henry. That same night my second pregnancy was confirmed.

The big day finally arrived and George forgot the camera. But we made up for it when we got home with our beautiful boy.

Those first few months it was just Bertram and me for most of the day. George was working undercover very long hours. But as soon as he got home, his first thought was of our son.

Aww, a big kiss from Daddy

And of course Bennie came to visit his grandson. He was so proud.

The days passed quickly and soon it was time for Bert’s birthday. We had a small family party right after George got home one day. He was still in his undercover uniform.

Happy Birthday Bertram!

Bertram definitely has my skin tone and George’s eyes. George says the red hair is from his mom. Hopefully he hasn’t inherited her temper though.

Bertram: Friendly, Light Sleeper

Thankfully George’s undercover assignment ended soon after. He was able to spend a lot of time with Bertram then. They visited Grandpa Bennie. Bert learned to walk in his garden.

Come to Daddy!

George loved being at home to put Bertram to bed.

There's just something hot about a shirtless man with a baby!

I was still on leave from work so I was able to teach Bert how to talk.

We also worked on potty training.

I should get a prize for this

At play time, Bertram’s favorite thing was to hide in the toy box so he could jump out and yell “Boo!” He thought he was so scary.