#Felicita Ludovici

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1661

TW/CW: Death Mention, Infant Death

The start of the year was largely uneventful until the Morosini girls celebrated their birthday making them officially teenagers. It was little surprise that time had only bolstered Orsa's love for the outdoors while the oceanic views of Tartosa only drew in Orelia's heart further. While the girls were still close it was blatantly obvious to everyone that if they had a say, it was only a matter of time before they parted ways but considering how young they were and that that time had not yet come, they pushed thoughts of the future from their minds.

Orelia tried to get into caring for the garden to try and connect with her family but she found it more of a chore than anything. It felt that the more she tried to connect with her family the more distant she felt. Her sisters, Orsa and Osana, when she had the time to spare, waxed poetic about true love and dreams of marrying a wealthy nobleman while Orelia couldn't imagine dreaming of marrying some guy and being like her mother though she did understand that her sisters did hope for a life of partnership and a gaggle of kids... her mother related in the sense that Giulia figured that her young daughter simply was too young to fancy that but Orsa and Osana had wanted that kind of life for years and she didn't... would it come with time like her mother theorized? Did she even want it to or did she just want to feel closer to her sisters again?

Olivia continued to be a rather independent child which was nice for Giulia and Giovanni since it gave them the time to be alone and reconnect after so many ups and downs through the years.

Though perhaps they connected too well as Giulia learned that she was expecting once again. Giuliano wasn't exactly stoked to be a brother again but he also didn't mind either way. Olivia was excited but she didn't quite understand what it meant to have a baby sibling being the youngest herself.

It seemed that the year was a good time for babies in Tartosa as Felicita also revealed that she was expecting as well a few weeks later. While Giulia expected her child to arrive sometime towards the end of the year, Felicita figured hers would arrive at the start of the next.

Unfortunately things were not all well in the family as a couple months after the fact, Giulia received news that her nephew from her brother had passed away in March. She took solace in her six healthy children while she prayed for her brother and his wife to fare well in spite of their loss.

With Giulia's pregnancy progressing she came to terms with expecting her ninth child and actually began to look forward to having a new baby in her arms though she did continue to pray that this would be the last. She found it a humorous twist of fate that at the start of her marriage she had hoped for a child but now eight kids in, she was hoping to be done.

Still as her stomach grew she felt pangs of guilt that she had been so fortunately blessed while her brother had just recently lost his firstborn.

More worryingly though was the state of the garden. The plants were growing but the yields were pitiful with scarcely enough for the family let alone to sell for taxes and payments. The little money Osana was bringing home was being used to supplement the family home at this point. With Giuliano growing old as well, Giulia worried about the future and finding the funds for their unmarried daughters to have dowries. Did they sacrifice their other daughter's futures for Orsolina? Surely if they hadn't paid the extravagant price to marry into nobility they could have found matches for the rest... Giulia ran over the numbers in her mind and yet she remained grateful that at least the twins seemed fine with waiting for a match rather than not wanting to wait like Osana.

In fact, Osana seemed enamored with her younger sister and while Giulia wanted her daughter to have the life she wished for, she wished that her second born would stop wanting to rush into the future as she overheard her telling her sister that she was eager to marry and have her own kids for her sister and unborn sibling to play with.

Giovanni was delighted to spend time with his youngest as his older kids began to branch out from wanting his affections. Olivia might have been independent but she still enjoyed being doted on.

The older kids still took lessons with Tala which only made Olivia want to grow up more. For Orelia, the mutual dislike of lessons she shared with her siblings was at least one commonality they all shared. Though they did laugh a bit at how eager their little sister was to join them when they found it to be such a bore.

Of the siblings, Giuliano and Olivia proved to be rather close as Giuliano found it hard to hear his sisters, not Orelia, talking about the boys in town or in the Collari Manor, and Olivia was more than happy to talk about whatever he did since she practically idolized her big brother. Though that was likely since they had a smaller age gap.

Giulia went into labor in late December, later than she thought she would since she had noticed that each baby had come a little sooner than the last aside from the twins who obviously came early.

Just a few days before the year ended on December 29th, Giulia delivered her a fourth son who was named after his father and late brother as well as doubled with another name for himself, Giovanni Cesare Morosini.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1659

TW/CW: Death Mention, Child Marriage

As the year began, Giulia decided to focus on the future instead of what she wished should have happened especially as news of her sister's Mother-in-law's death spread throughout the town.

Giovanni was thrilled when Giuliano began to be able to actually help out around the gardens and the pair would talk about the plants eagerly. Giovanni was a stern man but the few times he seemed approachable was when they spoke about the plants.

Giulia had feared that with all the talks about their eldest marrying into nobility away from their simple farming life her son would resent that he was likely to just stay home and tend the fields but as it was, he was excited to learn more about the crops.

Orelia was the first one of Orsolina's siblings that she saw coming back from her lessons in early summer. Orsolina was proud to say that she had been a natural study and had gotten the approval of the Collari family to marry officially. Orelia was happy for her sister since she seemed happy but she wondered if this was a good thing.

Orelia wasted no time in sharing her sister's news with Osana who was happy for her sister before Orelia reminded her that Orsolina would be leaving when she married and who knew if she'd have much of a chance to visit since she would be nobility and they were mere farmers and nobility had so many rules to abide by. Osana thought it was absolutely ridiculous that her younger sister seemed to be put off at the concept of being noble but she couldn't deny that it hurt to think of her sister leaving their home, they were best friends and if Osana had anything to say, that wouldn't change.

Things moved quickly as summer progressed and the adults of both families planned out the specifics for the wedding hoping to have it later in the year. Orsa and Osana gushed over the romantic side of wedding planning though Orsolina was rather uninspired because she was well aware of her own and her betrothed's feelings on the matter of their arrangement being purely a result of their fathers' relationship and social arranging.

Osana turned thirteen and after spending time with her sister during wedding planning became enamored with the way the foods were prepared so much so that she was willing to ignore her own revulsion at the dirt to gather quality ingredients for meals. Her skills in the kitchen were rather clumsy and in need of practice though her sisters were glad when they knew their mother was doing the cooking as they didn't want to tell their sister that her cooking was... terrible. Luckily Giulia used that as an opportunity to make sure all her children knew how to cook at least something basic.

Like her sister, she was interested in working on her stitching and hoped that taking up a more refined hobby would do her well when it came time to find a partner for herself. She daydreamed of a romance where she would be swept off her feet by a handsome young man rather than be arranged to a man she hardly knew. So despite knowing her sister wasn't having the blissful romance she wanted with her wedding, she was glad that the extra time to come up with money for her own dowry would allow her to maybe find love for herself.

The night before Orsolina's wedding both sisters spent the night together in the spare room knowing that their lives would change the very next day but at least it would be together. Osana had done her own scheming and since the nobility always wanted new servants she decided to work in the Collari home to make money for the family but mostly to be nearer to her sister and though it took some convincing the Widow Collari agreed to let Osana serve as her sister's personal attendant after spending the months leading up to the wedding in training.

The wedding went forward as planned and on August 29th, Orsolina and Octavio Collari were wed. On the first of September, Osana left the Morosini home to care for her sister.

The house felt empty without the older girls. Giulia tried to keep busy when little Olivia didn't require her attention. While the other kids tried to ignore it by keeping busy with lessons but the feeling still persisted.

Orsa and Giuliano bonded by their mutual love of plants and the outdoors now that their older sisters were gone and Orsa wasn't busy with them as much it was easier to ignore the desire to be more mature like their sisters when she was around just her twin and little siblings.

Perhaps it was the newfound security that he had at least made sure one of his children had a decent future but Giovanni seemed to soften more after Orsolina's wedding.

It really was no shock that Giulia began to feel the telltale signs of expecting once more as her birthday passed by again. Still, Giulia wondered if this was to be her last child or if there were more to come especially as she thought as to how difficult her previous pregnancies were and her and her husband's increasing age. As much as she loved her children and motherhood, she had grown weary of infants of her own and was eagerly anticipating being done with them. But if her hunch about expecting was correct, she decided that, at least to herself, she would pray that this would truly be the final one.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1657

Giuliano's fifth birthday came and went with him spending more time with his parents learning about the plants they grew. He was still too young to be much help but Giovanni insisted that he be outside with them and get used to being in the sun. Giuliano didn't mind too much because he loved spending time with his parents.

Orsolina celebrated her thirteenth birthday in May and Giulia could swear that she was more lovely by the day. Knowing the plan for her nieces, Felicita went out of her way to provide her niece with a nice dress and fancy accessories for her hair so that she could look the part for a better match. Giulia was taken by her sister's generosity as she knew good and well that they hadn't the funds to provide that for Orsolina themselves.

In a lot of ways, age had made it easier for Orsolina to get along with her mother as they both were able to bond over shared experiences that came with life.

Orsolina and Osana were still as close as ever if not closer. Age had made her younger siblings just seem all the younger and Osana was just barely 'mature' enough to remain as good company.

That said it wasn't as if Orsolina was snubbing her younger sisters, they remained close but their dynamic changed from being one of joking to one where Orsolina considered herself to be more adult than them though Orelia was quick to humble her as siblings often do. Giulia was happy to see her girls interact as they navigated growing up. Though she did find it funny that that Orsolina was trying to be more responsible for her siblings but she couldn't relate too much to the dynamics as there had been such a large age gap between her and Felicita.

The one thing Orsolina had apparently outgrown is the teasing her younger sisters were more than happy to indulge in as she was aiming to be a proper lady for her future.

Orsolina picked up more habits that she hoped would help her in the future but was frequently frustrated when she pricked her fingers with the needle but she found she liked the outlet for her creativity.

Tala came over to spend time with her oldest's family as Felicita was spending time working on bonding with her marital family and little one. Giulia was glad for the company as she delighted in speaking with someone who wasn't currently living with them. The break was refreshing.

While age had brought Orsolina closer to her mother, Orsolina and Giovanni were still going strong as most of the family was well aware of the special soft spot Giovanni held for his eldest.

Felicita didn't want to announce her suspicions but towards the end of the year she was almost certain that she was with child again which she secretly shared with her mother and sister who were happy for her.

Orsolina continued her studies at her parent's urging to make sure she was well taught so that she could have a bright future as a higher class lady. Orsolina also had her reasons that she wanted to make a good match so that her dreamer sisters could marry as they pleased when the time came in hopes that her parents could be satisfied with one of their daughters marrying well so that the others could be happy especially since Orsolina had no real hopes for a fairytale marriage. Perhaps it was from being the oldest but she was rather pragmatic about what would be a proper future for her.

With the girls being occupied with their own thing and Giuliano spending more time with his father, Giulia decided to dabble in practicing magic once more since she had asked for it so very long ago.

As the end of the year approached, Giulia realized that she had been feeling off but in a familiar way. She didn't want it to be true since they were struggling with saving up enough for dowries for their four daughters but Giulia couldn't put aside the idea that she was likely pregnant again. And though she hated the idea of it she knew that waiting could ruin their Orsolina's future so with a heavy heart she approached Giovanni and after some talks the pair went down the hill to speak with the widow Collari.

After a long discussion with the noblewoman, an agreement had been reached and the payment was made for their daughter's hand to the youngest of the Collari boys. Giulia felt sick that she had made the match for her daughter so young as she had sworn she didn't want but she wanted at least one daughter's fate to be secured when they were struggling with funds for her other sisters in fear of a fifth daughter. The marriage was not to be official for another few years though which is something Giulia insisted on so at the very least her daughter would not be wed until she was older but the arrangement was set. Giulia feared that her daughter would take the news poorly but instead, she was delighted. She was fine with marrying the Collari boy and Giovanni was relieved to know his daughter wasn't opposed to the match he made for her. Orsolina was glad for the security for her future and the fact that she would be following in the footsteps of her Aunt as she married into nobility but like with most things, the marriage being years in the future didn't really make it feel like it was real so that made it easier to be okay with it. At the end of the day, it was just a part of the plan for Orsolina's life that she had known about since she was a young child the timeline made little difference to her.

Giulia was glad that her daughter took the news so well of her arrangement but she still felt horrid for her part in it. There were a few things though that she was content with: that the marriage wasn't going to happen until Orsolina was at least fifteen since Orsolina would be going to the Collari household for lessons on being a proper lady, the fact that her daughter would be marrying into nobility (low ranked but still), and the fact that unlike her marriage to a man older than her own father, the young man her daughter was set to marry was only three years older than her so at least both kids would be in the same stage of life together. Giulia kept telling herself that it would be for the best every time her daughter left for her lessons.

Little Veniera grew up into a darling little one as her mother finally announced to her household that was most certainly expecting.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1656

TW/CW: Infant Death

The relationship between Giovanni and Giulia was growing closer as they spoke more though with their girls growing up they spoke at length about their daughter's futures. That said, Giulia didn't want to rush her daughters and often changed the subject but as their crops hadn't had much of a yield as of late there was the underlying worry that their savings would drop too low to make a decent match for their daughters but neither one wanted to voice that particular fear.

Aside from the more serious matters their family faced, Giovanni was making more of an effort to court his wife properly, something that they never really did before and Giulia couldn't help but be appreciative of the efforts he was trying to make.

Felicita's labor was attended by her mother and Giulia who were more than happy to support her during her time of need. On June 22, Felicita delivered twin girls, Beverly and Veniera. While there weren't any complications from the birth, it was clear from the moment the children were born that Beverly was much smaller than her sister.

Giulia's girls were glad for their new cousins but they tried to keep out of the adults' hair when not even a month after the birth of Felicita's twins, Beverly died. The girls hadn't gotten the chance yet to meet their cousins due to the confinement after birth so in a lot of ways the new babies in the family hadn't quite felt real to them but all the girls felt sad for the loss of their cousin despite it all though it was hard to tell if they felt bad for the loss or the fact that their beloved relatives were feeling bad.

Giulia knew all too well the pain that her sister was feeling and she was more than happy to support her sister in whatever way she needed even if it was bringing her fresh flowers to try and brighten her day.

But the reminder of the brevity of life pushed Giulia and Giovanni together once more as they officially stopped sleeping in separate rooms in the wake of the loss.

Little Veniera continued to grow into a healthy infant.

With Felicita's daughter being bigger, the first order of business was to introduce her to the family. Giulia's loud family was delighted to fuss over the little one but her calm demeanor left her a bit tired with all of them. Luckily, Tala was willing to be a refuge of tranquility for the little one. While of course, Giulia's children were her grandchildren, baby Veniera was the child of the only surviving child she delivered. There had been times where Tala feared that none of her children would live but holding her granddaughter in her arms she was happy that her fears had not come to pass.

With the children being older and more independent, Giovanni and Giulia took the occasional night out with each other or they simply just laid in the grass and looked at the stars. Giovanni hadn't realized just how much Giulia knew about astronomy as she showed him constellations and their names. Before Vincente openly despised his daughter they would look at the stars together with her late sister, Osana, and she remembered that vividly.

By the time October rolled around they were beginning to share some intimacy once again.

The older girls were the first to notice the change in the household as they realized their parents were starting back being lovey-dovey again. It was different this time around though but since both girls were too young to understand what their parents' relationship had been like before their youngest brother was born, it was hard for them to pinpoint exactly what was different just that it was different in a positive way. For Orsolina, the change was a breath of relief that her parents, who had been arranged together were not miserable with each other forever especially as she understood that her parents were looking into a match for her and her sisters though obviously with her being the eldest, she'd be first. Maybe an imperfect match wouldn't be a condemnation to a miserable married life after all if her parents could find a more true understanding and care with each other. While Osana had always been a dreamer when it came to romance, her and Orsa really, and she took their parents' reconciliation as proof of the power of love to shine through even over time though she hadn't necessarily seen the work it had taken them to get to that point. While each girl took a different lesson from their parents' relationship they all agreed that the lack of tension was for the better for the entire home.

Giulia celebrated her thirty-fifth birthday with little fanfare but she felt like she had overcome a milestone in her life. Her children were happy and healthy and she was content in her marriage for the first time without the feeling of resignation being attached to it.

With children growing up, Giulia was able to finally lighten some of the load for Giovanni in the garden now that there was less to do. Despite the losses the year had brought, things were brighter than they had been in a long time for Giulia.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1665

TW/CW: Death, Child Death, Death Mention

Giuliano grew further into his love for the outdoors as he became a teenager. It was clear that he took quite a bit after the Carlisle side of the family as he grew too.

Not long after Giuliano's birthday, Antonio sent word that his daughter had grown into a little girl to his and his wife's relief after they had lost their eldest when he was younger. Antonio also shared in the same note that he was expecting another child for the summer as well.

Giulia was delighted by the news of her brother's well being despite never meeting him she was glad that he and his family were doing well all things considered.

Life moved along slowly for the remainder of January and February with little to note except for the news that Felicita was once again expecting. Felicita had confided in her sister that she and her husband had decided that this child would be their final one as raising five children, six if including her sister-in-law, was well enough for the two of them. Giulia was all to familiar with claiming a pregnancy would be her final one but decided to keep quiet as her sister continued on about being done with having more children.

Little Giulia grew into a sweet little girl in the Collari home with her parents. Though her father continued showing little interest in her, Osana was delighted in the health of their daughter and continued pressing for marriage especially as she began to show with her second pregnancy.

Orelia loved doting on her baby sister and while a few years ago she couldn't have imagined raising kids of her own, she was sure that in the future she wanted some though marriage was not something she wanted to think about anytime soon. Giulia took her daughter's admission of one day wanting kids as her coming around but was more than happy to hold off on looking for a partner for her daughter who stated she wasn't ready especially when she had other siblings who were more interested in marriage coming sooner than later.

Age hadn't pulled Giuliano and Olivia apart, in fact, it brought the two of them closer as they were able to relate more with both of them growing older.

But the joy that the start of the year had brought with it was immediately spoiled when Giovanni's ghost visited in March telling of the plague spreading aggressively throughout the lands.

The plague hit and it hit hard with news of Isabella's passing on April 8th, and hit harder specifically the Ludovici household as one after the other Felicita's children fell victim to the plague starting with little Lazaro on the 23rd then the oldest Veniera on the 29th and on May 10th Tala's namesake died leaving Felicita from three children to be four children down to her only surviving child being in her womb. Sadie also passed the day before the young Tala.

Giulia tried to keep positive especially after the Morosini family was proven not exempt from the plague when Olivia slipped away on June 3rd. Amidst the deaths, Antonio revealed that before his wife died to the plague, four days earlier she delivered their daughter Luisa on July 12th. Thankfully he and his girls had been spared but Giulia could only write back that her granddaughter, Giulia Collari, had died on the 21st of July.

Following the funeral of their daughter, Osana tried harder to get Landon to marry her as their child was due to be born in a few short months.

Unfortunately for Osana while she loved Landon deeply he broke the news to her that he would never marry her as he was going to marry a noblewoman from Windenburg in the coming year which shocked Osana. She asked him if he ever planned on marrying her or if he had just been lying to her to which he angrily admonished her for even entertaining the idea that he, a nobleman, would ever marry her, a farmer's daughter and the only reason his brother did was because he wasn't the heir. Now Osana was heartbroken and left with far fewer options for the future by having a child unmarried.

Orsolina was gutted for her dear sister and her plight. Of course she had seen this outcome coming since the start it didn't make it any better now that it came to fruition. She wanted to help her sister but didn't know how since her sister had a past that would deem her improper and bar her from most high society. Venting to her husband, he came up with a plan that would solve all their issues and annoy his brother and mother to boot if Osana would be agreeable to it.

The more Orsolina was forced to see her brother-in-law who ruined her sister's prospects with no consequences face the more willing she was to make him pay so while she didn't necessarily enjoy the idea her husband had proposed, she wasn't against it either and when the idea was brought up to Osana she agreed to it with surprisingly little hesitation. Since Orsolina and Octavio had little intention of producing a second child and had elected to make no efforts to do so, with a need for a precautionary spare for their household they decided to adopt Osana's unborn child and while Bianca wasn't thrilled with the idea of them adopting a child, she relaxed once she learned the child in question was her middle son's bastard child and therefore a Collari by blood. Landon was mad that after releasing Osana as his mistress, with his brother adopting her child, his child would be around constantly. Osana wasn't entirely okay with giving her child to her sister but it would secure her child's future as a noble and it would allow Osana more options for partners if she wasn't bring with her another man's child into her future relationship negotiations. Though she wasn't going to be forced away from the child as she was to be allowed to remain in the Collari household as the child's wet nurse.

On September 30th, Osana felt the familiar labor pains grip her and after hours of labor just minutes from midnight, Cristofolo Collari was born and registered as Orsolina and Octavio's second born. Though the joy of the new baby didn't last long as Octavio had been fighting the plague and lost to it on October 5th.

While October was not treating the Collari family kindly, the 15th of the month brought with it a blessing to the Ludovici family in the form a healthy daughter named Benetta.

The plague continued to ravage through with news and notices for the dead arriving all the time. It was hard for Giulia to keep up with it all but when the Ludovici family was struck once again and Felicita was taken on December 6th, Giulia laughed bitterly at how her sister had been right about Benetta being her last child after all.

As December inched to a close the death toll tapered off and while the year had been especially devastating the older Morosini children were hopeful that the plague had run its course for the time being. Though they spent most of their days that winter in quiet contemplation over their grief and loss through prayer or keeping busy.

When Cristofolo grew into a calm baby, the family decided that it was a sign that the worst had passed.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1662

While the Morosini family enjoyed their time with their newest arrival, on February 27th, Felicita welcomed her first son, Lazaro into the world.

While Giovanni's age really began to shine through, little Giovanni Cesare grew into a relatively calm infant now that he was old enough to truly develop his own personality.

The older girls in the Morosini home enjoyed spending time with one another outside of helping their parents with the garden and their lessons.

Giovanni had felt it for a while but he could almost sense that his time was coming sooner rather than later and he was determined to be there for his children, especially the younger ones who may not remember him.

Giulia also wanted to be there for her younger children because she could and the older kids were too old to want to spend any length of time with their mother though Giuliano wasn't quite against parental attentions yet he was just wanting to be more independent.

Lazaro became a lovely little baby and was the first of Felicita's children to inherit her magic though he was much too young for that and he was a cautious child in his interactions anyways.

Veniera celebrated her sixth birthday surrounded by her family and was celebrated with various parties for the nobility and upper classes though she was more interested in various games and stories.

While Osana did enjoy spending time with her family on her days off, she enjoyed when Tala was out spending time with Giulia or Felicita leaving her home empty as it was the perfect chance to spend some quality time with the man she had to love in secret given their statuses.

Orsolina wasn't entirely ignorant of her sister and brother-in-law's relationship but after so many lectures about how things likely weren't going to go the way Osana hoped, she figured that her sister would either come to her senses and listen or she'd find out through experience. Either way Orsolina decided to try and put it from her mind especially as she discovered that she was with child. In a lot of ways, Orelia was the best one of her siblings to understand her feelings about her pregnancy as they shared a similar view on relationships in general. Orsolina wasn't against children and having children was part of married life but she wasn't exactly as excited with the idea like her mother was over the moon about having children and grandchildren. So much so that Orsolina hoped for a son for the fact that with an heir she could hopefully avoid having more. That said, while Orsolina probably wouldn't have chosen to have children for herself now that she was expecting she was excited to have her child.

The year ended with Osana starting to feel ill and sick to her stomach. It wasn't anything major as she could put it past her most of the time but Osana didn't like the idea of passing something on to her expecting sister. She could only hope that the sickness would pass soon and not get any worse.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1658

Giuliano celebrated his sixth birthday growing into a very outgoing child though with four sisters perhaps that was to be expected.

Even though he had gotten bigger, Giulia was more than happy that he wasn't too grown up yet to be lavished with his mother's affections as the baby of the family, at least until the next one came.

Finally being big enough for proper lessons, he was eager to start lessons with his sisters which was a relief for Giulia as having the children busy most of the day would allow her to remember how to deal with an infant again since it had been six years since her son's birth.

Perhaps it was because she was older but Giulia felt that her pregnancy with her eighth child was wearing her out. She could have sworn that pregnancy hadn't been so hard in the past, the problem had just been having many small children at once but maybe she was misremembering.

Giuliano took to his lessons well though he wanted to prove that he could catch up with his sisters though they did have years on him.

Giovanni was upset learning about his son taking lessons when he could be learning how to manage the gardens especially as the sole male heir to their family land. The girls could use the education to find themselves matches but Giuliano needed to prioritize the farm. Though Giovanni did understand that his boy was still young so he still couldn't do much yet aside from listen to his father lecture him. Either way, the message that Giuliano should change his focus was received but still Giuliano went to lessons and worked hard with the plants.

As for the girls, in a lot of ways their lessons became more focused on them now that Orsolina was being taught by the Collari family in noble ways. Orsolina was shocked by how out of place she felt during those lessons being the daughter of a poor farmer but she wanted to do well for her family, if she could win the favor of her marital family she could help support her family like her Aunt did with her. The younger girls felt the pressure to use their knowledge to marry up and while Osana and Orsa were old enough to understand the practicality of it, their dreams of a sweet romance were bogged down with the reason of reality.

Orsolina did confide in her mother about feeling out of place in the Collari home as she took her lessons. Giulia couldn't relate to the status difference as her own marriage had been to a man of lower status than herself but she did know what it meant to be the oldest and how she was always willing to be there to share the burden she had to bear for the family. Giuliano listened in at times and in a way he too could relate.

After hearing his sister vent to their mother about her frustrations about duty, Giuliano approached his oldest sister. At first she tried to dismiss him since he was just barely a kid but he told her that he could understand that it was hard wanting to make the family happy as children who were born with their futures already planned out. Orsolina was always going to make a match with the Collari family and given that even had Giuseppe not passed, his health would have prevented him from taking over the farm, Giuliano was meant to take on their father's role as the head of the family. Of course, being young, the words to truly express their shared situations weren't available to him yet but the sentiment was and Orsolina broke down about how she had met her future husband and while they were cordial, he gave her a bad feeling and her future mother-in-law admitted that that was the reason she agreed to the marriage with a lower class girl in the first place, to keep him from gaining too much power through marital connections. Giuliano hardly understood the implications beyond the fact that his future brother-in-law made his big sister, who might secretly be a princess with how elegant she was, nervous and that she was marrying him to his detriment.

While Giuliano and Orsolina might have had the most similar situations of the siblings, they weren't exactly close due to the large age gap which was understandable after all. Giuliano was her kid brother and she was looking at marriage. Orsa though was just four years older than him and while that age gap was still large considering their youth it did leave them rather close as both children enjoyed the outdoors. Orsa revealed that despite their parent's wish for her to marry into more wealth she wouldn't mind being a farmer's wife like her mother as she appreciated the simple farm life rather than the stuffy nobility that she had seen her sister and Aunt muddle through. It just wasn't for her but she also knew that she likely had little say in it.

As Giulia's pregnancy progressed, Giovanni voiced his aggravation at their son being educated to her more and more frequently. He didn't have forever and the farm needed youthful hands to take on the slack they had been feeling for years now. Giovanni wasn't against making the occasional accusation that Giuliano would have had more free time had Giulia given birth to more sons but both of them knew that the past was the past and as of that moment they had one son.

July brought with it the birth of Felicita's third daughter on the 23rd who was named after Tala.

Giulia had feared her labor with her eighth child given that it was her eighth and she was older but despite the labor being rather quick, there were no complications with little Olivia's birth. As far as Giulia was concerned holding her daughter was that September 1st this year was a good day as it was the day her newborn daughter entered the world.

Little Tala grew into a lovely little lady and while it was far too early to breathe much relief, the fact that she had outlived her eldest sister's lifespan was a source of comfort to Felicita as she wished her daughter good health.

By December, Olivia seemed to take more after her mother than most of siblings besides Orsolina though it was definitely too soon to tell for certain. While Giovanni and Giulia worried about the realities of having to provide for the futures for five daughters, or rather four more now that Orsolina was already spoken for, they were delighted that their youngest was strong and healthy.

Even with the joys of having six healthy children under their roof all safe and fed, Giulia was determined not to allow her lost sons to stray too far from her mind. She hoped that they were doing well on the other side and that all of her children would find their own happiness despite how cruel life could be things would hopefully be okay for them.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1655

The year was ushered in with the continued grief from Giuseppe's loss as the mood in the house was still low, the girls were beginning to move on though it was hard to find the energy to do much without it feeling wrong to be joyful again.

Giulia laid in bed when Giuliano didn't need care and there was no food to make. Somehow it was easier to function when there was funeral plans to be had but it just felt like loss was all around her as she received news of her cousins losses from their respective families.

But it was no surprise that the younger children began to move on first as they began to return to the normal habits they had before Giuseppe's passing by the time spring rolled around.

As if the twins' response was permission for things to shift for the positive over the next few weeks of spring the older girls felt the fog of despair lift and with it came more reason for Giulia to be out of bed with her children.

Following the death of his wife, the arranged engagement between the Ludovici heir and Felicita was back on and in June the two married making Felicita officially a Ludovici.

The marriage of her sister made Giulia realize that she was going through the motions again rather than living in the moment, she hadn't wanted to be so detached but it was a wake-up call that she was missing out and she wanted to make up for that by taking the children out to town to do things each day. Of course, some of her children decided to take advantage of their mother's guilt but Giulia was fine with occasionally giving in every now and then.

Tala was excited every time she got word of Tina's life from Raquel, not that she didn't write Tala but the sisters were very clearly closer. It was a shame to hear that Tina's father-in-law had passed not long after learning she was expecting and worse yet that her mother-in-law passed in early December as Tina was nearly due to deliver. Raquel decided that she would go to her sister to help her with her future little niece or nephew. It saddened Tala to let her niece go to her sister but with Felicita secretly announcing to her mother and sister of her own pregnancy, Tala was determined to be there for her daughter in her time of need and Tina needed her sister so there was little to say on the matter.

Maybe it was the loss or the changes going on in the family with Raquel leaving Tartosa, Felicita getting married and expecting her first, but there was a shift in the Morosini household by the end of the year where family was more important than pride. They had lost too much and been apart for too long despite being under the same roof. After four years of not exactly being on speaking terms, Giovanni and Giulia began to talk to each other again, pleasantries and small talk but more than they had in years.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1653

TW/CW: Death Mention

The year began with Tina getting a visit from Faustina which was odd as she had been widowed for sometime and her married son had gone to Henford to check out his father's home with his wife and brother so she had no need of a midwife.

Instead she spoke about how the Laurent family had no appreciation for one of their own marrying a Markovic and that if there were complications in the birth and any tragedy as a result of those complications would not be held over her and she would be compensated for her troubles. Tina was shocked at the obvious implications to sabotage the birth that she was hearing. Faustina mentioned that she should think on it before she left.

Well Tina did think on it and she found the idea reprehensible when she gathered her jaw of the ground. She immediately went to the Markovic head to inform her that her daughter-in-law and unborn grandchild had a target over their heads from the Laurent family. Beverly was shocked that the Laurent head had officially taken steps to assassinate his sister given that they were siblings but the assassination attempt by the Laurent family wasn't entirely unexpected either. Neither family was happy with the union her fool son and daughter-in-law had made for themselves after all.

As the midwife, Tina attended the birth of Leonardo Ludovici on January 23rd but her confession sadly led to the execution of Faustina for the attempt on Aubrie and the Ludovici baby's lives not two days after.

Giovanni was happy that his children were young so that none of them would be involved with the nonsense that was occurring between the Markovics and the Laurents especially as the Laurents began to be more hostile following Faustina's death.

Giuliano grew into a sweet child and if Giulia had felt refreshed after Giuseppe becoming a toddler, Giuliano growing out of his infant like state made her feel positively heavenly.

Still having four young children came with its own sets of challenges especially since they were all so unique but it was a challenge Giulia was happy to rise to now that there were no infants to deal with though she did like when her children were infants it was nice to not be so overwhelmed.

The older girls were a delight to work with after their lessons with Tala, Raquel, Tina and Felicita. The girls liked the break away from the little ones and with both girls being taught, it allowed the older ones to bond with each other more deeply. Giulia wondered just how the dynamics would change when the twins turned six the next year.

When Felicita had her birthday that November she began to wonder about her future now that her engagement had been sidelined but Tala completely shut down the discussion on Felicita finding a match, dismissing it by saying her girl was far too young.

Though Tina wasn't too young as towards the end of November she announced that she was going to head back to San Sequoia to midwife there where there was less drama, less risk of messing with nobility and her half-sister had revealed that there was a young man in town who shared a lot of similar interests so she was going to go be with her other sister in hopes of a calmer life which was entirely understandable.

Still, it wasn't as if Tina was making the decision lightly. Raquel liked Tartosa and all it's drama but after her sister's information led to an execution she had seen Tina become more paranoid and she hated that. If her sister could breathe easier in a different town then so be it. The family spent one last Christmas together and two days later, Tina had set off with her things to stay with her other half-sister.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1636 - Part 2

With Vincente out of the house, Tala held her, thankfully oblivious, baby near her as she wondered just how her life had come to this. Things were so good just a few years ago and now, this.

Being chased from his home, Vincente went over to Giovanni's home, after passing out in a bush coming from the tavern, who was upset to host him as it was literally the day after his wedding but they were now in-laws and how could he refuse him. Thankfully, it wasn't too big of an imposition as it served as an excuse to have more of their friends over for cards.

Giulia didn't mind so much that her husband constantly had his friends over now that Vincente was in their spare room since it meant that Giovanni was more concerned with them than her. Though she wondered how proper it was that even the day before his wedding to the Markovic heir, Giovanni's cousin, Stefano was over for dinner with his cousin Cristofolo who had married the nanny of the Laurent heir. Surely there was some kind of tension since the houses had a feud going on generations now but she knew better than to speak of it.

The worst part about Giovanni's friends was that she could feel their eyes on her whatever she did even if she was planting in the garden but it was more bearable once Vincente left their home with his hateful glances to bother spend time with Francisco.

It was always a breath of fresh air to return home, or rather, to Tala's home to rest. Since the wedding she hadn't been able to shake the nausea but the regular appearance of her monthlies at least told her that she wasn't expecting much to her husband's disappointment each month. She was grateful that Giovanni wasn't expecting a child immediately following the wedding but as it had been five months after their wedding by this point he was disappointed since Stefano and his wife were already pregnant. Giulia had a job as a wife to provide an heir and the fact that Giovanni was not the most approachable and was hinting at getting started on it, as if they hadn't from the start of their union, was getting to her.

As much as Vincente appreciated spending time with his brother, his attention was caught by the locals namely a young woman by the name of Orion.

The two spent days together and while in Tartosa it was known throughout town that he was a married drunkard with a nasty temper, here he was a fun loving man who never made any mention of a wife having a good time with a woman just a few years younger than Tala. He decided that he liked the change he could have a new life with Orion and as long as he wasn't in Tartosa he could hide from his shame by avoiding Tala and Giulia. He felt happier than he had in years and no one was hassling him about his parenting or his drinking, he was a new man in San Sequoia.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1667

A letter came in from Antonio early in the year telling Giulia of how his youngest daughter, Luisa, had grown into a little girl which he was happy to write about how his children were faring well all things considered after the plague but since his mother joined them in Henford the previous autumn he was proud to talk about his work on the docks which made Orelia light up as her mother recounted the contents of his letter to her children.

Giuliano shared his first kiss with Ashley as Giulia and Katharine lingered near by to keep things within reason. Katharine rolled her eyes at the blatant displays of affection the young couple stole while Giulia thought it sweet that her son was finding love though she hoped that there wasn't too much love happening as she didn't want another one of her children to have a child outside of marriage though she knew her son would be responsible enough to ask for her hand if that happened, the point was that she wanted them to wait.

As spring approached, Osana cherished the last time she would care for her son as he would soon grow too old to hide their relationship if she remained in the Collari home. She was happy that he was in good health and that he had a brother to play with. Once she returned home, it would be a new start for her ideally.

Little Cristofolo grew up and very obviously took after Osana though those who weren't in the know about his birth figured that the child merely took after his maternal grandfather as Osana was very much her father's child.

With children taking after their mother's Benetta was no exception. She was an inquisitive child with a passion for learning and while her father wasn't sure how much she would continue to take after her mother, he and Tala appreciated that they could see Felicita in her.

Osana returned to the Morosini home in May and found the farm life to be much harder than she had remembered before leaving to the Collari family.

With summer in full swing, Giulia approached Orelia with news that she was planning to see her daughters all wed before their 23rd birthdays since she wanted to make sure that their futures were secure. She had already sent out the notice in Talia's tome so that the other holders of the Tome could help in her search for son-in-laws. Orelia was shocked, she was nineteen so four more years did feel like a significant amount of time but it was also so short and... she wasn't sure she even wanted to marry but her mother looked so happy thinking of seeing her daughters married and established how could she say anything to that?

With marriage talks being the focal point of the warmer seasons, Giuliano tried his best to avoid them when he could though he couldn't believe that his friend Katharine was betrothed to Leonardo Ludovici. He thought about his future with Ashley and while he liked their relationship he was still fifteen and didn't really want to consider being an actual adult just yet. He was perfectly content to defer to his mother except when it came to the physical labor he prided himself on being able to complete.

Orelia tried to busy herself with her hobbies to distract herself from her mother's announcement but it hung over her heart like a vise. Marriage... a life as someone's wife where she would likely be beholden to her husband and his will much like her mother... it felt threatening to her.

While Osana was very clearly not suited for outdoor work, she loved lavishing her two young siblings with attention and they loved having her around more frequently.

Osana spent a lot of her time at Tala and Orsa's home though looking through Talia's tome speaking with her Uncle and the spirits of her late relatives.

Orelia enjoyed speaking with her baby brother though he wasn't much of a baby anymore. It was an odd feeling watching him grow up because of their large age gap but she delighted in hearing the little one ramble.

Eventually Osana's correspondence with her Uncle led her to be invited to visit with a guest which when she told Orsa, Orsa and Alexis admonished her saying it was a terrible idea to travel to a foreign land because of wanting to avoid their mother's matchmaking and give her the chance to marry for love. Osana tried to appeal to Orsa's romantic side but Orsa mentioned that she didn't really have the best track record to choosing men which insulted Osana but Orsa did relent to the fact that her sister was an adult who could make terrible choices if she wanted. Osana was insulted that her sister thought her choices were bad but accepted that that was likely the best she'd get from her.

While Osana plotted to leave town with Orelia, who was itching to escape marriage, December snuck up on them and Giovanni Cesare celebrated his sixth birthday with his family.

Despite Orsa's disapproval for her sisters' plan to leave town in secret, she still saw them off as the two of them left in the night hours before the new year was ushered in.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1666

In the early days of January, Landon's noble bride arrived in Tartosa with her son from her first marriage. Both of the betrothed were excited to meet one another and quickly arranged for their wedding to go ahead with minimal fanfare especially in the wake of the disaster the plague had brought with it.

At the Ludovici household, Benetta grew into a darling baby who was thankfully a calm child which helped the household adjust to the changes the previous year had caused better.

Leonardo grew into a fun-loving young man with a penchant for parties. While his grandmother would have refused to have him as the heir to the family due to his Laurent mother her passing made it easy for his father to ignore that but his personality was rather irresponsible so the Ludovici head decided that his new daughter was more likely to inherit which honestly relieved Leonardo.

February brought with it Giulia's twin daughter's birthday as they turned eighteen.

In a lot of ways the older girls' birthday was rather bittersweet as it was wonderful that they had reached a new milestone but it was also proof that Giulia's children were growing up very fast. Giulia was ever more aware that little Olimpia would soon not be so little anymore.

In early March, Tala approached Giulia with a proposal. Tala was getting on in years and needed more consistent help with the Carlisle home and now that Felicita was gone and Vincente was gone long enough to have no more say in the land, Tala wanted to leave the land to the grandchild that would truly appreciate it, Orsa. Of course, Giuliano would appreciate the land too but he was to inherit the Morosini home and both him and Orsa loved the farming life deeply and the Carlisle home was a bit easier to maintain to be honest. Giulia was floored at the idea of course she had wondered what Tala was planning with her childhood home but to give it to her daughter was touching. Giulia was saddened at the thought of another one of her daughters leaving home but she also knew that her daughter would be happy with that.

As expected, when Tala brought up the idea to Orsa after getting Giulia's approval, Orsa was thrilled after she got over the initial disbelief. Orsa asked why Orelia wasn't chosen since she had started helping first but Tala reminded her that Orelia wasn't the type to want to be a farmer she just wanted to help, Orsa actually wanted it. There was little fault that Orsa could find in that.

Over the next few days, the Morosini family helped move Orsa's belongings to the Carlisle home and Orsa couldn't help but feel like this is where she belonged.

Olimpia grew into a little girl to the delight of her family.

Giulia might have missed how little her children used to be but with them getting older the little ones weren't any less affectionate, in fact, they seemed to be more insistent on getting her attention.

With Orsa being more independent and her home being less chaotic, she found more time to spend with her oldest sister and nephews. It felt like it had been way too long since they had been able to spend any proper length of time together.

While Orsa was getting used to her own household with her grandmother, Giuliano and his outgoing nature had led to him getting close to some girls in town specifically a pair of cousins, Ashley and Katharine. He had known Ashley for years since she grew up in Tartosa but Katharine recently moved in with her maternal aunt following the loss of her father and brother to the plague. It was sad that the reason they met was because of the circumstances but Giuliano cherished both of his relationships with the girls.

Katharine was a passionate young woman who had a tendency to get carried away and while Giulia kept an eye on the teens to make sure nothing inappropriate occurred, Giuliano wasn't interested in her in that way and Katherine was well aware that nothing would come of any attraction she had towards him.

Katherine was certain of it because Giuliano and Ashley were as close as could be without getting into improper territory. Katherine was happy for her cousin though mostly she was annoyed with chaperoning the pair since it was very easy for them to get caught up with each other leaving her to feel rather left out of their friendship.

October brought with it Jolene's son becoming a little boy which, despite Orsolina's initial reluctance to accept the stepchild of the man who broke her sister's heart, she couldn't bring herself to deny the boy or his mother for an arrangement that unbeknownst to them hurt Osana. So by the time the boy was old enough to play with the Collari boys, he was welcomed by them openly.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1650

TW/CW: Death Mention, Infant Death

The year began with sad news as Giulia learned of her maternal grandmother's passing though she tried to occupy herself with her daughters and the comforts of her husband.

It seemed though that Giovanni had been a bit too comforting as it wasn't long before Giulia noticed her monthlies missing once more and a familiar sickness disrupting her sleep. She didn't want to feel ungrateful for the lack of excitement but she had been wanting a break from babies and pregnancy since Osana's birth and... well... no such luck but Giulia loved all four of her children with her whole heart and knew she would do the same with her next born.

Though this time the girls were ever so slightly older than when she had gotten pregnant before in the past so it was easier in some ways but again there were four young girls who needed attention and only one tired Giulia to parent them.

It was such a relief and joy when Orsolina celebrated her sixth birthday and she needed far less attention than before.

Now that his daughter was older Giovanni was more willing to play an active role in parenting his child as he believed that dealing with young children was the mother's job. With an older child though, she could take guidance from him and he didn't need to do much to help with diapers or late night feedings.

Given that Giulia had four young children and Tala had no young children only a young woman and teenagers in her care, Orsolina would go over to her step-grandmother's home for lessons and return home to practice what she learned. Giovanni thought it pointless for her to learn these things when she was likely never going to use it but Giulia insisted that at the very least it kept her busy during the day while she dealt with the other girls. Besides it could help her make a match higher in station and when Giovanni thought of that he did know that his late friend was a nobleman with three sons not all that much older than Orsolina. It was far too early for anything concrete but the thought was in his mind and Giulia's though she was determined that her girls would not marry as early as she did.

Even with Orsolina spending most of her day with Tala or walking the long way between their homes, Giulia was drained. She wondered how she even functioned most days and as June approached, Giovanni stepped in to at least put the girls to bed so she could get off her feet though she often fell asleep in her chair.

While matchmaking was a distant thought in the Morosini household, for the Carlisles it was more relevant as Felicita was nearly fifteen. The Markovic heir, though given the terms of Stefano and Beverly's marriage, the Ludovici heir, was just a teenager himself that May and with that Beverly was determined to find a match for her son and successor. Tala had wanted her girls to find a better future, ideally through love, but when Beverly asked to make a match between their children, there was no question about agreement. Though both mothers agreed that their children were far too young to actually marry yet, the betrothal was made official at the end of June.

Felicita didn't actually mind her arrangement though it was so far off that honestly, it didn't even feel real but it was fun for her to tell Raquel that she was going to be a noblewoman soon and Raquel was an adult and not even courting. Raquel knew it was all in good fun but she was starting to feel a little behind now that her younger cousin was betrothed.

Orsolina was growing bigger each and everyday and while perhaps Giulia shouldn't have been lifting her around while very heavily pregnant, she wanted to savor every moment before her little girl got to big to carry.

Giulia found that her older girls spent more time with her now that they were getting bigger. Giovanni, of course, was the center of attention when he wasn't working the garden or selling the crops in the market but during the day at home, they loved to lavish their Mama with attention though Giulia was a bit tired of the 'why?'s they seemed to have no end to.

That being said with an older kid around, Orsolina was able to help out her mom by keeping her siblings occupied with fun little stories. Giulia loved how creative her daughter was but hoped that she would stop encouraging her sisters to make messes behind her back.

September came around and Giulia felt the labor pains begin once more as she was just about to send Orsolina to Tala's home for the morning with Giovanni. The plans changed somewhat as Tala left Orsolina in the care of Felicita while she brought the older girls to help with Giulia's labor. Raquel was more than happy to entertain the younger girls downstairs while Giulia labored with Tala and Tina at her side.

Giovanni came home just in time to the last stretch of Giulia's labor as just around suppertime on September 9th, Giulia delivered twin sons, Giovanni and Giuseppe. Though Giulia was showing no adverse effects aside from exhaustion, Tala had Tina run to the church to fetch a priest to bless the children as it was apparent that they were both incredibly weak to the point where Tala whispered outside the room that she would be genuinely shocked if either survived the night. Thankfully the priest came just in time to bless the boys as Tala's prediction came true for the eldest Morosini boy as baby Giovanni did not live to see midnight.

Giovanni had mixed feelings about his surviving son following the funeral of Giuseppe's twin. He had desperately wanted a son but his son was so fragile that every time he slept he wondered if he would wake to find his son gone. He loved the child so deeply like he had with his daughters and yet with the flame of his life so dim, he wondered if it was worth the heartbreak to get attached denying the fact that he was already smitten with his baby boy. Even when with his daughters, his weak son was always on his mind.

Giulia tried to fall into her routine for caring for the children following the birth of her sons. The pain of losing a child was so different from losing her siblings but she was determined to not fall into her grief as she had her girls and son who needed her and she needed them.

Giulia might not have allowed herself to fall to grief but her son's delicate health was a source of deep anxiety for her as she constantly felt on edge about what the future might bring.

As Giuseppe grew older towards the end of the year, he also grew stronger. With him getting bigger the fears of his sudden passing declined though there was still the looming threat of illness. It was a massive sigh of relief for the family that he was thriving.

While the Morosinis dealt with their own worries, Tina found that despite how horrible it had been to witness the grief of her cousin through the death of their son, she enjoyed helping her through the entire process of birth. Raquel was both delighted and not surprised when Tina told her that she wished to study to be a midwife.