#Veniera Carlisle

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1641

TW/CW: Death Mention

Antonio also grew into a lovely little boy at the start of the year surrounded by his family. As he grew it was ever clearer that it was hard to tell which parent he took more after. Vincente and Orion would joke about which one of them their son took more after but ultimately they were happy that their little boy was growing well. Unfortunately the joy didn't last as Karmine passed away in mid-February just over a month shy of Francesco's thirteenth birthday.

Following the death of Karmine and helping his younger cousins get on their feet without their mother, Felipe returned to Tartosa to spend time with Giulia and her sisters though it was Giulia and Giovanni that had the extra space for their visitor.

Giovanni enjoyed having Felipe over for a time as he did find the company of the young man relatively pleasant but he was annoyed that Felipe never really helped around the house during his stay. He just chatted and took attention from him and his wife that he could use on the crops or other handiwork. Still Felipe did know when he overstayed his welcome and by June he had left to return home to his own family.

In July, Tala's niece from her brother came to live with them following the death of her mother. She was saddened that her half-sister was living elsewhere but was uncertain of living in Tartosa with an Aunt and cousins she had never met before as well.

While Veniera was quick to warm up to their new household member, Felicita did not want her cousin to take her mother's attention from her. She already had a sister for that and would often bite when Raquel came close to her but after she caught Raquel crying in the bathroom Felicita finally asked her what was wrong to which she answered that she missed her mom and sister and her home and that she didn't want to live with her Aunt but had nowhere else to go. When Felicita thought about how she would feel if she was separated from her sisters and mother and made to live with a stranger she started to cry but quickly decided that she could at least share sisterhood with her cousin and declared that Raquel and her could be new sisters. Though Raquel appreciated her cousin's sentiments and it did help her feel more at home in Tartosa she still missed her old life dearly.

But little by little, Felicita and Veniera helped her to heal to the best of their abilities by talking with her and showing her love and the best care an almost six year old and three year old could provide.

By August, Giulia and Giovanni's home was invaded once more by another one of Giulia's cousins, Isabella this time. The Morosini home was used as a meetup place where Isabella met with Ferdinando's widow after the loss of her husband that June. The two had been exchanging letters since getting in contact through Talia's Tome years ago and now they finally met in person.

The two made sure they were alone and wasted no time getting to know each other the way they had been hoping to for quite some time. Sadie's son didn't care either way about his mother's new lover as he was mostly concerned about the new town and would frequently get their attentions anyways.

While Isabella and Sadie were "exploring the town" or "running errands", Giulia and Giovanni were more than happy to care for Sadie's little boy. They loved having a child in the home that was actually here to stay though Giovanni did resent that another person's child was sleeping in the bed he had hoped his own kid would sleep in one day but despite continually trying, there was still no hint of Giulia getting pregnant.

Life felt short as Sadie's brother passed in the war in September and so early in October while Giulia and Giovanni were taking care of their chickens and the garden, Isabella proposed to Sadie that even if they couldn't officially marry she wanted to spend her life with Sadie. To her delight, Sadie readily agreed.

While they suspected that at least Giulia knew of their true relationship, Isabella and Sadie still had to sneak around to find little moments where they could show affection with one another as it wasn't as if their relationship would be accepted by all. Still, it was as if each day they fell further and further in love with each other.

By mid-November what little patience they had ran out and the pair secretly swore that while the church, their families and perhaps even the world may not recognize it as legitimate, they would love and cherish each other as wives for the rest of their lives.

Not a week after Sadie and Isabella's secret elopement, Felicita turned six.

Veniera spent most of her time playing with Giulia's chicken who made a point of somehow finding her way all the way at their home as a regular guest. Giulia had no clue how it happened but whenever she was a chicken short she could count on the thing being at her childhood home with her baby sister.

With Felicita officially being older, she and Raquel spent time down by the water. While it was cold being December, neither girl particularly minded as they talked about everything under the sun from Raquel feeling for her losses, which was more thoughtful to speak of as time had given Felicita a bit more insight than she had when she was five, to sand castles logistics.

With the girls getting older and the older two spending more time together and out of the house, Tala was enjoying being able to spend more one on one time with her youngest like she had with Felicita. As much as she enjoyed knowing her girls had each other for company, it was nice to finally have the ability to dote on her daughter individually as well now that Felicita had outgrown her clingy toddlerhood phase.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1640

TW/CW: Death Mention

With the start of the year Veniera grew up into a slightly bigger little girl but age brought with it more confidence and she she had a way of charming the hearts of those she came into contact with her.

Felicita and Veniera loved spending time with each other while the grownups talked late into the night about the war deaths and how their cousin Guglielma had a baby boy in January.

Unfortunately in July not long after Veniera's second birthday it was confirmed by Karmine that Guglielma had passed away from an illness being spread around from the poor war conditions.

Tala was gutted to learn in November that her cousin, Aurelio, had died in the war but she was ever grateful that her girls were safe with her as the war didn't touch the comparatively idyllic town of Tartosa.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1639

TW/CW: Death Mention

The year began and went by in slow monotony as routine took over their lives though that was mostly intentional as it was easier to focus on simple daily tasks than listen to the constant death from the war. April brought with it news that Guglielma had been widowed and Tala's former step-father had died. By the start of Summer, it was clear that both the widows were expecting as well which made it hard to think of the families being apart through fate. Even holding little Veniera didn't give Giulia much relief from her grief.

While life in Tartosa was mainly focused on trying to lift spirits from the effects of war even if the fighting was distant. Vincente and Orion might have been on a different planet as they eagerly expected their first born. Orion was still unaware that her love was married back in Tartosa and had fathered six children over there as Vincente refused to share the full truth. He had told Orion about Alexis and Piero dying in the plague and then of his darling Osana and Giacomo passing but lied by saying Tala had passed on as well and didn't even mention Giulia. So as far as she knew their baby would be Vincente's only child once they were born.

Leonor turned six surrounded by her mother, brother, and two surviving uncles who made sure to come celebrate a milestone their brother would have wanted to see. The fact that she was her fathers daughter only became clearer as she grew up.

Almost a year after the birth of Veniera, Orion felt the tight contractions take hold of her. She had heard birth wasn't the most pleasant experience but finally feeling it for herself she knew that what she had heard was grossly understated.

On July 3rd, Antonio Carlisle was born. He was a darling child that immediately won over his parent's heart. Orion was eternally grateful for her healthy newborn and Vincente was happy that his son was doing well. Not only was he blessed with a son but a healthy wife and child surely was proof that he finally had a new life free of tragedy like he wanted.

Antonio grew into a sweet baby who was often rather relaxed. Vincente was taken with how much his son looked like him and Orion. He didn't inherit his magic but given attitudes on magic, that would be for the best he figured. Still the boy was loved deeply by his family in San Sequoia.

Giulia had been married for three years, nearly four by the time her birthday came around. It was a muted affair as Giulia didn't want to make a fuss of it but it did feel like, with her sisters doing well and it being more frequent that she cared for them, a new phase of life had begun. While Giovanni hadn't wanted to push it what with was he presumed was a warning, he too could feel the mood in the house shift to wanting something new and as the year came to an end he broached the topic once more of actively trying for a child again. This time Giulia was more open to the idea though she did feel it was a bit odd that her own siblings were still in diapers when she was thinking about having her own. Giovanni hated the words as they came out of his mouth but he did mention that her other siblings would likely also be married or close to it and thinking of children if they had survived. That thought soured Giulia's mood for the year's end but he did have a point even if it was depressing to think about.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1638

TW/CW: Death Mention

The year began with a visit from Isabella who was more than happy to spend time with her dear cousin in Tartosa. With the war all the eligible bachelors had gone off to fight so whatever plans Aurelio had of seeing his daughter married went out the window entirely and while Isabella knew her cousin's marriage was not the brightest part of her life she couldn't help but feel a touch envious of the freedom being away from a full house of family gave Giulia.

As Tala's pregnancy progressed she decided to spend more time with her young daughter not only in preparation for the lack of attention when the baby arrives but the steady stream of death notifications in Talia's Tome was wearing her down. Luckily, Felicita was not old enough to understand the losses but was excited to be a big sister.

Early July brought with it new life as on the sixth of the month, Tala delivered a healthy little girl she named Veniera.

Felicita was delighted with her new baby sister though her interest soon waned as she realized the unfortunate truth that babies don't actually do much and she can't play with her just yet.

Giulia loved her new baby sister the moment she laid eyes on her though she did wonder where her father went to miss out on his new baby but then immediately thought it for the best that he not be around to spoil the joy the child brought to the family. If she really cared about Vincente she could always ask her Uncle in San Sequoia since last she heard he was living with some woman over there from what Isabella had told her.

September brought with it deeply saddening news, Francisco had died in the war presumably of some kind of illness since the conditions were abysmal but he was gone. Giulia had been feeling down about it when she was surprised by a visit from her cousin and not Isabella but Felipe. He had been doing his best to avoid the war but even he could see that his avoidance tactics wouldn't last long still, he wanted to make time for his cousin before he inevitably had to go fight.

Veniera grew into a lovely little one in the midst of the grief over Francisco's death. As she grew it was clear to Tala that while Felicita had inherited Vincente's magic, her newest addition did not.

Tala figured that the next few years of her life would be very busy especially as her baby was a relatively cautious child and was very hesitant of everything and her older girl refused to leave her side save for a few moments in her day. Even so, Tala didn't mind that her girls demanded more attention and Giulia was more than happy to take the girls with her when she needed a break or actually needed to do things so it worked out well.

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Year 1664

Still reeling from the loss of their father the older of the Morosini girls tried to do their best to maintain normalcy for their little siblings especially Olivia and Giovanni Cesare that was easier said than done though.

With Giuliano celebrating his twelfth birthday, he decided to pick up on some of his sister's hobbies though he would never admit to it to the other boys in town, he actually quite enjoyed it.

As much as Giulia hated that her daughters had picked up cards like their father had loved so very much, she couldn't help but feel relieved as they played with how happy the game made them after their losses.

The Morosini boys got along well though with their considerable age gap that was more or less of a given since it was rather difficult to find much fault in a toddler as an almost teenager. They didn't share much in common but Giuliano didn't mind indulging his little brother's babble at times.

As the crops grew more stable, Orelia suggested that she go help her grandmother Tala since she was getting on in age to deal with her own supply of crops. Giulia felt a pang of loss that despite her daughter wanting to do something so kind, she didn't want to lose another member of the household so soon.

Of the siblings Olivia and Giovanni Cesare were the ones who got along the best though it was hard to say if the reason for that was due to their ages but it warmed the hearts of the entire household to see the littlest ones getting along so well.

Felicita's children soon grew up and it remained abundantly clear that her younger two took strongly after her though perhaps time would tell if that would change.

Of course having young children in the home meant that there was still fussing to be had and the older children were sure to make themselves scarce when the littles were inconsolable not that Giulia minded especially as she was happy to know that when her last little one came it would truly be the last so even the unpleasant moments of dealing with small children were cherished.

Olivia grew up into a delightful young lady with a passion for reading.

Maybe it was because she was big enough to start lessons with her siblings but after her lessons began Olivia and Giuliano grew even closer than they had been before.

Life was peaceful for the near fortnight after Olivia's birthday as Felicita's children were often around the Morosini home.

Then Giulia's true final labor began and fear struck through her heart as she worried about leaving her children alone if anything happened to her especially as she was an older mother this time around as well.

Thankfully Giulia's fears of being taken by the hands of fate with this birth were unfounded and late in the afternoon on September 13th she delivered a daughter, Olimpia Morosini.

With the birth of Olimpia, Giulia was more willing to entertain her daughter's idea of helping out with her grandmother and decided that she would approve of her spending a few nights a week helping out Tala.

Orelia was proud to show off her first steps into independence away from the main family whenever she returned from Tala's place. Orsa was a little jealous of her sister but she also wasn't quite sure spending a few nights at the house they took their lessons counted as independence. Giuliano felt a sense of responsibility with another one of his older sisters out of the house, he was getting older and sooner rather than later he would actually be the man of the house rather than feeling like his sisters kid brother but the part of him that wasn't ready for the responsibility he had was glad that his sisters were still home and unwed.

Most days with the children in the house all with her, Giulia could hardly believe just how quickly they were all growing up.

Little Olimpia grew into a lovely little baby though it was hard to say which of her parents she took after yet being how little she still was.

Thinking on her children growing up, Giulia caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror with lines on her face she swore weren't there before. She was getting older and given how many people she knew would never grow old enough for signs of age to appear she decided to wear them with pride.

Giulia was delighted to spend autumn and winter just cooing over her last baby. The finality of it all brought with it a sense of peace amidst the chaos of the house full of children.

Orsolina's son, Marcello grew from an infant to a little boy with a charming demeanor. His parents were delighted to see their son grow up and while they shared little love for each other, they found they did delight in watching their son grow.

But while Giulia's childbearing years had come to an end, Osana was happy to end the year with the discovery that her little daughter would be an older sister in the coming year.

[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 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 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 1644

TW/CW: Child Death, Death Mention, Miscarriage

Still reeling from the news that Hestor and her newborn daughter had died the previous December, more loss hit the Carlisle family as a housefire claimed the life of young Veniera on the 14th of February.

Tala couldn't believe it that her youngest was gone so soon. Though she hoped that at least her spirit would keep Giacomo and Osana's spirits company wherever they had passed on to.

Giulia was devastated by the loss of her little sister especially as she anticipated the arrival of her own little one. It scared her to think about the loss of a child and the idea of losing the child within her as well filled her mind.

The older girls in the Carlisle home did their best to keep busy as they mourned the loss of Veniera the best they could. They were heartbroken but they also wanted to stay strong for each other.

Giulia did her best to support her sister and her sister's cousin as she tried to push her own fears from her mind. At least the other girls were spared from the fire which was a blessing.

Tala was grateful for the support from her oldest in the wake of the younger one's loss. As Giulia approached the end of her pregnancy, Tala did her best to move on from her loss to best support her daughter with her pregnancy.

It was mid May when Giulia felt the pains of early labor for the first time. Tala rushed over and spent the next few hours shooing Giovanni from being a bother to the laboring Giulia and having the girls help out around the Morosini home as Tala talked Giulia through her pains. Tala could at the very least support her daughter through the birth of her first baby.

It was afternoon on May 18th that Orsolina Morosini was born. She was named after Giovanni's late mother and thankfully for the entire family, she was born perfectly healthy.

Despite mentioning from the start of their marriage about how much he wanted a son, Giovanni was truly in love with his daughter. He had never seen a child so lovely and was determined to do the best for her.

Giulia was grateful that following the birth she hardly had to do any work as after Raquel and Felicita finished their lessons and work around their own garden they would go up the hill to help out with the Morosinis. Giulia was even impressed to find meals taken care of and while Felicita was determined to take credit it was clear that the nearly-teenaged Raquel was the true cook. The love her family had for her was so evident in all the rest she could have having given birth.

Orsolina grew up into a lovely infant over the next few months who was such an active child her parents were even more confident of her health. Often times Giovanni would be on the floor with her after working the gardens or going out hunting, he was determined to spend time with his little one.

But with all the extra time on their hands to really focus on their new little family and not the housework, despite their troubles having Orsolina, it was very little surprise that Giulia was expecting again by the end of summer.

Giulia was excited to have another child though she did worry about the added work of going from one child to two and having to restart her own housework soon since it simply wasn't sustainable to have the girls keep helping out.

Though that was a problem for the future. For the time being, Giovanni and Giulia were enjoying being new parents to their daughter and expecting their second child. Giovanni was hopeful that this time they would have a son and the pair spent the late hours of the afternoon while their daughter slept whispering sweet nothings to each other and discussing names for their future child.

Giovanni even after learning about the new pregnancy was still entranced by his young daughter, he knew that some men tended to focus more on their sons and while yes, he did have a preference, he wasn't going to show favoritism when his son arrived.

In early November, Raquel celebrated her thirteenth birthday with the entire Tartosa family by her side. After the losses of the year, Tala decided that she had been too lax about looking into Raquel's sister and decided that she would see if she could bring her younger sister into the family as well to reunite the pair. Raquel was absolutely overtaken with gratitude that her aunt was willing to take in a child that wasn't her own relative for her sake. Tala knew the girl was with her father but... she wondered if it was right to keep siblings separated. She would talk more with Ramon later.

It felt like a weight had dropped on the bubble of happiness that Giulia had been living with following the birth of her daughter when, just a few days after Raquel's celebration, she had awoken to blood and cramping. Giovanni had rushed with Giulia to get the midwife leaving Orsolina with Tala, only to be told that the pregnancy had been lost. The couple returned home with a silent melancholy shared between them that neither wished to bring up.

Giovanni wondered if perhaps they had been too greedy, chasing the high that came with the addition of a new family member that had caused such a devastating loss. They still had plenty to be grateful for as their daughter, oblivious to her parent's loss, was still just as much of a light in their lives even if their loss had made the rest of their days darker.

[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 1645

The Morosini couple decided to turn their full attention to their daughter in the wake of their loss though it was hard when Isabella sent word in a letter that she and Sadie welcomed a second daughter that February.

It wasn't long into spring that Raquel's younger sister and Ramon's illegitimate daughter came to live with Tala and the girls.

Raquel was nervous about seeing her sister again after the years apart but Felicita assured her that Tina was likely feeling the exact same.

Whatever worries the Carlisle household in Tartosa had about Tina's arrival were gone the moment the child walked through the threshold. After an initial awkward phase of getting to know each other, it was as if they had been together all their lives. Tala was especially glad that Felicita was just as welcome in the other girl's sisterhood as Raquel had been with Felicita and Veniera.

Giovanni could feel his age creeping up on him but it was fine with little Orsolina as she was fairly content with napping in her father's arms.

Antonio celebrated his sixth birthday with his family in San Sequoia, like his maternal family, oblivious to his older sisters lives.

While the family prepared for their daughter to outgrow most of her infancy habits, Giulia was both happy and surprised to discover that she was once again with child.

Orsolina grew up taking quite a bit after her mother at least in Giovanni's eyes. Her parents were relieved that her good health seemed to last in terms of her wild child energy as she began to toddle around the home but the birthmark beneath her eye remained which worried them as such a prominent mark on her face would surely cause her trouble later in life.

While her parents fretted over her future, Orsolina was perfectly happy ignoring their worries with the blissful ignorance of childhood.

As the year came to a close, Felicita was happy to spend time with her older sister and as they discussed how now that Orsolina was older, she was more fun to play with. Giulia disagreed that babies were boring but she did admit that there was more that a bigger kid could get into. She refrained from mentioning her new pregnancy though out of fear of losing it again.