#heir: linden lovewell

[anvilsims]

Trevor and Maci took me to this new seafood place for my birthday. They were even nice enough to ask the waiter to not sing Happy Birthday. Ha!

Made the whole "going grey" business a lot more manageable. I also had to start wearing glasses. All those years of reading and writing essays finally catching up.

I like to think I'm still handsome despite all that.

A couple days later, Trevor and I were taking Daisy to the dog park when I ran into two fellow oldsters.

Their names were Rita and Issac.

I initially thought they were a couple but Issac was quickly to correct me. He and Rita were just good friends who had living together for ages. Neither of them settled down with a family.

They were both easy to talk to but Rita and I really hit it off.

We were both music lovers so we were able to chat for a long while about our favorite bands and musicians.

And here I was worried that I'd be out of place with the other elders.

A couple weeks later, Erika came for a visit!

She felt so bad that she wasn't able to see us when we last visited to meet Jean so she arranged a trip for herself.

We quickly caught up. Erika had been flourishing in Mt. Komorebi's extreme sports scene and Arturo was in the process of adopting another kid.

I told her about the birthday surprise from Trevor and Maci and about meeting Rita and Issac...

In fact I might have been a little too excited to talk about Rita.

"Oh? Is my eternally single old man falling in love?"

"Wha!?"

"Dad, I'm your eldest so I can say for sure that I have never heard you talk like this about your friends."

"*Sigh* Don't tell me that I finally found "the right one." I'd been hearing that since high school..."

"Dad, no! You know I'd never say that. I'm just saying that... well maybe you're demi rather than just ace. You just needed to build a strong emotional bond."

She had a point.

"Okay, I can tell you're still thinking about this. Give yourself some time to figure it out. I believe in you.~"

I thought about what Erika said the next time I invited Rita.

I'll admit that spending time with Rita felt a little different compared to past friends or even Issac.

I don't think it's sexual attraction. But things just kind of... click with her.

I still can't really picture myself as flirty or even *cough* enjoying some woohoo.

But I think there's... something between Rita and I.

[anvilsims]

I'm wondering if my concerns about Maci might be a little overblown?

She had a Spooky Day party with her friends and she was perfectly friendly with all them. With of course, special attention to Imran.

But she wasn't like hitting on everyone at the party, mostly stayed with Imran.

A few weeks later, she came home and happily informed me about her little promposal to Imran and how he accepted.

Maybe she isn't the heart breaker I was worried about her becoming.

That hasn't been the only surprise.

It seems Arturo decided to follow in my footsteps and adopted a kid.

My first grandkid and I haven't even found a grey hair yet.

We made a quick family trip to Komorebi to meet him and catch up with Arturo (Erika was busy with some local tournament and wouldn't be back in time to see us.)

The boy's name is Jasper and is a polite kid much like his father was. We all got along wonderfully.

Arturo admitted that there might be more kids on the way in the future and I jokingly reminded him that I spaced out him and his siblings so I wouldn't get overwhelmed.

He got a good laugh and we shared a hug and promise to see each other on Harvestfest.

[anvilsims]

Maci's been quite the help around the house. She takes care of Daisy, she volunteers to cook, and she's even been offering to help repair stuff around the house.

And I can't help but be proud of her showing such responsibility.

But... at the same time...

I got a call from her principal the other day, saying that she caught her skipping classes and made stay afterwards for detention.

As if that's not bad enough, I've been overhearing phone calls with her and her classmates and noticed she likes to use pet names. Stuff like "hun" or "babe."

Which makes me worried about this sweet kid she occasionally brings home, Imran Watson. He seems to really like her and while Maci's sweet to him too, I wonder just how "sweet" she's been to others.

Ugh, all this worrying and I almost forgot about Trevor's birthday.

Man, I can still remember taking him home from the agency, holding him in my arms.

A few days later, he took a job for some online company as their art critic.

And that wasn't the only big change.

Over dinner, Erika announced that she and Arturo were planning to move out soon. Specifically to Mt. Komorebi, she had heard some good things about the sports played there. As for Arturo, there's apparently a boom in STEM jobs in the area and he wanted to be part of it.

I'm gonna miss these kids but I'm happy for them pursuing their dreams.

[anvilsims]

I guess I felt like things weren't the same without a dog in the house so we adopted a puppy named Daisy. Maci of course loved her.

Speaking of Maci, while I wouldn't say any of my kids were wallflowers (closest was Arturo and he was more quiet than shy) it was quite a surprise to see Maci being so social. She even invited some friends of hers for a sleepover.

Also unlike her siblings, she had bit of a mischievous side. Though thankfully her friends didn't seem to mind.

One kid in particular she got along with was a girl named Kaydence. They even had little friendship bracelets. It was cute.

But while I'm glad that Maci had lots of friends. I wasn't big on how crowded the house got when she'd invite them over.

Not to mention that I didn't want her neglecting her schoolwork.

As expected with a big family like ours, we had a whole bunch of birthdays roll out. First up was Erika turning eighteen.

We were all so proud of her at her graduation ceremony. Couldn't help but let out a whoop she and the Principal exchanged high fives.

Then shortly after Erika was Arturo.

Before long, Daisy grew into a much bigger dog than I expected.

Then it was time for Maci to join Trevor in his last couple years in high school.

Just a few days after her birthday, Maci went to the stylists and came home with this look.

Now it's her hair, she's allowed to do what she wants with it. I'm not gonna that parent. But... I couldn't help but worry that bright pink was a neon sign of things to come.

[anvilsims]

Life goes on.

We had a nice Halloween, Arturo took Trevor trick-or-treating, Erika tried to celebrate with her crush, Gemma but she couldn’t stay long so Erika just watched some scary movies... hopefully Maci didn’t catch any of the uh gruesome details.

While I dressed up and decorated, I had still work to do.

Throughout it all... couldn’t help but felt like we were being watched but not in a concerning way more of a... comforting way.

Anyway, soon it was time for Trevor to join his siblings in high school.

Despite his hearing issues, he continued learning to play violin and enjoying it. And as expected, he helped out with Maci. Trevor was always a good hearted kid and becoming a teen didn’t change that one bit.

[anvilsims]

Macie was starting to grow into her own. She was quite the wiggly one, always enjoyed her tummy time.

I am forever grateful that Erika was happy to help out with her baby sister. Whether it was keeping her company or helping her try new foods.

That said, Erika didn’t slack off in her own life. The school had a recent showcase for the Cheer and Football teams which Erika was thrilled to take part in.

And she’s been talking a lot about this girl in her class named Gemma. I may not be the romantic type but I know a crush when I see one. Though with the way she talks about Gemma, I can’t help but wonder if they’re really compatible?

[anvilsims]

A lot of big moments in our family right now.

Erika and the Cheerleading team won some big local competition. Erika was always very confident but I don't think I've ever seen her confidence shine brighter than when she came home with that trophy.

As for me, I won my own reward, The Learning Embetterment Award for all my years and achievements as a professor. I got a call from Robyn and Dad 2 congratulating me. I wish Dad 1 could have seen this too.

Maci was finally old enough to start school. Much like her sister, Maci was very much the outgoing type, she just loved to talk and get to know people. She also tended to be a handful with the messes she would make in pursuit of her creativity.

We had a big family get-together for Winterfest and of course Maci charmed her Aunt and Grandfather. I wonder if I should keep an eye on her when she gets older.

[anvilsims]

They grow up so fast.

Arturo entered his teen years but didn’t lose any of that charm and politeness from his childhood. In fact I’d say he became even more dedicated to his family and friends. Just like with Erika, he was happy to help out with Maci.

Thankfully Maci herself became a little easier to handle when she reached the toddler phase. It seemed that she picked some things up from her siblings considering what a little charmer she was.

Unfortunately the good times didn’t last.

I got a call from Dad 2 informing me that Dad 1 passed away peacefully in his sleep. Geez I can still remember just how pained he sounded on the phone.

We had the funeral a few days later and I invited Dad 2 and Robyn to come over to just hang out and just spend some time together.

Trevor as always was a sweet soul and was a great comfort to his grandfather while Robyn and I took comfort in reminiscing about our childhood.

But it seems the Universe wasn’t done messing with the Lovewells yet. About a couple weeks after Dad 1 passed away, we lost Champ. The kids were all pretty devastated, he’d been around for all of them when they first came to live here after all.

As for myself, Champ was great company in those early days when I first moved, trying to work hard to keep the lights on and eventually bring the kids in...

Gonna miss that little guy.

[anvilsims]

I mean things were pretty normal at first. Erika’s birthday came and I invited the dads and Robyn (who apparently moved out after she graduated and had a bad break-up with her high school boyfriend.)

Erika is turning out to be a very confident young lady, very self-assured. Once she started high school, she immediately signed up for the cheer team and is always practicing after her homework is done. Even if Champ sometimes comes along to be a distraction.

Speaking of Champ, he’s starting to get a little grey in the muzzle. A little sad to see but he’s still as friendly as ever.

Nah, the big surprise... was Macie.

See I thought I was done with kids, But a co-worker of mine at the University got herself in a bad situation. Got herself pregnant and didn’t have the option to end the pregnancy. I admit I can be bit of a bleeding heart so... I offered to adopt the kid once they were born.

Nine months later and Macie Lovewell arrived. For real this time. This is the last kid.

[anvilsims]

Trevor is turning out to be a very sweet and sensitive kid. His grandfathers got him a doctor playset for his birthday recently and he takes his “job” very seriously, good bedside manner and all.

He’s also been showing off his creativity, just like when he was a toddler, Trevor loves to sing. He’s also signed up for music classes at school and learning violin. And that’s before touching on the art gallery that the upstairs hallway has become.

Arturo on the other hand is a little more active. Inspired by Erika, he’s been learning how to ride a bike but he also takes his schoolwork very seriously.

Things have been going well for us. I recently celebrated my own birthday, can’t call myself a young adult anymore. But life has a way of throwing surprises at cha.

[anvilsims]

Arturo has been adjusting pretty well to his new home. He gets along great with both Trevor and Erika. He’ll make silly faces and listen to Trevor sing and he and Erika both practice learning how to ride their bikes.

Speaking of Trevor, we recently celebrated his birthday with the other kids and the Heckings.

While he was still a shy kid, if he trusts you like with his brother and sister, he’ll talk a while a minute especially when it comes to creative ideas he comes up with.

And with that, all my kids are now school age. Hopefully this means I can focus a little more on the job. I mean I’m glad I raised Erika and Trevor so young but uh... I think I’ve had enough potty training for a lifetime.

[anvilsims]

As Trevor got a little older, he grew more clingy and reserved. Then one day we took him to the doctors and discovered that his hearing wasn’t as good as it should be. The doc recommend we get him a hearing aid.

I didn’t realize they could make them that small and I admit I worried about Trevor trying to take it off or play with it but he seemed to handle it just fine and he became a lot less fussy afterwards.

For Winterfest this year, we invited the dads and Robyn over. We had a really nice ham dinner to celebrate and Dad 1 was happy to say how proud he and Dad 2 were of me with both my education career and taking in all these kids and giving them a loving home.

Of course, Erika was thrilled to see her grandfathers and thrilled with their presents. Some molding clay that she could play around with from Dad 1 and a full on bike from Dad 2.

Nearly gave me a heart-attack when I found her riding the bike in the kitchen because it was still snowing out. Really need to sit that girl down and give her a lesson on patience.

A less shocking surprise came when Erika admitted to me that she wished she had a sibling closer to her age. She loved Trevor of course but he was still learning to walk and talk and he could only do so much.

It took me a while to think on it but eventually I thought it wouldn’t be bad to have another older kid in the house. So just in time for New Years, I brought home Arturo. He was a bit shy and because he was originally born in Selvadorada, struggled a little with Simlish. But despite that, he was very polite and excited to join his new home.

[anvilsims]

Time passed, I made my way up the career ladder and eventually I thought it was time to add to my little family.

Thus I came home with little Trevor. He was an intense little guy but he adjusted well.

It also helped that Erika was now old enough to start elementary school. Though she couldn’t do a whole lot to help with Trevor, she still cared for her new little brother.

Erika was still quite the charmer but she also had bit of adventurous spirit. So it wasn’t too much a surprise when she quickly got her first loose tooth. After she lost it, the school gave her a little certificate and sticker to celebrate the milestone.

[anvilsims]

No one ever said that fatherhood would be easy and Erika is proving that handily.

She’s turning out to be an adventurous toddler and a messy one too.

The worst part is she’s such a little charmer that its hard to stay mad at her for long.

That said, I’m glad she’s in my life now, she’s an active little thing but she absolutely loves it when I’m reading bedtime stories and doing all the voices. She also adores Champ which I admit was my biggest worry.

Thankfully I had enough money to hire a nanny for her when I gotta go to work or when I’m too swamped with grading homework.

Then a few months after I brought Erika home, my sister, Robyn came by for a visit. Or rather a stay. School was having a break currently and we hadn’t seen each other for a long while. Plus it was a great chance for her to finally meet her niece. And of course, Erika instantly charmed her.

[anvilsims]

I took up a job as a teacher at Brindleton’s Elementary school

The kids are nice, don’t get me wrong but it can be a long and stressful job.

I didn’t have everything ready for my big plan yet but it was getting kinda lonely so I adopted a dog named Champ. Despite the name, he can be bit of a crybaby but I love him all the same.

Dad 2 came to visit one day to check on how I was doing. He was happy to hear I was doing well in a new town and in my career. I also shared with him my big plan.

See, I’m not really interested in romance but being raised by my dads and taking care of my little sister gave me a strong appreciation for family. So I wanna take the love I got from them and give that to some kid or maybe even kids who really need it. Dad 2 told me that he was very proud and excited to eventually meet his first grandkid.

Thankfully he didn’t need to wait long. About a week later, I got everything prepared and settled... and welcomed my new little girl, Erika.

[anvilsims]

Hello Brindleton Bay! 

The name’s Linden Lovewell! I recently moved away from Newcrest to here after a few years of studying education.

So far thing’s have been going pretty well for me. My dads taught me well whether it’s how to take care of myself or entertaining myself. 

I’ve also been getting along with the neighbors, particularly Brett and Brant Hecking. They were super nice and welcoming when I first moved in. 

I admit their constant PDA can be bit... off-putting but I’m not gonna be a jerk about it. Honestly it almost kind of reminds me of my dads.

Though speaking of dads, ever since I moved to Brindleton Bay, I’ve been putting aside some money for a big decision... and I think I’m getting very close.