Changing Seasons. Autumn IV, part 2

Autumn IV, part 2 Okay, they were just about to get into it again, but Frank was still making the bed before they came upstairs. It made this shabby room look just a little bit better. And Honey did look a bit down as she came in.
“We ought to do something about this room,” Frank said. “I haven’t even got round to replacing that door. Or painting the bedframe. I sanded it and that’s all.”
“Paint’s expensive,” Honey said, sighing. “We spent the budget for this room on painting Maddie’s bedroom. And the bedstead. And on new bedding and that rug.” “Then we’ll start a new budget. Someone as nice as you deserves a nice room. And I’m sure I can scrounge some white paint and paint the ceiling at least. There’s odds and ends left over from doing those two gym rooms.” “Which reminds me,” Frank added. “Leo suggested that we make a dance studio on the floor above. There’s a lovely big room with a good floor and lots of light…we’ll do it up for you and kit it out whenever we can.”
Well, that got a good response! “Congratulations my dear.” I’d had my exam results and passed them all more than averagely well, but not in the top rank. I’d thought Addie would be disappointed in me. But no. Here she was, beaming at me. It was a bit of an unusual experience, to be honest. “Oh, I forgot to tell you something else as well. I’ve had a book dedicated to me as well! I couldn’t quite believe it when I opened it and looked inside. Amber Oakfield – I told you about her – has dedicated Belt Runner ‘to Clara, who is a real-life example of the fighting spirit that lives in Darya.’ Darya’s the heroine of the book and at the moment she’s scavenging a living among the asteroid belts round another planet as a belt runner…”
My voice sort of tailed off at the slight lack of comprehension in Addie’s eyes. I guess sci-fi wasn’t that advanced as a genre when she was alive. But she got that it was an honour, and she was pleased for me. Twice in one day! Twice in one hour! I swear she’s mellowing.
The she got on to asking me about Frank and Honey of all people. They’d been in here – Frank looking at the wiring and chatting with the builders and so on, and Honey had come along to be with him. “It seemed to me that they weren’t happy. And I think Honey was almost aware of me. Do you know them? Can you talk to them?”
I knew what she meant. Honey had had a quiet happiness about her when they arrived, that had just seemed to grow steadily. She’s not really my type in a way – she’s so see-the-best-in-everyone and that’s not exactly me. But she’s not soppy with it. I heard her being quite forthright with Fletcher and Mason over their I’m-the-biggest-no-I-am squabbles. “I’ll see what I can do,” I said. “They have got Maddie Portland living with them…”
Now her, I really don’t like. She’s all sugar and sweetness on top, but it’s not genuine. Not like Honey’s sweetness (her mother named her well, actually). Great Aunt Adelaide made a huffing sound at the mention of Maddie.
“They’ll be stuck with her for years to come. All the Portland women lived into their nineties.” We chatted a bit longer and then I headed back out, and speak of…well, it would have to be, speak of an angel in Honey’s case. There she was, reading gravestones. Whatever cheers you up, I guess. Though if I had to live with Maddie, I might be reduced to reading gravestones to cheer myself up. No time like the present! I went over to chat, asked her how she was, answered her questions about Annette’s twins and Mary also (Honey really does genuinely like children!) and told her I knew quite a bit about the church, the graveyard, the people in it and so on from my researches. So if she had any questions… “There are flowers on this one. Mary Tench. Old Tench’s wife?”
I nodded. “It’s their wedding anniversary this week. He says he likes to put flowers there. ‘I’m right grateful for all them happy times we had together. Wouldn’t swap nothin’. And even iffen we didn’t have as long together as we was hopin’ for, well, those years was still real happy ones.’”
Honey brushed away a tear and I liked her for it. You’ve got to have some people around who can show their feelings openly. Otherwise how will the rest of us learn how to do that too? “It’s a shame his Mary wasn’t a Portland woman. They seem to have been really long-lived.”
“I don’t think Maddie was quite his type.” That’s me being tactful, in case you missed it.
“Maddie?” Honey sounded totally confused. Of course! There was no reason at all for her to have known Maddie’s maiden name.
“She was a Portland. Ava Portland (95) and Edna Portland (97) over there – they were her aunts.”
There were quite a few Portland women who never got married, and I did wonder if there was a reason for that. Great Aunt Adelaide had come out of the church and was listening at Honey’s shoulder. That was seriously disconcerting!
“Ask her how long Maddie’s planning to stay,” she said. I went one better than that and suggested a way of getting rid of her (though she’d better not move in next to me!).
“Is Maddie thinking of moving back here? She’s had a long enough visit now to make up her mind, hasn’t she? Are you thinking of doing up one of those houses on the Arbuthnot Estate for her? I could help with the painting if you are – I’ve just about finished mine.”
And then I changed the topic quickly – never over-labour a point, just plant the seed and move on.
“Did you know Patience is brilliant at cutting hair? She’d do yours for free – we’re all in your debt for you coming here and teaching. Sal and I could come round and keep the kids entertained while she does that for you.”
Seed two planted. Honey didn’t have to look so bedraggled.
“How about next Sunday?”
Great Aunt Addie smiled at me again! I went back with Honey after the haircut. She hadn’t told Frank why she was going round to see Patience, just let him think it was school stuff. I wanted to see Frank’s face – and Patience wanted a detailed account as well! What a transformation! And it was a simple enough style as well – off her face for school, nothing that would take ages to do, but it looked great. Frank was working on that old wreck of a car in front of their house. He reckons he could sell it if he did it up. “Ahem,” Honey said. I sort of watched out of the corner of my eye. He did a total double-take. It was very satisfying! Then he totally ignored me. I don’t think Honey was expecting such and enthusiastic reaction. Patience will be pretty pleased by this! “I – I guess you like the haircut then?” I need to know who to write to in Grisburg. But this directory hasn’t got the information that I need and it’s also hopelessly out of date. I could probably find out in Newborough though – if I can get a lift there. Honestly, this place is such a dump. Still, once Tom has married me, we can at least travel. I don’t think I’ll get him to leave here, but that house of his will be better than Honey and Frank’s house. Once I’ve got rid of Clara and got Tom to propose.
I’ll go for a meaningful walk with him tomorrow… “I can hardly believe that I used to live here. That girl-bride seems so long ago – and if I look back at her, she seems a little foolish, a little unwise. It’s so kind of you to come here with me today. I feel that I want to say goodbye to some more of my past.”
Rewrite it, more like. Rewrite it to a suitably white-washed state. I know how my behaviour would have looked to someone like Tom Tench, with his tiresome faithfulness to Mary. And I can even put a bit of truth into my story.
“When I married Rick and moved here, I thought it was going to be a happy-ever-after story…Do you remember my aunts Ava and Edna?” I knew he’d remember them – a couple of sour-faced vinegar-tongued bitter old spinsters.
“I was so afraid of ending up like them. And they always used to tell me that I would, that I’d never be pretty enough to get a husband…” I could hear the bitterness in my voice from all those years of their spiteful comments. Well, I’d proved them wrong – and pointed it out to them too. “This usedter be a real elegant house though. You fancy doin’ it up and livin’ here again? I’m sure there’s plenty of folks round here as’d help you. I sure would be happy to.”
“It’s too large for me. I’d rattle around in it like a pea in a pod on my own. No, I thought something smaller, like one of the houses on Violet Drive or Rose Avenue. In a small house, I wouldn’t feel so lonely…Now that Stephen’s gone, there’s no-one who cares about me in quite the same way.” “It was so kind of Artie to go with Bess to the old Preston place.” We’d gone round this depressing house with me wiping an affecting tear from my eye a couple of times, and were now in the old bedroom.
“Do you know, I always thought he held a candle for her, that she was the reason he never married.” Seeing as Bess was moving back here, I’d better make sure Tom Tench thought of her as half-promised to his old friend.
“Maybe now she’s back…it would be so lovely for them both to find companionship, deep friendship, in their old age.” There. That should – hopefully – give him something to think about. And with a bit of luck he’d stay out of Bess’s way, to give Artie a fair run at her. I’d hoped he was going to say something a bit more definite today, but he didn’t. Nearly, though – I could see it in his eyes. A little bit more time, and he’d be mine.

Frank, Honey, Maddie and house were made for me by Hidehi as a lovely gift.
I’ve tweaked them slightly to fit the scenery of Two Lakes, so if you’re going to play them, they won’t look quite like this. I’ve tweaked Maddie’s personality too…
Link here for the house:
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9351879
And for the family:
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9351878