The Singles Family: Week 5

Click here if you want to read Week 4 at this family. 

The Singles family have been living here for many years now. Only in recent years, Shaun's job has allowed them some modest luxury.

Here is Nervous Singles, formerly Subject. He is diligently working at maxing out his skills, which has become his lifetime want some time in the past. This time, the unexplainable switch in LTW was wecome - at first, he wanted to graduate 3 children from college, but two of his three children died in a fire at their dorm, and as if he knew he was never going to reach his first goal, he changed to this new LTW.
Nervous is now 69.

His wife, Erin, is two years older. She has been on Permanent Platinum ever since she made 20 best friends.
Their only surviving son is Shaun, their firstborn. He graduated from college and soon afterwards reached his LTW - the same as his mother's.
       

Angela Pleasant gave the family this sentinel robot. The robot takes its job very seriously and zaps Prezioso Picaso when he tries to nick the newspaper from the Singles' front porch on this Monday morning.
      

Shaun could have nearly anything he wants for breakfast, but what does he go for? An old potato from the bin!
      

Erin greets Carl Capp.
       

Nervous maxes out his Creativity.
       

Maria Monty apparently had the same intention as Prezioso Picaso before her - with the same result :-P

Callum Capp joins his brother Carl.

The last skill Nervous needs to max out is Logic. A telescope is purchased, and Nervous sets to work before the day is over.
       

Inside, Shaun patiently answers Carl's questions. Carl comes from a large family and can not imagine what it must be like when your siblings die.
       

It is Tuesday morning, and Erin cleans the downstairs toilet on her own accord.
      

'I don't know what I would have done after the twins' death if it hadn't been for dear Shaun,' Erin muses.
       

In the afternoon, Mary Gavigan comes visiting her old friend.
       

Nervous can't afford to wait for nightfall before using the telescope again, so I have him use it during the day, too. "Oh... my... god...! I can't believe I've just caught Beau Broke doing... this!!"
      

Wednesday morning sees Erin in a subdued mood again.
      

"Yes, they would have both graduated long ago, our dear Selma and Stig..."
      

Shaun cleans up after breakfast. He doesn't autonomously do as much housework as his mother, but he trieds to do what he can to make life a little bit easier for his ageing parents.
       

Carolina Capp seems to be immune to the cold.
      

Or maybe not that immune, after all!
      

Orlando Ottomas is the second guest at the Singles' today.
       

Nervous and Erin are a very loving couple and often exchange such tender kisses.
       

But even all the love of her husband and her son does not stop Erin from grieving the loss of her two younger children. On Thursday morning, she is resting on the settee beneath their photograph.
       

Odell Ottomas heard from his brother how kind the Singles are, and pays them a visit.
       

Early in the evening, Nervous maxes out his Logic skill - he has now all seven skills on maximum and reached his LTW at the age of 73. Well done, Nevous!
       

Friday morning sees the whole small family close together.
       

"You know we could have used the magic lamp to have the twins resurrected," Nervous sighs over lunch.
       

Tank Capp (formerly Grunt, married to Hermia Capp) comes visiting.
      

Jill Indie follows. Maybe you remember that she and Shaun fell in love with each other some time last round, but never really followed up on their feelings for each other. Jill is Mitch Indie's widow and was born Jill Smith. She lives with her brother, Johnny Smith, and stepdaughter, Isabella Indie, at the old Smith house.
       

Shaun returns from work minutes after Jill's arrival, with colleague Circe Beaker in tow. The Beakers once were Nervous' landlord and -lady, until his growing family (and theirs!) meant that he and Erin moved to their own place.
       

On Saturday morning, Nervous admits to his son that he is worried about Erin. She seems to retreat more and more into her old grief.
       

Shaun understands her feelings - he can't help thinking of his younger siblings Selma and Stig every time he walks past the pictures they drew when they were kids.
       

'I'm so glad Shaun has come to live with us, his old folks, after uni, and didn't go living somewhere else with a girlfriend instead,' Nervous thinks.
       

Writing down his thoughts seems to help.
       

On Sunday morning, both Shaun and his father worry about Erin.
       

She admits to suffering severe pain in her chest nearly all the time now.
       

Regardless of any pain, though, on Sunday afternoon she dresses into her beautiful formal gown and invites her closest friends over.
      

Soon, Lavender Greenman, Mary Gavigan, Tara and Chester Gieke arrive...
       

...as do Ophelia Nigmos, Daisy Jacquet, Titania Summerdream and Trisha Traveller. Daisy thinks Titania is a bit over the top, wearing a tiara and full face make-up for a simple house party with old friends.
      

They all wonder why Erin asked them all over, and is dressed up so.
       

To humour is beloved wife, Nervous has gone along and also put on his formal suit.
       

The elderly people have a great time, enjoying food, talk and folk songs.
       

At 6.00 pm sharply, just as Erin turns 78, another guest appears out of nowhere.
       

"You did take your time, Grimmy," Erin smiles. She is more than ready to drink that last cocktail - she knows she'll be reunited with her twins in the Otherworld.
       

Her friends and family can't believe she is gone. "I honestly don't know what to say, Nervous," Titania admits.
       

One by one, Erin's distressed friends leave.
       

Now it's just Nervous and Shaun left.

Is Shaun going to ask Jill (or someone else) to move in with them, to liven things up a bit again? How much longer will Nervous have to be here, without his beloved wife?