The Hart-Stacks family are one of the nicest families of New Maximiliania, I think: no scandals or fights, just a bunch of very kind-hearted, good-natured folks.
When we arrive at their house for the second time this round, we find it cosily covered in a thick, soft blanket of snow.
Jane (nee Stacks) and Matthew have been together since their college years. Matthew is now 75 and Jane 74. They share the lifetime want of having six grandchildren and are currently at four: Stephanie, Stacy and Stella Stacks - all from their daughter Helena - and Harry Hart, son of Matthew's half-Alien daugther Hailey. But that is not all: a long time ago, this generous couple decided to take in an orphaned little girl, Fenya Furley (daughter of Fineaus Furley), whose entire family perished in a house fire caused by a Christmas tree, leaving her the sole survivor.
Later, Matthew learned the special knowledge of a good Warlock from his good old friend (Mr. Goodie), who left his cauldron, book of spells and broomstick to him. Not once in his entire life has Matthew abused his special knowledge.
I wonder if his being a Warlock makes him more susceptible to certain events: This Monday, he seems to feel the nearness of Death.
Jane and Matthew's firstborn (actually, Jane's only biological child) is Helena. She is on Permanent Platinum, and for a long time, the money she made as a Rock Goddess was the family's only income.
She was born before her Mum and Dad tied the knot, and therefore her surname is Stacks, like her mother's maiden name.
Another example for Matthew and Jane's kindness and generosity is this young woman: Frances Hart was found to be a distant cousin of Matthew's, and moved in with the family a while ago as one of the few townies I allow to join New Maximiliania's residents for good.
Her LTW is to become Chief of Staff; her current job is that of a GP.
The house is not quite as generous as the Harts' hearts, which is why Frances sleeps in the teenage girls' bedroom.
Here are two of Helena's three daughters: Stacy Stacks, holding little Stella.
Stacy's twin sister is Stephanie Stacks. The girls don't look alike, due to the very different DNA of their parents.
But they get along very well, as you can see.
This Monday is Snow Day, and they are delighted to have another day to the weekend.
Here is a glimpse of Matthew's special corner in the downstairs bedroom he shares with Jane. The kids are allowed to look at everything but never touch their Granddad's magic things.
Stephanie spends good part of her unexpected day off upstairs, reading on her bed.
Matthew feels the presence of Death come ever closer.
He invites over his daughters Hailey (left) and Fenya (right), knowing this will be the last chance for them all to be together.
And just as he is about to say good-bye to Hailey...
...the clock turns six, and Mr. Reaper appears to meet Matthew.
Frances has arrived from work just in time to see her good cousin leave for the Otherworld.
Helena never saw it happening - she turned into an Elder at the same moment.
The family are distressed. Matthew was the best husband, father, grandfather, cousin and friend a Sim could wish for.
Dinner is a subdued affair, with Hailey only eating because she has to (for the baby), and niece Stacy and sister Fenya keeping her company.
Everyone is too sad to really think of anything else, and so it is Frances who helps little Stella to grow up into a toddler.
Tuesday morning, Jane can't think of breakfast - she thinks of Matthew all the time.
Helena makes every effort to be there for her children, especially for little Stella, who needs to learn her skills.
The older girls like to play with their little sister. She is like a ray of sunshine for the family right now.
The twins come home from school with Odell Ottomas.
Upstairs, Stephanie, the more serious of the twins, immediately sits down to do her homework.
Stacy seems to be rather pleased of having Odell keeping them company - and it looks as if Odell is rather smitten with his young hostess, too.
On his own accord, he offers her a backrub :-) No pink hearts yet, but who knows what spring will bring!
It is Wednesday morning, and Jane is up first. She makes use of the quiet morning hours to teach her granddaughter to talk.
Helena rings Cedric Cooke (half-Alien son of Julien Cooke), her lover and father of her three girls. He comes over and does his best to distract Helena from grieving for her father by talking about her new album.
He loves his daughters dearly, and is delighted to find Stella turned into such a sweet little girl.
Carl Capp gets off the bus after school with the older girls.
And Frances comes home with a promotion to Specialist. She will now have to work hard to acquire several more skill points for her next promotion.
Jane sits down for a meal with the young people. If I am not mistaken, Stacy is as interested in Carl as she was yesterday in Odell. But Carl seems to be all focused on Stephanie.
On Thursday morning, Helena reads a story to her youngest daughter.
Stacy writes something about Carl in her diary. I'd love to read that entry!
It is spring now, and the Christmas decoration has been replaced with flowers and garden gnomes.
Cedric is invited over again, and Stacy wonders where her Mum and Dad are going. Actually, they are not going anywhere - just sit in the car for a while, where they can have some privacy - something that is impossible with the house full of kids ;-)
Today, Orlando Ottomas, Odell's twin brother, is the girls' guest.
Guess what - the... ahem... "conversation" in the car between Helena and Cedric resulted into her rolling the wish to marry him, and marry him she did, right on the spot, with no ceremony! Finally, the girls' Dad moves in with the family! He is younger than his wife and has not yet reached his LTW. It is the same as Frances', to become Chief of Staff.
One of the first things he does upon moving in is to cook his own welcome meal :-)
Here is a picture of the moment when Cedric Cooke became Cedric Stacks :-) No big wedding for this couple; not so soon after Helena's father's death.
"Daddeeeee!" - "Little Stella, Daddy will nearly always be around now!"
On Friday morning, Jane feels very weak and can't stop coughing.
She does not make a fuss, though, just wishes Matthew would still be here and cure her instantly with one of his spells.
The girls never realize how ill their grandma is. Giselle Goth, the only surviving member of the Goth family, comes home with them from school today. They are all related: Giselle's Alien father is the same Pollination Technician as the girls' grandfather. Does that make Giselle their aunt... somehow?
Frances has worked diligently and is promoted to Surgeon that day.
Grandma Jane sits down for a meal with the twins. "You know, your Granddad and I left it rather long before we married, but we knew we wanted to spend our whole lives together even before we graduated," she tells them.
Unnoticed by all, Stella turns into a child.
Early on Saturday morning, instead of going to bed after her latest concert, ageing Rock Goddess Helena has an espresso. (Now that Stella is not a toddler anymore, I leave Helena pretty much to her own devices most of the time, since she is on PP.)
Cedric invites the rest of his former family - the Cooke-Dreamer household - over; there aren't that many left! Dirk Dreamer is the first to arrive.
Stella wished for a lemonade stand, and happily mixes her first jug of lemonade.
Her Dad buys a cup, as do the other adults. Even a townie stopped for some lemonade!
Cedric and Dirk have some family fun with Dirk's daughters Deirdre (left) and Dora (right) Drearmer. Again, the girls have the same Alien father as Cedric, although there is a generation between them.
Jane enjoys a meal with Frances, Deirdre and Stella.
It was her very last one...
...and she is very ready to go with Mr. Reaper, even though she didn't live long enough to welcome grandchildren # 5 and 6.
Helena breaks into tears when she returns home from work to the sad news.
Sunday morning, Stella is first to get up. She misses her Grandma Jane.
Hailey and Fenya come over for the day.
Together, the family drive to the cemetery.
Helena has had rose bushes and white daisies planted on her parents' graves. It suits them - the red roses are for love, and the daisies for the modesty and down-to-earth kindness this wonderful couple showed everyone they met.
Back home, the family spend the rest of Sunday doing whatever they fancy.
Are Stephanie and Stacy going to go to college? Will Frances find a love interest and move elsewhere, or stay with her relatives forever? How long before she and Cedric will have reached their LTW?
