Sunday 5 January 2014

4.38 Just Say Yes







After seeing the days papers, Jaydean had broken down crying. It was a reaction Kaity had been anticipating since Leighton's phone call the night before, but it didn't help how guilty she felt. It was her fault, she knew it was her fault. If she'd not done as many crazy things that landed herself in the papers, the press would have ignored her years ago and Jaydean wouldn't be in this mess right now.

She watched as Sophie tried to console her sister, and was glad she was there as she had nothing of use to say herself. She was too consumed in her own self-pity as always, and she hated that about herself. She had no idea what to say to make it better, and her mind kept wandering to thoughts of revenge. She knew revenge was impossible. If she tried to seek revenge on the press, they wouldn't let up and things would just get worse for herself. 'Like mother, like daughter' the headline kept playing through her mind. Jaydean was nothing like her, Sophie either, and for that she was thankful. At least this could maybe be the last time either of them made it into the papers.

Winter quietly entered the room, closing the door behind him to keep out the three rowdy children Shaena was struggling to control.
  "Winter." Jaydean stated, alerting her sister and mother to his presence. He forced a comforting smile before moving towards her, crouching, and placing a hand on her knee.
  "How're you doing?"
  "I don't know." She shrugged. "What do I tell Alvaro?" Fresh tears fell as she realised she'd dragged him into this too.
  "Hey, shh, it'll be ok." Winter wiped her tears with his fingers as he cooed soothingly. "He'll either stick by you or he'll go. If he goes then he wasn't worth it anyway. We'll all be here for you no matter what, so you'll never have to go it alone."
  "I know, but... Why can't they just let us live in peace? Who even reads that crap anyway? Does anyone care where mum bought some bread from? No. Does anyone even know who me and Alvaro are? No. So why bother?" Jaydean raged, and Winter smiled inwardly at how much she looked like her mother in that moment. He pulled both the twins to him for a quick hug, and they leaned into his embrace.
  "Jay, if you want we can go back to court and get them to keep off until you're eighteen?" Kaity suggested. Winter pulled away from them so they could see their mother.
  "No, what's the point? All the pictures they're gunna get of us, is us going to school, so just leave it and they'll get bored and forget about us before we're old enough to do anything interesting."
  "I hope you're right." Kaity sighed, as she wrapped her fingers around Winter's wrist and gently tugged. "We'll let you two get ready for school-"
  "I'm not going to school! Are you kidding?!" Jaydean protested.
  "Yes you are! Maybe if you hadn't let your grades slip again I might let you take the day, but you've got a test at the end of the week." Jaydean groaned as Kaity pushed Winter gently out into the hallway.

  "I didn't think you'd be home til later." Kaity mumbled as she wrapped her arms around him.
  "I told you last night I'd get an earlier flight if I could."
  "I know, but I didn't think you'd get here this early even if you did." She squeezed him a little tighter before pulling back. "Thank you."
  "It's fine, you know I'll always be here for all of you."

He lifted her face and kissed her gently.
  "But the girls aren't even your kids and you just treat them so nice..."
  "They're not biologically mine, no, but I've been here since they were five and helped raise them. Why wouldn't I come rushing home if one of them was hurting?"
  "I don't know..." Kaity sighed, there was clearly something she wanted to say but she couldn't find the words. "Would you-" She was cut off by shouting downstairs.
  "Please, just eat your breakfast!" Shaena's desperate voice carried up the stairs.
  "But Autumn hit me!" Elise's whined.
  "You shouldn't be such a stupid head and then I wouldn't have to!" Autumn was shouting.
  "That boy." Kaity growled, face of thunder, before she charged down the stairs to reprimand him.

***

Elise looked around at all the people filling their house with noisy chatter. All this fuss for her 'cousins' boyfriends. Jaydean had over that Alvaro kid that she'd been in the paper with, and Sophie had some guy called Norman who nobody had even heard her mention until yesterday. All these people were their family. Autumn and Josh were off being annoying boys somewhere, and she was too young to fit in with anyone here. She noticed Kaity turn away from her sister, Rose, and her grandmother, Lisa, and start walking towards her. She looked away, half hoping she wasn't coming over to talk to her. She liked Kaity and Shaena, but they weren't her mothers, and they never would be. She knew she held her own mother on a pedestal, holding on to every little thing the girls had told her about her. She'd never know the lady whose photos hung on her walls, and she'd never have a real family.
  "Hey, lets go upstairs a second, I want to talk to you." Kaity raised her voice over the music, and guided her upstairs ahead of her.

They got to her bedroom, and Kaity closed the door behind her, before kneeling on the floor infront of her.
  "Do you want to know a secret? One you can never tell anyone? You and me would be the only people in the world to know it." That made her interested. How could she refuse an offer like that?
  "Not even Winter? Or Shaena?" She questioned. Kaity had never seemed like the type who could keep secrets, and she knew Winter and Shaena knew everything about her.
  "Nope. Just you and me." Kaity smiled at her, and Elise nodded entusiastically. "I know you feel left out, like you don't have any family, and that is the only reason I'm telling you this. I swore to your mother I'd never tell a soul, but if she could see how lonely you felt then she'd do the same." So Kaity knew that she was lonely? Maybe she just didn't know what to do about it? She wasn't known for being touchy-feely, or being in-tune with others emotions. "You have two half brothers."
  "Really?!" Elise's eyes were wide, she couldn't believe this!
  "Really." Kaity confirmed, nodding. "Alvaro, downstairs, he's one of them. And there's a boy about your age, Chin-Han Chin. Do you know him?" Elise shook her head. She recognised the name but didn't know the boy. "Well, Dequan, that's their father, lived next door to your mum. Things weren't going to well with his wife, Kimberlee, and he and Bonnie started having an affair..."
  "So Dequan is my dad?"
  "Yes, but he doesn't know."

She pulled her into a hug quickly.
  "I know this is going to be really hard, but you can't tell anyone. Kimberlee would leave Dequan, and then Alvaro and Chin-Han would have their worlds turned upside down. I just wanted you to know that you weren't alone, and maybe this was the wrong thing to do, but I think you deserve to know where you came from."
  "I won't tell anyone." Elise promised. "I'm glad you told me, though. Now I can make friends with Chin-Han and see if we have things in common."
  "Exactly." Kaity pulled away, smiling. "You need to make more friends anyway, because Autumn and Josh are just cruel to you."
  "I don't mind." Elise shrugged.

  "Well, I do. If they say anything mean to you, come to me and I'll sort it. This is your home just as much as theirs. Just because your family doesn't live with you, doesn't mean you deserve any of the things they say and do to you."
  "Ok." Elise replied. She really didn't mind that the boys bullied her. She knew they were just being immature and stupid, that's what boys did. One day they'd grow up and see that they were stupid-heads, and then the guilt would eat them alive. She couldn't wait for that day.






***
Two months later...



Kaity wasn't sure what woke her, but something didn't feel right. Winter was asleep beside her, and he didn't stir when she slipped off the bed and crept into the hall. The light was still on, so either Shaena got home so drunk she forgot to turn it off, or she hadn't got home. Kaity smiled to herself as she tiptoed past the twins' room and down the stairs. The date must've gone well.

She poured herself a glass of water, and absent-mindedly re-read the notes on the interactive fridge for the thousanth time. Elise had a re-take of a test on Thursday, Jaydean was staying at a friends on Saturday, Autumn had scribbled out a note about his science project, and they were out of milk. Kaity cursed to herself, realising she'd have to get up really early to get milk for breakfast, as warm fluff rubbed against her leg.

  "Hey Popcorn, what you doing up?" She cooed, placing her glass on the counter and bending to pet the dog. Popcorn panted and rubbed against her legs.
  "Kait?" Shaena's croaky voice called through from the living room. Kaity quickly stood and moved towards her friend, finding her curled in a ball, mascara streaked down her cheeks, she rushed over and pulled her into a comforting hug. Shaena started up crying again, resting her head in the crook of Kaity's neck.
  "What did he do?" Kaity asked after Shaena's sobs had subsided.
  "No... I don't know..." Her cousin mumbled into her hair.
  "Want to talk about it?" Kaity asked softly.

   "He asked me if I wanted to go steady." Shaena sighed after a short pause, sniffing and wiping a stray tear with the back of her hand.
  "And judging by your reaction, you don't want to?" Kaity pressed.
  "I don't know. I like him, but..." She let out a shaky breath, and Kaity brushed some hair behind her ear as she pulled her closer.
  "But you don't trust him. Because of Alex." She said it so blunt, so clear-as-day, like it was an everyday conversation, and that made Shaena relax the tinyest bit. Kaity understood.
  "Yes. I know it's stupid, but I can't help comparing... Maybe I'm not ready for this after all."
  "You are. I believe in you, Shaena Lansing. What you went through... There was no way I could have done that, I still can't get my head around how normal you acted for so long, even though he was torturing you and locking you away like Rapunzel..."
  "But you knew, didn't you? You knew all along, that's why you hated him."
  "Not for certain. I'd had a few visions of him being... Well, a total llama, but I couldn't ever be one hundred percent sure that they would come true. And like I said, you acted so normal and covered the bruises so well that I thought he was treating you right. I still didn't like the guy. He was stuck up his own-"
  "Kaity, I don't want to talk about him." Shaena cut her off.
  "Ok." Kaity leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Leighton, then. What did he say?"


  "He said I didn't have to answer right away, that I should think about it and let him know whenever, but that he really liked- well, no, he said he was really into me and didn't want to push me."
  "He said he was into you?" Shaena nodded her response. "He really has a way with words, right?" The girls giggled. "So, how did he say it? In a 'please be my girlfriend' way, or in a 'I just want to bed you' way?"
  "I don't know, he just said it."
  "Well, was he staring dreamily into your eyes, or was he feeling you up?"
  "Neither!" Shaena giggled. "We were on the porch, and he was holding my hands, he said it, then he gave me a quick peck on the lips and practically ran off back to the taxi." Kaity pulled back and squealed, squeezing Shaena's hands.
  "Leighton loves you! Hahaaa! Oh my plumbob, I can't believe this!" She squealed again, and clapped her hands.
  "Kaity, stop! What are you on about?" Shaena laughed at her friends overexcitement.


  "He was all shy, right? And I'll bet his palms were all sweaty, right? And I'll bet he couldn't make eye contact, right? And then he just wanted to run off and hide incase you laughed at him."
  "And how would you know that?" Shaena asked, concerned that her friend seemed to know exactly what happened.
  "Because Leighton is so unbelievably like me it's almost scary, and that is exactly what I wanted to do when I figured out I loved Winter. Infact, I went one better and hung up the phone on him and refused to answer it until he came home."
  "You told Winter you loved him over the phone and then hung up?" Shaena questioned, staring in disbelief at her friend.
  "This isn't about me, Shaena, it's about you." Kaity ignored her cousin's shock and turned the conversation back around. "What are you gunna say? Do you love him too? Please can I phone him and make fun of him when you've answered him?"
  "No, Kaity, leave him alone!" Shaena paused while she thought on the other two questions. Did she love him? What was she going to say?

   "I don't know, Kait."
  "Well, do you like him? Do you have fun on your dates? Do you think he'd be a good father to Josh? You have to think of him now too, and if Leighton would be an awful dad then it's best to just let him go." Kaity paused, then continued quieter. "But Leighton is a fantastic father, so you can ignore that one. He had his own kid once, who died before we were born, but you don't even know how many times he looked after my girls when I was off being stupid. The only way I can repay him is for you to go steady with him, so I guess you'd better say yes..." Kaity winked, and Shaena lightly punched her arm.
  "Yes, I like him, and yes, we have tons of fun on our dates. But... I don't really know what's making me hesitate."
  "What's making you hesistate is you're a fool. Just say yes." Kaity gave her best puppy dog eyes, and stuck her bottom lip out in a pout."
  "Ok." Shaena smiled, and Kaity grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug.

  "I'm so happy for you!" Kaity announced as she squeezed her friend even tighter.
  "Who ever thought I'd be taking relationship advice from you." Shaena laughed, Kaity loosened her grip and laughed with her. "You're so lucky, you know that?" Shaena said quiet and more serious.
  "What do you mean?" Kaity pulled back to look at her, but kept her hands on her shoulders.
  "You're so lucky to have Winter. He's perfect for you, and how he puts up with you I'll never know." Shaena smiled, to show she meant no harm. "I mean, you told him you loved him over the phone and then refused to talk to him for however long until he was home? I'd've gone insane. But no, he comes back and you act like nothing happened. I hear you arguing sometimes, and you're being completely unreasonable... What was it the other day? You were shouting at him for buying cream-coloured bedsheets?"
  "No, listen, I can explain! He keeps going on about how my- our room shouldn't be so pink, and then he just goes out and buys cream bedsheets like he's trying to change me! How is that acceptable?!" Kaity was getting angry all over again, Shaena laughed a little at her before continuing.
  "Ok, sorry, I didn't realise that was still a sore subject, but you see what I mean? Anyone else would just think you were completely insane, but he sticks by you and he took those bedsheets back to the shop even though it's just a bedsheet. He loves you, Kaity. He'd do anything for you, please don't let him get away." Kaity stayed silent, the angry scowl on her face replaced by a thoughtful look, Shaena took her hand and stroked the back with her thumb.
  "I should probably get back to bed." Kaity mumbled, pulling her hand away and standing.
  "Ok, I should probably get some sleep myself." Shaena agreed, standing beside her. "I didn't mean what I said in a mean way, I just wanted to make sure you know what you have with Winter."
  "I know. I know what I have." Kaity said quietly. "I just need to make sure he knows that I know." A single tear escaped her, and she turned her back to Shaena so she wouldn't see, before walking out the door and up the stairs. Shaena followed, turning lights off as she went.

Kaity closed the bedroom door quietly behind her, being careful not to wake Winter. She stood by the bed, watching his chest rise and fall with steady breaths, his mouth open just a crack and the soft sound of air passing his lips. His eyelids were fluttering, his eyes darting around beneath them as he dreamt. She briefly wondered what he was dreaming about. Her? She dreamt about him lying beside her whenever he was away. Or did he just dream random things? Either way he probably wouldn't remember when he woke. Do you know how much I love you? She thought to herself, daring to take another quiet step closer. Do you stay with me just for Autumn, or do you love me how I love you? She hated doubting his feelings, but she couldn't help it. I take you for granted, Shae's right. You deserve better than me, though I'll never tell you incase you take my advice. I'm too selfish to let you go. It's hard enough when you go for a few days... She wiped a tear from her cheek as she took another step, leaning forward she gingerly touched his hand, featherlight, she barely knew she'd made contact when his eyes shot open.

  "Kaity? What's wrong? Why are you crying? Why are you out of bed?" He always was quicker at waking up than she was.
  "Go back to sleep." She whispered, forcing a smile, turning, and taking a step towards the door. His hand gripped her wrist, pulling her back towards the bed, before he turned her to face him. She hung her head, unable to make eye contact as he wiped a few tears with his thumb.
  "What's happened?" He asked softly. "It takes a lot to get you out of bed, is everything ok?" She raised her head and looked him in the eyes, worry marked his face and it broke her heart to see him worry about her. Without a word, she reached out and kissed him. Just a simple peck was how it started, just to stop him worrying, but she couldn't control herself, her body was hungry and she wanted more. His arms wrapped around her, holding her tight to him as he hungrily caressed her lips in return. He's the best kisser in the universe. Kaity smiled at her thoughts before regrettably breaking the kiss and resting her forehead on his shoulder, panting a little.

  "You can ask me now." Kaity whispered, pulling out of the embrace a little.
  "Ask you what?" Winter searched her face, trying to see what she meant.
  "To marry you." She breathed, her voice cracking as more tears began to fall. She locked her eyes to his, and the room fell silent again.
  "No." Winter replied after a too-long pause. "Not like this. Not when you're crying in your room. Is this the story you want to tell everyone when they ask you how I proposed?"
  "Please." Kaity shut her eyes tight, trying to stop crying as she dried her cheeks. Winter reached over and pushed a stray hair behind her ear.
  "I want to do this properly. I want to take you out, buy you a nice dinner, walk along the beach, watch the sun set..."
  "Winter." Kaity rolled her eyes as she opened them, and let out a frustrated sigh. "Why would you think I'd want it to happen that way? I'm not like other girls, I don't like fancy romantic crap. I'm not going to go weak at the knees while you kneel in front of me, and I'm not going to burst into tears of joy while you push some overpriced ring on my finger."
  "I know." He smiled. "And that's why I love you. And because I love you, I want to do all that so you realise you do have a soppy side." Kaity glared at him, before pulling away angrily and pacing the space between the bed and the door.

  "Kaity." Winter stood, and pulled her to him. "I will ask you. Now I know for certain you're ready, I'll book a table at a restaurant and we'll do it properly as soon as we can." Kaity growled and pushed him back.
  "I told you, I don't want that. I don't like waiting." She dropped down on one knee.

  "Kaity. No, what are you... no. Get up. Please."
  "If you won't do it, I will."
  "Kaity."
   "Winter. I love you." Winter sighed, he knew he wouldn't win this one, and so he joined her kneeling on the floor. Taking both of her hands in his, he leant forward and kissed her gently.
  "Ok. You win." He whispered, telling himself it didn't matter where or when he proposed, as long as she let him do it.




  "Kaity. I did have a whole speech planned, but you've panicked me now and I don't remember half of it. Sometimes you're the most difficult person in the world, and you can throw a tantrum better than a two-year-old when you don't get your own way. But I don't care. Months ago you asked me if I thought it was love at first sight, and I lied when I told you no. The truth is, the moment I saw you I felt complete. And I mean the moment, I hadn't even seen your face, just the back of your head as you sat there at the bar, bored already."
  "But you bumped into me." Kaity pointed out.
  "Of course I did... How else would I have got you to pay me attention? You didn't look like the kind of girl who would even look up from her drink if I'd just said 'hi'. Anyway, when I had the premonition that night, I didn't know what to do. From that moment I didn't want to leave your side again, but I knew there would be an end. I decided to go for it when you noticed me deep in thought and came over. You kissed me, you said you could make it all better, you didn't even know what was wrong, but you were right. My life before you was busy. Full of different jobs, lots of money and fake friends. And I thought I had it all until I met you. You can't ever imagine how happy I was when I found out about Autumn, it was the perfect excuse to leave all that behind and just be with you."
  "Please stop. I don't want to ever remember that day." Kaity butted in. "Because of Bonnie. Not you." She clarified, and Winter nodded before leaning in to kiss her quickly. He'd forgotton he'd returned the day of her death.
  "The point I'm trying to make is, that without you I'm only half a person. Even when I'm at conferences, it feels like part of me is missing." Kaity nodded, admitting she felt the same as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I never believed in soul mates until you, and although you'll probably never admit it, you feel the same." He pulled back, and reached under the bed, pulling out a small ring box, and flipping the lid open. "So, Kaity Mattell. Will you marry me?"


Kaity let out a squeak as she tried to stop herself from crying. She couldn't get her mouth to work, so she only nodded. Holding her hand out, letting Winter to slide the ring on her finger, the tears began to pour down her cheeks.
  "I thought you weren't the kind of girl to cry with joy?" Winter teased, his own voice cracking with emotion.
  "Shut up." Kaity whispered as she grabbed him for a kiss.



When the kiss ended, they sat on the floor against the bed, just holding each other while Kaity admired her ring.
  "It's pink." She smiled.
  "Of course it's pink! You'd have killed me if it wasn't." Kaity grinned at him before kissing him again.
  "You're right." She whispered.
  "About what?"
  "About our room being too pink. This is your room too now, and there should be some things in here that are yours instead of it just being mine. We can go and buy those bedsheets back tomorrow."









FINALLY! Right? :)
Ok, those eagle-eyed readers will notice that the clocks randomly started working again in that second-to-last pic. 
Ring spam. It's sooo Kaity haha!



Also, Lisa aged to adult, finally! But the aging is still screwed up. Shae's only about 5 days into her YA... I don't understand either... :/ 


34 comments:

  1. Alright. Going back up top to make sure there was nothing I missed since that last bit really stole the show.

    Oh Jaydean. It's tough growing up under a microscope with no room for error. Hopefully Sophie learns from her sister's mistake and doesn't pull something similar. It's too bad they just can't be teens though. Very unfair for them.

    Brothers for Elise? wow! Though bless her. That's got to be tough finally finding out you have more family than just a Papi, but not being able to tell anyone. Hopefully she'll get to know one of her brothers at least.

    Aw, Shae. So scarred and scared. Though thankfully Kaity was able to talk her into the happiness she deserves. And the thought of Leighton being all shy and nervous is hilarious. Poor Leighton, he's in a state of suspense of his own making!

    FINALLY! Finally finally finally YAY! Though how typical that Kaity had to be the one in control of all of that. Ha! Winter really is a saint to put up with her. Love the ring and Congrats to Winter and Kaity!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :D Yes, it did a bit. I was worried about the length because of it.

      Yes, it'll be very difficult for all the children in the household. Hopefully Jaydeans mistake will teach them all to be more careful and extra-aware, but they'll likely still be annoyed on the streets by them. Maybe Leighton can come give them lessons, as he's had a few centuries of practise at this.
      Life is unfair, darling. Life is unfair.

      Yes, hopefully knowing she isn't completely alone will help her, but it will be hard for her to not tell anyone about this. It's a pretty big deal! But, yes, Chin-Han is close to her age, so hopefully they can get to know each other a bit.

      Yeah, poor Shae may have finished her counselling, but she still has some healing to do. She's been through a lot.
      Haha! I laughed at that too! It's so unlike him, he's so loud and in-your-face... But so's Kaity, and like she said, they're very alike. He must be kicking himself for saying she didn't have to answer right away, but it was definately the right thing for her because she needs to be sure about this.

      Yep, FINALLY! :D Could. Not. Stop. Smiling when I final-proofed this. Trying to imagine everyone having no idea what was coming in the first three scenes, and then everyone squealing and grinning like I *know* they did ;)
      Of course Kaity had to be in control! It just wouldn't have been right any other way! I think Winter should recieve a medal instead of a wedding ring, that's for sure!
      I'll pass on your congrats :) Though, they've not told anyone yet, so maybe I'll wait until at least the household know ;)

      Delete
  2. Poor Jaydean, she's just being a normal teen on her first date and the paps just have to spoil it and throw it over the front page everywhere. Interesting that Sophie's now turned up a boyfriend too - she's been keeping that quiet!

    Bless Elise, feeling all lonely and left out and bless Kaity for noticing and telling her about her family (even if she can't ever tell them).

    Leighton asked Shae to go steady and then ran away? Silly boy, all afraid of being told no... Then again, given Shae's reaction maybe it's a good thing he ran away, at least now Kaity's been able to talk her into giving it a go :)

    And finally Winter and Kaity are engaged. Yay :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, it didn't even cross her mind, she's never had to worry about it before. Needless to say, they'll all be more careful in the future...
      Yes, she did! Haha! Out of nowhere she was best friends with some guy called Norman. He's not bad looking, but he badly needs a new hairstyle and outfit, so he's not featured yet because I'm lazy. We'll meet him soon, though. Glad to have two of the spares sorted for husbands, though ;)

      Yes, it was a sweet moment. We don't get to see Kaity being like that very often, and it's good to know that Elise has some family, even if they don't know about her...

      Haha! The more I think about it the funnier it is!
      But yes, Shae needed the space, given what she's been through. Alex is the only boyfriend she's had, so her idea of a boyfriend is screwed up. Leighton can hopefully fix that now that Kaity helped things out. (And she's started paying him back for saying nothing about the twins father for all those years)

      Wooo! Finally! Now we have to wait and see how long it takes for them to actually get married! ;)

      Delete
  3. Aw poor Jay. I couldn't imagine how hard it would be to grow up with paps following her. I'm glad Winter was there for her though, I have to say after this chapter I love Winter more. The way he came home so early because Jay was hurting reminds me of my dad, I was in Jays shoes and I'm glad she has some one now too. :)

    Yes! Shaeton! <- totally not the right way to say that, but I'm super excited so that doesn't matter. :3

    Oh Kaity is so difficult that it's sweet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You were in the papers too! :P Nah, I get what you mean. I'm glad you've got someone to come in and fix things for you! We all need someone like that :)
      Jaydean has learnt the hard way the realities of being a celebrity's daughter. And I think Winter really helped there. He really has no obligation to care about her, but he does anyway.

      Yep, it's Shaeton. I keep accidentally typing Shaeton instead of Shaena now, because in all my notes I use Shaeton and Kwinter because I'm too lazy to type two names ;) But yes, it's official now!

      Hehe! She is difficult, but we wouldn't have her any other way! :)

      Delete
  4. Trying to comment while running a fever, so if this sounds oddballish, that's why.

    Poor Jaydean. I was a little upset about Kaity forcing her to go to school, but in a way that's good. Tough love. She can't hide and let them think they won.

    I laughed when Kaity got all squealy when Shae talked about Leighton. Sure... she's not got a soppy side at all. /sarcasm! :D

    Cool that she told Bonnie about her siblings and dad.

    Yes, FINALLY! Wedding bells are in the future, and Kaity is growing up a little more. I really liked Winter's speech even though if it was me I'd want to smack him because I'd be blushing like mad which I do too much. But this was great of him to do. I doubt Kaity lets him talk like that much, and that was the best excuse possible. Excuse is a bad word, but ykwim.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sorry! *presses cold cloth to forehead* Hope you feel better soon! I've been ill too, but I'm about better now I think.

      Exactly! It seems cruel from Jaydeans side, but she needs to know she can't just hide away everytime something bad happens. She has to go out there and face the world.

      Haha, nope, Kaity's hard as nails! No soppy side there ;)

      *Elise ;) But yes, she needed to know really.

      Can tell this bit you liked best, because your comment for this part is a LOT longer ;)
      God, yes! I'd be taping Winters mouth shut if he said stuff like that about me. You could fry eggs off my face! But, Kaity secretly loves all the compliments, so she'd be fine listening to that all day ;)
      Even though she loves it, no, Kaity doesn't let him talk like that because she feels she has to say something back and can't find the words. Meh, excuse is good enough :)

      Delete
  5. Awww, a bunch of aww moments in this chapter lol.

    Awww yayy!! ♥♥♥ Kaity and Winter ♥♥♥

    Kaity took the news about Jaydean being in the paper differently than I thought she would. I didn't think she would start blaming herself although, I see why she did, I just didn't expect it.

    Kaity telling Elise that information about her family was a very sweet moment as difficult as Kaity can be at times she has a soft sweet side that I adore. Don't let Kaity know I said that though lol.

    *Leaves your post skipping while singing...* ♪ Shaena and Leighton sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G....♪♪

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hehe! :D Fiiiiinally! It's been, what? 12 years?
      But no, not really, because my story and aging don't match up.

      Kaity is full of surprises!

      Your secret is safe with me ;) It would be best for us all if she didn't know anyway. She doesn't want to let down that hard shell and have people notice, does she?

      Hehe! Hmm... I wonder if I could do that next chapter...?

      Delete
  6. OMFG Blogger ate my damn comment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. *HUGZ*
      I hate blogger. Stupid blogger. I fed you yesterday!

      Delete
  7. Oh wow! What a chapter!

    It must be tough for Jaydean to be under scrutiny from the public, but I think she's handling it actually rather well with her decision to just let it go.

    Poor Elise! To feel like an outsider in her own house and then being bullied on top of that! It's a good thing Kaity told her about her half-brothers. Hopefully she'll be able to make friends with Chin-Han.

    Shaeton! I'm so glad Shaena is willing to give it a try! And I love how her conversation with Kaity managed to open Kaity's eyes as to what she has.

    *squeal* Finally! That proposal was so beautiful! Yes, it isn't under ideal circumstances with the perfect scenery as a backdrop, but it was perfect. So sincere! And the song you chose for that scene was amazing as well. I love how Kaity is willing to start to compromise on the smaller things, like the sheets.

    So yeah, I really really loved this chapter!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed! Huge one!

      Yes, that was a very mature decision on her part, and well done her for realising if she ignored them they'd likely give up. Probably helps that Kaity has pretty much given them fuel for years, so she knows that's not right.

      Chin-Han Chin. My game makes me lol with its naming.
      But yes. Hopefully befriending a half-brother will help as she grows up.

      Yes, that conversation helped them both move on with their lives. Very productive conversation :)

      Oh wow, thank you! :D
      YAY! You noticed the sheets!! I was wondering if anyone would. She clearly called it *her* bedroom when she was talking to Shae, before correcting herself, and then later realises that Winter lives in a room that is very her and shows none of his personality. So that was like her finally letting him in.

      Thank you! :D That means so much!! It was a lot of work, and I ended up combining two. Partly because the stuff I was gunna put in the first one didn't work out because the party failed, and partly because I just couldn't wait any longer.

      Delete
  8. Ok, let me try this again. I was really hoping my comment had just gone to spam and you could save it :( Thanks for checking.

    Anyway, I thought it was pretty sweet that Kaity felt bad, as if she were to blame for the paps' attention to Jaydean. She really can't change the past, and she's still a celebrity, so they were going to pay attention. Though, have you ever said what she's actually famous for? Surely it's not just for being foolish when she was younger. But anyway Jaydean's learned now. It was a hard lesson maybe, but most lessons don't come easy. And Winter's quite right, Alvaro wouldn't be worth it if he got scared off by a couple tabloid stories. I kinda don't think he will take it too seriously; after all, he wasn't scared about meeting Kaity, and apparently that went over smoothly enough.

    Elise. I wasn't sure if it was really the right thing to do, Kaity telling Elise that she's the product of an affair and that her dad doesn't even know about her, but it was well-intentioned. I get that she wants Elise to know that she is a part of something, I'm just not sure how well Elise was able to understand. I guess it depends on how old she is, but sim 'child' is a little vague...how old do you reckon the kids to be?

    Oh yes! And I commented that the stupidhead boys might soon see Elise in a whole new light. Because stupidhead boys turn into stupiderhead boys of a different kind entirely :D

    What else? Ah yes, Leighton! I giggled when she said he ran away after suggesting they go steady <3 And Kaity knew it right then. He wouldn't do that unless he were afraid on some level, and if you're afraid, it's more than a casual interest on his part. Yes Shae, JUST SAY YES!!

    And finally, Kwinter. I had some great comments ::shakes fist weakly at Blogger:: It was funny that he said he panicked and couldn't remember what he'd meant to say, yet everything he said was just about perfect!! And Kaity! Forcing him to propose! That was so awesome. So fitting, for both of them, right down to the pink ring.

    I guess the kids must be nearly teens, then? Eeeeeee I hope we can see her trying on wedding dresses soon <3

    copy/pasting this so Blogger can't be mean to me again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hehe, I think I actually ended up writing more the first time :D

      Delete
    2. Sorry again! But wow, you must've remembered most of it. surely?

      What's she famous for? Being the lairy daughter of a top cop! She was first in the papers waaaay back in gen 3 when she was pregnant. She's one of those annoying 'famous for being famous' people. Only she never tried to get famous, and never wanted to be famous.
      Yes, Jaydean needed to hear that from Winter because he's a male. He can vouch for how teenage boys think, and he is absolutely right. If Alvaro walks, he wasn't worth it. Though, we can guess that he didn't, as the proposal is 2 months later.

      You're the only person who has the same view as me on the Kaity/Elise scene! I'm not sure it was appropiate either. Kaity had good intentions, and was only trying to help, but Elise may find it harder than she thinks as time goes on. It's a huge secret and a big burden for a small girl.
      The kids are around 12. They're about a day and a half in-game from aging up, so expect teen heir soon!

      Haha! Yes, they may well suddenly like Elise for a lot of reasons. Infact, I'll bet Elise will have loads of friends at school soon. She's set to be a beautiful girl, and pretty girls are always popular. She'll get her own back on those stupid boys ;)

      HAHA! It just keeps getting funnier! I have this mental image of him going "Be my girlfriend? Think about it." *peck on the lips, run to the hills*. It's hilarious. By now I know SV like the back of my hand, so I can picture the exact route he takes up the mountain, and then he hides behind the monkey billboard.
      Anyway.
      Kaity knew both because she'd do the same, and because she knows Leighton so well. But you may be right about his reasons for being afraid. That, and he's got to make sure Shae gets to know what a good relationship is, even if it doesn't work out.

      Haha! Someone noticed!! "I have no idea what to say, here's this speech from the top of my head that sounds like I've rehearsed it for years." Typical Winter. ;)
      And yes, that scene wouldn't have been right any other way. It had to be Kaity in control, and Winter with his smooth words. And of course, Kaity just happened to be in a really short frilly pink nightdress that matched her ring perfectly ;)

      Yep, as I said above, not long now! A few chapters, but they may age up next chapter. I have to double-check what needs doing first.
      I'm not sure when we'll try on wedding dresses, but no doubt I'll do a scene for that. If not, just a post of me preparing for the wedding and CAS shots of her in different dresses.

      Yes! Good plan!

      Delete
  9. Wow, so many secrets in the Mattel house and it's just sad that when they come out, the kids get the raw deal. It sucks that the kids have no privacy whatsoever because of who their mother is. I really feel bad for Jaydean and all of Kaity's kids, they'll never have normal lives like kids their age because everything little thing they do is watched and blown out of proportion for the whole world to see.

    I'm with Shaena, never thought the day would come when she would take relationship advice from Kaity.

    Aw, what a sweet proposal moment between Kaity and Winter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I don't think I could imagine being famous or having famous parents. We all take our privacy for granted until we lose it, and hopefully Jaydean and the others can learn from this and keep out of the papers from now on.

      Haha! me either! But it's just how it worked out.

      :D Finally got there!

      Delete
  10. So much awww in this chapter!
    I'm glad Kaity told Elise about her father. She needed to feel connected.
    I've always loved Kaity & Shae's relationship, and it really shone this chapter. And yay for Leighton & Shae, I'm happy that's working out.
    And, aww, Kaity & Winter, *sigh*, at last. That was really beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't there?! I had to take a couple days away from blogger to recuperate my AWWW stores. lol, that was an apology for the late reply, btw :P

      I think she did need that connection, but I'm not sure how the fact she can't tell anyone will play in that. She's connected by blood, but can't have a real relationship.
      Me too! I may actually miss writing them and their relationship more than Kaity and Winter! I'm sure Leighton will be happy too :P
      Thank you! :) It was a lot of hard work to get them engaged and keep them both true to their characters, and in the end I'm happy how it came out, it's so them :)

      Delete
  11. Blogger totally ate my comment yesterday, but again, what a chapter! So much drama!

    Poor Jaydean, and I think you're making the fame aspect really interesting by using it in your story. Being famous for your parents when you're a kid or a teen must suck so bad.

    Oh Elise, I feel so bad for her, and I'm glad she has half-brothers, even if they can never know! I actually really like Elise.

    Go Shaeton! Still not updated enough to know the details about Shaena's history, but the girl needs to trust someone eventually, so now seems to be a good time to start! Kaity & Shaena are so sweet towards each other. :´)

    Aaaaaaw Kaity & Winter! That was purrrrfect. And much anticipated. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ugh, blogger seems to enjoy doing that :( Thank you, though. I was worried it might be too long, but it looks to be well recieved.

      Well, I rolled 5 star celeb and figured if it wasn't in the story I'd forget about it, so the articles and press hanging around help out. She's at 4.5 stars, for the record. Should be done before the end of the generation! yaay! And then I'll use MC to un-celebrity everyone and turn off celebs for my household. I am SICK of paps blocking my front door!

      Elise hasn't had a normal life, that's for sure. Right now she's just realising just how different she is.
      You sound surprised! Haha! Are you not meant to like her? Well, you may not like her when she gets a little older. I have big plans for her, Autumn and Josh.

      Wooo! Ok, summary under the 'family history' tab on the right hand side near the top. It's not really something I can gloss over in one comment, but bits will be bought up again and again in the coming chapters as she finishes getting over 'it'.
      They're best friends since Kaity was a tiny tot, and probably couldn't survive without each other. I love them :)

      Thank you! hehe! It was a long time coming, that's for sure!

      Delete
    2. re: "You sound surprised! Haha! Are you not meant to like her?"

      I don't know, it's just a feeling I get that she's somehow supposed to be not quite as likable as the others, but maybe that's me interpreting it wrong! :)

      Oooh I like big plans! Looking forward to it!

      Delete
    3. Haha! She's not meant to be likable or not likeable, it's up to the readers to form their own opinions of my characters :)
      Personally, I like her, but I know how she thinks and her motives behind her actions (future actions, mainly).
      But, she is very different from the others, she stands out and she's supposed to. You'll see ;)

      Delete
  12. Poor Jaydean. Like her, I would hope that the paparazzi gets bored of taking pics of teenagers going to school.

    It was nice to see a softer side of Kaity come out when she talked to Elise. Ha, like Misty I was also thinking of those stupid-headed boys. Chin-Han could get the wrong idea from her sudden attention.

    Aw, Leighton. I'm glad Kaity convinced Shaena to give him a chance; they could be really happy together. And I like the reminder of Leighton's son from so long ago.

    Wooooooo! Congrats to Kaity and Winter! And the perfect ring for her, good job Winter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I think we're all with her on that one. I can't imagine they'll get too many good juicy gossip articles from her going to school.

      Yes, that is one issue, and probably another reason Kaity told her. If the boys are never going to know, then Elise should because I can't imagine how awful it'd be to fall in love and discover you'e related...

      Yes, Shae needed a little push to give her the confidence, and hopefully now she'll be happy with Leighton :)

      Wooo! Finally! :D Yes, Winter did very well there. I wonder if he'll be able to tame her a little now? :P

      Delete
  13. Finally all up to date! It took me a while to read from start to current but it was well worth it.

    Loved the proposal! It was really fitting to their characters and I got so caught up in the story I forgot it was even based on the Sims LOL I have grown so used to Kaity and Winter it's hard to believe that soon the focus will be on Autumn.

    I know Kaity was trying to make Elisa feel better but I don't know if sharing the secret will turn out so well. I am really interested to see where that storyline goes.

    I LOVE Shaena with Leighton! He must really have strong feelings for her to offer an actual commitment and it's great to see her finally with someone that will treat her right. Poor girl has spent so much time being the responsible one for all of the children it's about time she gets to let loose and enjoy life, as she's human she won't have as long as the others to do so. Unless Leighton decides he just can't love without her and turns her, ohhh that would be interesting although somehow vampirism just doesn't seem to suit her but I can get used to anything LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow! Well done! That's a pretty major achievement these days, haha! Thank you for reading! :)

      Thank you! What a compliment! :D And I'm exactly the same! I'll miss Kaity and Winter, and may even have to just play with them whenever I miss them. I have plans for Autumn, but he's not Kaity and Winter. *sigh*

      Yes, Kaity isn't known for her judgement, and I think we're all wondering if/how/when that'll backfire...

      I do too! :D Leighton does like her a lot, and he definately won't hurt her. He can show her what a real relationship is and hopefully she'll get a chance to have some fun now the kids are getting older too. As for the vampire/human thing... I'm still undecided on that myself, but I have given it some thought... I guess we'll have to see what happens :)

      Delete
  14. Oops, live without Shae not love I should proof read better!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Winter is a good Dad. =) I'm glad they all have someone like him in their lives---a nice calm island to crash on, lol

    I loved all the happy coupleness, it's about time! :P

    I'm not sure what to think about Kaity's decision to tell Elise that little secret, I guess time will tell whether or not it was a good decision. In some ways good, at least this way Elise will never look at Chin Chin (his name makes me smile, lol) and want to date him. =)


    ReplyDelete
  16. As soon as Winter said the words, I let out a giddy scream, I also scared my husband who was sitting right beside me haha

    ReplyDelete