The Smith Legacy: 5.0
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When General Tank Grunt had been reassigned temporarily to a developing town named Eden, on an assignment to investigate the sudden and ever-growing presence of an alien family, he had no idea what to expect. Having grown up with alien neighbors, and heading the Coalition for Alien Population Control (CAPC), he was considered an expert in the field, and his military background was hardly anything to scoff at. He had lost the camo face paint he'd sported as an eager teen, but his passion for protecting the lives and freedoms of sims had not diminished one bit.
General Grunt took his job very seriously. He did not know what extraterrestrial beings wanted with the everyday sims he protected, but he was willing to lay down his life to ensure the sanctity of the sim population, and to prevent any further probing. Eden wasn't very far from Strangetown, and the sudden burst in alien population was terribly concerning. Such things hadn't been reported in Pleasantview or Veronaville just yet, and General Grunt was hoping to keep it that way.
So he and a few of his most trusted officers made their way out to their headquarters in Eden, hoping to gain some useful intel about the alien family, known only as the Smiths. General Grunt was highly suspicious at that information, and wondered if they had any relation to Johnny Smith and that troublesome family of aliens and half-breeds from back home. He had, of course, been keeping a close eye on the Strangetown Smith's activity, and hadn't noticed anything that would cause alarm, but still... He wouldn't put it past them to find some way to fling their green skin around the lands.
Where did they come from, truly? Why were they here amongst sims? What was their endgame? These were the bigger questions, but maybe General Grunt would find a lead to some answers in Eden. What a curious name for a new town, hmm?
To be fairly honest, there were a lot of things about this alien situation that Tank didn't know much about. None of his findings had ever directly proven that aliens were a threat, but he knew they could process information at faster speeds than normal sims. He also was highly suspicious of their probing practices--were they safe? Why did they target male sims? It all felt very unsettling, and Tank wasn't about to stand by idly as aliens took over his community.
What he'd been debriefed on for this assignment was mostly vague material, a couple of notes on incidents that could or could not be related. Right now, it all looked like coincidence. A new town pops up and suddenly there are green skinned sims running about? Was Eden some kind of code for an alien harvesting ground? Were aliens creating their own haven so they could prepare an army of sorts? All kinds of theories ran through General Grunt's head, but he had very little to work with. But that was the magic of what he did--he put puzzles together out of crumbs.
He and his team had one big crumb to work with right now. There were two sim suspects related to the sudden burst in alien population, two scientists who had done extensive work in Strangetown some years ago. They were both notorious for unconventional ideas and had settled down in Eden just before the reports of the alien population broke out. General Grunt doubted that was a coincidence.
The hairs on the back of Sylvia's neck stood up when she heard the doorbell ring. In all the time she and Michael had been living in that lab, never once had that doorbell been rung. Well, there was that time when a welcome party came by, but Sylvia and Michael had just hid in a corner until the guests left. Sylvia had half a mind to try that again, until she saw who was standing beyond the door. She hissed at Michael to turn off the surveillance screens, and slowly made her way to the door, just as the doorbell buzzed again.
"Tank Grunt," Sylvia spoke instinctively, her hands already clammy and all types of red alerts going off in her head. "What can we do for you?"
Tank smiled humorlessly as Michael joined them in the doorway. "I was wondering if you'd remember me. Sylvia Kittredge and Michael Carver, correct?"
Michael nodded as Sylvia continued to glare in suspicion at the small crowd gathered in front of her lab. Her super secret lab that no one was supposed to know about or approach. How was she supposed to get rid of three military officials?
"We're here on official Strangetown Militia business, so if you would--"
"On what grounds?" Sylvia all but barked as she blocked the doorway, bumping shoulders with General Grunt. Tank narrowed his eyes; he had expected some trepidation, but not resistance. Not from some lousy, weird scientists. He got enough of that back home.
"This is a sensitive case, the details of which cannot be discussed with you. What I can tell you is that you and Mr. Carver--"
"Doctor Carver," Sylvia spat, although Michael just stood there watching, not saying much of anything.
Tank quirked an eyebrow. "You are under suspicion for being involved in a sudden increase in alien population in this town. Surely you can understand why this is of importance to the Strangetown authorities. We've been instructed to search every inch of this lair of yours."
"With what warrant?!" Sylvia screeched, not wanting to let any of them into the lab at all. She had never been fond of Tank Grunt or his practices, and knew that his presence could only mean trouble.
One of the other officers, a tight-bunned brunette, stepped forward. "We are authorized under the Strangetown military unit. Our team has been instructed to gather information by any means necessary."
Her blond accomplice joined in as well. "If you cooperate now, we'll make things go as smoothly for you as possible. Procuring a warrant is no problem for us, but it could end up being quite an inconvenience for you."
"And you are?" Sylvia demanded, trying to stay brave although she could feel her knees starting to quiver. What power did she have over these military nuts? They had always been like this in Strangetown, pressuring scientists to cover up certain things, or leave behind incriminating evidence--anything they could do to prove their crazy, often xenophobic theories. They had the money and man-power to destroy everything Michael and Sylvia had worked so hard to create, and they could do it with no repercussions.
"Major Cameron Parks," the brunette answered with a tight jaw. "And Lieutenant Robert Bowdoin." Both officers flashed their badges at Sylvia and Michael, with a questioning eyebrow.
For a moment, Sylvia and Michael held eye contact in some psuedo-Western stand-off, but the three officers together seemed to tower over them, and eventually the pair just shifted ever-so-slightly to the side. Accepting their acquiesce, General Grunt led his officers into the lab, wondering what exactly they would find in there. Sylvia's shoulders shook as Michael wrung his hands with worry, and it was all she could do to keep from crying.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Sylvia demanded with her hands on her hips, after she had collected herself a bit.
Tank paused before he responded, which only made her more irritated and antsy. She hoped nothing they left out in the main lab looked terribly incriminating, but there was no telling how far these officers were willing to go. They could twist anything to their benefit.
"Anything that can help our case," Tank responded, and Sylvia felt her heart sink.
"Sir, we have a previously used tank of a possibly volatile substance. It looks to me like this may be a supply of the Elixir of Life," Lieutenant Bowdoin called from across the room. Sylvia flinched; she had completely forgotten that she and Michael just left that about.
Tank glanced at her and Sylvia did her best to fake nonchalance. The elixir itself wasn't enough to implicate the scientists for anything, especially not something related to a growing alien population.
"Now, Doctor Kittredge, I am not completely unfamiliar with the kinds of experiments you conducted in labs in Strangetown, and we have an extensive record on you and your accomplice before your quite sudden and mysterious disappearance. Do not think no one noticed," General Grunt insisted, poking Sylvia to get his point across.
"There's an awful lot of robot paraphernelia lying around this lab for someone under suspicion of promoting a large alien population. Now, that makes me think these things are related somehow. Perhaps you have many experiments going on. Frankly, this lab does not look like it can produce anything on the scale of what we've been alerted about, but if there's anything I've learned about you scientists who were trained in Strangetown, you can make lasers out of shoelaces."
Sylvia shot Tank a very puzzled look at that odd statement.
"Look, Mister--uh, General Grunt, sir," Michael started, stammering. Tank whipped around to face him, already looking exasperated by the conversation. Sylvia watched on with bated breath, worried her comrade would say something that would finally implicate them.
"We don't know anything about these plans for an alien population, honest. I think that might all be chance, you know--maybe a few more probes and abductions than other neighborhoods are used to, but nothing dastardly, you know? Like you said, we just focus on robots here, right? Everything in this lab concerns robots. We're not making alien families, we're making robot families! It's quite simple."
Michael kept hammering on and on, explaining the basis of the Jane Smith experiment. He was so caught up in his stumbling explanation that he didn't see Sylvia's eyebrows shoot up to the top of her head as she tried to silently get him to shut up.
"Robot families?!" General Grunt exclaimed, making a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. Michael smiled nervously, but his smile slowly faded as he realized his mistake. "You are breeding robots? Is that what this Smith family is? They're a bunch of robots, living among sims as if nothing is strange about them?!"
"Nothing is strange about them," Michael insisted stubbornly. He had already said too much and found it was easier to dig himself deeper into the hole than it was to try to hop back out and fill it in again. "Well, nothing too strange. They live just like other sims--eat, sleep, breathe, raise children. They're the backbone of this town, General, and they have as much of a right to live as they please as anyone in Strangetown does."
"Right," Tank mumbled as he continued searching the lab. He didn't find much else besides books on robots and such, but based on what Carver had just revealed to him verbally, he knew these sneaky scientists had plenty more information they were hiding. The visit hadn't been entirely unsuccessful. Tank could confirm now that Carver and Kittredge were involved, and he knew that the aliens and the robots were part of the same family--possibly some cross-breeding afoot as well. This made things much more complicated, but Tank wondered if there was an easy way to resolve this so he ended up on top.
At the other end of the room, after making sure nobody else was watching, Sylvia grabbed Michael's ear. "What the hell was that?" she hissed, wondering if her partner had lost his damn mind. "Michael, you are giving away years--years!--of research and experimentation to the very people who would love to see us destroyed! Tank Grunt and his crew are nothing more than gangsters, and they've never supported the study of the sciences in Strangetown! How could it be any different out here?"
"He already knows about our pasts, Sylvia. He's got suspicions. I figured we could be as honest as possible, and cooperate, and maybe they'd figure out there's nothing worth investigating or destroying over here."
Sylvia almost admired Michael's naivety and faith. Almost. In reality, she just thought he was incredibly stupid and trusting, and that there was a snowball's chance in hell that this would end well for them.
"All things considered, I have a proposition for you," Tank said, approaching Sylvia after he had scoured every visible inch of the lab. "If you and your partner here manage to eradicate the existing alien population and prevent any more abductions or such activity, we may be able to work something out. Your research on robot-sim relations is unprecedented, and could be quite useful for the Strangetown military's mission. Send us one of your Smiths, or perhaps a new army of robots fit for the Strangetown design, and we can put your...er, indiscretions behind us. You'd be able to live freely in Eden, if you so chose."
Sylvia had an idea what Tank was interested in using robot technology for in Strangetown, and she had no desire to be part of some disgusting genocide. What she told him, however, was, "We'll think about it."
Tank's eyes glittered with promise--although what that promise was, Sylvia wasn't sure--and he left with his officers soon after.
There was a lingering oppressive air in the lab now, however, and Sylvia was too shaken to even consider turning the surveillance back on. She hoped the Smiths hadn't done anything drastic while the scientists were otherwise occupied.
"We're fucked, aren't we?" Michael muttered as they watched the officers depart.
"I don't see how we can't be," Sylvia responded, sighing.
She had no idea what they were going to do now, but Sylvia would die before she saw their experiment fall apart, especially under the hands of slime like Tank Grunt. Tank wasn't the only one who was protective of his people.
Once he was back at his own setup, Tank Grunt gathered his officers to put a new plan into action. He had made contact with officers at the Strangetown headquarters, and shared what he had learned with them. Using satellite technology, the Strangetown officers were able to locate "the main house," as it was called, and named Amore Smith as the current head of household, a possible hybrid herself. They did not have much information about the family lineage, but could confirm that the scientists had been conducting this experiment for several generations at the very least. After going to the lab, however, Tank had a plan to get even more information...
"General, we have successfully entered the surveillance unit on the house," reported Major Cameron Parks to her superior.
General Grunt gave her a short nod. "Fantastic work, Major. Were there any firewalls alerted? Any security checkpoints compromised in any way?"
Although she was already sure of her answer, Major Parks did another scan of the surveillance's security network. It took a few minutes, but after she was sure there was nothing to be concerned about, she turned back to her superior officer. "We're absolutely in the clear, sir."
General Grunt nodded again, very pleased with his team and their efforts.
"A reminder to all of you--discretion is our top priority in this mission. We are dealing with rogue scientists here, performing illegal operations, and with access to complicated technology. They cannot be alerted to our presence whatsoever--it could be the end of this whole mission, and possibly endanger the lives of everyone in this squadron," General Grunt explained, looking around at his team.
Many responded with solemn nods--they understoo that the work they were doing was extremely important. The officers chosen for this mission were among the best that the Strangetown military had to offer.
"We have very little intel on the experiments, as you all well know. Until further notice, your mission is to have at least three officers on surveillance duty here at headquarters. Depending on your skillset, you may be asked to engage in field work, surveilling the scientists and their experiments on foot. Please take care to note anything and everything. No detail is too small. We don't want to overlook anything."
"Remember, our main targets are scientists Sylvia Kittredge and Michael Carver. Their location is known, and their profiles, including recent photos, are available in your case folders. They have been breeding this experiment for several generations, according to our intel. The current head of household is Amore Smith. Her location is also known. She seems to be a hybrid of sorts, so please take caution if you encounter her in the field. We are not sure of the genetic makeup of these creatures, nor do we know the full scope of their abilities."
"Excuse me, sir," interrupted Major Parks. "We have successfully hijacked one of the scientists' surveillance cameras We now have simultaneous visibility of the scientists and of their experiment."
"Excellent work, Major Parks." General Grunt allowed a small smile to creep unto his lips as he watched the headquarters' visuals spring to life. "Let's start watching."
Unaware that she was being watched from two secret posts in Eden, Amore Smith returned home, not quite ready (or willing, really) to be heir, but certainly in need of a better dye job. Her wild, whirlwind time in college seemed surreal, and she still hadn't really come to terms with the fact that she was not only a single mother of five, but now the heir to her family's legacy. It was all quite a bit of pressure for a Romance/Popularity sim.
Zoe, as ecstatic as she was about having a full house again, wasn't so ecstatic about the idea of her daughter dropping off her kids like the main house was a daycare, and doing lord knows what out in the streets of Eden. From the moment Amore returned home, Zoe made it clear that while she would certainly help out with the kids, she was not going to be a full-time stay-at-home-grandmother. Zoe was getting old, and while she loved her grandkids immensely, she didn't have the same energy as when she was an adult to be looking after them all day. Besides, she felt that Amore needed to learn to be responsible for them, seeing as they would be the next generation, eligible to carry on the family name.
Amore understood she had responsibilities, and decided she would follow in her mother's footsteps and be a stay-at-home mom. The Smiths had more than enough money to float Amore and her kids through 'til college and beyond, so Amore didn't think it was a big deal. Besides, all of the kids were still so young and needed plenty of attention, and Amore didn't have anyone else around to help take care of them. She knew her mother was helping out as much as she could, but Zoe was right--she wasn't getting any younger. Amore didn't want to think about her mother passing, but if she was going to be responsible, she had to be pragmatic; Zoe wasn't going to be around forever, if for much longer, and Amore needed to be prepared to step in as caretaker.
In any case, Zoe was just happy to have one of her children back in her daily life, and she was so excited to get to know her granchildren better. Amore had forgotten how nice it was to be in the main house, with fully furnished rooms, and an excellent cook of a mom. She was glad she got to raise her kids in this environment, even if she still thought either one of her siblings could give her a run for her money as an heir. Little Florence was excited about living in the main house too! Right now, she had her own room, and even though she didn't get the most attention as the oldest kid, she was sure she was closest to her mom and grandma. You know, seeing as she could actually say more than "goo goo gaga," and all.
But it wouldn't stay that way for long! Before anyone could blink, it was time for all five of Amore's kids to age up. She couldn't believe it--Florence was going to be a teen, and Amore had barely started her adult life! Had they really grown so much in the Annya Hoh Cham house?
Florence was the first to age, and she grew up into a pretty cool outfit, one that Amore could've seen herself wearing at Florence's age. She rolled for the aspiration combo of Fortune and Grilled Cheese, and her pre-destined hobby was Sports. Florence's lifetime aspiration was to have six pets reach the top of their careers. Her personality is 5/5/9/8/1, making her a Sagittarius. She is turned on by swim wear and glasses, but doesn't appreciate cologne much.
Next was David, who looked like a little mini-River.
Next to age was Harmon, who inherited quite a strong and sharp jaw from his father, perhaps. His mother had already warned him that he'd likely be teased for being a ginger alien--what a combination, huh?--but he didn't want to look any weirder than he had to.
Valerie aged up next, keeping her long locks and adopting a cutesy floral style. Notably, she already had great eyebrows, and was a good mix of both of her parents' facial structures. Amore wasn't trying to inspire vanity in her children, but the Smiths had always been a pretty good looking bunch. She was glad that it seemed that'd be the case with her brood as well.
And of course, little Wyatt popped right into toddlerhood! So far, besides his green skin and somewhat plump lips, he didn't seem to inherit much from his mother. Carver and Kittredge had been having concerns about the strength of the Smith's robot genetics for a few generations now, and they were really beginning if Jane's genetics were too diluted--or worse, completely eradicated--by this point in the family line. There wasn't an easy way for them to intervene with the family's lineage at this point, and another abduction would be too risky. On top of that, the modified robots they created--the Jones experiment--had not quite landed the way they thought it would. One or two of the created robots had mated with Smiths outside of the main line, and that had gone successfully, but was not what the scientists had planned. Anyway, with Tank Grunt in town, it seemed like the scientists might have bigger problems at hand.
The Smiths themselves seemed as carefree as ever, considering! Of course, they weren't aware of all the mystery and conspiracy surrounding their family. Zoe was happy to spend her last days with her family, which was always big in some way or another, and Amore was happy to just be. Mothering was hard, but she was glad to have her own mother as support, and her kids were pretty wonderful. She hadn't really been on any dates or gone out (and she definitely hadn't had any woohoo since college), but even that she could adjust to. For the time being, anyway.
Florence was also stepping in to lend a helping hand. Having grown up quite a bit in the Annya Hoh Cham house, Florence had noticed that almost all of the adults (although it was mostly Sid) chipped in to help raise the kids. She wanted to do well by her mother, and besides, the kids were her family too. It felt good to help out, even with the dirty diapers, which Amore had never grown fond of taking care of.
Still, as a teen, Florence definitely made time for herself too. Since she'd grown up in the desert of La Fiesta Tech, she didn't really have any friends her age in Eden, so she spent a lot of her time hanging out by herself. Still, the main house had plenty of thrills to occupy her time with, and the house was still somewhat unfamiliar to her. It was nice that they had a pool though--it reminded her of the pool at the Annya Hoh Cham house. It was weird for her to think that she'd be right back there in a little bit, as soon as her younger siblings were college-aged. She was pretty close herself.
The kidlets still had some growing up to do though, thank goodness. Zoe wasn't the biggest fan of her kids going off to college and having kids of their own while they were in university, but she was very grateful that she got to know the little wonderful things a bit because they were already half-grown. If Amore hadn't had kids in college, Zoe worried she wouldn't have lasted long enough to meet any grandchildren.
And just like that, it was time for Zoe's earthly departure. Grim greeted her with hula girls and the traditional cocktails, and then poof--Zoe was gone. It was almost surreal. It felt as if she'd just been reunited with her daughter, only to be taken away herself.
And so her urn was moved to the secret room upstairs, where she joined her beloved late husband and the many Smiths that came before them.
Amore, having been closest to Zoe, of course, was the most affected by her mother's passing. It felt like she was really alone now, the only adult in this big, big house. She missed her mother's wisdom, missed her father's whimsical smile--hell, she was ready to invite Sid and Alaska to join her in the house by this point! Amore wasn't sure she could do this on her own. She'd been feeling increasingly lonely, and she wanted to be a good mom for her kids, but it wasn't what she knew, it wasn't instinctive for her. She needed real support and good company.
Her kids didn't feel the same rip in their heart at their grandmother's passing, although she was missed, of course. They just hadn't gotten to know her amazingly well. It was sad, but they could tell their mom was taking it the hardest.
Still, Amore did her best to put on a strong front, because that was what you did. She cooked dinner, and though it wasn't Zoe's five-star restaurant worthy turkey, the kids ate it up and enjoyed it all the same. Amore knew she had the time to learn to become a competent mother and capable heir, but she wished she had someone else around who was just as capable to help her out. At least only Wyatt was a toddler, still. Being able to send her kids to school for most of the day really helped, if Amore was going to be honest.
There were things she had to watch out for, however. The kids had come to love Zoe, for as short a time as they knew her, and her death did affect them in different ways. Harmon found that his aspiration had taken a serious dip, and he was now prone to tantrums and general upset. Amore hoped it wouldn't take much to get him out of this funk because she was just barely holding it together herself.
David and Valerie's relationship only seemed to grow stronger in the aftermath of Zoe's death, and Harmon's tantrums. Amore briefly worried that they were excluding Harmon, either because of his bursts of anger, or the green skin that set him apart from his silbings. They were all triplets at the end of the day though, so Amore hoped it wasn't anything serious or lasting.
Amore was glad to have Florence around for sure. The teen was definitely wise beyond her years, and was more in tune with Amore than she had originally suspected. Seeing how capable and adaptable Florence was made Amore extremely proud. Maybe she wasn't so terrible at this parenting thing after all, if she could produce a gem like Florence.
Maybe it was the pressures of motherhood being solely pressed on her shoulders, or her own mother's recent passing, but whatever it was, something struck a chord in Amore that made her want to call up her old flame, River. She hadn't really been harboring any negative feelings towards him since graduating and stepping into heirship, but she'd been stubborn about doing this whole motherhood and heir thing on her own. She'd been pretty out of contact with him, worried that their communication would only lead her to slip up in some way--they didn't exactly have a record for being the most responsible pair. That being said, Amore was pretty lonely and it wasn't like she had anyone else to occupy her time with...
But during River's visit, after she made a lovely lunch for the family to enjoy, Amore ended up faceplanting right into her culinary creation. It was clear she was exhausted. She was quite lucky that the Smiths were as well-off as they were, because without that financial security, her single motherhood would've been even more trying. She couldn't even have a gentleman caller without passing out!
Once she was back on her feet, River and Amore got into what they were known for best. Amore was glad for some relieving woohoo to take her mind off things for a bit, but the scientists were holding their breath and hoping against hope that she wouldn't be pregnant again. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but a pregnancy on top of the rest of Amore's stresses right then might've broken her. With everything going on in Eden as it were, the scientists needed the Smiths to be stronger than ever. It seemed as if some ever looming danger was afoot.
River hung around for a bit, just checking out the house and playing with his kids for a bit. He hadn't realized that he'd actually missed hearing them around the Annya Hoh Cham house. Hearing him admit that gave Amore the courage--and humility--to ask him if he'd be interesting in moving in, living with them, helping out...
"I'm not asking you to marry me, River," she insisted, after he'd been silent for a moment. "But these guys are your guys too, and I'm sure they miss their dad. I thought I could do this on my own, but I've never done it alone. There was everyone in the AHC House, then there was my mom. Now it's just me, and...it's hard."
After another drag of silence, Amore was almost certain River was going to give her a hard no, but all he said was that he had to graduate first. It wasn't a yes, and it certainly wasn't a promise, but it was something Amore could work with. When River finally left, she felt better about her situation than she had in days.
With a little more pep in her step, Amore threw herself into her motherly duties. With almost all the kids going to school, and Wyatt not too far from it, Amore figured it was high time that she got her kids into private school. They deserved the very best and she was determined to give it to them, so she invited the local headmaster over for dinner.
His name was Destry, and Amore wasn't sure if it was his name or long hair that she found more unusual. However, when all was said and done, it was this guy she had to impress to make sure her kids had the best education in Eden that money could buy.
While the house had remained virtually the same since she was born, full of expensive and old items collected over generations, a simple tour wasn't enough to get her kids into private school. Amore didn't have her mother's skill in the kitchen, so what she lacked in culinary expertise, she made up with charisma, charm...and heavy flirtation. It felt good to flirt (almost) meaninglessly, and Amore had always been good at that, besides. Just a couple of bats of her eyelashes, and Amore had snagged spots in the school for Florence, David, Harmon, and Valerie!
That same night was also Wyatt's birthday! Amore threw a little party for her little man, which she'd been wanting to do for ages anyway. She realized belatedly that she'd have to invite the headmaster over once more just to get a spot for Wyatt too, but that wouldn't be a problem.
Wyatt grew into a striking little guy, ready for school and to join his older siblings in their talk and play.
Amore let loose for the night, happy to have guests in their sometimes oppressively large home. She was always keen to throw parties and entertain company, and now that her youngest was old enough to be somewhat self-sufficient, she was able to kick back and do her own thing for the night.
Doing her own thing usually included doing River though, so it was no surprise where those two ended up that night. River had been invited not just for Amore's benefit, but for Wyatt and the other kids as well, who weren't very close with him. It hadn't bothered Amore much before, but if she really wanted River to move in for support, he'd have to get to know his kids.
However, the other guests didn't give River and Amore the space to get reacquainted with each other, so they ended up just cuddling naked--rather publicly--for the night. The scientists, as weirded out as they were, were also a bit relieved, as they were sure that more woohoo would lead to more kids. Amore seemed to have gotten off lucky from her last encounter with Mr. Inada, but knowing that pair, it was only a matter of time.
Florence took her pledge to responsibility one step further and got an afterschool job. The hours were longer than she'd initially anticipated, but it felt good to build skills and network at such a young age, and she felt like she was contributing to the household--not that they needed it financially. She wanted to be a good role model for her younger siblings, and also wanted to snag as many scholarships as she possibly could for college, so Florence made sure she hit the books hard and skilled up quickly!
On the other end, Wyatt was more than happy to keep being the baby of the family. He was a pretty active kid, and sometimes his play tired him out before he could get back to his comfortable bed. It was admittedly pretty cute, and Amore didn't mind helping him back to his room when she found him like this.
That was how life continued on in the Smith household. Harmon seemed to be doing better these days, getting along with the other two-thirds of his triplet set swimmingly well, and Florence was gaining pride and confidence in the young woman she was becoming. Amore was slowly realizing that as hard as the job felt sometimes, she wasn't a bad mom, but she was looking forward to River's graduation so they could revisit him moving in. The scientists wondered if River moving in would mean more children, as Amore was still pretty young and probably pretty fertile, but on the list of their current concerns, bringing another Smith into this world was pretty low down. In fact, they were much more concerned that someone wanted to take the Smiths out altogether.
They couldn't let that happen.
And that's all for now, folks! Thanks for reading and hopefully the next installment will be out in a jiffy-loo!