8.119 Black

Jeannette heard their dress shoes clacking against the clay bricks and ran out to meet Julian.

“Oh, Julian,” she cried and embraced him. “I’m so sorry. Are you all right? How was it?”

“I’ll be fine in time. I’m telling you…my aunt is an amazing woman. She lost her husband and her brother in the same week and still managed to put together a beautiful service like that. Come to think of it, she’ll be gone soon. And then my…” He trailed off, and his eyes got puffy.

“Don’t think about that right now, Julian. He’s still here. And, he leads a very healthy lifestyle. I’m sure he’ll be around for a long time…just like you will be.”

“I hope so. But, you know how these things have a way of making you think about life.”

“Yeah,” she said. “Do you want to sit and talk?”

He moved to sit on the bench, and she sat next to him. “What are you thinking about?”

“Uncle Roland was such an instigator.” A small smile crept onto his face. “Remember Serena? That crazy girl from Algebra?”

“Your girlfriend?”

“She wasn’t my girlfriend!”

Jeannette knew she wasn’t his girlfriend and that it still irritated him. She just wanted to see him be any other way but sad.

“Anyway,” he said. “Remember that day we were playing chess in the park, and you and Channing came over, and you asked me if I was going to a party?”

“Oh yes.” She remembered quite vividly. That was the first time she attempted to make herself known to him. They knew each other all through school, and they had classes together, of course. They spoke, but not as friends. Not until the park.

“Well, before you guys came over, Uncle Roland was there. He thought she was my girlfriend, so he was making comments about how playing chess is how love starts.” He loved that memory. It made him laugh.

Jeannette was glad to see his spirits rising. “What about Uncle Owen?”

“I didn’t know him well. He moved out of the house before I was born. And he was a loner, so he didn’t always come to the family things. But, you know…he’s family. It’s not fun to watch them leave.”

“Yeah. I know. Can I do anything for you?”

He smiled and put his arms around her. “Just stay with me, and keep being you.”

Roland, my dear Roland. You gave us Devan, Anthony, CiCi and Sydney, and you transformed Alayna into the woman we now know and adore. You were one of the most unique Sims to ever join this family, and you will be sorely missed. Your humor, the way you claimed Alayna was doing too much but you never actually took control and still let her run things (lol), and your fatherly advice were all priceless. Pruett Family Legacy won’t be the same without you.

Owen…you had a rough start and made us all pretty nervous, but in the end, you found your way and forged your own path. Your decisions made things happen that I had never seen in any other legacy story, so thank you for making Pruett Family Legacy even more unique than it already is!

Feel free to leave some words for the Pruetts!