The Ghost of You

Sophia was growing ever tired with Amin. The man was lacking in the pizazz department. His strangely cute face just wasn't cutting it anymore. Some nights, she grew so bored with him, she refused to share the same bed as him. Of course, she didn't seek bed elsewhere. Heavens no! She set him out instead, forcing the man to sleep on the couch. So she suggested he mold a skill and thus, under the guidance of Gabriel, he began crafting his culinary prowess.

After tasting a few of his meals, Sophia realized perhaps it wasn't such a good idea. He couldn't tell the different between salt and sugar! But cooking did keep him distracted. Lately, he had been growing hostile towards the children. He stopped doing the little things they asked of him, such as reading to them or playing catch with them. He even began poking fun at them, making fun of Henri's weight gain or Eva's lack of coordination. Sophia might've been able to put up with his terrible cooking but she refused to put up with his insulting her children. He had to sleep in the mudroom. She refused to left him even sleep on the couch.

Amin started to notice how his actions were affecting people. Normally, he wouldn't bother to care. If people didn't like his attitude, so what? But his attitude was threatening his chances with a hot woman and a big house. So he decided to get some counseling with Dr. Stein, a man one of Sophia's friends introduced to him. The sessions were really helping his demeanor towards others.

Gabriel wasn't as bothered by Amin as the other children. Now that he was older, he was beginning to live a very busy life. School took up much of his day but he was also looking for a part time job. In between his homework and job hunts, he kept busy by keeping in touch with his siblings. College life sounded so fun! He couldn't wait to be there with them.

Being with them also meant being able to live with Catalina. She had been a friend since childhood and Gabriel never once thought of her as anything more. But suddenly, he just couldn't get her off his mind. The two walked to school together, walked home together, had study sessions together...soon, he was in love. There was no question about it. Gabriel just couldn't wait for them both to venture to college together.

That is, if he lived 'till then! As a kid, he had seen a ghost. But he thought it was just a bad dream, as his mother told him he was seeing things. But this was clear as day! It wasn't the same ghost, he noticed, but one of a redhaired man. He looked an awful lot like Daniel too...

Gabriel wasn't the only one who had a ghostly encounter. Henri, too, saw a spirit. He had been sleeping. It was late and the whole house was quiet. But his stomach started to churn, waking him. He rubbed his eyes, turned on the light and began to crawl out of bed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a blue figure floating through the wall. He immediantly woke up Gabriel and the two boys discussed what they saw. When they tried to tell their mother, she refused to believe them.

While Gabriel had Catalina to distract him from the supernatural, Henri had sports. He had to admit, he wasn't much a fan. He was a fan of food and being so, he was left at a huge disadvantage when it came to physical activities. But Eva was a huge sport enthusiast and it was through her that he was able to participate without feeling strange.

Vivian wasn't as tomboyish as her sister, so she was often left to do her own thing. She inherited Roselle's ballet bar and really took a liking to it. Ballet and dancing in general was just so fun for her. She even joined My Muse, a dancing studio. She also worked on her voice. Someday, Sophia was sure, Vivian would become the next Filippa Giordano.

And Sophia? As always, she was drawn towards her sewing machine. Raising several children at once, she had begun to neglect it. But she had to sew herself a nice new dress. After all, she'd have to go on the hunt again soon. She had to look her best.

Learn to Live

Sophia found the nest a tad empty now that her two eldest children were gone. The twins were proving to be a handful. Gabriel and Henri helped when they could but their little hands didn't provide much assistance. And Amin...bah! That man was useless! All he wanted was to throw frat boy parties in Sophia's beautiful manor! Really, she couldn't wait 'till he was gone.



But his eagerness to party did pay off. He had great knowledge of what make a good party. Sophia did not. So she left Amin in charge of planning Gabriel's birthday party. His planning was a success. Gabriel was so thrilled by it all. The party went off without a hitch. Sophia had to hand it to Amin. He made Gabriel's special day ultra special.



Of course, Amin also almost made it a disaster. He kept claiming to seeing ghosts or some such nonsense. Sophia had to drag him over to the corner, as her son began opening presents, and convince him to keep his mouth shut. "Can't have you scaring the children!" She scolded. The man tried to defend himself but Sophia's cold eyes made him silent.

It didn't stop there. While brooding in the corner, Amin's gaze fell on Roselle. He knew the girl, of course. But he failed to realize, prior to this, that she was a woman and not just one of Sophia's daughters. But my my! Young Roselle certainly filled out. So he decided to compliment her. Of course, little brother Daniel was watching like a hawk and proceed to ram him up against the wall, drawing in the attention of the partygoers.

Gabriel turned out well, though. He, like Roselle, was all about families. His help was muchly appreciated on the overworked Sophia. He took care of the twins while she rested, even spending weekends sleeping in the nursery to keep a better eye on them. He also fixed the family meals and Sophia noticed his talent for the culinary arts. It was no shock when he recieved a scholarship to college for it.

Sophia was glad for his help. Amin had since become too much of a bother. Something was seriously wrong with the man.

But his questionable mentality thankfully didn't jepordize the twins' birthday. The two of them grew into adorable little ladies, their paths clearly drawn. Eva was more of an outgoing tomboy while Vivian was more inclined to sport dresses and sip pretend tea. Still, they were twins and it could be said they were each other's shadows.

Vivian was no longer a handful. She kept busy by playing with Henri or studying. Unlike her sister, however, Eva had to have someone constantly watching her. She was a curious girl and often got into trouble because of it. Once such incident was when she set the smoke detectors off after trying to bake a shoe.

But with the twins old enough to fend for themselves, it left Sophia with extra time. She finally sat down and finished the romantic novel she had started when Daniel was just a tot. 'Lost in Snow' she called it. She was pleased when one of Roselle's artsy friends decided to publish it and wasn't at all amazed when it sold well. Of course, the first copy was given to Sophia herself.

College Daze Part 1

Ah, Freedom. Finally, it was time to be one's own master. Daniel simply couldn't wait to get to get to Sparrowhill University's campus. The entire car ride over, he was fantasizing about the many parties he'd throw and all the people he'd mingle with. Roselle was less anxious. She just wanted to see Anthony and set up her room. Herself, Daniel, Anthony and Emily all moved into the same dorm. It was small but fit all their needs. They even had money left over to help buy extras for themselves and their new roommates.

Once arriving, the Hess children found their respective loved ones waiting for them. Daniel was heavily pleased with the style his lady love chose while Roselle could've cared less what her beau wore. They waited on setting up their rooms, though they did chose which ones to take, and decided to grab a bite to eat. Emily was pleased to know there was a hired chef. Unfortunately for Daniel, Emily wasn't much of cook. The old woman behind the stove did give the two of them strange looks, though, so something told Emily it was probably best to begin studying the culinary arts.

While the others unpacked, Daniel took a load off. He decided to spend some quality time with the arcade game that had been installed downstairs. He had one just like it back home, so he took to it like a fish to water. The old woman eventually shooed him away from it, however. The loud noises stemming from his success was apparently interfering with her trip down memory lane, as she zoned out in front of the stove.

So instead, he sought out Anthony and struck up a conversation. Despite Anthony dating Roselle, Daniel wasn't too close to him. So he took this time to build a friendship. The boys had alot in common. Both of them enjoyed the party scene and goofing off. Daniel also found Anthony to be a fan of gossip so the two of them would tell secrets about Roselle when she was too busy to notice.

She soon found out about their whisperings, though. She sent Anthony on a grocery run and hovered over Daniel as he wrote his term paper. Daniel hated writing. Political science was fun but the constant carpal tunnels from typing up papers was beginning to be a hassle.

Roselle found herself opening up now that she was in college. She started making new friends left and right. She and Emily hung out whenever Daniel and Anthony were busy doing guy stuff and Roselle also made nice with her other roomies. Marie, she found, was as big a fan of Madonna as she was.

Of course, college was for learning. Roselle knew that. She worked hard on all her projects but unlike her brother, she enjoyed it. After all, her major was Art. What wasn't fun about art?

Halfway through the first week, Roselle thought of a great way to both bond with her roommates and get work done. She scheduled a house meeting and talked about her plan. The plan was to get all of them to study together and help each other out, while still being social. Her roomies loved the idea and soon, friday night cram sessions were not to be missed.

Of course, there were SOME people who did miss them. Roselle was furious when her brother didn't show up until Marie pointed out that Emily was missing too. Then her anger subsided into disgust. She had every idea of what the two of them were doing. And it was gross.

Emily explained everything. The two just flaked and Roselle was just taking things too seriously. In an effort to try and make Roselle less stingy, everyone pitched in and got a game table. Roselle was hesitant. Games weren't her thing at all. But after a game of Don't Wake the Llama, she was hooked!

Roselle was transformed again. Working hard was still important to her but she also made time to goof off. Finally feeling able to approach Roselle with less logical ways of life, Anthony began taking her out on "study dates" to the student center. But there was no studying whatsoever. The two of them rekindled their relationship by making out in the student lounge. Feeling closer than ever, Anthony proposed to Roselle just at the beginning of their junior year. Of course, she said yes. It was the logical choice, of course.

Less and More

Jenna's passing seemed to be nothing more than a faint memory now. The future was bright, even without her in it. Sophia did admit, though, she felt bad. Poor Jenna didn't live long enough to see the twins' first birthday. Both girls turned out to be very cute children, though it is obvious they looked and acted nothing like. Vivian inherited Jenna's darker skin and seemed to have more of an intelligent aptitude while Eva took after Sophia and was very much a people person.

Sophia also missed having an extra pair of hands to help nuture the girls. The twins were sometimes difficult to keep up with. Roselle helped out but even her efforts weren't enough. The two women were forced to recruit Daniel into the ranks of caregiver. The boy simply detested it. He was fine, teaching the twins the basics of walking and talking but he was often stuck with cleaning up their messes. It wasn't a particularly glamorous job.

He often complained it left his body racked with acne, from the disgusting oils seeping from various "packages". His complaints grew too much so Sophia eventually purchased cream for him. He began using it frequently, hogging the mirror to do so. But Sophia knew that looking good was a trait she passed on to him and she had to respect it. But what bugged her most was he freaked out over the acne yet wasn't at all detered by the fact he wore women's eyeliner.

The other children weren't much of handful. Henri was content with his ant colony, often observing them and jotting down notes. Gabriel took an interest in the stars, spending countless hours (during the weekend, of course) staring out into the spacious sky. His knowledge of the celestial bodies developed so sharply, he even discovered a previously unknown mass in the sky. His efforts were warmly rewarded.

Sophia grew tired of the monotony of motherhood and decided to return to what she did best: love. She began seeing a man named Amin and grew close to him. He was a pretty little redhead, just like her. In fact, he somewhat reminded her of her first redhaired love, Don. So it was no surprise to her when she felt compelled to ask him to move in with her. It was short notice but he agreed, bringing along a nice sum of money to help further expand the Hess compound.

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Amin wasn't much of a business tycoon so he didn't help out with the family business much. Roselle was a natural with the register and her smile always seemed to bring customers in. Even Daniel had a small sales touch, helping out when the hordes grew too big for Sophia to control. But his help wasn't to last. Finally, the day came where both Roselle and Daniel moved to Sparrowhill University. Sophia was both sad and proud. She no longer had extra hands to help her with the twins but at least her two eldest children were making something of themselves.

The house was slightly less full now but surely, with four little ones, it would get busy again. Still, Sophia kept in touch with her college-bound children. After all, who else was going to remind Daniel to wear clean briefs?

Down With The Sickness

Jenna had been nearly inconsolable since finding out Sophia was cheating on her. She refused to even be in the same room as her. She thought of moving out but she knew she'd never be able to leave the twins behind. Thinking about it, she knew she probably wouldn't get sole custody either. Despite having side lovers, Sophia was a devoted mother and would most likely fight for custody all the way to the highest court. It'd just be best to avoid it. So while Sophia was occupied with the children, Jenna tried to find ways to drown her sorrows. Food was her tourniquet. She ate and ate, even when she wasn't hungry, even when the food was spoiled. She just couldn't seem to stop.

Roselle, who often was in charge of the kitchen, worried about her stepmother. She tried to get Jenna to try doing other things to take her mind off things. At first, she refused and told the girl to mind her business but after a while and alot of badgering, she finally found other outlets. Sometimes she painted, sometimes she worked out. But in the end, she always returned to food. Eventually, it took a big toll on her health. She began suffering bouts of illness until finally, an untreated cold laid her to rest.

But her loss fell on deaf ears. The house seemed used to this sort of thing now. Henri grew up, not really affected by Jenna's death, but he still proved to be a bit of a handful. He simply loved to tease and prank his siblings. It was all in good fun, of course. It was just a way to break the monotony. Gabriel didn't appreciated the constant static shocks, however.

But he too was a strange child. All the children were shocked and interested when their mother bought a coffin. The elder children had an idea what it was for and kept their opinions to a low murmur. But Gabriel thought it was a new toy to play with. Sophia nearly lectured his ear off when she found him hiding inside it.

She was a stern mother at times, yes but only when the occasion called for it. Most times, Sophia was gentle with her children. She often took them out, to parks or recreation centers. One night, she took the entire family (leaving the twins with a babysitter) to the gaming society. She and the boys enjoyed a nice friendly game of Don't Wake The Llama.

Roselle and Daniel took to more mature games. Roselle entered (and lost) a gaming completion while Daniel found easy money on the billiards. He was a natural, his opponent said. It certainly boosted his already inflamed ego.



Games were fun but work was most important. Both of the teens searched the classifieds for jobs but only Roselle found one for her. She began working at the local aquarium. The hours were good, the pay was nice and she did enjoy playing with the dolphins but...the uniform left much to be desired.

Work didn't always end when Roselle came home. She was often put in charge of dinner and bedtime. She didn't mind it, though. A family girl herself, it was good practice for the future. Besides, her siblings just adored her flapjacks.

Lately, there was much talk about college during the meals. Roselle and Daniel had already secured their positions at Sparrowhill University. They planned on moving into a dorm with their respected lovers. Sophia managed to convince them to stay home for a bit more, at least until the twins were a bit older and could take care of themselves more efficiently. She dearly needed the teens' help.

Though, to be honest, she knew she wouldn't mind the vacancy in the house left by Daniel. He was a good boy, helped out often but...his lack of respect for other people's privacy was beginning to wear on her. The boy was lucky Sophia never was one to discipline her children.

Escapade

Sophia was getting used to motherhood. Sure, she could do without having to carry around watermelons while attempting to pick up men but just look at how happy her children are! Despite being exhausted half the time, Sophia makes sure to keep close to her children. She found it rewarding to sit down and help her young ones with their school work. No doubt, she was the proudest parent in the world when Gabriel came in with his report card. All those long hours really paid off.

Of course, when she entered her final trimester, Sophia had to keep off her feet. Her days were spent sleeping, eating, sleeping, eating and occasionally watching Oprah. For some strange reason, this pregnancy left her more tired and weak than the others. It wasn't until she actually went into labor that the doctors discovered something surprising. Sophia was giving birth to twins! It was a joyful surprise. Both were girls but didn't look too much alike. Still, they were beautiful and Sophia loved them both. Eva and Vivian were welcomed members of the Hess family.

Having Roselle around was a blessing. The girl was a natural when it came to child care and having two more babies to take care of, Sophia appreciated the help. Even though the girl got a job at the aquarium, she always made time to play with her siblings. Henri simply loved it when his sister taught him how to use the ballet bar.

Daniel also took well to his younger siblings. He helped out with feeding time and changing diapers. He also helped Gabriel with his homework and even invited him to play video games with him. Of course, big brother refuses to lose to anyone, including his own flesh and blood.

Leaving Jenna in charge of the house, Sophia decided to treat her two eldest children to a night out. It was a special occasion, as both recieved many scholarships. Knowing they would soon be off to college, Sophia wanted to spend some more time with them. They first arrived at the Culinary Club, where Daniel won first prize for a delicious pork chop meal.

After that, they headed to the Downtown area, to party it up at Crypt O' Nite. Daniel immediantly gravitated towards the DJ booth, the heavy techno rock resonating with him. The DJ was very impressed by Daniel's wide range of musical knowledge, he even allowed the boy to take over for him while he got a bite to eat. Daniel quickly took to it, even earning himself a nice little tip.

With that tip, he was able to treat his sweetheart to a nice little dinner. Despite looking like a tough guy, Daniel became puddy when he was around his lady fair. Sophia couldn't wait to tease him about it once they got home. Her little boy, locked in love's grip!

Roselle also became a victim of love. She went on her first date with childhood sweetheart, Amin. The two were a more quiet couple than her brother and his girl. They cuddled and held hands, while Daniel perferred kissing and dancing. Roselle and Amin spent much of their time together discussing college plans. It was decided that the two would move in together once they moved on campus. Sophia knew she could trust them. They were smart kids.

After all, it wasn't as though Sophia could really preach. Her children were now aware of her extracurricular activities. After some explaining, they both understood and agreed to keep it a secret from Jenna. Sophia couldn't help who she was. She loved Jenna, really but monogamy wasn't her game.

Her interests just grew away from the woman. Now, she was interested in a particular fellow. He was a dark fellow, only appearing at night. He claimed to be a Count, though Sophia was skeptical. Whatever, as long as he had money, he'd be fine. But first, she had to end her ties with Jenna...

As much as it hurt to let her see, Sophia had to keep her reputation. The woman shouldn't have been so surprised, though. She was in this situation once before...