Opal sat chewing her flavorless dinner in contemplative silence. Her husband was somewhere about the compound. Not that she gave a rat’s behind where her missing husband was at the moment. It was his fault that her little boy had left home. And now no one would tell her where he was.

Like an idiot, Edward had chosen the most inexperienced matchmaker to set up their only son’s marriage. She could guarantee that any other man with even the slightest ounce of sense would have chosen Igret. Every gypsy knew she was the wisest matchmaker. Or even Mueircan would have been acceptable. But no Edward, had chosen Torfa. And she’d actually thought her Ricardo was best suited for a serving girl! And Vyn Jeffress at that.

Well the Jeffress couple wouldn’t serve her family poorly again. She’d made sure of that. All she’d had to do was replace one bottle of spice. Easy.

Unfortunately, Walosenko didn’t have enough evidence to haul her husband off to jail. Well she was tired of sitting around and watching as Edward ruined their family’s good name. She’d had more than enough.

To think there was a day when she’d been the happiest girl in the world when she’d been paired with the heir to the Contrary family. Of course, she hadn’t known then that Edward lacked the common sense to find his way out of a paper bag.

Oh certainly, she was more than ready to be off with her husband, but she wasn’t about to get sloppy now.

Just a little more careful planning and Edward would never bring shame to the Contrary name again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I know this has to be upsetting for you Ricardo. But Bran and I agree that you should give your mother a call. She was quite distraught.”

“I have nothing to say to that woman! She’s going to try to talk me into coming home, and I’m not going back. I left. I should have left years ago.”

This was not going well at all. Three deaths in the colony and so close together. “I’m not saying you should go back Ricardo. I just think that it might help if..”

Rick stood up rage bubbling just beneath the surface. He would not go back to the compound. No one could make him. Not his mother, Mole, Bran, anyone. “Get out of my house!” he yelled.

John stood up and stared at the young man before him. This was not how he expected him to take the news of his father’s death. “Of course, but Mr. Contrary I…”

“I said get out!”

After John had left, Rick tried to eat a sandwich. He’d never learned to cook, but he was bound and determined to figure things out for himself now that he was free. He didn’t need his mother and all those servants. How dare they keep trying to make him go back to that prison! He’d thought at first that the Walosenko’s would be a good place to stay, but then he’d come to realize they were trying to control him too.

After all Bran had wanted him to take up a job in a career that Rick had no interest in pursuing. He slammed the sandwich down in disgust. Bran had even tried to pull a fast one when Rick had stormed out of the house. He actually tried to tell Rick that he could have simply said no. That he had just been trying to make an honest suggestion….he honestly only wanted to help. Yeah sure. Like he hadn’t heard that line before.

Rick was going to become the best dancer the world had ever seen. No one thought he could do it. Go out into the wide open spaces of this new world. Interacting with complete strangers. Not his mother, Bran, the other gypsies. That was fine. He would show them all. He didn’t need anyone. If life had taught him anything it was this, look out for number one.

“So Rick didn’t take the news well? I told you he wouldn’t. Rick’s cut himself from everyone these days.”

John sighed. “Yes you did tell me that. But I had hoped…I didn’t even get the chance to tell him about the fact that his mother suffered a mental breakdown when we told her Edward had died in the fire.”

“And then we find the proof that he poisoned your parents.” John shook his head,

Vyn nodded solemnly, “I still can’t believe he killed my parents over something so trivial as my father not holding the door open for him at a store, and yet having known him my entire life I know how petty he could be. And he had a horribly loose tongue while he was drunk so I’m not shocked he went blabbing it all over town either.”

“Thanks for dropping by Mr. Mole. I’ll keep trying to reach out to Rick. He really shouldn’t isolate himself from everyone the way he has been doing. And do what you can for Mrs. Contrary. The poor woman really shouldn’t be cooking the meals. She’s never been able to make the simplest things without burning them to a crisp.”

“Vyn, you are a remarkable woman. Thinking of others…once again…we really appreciate you taking the responsibility to help Bran take care of the colony and I am deeply sorry for your loss. I hope you enjoy your wedding and that you and Mr. Tess will be very happy together.”

“Thank you Mr. Mole. It is my pleasure to help out any way I can. I hope your daughter’s meeting with Igret goes well.”

The next day surrounded by her adoptive family Vyn Jeffress married the love her life and childhood playmate Martin Tess.

As she said her vows to Martin, the wind gently blew through her hair. Somehow she liked to think that that was her parents giving their approval as their little girl left the name Jeffress behind.

In spite of all the tragedy, Vyn Jeffress Tess was truly happy.

Opal passed by the lot and frowned. So the Jeffress girl knew her proper place within society. Well for all their failings at least the Jeffress couple had managed to raise Vyn properly enough to know she had no business having anything to do with her perfect Ricardo.

Life for Opal had been hard. Her plans to get herself pregnant before getting rid of Edward had worked like a charm. As much as she would love to have convinced Ricardo to come home, she knew that thanks to Edward their son would never be respected in the compound again.

It had been easy enough to get her husband drunk enough to start spouting threats in front of the servants And then while he was still drunk she’d set the kitchen on fire. He’d burned alive trying to put it out despite the fact that she’d “run” to get an able bodied servant to stop him.

She’d made sure to be in hysterics for days after the revelation that her husband would never recover from the burns. And she’d lost it again when one of the servants accidently told everyone present about Edward’s final drunken stupor.

She’d pulled herself off the floor , and she’d insisted that they go ahead and search his study. They wouldn’t find any poison in their house! How dare they talk about her husband like that. She’d ranted and raged refusing to stop. Once she got to the study she’d flung open doors and cabinets. “Not her sweet Edward!” she’d cried. It was a shame she’d never pursued a career in theatre.

Of course she’d “found” the bottles of stolen poison. She’d even tried to pour them down the sink and say her husband must have been framed before rushing out to his graveside and bursting into more tears.

To complete the act she’d refused to speak or leave her room for three days after the incident.

John Mole, now there was a proper man. He’d not remarried after his wife’s untimely death and he’d always carried himself as a true and proper gentleman. True to form less than three days after Edward’s funeral he’d brought one of his servant girls Abinn with him as he dropped by to check on her. “You shouldn’t be living in this house all alone. The gypsy council insists that you let someone look after things while you find your feet again Mrs. Contrary. We know how hard life has been for you the past few months. Why don’t you let Abinn help you out?”

“Thank-you.” she’d started to tear up again. Might as well keep the act going. “I don’t want to be a burden. What Edward did. It’s just…thank-you again. I’m sure Abinn will be quite helpful. But I insist that she remain your ward.”

And truth be told Abinn Longwell was easy to like. She was a hard worker and very polite. Not that Opal had expected Mr. Mole to employ anything in his service that wasn't up to par. She was certainly much better than any of the girls that Edward had ever hired to wait on her.

Well at least he’d managed to do one thing right. He’d gotten her pregnant with the heir to his family line. She refused to think about the fact that it could be a daughter kicking about inside her. After all she was a proper gypsy woman. And proper women had sons when they were needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So Lexa didn’t want to come over?”

Axel sighed. “No.” His sister had adamantly refused to the outing if he was being completely honest. But he didn’t want to tell Inderb that. “So Inde how did the meeting with the Matchmaker go?”

“I think I made a fool of myself. I just couldn’t stop talking and giggling. I hope she didn’t get the impression that I’m silly.” She made a face, as she thought about some of the other girls at the compound who were always giggling and blushing. She didn’t blush and giggle that much did she?

“But I mean it was..I mean it just wasn’t what I expected.”

“What were you expecting?”

Inderb let out a nervous little laugh. “I’m not really sure. I guess I just thought it would be more complicated?”

“But really all we did was talk. She asked me questions, but mostly she just told me interesting little facts about herself. Then she told me that she didn’t think she’d have any trouble finding me a match. It was just..I don’t know Axel, it was different.”

“Well different’s not always a bad thing.”

“No I suppose not.”

“Is Abinn’s food that good Axel?”

“Mmhmm.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Axel was awoken by the sound of heavy breathing and shuffling feet. He rolled over and noticed the clock read 2 a.m. Curious and slightly nervous, Axel crept to his door and listened. Whoever was in the hallway, Axel didn’t know them. “So same time same place tomorrow?”

His sister’s voice drifted in, “You bet.”

Wait? Lexa was out of bed past curfew? With a strange boy? Well now, it was his duty to investigate. He sauntered into the hall. “Moorning.”

Lexa nearly jumped out of her skin. “Axel!”

The stranger shifted uncomfrtably, “Uh so see you later Lexa.”

“Hold on there a second. Sis aren’t you going to introduce to me to this gentleman who has you sneaking out past curfew?”

Lexa sighed. Well it could have been worse. At least Bran or her parents hadn’t caught her wandering around town well past curfew. They would have killed her. “This is Justus. And before you ask; we’re just friends.”

“Uh huh.”

“Come on Justus I’ll walk you out.”

Justus took a deep breath. “I thought we were dead. My parents would kill me if they found out I was going out this late.”

Lexa giggled. “Mine too.”

“Your brother, he won’t tell on us will he?”

“Nah, Axel won’t say anything. Don’t worry. But maybe wandering around the streets after midnight isn’t the best idea I’ve ever come up with.”

“Yeah. Quit while we’re ahead.”

“I’ll see you around Lexa.”

“Of course.” Lexa stood outside watching her new friend walking down the street until he was out of sight. Then she slipped quietly upstairs to get some sleep. After all, she was going to have to get up in just a few hours and go to school.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day at the Aspir house Pauline was on the phone with Kay. “So you can make it to dinner?”

“…”

“Great! I’ll see you at 5 then?”

“I’m really glad you’re coming Kay.” As she hung up the phone Pauline just knew her cheeks were pink. Kay was the cutest boy she’d ever seen and she’d finally gotten up the courage to ask her parents for permission to invite Kay over for dinner. And now he would be here in just a few hours.

Pauline spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for her dinner. She was so nervous! Honestly Kay Walosenko tied her stomach in knots. She grit her teeth so that she could get a good look at them. She didn’t want to have a piece of food sticking out of them after all.

She even had a brand new pink dress just for the dinner. She wanted to look her best, but she was also nervous that the night would end up becoming a huge mess. What if Kay didn’t like her back? Maybe she should just wear her regular dress after all.

But before she could run back inside and change back into her usual clothes, Kay had arrived. Pauline dug a toe of her new shoes into the dirt. “Hi.”

Kay grinned as he slid into the other swing. “Hey, Pauline.” She looked stunning.

“Nice dress.”

He noticed that she was blushing and grinning. She had a really nice smile. “So what’s new?”

“Nothing really.” Were first dates always this awkward? Wait was this even a date?

Kay kicked at the dirt. He felt like he should say something clever, but nothing was coming to mind. Normally he had no trouble making conversation. What was wrong with him? Eventually he did manage, “Uh, would you like me to push you?” Were first dates always like this?

Dinner with the Aspir’s had gone well. As the night wore on it got easier and easier to act like normal. At least for Kay. He was soon back to his normal outgoing self. After dinner he’d been invited to stay a while longer and chat with the family. He’d boldly slid into the seat net to Pauline and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He didn’t seem to be too worried that her grandfather was sitting right across the room.

But Luis didn’t mind. He remembered being young and in love once. Kay was a nice polite young man who seemed to know how to treat a lady right. “So son, you like my grand-daughter?”

Kay didn’t miss a beat. “Yes sir.”

Just proof that yes Edward did catch on fire and die. But naturally he was being stupid and chose to not only die out of his proper outfit, but in the one corner of the kitchen that I forgot to redecorate.

I’ll be honest Edward was annoying the hell out of me. It takes a special sim for me to want to get rid of them. Edward was one of them. And then when I entered the lot for this rotation and saw that not only did Opal have the want to have another baby but also wanted to see her husband’s ghost I was like oh I’m so using that. And no this fire does not count toward unlocking Law Enforcement as I set it on purpose.

Also I would like to at this moment tell my readers that I’ve chosen to ignore one of the restrictions for plot purposes. As many or all of you know, I’m not supposed to use the matchmaker until the population reaches 500, but I’m letting the Contrary and Mole families do so since their culture according to my plot always arranges marriages that way. However only those two families at this time may use this service and no family may use any other services which are restricted until that 500 mark is reached.

Okay now that the author’s special notes are out of the way y how about some stats?

C u r r e n t P o p u l a t i o n a n d S t a t s : P l a y a b l e S i m s : 2 0 N u m b e r o f H o u s e h o l d s : 8S i m M u l t i p l i e r : 1 3 +1 for first community lot= 1+1 for a household with 1 living generation (Contrary, Contrary, Kim, Jeffress) =4+2 for any house having more than one living generation in the house (Ursini, Aspir, Mole, Walosenko) = 8

C o m m u n i t y L o t s : 3 1 M i l i t a r y B a s e A s p i r C l o t h i n g R a n k 4 T h e G r o c e r R a n k 7

C a r e e r s U n l o c k e d : M i l i t a r y ( 1 ) ( B r a n W a l o s e n k o )C r i m i n a l ( 1 ) Law Enforcement (1) G a m e r : ( 1 ) I w a n U r s i n i Dance: (1) Ricardo Contrary Intelligence (1) Vyn Tess Education (1) T o t a l P o p u l a t i o n : 2 60