Generation One - Chapter Seven: Family Ties

The best thing about multiple birthdays? All that left over birthday cake! Of course before indulging in delicious cake you may want to make sure you're smart enough to chew, unlike Aria here.



Yeah, real smooth recovery. It's alright though, at least you're distracting the readers from the half finished exterior of your house.



With the kids growing up things were starting to get back to normal in the Winters household once again. Adam went back to his routine of playing with the kids, and cleaning the house. Until one day when during a routine scrubbing of the bathroom sink he caught a glimpse of his new reflection in the mirror.



The sight reminded him of his lost years, and he couldn't control his anger. The science lab ruined his life, and they didn't even have the decency to give him enough severance pay to finish putting the siding up on their house.



Luckily Aria was there to calm him down. She suggested they color his hair back to black, so he could at least feel a little more like himself.



He may not be able to get those years back, but it was a comfort to know that he had a loving family who appreciate all he sacrificed for them, and was trying to make things better one small gesture at a time.



Meanwhile, Beatrice was getting up for her very first day of school. Unfortunately her brother was crying all night so she barely slept at all. I'm not sure the death glare was really helping, but I know it would help me feel better.



Manically plotting the toddlers demise on the other hand might just be over the line. For little Bryce's sake I hope they can afford an extra room soon.



Beatrice was thoroughly unimpressed by her first day of school, and couldn't get home quick enough.



That night at dinner (yes the supposed natural cook was eating cereal for dinner) Adam saw Beatrice doing homework and finally seemed to figure out why she was gone all day. They sure love those kids but I wouldn't put Aria and Adam up for parents of the year just yet.

Adam asks how her homework was going and Beatrice just grumbled something about it being easy and boring. Her unenthusiastic response gave him an idea.



That night before bed Adam brings his idea up to Aria.

Adam: I've been thinking, if it were possible, it would be nice to send Beatrice to boarding school. The public school here is just no challenge for her, and she seems to really dislike it.



Aria didn't disagree, but she pointed out that they were barely making ends meet as it was. They just couldn't afford tuition. Unless...



Aria: You're right. We'll find a way to pay the tuition. I know it would mean the world to Bea.



The next night, long after Adam and the kids were sound asleep, Aria slipped out of the house. They would make the money for tuition one way or another.

She headed to the museum with one goal in mind, to swipe something valuable without getting caught.



She was thrilled when she made it in to the famous statue exhibit undetected.



But her joy was quickly cut short when she spotted security cameras watching her every move. There was no way she was going to be able to get one of these statues. Really though, she probably should have known from the start she wouldn't be able to just walk in to a room and take a world famous statue.



Lucky for Aria though there were much fewer security cameras monitoring the museum's exterior. She maneuvered in to a position she was sure no camera could capture and stole the Mufasa statute at the entrance. Sure it wasn't as valuable as the others, considering it was modeled after a Disney cartoon movie and might have been made of plastic, but it would be enough. I don't see how she could have carried that other giant stone statue anyway.



Aria made it home just in time to crawl back in to bed as though she had been there all night.



Through some of her music contacts Aria was able to sell the statue quickly, and within a few days had all the cash she needed to send little Bea to boarding school. Despite Aria's worries about how to explain the money, it was incredibly easy to convince Adam it came from a distant relative's will. Of course, she should have known it was incredibly easy to convince Adam of most things, he is the guy who thought being a test subject sounded like a safe, reasonable job.



The ever grumpy Beatrice was genuinely ecstatic when Aria told her the news.



And when Beatrice couldn't sleep that night it wasn't because of her noisy brothers, she was just too excited to head off to her new school in the morning.



The next morning Beatrice left for Smuggington Prep School. Aria knew it would be better for her, that she would be able to learn more and make new friends, but even so couldn't help feeling a bit sad her baby was leaving home.

Adam on the other hand just sat there and ate breakfast like usual. Maybe he's just celebrating the same way he did with Beatrice's birth.



It eased Aria's aching heart to spend time with the twins. They had both received funny little dolls as a present from the hospital when they were born, and they looked so darling playing with them.



Not long after Beatrice's departure it was Aria's birthday. A nice cake, some colorful balloons, and her family were more than enough of a party for her.



Aria pondered what to wish for, while Adam anticipated cake eating. Or maybe he wanted to eat the ceiling light? I never know with this family.



With the candles all blown out Aria was ready to grow in to middle age.



She wasn't sure about her new, older appearance, but Adam approved. In his eyes she would always be just as lovely as when they first met.



And no matter how many years pass some things would always stay the same.

Aria: Cake time!