Lindsay just continues to wail.
Brush the horse. Feed the horse. Pet the horse. Rinse. Repeat. Hopefully Cameo will warm up to Jude soon because he's running low on carrots.
Jude does not have a handle on riding. Perhaps this was a terrible career choice. How am I ever going to make enough money to pay off Rebecca at this rate? Cameo is still on the fence about this sim.
Varinia and Claude enjoy the fact that everyone but the toddler are out of the house.
"When is the last time we had a quiet house?" Varinia asks.
"Never," Claude responds with a short chuckle. "We've always had a house full of love."
Bodica wants nothing to do with any of it, thank you very much.
"Grandma, I don't think this is right. She's playing the notes all out of order!"
Jolie is seriously concerned with Lindsay's lack of musical acuity.
Meanwhile, Michele's search for a date has led her to whining to her best friend about her awful luck.
"I have no one to go to formal with, Ros. I am literally, almost, related to every single boy our age in school. Isn't one of my step-cousins taking you to formal?" Michele sighs, "Who am I going to go with?"
"I think Jermey would actually be your first cousin once removed if your dad would actually marry Ms. Van Hofwegen."
"Ugh, I know! Like, first it's all, 'This is my new girlfriend. Isn't she awesome?' Then like, 'We're going to uproot our lives and move across town, isn't that great?' Now they won't even get married. Why did we have to rearrange our lives just so they can keep doing what they already had been doing? Ros, my life is a mess."
"I might have an idea," Rosanna says. "About formal that is."
Michele's eyebrows shoot up.
"My brother. . .," Rosanna begins.
Michele quickly interrupts, "But he's just a kid!"
Rosanna shakes her head and sighs, "Just come to my house."
"We could get a stretch limo!" Deric says excitedly. "Assuming you'd want to go with me that is."
Rosanna sits quietly hoping to sink into the couch. There's nothing more awkward than hoping your brother and best friend start dating or whatever.
I can't believe Shanda agreed to the divorce. I guess she can't imagine giving up globetrotting to spend some time with her child. How did I get myself into this situation? One ex that disappeared into the night and another that is blackmailing me.
Jude drags a hand across his face as he stares at the paperwork. The only thing he has going for him is that Shanda signed the papers without contesting anything. He's finally getting his divorce and full custody of Michele too. The weight of Shanda has finally been lifted. Now if only he could rid himself of Rebecca so easily.
"Smile, can you say smile?"
Lindsay grunts.
"Mommy and Daddy are going to get married. Doesn't that make you want to smile? Doesn't that make you want to talk?"
Lindsay turns away and starts chasing a butterfly.
"I guess not," Jude says through a smirk.
"I'm so glad Ros introduced us," Deric says. "I would have been too shy to approach you otherwise."
"Why is that?" Michele asks.
"Because you're so beautiful," he says while a furious blush creeps across his skin.
Michele grins and buries her face in his neck.
"Can't wait for formal," Rickey says as he steals a kiss.
"Mmmmhhhhmmm," Jolie agrees. "But you should probably go home before my parents get back."
Vera sighs, "Maybe one day I'll get a ring."
"Ring!" Lindsay screams.
"That's right!"
For some reason, everyone wants to confide in the baby.
It's graduation day for some of the family members. Dahlia and Jermey instantly swarm Varinia.
"Hello, children. How's the real world treating you?"
"I'm going to be a firefighter," Jermey announces. "I'm heading to training right after formal tonight."
Dahlia holds two fingers to her temple, "I sense this is a terrible career choice for you."
Jermey rolls his eyes. "I wasn't asking you," he huffs. "Shove off!"
"Dahlia stop teasing. Jermey apologize. I thought you two were adults."
Dahlia shrugs and winks.
Ephraim is afraid? The real world is beckoning and he's not on board with that at all.
"It'll be fine," Varinia reassures him. "Look at me. Started from nothing and now we're like an empire. Large and strong! Jermey is off to be a firefighter which has to be at least a little bit scarier than whatever you decide to do. Unless you decide to be a firefighter too."
Ephraim just shakes his head and gulps.
Varinia returns home and spends the afternoon slamming the drums.
"Hear that, Lindsay?" she yells, "This is how you JAM!"
The boys arrive to pick up Jolie and Michele. They look ever so dapper in their suits.
Michele tugs on her dress.
"Are you sure this looks ok?" she asks Jolie.
Jolie smirks, "You look great! Stop worrying so much! Deric is so into you he wouldn't notice if you were wearing a potato sack!"
"It's too bad they couldn't afford to throw the formal at a venue instead of the school gym," Rickey complains. "It kind of takes a little bit away from the night."
"Let's just have fun!"
"What are you looking at?" Michele asks.
"You look gorgeous. I can't stop staring. I'm sorry," Deric says as he hangs his head.
"Don't apologize! I'm glad you think so."
Michele smiles and bites her bottom lip, "You look good too," she finally blurts out.
"I'm supposed to be at the formal to chaperone soon," Vera says.
"Let's just enjoy our date a little longer. We're celebrating! Divorce papers are filed! I'm finally free from one hurdle."
"I still can't believe she returned them. Where did they find her?"
"The postage was stamped in Champs Les Sims so, Fransim I guess? Still enjoying her wanderlust. She didn't even ask for visitation with Michele," Jude says sadly.
"I'm sorry, Jude. Maybe she just thinks Michele will seek her out when she's older?"
"It doesn't matter. Shanda has never really reached out to Michele and I don't think Michele remembers her enough to miss her."
The girls have a fantastic time at formal. Deric and Michele agree to go steady and she couldn't be more thrilled to have a boyfriend that she isn't weirdly almost related to. Jolie and Rickey are awarded prom king and queen. Jolie is shocked and flattered to find her classmates know who she is and even like her enough to vote for her.
It seems cruel to have to go to school the day after formal. Homeroom was made for catching up on sleep, right?
The family heads to the fall festival. Michael is very excited by the PDA coming from Vera and Jude. Michele is mostly indifferent.
Until Jude kneels and pulls a ring out of thin air. Michele gasps audibly and holds Lindsay tight.
"Will you marry me?" Jude asks through shaky breaths.
"Yes, woooo!" Michael hollers before Vera can even react.
Amira shakes her head, "Let her answer for herself, dear."
Vera's whole body shivers with excitement, "Yes! Yes, of course!"
"It's about time," Jolie mutters.
"We're finally going to have a complete family," Jude whispers into Lindsay's ear.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jude had a spouse that was greyed out in his panel and I could never get her to visit so that they could divorce and it was driving me crazy because he keeps getting a bad reputation. I finally forced her to visits and they were able to divorce. YAY!
