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[PRDGirls]

The one day something happened that made Lily’s life with Don -- she hated to even think of him as her father -- a little more bearable. She was lying on a lounge chair in front of the house, trying to catch the first warm rays of spring, when she met a boy.

His name was Ocean Patch, he played soccer and he was new to Pleasantview. He'd transferred to Pleasantview High from Veronaville High after PHS hired away the VHS soccer coach, who happened to be Ocean's dad.

They hung out all afternoon and decided to sit together the next day at lunch. To Lily’s surprised, she noticed the next day that she and Ocean had many of the same classes. It wasn't long before they were a couple.

They shared their first kisses with each other.

And since Don worked until six, Ocean would often ride the bus home with Lily, where they would watch TV, listen to music, soak in the hot tub... or cuddle on the couch.

Then one evening Don came home from work to find them cuddling in the hot tub… and went ballistic.

"I won't have this kind of behavior under my roof!" he shouted at Lily, after he'd practically shoved Ocean out the front door.

"Like father like daughter, huh?" she shouted back. "You have a different woman here every night and you've been stringing poor Cassandra Goth along for years. You wear her ring, yet you have no intention of ever marrying her... let alone giving up Kaylynn, Nina and the gods know who else. So don't talk to me about that kind of behavior. Especially since what you saw is the only thing Ocean and I have ever done. Unlike you, he respects girls."

At first she didn't think her words had any affect on him at all. Don immediately went out and picked up a new woman named Gina.

Dina, Nina, Gina, Lily thought. You'd think the man could be a little more original.

But then he started doing strange things... like asking Lily about school and suggesting she invite Ocean over for dinner some night. It was kind of like starting over, although neither Don or Lily ever called it that.

One night Don got home as she was sitting down to dinner, so they actually ate together. Lily had to admit it wasn't terrible.

And another night she came home from a date with Ocean to find Don smustle dancing in the dining room. Sometimes he was just like a big kid, which was kind of... cool.

But the nicest thing of all was that for her sixteenth birthday, Don bought her a car so she wouldn't have to ride the bus to school anymore. It was an old yellow VW Beetle, but she’d always wanted one.

Don's own car was a pile of junk. He'd been saying when he got a raise he'd buy a new one, but when he was promoted to resident at the hospital, he bought Lily one instead. She couldn't help being touched by the gesture.

One morning at breakfast, she worked up the nerve to ask Don about her mother.

"I thought she was the prettiest girl I ever saw," he admitted.

"Prettier than NinaDinaGina?" Lily asked.

Don laughed as he nodded. "In that one night I fell for her. Hard. And then she was gone. I didn't know her name. I didn't know how to find her. She just... disappeared."

Before Lily could ask anything else, Don changed the subject.

"So I was thinkin' we could, you know, fix up the kitchen a little bit and maybe try to add on a room for you."


...to be continued...

[PRDGirls]

A couple weeks later, Lily returned from school to find the living room completely remodeled. The lounge lizard decor was gone, replaced by something that was... tasteful. Really nice.

It was the same in the kitchen, the bathroom and... oh the goddess! Don had even gotten his own bedroom redecorated! As Lily toured the house in wonder, amazed that he'd gone to such great lengths, she heard him calling her name.

"Behind the kitchen!" he shouted. "In the addition."

Addition?

"Do you like it?" he asked, as Lily entered the room. It was decorated very much like the room she'd shared with Christopher in Ada’s old house. She loved it!

Lily couldn't help herself. She hugged him. "Thanks...um... Dad."

It seemed as if Don had really changed. Their relationship was better. The house felt more like a place where Lily was welcome. And... he'd even bought new clothes.

But what came next was truly shocking...

He fired Kaylynn.

He broke up with Nina......then Gina......and then Dina.

Nina begged him to take her back, but Don sent her away.

Not even Kaylynn's tears could sway him.

And the most shocking thing of all was that he broke up with Cassandra Goth.

"B-b-but I thought you loved me," she stammered, her eyes filling with tears.

"I'm sorry," Don said. "I don't. And you'd be better off without a guy like me. You need someone like Darren Dreamer. A guy who will always love you."

*

Although she visited him often, Lily hated the idea of Christopher living all alone. And she especially hated his girlfriend, Allyn. She wasn’t much older than Christopher and Lily, but she couldn’t help wonder why Allyn didn’t have a boyfriend her own age. What Lily didn't know was that Don felt the same way.

He confronted Christopher.

"She's wrong for you, son," Don said. "She's too old and I've seen her around. She's--"

"Like you?" Christopher retorted.

"Okay, I admit it... that's fair, but I've broken up with all the women I've been dating. I'm trying to clean up my act and be a good father."

"I don't need a father."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Don agreed. "But that doesn't erase the fact that we share the same DNA. And it doesn't erase the fact that Allyn Thompson is bad news."


...to be continued...

[PRDGirls]

A few days later, Christopher returned home from work when Sierra Simpson walked by. He recognized her from Lily’s math class at PHS. It had been his math class, too, before he dropped out.

"Why aren't you at PHS anymore?" she asked. "Did you transfer?"

"No," he replied. "I quit. I've got better things to do with my time than school."

"Like what?"

"Anything," Christopher said. "I've got a part-time job at the gas station and the rest of my time I can do whatever I want."

"That sounds boring," Sierra said. "But I'm glad that's working for you. Are you going to the Disasters concert this weekend?"

"Nah, I'm kinda short on cash," he answered.

"That‘s too bad," she said over her shoulder as she walked away. "It‘s going to be a great show."

For a moment, Christopher wished he was just a regular teenager. If his Gran was still alive, he’d have been able to go to that concert. He pushed those thoughts aside and later complained to Lily about Don’s interference in his life.

"He wasn't around for all these years," he said. "He has no business telling me what to do."

"Christopher, Dad didn't even know about us," Lily pointed out. "He didn't know Mom's name and it wasn't until we were little kids that he found Gran. She sent him away and told him to never come back."

Christopher was silent for a long time after that. Then he finally spoke.

"It gets kind of lonely at Gran's house," he said.

"Why don't you stay here tonight?" Lily suggested. "Tomorrow's Saturday. We can have breakfast together before you go home."

The next morning over blueberry pancakes, Don apologized to Christopher for saying bad things about Allyn.

"I was out of line, pokin' my nose where it don't belong," he said. "I was kinda hopin' you'd, you know, forgive me and maybe think about movin' in here with me and Lily."

Christopher grunted. "I'll think about it."


...to be continued...

[PRDGirls]

Later that night, Christopher showed up on Don’s doorstep. His heart was broken after learning Allyn had been seeing several other men. And he was just plain worn out from taking care of Gran's old house.

"Is the offer still open?" he asked.

Don gave him a hug. "Yep."

He made quick work of having another bedroom built for Christopher right above Lily’s room. And with Sierra visiting frequently, Christopher soon forgot all about Allyn.

Christopher went back to school and began earning good grades. The twins began talking about where they might attend college. Christopher and Sierra were thinking about Academie Le Tour, while Ocean and Lily were interested in Sim State.

But as their happiness grew, Lily couldn’t help but notice how sad Don looked. He'd given up his Romance ways to be a better father. He'd even changed his aspiration to Family. But now he was lonely.

She had an idea.

One afternoon while Don was lounging in the hot tub, Lily and Christopher went on an errand. When they returned, we called Don down to the yard.

They’d driven all the way to Strangetown and told their story to Lazlo Curious. It took all of Ada's inheritance as a security deposit, but they drove home with the Resurrect-O-Nomitron. Without hesitation, Don picked up the receiver and dialed the Grim Reaper.

And after a cloud of green smoke, Emily was there... just as young and beautiful as Don remembered her.

She hugged Lily first.

“I didn’t get to hold you the first time,” Emily whispered to her daughter.

Then she hugged Christopher whose face was happier than Lily had ever seen.

And then Emily kissed Don.

"My name is Don, by the way," he whispered. "And I love you."

"I don't even know you," she whispered back. "But I’m pretty sure love you, too."

Dad got down on one knee. "I'm hoping you'll spend the rest of our lives getting to know me."

In case you're wondering? The answer was yes.


And they all lived happily ever after... even Poppy.

[silverpole]

A great big AWWWW!

[suzdez999]

Aww that was a lovely story. I really enjoyed it.

Sue :D

[Saoz]

That was very sweet. :wub:

[Sw8_one3]

:wub: That was so sweet! I think I've got Don tied up in my family bin, can't believe I never thought to change his aspiration :duh:. And, Yes Please, pm the link to me :ty:

[eclectictsunami]

Wow, I can't believe I missed this whole entire story! :lol:
(I figured it was Don all along. ;) As soon as I saw Christopher as a toddler...yep, dead ringer for Daddy!)
A lovely little tale. :wub:

[MsBarrows]

Great big Aaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww from me too, very sweet little story :wub:

[jess007]

That was wonderful! :wub: Thank-god for Lazlo, eh? :D

[PRDGirls]

Thanks for the lovely comments, everyone! I had started a similar story ages ago as a photostory I never finished. So when I re-created the family and dropped them in Pleasantview, I was trying to come up with something different from the first one. Enter the Don. I've always imagined him as kind of a slick-talking New Yawka with kids he didn't know about, but he turned out incredibly sweet.

[lorelei92950ann]

Good pacing, nice surprises. All the pix were good, but one of them was especially good--kind of creepy, yet fascinating when you viewed it and perfect for complimenting the sometimes eerie mood of the story at that point. It was the one of Christopher as a child always looking into the fish tank. I'll check out the rest of your stories soon.:D

[jsf]

I just found this story and loved it. Your pictures really make it come alive. I love happy endings :wub: