Chapter 3: To sow the seeds of our own rebirth

Meri's family and friends gathered in the park for his wedding to Allyn. 

They vow to love one another forever, while their audience sighs and weeps.

"I wish I had words to tell you how happy I am right now,: he says, to soft for anyone else to hear.

"You don't have to say," she replies, "I feel the same."

The kiss is an obligatory part of the rite, but for that moment they are truly alone with each other, unaware of the applauding, sobbing audience.

After the ceremony comes cake and dancing under the gazebo.

Erys, still thwarted in his desire to marry Meri's sister, accuses Bricelle of influencing Melusine. Completely unfairly, as all Bricelle has ever wanted was for her children to be happy.

After the public party breaks up, they return to the Dayspring house for a family gathering. Bricelle is overjoyed to see her son settled down, but she worries about her daughter's relationship. Bricelle doesn't speak of her mother, who would have been immortal if she hadn't to chosen to die along with her mortal husband, but it's obvious she's been much on her mind

"I've never seen my brother happier," Melusine admits to Allyn. It was hard for her to come to trust a fox spirit with Meri's heart, but Melusine can't deny the obvious joy her new sister-in-law has brought her brother. "Welcome to the family."

Allyn hugs her gratefully. A family was all she ever wanted.

Meri tucks his niece into her crib before they leave. Her tiny hand clings to his as he sets her down, and she looks up at him with such innocent affection, he hates to let her go.

Meri brings up his desire to have children to Allyn, and she admits that she was hoping to get started on a family right away. But before they can expand their family, they need a bigger house. They buy a larger house on the other end of the street with plenty of extra bedrooms for children.

As soon as they are settled in, they put their plans in motion.

While she's upgrading the new toilet, Allyn suffers a bout of nausea, a sure sign of pregnancy.

Melusine has invited her to visit the nectary together, and Allyn excitedly tells her about her pregnancy. "Meri doesn't know yet. Well, he knows we were trying," Allyn laughs, "But I just got my first symptoms today. I'm not positive that I'm pregnant, but I'm mostly pretty sure. I can't wait to tell him."

"That's great," Melusine says, but her voice doesn't convey any happiness.

"Is something wrong?" Allyn asks.

"I'm sorry, I really am overjoyed for you and Meri. It's just, I'm having the same symptoms as you."

"You think we caught some bug, and I'm not really pregnant?" Allyn asks, deflated. She's never been pregnant, and was just going by what she's read about it.

"No," Melusine laughs, "I think we're both pregnant."

"Oh!" Allyn beams happily, then frowns, But you and Erys...I mean, is it...?" 

"Yes, it's Erys, there's no one else," Melusine says, smiling despite herself, "His parents were unable to have children for thousands of years, but Erys manages to get me pregnant without even trying."

"Are you...okay?" Allyn asks, not knowing how to put it.

Melusine grabs Allyn into a friendly embrace, "I really am happy for you and Meri. It's great our kids will grow up together. Don't worry about me, I'll figure out what I want to do about Erys eventually."

Allyn's pregnancy is soon confirmed.

"Do you mind if I watch TV?" Allyn asks, not wanting to disturb Meri while he studies his cooking books. He's hoping to be promoted to executive chef.

"Go ahead," he answers, not looking up from the page.

After a few minutes he puts the book down and leans over to put an arm around her. "Do you think it's a girl or a boy?" he asks, stroking her growing belly.

"Girl," she answers, "But don't let me interrupt your reading."

"Nothing is more important than you," Meri assures her, "I can read later."

Later he gets a call from Melusine; their mother has passed away.

The next morning, their daughter Brynne is born.

Meri wears his happiest face as they settle Brynne into her nursery.

His grief overcomes him while he's alone, working in his garden.

Somewhere in her past, Allyn parents abandoned her to the system. As she holds her daughter close, Allyn can't imagine ever letting her go.

After giving birth to a son, Avery, Melusine decided to marry Erys. The couple have a small ceremony at their house for family only.  

"I'm glad you finally deciided to do it," Meri congratulates his sister.

"Life is too short," Melusine answers, "For us mortals, anyway. Erys will be the one suffer, living on past after me, and our children. I wanted to spare him that, but he was right, he's going to suffer that now no matter what I do, and all I was doing was making him suffer now, and me along with him."

She doesn't say it, but their mother's death clearly inspired her decision.

Meri visits his new nephew, Avery Dayspring-Summerdream.

Jacelyn dressed up for the wedding, but stayed upstairs playing with the toys in Meri's childhood bedroom. Since Bricelle died, he's become withdrawn and unresponsive, retreating into his memories.

Melusine calls Meri later when they are back home, worried about their father. "I don't think he'll be staying around much longer," she says sadly.

His sister was right; Jacelyn died the next night.

Meri visits his parents' graves after work to mourn, doubly sad that his children will never know their grandparents.

Brynne is growing quickly, and it is her innocent joy that brings Meri out of his grief.

"We still have empty rooms," Meris suggests when they go to bed that night.

"Let's fill them," Allyn answers.

Soon after, Allyn and Meri are expecting their second child.

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Notes:
I'm using a mod that allows non-vegetarian Sims to make vegetarian meals, because that's always been a pet peeve of mine. However, the double recipes kind of screws with the Culinary Librarian LTW and the Menu Maven cooking skill challenge, in that these double recipes count against the total. So, Meri has achieved his LTW way too early, and has completed the Menu Maven portion of the cooking skill.
The LTW doesn't matter to the challenge, but he is going for the Perfectionist goal in the Cooking skill. Even though the game acknowledges as the menu maven as complete, I won't consider the goal complete until he's actually learned 28 recipes not including the veggie doubles.
Also, I think the new Pets recipes for gourmet pet food are skewing this LTW and the skill challenge, as they count as regular recipes in the skill tab. *rolleyes at EA*

Roll for Gen 2 is: Couple, 2 kids. Primary career is Stylist, secondary is Political. The goal is Social Bunny and the Misc fun is Fashion Diva.
Meri and Allyn need to have 3 children, I won't pick an heir until I've seen them all.

All the elders I started this town with have died, except Scarlett Goldbeard, who lives with his now YA son Rezi and his wife Liara. Like Scarlett and his sister, Mittens, Scarlett's children have married siblings, Ariel and Liara Hawksquill.

This chapter title is a line from the song 'A Passage in Time' by Dead Can Dance.
I forgot to mention that the title of the Prologue is a line from 'Pissing in a River' by Patti Smith.