1900s: A Marriage in Free Fall

 

The last week of fall seems to be a week of birthdays in the Whittaker households. Not only is William born early Sunday morning, but a few hours later, Emily too goes into labor, giving birth to her second son who they name after her father: Edward. 

Emily is delighted at her little boy, and Frank too is enamoured with the little bundle of joy. Standing there, holding his newborn son in his arms, he feels... family orientated. Perhaps he can change? Perhaps he can be home more with his sons and wife. Be a present, and loving, father the way his own father was? Who says it's too late to change after all? 

 

For a while, it seems hopeful. John is delighted at his new baby brother, Frank vows to spend more time at home, and Emily is feeling hopeful about the future. Only addiction is addiction, and while Frank has the best of intentions, his body has other ideas.

Frank insist he does not have a problem, however. He can be at home more if he wants to. So what if he has a drink now or then? To celebrate the birth of another son? How can that be a problem?

That night, Frank does try. He truly does. But as Emily is busy feeding the kids, changing diapers and putting them to sleep... Frank is undeniably bored. He tries to read, to listen to music, to talk to a random fan coming to his doorstep, but at the end of the night, his is bored out of his mind. And then at night, the baby wakes up - at 2 am! How can anyone sleep in that? And he has work in the morning. Sleeping in the second bedroom is just a temporary measure!

As Frank heads off to work the next day, Abigail stops by to say hello to little Edward, and showing her darling John with attention. With her own baby at home, however, she does not stay for long, though her heart is deeply troubled with worry for Frank. Perhaps Emily is right though, and it will get better. She will keep onto her hope. 

 

That night, Frank comes home in a foul mood. He picks a fight with Emily almost the second he walks in and Frank wants nothing more than to just get out of the house. But he is determined to change, and instead invites James over for dinner. It wasn't what Emily had in mind when he said he'd be at home more often, but she makes the most of the situation. After all, it could be worse. James is her brother, and it could be that Matias character, who in spite of being married never brings his wife around. And she does appreciate the attempt Frank is making, even if James is more than happy to drink with him. At least he's at home. He even tries to entertain himself as Emily goes to bed the kids, but dancing on his own in the living room. It does very little to raise his fun, however. It's just not the same as at the bar. Why does home life has to be so utterly dull? As he heads to bed, he has no clue that he entirely forgot the third birthday this weeks. His wife's! 

As the middle off the week comes around, and Thanksgiving is moving ever closer, Abigail has her own intentions. Not only does she want to keep seeing her grandchildren, but she also wants to give extra attention to her daughter. Her grand debutant ball is just a day away, and Abigail is pinning all her hopes on finding her daughter a good, solid match at the ball. Someone who can sweep her off her feet and make her forget all about traveling around the world, riding horses or getting involved in politics! She starts the day with a visit to Ida's, to cuddle a bit with Melanie and catch up on the events in the Preston household. In comparison to Emily and Frank, life in the Preston household seems wonderfully uneventful.

As soon as the girls are home from school, Abigail has a surprise for them. There is a new exhibition at the museum. Some new artists are on display. Anna prepares to be utterly bored, but to her great surprise she is not. This is art like she's never seen it. Vibrant, different, up for interpretation! Abigail, on her end, is not impressed. What happened to painting things as they are? Not with weird colors or angles that has no place in the picture of a human! Even on this it seems the two cannot see eye to eye. 

 

While Abigail is entertaining her girls, Frank and Emily goes from bad to worse. Frank has invited people over, again, and this time Emily finally snaps. Not so much because of the guests, that is a part of being a politician's wife, she knows that, but when the power is suddenly cut off because Frank has been too drunk to remember to pay the bills. "Do you expect your children to freeze? Should we sit in the dark? What were you thinking?" This time, Frank doesn't even pretend to want to stay at home any longer. He pays his bills, and then, with Matias and James in tow, he heads straight for the bar. When he finally staggers home at two in the morning he goes straight for the extra bedroom.

As hungover as Frank might be, Thanksgiving still comes with lots of expectations. First both boys age up to infants, William with a sunny disposition, and Edward with a wiggly personality. But the main event this day is of course the ball! All unmarried and young people are invited, and hopes are high both for large charitable donations and for young love. Anna, however, is less than impressed. She hates the music, the food is mediocre, and a party like this is just not her cup of tea. It does not help that the old creep Goudeau insist on her attention. It does get slightly better as Charles Edwardsson, now a young adult with a good career and a future inherited fortune shows her attention (at least he's not a creep who possibly killed his wife.) As Charles asks her to dance, she politely accepts, but while her mother might get her hopes up, Anna does not. A dance to poor music is still boring. At least her dress is pretty. She does like her dress. Joseph on his end is struck with how much Anna looks like her mother.

Friday does not start better. Anna does dismally on this weeks exams! Perhaps if her parents didn't force her to go to balls the night before a school day she wouldn't have? Either way, Anna is determined to do what she enjoys today. Immediately after school, she heads for the stable, losing track of time as she tends to the foals and rides Lady. By the time she returns home, the rest of the family is already heading to bed. Anna settles for eating left overs, enjoying her own company. At the end of the day, she really has no need to start a family, or find someone to fall in love with. She is quite happy to be single and just live her life. Now if only her mother could understand as much.

Luckily for Anna, she does have a confidant in the family. As Alice is growing older, the two are growing closer. On Saturday morning, Alice wants to know everything about the ball, but doesn't mind listening when Anna talks more about horses, politics and whines about their parents.

Today, though, it's time for the final birthday of the week. Frank's. One step closer to being fully adult. Emily (who did not forget his birthday even if he forgot hers), has arranged for a family dinner. Now this is something Frank does enjoy. People, more people, and yet more people! The gramophone is playing jazz music, he's had a few drinks, he can enjoy the company of his sister, his best friend and his parents as Abigail plays with John, and Emily takes care of baby Edward. At the end of the night, he has no problem staying at home, or sleeping in the main bedroom. He even manages to persuade Emily to woohoo with him before bedtime. As they fall asleep they are both happy and relaxed, having had a wonderful day and evening. Now if only ever day could be like this.

As a side note of my own. Right now I'm quite enjoying playing multiple households, but let me know if things get too confusing with my jumping back and forth between them. I could try to split them up more when writing if that would help.