1939: The End of another Decade
For Thomas, being able to stay and finish the term is a relief, and it gives him hope that he'll be allowed to stay on next semester too. After all, he graduates come spring, that's not too long, surely his parents will let him stay then?
Not that school itself is all that fun, but at least he knows the people, and has to admit that some of the girls are cute.
Josephine and Nash are having a harder time to deal with their baby boy growing up faster than they wanted him to. In fact, the entire ordeal took a rather massive toll on their marriage. Josephine was not all too fond of this new angrier side of Nash, and he has a hard time dealing with her letting go of their boy too easily.
To boot, things are not all that good at work either. He had hoped that this job would be their ticket to a better life, and he really wants to do a good job, but no sooner had he started than he discovered that the Landgraabs aren't just ordinary business owners:
So what do you do when you find something like this out? On the one hand, he ought to hand the papers over the the government, and expose the Landgraabs. It's the right thing to do. It's the legal thing to do. On the other hand, that would mean losing the first job he's had in a decade, as well as their new home as he gets that from the Landgraabs, and most likely include a blacklisting for disloyalty meaning he might never get a job again. At the end of the day, Nash makes sure the compromising papers are lost to the world.
By the time he returns home he's tired and stressed, and dinner that night is tense. It feels strange not to have his eldest at the table, and the apartment is undoubtedly on the small side. Even he has to admit that it feels cramped compared to the farm house. But as night settles, and the kids go to sleep, he and Josephine still takes the time to talk it out, to miss their boy, and to admit that maybe they need to make more of an effort. Things aren't fantastic when they go to bed, but it's better than before and a step in the right direction.
Before long, Christmas has arrived. It's been decided that with all of them on the West coast, they will celebrate Christmas together. As Alice and Cora has the greater house, they'll host it this year. And with all of her (biological) children in one spot, even Abigail has agreed to come!
At Alice and Cora's preparations are in full swing. Cora is making dinner, Alice has decorated the tree, gotten one of the spare bedrooms ready for her mother, the other one for Anna and there is a huge present pile waiting for everyone.
Dinner goes really well and everyone compliments Cora on her cooking. After dinner they gather in the living room, talking, laughing, listening to music. The kids run outside to play marbles and catches Father Christmas there. Then they open presents and sing carols around the tree just as they did when they were kids.
At the end of the night, Abigail, tired after such a long day, draws back into the private sitting room and takes a moment to appreciate having so many of her loved ones under one roof. She realises that her aspiration of a big happy family actually is complete.
While Abigail, Anna and Johnny are staying on at Alice's, she has put William and Amanda, as well as Josephine and her entire family up at the Biltmore hotel. It's a form of luxury that none of the kids have ever seen, and to be fair, both Nash and Josephine, though once rich, have probably never experienced luxury at this level either.
But as impressive as the hotel is, it's late, and everyone is tired. It's straight to bed.
The next morning, however, they all get to enjoy breakfast from the buffet in the dining hall, and the kids get to go swimming in the pool while mom and dad relax in the sauna.
"Maybe we should have been in showbusiness," Josephine jokes. "I could get used to this."
But real life comes knocking on the door and everyone needs to return home. Abigail, having gone far for only a weekend, has agreed to come with Anna and stay there until the end of the year.
"I don't think a Del Sol New Year's Party is really up your alley," she jokes. Abigail agrees.
They're all a little tired when they return to the farm, so after the necessary care has been given to the animals, they spend the rest of the day taking it easy, knitting, reading and cuddling the dog. In the late afternoon, Abigail cooks them dinner ("Mom, you really don't have to!" "But I want to!") which everyone in the house appreciates it.
Not that school itself is all that fun, but at least he knows the people, and has to admit that some of the girls are cute.
Josephine and Nash are having a harder time to deal with their baby boy growing up faster than they wanted him to. In fact, the entire ordeal took a rather massive toll on their marriage. Josephine was not all too fond of this new angrier side of Nash, and he has a hard time dealing with her letting go of their boy too easily.
To boot, things are not all that good at work either. He had hoped that this job would be their ticket to a better life, and he really wants to do a good job, but no sooner had he started than he discovered that the Landgraabs aren't just ordinary business owners:
So what do you do when you find something like this out? On the one hand, he ought to hand the papers over the the government, and expose the Landgraabs. It's the right thing to do. It's the legal thing to do. On the other hand, that would mean losing the first job he's had in a decade, as well as their new home as he gets that from the Landgraabs, and most likely include a blacklisting for disloyalty meaning he might never get a job again. At the end of the day, Nash makes sure the compromising papers are lost to the world.
By the time he returns home he's tired and stressed, and dinner that night is tense. It feels strange not to have his eldest at the table, and the apartment is undoubtedly on the small side. Even he has to admit that it feels cramped compared to the farm house. But as night settles, and the kids go to sleep, he and Josephine still takes the time to talk it out, to miss their boy, and to admit that maybe they need to make more of an effort. Things aren't fantastic when they go to bed, but it's better than before and a step in the right direction.
Before long, Christmas has arrived. It's been decided that with all of them on the West coast, they will celebrate Christmas together. As Alice and Cora has the greater house, they'll host it this year. And with all of her (biological) children in one spot, even Abigail has agreed to come!
At Alice and Cora's preparations are in full swing. Cora is making dinner, Alice has decorated the tree, gotten one of the spare bedrooms ready for her mother, the other one for Anna and there is a huge present pile waiting for everyone.
Dinner goes really well and everyone compliments Cora on her cooking. After dinner they gather in the living room, talking, laughing, listening to music. The kids run outside to play marbles and catches Father Christmas there. Then they open presents and sing carols around the tree just as they did when they were kids.
At the end of the night, Abigail, tired after such a long day, draws back into the private sitting room and takes a moment to appreciate having so many of her loved ones under one roof. She realises that her aspiration of a big happy family actually is complete.
While Abigail, Anna and Johnny are staying on at Alice's, she has put William and Amanda, as well as Josephine and her entire family up at the Biltmore hotel. It's a form of luxury that none of the kids have ever seen, and to be fair, both Nash and Josephine, though once rich, have probably never experienced luxury at this level either.
But as impressive as the hotel is, it's late, and everyone is tired. It's straight to bed.
The next morning, however, they all get to enjoy breakfast from the buffet in the dining hall, and the kids get to go swimming in the pool while mom and dad relax in the sauna.
"Maybe we should have been in showbusiness," Josephine jokes. "I could get used to this."
But real life comes knocking on the door and everyone needs to return home. Abigail, having gone far for only a weekend, has agreed to come with Anna and stay there until the end of the year.
"I don't think a Del Sol New Year's Party is really up your alley," she jokes. Abigail agrees.
They're all a little tired when they return to the farm, so after the necessary care has been given to the animals, they spend the rest of the day taking it easy, knitting, reading and cuddling the dog. In the late afternoon, Abigail cooks them dinner ("Mom, you really don't have to!" "But I want to!") which everyone in the house appreciates it.
The next day they go into town. Anna has signed all three horses up for different competitions and the whole family goes to watch her ride. It goes well. Misty comes out third, and Bronco and Starbuck both win their competitions. Even Abigail thought it was quite thrilling to see.
That night they make their resolutions. Abigail, being tired, goes to bed early while the others light fireworks and wait for the 1930s to turn into the 1940s.
On the first day of the new year, Thomas sits down to speak to his grandmother.
"Why won't you stay?"
"Do you want me to?"
"Of course I do! I mean, none of the other two can cook!"
Abigail laughs, but for once she also listens. Her daughter has been trying to convince her, but it is Thomas she finally listens to. After all, how can she say no to her grandson?
"Why won't you stay?"
"Do you want me to?"
"Of course I do! I mean, none of the other two can cook!"
Abigail laughs, but for once she also listens. Her daughter has been trying to convince her, but it is Thomas she finally listens to. After all, how can she say no to her grandson?
Soon, Abigails painting of Windenburg's Cathedral pride the wall in the dining room, and her wedding certificates hang on her new bedroom wall. Perhaps she is farther from her beloved Joseph's grave, but she thinks she will like it here all the same.
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