1940: Abigail's legacy
Back in Britechester, Thomas, like David, has opted for taking a summer term rather than returning to the fall. It does mean forgoing a summer holiday, but also finishing university faster, so he can get on with a life that now seems so clear to him. Start working as a doctor, probably ask Donna to be his wife, have kids...
But then life seems to have other plans, as an old acquaintance walks through the door. Betty Ellis and Thomas were never friends, as she is a fair few years younger than him, but he's seen her around at times. Now she has grown up into a beautiful young woman, and before Thomas knows it he has not only struck up a conversation with her, but joined the debate team and is debating for all his worth to impress her. He doesn't even care all that much for debating, to be fair, but Betty looks at him and smiles and that's all he needs.
Over the next few days they see each other a fair bit. At debate practice, talking at dinner, taking walks in the sunshine, cloudgazing. Betty is easy to talk to, easy to get to know (he still does not know Donna well enough to be able to tell you her three defining traits, and while they have a good combability it's nothing compared to the amazing combability he has with Betty. He finds himself changing, mellowing, and enjoying her company more and more. He finds he likes homebody sims.
Whenever Betty leaves, and she always leaves, Thomas stares at her as she goes. Until the day he can't stand to see her go, but takes a chance to kiss her.
Luckily, Betty doesn't mind, and Thomas makes sure to quickly tell her that this is not just some game. He asks her to go steady, and once she says yes, he finds a new side within himself. A romantic side that he didn't even know he had.
But past relationships does not just go away, and Thomas knows he needs to face Donna at some point. While they have never talked about where their relationship is going, he knows she has expectations and as he sees her around campus a fair bit, he cannot just ignore her. No, the only way to deal with this is head on. He needs to talk to her.
He arranges to meet her at the library, on a day he knows Betty won't be there, so that he can talk to her alone - and get some studying in afterwards. However, how do you tell someone you really like and don't want to hurt something you know will hurt her? It's not as easy as it should be, so he talks, laughs, learns a bit more about her, and even kiss, before he gets a sick feeling in his stomach of guilt and just spurts it out. Can they just be friends?
Donna takes the news a bit too easily for Thomas ego, but he lets it go, reminding himself that it's better that she doesn't seem even the least bit hurt. The rest of the day he focuses on his studies and one of the two term papers he has to write.
When he returns home it's late, and he almost oversleeps the next morning, settling for a quick sandwich for breakfast instead of going to Darby's. He almost jumps out of his skin when Donna suddenly appears. "We're still friends, right? What's the problem?" she asks.
Over the next few days Donna shows up again and again. First as a friend, then talking to his room mates. They certainly don't mind her showing up, and soon she is the center of attention. If it is because she likes the attention, or if she wants Thomas to notice, he doesn't know. To be honest he doesn't really care either, not when Betty's arms are right there waiting for him.
And somehow, after a few too many drinks perhaps, their first time ends up being a messy affair.
Just as everything is sorting itself out, and he's on the homestretch, the news that Abigail has passed away in her sleep reaches him.
The news hits Thomas hard, and he feels the weight of reality crash through the bubble of happiness he's created for himself here. He calls his aunt, asking if he should come home and cut his studies short. She is adamant that he does not. "Nothing would make your grandmother more unhappy than you forsaking your future," she tells him. "Do your tests, hand in your papers, and come home after graduation. We won't bury mom until you get here, I promise."
And so Thomas does as he's told, hurrying to finish up the last of term, miraculously managing to hold it together during presentations and final exams. His final grades are fairly okay given the circumstances. He packs up as soon as he's gotten them, returning home before his graduation party. Who cares about a graduation anyway, he has his grades, his diploma, it's all he needs.
He returns home to find Anna in the paddock with the horses, seeking solace in the company she likes best. Baby Gale is adorable, and demanding of attention, and Thomas too finds solace in the touch of a soft nose begging for attention.
They take off for Willow Creek the next morning, having arranged for a neighbor to take care of the horses and animals while they are gone. Spreading out with various family members, they only stay long enough to bury Abigail next to her beloved Joseph. It was Abigail's last wish, and while it means having her grave a far way off, they'd never deny her that.
Even though the family begs them to stay longer, Anna, Johnny and Thomas wants to return to the farm as fast as possible, where Thomas again retreats into his shell and his habit of sitting in the treehouse, staring into space.
This time Anna joins him. "It just seems so pointless," he says.
"What would your grandmother say to such thinking?" Anna asks.
"That I should get married and have a bunch of kids?"
Anna laughs a bit. "Yes, well that was her way of saying that she'd want you to be happy. She was so proud of you for choosing to become a doctor, you know. And this girl you've written home about, Betty? She liked that too. It made her happy."
"I just up and left. I didn't even say goodbye."
"So make it better. Don't let yourself be consumed by grief. It took me far too many years to learn that lesson, to learn to take happiness where to find it instead of mourning the happiness you had."
"So I should go ask Betty to marry me, is that what you're saying?"
"If it would make you happy, yes, you should. If not, then don't. I will never tell you how to live your life, as long as you actually live it."
With that Anna leaves him to make his own decision, but really it's not that difficult. Just thinking of Betty makes his heart tighten. The very next day, even if it's his 25th birthday, Thomas takes off on the buss ride to Betty's family's house. He knows that's where he'll find her, and once he has her in his arms, he knows he's never going to let go.
Asking her to marry him, however, turns out to be a challenge in a house with another three adults and on top of that three kids. First Thomas has to meet Betty's mother, then her grandmother, and her sisters. A bit frustrated, and overwhelmed, he finally tells her mother what he is there to do. Luckily, she's delighted and tell him to use the sitting room.
But then life seems to have other plans, as an old acquaintance walks through the door. Betty Ellis and Thomas were never friends, as she is a fair few years younger than him, but he's seen her around at times. Now she has grown up into a beautiful young woman, and before Thomas knows it he has not only struck up a conversation with her, but joined the debate team and is debating for all his worth to impress her. He doesn't even care all that much for debating, to be fair, but Betty looks at him and smiles and that's all he needs.
Over the next few days they see each other a fair bit. At debate practice, talking at dinner, taking walks in the sunshine, cloudgazing. Betty is easy to talk to, easy to get to know (he still does not know Donna well enough to be able to tell you her three defining traits, and while they have a good combability it's nothing compared to the amazing combability he has with Betty. He finds himself changing, mellowing, and enjoying her company more and more. He finds he likes homebody sims.
Whenever Betty leaves, and she always leaves, Thomas stares at her as she goes. Until the day he can't stand to see her go, but takes a chance to kiss her.
Luckily, Betty doesn't mind, and Thomas makes sure to quickly tell her that this is not just some game. He asks her to go steady, and once she says yes, he finds a new side within himself. A romantic side that he didn't even know he had.
But past relationships does not just go away, and Thomas knows he needs to face Donna at some point. While they have never talked about where their relationship is going, he knows she has expectations and as he sees her around campus a fair bit, he cannot just ignore her. No, the only way to deal with this is head on. He needs to talk to her.
He arranges to meet her at the library, on a day he knows Betty won't be there, so that he can talk to her alone - and get some studying in afterwards. However, how do you tell someone you really like and don't want to hurt something you know will hurt her? It's not as easy as it should be, so he talks, laughs, learns a bit more about her, and even kiss, before he gets a sick feeling in his stomach of guilt and just spurts it out. Can they just be friends?
Donna takes the news a bit too easily for Thomas ego, but he lets it go, reminding himself that it's better that she doesn't seem even the least bit hurt. The rest of the day he focuses on his studies and one of the two term papers he has to write.
When he returns home it's late, and he almost oversleeps the next morning, settling for a quick sandwich for breakfast instead of going to Darby's. He almost jumps out of his skin when Donna suddenly appears. "We're still friends, right? What's the problem?" she asks.
Over the next few days Donna shows up again and again. First as a friend, then talking to his room mates. They certainly don't mind her showing up, and soon she is the center of attention. If it is because she likes the attention, or if she wants Thomas to notice, he doesn't know. To be honest he doesn't really care either, not when Betty's arms are right there waiting for him.
And somehow, after a few too many drinks perhaps, their first time ends up being a messy affair.
Just as everything is sorting itself out, and he's on the homestretch, the news that Abigail has passed away in her sleep reaches him.
The news hits Thomas hard, and he feels the weight of reality crash through the bubble of happiness he's created for himself here. He calls his aunt, asking if he should come home and cut his studies short. She is adamant that he does not. "Nothing would make your grandmother more unhappy than you forsaking your future," she tells him. "Do your tests, hand in your papers, and come home after graduation. We won't bury mom until you get here, I promise."
And so Thomas does as he's told, hurrying to finish up the last of term, miraculously managing to hold it together during presentations and final exams. His final grades are fairly okay given the circumstances. He packs up as soon as he's gotten them, returning home before his graduation party. Who cares about a graduation anyway, he has his grades, his diploma, it's all he needs.
He returns home to find Anna in the paddock with the horses, seeking solace in the company she likes best. Baby Gale is adorable, and demanding of attention, and Thomas too finds solace in the touch of a soft nose begging for attention.
They take off for Willow Creek the next morning, having arranged for a neighbor to take care of the horses and animals while they are gone. Spreading out with various family members, they only stay long enough to bury Abigail next to her beloved Joseph. It was Abigail's last wish, and while it means having her grave a far way off, they'd never deny her that.
Even though the family begs them to stay longer, Anna, Johnny and Thomas wants to return to the farm as fast as possible, where Thomas again retreats into his shell and his habit of sitting in the treehouse, staring into space.
This time Anna joins him. "It just seems so pointless," he says.
"What would your grandmother say to such thinking?" Anna asks.
"That I should get married and have a bunch of kids?"
Anna laughs a bit. "Yes, well that was her way of saying that she'd want you to be happy. She was so proud of you for choosing to become a doctor, you know. And this girl you've written home about, Betty? She liked that too. It made her happy."
"I just up and left. I didn't even say goodbye."
"So make it better. Don't let yourself be consumed by grief. It took me far too many years to learn that lesson, to learn to take happiness where to find it instead of mourning the happiness you had."
"So I should go ask Betty to marry me, is that what you're saying?"
"If it would make you happy, yes, you should. If not, then don't. I will never tell you how to live your life, as long as you actually live it."
With that Anna leaves him to make his own decision, but really it's not that difficult. Just thinking of Betty makes his heart tighten. The very next day, even if it's his 25th birthday, Thomas takes off on the buss ride to Betty's family's house. He knows that's where he'll find her, and once he has her in his arms, he knows he's never going to let go.
Asking her to marry him, however, turns out to be a challenge in a house with another three adults and on top of that three kids. First Thomas has to meet Betty's mother, then her grandmother, and her sisters. A bit frustrated, and overwhelmed, he finally tells her mother what he is there to do. Luckily, she's delighted and tell him to use the sitting room.
All starts out well, and while nervous, Thomas knows exactly what to say. He's just about to pop the question when he sees her grandmother spying on them from the doorway. "She's a bit old fashioned, my grandmother. And nosy." Betty adds with a laugh.
Thomas suggests a walk outside, and finally gets to do what he wanted to all along. He falls to his knees and proposes, offering her Abigail's ring to wear on her hand, something she gladly accepts.
Thomas suggests a walk outside, and finally gets to do what he wanted to all along. He falls to his knees and proposes, offering her Abigail's ring to wear on her hand, something she gladly accepts.
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