Another Bradford chapter already? Yup. With less emphasis on staging and more on playing, things are

moving a lot quicker. That, and I’m giving myself permission to cheat A LOT in the non-main household

keeps things moving along.

Chapter 32 in a nutshell: The final members of generation 8 were born while kids, specifically generation 8

heir Steven Bradford, grew up and headed off to college. Rosalie came up with the brilliant idea to have

another baby, which turned out to be another set of twins filling her 10 kid want. Peggy tried to cope with

the knowledge that her best friend Doug Thorne would be driving west as soon as he graduated high

school. And Steven met Mary, a coed who quickly stole his heart.

I think that’s it. Enjoy Chapter 33 of The Bradford Legacy.

Steven’s college days were fast drawing to a close, and he decided there was no time like the present to

introduce Mary to his family. Nothing could persuade Alice that anything less than a big family dinner

would do for such a momentous occasion.

Mary did her best not to let her nerves show. She knew how important Steven’s family was to him, and

how far a good impression on his parents and grandparents would go in her favor.

So she laughed at James’ corny jokes, asked questions about Nick’s job at the hospital, and feigned

interest in Alice’s narrative about the progress of the garden that summer.

For the most part, she was successful. Alice, Nick, and James were thoroughly delighted with Steven’s

girlfriend.

Cindy wasn’t quite as easily impressed. There was something about the raven-haired girl that rubbed her

the wrong way, though she was not able to name specifically what it was.

Cindy wasn’t the only Bradford who wasn’t quite sold on Mary. Peggy and Nettie, who had been at their

Aunt Dotty's for dinner listening to her tales of her latest adventures as a Peace Corps nurse, returned

home in time to meet her before she and Steven had to return to campus.

As Steven and Mary talked about the classes they were planning on taking, Peggy and Nettie conversed

silently. Nettie was much better than Peggy at keeping her emotions in check; it was very clear what

Peggy was thinking at any moment by the look on her face.

“What are you plans after you graduate, Mary?” Nettie asked.

“Oh, I’m really not sure just yet. I’d like to travel some, of course. Beyond that, who knows? There are so

many things that are up in the air.” She gave Steven a significant look at that moment, a fact that did not

escape his sisters’ watchful eyes.

“You don’t have a lot of time left to make up your mind,” Peggy observed. “You don’t want to leave it to the

last minute, do you?”

Nettie shot her sister a warning look. “A year and a half is plenty of time to figure that stuff out.”

“Yes, it is,” Mary agreed.

Steven excused himself to hunt down a book in the library that he wanted to bring back to school. He

thought it would be a good opportunity for his sisters to chat a bit more with Mary.

“Peggy, you’ve been very quiet tonight,” Mary observed. “I must say I’m a bit surprised. The way Steven

talks, that’s a rarity for you.”

Ignoring the “danger!” signal that Nettie was shooting in her direction, Peggy looked Mary squarely in the

eye.

“Well, Mary, if you must know, I’ve been quiet tonight because I’ve been trying to figure out exactly why I

don’t like you, and what my brother sees in you.”

Nettie was not able to hide the sharp inhale of her breath at Peggy’s sharp remark.

Mary’s face remained stoic. “I see,” she said in a level tone. “Nettie, what about you?”

Nettie kept her face as impassive as she could. “I’ve hardly had a chance to know you, of course. But I

think that Peggy may be on to something. You’re trying too hard, Mary, and I can’t figure out why.”

Mary nodded her head almost imperceptibly. “Well then, since we are all laying our cards on the table, so

to speak, I think it’s only fair that I tell you girls that I am going to marry your brother, and nothing you can

say or do is going to stop that.”

“Excuse me?” Peggy snorted. “And just who do you think you are to make such a statement?”

“Someone who is going places, just like your brother is. Your brother is a brilliant, talented man who just

needs to some steering in the right direction. With the right guidance, he could make the Bradford name as

well-known and esteemed as the Simmedys!”

“What if that’s not what Steven wants?” Nettie asked.

Mary waived her hand dismissively. “He does want that; he just doesn’t know it yet.”

Nettie and Peggy sat in stunned silence after Mary’s assertion. Neither teenager was quite sure what to do

next. As worried as they were for their brother, both of them knew how stubborn he could be when he had

his mind set on something.

* * * * *

Completely unaware of the conversation Mary had had with his sisters, Steven decided that he was ready

to propose. On the night he had chosen, he told Mary that he was taking her out to Londoste, and to wear

the dress she’d worn on the night they first met. Mary was pretty sure that she knew what was coming,

especially after Steven ordered a bottle of champagne to go with their meal.

Shockingly, Steven found that he wasn’t nervous at all. He cared greatly for Mary, and she had proven

herself to be a kind, thoughtful lady. She was exactly the type of woman who he was supposed to marry,

and would be a perfect mother to their future children.

With that thought in mind, Steven reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small black box.

He’d had a whole, long, eloquent speech planned, but as soon as he saw the gleam in her eyes as she

admired the ring he’d chose, that speech flew right out of his brain.

Knowing that he needed to say something, he took a deep breath.

“Will you marry me?”

Mary smiled, both at Steven and at the lovely diamond solitaire he’d chosen. Exactly as I had planned, she

thought smugly to herself. He even has excellent taste in jewelry, she mused, thinking that the brilliantly

sparkling gemstone was at least two karats.

“Mary?”

Steven’s tentative voice broke through her inner monologue, and she realized that she’d waited a beat too

long to respond to his question. She silently cursed, and then turned on her most charming smile.

“Steven, darling, I was stunned speechless. The answer is yes. Yes, I’ll marry you!”

Steven let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding as Mary slipped the ring on her finger and

paused to admire it again.

She reached across the table and took Steven’s hand in hers.

“Oh, darling! I’m so happy!”

“So am I,” Steven said. “I can’t wait to finish school so that we can get married and starting our lives

together.”

“Neither can I,” she cooed. “We should start thinking about house-hunting.”

Steven hesitated for the shortest of moments before answering. “I’m going to inherit the family farmhouse,

and all of the heirs before me have lived there with their wives after graduating from college.”

Mary too took a beat before answering. “I see. And you wish to continue that tradition?”

“It hadn’t occurred to me to do anything else.”

“Well, if that’s what you want, we shall make it work,” she assured him.

As they waited for the taxi to take them back to campus, Mary brain was going a mile a minute. She knew

that managing Steven would not be an issue for her. She’d managed to do so just fine already; the shiny

ring on her finger attested to that face. But managing his family, especially his sisters who she knew

Steven was very close to, that was another matter altogether. Until she’d know that she’d be living with

them, she’d not really given it much thought.

She knew that Steven cared for her. But she also knew that he was clannish and valued the opinion of his

family, specifically his grandfather and father, above that of everyone else. She needed to do something to

cement Steven’s loyalty to her as well.

The taxi dropped them off in front of the small house that Steven was renting.

“I’ll walk you back to your dorm,” he said.

“Or,” Mary said, with more conviction in her voice that she felt, “I could come in for a few?”

Steven allowed himself to be led into the house, up the stairs, and into his bedroom.

“Mary,” he sputtered, but she silenced him with a kiss.

“We are going to be married. There is no reason why we can’t do everything that a married couple does.”

Before he realized what was happening, they had shed several layers of clothing and were on his bed.

“Mary, are you sure about this,” he asked one last time.

“Yes,” said firmly. “I want this.”

Mary did not make it back to her dormitory that night.

* * * * *

“So you’re off to college,” Doug observed.

“Yes,” she replied. “And you’re still going to chase the setting sun?”

“That’s the plan.”

Peggy sighed. Something had shifted in her relationship with Doug, though she wasn’t able to put her

finger on what it was. “I still wish you weren’t going so far away.”

“Peg, I’ve told you that I need to get out of here. I finished the car that Gramps gave me yesterday. When

Franklin heads off to SimHarvard, I’m getting in the car and driving until I don’t feel like I’m being suffocated

any more.”

“And so it’s goodbye forever to Simsfield and everyone in it.”

“It’s goodbye for now. Who knows that the future holds for any of us? I might come back someday.”

“It won’t be the same without you around.”

“Aw, you’ll be too busy with college and classes and all the stuff that comes with it to miss me.”

“But I am going to miss you. Who else understands me so well? I feel like I never have to explain myself

to you. It’s almost like you can read my mind.”

“You’ll make new friends in college. Speaking of which, does your dad know that you got assigned to a

coed dorm yet?”

“No. I’m telling him tonight, over dinner, with the whole family there so I have Mom and Grandma on my

side. They’ll be able to help me convince him that it’s not a bad thing.”

“Good luck with that.”

Peggy got up. “I should head home. I’m still not quite done with my packing.”

“Yeah, it’s getting close to dinner time so I should go in. No point in upsetting Ma anymore than I usually

do.”

“Douglas Thorne, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were going to miss you mother when you leave.”

Doug snorted. “I’m going to miss her cooking is more like it. She may be a bitch, but she knows how to

make a mean meatloaf.”

Peggy pulled Doug into a tight hug before he could object, and in that hug it felt like their old friendship was

still there, if only for a moment.

“Come see me one more time before you go,” she asked.

“I’ll try,” he replied.

Peggy arrived home to find Alice waiting for her in the living room.

“Doug all ready to go?” she asked, putting the magazine she’d been reading down.

“He says so. I guess he’s off once Franklin head off to college. He says the car is all ready.”

Alice could tell that Peggy was upset, no matter how well she was trying to hide it.

“Doug will be fine, Peggy. He’s a smart boy, no matter what people may think, and I’m sure he’ll find

something to make him happy. And you’ll be fine when he leaves too. You’ll have college to keep you

busy.”

“Doug said the same thing,” Peggy muttered. “It doesn’t mean that I’m not going to miss him.”

“No, but you shouldn’t stop living you life just because one person you care about is far away. Peggy, if

Doug is meant to be part of your life, he will be. In the meantime, go live to the fullest. Trust me. You’ll

regret it if you don’t.”

“I’ll try, Mom. I promise.”

The next evening, the entire Thorne clan gathered to send Franklin off to college. Doug hung back,

watching as everyone wished his twin the best as he prepared to depart. Quietly, he slipped out of the

room.

“You’re not getting out of her without saying goodbye to me, boy,” Taddy said, pulling his eldest grandson

into a hug.

“I’m not much for goodbyes, Gramps,” the young man replied.

“I know it. Still, take care of yourself. And don’t stay away forever. Family is important, even if they can be

a pain in the rear sometimes.”

Doug crept out of the house one last time, and practically ran over Peggy, who was blocking his path.

“You were going to leave without saying goodbye to me.”

“Peg, you know I’m not good at them,” he stammered.

“You promised me.”

His shoulders slumped. “I did. I’m sorry for almost breaking my promise.”

Peggy pulled her best friend into a hug.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for, Doug. Either way, I hope you don’t forget about me, and all the

people here who care a whole lot about you.”

“Peg, there’s no way that I could ever forget you.”

Doug was grateful for the darkness, as he hid the tears that were creeping into his eyes. He’d tried to slip

out of town without saying goodbye to Peggy, because he knew that she would say something to make his

resolve waiver. That was the last thing he needed.

“I have to go, Peg,” he said, squeezing her tight one last time.

Reluctantly, Peggy let him go. Doug gave her one last gaze, committing her face to his memory as he

resisted the overwhelming urge to kiss her. Then he turned suddenly, got in his car, and drove away

without giving her a second glance.

It was then Peggy’s turn to head off to college, and face the reality of a future where her best friend was no

longer a part of her life.

* * * * *

After Peggy left for college, James was hit with a double blow of bad news.

First, he got word that Taddy, his cousin and best friend practically since birth, had died. James was able

to rationalize it, telling anyone who would listen that after Gilbert’s death, Taddy just didn’t have the same

will to live that he did before.

The passing of his other best friend and brother-in-law, Sterling, hadn’t been so easy to brush off.

“I guess I can’t pretend anymore that I’m not old,” he sighed to Cindy.

“No, we really can’t, James. I don’t like it any more than you do, but we have to face the fact that we have

more days behind us than we do in front of us.”

Not long after that conversation, the family was mourning the passing of Calla, who just didn’t have the will

to live now that her beloved Taddy was gone.

“So much sadness,” Cindy muttered.

“That there is,” James agreed. “Still, we have something to look forward to.”

Cindy smiled. “Yes, Steven’s wedding. Can you believe that Mary didn’t ask Peggy or Nettie to be

bridesmaids?”

James shook his head. “Doll, I’m not getting in the middle of drama. Not at my age.”

Steven had graduated with honors, in the top five of his class. After some consideration, he’d decided to

join his Uncle Danny and teach at the local high school. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to stay a teacher

forever, but it was a good career to start.

Shortly after graduation, the larger Bradford clan gathered to celebrate Steven and Mary’s wedding.

Peggy and Nettie watched their brother’s wedding with a certain level of trepidation. Mary assertion, or

threat as they both interpreted it, loomed heavy on their minds. Peggy, too, was still working through

Doug’s leaving. She’d not heard from him since he left Simsfield, and couldn’t help wondering where he

was and what he was up to.

Nick and Alice watched with the pride as their eldest boy waited at the altar for his bride to make her

appearance. Alice tilted her face upward, enjoying the sun’s warm rays.

“We couldn’t have asked for nicer day,” she whispered softly to Nick.

He responded with a smile, and took her hand and squeezed it. “Seems like we were doing this ourselves,

not that long ago.”

All conversation ceased as Mary, dressed in her wedding finery, made her appearance and began her walk

down the aisle.

When she reached Steven, Mary gave him a dazzling smile.

“You look beautiful,” he said in a voice just loud enough for her to hear.

“Thank you.”

Doubt thou the stars are fire;

Doubt that the sun doth move;

Doubt truth to be a liar;

But never doubt I love.“

— Hamlet, William Shakespeare

Mary beamed as she gazed into her husband’s eyes.

I’ve done it, she thought. I am Mrs. Bradford, and on my way to being somebody.

“You’re glowing,” Steven commented as the guests clapped.

“I’m so very, very happy,” she replied.

The wedding celebration was a huge success, and Mary enjoyed every moment of being queen for the

day. Steven, who had never been one for parties, enjoyed himself, catching up with family and friends that

he didn’t get to spend time with.

And when the celebration was over and the guests went home, a more private celebration began upstairs.

* * * * *

Doug Thorne had not made it to Calsimfornia. He’d followed Route 66 to the southwest, and then took a

detour into Simta Fe. There, his car had finally given out on him, and he’d been obliged to take a job in a

mechanic’s shop to cover the costs of repairs and to have something to live off of while he rebuilt the

engine.

Much to his surprise, Doug found that Simta Fe was much to his liking. Rather than continue on to

Calsimfornia as he’d planned, Doug bought himself a small house and continued to work at the mechanic’s

shop.

In his spare time, he did his best to forget about a certain redhead who was busy with college a couple

thousand miles away.

That redhead who was busy with college was doing her best to not let thoughts of Doug and what he might

be up to drift into her brain. Classes were distraction enough for a time, but as she settled into a routine

Peggy found that it was harder and harder to keep Doug from her mind.

Peggy soon found that spending time socializing was one way to keep her mind away from dangerous

thoughts. Before she knew it, she found that a young man named Bobby was occupying her thoughts

more than Doug, and that she didn’t mind that fact in the least.

Bobby wasn’t the dashing rouge that Doug was; Peggy had no illusions about that fact. But Bobby

worshiped the ground she walked on, and Peggy started to wonder if it was time to invite her parents for a

visit so they could meet him themselves.

* * * * *

A short time after Steven and Mary’s wedding, Cindy still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was up

with her grandson’s wife. She found herself confiding in James about her worries.

“What is it about her that you don’t like?” James asked.

“That’s the thing. I’m not quite sure. But there is something about her that makes me not want to trust her.

Nettie agrees with me, though she won’t say why, and I haven’t talked to Peggy about it but Nettie gave me

the impression that she and Peggy share agree in their opinion of Miss Mary.”

James thought for a moment. “She seems nice enough.”

“It’s not that she’s not nice; I can see quite clearly that she cares for our Steven. But it’s why she cares for

him that I question.”

“You don’t think she cares for Steven because he’s Steven, then.”

“That’s it! I think she cares for him because of the family name and all that it could mean for her.”

James did not like that thought, but as he went over Mary’s actions since marrying Steven, he found it hard

to dispute Cindy’s deductions.

“What do we do, doll?”

“I don’t think there’s anything we can do. First, if I’ve learned one thing about Bradford men in my life, it’s

that they’re more stubborn than a mule. The fastest way to get them to do something is to tell them not to

do it.”

James opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again quickly, causing Cindy to smirk.

“Second, Steven is driven by duty. I would wager that he thinks that the vow he took on his wedding day is

sacred, and he’s not going to break it unless something drastic happens.”

“So you’re saying we’re stuck with her,” James frowned.

“It would seem that way, yes.”

“You could be wrong,” James suggested gently.

“Of course. And this is an instance where I would be glad for it to be so. But I saw many a gold digger

during my days at the speakeasy, and Mary bears a striking resemblance to many of them.”

His conversation with Cindy weighing on his mind, James sought out Nettie. He wanted to know why she

was not a fan of her sister-in-law.

Nettie hesitated. She didn’t want to spoil James’ view of Mary, but she quickly realized that something had

brought him to her, asking these questions.

“Well, Grandpa, I wasn’t sold on her the first time Steven brought her home; I’ll admit that. But what really

tipped my opinion over the edge was when she told me and Peggy that she was going to marry Steven no

matter what we thought, and ‘make something of him.’”

“What did she mean by that?”

Nettie shrugged. “She wants to be the next Jackie Simmedy, I think. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tries to

talk Steven in to running for mayor, or the state house or something.”

“Steven’s never been into politics.”

“No, but he’s very into Mary, and he’ll do just about anything she asks.”

James grumbled to himself, and while Nettie couldn’t quite muddle out what he was saying, she was sure it

was not complementary to Mary.

“But at least I won’t have to suffer living under the same roof as her much longer.”

“No, you’re off to college soon, aren’t you? Decided on your major yet?”

Nettie shrugged. “No. I have time.”

“Huh,” said James. “I would have thought you’d decided on science or math or something that would help

you go work for SNASA, like you planned.”

“I don’t think I want to do that anymore, Gramps. I don’t think I could work for the government, not when I

don’t agree with how they’re handling the war.”

James looked at her, slightly aghast. “You’re not turning into one of those hippies, are you?”

He expected her to laugh, but instead Nettie looked thoughtful. “They want peace, and I think they’ve got

the right idea there. I don’t know enough about their beliefs to say whether or not I’m one of them.”

* * * * *

“Don’t be nervous,” Peggy said, causing Bobby to laugh.

“Sure. I’m meeting my girl’s parents, and she tells me not to be nervous.”

“My dad’s bark is worse than his bite. If my mom likes you, which she will, she’ll help to bring him around.”

So Peggy introduced Bobby to her parents. Nick put on an excellent show, asking all the typical fatherly

questions about what Bobby’s plans were after graduation so that he could suss out the young man’s ability

to support Peggy. Alice inquired about his interests, checking to see how well the matched up with her

daughter’s.

But mostly, Alice watched. She watched how Bobby and Peggy interacted, and how Peggy wordlessly

reassured her young man as Nick interrogated him. But mostly, she watched how Peggy looked at Bobby.

She looks at him the way she used to look at Doug, Alice thought. I never thought I’d see that look on my

Peggy’s face again.

It was that look that cause Alice to take Nick’s hand and smile softly at him. She knew without a doubt that

this was the man her daughter was meant to marry.

When Alice had taken Nick’s hand, his shoulders had slumped ever so slightly. He knew that Bobby would

take good care of his little girl.

When it was time to leave, Nick gave his eldest daughter a strong hug. As he did so, he wondered when

the little girl he had taught to walk just yesterday had grown up.

“Take care dear,” Alice said as she hugged her daughter goodbye. In her mind, she was wondering if

Peggy might want to wear her wedding dress and how lovely she would look in it.

After her parents had left, the two young adults let out deep breaths.

“See, I told you once my mom was convinced it would all be okay.”

“I’m glad,” Bobby said. “I feel more comfortable doing this now.”

And Bobby promptly dropped to one knee and asked Peggy to be his wife. She nearly said “yes” before he

was done asking the question.

Peggy couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so happy. She couldn’t wait to become Mrs. Frick.

* * * * *

The night before Nettie was slated to head off to college, she found herself with Steven’s undivided

attention. That was a rarity, because Mary did a pretty good job of monopolizing his time.

“I still can’t believe my baby sister is off to college,” Steven mused. “It’s not going to be the same without

you here.”

“Really? You hardly seemed to notice my existence ever since you moved home and got married.”

“That’s not really fair, Nettie. You’ll know someday what it’s like to take on adult responsibilities and settle

into married life, and how much of your time that takes up.”

Nettie rolled her eyes. “Face it, big brother. You’ve been neglecting the rest of us to cater to Mary’s every

whim.”

“There’s a reason for that.”

Steven thought about how Mary had started throwing up every morning. He hadn’t told the rest of the

family yet, because Mary had asked him not to.

“I’m really not up to everyone fussing over me just yet. Until we have to tell them, let’s keep it our little

secret.”

Though he didn’t say that he and Mary were expecting their first child, Nettie had suspected that she would

soon be an aunt. Steven’s comments only confirmed her suspicions.

Great. Another way for her to keep her claws in my brother.

Nettie didn’t say anything, as there didn’t seem to be anything she could say.

And so Nettie went off to college. After James’ comment about her “turning into one of those hippies,” she

found herself drawn to the growing number of free-thinking, anti-war students who were on campus.

* * * * *

Soon, Mary’s condition made itself known. As Mary had predicted, everyone fussed over her, and while

she insisted that such to-dos were not necessary, she secretly enjoyed having the entire family catering to

her every whim.

James, while he too joined the rest of the family in making sure Mary’s needs were met, was determined to

see if Cindy and Nettie’s opinion of Mary was founded. He asked her about what she wanted for the baby,

and Mary was more than happy to chatter on about her plans, which included an exclusive private school,

numerous extra-curricular activities, and touring SimEurope. While she talked, James was mentally

calculating the cost of all Mary’s insistences in his head. It was significant, and though the family was not

badly off, he could see her depleting the family’s funds in short order. Having lived through the depression,

maintaining a safety net was important. Still, he said nothing. Steven was a reasonable young man, and

he would be able to keep Mary in check, or find a way to pay for the things she wanted.

As Mary’s pregnancy progressed, she found that she had little to complain about, outside of the discomfort

she felt as the baby grew. The only thorn in her side was the fact that Steven was still teaching at the local

high school. Mary was convinced that the best way to add prestige to the family name was for Steven to

get involved in politics.

He could be so much more than a teacher, she thought as she pounded away on the piano keys. With the

right guidance, he could even make it to the White House. But how do I get him to see that?

“I remember Mom playing that song so that Gram could sing along when I was little,” Steven commented

as he entered the room.

“The sheet music looked well-worn, and I imagine that’s why,” Mary commented as she turned to get up.

“How are you feeling today?”

“Fairly well. I guess I’m just getting bored, what with lolling around the house all the time. I even read the

paper today!”

Steven laughed. “You must be bored if that’s what you ended up doing. Anything interesting?”

“There’s going to be an empty seat on the town council soon. You know, with how long your family’s been

in Simsfield and with how well-known your name is, you wouldn’t need to run much of a campaign to be a

shoe-in.”

Steven bit his lip. “I’m not sure politics are for me, Mary.”

“Nonsense! You’re always talking about how you want to change the world for the better. The city council

might not be Congress, but it’s a place to start.”

“I’ll think about it. I imagine there’s some time before the election for me to think about it more?”

“Of course. You won’t need to do anything until after the baby comes at least.”

Later that night, Seven thought about what Mary had said. He was not one to be in the public eye, but

Mary did have a point in that he could use a position on the city council to make positive changes in areas

that were important to him. It might be worth giving it a shot; if he hated it after one term he didn’t have to

go for reelection.

Mary smiled to herself as she fell into a comfortable slumber. She’d seen the serious expression on her

husband’s face as he readied himself for bed that night; she knew that he was going to run for office, even

if he didn’t know that yet. With the right encouragement, he would be on his way to a Senate seat before

the baby was ready for school. She couldn’t have been more pleased with how events were playing out.

* * * * *

Not long after Steven had privately told Mary that he’d decided to run for office, Mary went into labor.

Soon, she was gazing into the green eyes of her son.

“Gregory Bradford,” she smiled. “Welcome to the world.”

The family all doted on little Gregory, especially his great-grandparents.

Cindy might have been getting on in years, but she always had the time and energy for snuggles with her

new favorite man.

* * * * *

As Gregory approached his first birthday, Steven decided that he should tell the rest of his family about his

plans to run for the city council. The entire family was surprised by the news, but Cindy especially had

concerns.

“Steven, are you sure about this? You’ve never been one for speech-making and such,” Cindy

commented.

“No, I haven't’ been, but Mary pointed out that my name recognition works in my favor. I don’t have to

make a lot of speeches, and if this turns out to not be my thing, I’ll still have my teaching job.”

“If it’s what you want, we’ll support you, son.”

“Thanks, Dad. Mary seems to think that I’ll have a knack for politics, and she tends to be right about these

kinds of things.”

Mary, Mary, Mary, thought Cindy. That woman is trying to mold my grandson into something he’s not.

Good lord, I think it’s James’ grandmother all over again.

* * * * *

Before long, it was time to celebrate Gregory’s toddler birthday.

Gregory took after his father in looks, save for his dark locks that he got from his mother. As far as his

personality, the little tyke was very neat, very outgoing, very active, very serious, and very mean.

* * * * *

That’s all there is for chapter 33. James insists on trying to pet the damn skunk every time it wanders onto

the lot. He’s been sprayed at least five times, and I would think that he would have learned by now, but no.

It’s really sad to see generation 6 (James & co.) all start to expire so quickly. I feel like they’ve been

around forever, and it makes me sad to let them go.

(Also, Sharron Thorne is obviously VERY pissed at Death for taking her Grandma away).

But on a happier note, there will be a slew of weddings soon. This is Dwight Gavigan (Shirley & Walt’s

boy) proposing to his girl, Veronica Thorne (Rosalie & Bruce’s eldest daughter). Moving forward, Family

sims will get married, Romance sims will not, and the others will depend on what wants they throw me.

Unless they have a kid-dependent LTW and I really like them, everyone outside the main houses will be

limited to one kid.

The Romance sims, and many of the Pleasure sims, will be moving into a compound I redid just for them.

There they’ll fulfill their ACR desires to their little heart’s content.

I’m curious to know what you think of Mary, now that you’ve gotten to know a little more about her.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. You can leave comments on the Bradford Legacy thread at Boolprop, on

my Live Journal, or on my Dreamwidth, whichever you prefer. Thank you for reading!