The King Legacy – Generation Two, Chapter Sixteen: Bricks and Mortar

The year following their parent’s deaths saw the King siblings take very different paths. They were grown ups now, mature and capable of looking after themselves, Willow had noticed this change in her eldest sister the most prominently. Scarlett insisted on having Alfie and Willow round for a roast every Sunday, and when Pippa and Connor’s will came through the siblings were surprised at the amount they would receive.

“So, we get this.. each?!” Willow whispered, exasperated staring at their family lawyer with an incredulous look in her eyes. No amount of money could ever plaster over the pain that they all still felt, but it was reassuring to know that their parents had left them a sizeable amount to begin their own journeys and follow their own dreams. It was receiving this money that led Willow to be sat in Donte’s car, on the way to Los Angeles International. In a few hours time they would be touching down in Washington Dulles airport, to begin their new lives working in the nation’s capital. It had been a long time coming, Willow thought; nearly two years after she and Donte had first approached their families with the news, so much had changed since.

Following Connor and Pippa’s deaths, Scarlett could still feel their presence in the house. She tried initially by re-wallpapering, but she soon realised that she felt the ghosts of them in everything, not just the furnishings. It was Alfie’s idea initially, with her section of the money left she had the house knocked clean to the ground and built it back up – her way.

It had been a long process, but Scarlett felt extremely happy with the results. The six months she had spent living in Alfie’s house had been enjoyable, yet cramped – especially with the news that Kimberly was expecting again. She’d always decorated her bedroom, but designing a house – she didn’t know if she had the creative capabilities, but everybody agreed – they were amazed at the results.

Every detail Scarlett had fine-tuned, it might not have been to everybody’s taste but that was what Scarlett wanted. It was her’s, not her mother’s, just her’s.

The only room Scarlett had kept similar was her office. It wasn’t far off the design of her father’s old office, the same wooden panelling and her father’s book collection. It was larger however, and Scarlett had bought a new computer. If she was going to have to continue documenting her life events, she thought she would at least do it on a decent machine. She found the similarities to her father’s office inspiring, as she sat down late at night she often felt that it was her father who was really typing out the words on the screen. Her writing abilities had come on leaps and bounds since Connor’s death, and she had strived to improve them – as words were an extremely menial way to talk about her parents. No words could really convey the love, support and happiness that they had brought Scarlett.

 

Scarlett’s design for the greatly-expanded living room was one of her favourites. Willow had helped her with this room in particular, and Scarlett had wanted the living room to have more of a central role in her house than it had previously. The tiny little alcove that Connor and Pippa had called the “lounge” had been rarely used by any of their family due to the fact it was such a claustrophobic space – Scarlett hoped that this room would see many memories of her and her children in the years to come.

The kitchen was one of her greatest feats. A huge open space, decorated in gawdy blue wallpaper – Scarlett hoped to improve her cooking skills and channel that of her mother. Their kitchen had always been filled with the most delectable smells, and Scarlett wanted Harmony and Wyatt to grow up with those warm feelings that she, Alfie and Willow had.  Scarlett had laughed when Alfie first saw the kitchen, it was a little ‘in your face’ for his liking – what with the electric blue wallpaper and the leopard print rug, but he agreed that Pippa would’ve been proud to cook in such a beautiful kitchen.

Upstairs had a different feel. Scarlett’s master bedroom was far larger than any of the other bedrooms that the house had had previously, and she had created it so it could be her personal space. A break away from Harmony’s tantrums and Wyatt’s cries. Everything was brand new, aside from one item. Scarlett’s cow-print guitar – she had had that for so many years she couldn’t bring herself to throw it away. She barely even played it these days, she’d found singing and playing too hard since her parents had died and her lack of career had meant that it wasn’t necessary anymore. Scarlett realised that she couldn’t keep up this unemployed life forever, and she didn’t want to waste the rest of her inheritance – she felt confident to start something new.

As well as wanting to start a fresh with her career, Scarlett had reflected on the past decade as she had been renovating the house. She was approaching thirty, and with Harmony and Wyatt seemingly growing at an accelerated rate – she always thought of Peter and Victor… even Youseff. Her pathetic attempt at marriage the first time round was enough to put Scarlett off ever doing it again, but with Willow now in DC, Alfie with his own life, and their parents gone – cold winter nights alone in her bed made her wish there was somebody by her side.

Despite entering her ‘tween’ years, Harmony still enjoyed being treated like a princess – and Scarlett gave her a bedroom that would reflect that. Scarlett had underestimated the effect that Connor and Pippa’s deaths had had on Harmony. She still bid them goodnight and prayed for them, along with her daddy. Despite there being nothing she could do for either of her parents, Scarlett couldn’t help but feel guilty whenever she heard Harmony whispering in her room late at night. She hoped that Harmony would grow up to make more of herself than Scarlett had.

It wouldn’t be long before Wyatt was a child, yet Scarlett was desperately trying to cling onto his infant years – she felt like she had been a much more pro-active and caring mother to Wyatt at this age than she had been with Harmony, and in many ways she was overcompensating. She was so much more mature than she was when she had had Harmony nearly eleven years ago, and that had definitely shown in her parenting.

The garden however, was Scarlett’s most daring design. Hiring the best landscapers in California, she had extended the pool, built a small rockery and planted varying flowers and shrubs, as well as designing a mini playpark – complete with treehouse. Scarlett was filled with so much satisfaction when Alfie would bring the kids round and Harmony, Wyatt, Riley and Devon would spend hours playing pirates, or aliens, or cyborgs or whatever crazy game they thought up next whilst she and Alfie sat on the loungers, watching them play and enjoying a well-earned drink. Scarlett was going to be much happier in this new house. It still held fond memories of her childhood, but was enough of a blank canvas for Scarlett to start again.

 

The final touch to the house was the addition of her memorial garden. Alfie said it was a ‘graveyard’ but Scarlett refused to call it so. Pippa’s grave stood tall and mighty, with Connor’s headstone by her side. Behind was a pond with fountain – a reminder of her parent’s eternal spirit. A few feet away also lay the graves of Zelda and more controversially; Miles.

Yes. This was definitely somewhere that Scarlett could envisage living for the rest of her life, now all she needed to do – was carry on living, a prospect that didn’t seem as scary as it had done previously.

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A/N: Well, this chapter turned into an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which I didn’t plan – but I hope I didn’t bore you to sleep at least – the new house is something I’m quite proud of, as althought I’ve loved the Sims for over a decade, I’ve always been more of a player than a builder. I’m aware as well that I’m nearly twenty chapters in and we are a way of the next generation, but I think Scarlett’s gen is going to stretch a little longer than Pippa’s, there is just so much more to tell with her.

Hope you enjoyed it guys! Would love to hear your feedback as always :-)!