Generation 8 - Chapter 21

Cherish just assumed that when something good happened, Death was not far behind. Death was there when things were bad too but it seemed like he enjoyed showing up at parties and celebrations the most. Maybe he felt left out since rarely was anyone happy to see him.

He came for Jinx the Kat the night of Graduation Day. Jinx had been getting on in age but it was still a shock to see Death. Cherish knew she should be sad, but death was so......common around here that she wasn't. She sighed inwardly knowing GG Wind would probably keep the tombstone around the house like all the others. One more ghost to go bump, BANG!, or claaaang in the night.

She leaned over to Fatima, "When I die, please put my tombstone in the cemetery so I can haunt the mausoleum instead of you. I don't need to watch you chase boys for all eternity."

Fatima giggled into her hand trying to hide it from Wind and gave Cherish a punch on the arm.

Later that night Cherish couldn't sleep. Jinx's death really was sad and she would miss the little furball. She had been feeling a bit guilty for her earlier attitude. What if it had been Mikey? The thought of losing her dog made her heart clench. She shouldn't have been making jokes about the cat. How callous could she be?

Since she was up anyway she decided to show her dog how much she loved an appreciated him by giving him a good brushing and a pre-dawn walk around town. No one else was up and about yet and that suited Cherish just fine. This time she remembered to put a note on the fridge so GG didn't freak out.

Things had been a little tense since her birthday. She was taking extra steps not to upset her GG Wind and avoided being in a room alone with her. Cherish and Wind finally had it out about college.  They argued about her plants and her future. To Cherish her plants were her future. Cherish made it very clear that going off to school wasn't for her. She offered to pay rent or move out. After she found a suitable place that had space for her plants of course. She didn't want to leave. She had an established garden. Do you have any idea how long that takes to set up? Well, maybe she did want to leave a little, but it was so much easier just to stay. 
Wind was not happy but eventually agreed to back off. It was her life and college wasn't for everyone. She refused to charge rent and told Cherish that her place was right here with the rest of her family and if that's what Cherish really wanted, she would be supportive. Cherish kept to herself the offer from Grandma Maya but it was more and more tempting as time went by.

She and Fatima hung out less and less. Cherish had thought that they'd have even more time together since she could do all her gardening things before Fatima got home from school. But she guessed the age difference was starting to be a problem again. Fatima was in high school doing high school things. Cherish was...what, playing in the dirt as if nothing had changed?

Cherish was coming to the realization that life after high school was much bigger and scarier than she had ever thought it was. No one, well other than Wind, was there to tell her what she had to or should do. Really, she didn't have to do anything. Her gardening didn't seem like work and when she wasn't out getting dirt under her nails she felt a little lost. So much free time, so many things she could be doing that it was impossible to decide. It was a little overwhelming.

So Cherish decided to focus all of her energy into her garden and business. It was predictable, steady, safe. She knew exactly what she was doing and knew areas she wanted to learn more about. She didn't need some post graduation epiphany or lifestyle change. She was productive and her plants made her happy.

This circle of thoughts is what often went through her head and had her staring off into the distance. Now that she had fewer daily tasks she brooded more.

***

Wind is having a midlife crisis and wanted a new, expensive car. I'm pretending its a Telsa

  Jonas has taken up haunting the garden while Cherish is out there. Not very helpful dad. And please get some new cloths!

*Cherish comepleted her LTW for Greener Gardens. it was to bloom 100 plants. Pretty easy! Now to finish that gardening career....
She does have the shy and brooding traits. two that I don't normally play with and I have been surprised more than once by how they effect her mood.

Generation 8 - Chapter 20

"Happy Birthday Cherish!"

Fatima was not a quiet person. Even still, it's nice having someone excited about your birthday with you. Cherish would be a legal adult today. She would be graduating from high school at the end of the week. People would be pressuring her to go to college. People would be disappointed with her for not going. 

But today was about cake and presents and family!

Fatima made jokes about how Wind was going to throw a huge party like she had for herself. Inviting the whole town and making Cherish give a speech, making her promise to go off to uni...

Cherish knew Fatima was joking but it made her sweat a little just thinking about it. She never told GG NOT to throw her a party. Parties kinda were GG's thing....

While the girls tidied up the room they shared, some spectral visitors appeared. They wanted to wish Cherish a happy birthday too. She thought it was nice that they came, while secretly wishing they had other things to do.

After Fatima left to get some breakfast, June had something more to say.

"Child. We know you have been through a lot. We know you hurt. We know you don't make plans for the future or deviate from your normal routine unless you must."

Cherish was speechless. This was not what she was expecting, esp since great-great-grandmother June almost never appeared, much less spoke to her.

"You may not look towards your future, but we do. We can't tell you what will happen to you or share too much of what we do know. But you have a future. An important one. There is a catastrophe set to happen and your family is right in the middle of it. Events are already in motion and they depend on you having a future to work. I am not telling you this to scare you or mess with you. I am telling you this so you have something to hold on to. People are going to come and go from your life but you already know that. Even though I know you want to be alone and often feel lonely, you can't completely pull away from the world around you. What you'll do is very important to the world.

Don't ever give up."

And she vanished.

Cherish stood there, her mouth open. Trying to piece together what she had just heard and make sense of it. Catastrophe? Her future? her...plants? What was that all about?!

Cherish tried to go about her day as usual, to shake off the odd conversation she had had with a ghost. I mean really, who talks to ghosts anyway? How can she or her plants have anything to do with the future? Was this about global warming? Were the ghosts trying to get her to go to uni too?

By the time she got home from school, most of the conversation was forgotten. She worked on her homework and waited for Fatima to get home from her drama club meeting. Wind sent everyone a text telling them to be dressed up and ready to party. She also sent another text just to Cherish telling her not to worry, she only invited family. Cherish was very relieved and had to admit that GG did seem to know her after all.

"Hey little winged great niece! When does the party start? Am I early?" Brenton said coming into the kitchen.

 He wasn't much for keeping in touch with the family but if there was going to be food involved, you could be sure he'd show up. 

"Happy Birthday Cher! I got you a PH detector for your garden like you said you wanted, I hope it's the right one! I wanted to give it to you before the party in case you needed an escape plan!" Fatima said with a wink

"You're the BEST Fatima! If GG talks to me about uni again, I am going to need that escape plan!"

The party was indeed just family, plus some girl that Brenton had brought. No one talked about graduation or college for which Cherish was grateful. She was an adult now, no one could bully her into doing anything she didn't want to do. Well, that's what she told herself anyway. She imagined that's what everyone teen thought on their ya birthday. She had her garden and her small business. She had Fatima and Mikey Le Woof. The future was a far away thing that she didn't have to deal with any time soon, so why waste time with worry?

Happy Birthday Cherish!

Not even a party in her honor could keep her away from her plants. She was eager to try out her new toy and not just to escape her family. Tending to her plants was like being with family.

At the end of the week Cherish graduated. No more school!

♫ No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks ♫

 She could now spend the entire day in her garden if she wanted. Any feelings of anxiety or fear about what June had told her were gone and the conversation a fuzzy memory. June hadn't come haunting again, and Cherish was a grown up now.


***

Before

After

I made her very plain and boring on purpose. She is not a girly girl that worries about make up or hair. It's not flattering, she is pretty with the right look, but this is Cherish we're talking about.

Fatima does still spend a lot of her time with the horse. 

Generation 8 - Chapter 19

It was a bit of a family tradition to throw big parties for everyone's birthday. Wind likes to remind everyone that many many years ago the family never celebrated. Didn't eat cake or have presents. So now it was a big deal. 

Big deal.

Wind was about to celebrate a big birthday. Being a fairy meant you lived for a long long time. But eventually one was deemed an adult. I suppose after living for a 150 years give or take a decade, it was safe to say you'd grown up. She sent out invitations a month ahead, called in a caterer, order a special cake. Half of Dragon Valley was supposed to be there. Being in a place that was populated with mostly humans made the local fairy family very aware of time. Especially Wind. When you lived surrounded by other fairies, long years can pass without much notice. But when those around you are constantly looking older and older until one day they kick the bucket, well, that would make anyone feel out of sync with Time.

Cherish knew that Brenton's mortality weighed heavily on Wind's heart. She knew her GG had buried her father, mother, husband, son, and grandson. She also knew that Wind had grown up with humans before moving to Hidden Springs. Cherish didn't think it was a big deal. She understood her GG's perspective, but that was life. Fairies lived for hundreds of years. Ephriam would probably live forever. Humans, not so much. People were always dying, did it matter how long you outlived them? It was the balance of the world in Cherish's eyes. Did she want to see Brenton dead? Of course not. At this point in Cherish's life, she accepted that everyone would eventually leave her so...whatever.

The party was THE social event of the year. The house was packed. Musicians played, cooks cooked, people gossiped. Wind seemed to revel in it all. So did Fatima, but that didn't surprise Cherish at all. Fatima loved being around people and going to parties. She flitted from group to group with a grin the whole time. Cherish stood in the back. Smiled when people noticed her and otherwise avoided conversation. Eventually it was time to blow out the candles and eat cake. Cherish could see how much GG was enjoying herself and knew that Fatima was just like her mother.

Wind made her wish out loud. She wished for a makeover. The crowed laughed and told her she was perfect just like she was. But of course one of her clients is a personal shopper or designer or whatever it's called. Cherish was sure they had already arraigned for a day at the boutique and she was ever grateful she wouldn't be expected to be there! That was more of a Fatima thing anyway. Mother and daughter could go bond and stuff. 

"Hey Cher! Do you see that cute boy with the blue dreads?? Is he new? Have you met him? Is he in any of your classes? He looks more like your age. Should I go talk to him? Whats his name??"

Boy hungry as always. 

With a sigh Cherish listen to Fatima talk in a never ending stream of thoughts about the boys that had come with their parents to the party. 

Eventually Fatima had decided on which boy she wanted to overwhelm with her attention and flitted off. 

"Hello Cherish, How are things?" Grandma Maya asked.

"Oh! uh, good? It's a nice party...right?"

Grandma Maya had recently celebrated her 300th birthday. She refers to it as her name day anniversary. Cherish never really had any interest in fairy history or traditions. Plants didn't care how old you were.

"Have you decided what you're doing after graduation? I heard you weren't looking to go to uni. Will you stay at home?"

"I, um. Well, yeah. I mean no, I don't want to go to college. I don't think I need it f-f-for my plants. They'd die if I left anyway."

"I see..... You know, going off to school is over rated if you ask me." She said with a small smile. "You're good at what you do. I always look forward to my delivery from your garden each week. I think what you have here is a good thing. You should be proud. Not many others can be successful like you have been at such a young age. Not to mention finding so much satisfaction in it. If you ever need some space from this place, you're always welcome to come and stay with me and Ephriam."

Cherish had never felt so grateful towards her grandmother. These were words she hadn't realized she was longing to hear from someone until she heard them. Having someone give their complete support was amazing and Cherish knew in her heart she had made the right choice to stay and work with her plants.

"You go ahead and sneak outside, dear. I know these parties aren't your thing."

There is something to be said about wisdom coming with age.

***

Wind's Makeover

Brenton may be living alone, but he still has a thing for this chick

Mikey the dog and I don't remember the cat's name.

Generation 8 - Chapter 18

Cherish did not understand why GG Wind was so determined to see her go to uni. Wasn't getting through high school hard enough? Her ghost parents tried to talk to her about it too, but Cherish had a hard time talking to them about anything other than small, day to day stuff. It was nice having them around, but they were ghosts. They couldn't take her to tour colleges or universities. They couldn't recommend places to go. They couldn't visit her if she went. They couldn't do anything but haunt her. The only ghost that didn't make her feel weird inside was her grandfather. She had known him in the flesh. She liked talking to him about things like the future. But he wasn't always there, or helpful. What did he know about it anyway?

Fatima had confided in her that the only reason she wanted to go to uni was to meet boys and get out from under her mother's eye. Popularity was Fatima's priority. She wasn't snobby, she didn't have her little clique that shunned everyone but each other. Fatima would be anyone's friend until they gave her a reason not to be. Cherish loved that about her.

Even though Fatima had a jam packed social schedule she always made time to hang out with Cherish. And not in a "I have to, she's family" kind if way. Or "she's lonely and I feel sorry for her" kind of way either. They were best friends. Cherish could be open and silly or sad and brooding. Fatima was there to make her feel better or curse the world with her.

After Wind pressured Fatima to take defensive martial arts so she could protect herself while out with a boy, she dragged Cherish along with her. If it wasn't for Fatima, Cherish's life would consist of plants, her dog, and her bed. Cherish tried not to imagine life after Fatima goes away to school. The idea of not having her BFF around was the only thing that made her consider uni even a tiny bit.

"I'm not even sure if I'm going to go away to uni anyway Cher. I want to be on TV!"
"What? Like an actress? Don't people go to acting school for that?"

Wind did not want to push Cherish to do things she didn't want to do or be someone she wasn't but she was worried about her. She remembers what her mother told her about watching over her to keep her from going to a dark place. She was also afraid of what will happen if Cherish stays at home after high school and Fatima goes off to college, gets married, has her own family and life away from Cherish.  Were her plants enough of a passion to give Cherish's life meaning? She wants good things for her great-granddaughter. Not a life of depression and isolation. Fatima can't take care of her forever.

*

*

*

Bonus shots

Typical teen, always on the phone

Who has 2 thumbs and can totally kick your butt? Fatima Solo-Dixon, nice to meet you!

Generation 8 - Chapter 17

Cherish was eager to get back to her plants. She had hired a neighbor's child to water them for her while she was gone but she knew a little boy was not going to take care of her plants like she could.

As she fussed over an indoor pot Wind was right behind her working at her drafting table. The room was cramped and Wind was often complaining about not having enough room for her design projects. But she never made Cherish move her more delicate plants somewhere else. Or kicked the house cat out.

"Have you finished filling out Uni applications yet Cherish? You'll be graduating soon you know."

Cherish was silently willing her GG to leave her alone about uni.

"Fatima has already picked her top 3."

"Yeah, but she chose her schools based on how good the parties are." Cherish blurted.

She immediately regretted it when Wind gave her an angry look. She didn't want to get Fatima in trouble. She just wanted to conversation to not be about her.

"What do you mean about parties?"

"I, um, hear the dog whining! I need to take him out!"

"Phew! That is not a conversation I want to continue!"

She mumbled into the dogs soft fur. She had no intention of going off to uni. What would happen to her plants? her business? She was finally making a profit. She had no idea what to do with any of the money she was making, but she knew it wasn't for her education. The idea of leaving home and being surrounded by strangers was borderline terrifying. She had finally gotten to a good place here. No one really bothered her anymore. Sure there was the occasional taunt in the lunch room, but no one really paid her any attention anymore. She preferred it that way.

Cherish knew Fatima couldn't wait to graduation and be off on her own. Going to new places and meeting new people was always on her to do list. Cherish would miss her dearly while she was away, she knew, but uni wasn't for her. Fatima was meant for an exciting life. Lots of friends. Boys chasing her. As it is she recently became addicted to some show on TV that was all about men or women competing for the attention and affection of one person. "The Love" or "True One" or something silly like that. Fatima always told her about the guys on the show and which ones she'd like to get to know better.

"After I graduate, I want to be on that show! Surrounded by hot guys? Yes please!"

Boys and dating. That's another thing Cherish wasn't interested in.

"Stuff like that doesn't last so why bother?"

She had her plants and her small business. She didn't need anything else, right?

*

*

*

Bonus shots

The plants and animals weren't the only ones happy to have the girls back from vacation

Come on now Ephriam. You have a wife. Wind's not interested on vamps anyway.