The Miskin Legacy: Generation One, Part Five: Family Reunion

Giving up conventional employment hadn't caused Katrina to become lazy. In between caring for her family, she spent long hours each day developing her new skill - painting. In time, she was producing moderate-value pieces she could sell to collectors, thus bringing some extra money into the household.

Her masterpiece, however, was her oil portrait of her beloved husband. It was another part of his growing legacy, and would ensure he was remembered for a long time after his days on Earth were over.

Whilst this image of Myron was forever frozen in time, the same could not be said for their children. In what seemed to her parents like the blink of an eye, Juliet had changed from a sweet little girl into an elegant and sophisticated young woman.

Although she was growing up, Juliet remained her younger brother's study buddy...

... and her intelligence and wit both sparkled, much to her father's pride.

With Juliet heading swiftly towards womanhood, Myron became all the more aware of the passing of time... and there was little left of it to waste. 

His family had to pay a well-overdue visit to Miskin Manor.

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Time had been a healer for the other members of the Miskin family. Lady Amelia was now fully out of mourning, and starting to love life again - her black dress and veil resigned to the wardrobe in favour of a brighter grass-green ensemble. 

When her dear brother-in-law and his family appeared at the manor gates, she hurried towards them and ushered them inside. She was keen to catch up with Myron, and so, the two of them headed into her study for a nice long chat.

Meanwhile, the younger Miskins were also becoming acquainted. Juliet shared jokes with her cousin Fleur, whilst Montague and Titus discussed more intellectual topics - Lord Ronan flittering back and forth between them.

In the gardens, Katrina was introducing herself to another family member.

"I hope I've made your brother happy, Lord Mostyn," she whispered to the marble gravestone before her. "And, as such... I hope I've made you happy, too."

Katrina, in particular, was well aware of how the years had passed. Some weeks ago, during her morning toilette, she had discovered a grey hair amongst her cherry-red locks. Now, they were appearing more and more frequently.

Myron didn't know it, but Katrina hadn't exactly been honest about her age. Her husband believed that there was, at most, five years between them. In truth, it was double that... and then some. It had never been a problem before, and Katrina's secret had stayed safe. But the beauty and vitality of her youth was slowly fading. She wouldn't be able to keep up the facade for much longer. And now, as she stood facing a monument to a lost soul, it was a harsh reminder of her own imminent mortality.

Besides... her age wasn't the only secret she had kept from Myron.

She was brought out of her morbid thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Oh! Lady Amelia!"

Embarrassed, apologies gushed forth from Katrina's mouth.

"Forgive me... I wasn't intending to... if you want me to..."

Smiling softly, Amelia dismissed the stream of words with a gentle wave of her hand.

"No need to be sorry," she said. "I am honoured that you wish to pay your respects to my dear Mostyn."

"You were close to him?" Katrina asked.

"Oh, yes," Amelia told her. "He was my world. I have never loved another man before or since. He knew everything about me, and I, I should hope, knew all about him, too."

"You kept no secrets from him?"

"Never. To do so would have been the ultimate betrayal of our love."

This statement struck a chord deep within Katrina's conscience.

When she and her family returned home that evening for dinner, Katrina made an announcement at the table. Now that she and the children had met Myron's family...

... it was time for them to meet hers.

Michael Lee Harker, Intergalactic Sim of Mystery: Postscript - What Michael Did Next (A Photo Album)

Sixam may have given me life, but Earth is my home planet. That is where my loved ones are... like Megumi. We certainly had a passionate relationship.

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Maybe even a little too passionate....

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So, naturally, I asked her to make a honest man of me.

_______________________________

Our wedding day. One of the happiest moments of my life.

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I knew Megumi was going to be a great mother.

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And soon enough, the big day came.
Poor Megumi - she was so nervous!

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And so, the world welcomed another Lee Harker boy.
We named him Gabriel, after his grandfather.
(Looks just like me, does he not?)

The Miskin Legacy - Generation One, Part Four: The Heir and the Spare

Juliet Miskin

Juliet was definitely the apple of her father's eye. They shared a love of knowledge, and spend their daddy-daughter time together on intellectual pursuits, such as chess.

However, despite her deep love for her father, one frightening thought forever plagued Juliet's mind. If her parents went on to have a baby boy, then he would become the heir to their father's legacy. He would be the important one. She wouldn't be special to them any more. The idea of losing her father's love scared her so much that she desperately prayed she would never have a baby brother.

It didn't work.

Shortly after Juliet started school, another Miskin came into the world. A bouncing baby boy. He was named Montague... and often called "Monty" for short. 

Myron instantly adored him.

Upon meeting her new brother, Juliet did her best to smile and be kind... making her face into a mask to disguise her heartbreak. 

However, her parents were not fools. Although Juliet's mouth was fixed into a grin, sadness shone in her eyes. Katrina, who had been worried this would happen, asked Myron to talk things through with her. 

And so, one evening, Myron knocked on the door to his daughter's room.

"Juliet? Darling? Can I come in?"

A muffled voice replied, "Yes."

Myron entered. He noticed right away that Juliet had been crying. He sat beside her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"What's wrong, my little red rose?"

"Now that Monty's here," Juliet sniffed, "he's the one who matters most. You don't need me anymore. You're going to love him instead."

Myron chuckled deeply, shocked that a child as clever as his daughter could think such strange things.

"Oh, sweetheart, don't be silly!" he told her reassuringly. "I will always love you, and my heart is big enough to love you, your mother and your little brother in exactly equal measure. Whilst it is true that the law means Montague will inherit my legacy some day, that does not mean I'm going to cast you aside. I will always do my best to make sure you both are happy."

He smiled at her.

"Besides," he added, "in a way, you're blessed. You will never have the pressure Montague now faces of continuing the family and the legacy. You'll be free to live your own life exactly as you see fit - and whatever makes you happy will make me happy, too."

He wiped away her tears with his finger, and gently kissed her cheek.

"You will always be special to me, my little red rose. Don't you ever think otherwise - not for a single moment."

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A few weeks after Montague's birth, the family had an unexpected visitor - Lord Ronan Miskin, Myron's eldest nephew. His teenage years now behind him, he had grown up into a true gentleman.

As he sat down to dinner with the family, Lord Ronan was introduced to his first-born cousin, Juliet. As the pair chatted away, Lord Ronan had to admire her wit and wisdom, which was beyond her tender years.

As the young nobleman updated his uncle on his own family news - Fleur and Titus now teenagers, and Dowager Lady Amelia now much happier and starting to recover from Mostyn's passing, albeit still a singleton - Myron made a promise to himself that, one day, when Montague was a little older and better able to travel, he would pay a visit to Miskin Manor.

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After her heart-to-heart with her father, Juliet strived to be the best possible role model to Monty. She read him bedtime stories whilst he was still in the cradle, and thus, it was no surprise to his parents when the young heir grew up into something of a bookworm.

Montague (Monty) Miskin

Happy that their two little ones were getting along so well, Myron and Katrina decided that they were not going to have any more children. Katrina, having left her job to focus on child-rearing, was determined to develop some skills, whilst Myron was keen to advance in his career and secure the best possible future for his family.

Besides, they needed to set a good example!

The Miskin Legacy: Generation One, Part Three - Bundle of Joy

Shortly after she and Myron were married, Katrina had big news. She was going to have a baby! Myron, a loving uncle who had always longed for children of his own, was absolutely overjoyed.

The couple both worked hard at their jobs, saving every penny they could for their little one. Until the blessed moment arrived...

And so, the Miskins welcomed a happy, healthy daughter - Juliet.

From the moment he saw her, Myron was besotted.

The proud papa had planned to decorate his daughter's nursery all in black, like the rest of the house. However, Katrina put her foot down and insisted on some colour. Inspired by their wonderful mother, Myron decided the children born to him and his bride would grow up surrounded by the colour red... and who knows? Maybe future generations would have their own signature colour, too.

With this in mind, an extra room was added to the house.

Juliet soon grew into a geeky, inquisitive child, blessed with both brains and beauty.

However, although his "little red rose" was perfect to him, tradition stated that Myron still needed a son and heir...

Michael Lee Harker, Intergalactic Sim of Mystery: Chapter Fifteen - Finale - Home is Where the Heart Is

Baby Michael came to be known as "Mike"... mainly because the older Michael would come rushing into the room whenever anyone said his name. He was utterly adored by his family. Both Gabriel and Katerina treasured their first grandchild, and the elder Michael took massive pride in his new uncle role.

However, a baby is never a band-aid for a troubled relationship. As much as Yuri and Crystal loved their little one, things were still tense between them. Despite her frequent claims to the contrary, Yuri remained terrified that Crystal may run away and leave him again. As such, he found it hard to trust her.

Michael Lee Harker, Intergalactic Sim of Mystery - Chapter Fourteen: Three Generations

Alone in the hospital, Yuri had never felt more frightened in his life. He wasn't ready for this. What did he know about being a father? He hadn't prepared anything. But it was too late now - this baby was well on its way. 

He wanted his mother and father. He wanted Michael. And most of all, he wanted Crystal.

As a kindly doctor - another sworn to secrecy - approached him to let him know they were ready to perform the C-section, Yuri braced himself. No matter how he was feeling right now, and planned or otherwise, this child was going to need him, and he was determined to be a good parent right from the get-go. He settled down in the birthing suite, taking deep breaths - not only to cope with the pain, but to try and calm his nerves.

The Miskin Legacy: Generation One, Part Two: First Comes Love...

Myron is starting to get used to life beyond Miskin Manor. He's even cooking for himself! (Granted, there's plenty of room for improvement...)
 

 

With a tummy full of scrambled eggs, he's ready to begin work on this third goal - starting a family. Being a bookish fellow, he decides to pay a visit to the local library. After browsing the paperbacks, he manages to strike up a chat with a female patron - Katrina Caliente.

The two hit it off right away, and it turns out that they're both Family-Oriented. That's a good sign for Myron!

Over the next few days, once he's finished his shift at work, Myron invites Katrina to visit him at his house. 

They have dinner together, which gives Myron a chance to practise his cooking...

 


And, as is customary when you're trying to impress someone, he makes a complete fool of himself from time to time. Usually this involves saying the wrong thing or telling a bad joke, but on one particular occasion, he messes up spectactularly by staying up a little bit too late...

However, despite these little setbacks, meeting Katrina has an incredibly positive effect on Myron. He begins to move out of mourning, and becomes generally happier and more focused - so much so, in fact, that he gets promoted at work!

Plus, it seems Katrina, on the whole, is likewise enjoying her time with Myron. She has the occasional angry moment, probably due to her Hot-Headed trait... but still, it soon becomes apparent that the two have deep feelings for one another.

 

In what is probably the whirlwind romance of the century, only a few hours pass before the couple not only become engaged, but are married!

Once she is wedded to a man of noble birth, Katrina decides to have a makeover to reflect her rise in status - donning a beautiful red dress and ruby necklace... a wedding gift from her new husband.

And thus, we have our first generation spouse... Katrina Caliente Miskin!