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The house was finally complete! Fritz and Jane had done all the work themselves, in between working on their farm. It had taken Simyears to finish. It still needed decorating in parts, but was mostly done.
(If you would like, you can download a copy of the Gardiner House here.)
"More curtains?" groaned Fritz, who hated shopping. "I should have put fewer windows in!"
"Don't worry, dear, I will take the girls shopping instead, you can stay home and play with your omni plants. Next week."
The girls had gone fishing to the river, their favourite Sunday afternoon activity. Riverview was a lovely area, thought Jane. They were so lucky to live here. She went to hang the curtains in her and Fritz's bedroom.
"We still need blinds for the new bathroom... bathmats... toilet roll holders, towel holders... oh and you still need to put a light fitting in there too, it's dark!"
"I still don't understand why we needed to squeeze another bathroom in there. Isn't two bathrooms enough?"
Jane giggled. "My dear man, you have three daughters, who will soon be teenagers. At that point they will most likely need a bathroom EACH!"
Fritz grunted something about never understanding females, and went to look at his garlic crop.
"Goldfish!"
"Anchovy! ooo and a jellyfish."
"That's clever to make the jellyfish stay on the hook!"
"Rainbow Trout! I win! That's supper!"
The girls were very late back from fishing. But they had phoned to say they would be late. Fritz and Jane caught up with some weeding.
Eventually, at about 11pm, the whole family assembled, starving, in the kitchen. The fish, the girls' catch of 6 rainbow trout, were stashed in the fridge, and Fritz, who was a far better cook than Jane, made Stu Surprise.
"I've decided something IMPORTANT!" announced Analise.
"What's that, my love?"
"I want to be a Scientist! When I grow up. I want to find out what makes things - THINGS. What makes it all work."
"Well I want to be a Nurse and make people better. So there!" said Charis.
Fritz smiled. "What about you, Felicia?"
She shrugged, her mouth full.
"I'm hoping one of you will be a farmer, like me and your Mum." said Fritz.
"Well I certainly don't wanna be a Maid," said Analise, with a sideways glance at Jane.
"I wouldn't want to be a Maid again either," said Jane. "But it paid the bills... and I would never have met your father unless I had been a maid. He wasn't one for hanging about in the pubs and discos."
"Daddy, tell us again about that Sergeant Major and how he used to bark."
"Not tonight, girls. School in the morning, and it's very late. Off to bed."
"But my bedroom hasn't got any wallpaper!" wailed Felicia.
"Neither has mine, silly. But at least I don't have to share it with YOU!"
"Ssshhhh. Bed, now!"