It’s been a while since we’ve looked on the Joneses, hasn’t it?
When last we left them, Dan had just died after a long and modestly prosperous life. His goal of becoming a free-lance botanist was seen to fruition and he had beautiful, if somewhat large family.
He also left a good deal of debt, because $3000+ a week in bills is a ginormous expense for anyone to handle, let alone a grieving widow and four kids of various ages.
Brynn, for a time, decides to forego getting a job or moving out in favor of staying home with her aging mother and helping to take care of the house, her father’s gardens and her siblings.
She also continues to write, and chronicles her mother’s and siblings lives in written form. Rather than publishing them, she keeps on the wall-to-wall bookshelves in the study.
Life goes on.
Aubrie and the boys continue to go to school, although they are plagued by bouts of depression and even anger. Cade, also always, takes his anger out on the dollhouse.
Evan sulks and his good grades slip to a C.
Aubrie’s teen-to-YA birthday was lost in the mix somewhere. She didn’t get a cake, presents or anything. It was just forgotten.
Their sorrow was ever-present.
Brynn and Aubrie (now a young adult like her sister) decide that it’s time to do something for themselves for a change. They begin frequenting the local gym, working out and meeting people. Its partially for socialization, and partially because all their mom’s good cooking has left them a little pudgy.
Which makes total sense, as Arielle was throwing all of her energy into baking and ‘trying out new recipes.’
When the time came for the twins to age up into teenagers, Arielle had pulled herself together enough to bake them a cake, which they shared, and the family celebrated a private birthday together.
Evan Jones… and his twin brother, Cade.
Evan’s Traits: His Teen and Adult Traits sure don’t fit his Aspiration, do they.
Cade’s Traits: his would have been easy for the Heir, had he been named, but he was so out of the running it’s not funny!
It’s not long after the Boys celebrated their birthday that Death came for Arielle. Cade was there to witness it, and he could not control his tears. He was, in fact, so wrapped up in his grief, that he failed to notice the Grim Reaper approaching behind him, with his iPad in hand, checking to see if Arielle Poindexter Jones was indeed on his list.
Of course, she was, and the family laid her to rest in a plot beside her husband.
The deaths of their parents have a profound effect on the Jones kids. There is little, if any socialization with the outside world. School and house chores become the bulk of their lives.
What few friends they make, Cade manages to piss off quite easily. This makes finding boy or girlfriends very hard. Let alone just people to hang with.
Brynn retreats for a time into a fictional world. Books she reads and the books she writes soon become her refuge.
Aubrie and Evan and turn to physical exercise. Jogging, especially in the early morning, or late at night when their minds are full of sad memories, is their solace.
And then there is Cade… the misunderstood boy who no one could get too close to, not ever his own twin.
Cade spends most of this time crying at his parents’ graves, renewing his sorrow daily instead of moving past it, as his siblings are attempting to do.