#madeline carpenter

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Within a month Madeline and Savanna had moved into their own department in the Financial District. Not long after that they completed the adoption process and came home with their son, Clifton. 

[verdantsims]

It was time for another of Colten’s birthdays and the number this time put him in the “old man” bracket, as Atticus put it. With such a big number to celebrate everyone wanted to be in on the singing. At Colten’s request, however, Madeline sang a little further away.

[verdantsims]

“I know you’re concerned, Madeline, but he wasn’t going to be happy being contained here every night for the rest of his life,” Charleen said. “We can’t live in fear forever of something we don’t have a face for.”

“But Charleen-”

“If you’ll recall, Atticus has two parents,” Colten said tiredly as he straightened up. “Charleen and I agreed on this, Madeline. We appreciate everything you’ve done but please, do leave some decisions to us.”

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The sink in the master bath broke. Charleen and Colten teamed up to tackle the mess: Charleen on fixed and Colten on cleaning. They ended up not being the only ones in the bathroom that night, however. While each was focused on their job Madeline stormed in raging.

“Did you let Atticus go out tonight by himself?!” she all but shouted at her sister. “What in the world were you thinking?!”

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“Alessandra Lancaster-Carpenter, you stop right there!” Madeline raised her voice, startling Alessandra. “Don’t you dare talk that way about your mother and brother. It isn’t their choice to be vampires and it isn’t their fault anymore than it is yours.”

“But then why are they vampires if it’s not their choice?” Alessandra asked. “It seems like being a vampire is pretty dumb.”

“That isn’t for you to decide,” Madeline said. “There are things that you don’t know or understand yet. You need to understand that now.” Alessandra went silent. She really didn’t understand, but she really wanted to go to the park so she knew better than to push.

[verdantsims]

Once Charleen had gone to start dinner Madeline approached her aunt. “Aunt Maddy!” she whined. “Will you and take me to the park to play?”

Madeline had, of course, heard the entire conversation behind her and was sympathetic to her niece. “I think we can squeeze in some time at the park after dinner,” she said. “What do you say, Savanna?”

“I think that sounds like a great idea,” Savanna said. “It sounds like a great way to end a special girl’s birthday.”

“Thank goodness!” Alessandra said. “It’s not fair that I have to be treated like a vampire, too! It’s not my fault mom and Atticus can’t go out in the sun! They shouldn’t have become vampires!”

[verdantsims]

“Mom!” Alessandra went in search of her mom as soon as Madeline returned home with Savanna in tow. “Mom! Can we go to the park and play?”

“Of course sweetie,” Charleen said. “Tonight we’ll-”

“No no!” Alessandra interrupted. “While the sun is up! I want to play in the sun!”

“Sweetie, you know I can’t go into the sun,” Charleen said gently.

“Drink that stuff you make,” Alessandra said. Charleen sighed and shook her head.

“I can’t make that all of the time, it takes things that take time to grow,” she said patiently. “If you can’t wait until the sun goes down, when your dad, Atticus, or I can go, then you can ask your Aunt Maddy or Savanna. But be polite about it!”

“Okay mom,” Alessandra said with a pout. Charleen wanted to be stern, but she didn’t want to be unfair to Alessandra either. New compromises were going to have to be made going forward.