#walter twining

[insecuresimming]

In the spring of 1890, newlyweds Walter and Mary Ellen Twining arrived in the small village of Chestnut Ridge, Nevada. There laid a dilapidated ranch, which Walter had purchased sight-unseen from a New York magazine.

The journey out was a hard one for the northerners, losing quite a bit of furniture and oxen on their trail. But the two were young, overly optimistic, and confident in setting their roots in this strange new place.

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Mary Ellen entered her third trimester, and felt absolutely huge. She found it hard to do much more than her daily activities, and began skipping shopping and church until the babies arrived.

To her surprise, late in her pregnancy, Mrs. Edith James stopped by. She had noticed the Twining's absences from church, and wanted to check up on her, strange as she may be.

Mell was ecstatic to have a visitor! She made them coffee, and picked Edith's brain about homesteading, motherhood, and how to cook things without burning it.

Edith tried to hide her surprise when she saw how well-kept the home was. She had lived her entire life in Chestnut Ridge, and had always known this house to be abandoned and dilapidated. Clearly, she had underestimated the strange Mrs. Twining, with her unkempt ponytail and man's cowboy hat.

At some point, Walter silently sat with the two, and started cross-stitching, one of his hobbies. Edith was confident she had never seen a man do this, and Mell reacted as if it were nothing!

It was clear to Mrs. James that this coupling was, indeed, strange. Walter moved with a quiet coyness, whereas Mell moved with a puckish confidence--not "becoming", let's say, of either gender. But it was also clear to Mrs. James that she loved the Twinings. They were the most interesting family in town.

(Thank you so much for the feedback guys!<3)

[insecuresimming]

Mell's spirits rose as spring became summer. On her daily walk, she got to know and befriend Mrs. Ida Lacey, the local schoolmistress.

Ida was an incredibly intelligent woman, and found that she more than tolerated, but respected Mell's audaciousness. She found it very modern. On her end, Mell just liked to ask Ida about various bugs around the garden.

Mell also picked up a guitar made of reclaimed wood from the local store, and began to re-teach herself guitar. Between this and her diaries, Mell found that she didn't have to lose herself or her interests in being a mother.

She also made peace with her children, although she still had her doubts. This was in no small part due to Walter being much more active a parent than her father was to her, cementing their commitment further.

Indeed, it seemed that Mell had come to terms with, even embraced motherhood. Which is good. Because she immediately got pregnant again.

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Those early days with the twins were chaotic, and both were up at the oddest hours of the night. Though both were apprehensive, it was Walter who got over his fears and was able to bond with his children first. It didn't hurt that they both looked exactly like him.

Mell, however, still felt her resentments and doubts. She loved her children, but she knew that--as supportive as Walter was--she would be their primary caregiver. Mell feared she lacked the patience, and didn't feel ready to lose herself in motherhood.

To cope with her stress, Mell became an avid diarist, venting her frustrations and feelings about the world around her. She did this in the privacy of their new upstairs bedroom.

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"Two of them, huh?" "Looks like." "And you're saying it's...usually going to be two of them?" "Maybe more than two. I'm one of three." "Mmm. Huh. Kinda funny that our surname is 'Twining', then." "Ha! You know, I've never thought about that!"

Welcome to the word Alice and Calvin Twining.

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Spring went on, and the Twinings quickly fell into a routine of early-morning hard labor, and late nights of leisure and intimacy. They both knew this privacy wouldn't be forever...especially given their nightly activities.

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Walter traveled the countryside alone that night on Harrison, and considered fatherself. He had not always wanted a family, and pictured himself alone for a lifetime. Mell had been a surprise, and of course he wanted to have children with her. But his lonely childhood and his lack of a father figure made him insecure in his abilities.

But as the evening waned into morning, and he felt calmedby the cool air, he did resolve his misgivings. He was raised lovingly, and had the chance to start a family he never had.

Still, he took advantage of the childless life while he could.

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Mell waited to tell Walter, somewhat in denial until he had his own suspicions. He was frustrated--he, too, did not expect this so quickly, and while he obviously didn't blame her for the pregnancy, finding out midway through meant he was woefully unprepared. They had to furnish a nursery...make cloth diapers...buy more food!

It was their first ever fight.

Gameplay Note: I have Lumpinou's WooHoo Wellness+Pregnancy Overhall mod and neither of these two were ready for children yet, so they walked around miserable the whole pregnancy lol.