Season: Spring
In this post: The Whole Schmidt Clan
“What do you think this family meeting is about?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, George.” Mark answered. He had been asking himself that all week. Between running back and forth from Eaton to Oasis Valley to move Lucy’s stuff his week had been exhausting. Then came his mother’s cryptic call about a family meeting.
“We never have family meetings.” George voiced his thoughts. “You don’t think this about Kay being knocked up?”
“What?” Mark questioned, lining up his shot. “You’re joking, right?”
“No. I’m serious.” George watched as Mark hit the que ball sending the yellow ball slowly towards it target hole.
“Did you tell mom?” Not knowing what else to say to his little brother.
“Nope. Not yet. I was waiting for the right time. What do you think about me dropping the baby bomb at the meeting? Maybe during dessert?”
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Robert told her not to worry and Ella tried but as she chopped and diced preparing the food for the family meeting she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. No matter how hard they tried or how many hours they put in, Just Desserts seemed bound to fail.
Oasis Valley just didn’t have enough people to support a speciality business like a dessert only shop. It seemed that Robert and Susan had finally came to that conclusion also with her even having to voice her opinion.
She listened to the excited chatter that drifted through the open windows as her brother-in-laws and their girlfriends arrived.
She could hear them ask the question she had asked several times before “What’s this meeting about?”
Robert always answered the same way. “Let’s wait until the family meeting.”
Her stomach gave a nervous flip. This couldn’t be good.
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Susan was the last one to sit at the table. Mentally noting the seating arrangement. Her three sons opted to seat together, with Robert between George and Mark. She and the other women, Ella, Kay and Lucy, sat on the other side. Robert directly across from her.
She tried not to think about the empty chair and the fact that James and William should be seated at the table with them. Or the fact that if William had been alive they would probably not be having a family meeting of this magnitude.
Instead, she tried to focus on the present. Not the past and what should have been. She tried to focus on the words coming out of Robert’s mouth as he update everyone on the family’s finances.
As Robert laid it all out on the table she could not help but think about how she had failed them all. She doubted that Jennifer Crabtree would ever have this talk with her children. Jennifer probably made sure that all their futures where financially secure. Even if she had not agreed with their life choices.
As she listened to Robert tell his brothers that there was money left but not nearly enough. that her baby, Just Dessert, was wasting away and that the house was eating up what little money there was left. She could only sit there in silence like the rest of them.
She wanted to tell herself that if William had lived everything would have been different but that was a lie. Neither one of them knew how to properly manage money. When they had won the lotto the first thing they did was quit their jobs and brought a big house, followed by putting their children in private school. Instead of investing, planning and saving.
Robert’s voice stopped, causing her to look up and throw him a reassuring smile.
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Robert patiently waited while the others gathered their thoughts. He knew there would be a lot of questions. He would answer as best he could but most of it would depend on chance.
“What does that all mean?” Mark was the first to ask.
“Basically that there is a way to salvage things.” He answered.
“After much research and talking to a few people. I have come up with a plan. The lotto money wasn’t invested properly at the start. First thing is to put what is left to good use in a high interest bank account. The interest from that alone should be enough to cover the upkeep of this house.”
He had spent hours, days and week on his plan. Confident that it would work. If he could get them to agree to it.
He continued. “Just Desserts, needs to be restructured. I was thinking of making it speciality restaurant. That way we could focus on one thing. It would draw more people and we’d make more money by charging for servings. Right now people, even tourist, are buying the pies and leaving. Mom’s spending way to many hours baking to keep up with what little demand there is.”
Susan nodded her head in agreement.
“We probably won’t reap the rewards, but our children should. When they are older.”
” So, little Georgie should be able to go to college?”
Georges question threw everyone off. Until Kay gave a shocked gasp and scold him. “This isn’t the time to make that announcement.”
Robert let the new permeate his brain. His little brother was going to be a father.
He finally said. “Hopefully at the very least. Little Georgie will at least be able to put a down payment on a house. All the child will have a trust fund and money will be added periodically. You have the option to add to your kids funds, also. The house and business will be included. It’ll be passed down from Schmidt to Schmidt. The residents will be in charge of the trust funds. Apparently, that how all the rich people do it.”
He waited for someone to object. When no one did he pushed back his chair signalling the end of the meeting.
Everyone followed his lead, the women crowding around George and Kay excited about the prospect of a new baby.
Mark caught up with him in the kitchen. “I’m so happy I’m not the oldest.” He joked before pulling him into a hug. “Do what you think is best. I’m behind you 100 percent”
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- The Schmidts have not been to good about handling their money. My initial plan was for Just Desserts to make the bulk of the income and for Susan and Robert to run it. But I fell asleep on night playing the lot and lets just say things did not turn out well. Just Desserts has yet to recover.
- I am really excited about George and Kaye having a baby. George is the last of the Schmidt boys to have a child. Since, George is a Pleasure sim and Kaye is Romance, I don’t think they will be having a boat load of children.
- While the family was having the meeting Mindy was babysitting her little cousins.