1.5: When You’re Gone

Jared’s death left a cloud over the family.  Lianndra slept alone for the first time in years.  Theirs hadn’t been a great romance, perhaps, but it had been a solid partnership.  The years they’d spent gardening, fishing, changing nappies and encouraging each other in their respective careers were over.  What was she to do now with the time she had left?  How would she help her children cope with the loss of their father?

In the days that followed Jared’s death, the family grew a stronger bond than ever.  Lianndra would often tuck her teenage daughters in at night, and she encouraged all of them to make friends, have fun, and live their lives to the fullest.

Lianndra filled out her days by painting masterpieces and gardening, maxing out her skills as she did so.  Kali, too, decided to take up gardening, in order to tend his father’s prize vegetables and somehow keep Jared’s memory alive.

Kali was becoming very much aware of his duty.  As the eldest child of the Kyoti family, he was the heir and responsible for keeping the legacy going.  He wanted to do this for his mother, but just as much to keep his father’s memory alive.  He also began spending a lot of time with his uncle Connor and cousin Colleen.  He knew Jared and Connor hasn’t spent as much time together as they’d wanted, and Kali wanted to make sure that Jared’s relatives weren’t left out of the family.

Lianndra encouraged the children to have friends over and host parties.  Guests became a regular feature in the Kyoti household, including Jared’s other daughter, Alison Ursine, who became a good friend of all three of her half-siblings.  Her  bright red hair was an even stronger marker of Jared’s genetics than Alli and Lola’s more muted tones.

Kali was becoming somewhat withdrawn, spending more and more time playing on his guitar.  His mother and sisters were concerned about his well-being (not to mention the future of their legacy).  They encouraged his friend Stacey to come over and visit him, and she began to be a regular visitor.

Even though Stacey’s visits were becoming more frequent, nothing much was happening with her and Kali.  Alli decided to force the issue and ask Stacey when she was going to realise that Kali was in love with her.  Meanwhile, Lola worked on her big brother, gently suggesting that he might want to act upon his obvious feelings for Stacey.  After this prompting, Stacey and Kali had a heart to heart.

Kali proposed and Stacey accepted immediately.  They decided it wouldn’t be appropriate to have a big flashy wedding with the house still in mourning.  However, there was something that Kali was keen to get on with that evening…

… and that was ensuring the legacy continued…