Some may feel the youngest member of the Newbrook family should be pitied due to the strange situation she was born in. And the odd tendancies she is picking up as she grows. First it was the obsessive checking of the sink taps, then the ritualistic stove-checking procedure and then next came the frequent trips to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Most people do this hygiene task twice a day. Ellena likes to brush her teeth after every meal, snack or drink.
But none of these are good reasons to pity this small girl because despite her difficulties, Ellena is a well behaved happy child, who is loved by those that know her. And there are much stranger sims in Riverview…

…a couple of whom Alice came upon one Friday morning. She was on her way to visit Carey to discuss a playdate for Ellena and Shannon. As she arrived the front door to the Carpenter-Rhodes’ house opened so she assumed Carey had seen her and opened the door to greet her. When Carey stepped out onto the porch in only her underwear (including a frilly pair of pink knickers) Alice blinked twice but was not completely surprised because her friend is well known for her inappropriate behaviour. It was only when Carey started running down the steps giggling like a little girl, did Alice suspect something unusual was going on… especially when a second later Alice’s uncle started chasing the frilly-pink-knicker girl around and around the outside of the house with a silly grin on his own face.
Alice stood still and watched the pair of them. And then something that had been a secret became obvious to her. This is why Carey had never told anyone who her son’s father is. It might of been thought it very wrong for this couple to be together because of the large age gap, but never-the-less it was obvious… Lando must be Shannon’s father!
As the crazy lovers rounded the house for the second time they spotted Alice watching them. Composing themselves (less so in Carey’s case) they walked over to greet her.

Alice was not so shocked by the scene she had wandered in on, but she was surprised when her uncle tried to make up a lie to hide the true explaination for what was going on. She didn’t understand why he still wanted to keep the blatant relationship a secret. Not debating Lando’s explaination for now, Alice simply arranged a time for her to bring Ellena over to play and left the two of them alone again.
The following day, after Alice dropped Ellena off with Carey, she went to visit Lando at his own home. She’d always gotten along well with her uncle and now felt there was something she could do to help him. If Shannon was his son then it would be best for everyone to know; know that he is in fact a Newbrook descendant.
But Alice did not know everything about Lando’s personality traits. He was ashamed of himself and his actions. Senility had brought on moments of craziness (like the one the day before), which meant he did things he later regretted. Lando has never believed it right to show acts of romantic affection to people you are not well acquainted with and NEVER EVER in public. So when Alice brought up the subject of his relationship with Carey, his embarrassment quickly turned to anger as Lando’s hot-headed trait kicked in.

His voice got very loud and he told Alice she had no idea what she was talking about and to mind her own business!
Having never seen this side of her uncle, Alice was very taken aback. Seeing him red in the face with rage she recognized a quick exit was the best thing for now.
Having decided it simplist to leave her uncle to his own affairs for the time being, Alice took a moment to consider the lives of those in her own household and it occured to her that their home could do with a bit of rearrangement. Seeing as there are three women in the house, it could do with a feminine touch. So Alice replaced the living room furniture and added flowers and lilac curtains.

Then she brought Imogen’s easel downstairs because there was no reason for her to be painting alone in her room anymore. The Newbrook house was their home and her cousin was no longer a little girl who had to tiptoe quietly around her mean dad.
Speaking of Imogen… her relationship with Joss is going well and from the moment they’d taken it to the next level they’d become a lot closer. Seeing as they’d started as friends back in high school, Imogen never experienced that thunderbolt moment, but somehow gradually day by day their friendship had turned into love. Imogen is in love! And she wants to make Joss happy, but isn’t quite ready for everything that entails just yet (Nemm: I’ll give you a hint… he is a family-oriented man). Joss is aware of her fear, so is being patient.

Alice was happy for Imogen, but seeing the two of them together sometimes made her feel lonely and she wished she had someone to share her life with too. She often thought she should stop torturing herself and move on, instead of finding ways to be near Jeb. They’d broken up almost ten years ago and he still hadn’t asked her to be with him again, so she had no reason to think it could happen.

Nemm: “They do say patience is a virtue though…”

A few days before Ellena’s birthday Alice and her daughter were visiting Shannon. It was almost his birthday too and Ellena wanted to give him her gift before anyone else. Carey had gone out, so Jeb was there looking after his nephew.
Striking up a conversation, Alice asked him how he was and how his career at the local newspaper was going. As Jeb started to answer Alice’s mobile phone rang. She quickly apologised and went to answer it but stopped abruptly as Jeb’s reaction reached her ears…

Jeb: “It’s ok. I heard you’ve been seeing loads of guys around town. It’s probably one of your boyfriends.”

At first all Alice could do was stare at Jeb in disbelief. Did he really just say that?! Then she looked over at Ellena and saw a confused look on her daughter’s face. That’s when Alice felt anger rise up inside her. Remaining calm she told Jeb to step outside with her and asked Ellena to stay and play with Shannon as she needed to talk with Jeb for a moment.
Walking away from the house to a distance where neither Ellena or Shannon could hear them, Alice turned on her heels to face Jeb who had followed her.

Alice: “First of all, do not ever EVER say things like that in front of my daughter again! And secondly, my private life is none of your business! You gave up all rights to be part of that years ago!”

She paused momentarily as Jeb recoiled in shock, ashamed of what he’d said. It had just sort of fallen out before he’d thought it through.

By now the floodgates had opened for Alice and she was releasing a whole load of pent up frustration.

Alice: “I know I messed up ten years ago, but I felt abandoned and alone. I’ve never been with anyone since that one time… Foolishly I’ve been waiting… hoping… … but I’ve just been torturing myself with silly girl dreams in my head!”

At this point she flew her arms up in the air above her head in unspeakable frustration and feelings of stupidity. Alice called out to Ellena who was now stood on the porch chatting to Lavar. Quickly hailing a taxi, both mother and daughter got in it and went home.

It takes some sims ten seconds, others ten minutes, but there are the rare few who take ten years to realise their mistake. And when a pale shaky hand rang the doorbell to the Newbrook home that evening, reckoning had finally come to this lonely suitor.
As Alice opened the door she saw Jeb stood there looking very shame-faced. He asked for a moment to speak to her and so Alice stepped out onto the porch in the cold night air.
Jeb was sorry. He was sorry for what he’d said earlier that day; he was sorry for abandoning and rejecting her all those years ago. But most of all he was sorry for walking away from the only women he’d ever loved.
Although Alice had said it ten years ago, she said it again that night. She was sorry too.

Jeb: “Do you think we could start again?”
Alice : “No.”

Jeb looked forlorn, momentarily.

Alice: “Do you think we could pick up where we left off, skip a few steps and try to catch up a few years?”

Jeb looked up at Alice and smiled.

Minutes later they got in a taxi and went down to town hall. In a private ceremony in front of only a couple of staff who were working late that evening, Alice and Jeb made vows to never let each other down again.
When they told their respective families everyone was very happy for them. Even Ellena was happy. She liked Jeb as he’d always been nice to her. And she didn’t mind her mum marrying someone other than her own father because it had never been like that and even at her young age she could tell her mum was happier when Jeb was nearby.

Plus, they didn’t leave Ellena all alone. They’d go places, all three of them together, like the park and Jeb would push Ellena on the swing whenever she asked.
A couple of days later it was Ellena’s birthday, so there was a big celebration and everyone in the family came together. Alice’s cousin, Shannon, was there, now a teenager himself. And Lando had calmed down over time and admitted he was his son. He wasn’t willing to discuss his relationship with Carey with anyone, but no one really cared about that. The Carpenter-Rhodes had always felt like extended family anyway.

And of course Ellena’s father was there, but he hung back from the crowd of people as he’d always done. Donovan was delighted to see his daughter grow into a young woman.
Even as a teenager Ellena isn’t flamboyant in any way. Her neurotic tendancies are still her biggest quirk.