Final Foal update! I think this is probably the longest update I have ever posted...sorry about that.
The winner of the vote for Prairie's last foal in this challenge is Lucky. He was Desi's 22nd foal, making him foal number 44 in this challenge.
His foal looks almost exactly like him, but without any paint spots. Little Streak did get Prairie's bloody shoulders, but they aren't very obvious on his coat.
Layna found herself drawn to the young stallion, and begged her mother to let her keep him. Teila agreed on the condition that she would be solely responsible for his care and training.
She found that taking care of a young horse while going to school was a lot of work, and she was relieved when it was finally time for graduation. Perhaps she thought that she could take a little break now that school was over; whatever was going through her head she was ready to hit the beach.
Really ready...
There may have been no time for beach vacations, but now she could devote more energy into improving her riding and training Streak.
She was so confident in their abilities that she took him down to the Equestrian Center and entered their first race, which they easily took first in. She rewarded him for his efforts by allowing him a quick graze before heading back home.
But she couldn't ride him all day long, especially if her rump had anything to say about it, so in her spare time she decided to check out Hodge Podge's, the hangout in town. Her favorite part was the arcade in the basement, where she played whack-a-gnome...
Tried to win a prize from the claw machine...
And climbed up onto the mechanical bull for a ride. She was pretty good on the back of a horse, so it couldn't be too hard, right?
There were, however, some new recreational activities back at home too. It turns out that Fern's old aviary-turned-random-rec-room was the perfect size for a sauna. If I didn't know any better I would think this room was built specifically for this very purpose.
It quickly became one of the new favorite napping spots for the Zenyattas.
There was also room for a massage table and Teila didn't let her lack of experience sway her from attempting some acupuncture on her oh-too-willing husband. Yeah, I don't know what he was thinking...
Somehow she managed to not injure or maim him, and he was actually smiling when all was said and done. Perhaps he was starting to go senile, as their birthdays were rapidly approaching.
"Do I really have to do this?"
Yes, you got out of it once already...
See, that wasn't so bad now was it?
In their old age Troy and Teila found themselves wanting to just relax around the house and enjoy their remaining years together. The sauna was definitely a welcome addition for some soothing cuddle time.
Being a rather athletic sim, Troy had found it difficult to accept large periods of inactivity, though. He decided to take up fishing to get his body moving and enjoy some fresh air.
He even kept some of his catches at home in an aquarium.
He didn't want to spend all of his time away from home, so he also spent a lot of time at the painter's easel. They moved it upstairs onto the new deck they had built over the sauna so he could paint outside.
Teila chose to spend her free time in creative pursuits as well, but she decided to go with something musical instead. She had tinkered a bit with the keyboard they had bought for the kids to practice on in the past and wanted to try her hand at the real thing, so she bought herself a brand new grand piano.
They weren't the only ones getting older; their granddaughter was growing fast, and before they knew it they were looking down into the face of an adorable toddler.
The whole family was invited to the party, although Percy and Cora were only able to stay just long enough for Irene to blow out her candles. Angelina was too busy presenting her husband with yet another bouquet of flowers to notice. Seriously, people, get a room...please? Teila needs more grandbabies...
It didn't take long for Whisper to find the new piano, and everyone crowded around to enjoy the show.
Despite previous conflicts, Troy's father, Barrington, decided to crash the party. He didn't seem to like Teila reminding him just how old he really was when she popped up with photos of his great-grandchildren...
And he chose to ignore the fact that he still looked younger than some of his grandchildren.
Barrington wasn't the only party crasher; Ethan Parrot also joined in the party. Technically I guess he is family since he and Fern were married sometime after she moved out. He was largely ignored during the whole affair.
Ethan wasn't the only one who wanted to get his groove on...
Irene could have cared less about what all of the adults were up to, as she was too busy playing with her new favorite birthday present.
Damian had been very busy at his inventing table, and after many painstakingly careful hours of work he finally managed to finish his masterpiece: a time machine. Fingers crossed, and ducky at the ready, he made the leap inside hoping that it was both functional and safe. He didn't relish the thought of coming back out with his head on backwards or an arm growing from his forehead. That is, if he managed to come back out at all.
Thankfully, his trip was rather uneventful. He was able to prove, however, that not only did it work, but that operating it was safe, even if what you found on the other side might not be. The science facility couldn't wait to get their hands on it and paid him a rather large sum of money in exchange for the device. It was enough money for him to support his small family for many years to come, and it was a bittersweet moment for Teila and Troy as they watched their youngest son finally move out into the great big world together with his wife and young daughter.
It may have been much quieter on the ranch with the three of them gone, but Layna still found her days to be a bustle of activity. She was up early every morning to take care of the horses, oftentimes before she had changed out of her pajamas.
Star was still in need of training, and the more time Layna spent with the mare the more she realized that she wanted to keep her, and decided against taking her over to the Equestrian Center for sale once her training was completed.
And of course Prairie and Desi needed exercising as well.
Layna may have taken on all of the ranch work when her mother had retired, but Teila still tried to spend some time with the old girls. She couldn't imagine what her life would have been like if it hadn't been for them and all of the beautiful foals they had given her over the years. She was so very proud of them.
Prairie and Desi could often be found dozing in the sun together; with a lifetime of mothering behind them they were ready to bask in their own retirement.
Layna wondered what had become of all of the other foals that had grown up on the ranch, many of them before she was even born. Where did they live now, and had they had any foals of their own? She was happy to have both Star and Streak as a reminder of their mothers' legacy.
And she made sure their legacy would continue.
