Feel

Round 29: June 2030 (Winter)

last update/next update

Arianna Weaver is 75, Liam is 67, Jonas Lachance is 52, Tatiana is 47, Edward is 15 and Brendan is 7.
(Pamela is 45, Jacob and Claudia are both 29, Dominic is 20, Audrey is 18 and Lucy is 15)

Narrated by Tatiana Lachance

For the last several months or so, Mum hasn't really been herself. I guess it happens a lot with people her age but she was always so vibrant. It's been hard to watch her suddenly completely lose track of a conversation.

She has also had a few falls but although they've been scary, someone has always been able to help to her and she came out of it unscathed.

Her last fall was significantly worse. She wasn't conscious when I found her. I just couldn't think about doing anything about getting her to a hospital.

We got there but it was too late. I didn't even get a chance to call any family to give them the chance to say goodbye.

Cara is my cousin's wife and I was so glad she was the on-duty doctor. She was very comforting and seemed to say all the right things.

Still, I was happy when Jonas arrived, along with Liam and Jacob. I was glad they could both still say somewhat of a goodbye.

I got the chance to talk to Jacob a little later on, while Jonas went to get us all some coffee. This is supposed to be such a happy time for him. He just got married a month ago and he and Claudia are still very much in the honeymoon phase.

And nobody but close family knows just yet, but Claudia is pregnant, due in February. So Mum will never know the baby.

It's so hard for Liam. He and Mum married relatively late in life but they were still together for over 35 years. To be alone again, after all that time...even with us around, it must be awful for him.

Liam has always thought of our four kids as his grandchildren but Jacob and Claudia's baby will be his first biological grandchild. He won't be able to share that with Mum now, so it's going to be difficult for him.

I think he's managing to get a little bit of solace from it as well though. I know he's really looking forward to the birth.

Mum was not the type of woman to be constantly nagging us for grandchildren but she did really love the ones she had and they all felt very close to her too. So Dominic and Audrey naturally came home for a little bit after she died.

I still miss them so much and it was nice to have them back again, even if it wasn't under the best of circumstances. I know they can't all live at home forever but a part of me wishes they could.

I still worry about how Dominic is doing, even though what happened with Tessa was two years ago now and he's doing a lot better now.

He says he's fine. Dominic wants me to let him worry for a change. That's not my natural inclination, but I'm trying.

I have a substitute teacher to taking my class while I'm on leave for a while but Pamela has been dealing with all of my principal duties in the meantime. Pamela has also become a good friend to me. She and her daughter Lucy brought over some groceries and a few meals for us when they heard the news, which was so thoughtful of them.

I'm pretty sure Lucy was more keen to see Edward than to pay her condolences but that's okay.
They've been dating for about a year now and I know Edward was happy to see her. I'd never say anything to him, because he'd be so embarrassed but he and Lucy are just so sweet together.

He was keen to show Lucy the crops. He's taken over completely since Mum died and he's so proud.

Edward was the natural choice to pick up where Mum left off, seeing he's been working with her at the market for the last several months.

She was helping to train him up, so he might be able to manage the store one day. I don't know if that's something he's interested in but Mum said he could handle it, if he did.

I think Brendan is just old enough to understand what death means but still a little too young to process it properly. He's struggling, the poor little thing.

Just to give him something a little bit positive, Liam took Brendan to the pet store to pick out a new dog. He's been pestering us for one for ages, so he was excited.

Brendan ended up picking out a Saint Bernard, who he named Waldo.

Jonas and I probably would have chosen a smaller dog this time but I guess, we have the space for him, so why not? Brendan just adores him.

The first night we had Waldo with us, he decided to sleep with Liam on his bed, instead of in his kennel. It's sweet to think he might know Liam's feeling lonely at the moment.

I don't know how many times I've just broken down but I think, slowly, I'm feeling a little more functional.

I think what's really going to help me is getting back to work. It's time to get back into my routine and I'm actually starting to miss it.

**********
Arianna Weaver, 1955-2030

Arianna Weaver (née Moretti), lifetime resident of Sullivan, died in hospital after a fall at her home. She was 75 years old.

Arianna Weaver was born on her family's farm in 1955, to parents Jonah Draper and Simona Moretti. She grew up with her twin sister Caterina, who is still living in Sullivan and younger brother Filippo, who died in 2025.

Throughout their childhood and teenage years, Arianna remained close with her siblings. Even so, when Caterina and Filippo decided to go to college, Arianna skipped higher education.

Instead, Arianna entered the work force. She worked for several years as a waitress and hostess.

After her father died, Arianna took over his post as manager of Kirby Market, a job she remained in until her death.

At 28, Arianna began a relationship with Galen Clarke. The relationship didn't last long but it did end in Arianna's pregnancy.

That pregnancy resulted in Tatiana, Arianna's eldest child and only daughter. Galen was not very involved in his daughter's life, so for the first part of Tatiana's childhood, Arianna raised her alone, with the help of her parents.

When Tatiana was 12, Arianna rekindled an old relationship with Liam Weaver. The two decided to stay together for good this time and held their wedding on the farm.

Six years later, Liam and Arianna's son Jacob joined the family.

Arianna leaves behind twin sister Caterina, husband Liam, daughter Tatiana, son Jacob and grandchildren Dominic, Audrey, Edward and Brendan. Jacob's wife Claudia will give birth to what would have been Arianna's fifth grandchild in February.

Notes:

• Title is from Feel by Big Star. I've still got the completely unrelated Robbie Williams song in my head though.
• RIP Arianna! It was just her time to go, sadly. :( It was fun going back through her old pictures though. It feels like so long ago!
• This feels like it was my longest obituary yet
• It's very strange how quickly this household is shrinking. It's been one of my largest households for so long and now it's quite average-sized.
• Edward rolled the final ROS for this round, which was to pick up a new hobby. That's going to be gardening for him, seeing I need someone to keep it up now that Arianna is gone anyway. I'm not sure if he'll end up the manager of the store. He wants to go to college and enter Oceanography so I might let him do that. :\