It was a perfect summer morning for wedding photos: clear, sunny skies and not too hot. Dorothy and Matthew were in the Tevellyns’ backyard, where Dorothy’s friend Sage Oxendine was getting ready with her camera. Bridget had set up an arch made of branches next to the pond, and added flowers around it for extra decoration. Dorothy had to admit that it was a…

“I don’t know how I could have been more clear that moving to the middle of nowhere and having a baby was not a lifestyle I want,” Shaun said angrily. “If you decide to keep the baby, that’s not going to change my mind. I’m sorry, Rukiya, but I don’t know what you were expecting.”

Part Two: L’amour

“You didn’t get her number?” Amelia huffed. “Bloody hell, Em, I thought you like this girl.”

“Uh, well— I didn’t say that,” Emery answered sheepishly.

Amelia shook her head but was smiling. “You like her.”

“I don’t know,” Emery sighed. “She was just being friendly… Doesn’t matter anymore anyway.”

“Not with that attitude,” Amelia scoffed.

Part One: Bienvenue

Emery stirred as the taxi came to a stop. The sun was bright and harsh to her tired eyes. She’d fallen asleep on the long drive from the airport to the hostel where she’d be staying in Champs Les Sims. She blinked to see out the car window more clearly, and the large building came into focus. It was very old, but well…

Matthew and Dorothy continued to live at their parents’ houses for another year while their ranch was being built. As much as they knew the young couple loved one another, Bridget and Altman still worried that Dorothy wasn’t the best choice for their son, although her willingness to move to Appaloosa…

It was an evening at the Falls like any other. Matthew sat by the water’s edge reading a book, waiting to see if Aasifa would visit. He didn’t come every evening, but he was there several nights a week and usually saw his unicorn friend at least once. He’d hand over the produce du jour and they’d enjoy the quiet crashing…

Emery’s home was tucked amidst the trees, towards the back of her lot. She wanted it as close to the path to Cinnamon Crest Falls as possible – the added privacy was a bonus.

She’d envisioned something similar to a treehouse, but maybe that was childish of her. Emery had to admit her father's plans…

Content warning: Mild coarse language and a suggestive scene.

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“Now that is a bridge!” Ryker said proudly, marvelling at his colorful block construction.

“It looks good,” Mason agreed.

Ryker and Mason were the only two who played with the toys...

It was a beautiful day: sunny but not too warm. The summer heat was still a few weeks away. Aria was comfortable in her burgundy cardigan and knit skirt. The pantyhose was less comfortable, but she didn’t want to seem like she was trying to show off skin. Not only was this going to be a semi-formal…

Ryker stood at his father’s telescope in the cool, crisp early morning air with an eye glued to the eyepiece. He had a particular interest in one faint shape in the sky – he was sure it was moving against a background of stars, which could mean it was a new discovery. He positioned his cell phone camera…

The snow had melted, but the wind still carried a harsh chill and the trees had barely begun to bud. Despite the cold, Bridget and Emery were walking down from their house to see what progress the work crew was making on Rukiya’s new place. Bridget explained that they had to build a foundation first, …

Dorothy followed Matthew up his snow-covered street. He wanted to go skating on the pond at Cinnamon Crest Falls like they had as kids. Dorothy couldn’t help but agree to go when she saw that glint in his eyes – he was so cute when he was excited.

Matthew felt on top of the world. Dorothy agreed to be his totally-official-and-everything girlfriend. At exactly 13-years old he’d had his first kiss; another month and he had his first girlfriend. He was, undeniably, killing it at this ‘teenage boy’ thing.

Emery looked out over the water and listened to the waterfall crash into the surface. The view would usually calm her down, but today she fidgeted nervously. It was chilly outside and she regretted not wearing a sweater or jeans. She’d fussed over her outfit, struggling with whether or not she should try to look…

If you’d told 20-year-old Altman that he’d grow old farming and teaching toddlers to walk and talk, he wouldn’t have believed you. Back then, he still dreamed of being a CEO and living in a swanky penthouse with a wife and a kid or two. He’d never imagined he’d have five children, nor that his main…

Rukiya Shabani glanced out the window as the taxi pulled up to their destination. It had been an unseasonably hot and humid spring day in the city and she’d dressed accordingly, but now that they were in the countryside she was getting cold. Luckily, she’d only be outside for a moment.

In the early morning light, with her dad all to herself, Emery cast her line and patiently wait for a nibble. She enjoyed the soft sounds of the bugs and birds waking up, the steady and somehow delicate crashing of the waterfall into the pond, and quiet talks with her father. Her favorite was when he’d talk…

Bridget rubbed the sleep from her eyes, hoping the plastic over the insulation had kept any harmful dust out of her eyes and lungs as she slept. It had been their first night in the new building that would eventually grow into their main house. For now, though, it was just a newly insulated room that they’d...

Now the proud resident of the first single detached home built after the clear-out, Bridget didn’t waste any time in setting up her own garden. Tending to the community garden supplied harvests to tide her over until her own plants were ready. It was tiring work and she often ended her day covered in dirt, but...

It was a strange sight, such an empty landscape save but one large Victorian manor house. Bridget Tevellyn was standing on the edge of her new property, looking out at what had once been the ranch town of Appaloosa Plains. This was only the second time she'd been here, and it was as empty as it had...