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Dear Lucy,

I closed my last letter hinting about an idea regarding time and distancing ourselves from the Ethan situation so we can think things through.

You might recall that …
Tom and Vanessa want an intimate outdoor wedding but springtime weather in Appaloosa Plains is not good for this.

They looked at various venues for having it indoors but nothing suited.

“Spaces are too big, don’t offer a scenic view or are overly crowded with country kitsch,” complained Vanessa. “Don’t you mean country crud?” Tom added in a joking manner.

I had been careful with our spending and saved a bit here & there over the years. I’m also fortunate because our mail carrier, Pippa Rose, knows a travel agent who was able to get me a good deal. It was time to reveal my ‘grand’ scheme so I shared it with the others.

The perfect place at this time of year to hold an intimate outdoor wedding is CHAMPS LES SIMS.

We’re going to France!

After a long flight, we were glad to arrive at the youth hostel and took naps before seeing the sights and scoring a wedding destination.

First, we visited the Town Square.

They liked the park mainly because it was convenient to The Catania Café.

Vanessa liked the acoustics and Mark thought the connection good for streaming back to friends. I let them discuss the pros and cons of the location while I brushed up on French. It’s quite different from Simlish but knowing at least a little bit in the local language is well worth the effort.

Tom excused himself to purchase several of the local cookbooks and told me later that he was able to have a brief chat with Abigail about Ethan’s new job.

Apparently, Ethan had told her that his dream is to become a Blog Artist but we’re all fairly certain he won’t be blogging about his ‘acquisitions’. Unless he’s posting to the dark web. The more I think about this, the less I feel comfortable having him at the house.

I can only imagine how Abigail must be feeling after this small bombshell was dropped.

It was kind of her brothers to take her mind off matters as we grabbed a quick bite before heading to the next destination.

The museum was our next stop. It’s a beautiful stately building but the landscaping made it less than ideal for wedding pictures. The exhibits are nice, but none seem right to serve as background for their vows.

Moving on to our next stop, the Nectary.

Gaston Dutiel, the Nectar Merchant is friendly and knowledgeable. He encourages visitors to browse or sample the wares before making a purchase. Nice guy!

Since Abigail is already mulling over Ethan’s new career path, David isn’t sure when he should tell her about Ethan flirting with Chantrelle. I advised him to wait until after the wedding.

Delaying the talk wasn’t on our minds for long because the nectar didn’t sit well with Mark and we needed to help him find the nearest bathroom.

This was a good time for all of us to return to the hostel.
Mark needed to rest and David offered to sit with him.
Tom and Vanessa had things to discuss.
Abigail and I went for a walk … in different directions.

She waved as she headed towards the river. I roamed around Town Square, meeting a local named Gustave Delven as I explored the general store. Abigail wasn’t far from my thoughts and I wondered if I did wrong by not bringing a positive female influence into their lives. Growing up as the only girl in a house full of boys couldn’t have been easy for her. No one to ask about personal stuff and gain from their experience. The boys could have also benefited.

As I was sitting on a park bench deep in thought, a kind voice asked permission to sit and an hour passed by before either of us noticed.

When Tom texted to let me know that dinner was nearly ready, I didn’t hesitate in asking Jolene Montaque to join us.

It was nice seeing everyone relaxed and enjoying a good meal. Tom and Vanessa informed us that the wedding venue is available tomorrow and everything is in order. We raised our glasses and toasted the happy couple.
(Addy’s Note: Yes, I purposefully didn’t mention which venue they are going with. Take a guess and see if you’re correct before reading the next letter!)

The others trickled out, leaving Jolene and me to finish our meal alone. Jolene is delighted that we came to France to celebrate such a beautiful thing and wanted to be sure that neither Tom nor Vanessa thought she was fishing for an invitation. I assured her that they didn’t but indicated that it would be fine if she came. She regretfully informed me that she had already made plans with friends for the day. No awkwardness came between us and I didn’t mind our slow pace of eating and talking.

Speaking of talking, Abigail and Vanessa were in the next room having a conversation of their own. We could hear snippets of their conversation even though we tried our best not to.

Vanessa let Abigail know that if Ethan makes her happy, she will support her in her decision to be with him. But … she told Abigail that she needs to figure out what makes her truly happy and not be dependent upon another sim for it. Happiness comes from inside and truly shines when shared with like-minded sims.

She then asked if Abigail knew what made her happy. Abigail didn’t hesitate with her answer. “Painting makes me happy! I’ve also seen moods lift when sims watch you play your guitar and I want to be able to do that too. I’m going to become a Master of the Arts and share joy with others!”

Abigail called out good night as she headed upstairs. Hugging Jolene as we said our goodbyes felt good. Exchanging phone numbers even more so.

Abigail shines whenever she discusses art and I never want to see her light dim or be brought down by another. I hope she knows this too.

Time to end for now, Tom’s getting married tomorrow. How I wish Cass and you could be here to celebrate with us.

Love,
Luke

Want to know where the wedding takes place?
Read the next letter to find out!