Previously on Cash Legacy …
The night of the dance finally arrives.
At the dance, Ben and Brody have a fight over Mallory.
Adrian tries to make a move on Rain but faces rejection.
Ben breaks up with Mallory.
Though heartbroken, Ben finds happiness in their new sibling Dalia.
And Haven finds out about Catherine’s boyfriend. She forbids her from seeing him again…
But Catherine vows to have her way.
Chapter 1.12: 18 and Life
This is the last chapter in Generation 1
With exam time underway, that left Haven with only one child that wasn’t in constant agony.
Graduation was going to take place in the same week as the triplets’ birthday and so the pressure was on for everyone.
It seemed liked Adrian was the only one of the teens who was actually focused on school. Catherine was still pretty upset about the way Haven spoke to Tyler. He wasn’t too bothered by it and didn’t mind seeing her in secret.
Ben was still depressed about Mallory. He wasn’t healing at all.
One evening, he finally opened up about it to Zachery, of all people.
While out on the front lawn that evening, Zachery said to him, “It’s no surprise that you’re feeling this way. You’re going to the same places every day, doing the same things, and seeing the same people. What you need is a change of scenery.”
“Are you suggesting that I go to that college?” Ben asked. He got a scholarship for the Glazier Sports Academy, two hours from Moodwayers. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to go there or stay and try and patch things with Mallory.
“Ben, this is just what you need. It’s a great opportunity. You’ll get to meet new people, explore a new place – this is a chance to start the rest of your life with positivity.”
Haven, who had just come home from a gig, overheard them talking and joined the conversation, “Zach is right – this is just what you need. Ben, I know that it’s not easy letting someone go but this is for the best.” Haven said. “We’re here for you, all of us.”
“Thanks guys.” Ben replied with a warm smile on his face. Coming from Haven, it gave him certainty.
After that conversation, he was motivated and put in extra effort into his school performance.
Soon, he was doing almost as well as Adrian. The two brothers were spending a lot more time together, since Ben confirmed that he would be going to that college in Glazier.
As for Catherine, he didn’t get to see much of her, which was quite ironic since she always complained about not seeing him when he was with Mallory.
No one really knew what her plans were after graduation. They were a secret, just like the bags in her room that were already packed. Perhaps Tyler knew her plans.
Finally, the last day of school came, along with the triplets’ birthday. Their last few hours of school went by painfully slow.
After much staring at the clock, the last school day was through. The triplets headed home for a quick change of clothes before going to their party in the VIP area of a lounge that Haven regularly performed at.
Usually, they would have a big bash for these kinds of life events but after all the exam stress all they wanted was some peace. Besides, they were all very emotional about Ben going away. The triplets had never been apart before.
Three cakes were lined up, all with lit candles. Haven was proud to have personally made her kid’s birthday cakes 18 years in a row. Looking back on all the years, she was grateful that Zachery had come into her life and she didn’t have to raise three kids all by herself.
Quiet emotionally, the triplets each made a secret wish and blew out their candles, first Adrian, then Ben, and lastly Catherine.
Finally, they were young adults and Haven couldn’t be more proud of them all. Adrian graduated with A’s while Ben and Catherine scored B’s.
All the party guests gathered around, singing “Happy Birthday”. Rain, Gabrielle and Mitchel and a few friends from school were there. Mallory’s absence was hard to ignore.
Shortly after the cake serving, Catherine decided that it was time to tell Haven something quite disturbing.
She walked right up to Haven who was seated at the bar and said, “Mom, I’m moving in with Tyler. Some of my stuff is already at his place and I’m leaving tomorrow morning.”
Haven was stunned. She didn’t even know how to respond.
Catherine felt awkward just standing there so she went around the bar and poured a few drinks. Clearly they both needed one.
The next morning was even more heart wrenching than the previous night. Haven was only expecting to say goodbye to Ben but with Catherine’s unexpected announcement, it was all too much.
In some way, they all tried to brace themselves for the day when they would part ways but when the time actually came, none of them felt ready to say goodbye.
Adrian got their luggage out in the front while Catherine and Ben said their goodbyes. Looking at Haven and Zachery, Adrian wondered if they would be able to handle all three of them leaving.
Within the next hour, Ben and Catherine were gone. Afterwards, they all stood out on the lawn long after that. It was as if they were waiting for Ben and Catherine to return and say “Fooled you! We’re staying!” but that was not the case.
As the day went by, they could already feel the shift in the house. Haven slept for the rest of the day, Zach went around the house fixing things, Dalia was too fixated on her building blocks, and Adrian stayed glued to his computer.
He got a job at a company called Code Monkey, thanks to his programming skills. Surprisingly, Ben came to visit on Adrian’s first day of work. He didn’t mind the two hour drive.
It turned out that Rain also got a job at the same company so after work she and Adrian went to a nearby bar. Adulthood hadn’t changed her a bit. She was still as beautiful (and snappy) as ever.
They danced a little, chatted a lot and laughed all the way.
“What ever happened to that game we were working on? It had a lot of potential.” Rain said while they were sitting at the bar.
“Do you really think so? I mean, after seeing the kinda stuff Code Monkey does, do you really think it stands a chance?” He wondered.
She laughed and asked him, “Do you still have the game?”
With curiosity, he nodded, unsure where she was going.
“Then the answer is yes.” She replied, “It definitely stands a chance.”
Later on, Catherine came wandering into the bar. There was no sign of Tyler and she looked really grumpy.
“Cathy! It’s good to see you. Where’s Tyler?” Adrian friendlily asked.
She frowned and said, “You make it sound like I’m supposed to be with him all the time. I don’t need him to go anywhere or do anything!”
“Hey, calm down. I was just asking.” Adrian cautiously spoke. He locked arms with Rain, who was pretending not to have heard anything, and said, “Let’s go somewhere else. Clearly she needs some space.”
And that was the end of that.
Adrian returned home to find Haven hard at work in the kitchen, making Dalia’s birthday cake. The little girl couldn’t wait to eat it so she blew out her birthday candles at exactly midnight.
Ben surprised her with a visit on her birthday. They spent the whole day together since everyone else was at work. As her birthday present, he got her monkey bars. Also, he said that the gift was from Catherine as well, just so that Dalia wouldn’t feel bad.
In the evening when Adrian came home from work, Dalia was expecting him to play with her but he seemed far too exhausted to even eat. He headed straight to the bathroom where he took a nap in tub of hot water. It was only day two but work was a drag.
Zachery was feeling the same way in his own work. He eventually decided to stop stressing over gigs and retire, which gave him more time to try out recipes but he didn’t seem happy. He was always tired and a little grumpy.
He tried to keep up with his usual exercise routine but it was hard to even go for a jog down the street. Either age was finally catching up with him or something wasn’t right.
Adrian managed to keep his stress levels under control, worked consistently well and got a promotion.
He used it as an excuse to take Rain out to celebrate. They were closer than ever as friends but he wanted to know if that friendship could turn into something more since they weren’t teens anymore.
Unfortunately, she saw right through him and left pretty quickly.
The next morning, Haven asked him if he went on a date. She really liked Rain for Adrian and kept pushing Zachery to give Adrian advice that would nudge him in the right direction.
“No, definitely no.” He said several times. “Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk about.” Adrian began, “So there’s a job opening in Glazier for the same company, same job. I’m thinking of taking it.”
“You mean where Ben is? But … but why?” Haven asked.
“I need a chance to explore what’s out there, just like Ben and Catherine.” He replied.
With a sigh, she said, “Adrian, I want you to stay here, not because I don’t want you explore the world but because this land isn’t just our home, it’s our legacy. I came to this town with nothing but a cellphone and some clothes but I built a home, raised four kids and made it as a musician. What I mean is I don’t want that all to go to waste. Ade, I trust you with this land, my legacy. Will you please stay and look after it?”
Stunned by her words, he asked, “Me? Are you sure?”
He was expecting her to give him a motivational speech like the ones she would normally give Ben but instead, she simply nodded. That was enough.
“A legacy, you say?” Adrian enthused. “How about the Cash Legacy?”
Ristical Stories 