Woods Random Legacy: Chapter 32 - Preserving the Past

Septimus-
   I have had the boy under surveillance for some time now, from the house across the street.  He suspects nothing, but in turn I have not noticed anything unusual.  He leads a criminal life, though he seems to have kept that a secret from the community at large - perhaps even his own mother, who is still among the living.
   There is no sign of the objective, he must have it shielded and hidden somewhere.  He has a child with one of Landgraab's daughters, and retains sole custody.  Should I attempt to obtain a DNA sample, or continue watching from a distance?
-VJA

Eliza handled most of the day-to-day childcare that went on around the Woods household.  Feedings, socialization, diaper changes and baths were all her job.  After all, she was the one with experience, or so James justified.

Eliza: "James, dear, I'd like to speak with you."
James: "What?"
Eliza: "You know I'm getting old, and I'm not going to be around forever.  Have you thought about what you're going to do with your daughter when I pass on?"

James: "That won't be for a while, Mom.  She might even be grown up enough to take care of herself by then."
Eliza shook her head.
Eliza: "No, I won't make it that long.  Don't get upset, I've lived a long life, and I'm ready.  I want to be with your father again."
James: "You might be ready, but I'm not!  She just left me on my own, Mom!  How am I supposed to take care of a baby without you around?"

Eliza: "You're intelligent, you'll manage.  But you need to start thinking about what you'll do.  And remember, she's your daughter.  She didn't ask to be born into this situation, and you need to do right by her, even if you didn't ask for it either."
James just nodded silently and turned away.  Things were going even worse, if Eliza felt that it was almost her time to go.

He tried something experimental that night.  When Alpha began to fuss, he went to her room and picked her up, trying to figure out what she needed.
James: "This can't be hard, people have been raising children for millennia.  You don't need a diaper change, and I know you just got fed not too long ago.  Therefore, you must be lonely.  So my talking to you and bouncing you around like so should make you stop crying, but it's not working.  Why won't you be quiet?"

Eliza: "She's hungry, just give her here."
James: "You just fed her!"
Eliza: "Four hours ago.  She's a baby."

His father's death had pushed one of James's old plans into motion.  It had been knocking around his head for a while, since his trip to the mausoleum in high school; his family needed their own catacombs.  He purchased a plot of land behind the house and had a mausoleum constructed.

The same construction company was kept on indefinite standby, to aid in the tunnel-digging process.  When the first chamber was complete, James set Greg's urn on the pedestal, arranging his certificates of accomplishment on the nearby walls.

He also brought down a chess table, because Greg had dearly loved the game in life.  Maybe when his ghost appeared - as they always did, eventually - it would stay here playing chess, rather than wandering down to the house.

He had loved his father, really, but a ghostly Greg lurking around the house would just be a disaster.

Before James knew it, it was Alpha's birthday.  Eliza insisted that there be a proper party for her, even if it was only among the household.
Eliza: "Now go hold her by the cake and blow out the candles for her."
James: "Why do I have to hold her?"
Eliza: "Because you're her father, now do it!"
James: "Fine."

The cake was delicious, at least.  James had discreetly picked up a selection of sleepers from the store, so Alpha had something to wear as she grew.

She was well cared for, really.  Things were working out alright.

~ * ~

James is trying.  Of course, he could try harder.  He's just lucky that the reaper hasn't come for Eliza yet, she's been on borrowed time for quite a while now.

The family catacombs are the Awesome! for this generation.  I bought the community lot through the real estate menu, giving it the graveyard state(so that I'd be sure to get ghosts and such), but I'm not sure if there's a way to lock out visitors.  I think it's weird that random people from the town are wandering around down there!

Alpha's mouth is a bit unfortunate, she got it from her mother.  Apart from that, she's an excellent-looking toddler.