Ariel Legacy was a happy little toddler. She loved to play with others, often gurgling happily and offering her toys to anyone who paid attention to her.
Ariel inherited the passion and talent for music from her mother. Phoenix doted on her daughter, teaching her to sing and play various musical instruments even before Ariel could walk and talk.
Leighton was also smitten with Ariel, never missing their special lullaby and story time, no matter how tired he was from work.
Life was going well for the Legacy’s. So well, in fact, that even Leighton’s ex-wife Ophelia came by one day to make amends and beg for forgiveness. She was nearing the end of her lifetime and she wanted to make sure that their son Sam would be well taken care of when she passed away.
The only person who had trouble with the Legacy’s way of life was Xander, who felt angry by the fact that he was no longer a part of Phoenix’s life. He regretted the way that he treated her when she announced her pregnancy to him, which ultimately led to losing her.
On the topic of pregnancies, Phoenix and Leighton’s wish of giving Ariel a sibling finally came true one fateful morning when Phoenix was awoken by the appearance of a familiar baby bump!
Leighton was ecstatic when he heard the news and promised to help Phoenix have a relaxing pregnancy.
He teamed up with Ariel and the pair worked hard to make Phoenix as comfortable as possible and take her mind off the unpleasant morning sickness that plagued her. Leighton constantly provided Phoenix with soothing massages, while Ariel played relaxing tunes for her mother.
The only person who had trouble accepting Phoenix’s pregnancy was, of course, Xander.
Upon receiving the news, Xander threw a fit.
“How can you be a good mother to Ariel with a new baby on the way?! Now that Leighton will have a child of his own, he’ll forget all about Ariel! What do you see in that guy anyway? Why can’t you get over what happened three years ago and forgive me?! I can give you the world Phoenix! Break things off with Leighton and come to me!” he cried.
”Xander, you are a great guy and I’m thankful for the experience we had together. My time with you gave me the pride and joy of my life, our little Ariel. You’ll always be Ariel’s dad and a part of her life, however you have to understand that you don’t have a say in MY life. You can’t stand in the way of my happiness forever.” Phoenix was determined to set the record straight with Xander once and for all.
Things were somewhat tense between Xander and the family for the next few months. He refused to visit his daughter in an attempt to punish Phoenix, but he eventually got over his ego and began acting like a father once again.
Xander chose a good time to come on board again, as that week Phoenix went into labour. Thankfully, Xander was able to care for Ariel during the two days that she and Leighton spent in the hospital, welcoming their son into the world.
Ashton Legacy was born after a full twenty-four hours of labour.
Upon exiting the hospital, Phoenix once again felt the familiar sad, grey eyes on her.
Phoenix wondered who the man was and what he wanted. She knew that it couldn’t have been a coincidence that he appeared during the birth of both of her children.
However, Phoenix didn’t have much time to dwell on the grey-eyed man, as her two young children demanded much of her time. Her career as a singer was still on the back-burner, but as she cradled Ariel in her arms on the day of her birthday party, she couldn’t help but feel proud and happy.
Ariel grew into a pretty and intelligent little girl. She looked a lot like Phoenix did as a child; however, her eyes were an odd shade of yellow – a trait that neither of her parents had.
As little Ashton grew, he began to require a lot of attention from everyone. Phoenix and Leighton developed a changing, feeding, and playing schedule that kept them somewhat sane. However, Ashton’s loud cries often woke up the entire household (and neighbourhood!) due to the fact that the family still lived without any walls.
While Ariel loved her brother, she despised being woken up in the middle of the night by his wails.
“Ughh! I can’t wait until I’m old enough to make some money and get my own room! Or better yet, to move out!” Little by little, feeling pressured to compete for attention, Ariel was becoming a diva.
Ariel was quite ambitious and could not wait for the first day of school to arrive.
She was very eager to make new friends and climb to the top of her class.
However, doing homework was very challenging for Ariel due to the fact that she could not concentrate at home because of her brother’s constant whining. After watching a scary movie at her friend’s house, she was convinced that Ashton was possessed by a demon. She had big plans to conduct an exorcism; she just needed to get her hands on a copy of the film – and a TV – in order to learn how to carry out one properly.
One day, after a failed exorcism attempt (and a grounding that resulted from the event!), Ariel announced that she could no longer stand her brother’s smelly diapers and would be running away from home. Being an intelligent ten-year-old, she made this announcement with much determination and confidence. Phoenix, feeling sorry for the fact that her daughter didn’t have her own room, indulged Ariel in her adventure and did not hold her back from “running away”. She knew that her daughter would not go far, and that she would return upon missing her family.
Ariel packed some clothes and her school books and rode around town, looking for refuge from crying babies and smelly diapers.
She found it in the neighbourhood swimming pool, where she proceeded to make a new friend.
Within hours, however, Ariel began to feel hungry and tired and left the pool to look for a place to sleep. She fainted in the nearby park, and was carried home by a concerned Leighton who was passing by the area on his way home from work.
Despite her attempt at rebellion, Ariel was happy to be home, as that very evening was Ashton’s birthday. She hoped that this signaled the end of smelly diapers and a blooming friendship with the little toddler.
Ashton grew into a cute little baby, a perfect mix of his mother and father.
He loved to follow his sister’s every step, also taking up an interest in music just as she had at his age.
The relationship between the two siblings improved, and Ariel loved spending time with little Ashton. She taught him to play and sing, and doted on his every move.
Ashton’s transition from infancy into toddlerhood also enabled Phoenix to spend more time with her daughter. She was finally able to help Ariel with homework, something she neglected to do over the past year.
On the evening before Ariel’s birthday and transition into teenhood, Phoenix called her daughter to the backyard.
“I have a surprise for you Ariel! I know that you have been feeling a little sad about the fact that we’re not able to afford a room, a TV, or a computer for you, so I thought that I would fulfill one of your wishes that cost a little less than a brand new room…I know that you have been asking me for a telescope since you could talk, so even thought this gift is a bit overdue, I hope you like it!”
Ariel threw her arms around her mother’s waist and squeezed tightly. She knew that her family was not well off, but as far as she was concerned, they could live off of their love for each other for the rest of their lives!
That night, as Ariel gazed through the telescope and caught sight of a shooting star, she wished for her family to forever stay loving and happy. She also threw in a little secondary wish for some money, as being the only girl without a room (or walls!) in Sunset Valley was becoming somewhat uncomfortable.
The next day, Phoenix, Leighton, Ariel, Ashton, Xander, and some of their friends gathered at the beach to celebrate Ariel’s entry into teenhood.
“Happy Birthday Ariel!” everyone sang excitedly.
As Phoenix watched her daughter transform into a beautiful teen, much resembling herself, she wondered what life had in store for Ariel. In the end, Phoenix decided that whatever Ariel wished to do and whoever she wished to be, she just wanted her little girl to be happy.
“I’m so proud of you Ari. You have grown up into a beautiful, smart, and quite loving young woman. I’m always going to be here for you no matter what and I always want you to be happy.” Phoenix announced to her daughter.
“Thank you Mom. I also always want you to be happy. You have done a magnificent job of raising me and now I think it’s time that you returned to pursuing your first passion – music, and fulfilling your goal of being a renowned singer!” Ariel smiled.
As the two women hugged tightly, Phoenix knew that it would soon be time to pass on her Legacy to her children.
Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out what happens to the Legacy Family! Will Phoenix finally fulfill her dream of becoming a singer? What will happen to Ariel and Ashton as they grow older? Who will become the heir and carry on the Legacy name?
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