Chapter 15: The Business Empire Strikes Back

Both families are disappointed that their time together is coming to an end, now that the refurbishment of the Sterlings' farm is close to being finished.

The next morning, the gang woke up bright and early and headed over towards Simmons Manor, where Katrina and Lorraine teamed up once again to provide a large breakfast for everyone. The dining room table was all but packed with delicacies, including but not limited to cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing; Italian roast coffee with a tiramisu-flavored creamer; breakfast sliders made with sausage, spam, or bacon, served on Hawaiian rolls; red, white, and pink grapefruits cut in half and sprinkled with sugar; and homemade chicken tenders with lemon mascarpone waffles. All washed down with some fresh-squeezed blood orange and tangerine juice.

The shared mood around the table was a pleasant one overall, especially when compared to the two families' first meal together. No bickering, no faux-complacency, and no awkward silence. Just a bunch of people from two different walks of life, acting on exceptional terms, conversing, and enjoying each other's company.

"Aw man!" Junior moaned, swallowing the last bite of his second helping. "Mom, you've outdone yourself again! Can the Sterlings, like, move in with us permanently so we can enjoy more combinations like this?"

"I know, right?" Justine spoke half-heartedly. Part of her disagreed, not wanting to spend too much more time around the Sterling twins, who kept teasing her with their mere presence, intentional or not.

"Heh heh, sounds tempting, but we've got a refurbished home waiting for us in who knows how long," Paul replied, his wife nodding assent. "Not to mention a family business to relaunch. We can't keep living off these folks' money forever."

"Aw, come off it. It ain't like you're drivin' us bankrupt or nothin'." Katrina shrugged.

"Well they may not be able to stay with us for good, but at least there'll always be holidays," Rosemary chimed in. "Hell, maybe we can all visit them for a change."

"Rose, not in front of the baby," Junior said quietly.

Soon enough, Mark arrived back in the dining room with smartphone in hand, having already eaten his share of the feast before stepping out to check his email. Apparently it was a matter important enough to interrupt breakfast with his family, but such is the life of a man in the top one percent.

"Hello all, I'm back. Just got word from the contractors, and the Sterlings' farm is almost rebuilt," he explained. "I brought along some photos in case you guys want to take a look."

Without another word, he pulled up the series of images on his phone and started to pass it around the table so everyone in Rosemary's family could take a gander at what had become of their home. And it was safe to assume they were all beyond awestruck at what they saw.

The large main barn, which housed bales of hay and most of the animals, had all been built from the ground up. It was constructed out of a much sturdier material than before in order to resist any storms a bit better, but it was nonetheless painted a deep cadmium red like the old version. The house where the family lived had been rebuilt to look exactly as it did before, albeit with stormproof windows and slightly updated technology, namely the newer appliances in the kitchen. In addition, a bunch of the furniture that was previously inside the house had been salvaged and repaired. Every other building on the farm had been given this type of treatment: designed like the original for nostalgia's sake, but also upgraded to minimize the damage it would take in the future. Why, there was even an extra shed built to protect the tractors in the event of more turbulent weather.

Furthermore, since every last animal had died in the blizzard, a whole new set had to be ordered, though since the family hadn't moved back into the farm yet, they weren't living there yet. Each milk or beef cow, pig, chicken, horse, sheep, and goat had been handpicked according to the very last detail Paul provided Mark with, and most of them looked exactly like those they were replacing. And for a small bonus, there were also two puppies on the way: one blue-tick coon hound, and one bloodhound, more than perfect for Paul to train as he saw fit so they could assist him and his family with their many daily chores. Crops were just starting to sprout up from the ground, and new tractors were in place to help take care of them.

"And by the looks of it all, you guys will all be set to move back in within the next month," Mark explained.

As they all shared a look at the photos, all the Sterlings except for Zeke couldn't help but tear up, a few of them hurrying out of the room to avoid letting the Simmons see them cry. The latter family looked at each other with raised eyebrows, but Mark adopted a satisfied smirk, glad that he'd managed to do some good for his former adversaries.

"You, uh, ya' think they're gonna be okay?" Katrina asked.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. They're just happy because of what we did for them," Junior replied.

"Man, I knew a little kindness could go a long way, but this long?" Justine chuckled.

"Exactly. And you all thought we wouldn't be able to become friends with those guys." Mark maintained his smirk.

"Um, what are you talking about? It was partially my idea in the first place," Junior said.

"I was more so talking about your mother," Mark replied.

"Okay, okay, I get it. Y'all proved me wrong." Katrina rolled her eyes, but cracked a smile.

"Mark, I..." Paul stuttered as he reentered the dining room. "I just... I... we c-can't thank you enough!"

As he talked, he and Lorraine pulled both Mark and Katrina into a group-hug.

"That won't be necessary, buddy boy. I would've done it whether you asked or not." Mark nodded.

"I think Mom and Dad speak for all of us, here," Kendra wiped her eyes a bit. "Thanks for everything, you guys."

"No problem." Justine took the opportunity to hug both twins. Even if they couldn't start a relationship, at least they'd always have this moment.

"We already love Rosemary so much, so why not show the same level of respect for the rest of her family?" Junior butt in.

"That logic checks out, if you ask me," Kendall commented.

For what felt like a couple more hours, the two families kept sharing group-hugs and thank-you's each by the dozen, thanking each other for the sacrifices they all made, and for what a wonderful adventure the year of 2046 had been thus far. Now with just a month left, here was hoping they could end their extended stay with one last hurrah.