Moving On

Fall 2033 - Britechester, Illinois
Smith/Gates-Watson household - Ethan is 23, Adam is 23, Lily is 23

It's the start of a new year, the final semester for Adam Smith and the almost final semester for his twin Ethan.

Taking the Next Step

July 2033 - Pine Hollow, North Carolina
Gates family - Xander is 44, Chelsea is 43, Caleb is 21, Emily is 19, Bianca is 14

It's a great summer so far this year. Xander loves the outdoors and so does Chloe, so they spend their mornings going for a jog before the heat takes over.

June 2033 Graduations

Pine Hollow, North Carolina

It’s graduation day! Emma and Seth Lloyd throw a party to celebrate their older set of twins graduating from high school.

May & June 2033 Birthdays & Anniversaries

May 2033 - Henford-on-Bagley, England

It's the trip of her dreams, Carol says as they explore the small countryside town across the ocean from them. She's read about little towns like this in books and always wanted to explore one some day.

Counting Down the Days

Spring 2033 - Windenburg University, Windenburg, Germany 
Lily Gates-Watson is 22

The last four years have gone by in a blur. Sometimes Lily isn't sure that it really is her last semester of college, her last semester on the other side of the ocean away from her family.

Getting By

Spring 2023 - Britechester, Illinois
University students: Caleb Gates is 21, Olivia Gates is 19, Emily Smith is 18

Caleb takes breaks when he can between classes to practice his kicks with the soccer ball he likes to carry around. He claims it's just so that he can have some time for perfecting his skill between all his other duties.

March/April 2033 Birthdays & Anniversaries

March 2033 - Del Sol Valley, California

March means that Jacob and Mia will no longer be kids. Or at least, that's what they think. They'll always be kids to their parents, no matter how old they are, but they are moving officially into their last year of preteenhood and turning twelve this rainy day.

But the rain doesn't bother the celebration inside the Lloyd house. Their family has flown across the country to celebrate this day with them. Grandpa William loves to play Don't Wake the Llama with Mia and Jacob. They're the youngest of his grandchildren and he hopes maybe they'll still play this game whenever they're visiting each other.

Friends Old and New

February 2033 - Oasis Springs, Nevada
Richard household - Dewey is 37, Anna is 37, Piper is 7, Landon is 5, Dylan is 2

Anna and Dewey Richard love going out bowling with Madison and Bryant Smith any chance they get. Stepsisters, best friends, neighbors. They're perfect for spending time together on a child-free night out.

The Start of Something New

January 2033 - Arcadia, North Carolina

Gates-Watson household - Logan is 43, Shelley is 43, James is 18

James is still home from college for that winter break between semesters. It’s nice to be home, but he isn't really looking forward to working on New Year's Eve. It's not that he hates making money, it's that working means he doesn't get to celebrate the New Year, he only gets to wait on others who are celebrating.

January/February 2033 Birthdays & Anniversaries

January 2033 - Pine Hollow, North Carolina

Aaron has never been the sweetest little brother. Vanessa finds him quite a bit annoying most times. 

Life Changes

November 2032 - Del Sol Valley, California
Gates/Smith household - Phoebe is 21, Dee is 20

 

 

Phoebe Gates keeps checking the local help wanted ads to see if there's anything she might be interested in. It's been a year since she and Dee moved across the country to Del Sol Valley, California. Phoebe has been taking online college courses to get her associates degree in music production.

November/December 2032 Birthdays & Anniversaries

November 2032 - Evergreen Harbor, Mississippi

Life is quiet in Evergreen Harbor. Kat has taken a job in a biology lab here, studying some of the life around the Mississippi River and what needs to be done to keep the water clean and healthy. She likes her work, but she misses everyone--her family, her friends, Yori. It was hard leaving him back at PSU while she moved off to the job opportunity she'd had.

That Complicated Connection, Part 4

Fall 2032 - Arcadia, North Carolina

Pine State University - Yori Hayashi is 23

This semester is the hardest he's ever had in his university life. Kat, Violet, and Baine are all gone now, graduated and moved on to the next part of their lives. And yet, Yori is still here on his own because he failed one class needed.

That Complicated Connection, Part 3

Fall 2032 - Britechester, Illinois
Foxbury Institute - Olivia Gates is 19, Matthew Lloyd is 19, Emily Smith is 18

If you had asked Olivia Gates a year ago who her boyfriend would be, she never would have said Atticus Kibo. 

 

That Complicated Connection, Part 2

Fall 2032 - Britechester, Illinois
University of Britechester: Caleb Gates is 20, Isabella Smith is 19, James Gates-Watson is 18

Isabella Smith has never been one to spend a lot of time around other people. She's always kept to herself and would go out with her cousin Emily sometimes, but many times she likes to be alone.

Secrets in the Hall

Before we go any further, a step back a bit in the storyline...

April 2032 - Pine Hollow, North Carolina

"Happy birthday!" James Gates-Watson says to his cousin Olivia Gates when he arrives at her eighteenth birthday party. 

"Thanks," Olivia says as he pulls her into a crushing hug. Olivia and James will both be leaving for their college years in just a few months and have gotten their acceptance letters--Olivia to Foxbury Institute and James to University of Britechester. 

New Dreams Ahead

January 2031 - Arcadia, North Carolina
Smith household - Zared is 48, Carol is 45, Isabella is 17

“You know, you could go to college closer to home,” Carol tells her daughter. Isabella is halfway through her senior year of high school and Carol doesn’t like to think about what might happen later in the year.

Isabella rubs at her forehead impatiently as she takes in her mom's question once again. "I already told you my decision.”

Happy New Beginnings

November 2030 - Arcadia, North Carolina
Gates household - Nathan is 41, Terri is 41, Phoebe is 19

"So you think that's really what you want to do?" Dee asks one afternoon.

Phoebe nods. "Do you think it will be the wrong path to take? Will it all actually work out?"

September - October 2030 Birthdays & Anniversaries

The bathroom sink desperately needs cleaning and Andrea can't ignore it anymore. She's near the end of her pregnancy so she needs to get the house spotless before the baby comes and takes up her time.

A Mom's Good Advice

Carrie goes to visit Nathan whenever she has a chance. Her boys may be completely different, but she loves both of them just the same. She misses Nathan since he lives in Arcadia, but at least it isn’t a long trip from Pine Hollow.