Chapter Seventy One

Following Tamara's death, Mira arranged to meet Nia in a local park and gave her the sad news.

After breaking the news and the two of them weeping onto one another's shoulders, they caught up on other news. 

Dory had obtained a beehive and spent some time every day feeding and cleaning the hive to encourage the bees to produce good quality honey and beeswax.

She also took to looking after her grandfather's garden every couple of days to keep it ticking over. 

In between times, she would spend a lot of time with both Rascal and Merlin, petting, brushing and playing with them. 

After a few days, Mira went out to pay a visit to Dyan in his new home.It wasn't a very large house, but it was right on a wide beach with wonderful views of the ocean.

They spent some time catching up and Dyan was proud to tell his mother all about his new career as an author, even though he'd not got anything published yet.

 

Dory arranged to meet Pete at the local poolside club one evening.  She arrived first and bought drinks for the two of them.

Pete arrived just as she was moving out to the pool area of the club with their drinks  

And the two of them spent some time chatting together as they drank. 

Before settling down on the sand with their arms around each other and watching the stars over the ocean. 

Before embracing and snogging each other lots. 

And Dory rounded off the evening by singing Pete a romantic song she'd learned in China.

Meanwhile, Beauty had been feeling lonely with Tamara's death, and had been trotting around town making friends with the local wild horses.

That night, she had encountered another of her own kind, a black unicorn named Shadow.

The two of them spend much of the night running around town together and exchanging unicorn news. 

Eventually, as the night drew to a close, the two unicorns wound up back at the family home. 

Where Beauty persuaded Shadow to join her in her stall... 

In addition to dates with Pete, playing with the cats and tending the garden, Dory spent a lot of her time out and about the town.

She loved to watch all the different wildlife, from raccoons to wild horses, and often lost track of time while she did so. 

She would also try to befriend the smaller animals and birds and take them home with her, although this did gain her a few bites from time to time. 

She was however successful a lot of the time and was even able to coax some of the rarest birds to come sit on her arm. 

She was able to collect sufficient small animals, birds and insects to earn a reasonable wage from the zoology department at the local science centre. 

After some time, she asked Pete to meet her for a very special date at the dance club.

After getting their drinks they spent some time on the dance floor together and Pete told Dory that he had been accepted for medical training at the local hospital.  He wasn't very far through his training but he was looking forward to being a doctor.

It was rather loud inside, so after a while they adjourned to the small garden at the rear of the club.   

She did feel slightly uneasy out there and whispered in Pete's ear, asking whether he felt like something was watching them.  He didn't seem to feel anything so she put it to the back of her mind. 

She did after all have much more important things to think about that night, and dropping to one knee she brought out a small box she had hidden in her bag specially.

"Pete Roman, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.  Would you do me the great honour of marrying me?"

"Of course I will Dory, I've wanted to marry you ever since I first saw you when we were both teenagers!"

Dory slipped the ring onto his finger and the two of them embraced before getting down to the serious business of setting a date and choosing a venue.

When Dory got up the next morning (having slept in after her late night) the first thing she did was phone her sisters and brother in Shang Simla and invite them over to stay for the wedding. 

She also booked a hen party for her, a few close friends and a large number of family.  It was to be held in the local lounge and she was careful to schedule it so as to leave enough time for Kyra and Kariny to arrive in time from China, so that they could attend together with Karal's wife Mei Lin. 

It was a very enjoyable night for the most part, Mira booked a dancer for the night and all the ladies enjoyed watching his performance and dancing with him.

 There was of course the traditional spraying the bride-to-be with nectar and plenty of toasts and dancing.

The only flaw in the night was the argument Dory's aunt Menolly got into with her middle daughter Bobbie, but the rest of the guests carefully ignored the scene.

_________________________________________________

Pet Spam

_________________________________________________

Town News

• Adalyn & Fabio Sperie-Sabo had a baby boy called Allen, who is now a toddler
• Tylar & Blue Marlin-Mitchell had a baby girl called Lorette
• Adamina & Ramin Sperie-McKinly had a baby boy called Todd
• Auburn & Boy Mitchell-Crist had a baby girl called Sallie after dating for a while and getting married.
• Dasia & Derrick Harris-Crist had a baby girl called Minna
• Mort McKinley-Sabo aged to a child
• Shadow Sperie-Fields, Sterling Harris-McKinley, Michael McKinley-Sabo and Sandy Clemetis aged to teens
• Salvador Harris, Torey McKinley-Crist, Bryan Harris-Crist, Antoine & Christy Sabo, Alexis Sperie-Harris and Brook Harris-McKinley aged to young adults.  Salvador & Alexis got jobs as fire-fighters, Torey got a job in professional sports, Christy & Bryan got jobs in the military and Brook got a job in medicine
• Anastasia McKinley-Sabo aged to adult
• Tyson Marlin retired
• Gary Sperie-Fields died of old age
• Quetzal Sperie dated Elijah McKinley and Antoine Sabo
• Shadow Sperie-Fields and Sterling Harris-McKinley have an on-off relationship
• Sandy Clemetis and Alexis Sperie-Harris dated for a while before he aged to young adult
• Niamara has been dating Kane Sperie-Sabo
• Andreas Harris-Crist and Kaitlyn Sperie have been dating
• Danya Crist has been dating Elijah McKinley
• Christy Sabo and Bernard McKinley are expecting a baby, as are Faye & Ryan McKinley-Crist and Quynh & Gideon Sperie-Harris.