We're All Mad Here

It was Imogen’s birthday, and none of us were really in the mood.

We tried to throw her a party and invite all our family. A lot of them couldn’t make it. It turned out that Deanne and her daughter Rosie were out on a double date.

They both got engaged!

Branden showed up, but he was in a pretty bad mood.

While he was waiting for us to answer the door, he got into a huge fight with the mailbox.

When I walked out to invite him inside, he was storming off in a huff.

I don’t want it to sound like I’m taking sides here, but I have a pretty mild-mannered mailbox. I’m pretty sure it didn’t start this fight. Branden has his own issues.

When the zombie showed up at the door, I thought we’d better get this party started before things got any worse.

I went to get the cake. Meanwhile, Caitlin decided she had something better to do.

My family really knows how to be supportive, let me tell you.

Gideon took one look at the cake and took off running to the bathroom.

To throw up.

I don’t know what was up with him. Honestly, I think it might have been grief.

Helen was upstairs, watching TV and trying not to think about her father.

By the time Imogen was able to blow out her candles, all the party guests had left.

But I was there for her.

Here we go!

That’s my littlest girl! I think she’s pretty amazing if I do say so myself.

Franklin was also there to show support. He tried to put on a happy face for his baby sister. He wasn’t very convincing, but at least he tried.

The memory of William hung heavily over the table while we ate our cake and tried to be cheerful.

Then Gideon showed up and started sobbing.

“OK, guys,” I said. “Why don’t we just go to bed. Tomorrow will be more fun, I promise.”

Little Goofy took this suggestion to heart. He curled up right where he was — in the middle of the puddle of water from the broken dishwasher — and went to sleep.

Micky was more skeptical.

The kids all said goodnight. Imogen tried to be patient while Gideon got over another fit of crying for his dad.

“Dad is dead, and Minnie stole your bed!” Gideon sobbed.

“Hey, that rhymes!”

“Whoa. Head rush.”

Franklin just bypassed the problem by stealing William’s bed.

That caused a big scene with Helen. “I wanted to sleep in Dad’s bed!” she complained. “Why did you get it?”

“Oh, Dad, I miss you so much!”

where was Justin during all this depression? Playing in his playpen, mostly.

I guess Helen won out on the bed dispute. When I woke up in the middle of the night, she was the one sleeping in my room.

I was sick of all this gloom. Would William have wanted us to torture ourselves over his loss?

 

Actually, yes. He probably would. Well, I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

I had a case to complete.

I got up, got dressed, and stormed past the ghost of Mama.

A late-night stakeout of the grocery store was just what I needed to head off another produce heist.

Oh, William. Even fame and fortune isn’t the same when I can’t celebrate with great woohoo.

All right. Enough of this. I’m done.

I’ve said goodbye to William. I’m ready to get on with life.

If the poster over my desk bears a certain resemblance, well, that’s just a coincidence. Really.

———-

Woo. That grief moodlet is vicious. After a day of wrestling with it, I just had to give up. Hooray for the Moodlet Manager.

I think Imogen looks pretty awesome. Woot for a good genetic combination.

I’m really not sure what caused Gideon’s nausea. The teen puking animation is particularly icky — the kids just shove their face all the way into the toilet bowl. Heh.

I’m also not clear on what caused Branden and Caitlin to storm off from Imogen’s birthday party. It looks like there was some argument or inappropriate action that I didn’t capture.