For real

Round 16: February 2026

Kaitlyn Brennan and Stephen Marlowe are 25.

(Zach is 22.)

Narrated by Kaitlyn.

Stephen and I have been living together for a few months now and it's going really well - partly because we don't spend enough time together to fight a lot. I'm on my second year in my doctorate studies and the work load is pretty much insane. I was prepared for it and made a working schedule for myself so it's going alright. There are days when I wonder why I decided to put myself through this but I try to keep my focus on the big prize at the end.

Happy Birthday, February 2026

Eve Midlock has pretty much come to terms with the idea of becoming a mother in a few months. Her roommate Lilly is ok with living with an infant so Eve has decided to stay put and not make any decisions about the future before the birth of her child.

Janelle Patterson celebrates her first birthday and has turned out to be the spitting image of her father Tom.

Aged-down pictures of Janelle's parents Dixie and Tom. I think Janelle might have Dixie's eyebrow shape but other than that she is Tom's girly mini-me.


Notes:

• Eve's third trimester update comes a month early but it seemed reasonable to combine these two short updates into one. I decided to keep Eve living in the apartment with Lilly for now. I'll promote Gabriel (baby daddy) to a playable NPC but I honestly don't know what to do with these two yet.
• I don't care that Janelle looks exactly like Tom because she looks so cute anyway. I always find it hard to choose a hairstyle for a toddler because very long and full hair doesn't seem too realistic for a 1-year-old but I've thrown caution to the wind and just choose whatever I like.

Rivers and roads

Round 16: January 2026

Jack Robinson is 43, Paige is 42, Todd is 14 and Emma is 5.

(Grace is 43 and Skye is 14.)

Narrated by Jack.

I had to hire a new worker because the cashier I had at Farmer's Market wasn't so thrilled at working on the farm. I'm quite happy about the change though because Paula really seems to enjoy working here and that's always a plus. It's much nicer to work with someone who doesn't complain about getting dirt under their nails or having to stay outside all day. She comes by the farm two or three times a week. We always invite her inside for breakfast first before heading out to the greenhouse.

Happy Birthday, January 2026

Mia Greene turns 12 this year and is one of the three new students in Wellington High School. Mia is very family-oriented but she also has her sights set on a career as an artist.

Christmas lights, 2025

Round 16: December 2025

Liv Harris is 27.

(Stella is 61, Deacon is 60, Dawn is 21, Finn is 20.)

Narrated by Liv.

I bought this house earlier this year. I gained access to my trust fund when I turned 25 but it took a long time to find the perfect house because I knew exactly what I wanted. This house just clicked the moment I walked in. I had the floors replaced and the walls painted before I moved in. At first it felt a bit weird to have so much space for myself because I had lived in that tiny apartment ever since I graduated but I really love living here.

Happy Birthday, December 2025

Eve Midlock's pregnancy was a huge shock for her and her boyfriend Gabriel. The timing is definitely not perfect but is it ever? They've decided to make the best out of the situation and after the initial shock are quite happy to become parents.

How it goes

Round 16: November 2015

Patrick Marlowe is 78, Alexandra Hayes is 51, Quinn is 49, Aaron is 17 and Jeremy is 14.

(Amabelle is 70 and Ross is 14.)

Narrated by Jeremy.

Ross came out to Maddy and his parents in January. It didn't take long for him to tell me either although I had kind of figured out that he liked boys. I've had a huge crush on him for about two years so when he told me that he's gay I felt like my chance had finally come.