SOFITEL LEGEND The Grand Amsterdam – 4rth Night Free Promo

Posted on May 14, 2024 by Andrew Larder

SOFITEL LEGEND The Grand Amsterdam

Sofitel Legend the Grand Amsterdam stands out amongst 5-star luxury hotels in Amsterdam. Located in the heart of this city of bikes and quaint canals, not far from the imposing ornate elegance of the Royal Palace, the Sofitel Legend boldly combines the best of 21st century comfort with the enchanting history of the Dutch capital. It is home to the acclaimed Bridges restaurant, cocktail bar and garden terrace, to an award-winning luxury hotel spa, to magnificent banqueting facilities including the Council Chamber where Queen Beatrix married. Loyal staff of this venerable Amsterdam institution pride themselves on reinventing Dutch hospitality à la Française.
Welcome at Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam! Located between two historical canals in the heart of the city, The Grand boasts a rich history. From a 15th-century convent to royal lodgings to Dutch admiralty headquarters to the city hall of Amsterdam. The Grand offers five-star luxury in a unique ‘Amsterdam’ ambiance, furnished with French elegance and grandeur.
Experience exceptional gastronomic quality in the accessible atmosphere of restaurant Bridges and enjoy a delicious five-, six- or seven course Menu du Chef or discover the pure taste of the Mediterranean at Oriole Garden Bistro. The Garden Terrace can be found in the beautiful inner garden of The Grand and it is one of Amsterdam’s best kept secrets; an oasis of peace and tranquillity, situated in the heart of the city. Library ‘Or’ is the ideal place to indulge in The Grand Afternoon Tea. Are you a true whisky lover? Be surprised by the special Glenfiddich whiskies at our bar The Flying Dutchman.
The Grand boasts 19 meeting- and event facilities of which five are listed as historical monuments. Our Magnifique Meetings planners are dedicated to your event and will assist you down to the last detail to ensure an excellent service and a memorable experience.
The unwinding Sofitel SPA with heated indoor pool, sauna, hammam and fitness area is the perfect place to recharge after a busy day. Discover our wonderful spa menu and book your treatment until 21:00 hours.
Team The Grand would love to welcome you in the heart of Amsterdam and provide you with an unforgettable experience.

Promo

For the remainder of 2024 we run a 4th night free promo (on all room types) and remember that for any pre or post stay related to a Sea or River cruise from Amsterdam Cruise terminal we include a FREE transfer to or from the port.
This is an add amenity only available for the luxury agents.

SOFITEL LEGEND

We also have a short new corporate brand video of the 6 Sofitel Legend properties in the world which is also worth checking out:
At Sofitel Legend, we’re not merely hotels; we’re handpicked legends. Where service is an art, heritage buildings are our canvas, and local arts and culture are our inspiration.
Here, stories write themselves every day, and every corner exudes life, making each moment simply legendary.

SofitelFrenchZest #SofitelLegend

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This is from a document assigning guardianship:
"...John H Smith as principal and H P Smith and John S Thomas as sec_ _ ties are held and firmly bound..."
The letters appear to be "sec_ _ ties" but could be interpreted differently. Looks like "secunties." The u and n look the same and consistent with u's and n's in the document. The t is definitely crossed.
For context, John H Smith and H P Smith are married. John S Thomas is the brother of H P Smith, uncle of the children. The children's father was a sibling of H P Smith and John S Thomas.
Any clues as to what the word is? What is the meaning of the word? Second to the principal?
Thanks.

Okay, so were we all punk'd regarding the information shared about Taylor Swift? Her real name being Penelope and named after Taylor Ham? From Cody, Wyoming, Swiffer, Jonathan Swift? I can't seem to find anything to indicate any of this is true. As a non-Swiftie, I was buying all this. LOL

I want to preface this by saying I doubt a list can be well done, but I’m also sure there’s ways that are more correct than others. There’s a list at the bottom of the most influential living philosophers that has been floating around for at least a few years. I grant that it may have lapsed a bit since some on the list are now deceased. There are also some questionable picks like J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig, who are popular apologetics with limited influence outside of that. Perhaps my measure of them is wrong, but Leiter said there was an agenda to legitimize them here, which is for experts to decide, definitely not someone like myself with limited understanding outside of a very small academic sphere.
Here’s a version of the list alphabetized.
Kwame Anthony Appiah Alain Badiou Simon Blackburn Robert Brandom Tyler Burge Judith Butler Nancy Cartwright David Chalmers Noam Chomsky Andy Clark William Lane Craig Daniel Dennet Hubert Dreyfus Edmund Gettier Allan Gibbard Susan Haack Jurgen Habermas John Haldane Graham Harman John Hawthorne John Heil Ingvar Johansson Jaegwon Kim Christine Korsgaard Saul Kripke Alasdair MacIntyre John McDermott John McDowell Mary Midgley J.P. Moreland Timothy Morton Thomas Nagel Jean-Luc Nancy Martha Nussbaum David Oderberg Derek Parfit Graham Priest John Searle Peter Simons Peter Singer Barry Smith Ernest Sosa Helen Steward Charles Taylor Amie Thomasson Judith Jarvis Thomson Peter Unger Peter van Inwagen Cornel West Crispin Wright

My supposed marriage to taylor is fraudulent. We have never had direct contact except possibly I gave her a car ride home once. At which time, I was put under an imperius curse which she believed was a fae deal.
I intend to untie (more un-leash) myself with her.
I believe she has something equivalent to mercury poisoning, her toes give me the exact symptoms of mercury poisoning.
I had no reason to believe I was married to her, and I've heard that she actually has multiple such bonds at any given time.
I've not been a good man, but I haven't been a predator either. She predated me. Created a false 'fae deal' which amounted to an imperius curse.
My 17 y/o girlfriend from 20 years ago when I was 22 was a legal one. I loved her as well as a dumb young man can, and I wasn't good to her. Not as a man should be with a woman, anyway.
I'm not obsessed with 'teen' sexually, but I was. I genuinely find women funny and interesting, and enjoy their content, but I believe I'm over the 'cute' thing.
I want to be released from taylors leash. I think she has the psychological equivalent of mercury poisoning, and is in renal failure. I literally experience the exact symptoms of mercury poisoning when she steps on my toes.
I also want to put away the piping across the board until I can get a safer situation for myself, as my 'cheating' gets me and whomever else punished.
I suspect the leash-users we all know and love are addicted to it, abuse the practice, and are confusing a fae deal for an imperius curse. Some may have multiple at once.
I intend to break the connection to her asap. I don't care about the money, I can't live my life this way. Besides, marriage fraud is marriage fraud, we aren't married on my end at all. Hell, we never even made physical contact.

I will continue to update this post as reviews come in.
Rotten Tomatoes: Rotten
Critics Consensus: Back to Black's sympathetic approach to its subject's story is an overdue antidote to the tabloid treatment she often received in life, even if the end results are disappointingly pedestrian.

	Score	Number of Reviews	Average Rating
All Critics	36%	69	4.50/10
Top Critics	38%	24	4.50/10

Metacritic: 49 (18 Reviews)
Sample Reviews:
The film’s snaky on-and-off power begins with the British actor Marisa Abela, whose lead performance nails Amy Winehouse in every look, mood, utterance, and musical expression. - Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Back to Black is, like its heroine, flawed and fallible but frequently very affecting. - Leslie Felperin, Hollywood Reporter
Tells the story of Amy Winehouse but shows no passion in telling it and has nothing to say about the events that transpire. It’s the utter minimum of what a biopic can be. - William Bibbiani, TheWrap
There are other, tougher, bleaker ways to put Winehouse’s life on screen – but Abela conveys her tenderness, and perhaps most poignantly of all her youth, so tellingly at odds with that tough image and eerily mature voice. 4/5 - Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
There are moments when Abela disappears and Winehouse bursts on to the screen, like a magic eye picture blinked fleetingly into focus. But the film is wildly uneven and prone to catastrophic misjudgments. 2/5 - Wendy Ide, Observer (UK)
Because of the cautious gloss, the film is perhaps less enlightening or truly tragic than it might have been. 3/5 - Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph (UK)
The final scene, in particular, with its completely and utterly baseless, sensationalist implications, made me physically gasp in horror. 1/5 - Hamish Macbain, London Evening Standard
The ending, of course, is sad... Yet, for all its faults, the film is more celebratory than tragic. 3/5 - Ed Potton, Times (UK)
Back to Black is a fitfully enjoyable little package that will do wonders for the careers of Abela and O’Connell. But unlike Winehouse’s oeuvre, it’s not worth taking seriously. It’s just too afraid of the dark. 2/5 - Charlotte O'Sullivan, Independent (UK)
The film seems too tame, too tasteful, too frightened of alienating the fans: everything that Winehouse was not. 2/5 - Tom Shone, Times (UK)
[Amy Winehouse's] music remains in a different creative galaxy to this dispiriting film, which is at once twee and ghoulish. 2/5 - Danny Leigh, Financial Times
Sure, you will learn more – and hear more of the original recordings – in Asif Kapadia’s great documentary Amy, but Taylor-Johnson does a decent job of making a tight drama from the same tragic yarn. 3/5 - Donald Clarke, Irish Times
This is a middle-of-the road biopic about a musician who was anything but. It’s not great and it’s not terrible. 3/5 - Stephen Romei, The Australian
It has such reverence for Winehouse that it lacks the honesty the 2015 Oscar-winning documentary Amy was able to present. 2.5/5 - Wenlei Ma, The Nightly (AU)
A solid performance let down by a script that cherry-picks the facts and ultimately tells us less than we already know. Watch Asif Kapadia’s Amy instead. 2/5 - Hayley Campbell, Empire Magazine
Offers a pallid account of Winehouse’s story, ironing out some thornier issues, and bringing little that’s new, either in fresh revelations or distinctive angles on the familiar. - Jonathan Romney, Screen International
This is better than I expected (although my expectations were low). It does seem softened at the edges, and one can never forgive a falling-in-love montage set at London Zoo -- ever -- but I (mostly) didn’t cringe and it is respectful, if painful. - Deborah Ross, The Spectator
In her attempt to put the woman back at the centre of her own life, Taylor-Johnson has at least captured an addictive personality and achieved a powerful portrait of doomed love. - Kate Mossman, New Statesman
It is as salacious and cruel as any tabloid cutting from the noughties – only invested in the bloody ballet pump left in the street, not the complexities of living a very public life with addiction. 1/5 - Rogan Graham, Little White Lies
Everyone involved in the film approaches the late artist with love and respect, but its tawdry instincts and misguided sense of responsibility let her memory down. C- - Vikram Murthi, indieWire
Bizarrely, the one thematic thread that Back to Black does seek to tie its tale together with is the singer’s desire to have a child. 1.5/4 - Ross McIndoe, Slant Magazine
Like Winehouse herself, the film teeters on the edge, hovering restlessly between genre-subversive brilliance that complicates celebratory narratives about artistic genius, and well-worn, re-hashed tropes about tragic women. - Rebecca Harrison, Sight & Sound
A strong cast, in particular a stirring performance from Marisa Abela, is not enough to effectively convey the chaos and the tragedy central to the story of such a beloved artist. 2/5 - Linda Marric, HeyUGuys
Its punchlines lack punch, [but] what it does have is a frankly dynamite central turn from Marisa Abela. - Mark Kermode, Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)
SYNOPSIS:
The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame from her early days in Camden through the making of her groundbreaking album, Back to Black that catapulted Winehouse to global fame. Told through Amy’s eyes and inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film explores and embraces the many layers of the iconic artist and the tumultuous love story at the center of one of the most legendary albums of all time.
CAST:

• Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse
• Jack O'Connell as Blake Fielder-Civil
• Eddie Marsan as Mitch Winehouse
• Lesley Manville as Cynthia Winehouse

DIRECTED BY: Sam Taylor-Johnson
SCREENPLAY BY: Matt Greenhalgh
PRODUCED BY: Alison Owen, Debra Hayward, Nicky Kentish-Barnes
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Sam Taylor-Johnson, Anna Marsh, Ron Halpern, Joe Naftalin
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Polly Morgan
EDITED BY: Martin Walsh
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Sarah Greenwood
COSTUME DESIGNER: PC Williams
MUSIC BY: Nick Cave, Warren Ellis
MUSIC PRODUCTION BY: Giles Martin
MUSIC SUPERVISOR: Iain Cooke
CASTING BY: Nina Gold
RUNTIME: 122 Minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2024

Okay this line has me stumped. Obviously we all know where the marry kiss or kill me reference comes from, but Taylor says she’s betting on all 3?? Lol so does she think Travis is gonna get CTE and they’ll end up on Dateline when she goes crazy and murders her?? Haha what on earth do people think she means here? Even if we aren’t taking it literally, why are you betting on all 3 Taylor?

I don't recognize all the celebrities with 16/7, but the ones I do have failed at finding love : Elon Musk, Taylor Swift, Marilyn Monroe, Leo DiCaprio (I don't think he ever found love despite being married).
It's sad to be this sweet at heart only for it to go unused. I guess this is punishment. I'm physically attractive, but what's the point of it if it doesn't bring love? The whole point of good looks is a better chance at love.
I've gone out of my way for it, pursuing men I've liked, being spontaneous, putting myself out there. The men I liked the most were always the ones who were the most afraid of me. One male friend once suggested we hook up, and when I eventually agreed, he suddenly became scared and changed his mind.
I have so much to give, and I want so much to take care of someone. To cook meals that will make them smile, to spoil them with affection, to wrap them in a cocoon of love. But men are afraid of me. And I've never known why.
Without love, it seems my life will always have a melancholy undertone. Without love, life is a sad, half-baked thing.

I was reading about the early history of Islam mainly through wikipedia and I got to a part which is missing a lot of details. I'm talking about these pages: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layla_bint_al-Minhal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malik_ibn_Nuwayra
During the Ridda wars Khalid kills someone called Malik and then 'marries' his wife Layla within 24 hours. It looks like Malik's tribe had left Islam after Muhammed died so Khalid killed him. However, what's not clear to me is:

1. How did Malik and Layla and their tribe/community convert to Islam and for how long were they Muslim? Both their wikipedia pages provide no details about their early life other than Malik being killed during this period and Khalid taking his wife.
2. What actually happened to Layla? One wikipedia page I read mentioned that Abu Bakr forced Khalid to release everyone he captured from Malik's tribe. Another wikipedia page mentioned that Layla was kept by Khalid
3. Were Malik and Layla's parents alive during this period or were they also killed? I can't imagine raising a child, feeding it everyday just to watch this happen to them. Did they leave any testimony or records from this period?

I'm asking you guys because I figure you will be honest about it if you actually know what happened.
Also, bonus question! I was reading about some of Khalid's battles and one Wikipedia page mentions this during the siege of Damascus: 'In addition, Thomas' wife, the daughter of Heraclius, was captured. According to chronicles, the Greek man Jonah, who guided Khalid on the short cut to Antioch, got his fiance, but she committed suicide. Khalid offered Jonah the daughter of Emperor Heraclius, whom he refused. Khalid sent her back to her father.' Does anyone know who this woman was or why she committed suicide? t he wikipedia page is written with barely any details and jumps from point to point as if the reader is supposed to know what is going on

(the whole dream i am mainly watching myself) it’s all in black and white like an old movie
little girl(me) stares at her self in a puddle outside of her large white home and looks in another puddle and sees the face of another little girl (taylor swift, someone who has everything she ever wanted)
little girl walks into a white empty room where the other little girl(taylor swift) is sitting and she sits across from her they realize they are the only two who can see each other and they don’t say anything they just sit and stare at one another
suddenly they are adults now it’s my wedding, i’m dressed in white and my hair and makeup are done she’s in black with pearls, we’re running past people laughing and trying to hide to get me into a dressing room because no one could see the bride yet we walked into a bathroom where there was an older woman, she looked towards us but with no recognition and we just laughed thinking we got caught but she couldn’t see us
we finally find a empty room, it’s the same white room we were trapped in before we realized i wasn’t getting married we were still stuck we were still in that room i run out in tears out of the large white house and into the rain i scream loudly at the sky (i don’t remember what i said) maybe “i can’t do this anymore!” or “why can’t i have this?” then kept running forward through the puddles there was nothing past the half circle driveway i ran off the edge and just jumped off what looked to be a cliff
i am really curious what other peoples takes on this are.

The garage door shut with a groan behind us, closing us in the gloom of the single bulb hanging over the car.
Mother took a drag off her cigarette and sighed as she exhaled, the smoke filled the cabin of the Ford and stung my eyes.
“You really disappointed me today, Julianne," she tapped her cigarette in the ashtray below the dash, "you embarrassed me in front of the other mothers at the Ice Cream Social, shoveling down seconds and thirds like a pig. I thought I raised you better than that.”
She took another drag, daintily holding the cigarette between her perfectly manicured fingers.
“I'm going to have to tell your brother about this," she continued, “he'll have to come up with a punishment fit for a pig."
I felt my stomach drop. My kid brother, Thomas, was only six, but could be exceptionally cruel. Mother seemed to encourage him and was deferring to him more and more frequently for how the house was run, especially concerning my upbringing.
"Mother, please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I'm sorry I was a pig and ate so much ice cream. I promise I won't do it again, I'll never eat any ice cream again," I was pleading with stone, unyielding.
“Hush your mouth. Go to your room and wait for Thomas," she put out the cigarette and got out of the car, I had no choice but to follow.
It felt like walking to the gallows as I stepped inside the house and headed towards the stairs to go to my room. Thomas had grown fond recently of physical punishment, he obviously delighted in Mother whipping me with a belt or, recently, Mother had allowed him to start beating me with a wooden spoon. He would squeal and giggle like a normal child watching bubbles in the wind while I screamed. I was dreading whatever was going to happen tonight, I chastised myself for eating that ice cream, I should have known she would show up. My sins were always laid bare.
Down the hall, I could hear Thomas watching television in the den. I only got to watch TV for half an hour on Saturday morning and new episodes of Happy Days with Mother and Thomas. Thomas got to watch all the TV he wanted. He could listen to the radio and turntable as much as he wanted, as loud as he wanted. Thomas had an entire room just for his toys.
I entered my bedroom, it was a space I occupied, but it didn't feel like mine. Mother kept it spartan, white walls and white bedspread. A crucifix over the bed and a painting of Jesus over the door. I had my desk and chair and a dresser with some of the porcelain dolls Daddy gave me before he died that Mother let me keep. That was it.
I placed my book bag down and sat on my bed, waiting for Thomas. It was a while, sitting there with nothing but my own thoughts and staring at the open door. I felt humiliated, I was almost thirteen and my entire life was dictated by my brother. Mother kept the house in constant lockdown to keep Thomas a secret. No outsiders were allowed in. I couldn't have friends because she was afraid I would mention him or sneak a friend in to gawk at my brother and tease him for being different.
I would never make fun of him, I was terrified of him. Terrified of what he was and what he was becoming.
Eventually I heard his heavy footsteps coming up the stairs and I felt my heart start beating faster and my palms began to sweat. I kneaded my skirt in my hands, trying to calm myself and dry my palms. His slow arrhythmic footsteps came down the hall and I watched him as he entered the room.
I couldn't help but internally recoil at his appearance, even though I'd known him since he was born, I could never adjust to how unnatural he appeared. Thomas had been born at home and had never seen a doctor, but he was obviously unwell.
He was six years old and was barely over two feet tall, but very squat and wide. His skin was thick and gray, the whites of his beady eyes were yellow and his hair was wispy and white like an old man's, spreading out like a halo around his gargoyle face. A slight odor of decomposition hung about him, it reminded me faintly of garbage cans on a hot summer day. I hated when Mother made me help him with a bath, his skin felt like old brittle leather that flaked onto my clothes in gray flecks. His body was dense like concrete, I could barely lift him into the tub. Picking him up forced his hair into my face where that smell of rot would fill my nose, causing me to gag, silently, so as not to offend him and draw any ire from him or Mother.
Today, Thomas was wearing bib overalls with a red and green striped sweater underneath, reminding me of a grotesque doll.
“Mama says you acted like a piggy today at the ice cream social,” he spoke up to me in his unsettlingly high pitched, yet raspy voice, like a child that smoked as much as Mother, "you need to come down for dinner right now for your punishment for embarrassing Mama."
He turned and walked back down the stairs and I had no choice but to follow his toddling form downstairs to the dining table. We entered the kitchen and the table was placed with two settings. Mother was already seated and Thomas clambered up into his booster seat at his normal spot next to Mother. She took a drag off her cigarette and motioned vaguely to the floor without even looking at me.
Neatly situated on the linoleum was my dinner, not on a plate, but directly on the floor. A pork chop, scoop of mashed potatoes, and a small pile of peas. No utensils, either.
Thomas giggled with glee upon seeing my face.
“You have Mama's permission now to eat like a piggy, now. No hands! Piggies just use their face!” He stood up in his chair and reached out for Mother’s ash tray and flung it out over my meal, peppering my dinner with cigarette ash and butts.
"Oops! Piggies don't mind trash though, do they, Mama?” he giggled and the sound filled me with rage.
"No, they don't,” Mother replied coolly while maneuvering her ashtray back in place and carefully putting out her cigarette before saying prayer.
As angry as I was, I got down on my hands and knees and did my best at eating what I could without using my hands. I knew if I refused, it would be far worse. The whole meal, Thomas made pig noises and would reach down and poke me with his fork, making comments about what a fat piggy I was and how he wished he could roast and eat me. I doubted Mother would even object if he actually did kill me and eat me.
Gagging my way through another bite of ashy pork chop, I felt a warm splat over my head and heard Thomas giggling. I reached up and felt he had dumped mashed potatoes into my hair.
Choking down tears, I asked Mother if I could clean the floor and bathe. She rolled her eyes and excused me to clear the table for them as well while she changed Thomas into his pajamas. Picking him up, she walked out of the room and Thomas stuck his putrid little purple tongue out at me before they made it out the kitchen door.
I silently cried while I cleared the table and washed the dinner dishes. Tears splashed down as I mopped up the mess from my food on the floor. I hated how awful Thomas was. I hated how they treated me. Ever since Daddy died and Thomas showed up, I was their punching bag. I missed Daddy so much.
Mother was kinder then, too. She was still severe, but Dad kept her tempered. After he died, there was a change that came over her. I was only six, so I didn't remember her too much from before, but I did remember her gushing on and on when she was pregnant with Thomas. How the baby was a gift from Our Heavenly Father, that it was going to complete our broken family.
My sixth birthday happened right after Daddy died and I remember sitting on the patio crying while the house was full of people after the funeral, normally he would have gotten me a new doll and a chocolate bar, instead I was forgotten. No doll. No chocolate. Just funeral potatoes and a house full of cigarette smoke from the adults.
Nobody remembered. The closest thing I got was my dad's sister, Aunt Judy, sitting next to me on the patio step for a few minutes of comfortable silence before giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. I don't think she knew her brother was memorialized on my birthday. Next year, Thomas was born the day before my birthday, so it was completely eclipsed as Mother had just birthed her new love into the world…
I stopped mid mop as a lightbulb finally went off. I had never put much thought into the dates before.
Thomas was born a full year after Daddy died. He couldn't be his dad. Who was Thomas’ actual father?
Washing mashed potatoes out of my hair that evening, I ran over and over the timeline. No matter how I parsed it out, Thomas was only my half brother. Going to bed that night, I kept myself awake, going over and over again to make sure. I couldn't remember any men being around at that time, but that didn't mean much. Adults can easily hide things from children. Tension began throbbing through my head and I felt queasy. Mother had always known all of my secrets, able to sniff them out like a bloodhound out or using Thomas to spy. Now I had one of Mother's secrets and I didn't know what to do with it.
First I wanted to confirm it, but it would mean snooping, which was difficult in a house that was rarely left empty. I would have to try finding Mother's calendar book or journal to see if she mentioned any dates or men.
But when could I attempt such a daring maneuver? Thomas hardly left the house. As proud as Mother was of him, she was very cognizant and protective of his differences and didn't want to draw attention to herself or Thomas like that. Mother herself had few social engagements throughout the week and mostly stayed home to watch her golden child.
I finally decided I would take the risk and fake sick on Tuesday, grocery day, so I could stay home from school while she went shopping. All Thomas did all day was watch TV downstairs, so that should give me about an hour to look through her room for clues. I decided to tuck my head down, try to behave as best as I could to avoid their wrath, and wait for Tuesday.
That weekend limped along agonizingly slow. Thomas was in a fine mood and was constantly seeking out a reason to poke me, punch me, slap me… he'd laugh while calling me a piggy with his off-putting wide mouth. I tried to mostly stay in my room and it seemed like neither of them cared.
School on Monday was a relief, but my anxiety ramped up. The consequences would be dire if Mother caught on that I was faking sick to stay home. I didn't even want to imagine how off the leash she'd let my half-brother become in his punishment for that level of insubordination.
I stayed up all night, my stomach was in knots, but I was committed to my plan. Throughout the night, I screamed as hard as I could into my pillow. Screamed until my throat was raw and I could barely talk. It felt cathartic in a way. When it was close to school time, I put on my heaviest flannel pajamas and began doing jumping jacks until my face was flushed and my scalp was soaked with sweat.
Looking in the bathroom mirror before heading down to talk to Mother, I thought I looked pretty convincing, my skin was flushed and sweaty, my eyes had circles under them from lack of sleep, and my voice croaked like a frog.
Heading downstairs, Mother was already feeding Thomas breakfast. I hesitantly stepped into the kitchen and stood there awkwardly for a second, pawing with my pajamas to keep my nerves steady until she noticed my presence and looked up.
“Why aren't you dressed, Julianne?"
"I don't feel well. My throat hurts and my tummy hurts.” My voice graveled out more than I was expecting, I really had hurt my throat.
She strode over to me and placed a cool hand on my sweaty brow.
"You do feel warm. Take an aspirin from the medicine cabinet and go lay back down. I'll check on you later," with that she turned back and walked over to Thomas, who was frozen in place, glaring at me over a forkful of scrambled eggs. The sharp glint of malice in his beady eyes made me shiver before I shuffled out of the kitchen.
I laid in bed, trying my best to look miserable until I eventually heard the faint sound of the television playing in the den as Thomas settled in for his normal daytime routine and the garage door opened as Mother headed to the grocery store. I bounded out of bed and watched the car back out of our driveway and head up the street.
My heart began to pound as I tiptoed down the hall to Mother's bedroom, a place I rarely even caught a glimpse of, let alone entered. I very slowly opened the door, taking great care to not make any noise to alert Thomas downstairs that I was out of bed.
Creeping into the butter yellow room, I could feel my heartbeat pounding in my skull, this was the naughtiest thing I had ever done by far. I stepped onto the rug to help disguise my footsteps and slowly made my way past the brass bed and towards her desk. My hands shook as I opened the top drawer, I pawed through rapidly and found nothing. I checked the next drawer down and again found nothing of interest, just stationary and envelopes.
Finally, the bottom drawer was what I was looking for, a stack of journals from the past decade. I flipped through, trying to find entries relevant to when Daddy died and who Mother slept with afterwards.
I've never fully recovered from what I read.
July 6, 1968
Edgar died today. Car accident. I cannot believe this is real. My light, my life, my anchor... Dr. Benson gave me a sedative at the hospital and I feel so tired. So very, very tired. Why has my Lord forsaken me so?
July 9, 1968
I feel like I am in a very bad dream, I feel numb and disconnected. All the consolation and pity from everyone makes me feel sick. After the memorial, it took everything in me to not break dishes and to scream at everyone to get out of my house. Julianne was moping about crying and I wanted to throw her out, too.
If I hadn't seen my dear Edgar's body in the hospital and held his urn in my own hands, I wouldn't believe he was really gone. I still don't entirely believe it.
I have prayed to God every night asking him to show me why he took my husband from me and I have gotten no answer.
I skimmed over the next few months, as it was more or less similar sentiments repeated night after night. I finally got to an entry that caught my eye.
September 17, 1968
My battle with my faith has been fraught the past few months, but Hallelujah! I feel I can see the Lord again in all his glory and might, for he has given me a way to reconnect to my Edgar!
I was thinking about the night Julianne was born, right in this very home, it was a difficult birth and she struggled to breathe at first. Ingrid, my midwife, made a comment to me that if the baby had failed to wake up on her own, that Ingrid had ways to make sure she would have made it.
I remember asking if it was a medical methodology and she made it clear to me that in certain circumstances, it was a mystical property she used to bring the air of life into a struggling baby's lungs. She gently alluded to being a practicing member of the dark arts. At the time, I felt quite scandalized to have someone like that in my God fearing home. Now I see her as the answer to my prayers! My angel!
On a whim, I called her and asked if she still practiced such techniques. She hesitantly confirmed that she did. I asked, if she could turn breath into the lungs of a child without, could she turn breath into a child that did not exist? Could she magick into existence another child of my beloved Edgar? She told me she had to do some research and she'd be back in touch.
Ingrid just called back after a few hours and said there was a spell she found, but it was dangerous and might have unpleasant results. I said, yes, of course! I trust my Lord and I believe he sent this woman of blessed magick to me for this purpose.
She says we will have to do it soon, in a few days during the new moon. She has a potion to brew, but it is happening! Praise God!
September 23, 1968
The ceremony was last night, and Ingrid believes it was a success, but we will have to wait. It did not take long, only an hour or two. Ingrid lit my bedroom with many beeswax candles and she had me drink a thick and bitter tea that caused me to become quite relaxed and foggy.
From my inner thigh, she cut me and collected my blood in a chalice, with which she mixed quite a lot of Edgar's ashes and other ingredients which I could not glean from my supine position and groggy wits. Ingrid began to chant, calling upon a higher power, as I pleaded with my Lord to let this work. To give me any piece of my Edgar back. She came to the bed and worked the paste between my legs into my womanly chamber, which was very uncomfortable, but manageable with the numbing effects of the tea.
She continued to sit with me and chant, her hand placed over my womb, until she decided at which time it was complete. She left and I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up this morning, I felt quite uncomfortable, my body ached and when I used the restroom, a yellow fluid like pus poured out of me, but no sign of any ashes or blood, which gives me hope it was absorbed into my womb.
November 3, 1968
Praise be to our Lord, Ingrid just confirmed for me that I am with child, I had been hoping so, I had not gotten my cycle in October, but I wasn't sure if that was because of the discharge like pus that was still coming. She told me that was common with this spell and a side effect that would stop after the baby came.
I feel like I am floating on air, for the first time since Edgar left, I feel-
I suddenly became very aware of the feeling of eyes on the back of my head. I had become too engrossed in what was written before me and I had lost track of my surroundings. Very slowly, I turned around and my heart began pounding again as I saw Thomas standing in the doorway holding his wooden spoon in one hand. How had I not heard him?
He pointed at me with his empty hand and screamed, just a pure guttural screech from somewhere deep inside his disgusting little body. He charged at me from across the room, his horrible feet thumping solidly along the rug. He began beating my legs ruthlessly with the spoon, causing my legs to buckle. I crashed down to my knees in front of him, and he began lashing at my face, pulling my hair with one hand while wailing away at my head with the spoon.
I had dropped the journal I was holding and was desperately trying to get a hand on the spoon or push him away. All I could hear was him screaming. My arms flailed and I reached around on Mother's desk and grabbed onto the first thing I found and sank it into Thomas’ neck.
The end of Mother's gold letter opener protruded under his jaw. He went silent and he looked at me with utter shock. He dropped the spoon and collapsed on the ground, clutching at his neck as his thick black blood oozed out from his wound, letting out a stupendous odor of rot that filled the room. He didn't really say anything or make any noise. He just twitched for a moment and I saw his eyes glaze over.
In shock, I stood over his little body for a moment and I watched as he seemed to mummify in just a few minutes, like an ash person from Pompeii dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. Even his blood that looked like shiny oil a second ago became like potting soil on Mother's rug. Reaching out to touch his hand, it crumbled away like sand.
Panic ran through me like a rabbit caught in a snare. Not knowing what to do, I ran. I ran down the hall, changed my clothes, put an extra change of clothes in my backpack and the last doll Daddy had ever given me and I ran. Mother would absolutely never forgive me and I was genuinely afraid she would kill me in retaliation for taking her beloved Thomas away from her. Her precious gift from God. My feet flew over the pavement and took me away from that house.
I called my Aunt Judy from a payphone outside the five & dime, and told her Mother had kicked me out and asked if I could stay with her. She had always had a strained relationship with my mother and it didn't take much convincing that she had kicked out her “only” child. Only Mother, Ingrid, and I ever knew about Thomas.
She gave me a home and took care of me. She never beat me or humiliated me. Even with her love, I was far from okay. For years I would close my eyes and hear Thomas scream, then the sudden silence. I'd see him fumbling at his neck and turning to ash. But I would also remember all the ways he would hurt me and how bad he was becoming. I could never talk to anyone about it, especially not the silent relief I felt I refused to admit to myself. Over time, however, Thomas' screams became a whisper and his silence faded into dust in my mind.
I moved on with my life. I went to college and became a photojournalist, getting to travel the world and watch history unfold. By choice, I never married, but was quite blessed with many beautiful friendships for companionship over the decades. I found balance in my life and a sense of happiness, if not peace. I never could quite stomach mashed potatoes again, though, they always taste ashy to me.
Mother never made any attempts to reach out to me or find me, at least that I'm aware of. Ten years ago, I was contacted by a hospital and they said my mother had been admitted earlier after falling and was about to pass, so she must have kept some tabs on me to know my phone number for her emergency contacts. Apparently she had collapsed in the driveway and a neighbor called an ambulance. I got there and her only words to me were, “take care of him," as she placed a locket in my hand. I opened the locket, Jesus was on one side, Thomas on the other. I didn't say anything to her, just held her frail old hand with nicotine stained nails until she passed in the night. My mother was gone and I felt nothing except a vague sense of relief.
When I got to her house, it was like a time capsule. Other than a newer television, it was just like it was when I'd fled so many years ago. The smell of tobacco smoke hung like incense in the air. It felt oppressive, like a tomb.
I wandered the house in a bit of a daze. The one place I didn't want to go was upstairs. I didn't want to see my old room, or Thomas' room, or Mother's. Putting it off, I went to fix myself some supper, realizing I hadn't eaten in almost a day. I took a pause when I opened the fridge and saw a baby bottle on a shelf. Silently praying she had been babysitting for a neighbor, I fixed myself some toast with sardines and sat eating in the den watching TV. It had been almost forty years and it still felt rebellious not eating at the table and watching TV without permission.
My eyes grew heavy and I finally mustered up the gumption to head upstairs to go to bed. The stairs creaked in a familiar way under my feet and I was taken back to the feeling of dread hearing either Mother or Thomas climbing up. My old room was at the top of the stairs, I saw the door was nailed shut and had rambling quotes about Judas copied from the Bible in my mother's handwriting taped to the door. I sighed gently and turned from the door to head down the hallway, deciding Mother's room was probably the best place to sleep.
I passed by Thomas’ toy room and I heard a murmur from the room. I stopped, curiosity got the best of me and I entered. In Thomas' old toy room was a crib with joyful clown sheets. Dread swelled up inside me as I heard more murmurs and saw the sheets move. Approaching slowly, I peaked under the sheet and gasped.
Tucked inside was what looked like a baby gargoyle, gray and papery looking. Pus leaked out of its milky, bulbous eyes. I pulled back the blanket and saw it had no legs and its arms bent back, like wings on a bird. It was wearing just a cloth diaper, overflowing with tarry looking stool that took my breath away with its pungency, it smelled like Thomas’ blood, but somehow worse. My heart broke for this poor creature, Lord only knows how many years it has been in this crib suffering from its unholy existence.
So this is who Mother had wanted me to take care of…
Not knowing what else to do, I gently scooped him up. Like Thomas, he was shockingly heavy for how small his body was. Placing him on the changing table, I cleaned him and rewrapped his bottom in a clean diaper cloth. It was difficult, he fussed tremendously, crying and flopping around as much as his flipper-like arms would allow. I tried wiping off his oozing eyes and he snapped his mouth, which I saw was full of disturbingly square yellow teeth, trying to bite me. I carried him to the kitchen and rocked him while I heated up his bottle and he became furious with me, almost barking like a dog when my hand would get near his face.
He settled a bit as he fed, but he would still sometimes suddenly spit out the bottle and attempt to bite me. I laid him back in his crib, this abomination in a clown sheet, and I walked down the hall to Mother's room letting out a long sigh.
Combing through my mother's journals in the early hours of the morning, it looked like she tried the ceremony again shortly after Thomas died, but she either lacked Ingrid’s help or didn't have enough of my father's ashes left. Something went terribly wrong. She was vaguer than she had been about Thomas’ conception, but I suspect she had used some of Thomas' remains. The resulting birth she named Isaac.
Mother's journals told a sad tale of her and Isaac's suffering. She never mentioned me, but lamented the loss of Thomas and Dad relentlessly. She was hyper protective of Isaac, as that was all she had left. If her world had been small before, it became microscopic after he entered her life, requiring nearly constant care. According to Mother, he was blind and colicky, sometimes going years at a time without sleeping through the night. She had breast fed him for years, but she had to stop after he grew teeth and began biting her intentionally and feeding on her blood.
I spent a lot of time over the next few days pondering what to do. I had to get her estate in order, she had left me the house, in an obvious attempt to get me to continue caretaking for Isaac, but I didn't want it. I had my own cozy home an hour away from here, filled with happy memories and my possessions acquired traveling the world. Mother's home had a heavy energy I couldn't shake. Her and Thomas were both gone, but the memories of the scoldings and beatings hung in every corner, like cobwebs that would never sweep away.
So, I fed Isaac and kept him clean and tried to keep him company, although he seemed to hate me passionately. I took care of him, all the while thinking about what I was going to do. After a week, I felt resolute in what had to be done.
Gathering up all of Mother's journals in a tote, I made my way to Isaac and picked him up and carried everything to the living room.
The ancient logs in the fireplace meant for display ignited instantly. One by one, I fed the journals into the fire, burning away years of my mother's consuming sorrow. Isaac fussed and moaned next to me the entire time. When the last pages shimmered away into lacy ash, I took a throw pillow off the couch and gently cradled Isaac in my other arm. It didn't take long before he stopped struggling and I felt his little body relax after decades of suffering.
I gently wrapped up a bundle in a clown sheet and placed it in the fire. It burned furiously, like the paper in my mother's journals, and was soon gone. Nothing but ashes and embers.
“Don't worry, Mother,” I said purely for my own sake, "I took care of Isaac for you."
And finally, I felt at peace.

TODAY'S RECAP

Sheila loves that she got to spook Li and delights in anticipation of revealing herself to the Forresters. We see the aftermath of Steffy, Ridge, and Liam accepting the truth. Neither Finn or Deacon knows their partners as well as they think they do.

Deacon and Sheila at Deacon's

Sheila: I'm glad I went to the hospital. Nothing was more fun than scaring the bejesus out of Li! 😄 (Sheila can't stop giggling). It couldn't have been more perfect -- Li being there. Hahaha!
Deacon: She was furiously attacking you, tryna send you to the grave, for real.
Sheila: I know! It was so much fucking fun! More fun than I've had in a long time. 😆 Poor Li, she was just jealous that Finn couldn't let me stay dead and felt compelled to save me! Hahahaha. Li couldn't take it! (💭 Suck it, Li!)
I know. I know. People wish me dead all the damned time. IDGAF. I'm used to it! 😏
Deacon: This is going to keep happening if you keep popping up 👻 and surprising people. 😛 You're going to get a similar reaction to Li 🤯😡😤💥 Hey, how about trying subtle?
Sheila: Fuck that. I like to go BIG! 😆 I expect people to react like Li. I'm looking forward to it. 😏 I can't wait! Hahaha. 😂🤣
Who will be most shocked? Brooke 😫 or Ridge 😡? Oooh, I sooo wanna roll on up into Eric's place. 👏👏👏 Whoooey! Fun! 🎉 Donna is a screamer! 😮 (💭 These bitches will all freak out beautifully in a perfect combination of shock 😳, fear 🫣, loathing 😠, and disbelief 😦. Hahaha. Yay! 🤸‍♀️).
It was so perfect how Li was just there. How can I orchestrate my reveal to the Forresters for maximum shock? 😀 I can pop in at FC and be the model who walks in to see Ridge for alterations! Hahaha! HAAAA! 🤭
Deacon: Does "changed'" Sheila just wanna shock people? (💭 Sheila Sheila Sheila. Gotta try to control the crazy 😵‍💫).
Sheila: OMG! You're no FUN! It's just a little SHOCK 😱. Not HARM! 😏 (💭 I'm not going to chop up 🪓, hang or tie up ➰, stab 🔪, drown 🌊, or shoot 🔫 anybody. I'm not going to set anyone's house on fire🔥 or chain ⛓️ them up in a dungeon ⛓️! I'm not going to kidnap any babies or children 👦👶👧, or trick anyone into getting my face 🙂. I'm not going to break in to anyone's home 🏠! That was the old Sheila! No one will end up murdered, kidnapped, bloody🩸, or otherwise injured 🤕, ffs! Gah! Calm down! It's just a little mischief 🙄😏).
I just want to have a little fun 🥳. Come on! Nothing nefarious 👿. Just prankster fun 🤪😝!
Deacon: So remember the nice, chill, mellow, 😌 happy, calm, quiet life we discussed? (💭 Imagine being a stoner and our biggest stressor is getting the munchies 🍕🥪🍚🍪🍰🥯🍟🥨when we're out of snacks and our favorite places are closed.) No fantasies about scaring 👻 people and getting reactions from the Forresters. Let's get back to us, our engagement, and our nice, quiet life. (Deacon, Reddit wonders if you actually KNOW Sheila 🤔).
Sheila: Ppffrrtt. (💭 Alright, fine, we'll seeeeeee😏.)
(Sheila and Deacon laugh 😄😀 and smoochy smoochy kissy kissy 😍🥰. Then Sheila is snuggled up with Deacon getting a shoulder massage.)
Sheila: I missed this. 😍 I missed you and thought about you the whole time. I didn't think I'd be back here. I was thisclose to 💀.
But, here I am! With you and my imaginary ring. 👋💍 😀 WOW!
Deacon: 🙄 No more pretending. I want everyone to know how in love 😍💕 I am with you. 🥰 (More smoochy smoochy 😘🥰.)

Hope, Ridge, and Liam at FC

Ridge and Liam: Sheila! Changed? 🤨 Wha? 😦Nah. Nope. No. No fucking way! 😠 Is Finn crazy? 😵‍💫 Delusional? Stupid? Wtf is his problem? 😤
Ridge: You must have gotten it wrong. It can't be.
Hope: No. Sheila is--
Ridge: NOOOOOOO! Grrrr. 😠 Gah! 😦 Not about SHEILA. I know. I KNOW. 🤨 I get it. I heard you. Sheila's alive. Fuck. But whatever. No. I mean about the other thing -- Finn idiotically thinking this is GOOD news. Growl! Huff! Puff! 😤On what planet could he POSSIBLY believe this is good news? How clueless is he?
Liam: (quickly hopping on the anti-Finn train 🚂) Yah. Yah. I mean, seriously. Hope. How could Finn POSSIBLY think,💡🤔 with NO ❌ evidence, that psychopath Sheila 👿 is reformed 😇? Wtf?!
Hope: He has reasons. He--
Ridge: REASONS!? REASONS?! 😮 Snarl! 😡 What fucking REASONS?!
Hope: He says she's changed. He's seen her growth. 🌱 He's seen her sprout angel 😇 wings 🪽. He's seen a new and improved Sheila.
Liam: Give me a fucking break! It's pure foolishness 🥴 and personal bias! 😦 Gah! Just because the BABY MANCHILD has a childish need to have a relationship with his birth mommy, he's latched onto a fantasy that this demon 👿 psycho has reformed. (💭 Don't worry, Steffy 💕. I'll be your fall back guy.).
It's NOT REALITY! (💭 I'm really postering now, showing off to Ridge, matching him huff for puff! 😤).
Ridge: Yah! Grrrr. Harumph! 😤😡 What's gotten into this guy? 🤨 Growl! 😦 Sheila is an ANIMAL! Grrr! 😦 Animals don't change! Snort! 😤 Spiders 🕷️, snakes⚕️, reptiles 🐊, monsters 🧟‍♀️👺👿 like Sheila never change!
Hope: I felt the same way. (💭 I even gave up on a relationship with my dad ☹️ when he wouldn't break it off with Sheila.) But after seeing 👀 them together 💕, maybe we should keep an open mind 😐. People said the same thing about Thomas, that he--
Ridge: 🤨 You DID NOT. You DID NOT just FUCKING GO THERE (💭 bitch!) Growl! 😡 Snarl! 😦 Snort 😤! Grrrr. You DID NOT just COMPARE my TALENTED, KIND, LOVING, REFORMED SON (some Redditors say you forgot enabled, entitled, obsessed, dangerous, and consequence free son) to that PSYCHOPATH SHEILA?! OMFG! 🤬
Hope: I'm not saying they're the same. 🫤🙄 (💭 Gah. Eye roll. Patience with the neanderthal. Deep breath.) I'm just saying people can change. So we could just possibly, maybe open the door a teeny, tiny 🤏 bit and entertain the possibility that Finn could possibly be right.
Ridge: You AGREE with (💭 the loser idiot) FINN about that psycho 🫨 Sheila?! What the fucking fuck, Hope?! (💭 Are you crazy and stupid too? Where's Brooke? I can't deal with you, ffs.😠)
Look, Finn has a weird ass connection to Sheila. But WTF, Hope. What's up with YOU? 🤔
Liam: 🤨
Hope: I explained. Sugar was planning to harm 🪓➰🔪🩸 Steffy. Sheila tried to stop her.
Liam: Hearsay. This story of Sheila fighting Sugar came from the least reliable source -- Sheila! (💭 Reddit hates to admit it, but Liam has a point). Sheila told you this story. You, Finn, and Deacon just accept it at face value.
But all we know for sure is that SHEILA didn't attack 🔪 Steffy. Sugar did. That doesn't mean Sheila has changed. It just means there were TWO psychos! 😵‍💫🫨 (Reddit really doesn't want to give Liam credit but kinda gotta suck it up and admit, he's making good points.)
Hope: Deacon and Finn think she HAS changed.
Ridge: Hope. (💭 Whooo boy. I have no patience under normal circumstances. 😑 This is WILDLY FRUSTRATING AF! 😡). Everything Sheila says is a LIE! It's all for show. Gah! 😦 Come ON!
Hope: For--
Ridge and Liam: FOR FINN! FOR FINN! OMFG! 😨
Ridge: She's feeding him the fantasy HE WANTS! Now, she's supposed to be mother of the year, ffs?! Growl! Snarl! 😡 Nah!
Hope: I'm not saying we just accept it. I'm just asking that we keep an open mind, for Finn's sake. (💭 Reddit wonders why Hope doesn't just wrap it up and extricate herself from this whole thing! She should just say ' I gave you the news. Talk to Finn. Byeeee.' Reddit says get out of there, Hope. It's been a looooooooooooooong af day!)
Look, I'm starting to see Finn's side. If indeed Sheila has changed, why shouldn't he want a relationship with her?
Ridge: NOT gonna HAPPEN. 🤨 😡 (Reddit thinks Ridge must have taken a few pointers from Victor Newman only Ridge is way louder.) Finn wants Sheila in their lives. Steffy's not gonna allow it.🫸❌ Absolutely not. ❌ No way. ❌ No how. ❌ Never. Ever. Gonna happen. ❌ Nope. ❌ Nah! ❌ Forget about it! ❌
Liam: Ohhh. Yah! Righ! After what she's endured being MARRIED to this guy who has some bullshit, primal connection to his psycho 🫨 birth mother. Now he wants to invite Sheila into her life? Well, he doesn't GET STEFFY! Steffy will NEVER allow it. She'll draw a line ➖in the sand. The stop 🛑 sign will go up. The hands will push 🫸 back 🫸 hard 🫸.
FINN DOESN'T KNOW STEFFY -- like AT ALL! (💭 Not like I know Steffy and love 😍 Steffy, and will protect Steffy 👩‍❤️‍👨.)
Ridge: 🤨
Hope: 🙄

Finn and Steffy at their home

Steffy: (it all sinks in) It wasn't Sheila I stabbed 🔪. 😣 It was a look-a-like, Sugar. 😖 I stabbed Sugar -- some woman who was tricked into plastic surgery to look like Sheila. What?! 🤯
Finn: Yah, babe. Isn't that a good thing? 🙂 Isn't that GREAT? 😀 Isn't that a relief? 😀 Isn't that a HUGE weight lifted? 😃 Aren't you thrilled 🤩, happy 😁, and bursting with joy 😊? I know I am. We thought you killed my birth mother, but you stabbed a totally different psycho! Pretty cool, huh? 🙄😃
Steffy: 🥺😠😡 (💭 Wow. OMG. Finn thinks I should be relieved? WTF?!)
Finn: Sugar kidnapped ➰⛓️ Sheila. If Deacon and I hadn't gotten there to SAVE her, she might not have survived, honey! This is SUCH AMAZINGLY AWESOME 👍 NEWS!
Steffy: So YOU think I'm supposed to be THANKFUL this monster 👿 is alive?! Are you fucking serious?! 😖😟
Finn: Nah. But yah. Isn't a small 🤏 part of you thankful? 🙄
Steffy: No. 😕
Finn: Relieved? 😀
Steffy: No. ☹️
Finn: Happy for me? 🙂
Steffy: No. 😣
Finn: Honey, babe, sweetheart, listen. We were struggling with the fact that you killed my birth mother, but we don't have to anymore. (💭 I know if I reframe this the right way, Steffy will have an ah ha 💡moment 😀 and feel relief. I just have to find the right words. I have faith 🙏 in us. I'm not even a little bit delusional.🥴 I know Steffy has a good and forgiving heart ❤️. She's just in shock 😳 and horrified 😱 and her mind is blown 🤯. But this will subside. 🙂 I'll just keep talking in a soothing voice. Yah!)
You killed someone who hated Sheila. Sugar was crazy. She wanted to hurt YOU to hurt HER. Get it? (💭 Sugar was the REALLY bad 👹 one. Sheila is a RECOVERING psycho! Big difference! 😀)
Steffy: So I'm supposed to be ooooh all happy and shit that psycho A is dead and psycho B is alive? 🤔 Nah! Finn, I'ma speak slowly so you can understand me when I tell you, NO I'm not happy or relieved or whatever tf you want me to be -- because the DANGER IS BACK! (💭 This man has the THICKEST, HARDEST HEAD! Fucking hell. He's freaking me out so badly that Dawn can't even find any emojis to express the emotional wreckage on my face! Anger, disbelief, confusion, fear, stress, anxiety, frustration -- all the feels!)
Finn: Nah. It's not back! That's the glorious, wonderful, amazing, beautiful, exciting, magnificent 😀😃😄😁 thing I'm just not adequately conveying to you, my love! No fear or danger! Sheila tried to PROTECT YOU. She tried to SAVE YOUR LIFE! She's your best friend ever! She wants to get pedicures together, not shoot us and leave us for dead! She's past that nonsense now. No more danger, honey! ☺️💕
She offered her own life to save you! She tried to fight Sugar. She loves us!
Steffy: Look. 🤨 Sugar's scheme was to blame Sheila. So, Sheila was just selfishly protecting HERSELF from getting blamed. That's all it was! (💭 If I just reframe this the right way, Finn will have an ah ha 💡 moment. He has to! I just have to find the right words to get through his thick skull and penetrate his delusional thinking. He's really worrying me and pissing me off. Wow. Just wow.)
Finn: Nah. She offered her own life! She cares more about us than her own life. SHEILA'S A HERO! Super Sheila🦸‍♀️ to the rescue, only she was chained up ⛓️ and fighting at a disadvantage, but she tried!
Steffy: Hero? HERO? 🤢🤮 You're calling SHEILA fucking psycho CARTER a HERO? Are you on crack? 😮 She tried to KILL🩸us. (💭 He's gone off the deep end into LA LA land 🤪.)
Finn: When Sugar told her--
Steffy: (Angry 😡 and frustrated 😖, Steffy Slams a chair 🪑💥 hard on the floor.) I DON'T GIVE AF ABOUT SUGAR!!! I don't CARE about her!!! 😦😣 She means NOTHING TO ME!!! (💭 STFU Finn! OMFG! Ahhhh! I have NO PATIENCE LEFT for his delusional BULLSHIT! I can't seem to get through to him! Why tf won't he LISTEN??!! 🤬)
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHEILA! 😠
S H E I L A !! 😡
We've been over this a ZILLION TIMES how she had terrorized my family for generations! How do you not GET IT?
Finn: I do. I underst--
Steffy: NO YOU DO NOT FUCKING UNDERSTAND!!!! 😡😤 GENERATIONS! GENERATIONS! That vile bitch is a LUNATIC! 😵‍💫🫨😈
(Steffy pleads 😫 with Finn in frustration 😖😣 to comprehend.)
She tried to KILL ME! And my MOTHER! And my GRANDMOTHER! 😩
I lost TIME with my mother! 😩 I lost TIME with YOU! 😫😣
She's tried to POISON people. So, even if she did try some feeble attempt to get that other stupid psychopath friend not to hurt me, SO FUCKING WHAT?!
NO! NO! NO NO NO NO! 😡 She's NO HERO! I NEVER want to hear you say that AGAIN! (💭 La La La La I can't hear you! I won't hear you! NO!)
Finn: 😑😞 (shakes his head. 💭 She's not getting it.)
Steffy: 😡😖 (shakes her head. 💭 He's lost his mind.)
Steffy: Do you hear me? She's vile. She is in no way a HERO! 😠 She left us in an ALLEY to DIE! What are you thinking? 😩
Finn: Yah yah. I knoooow. I know her past sins. She's made some mistakes 😒, some bad judgement calls🙄, she's been kind of a mess 🫤. She hasn't always put her best foot forward. She hasn't always been super thoughtful. Sure, she's wanted a lot of people dead 💀, but that was THEN and this is NOW! She's been working on herself. She's very into self help these days, and yoga and shit. The fact is she tried to save you!
Steffy: Don't CHALLENGE ME on FACTS ABOUT SHEILA! I'll give YOU the fucking FACTS Mr. Man! 😡 You will lose.
Finn: How about the handy dandy fact that she's alive and you didn't kill my birth mother? ☺️ That matters to me! I'm your husband (takes Steffy's hand). You're the most important person 💕 in the world 🌎 to me. But my birth mother was a mystery. I almost lost her. I just want to help her. I don't want to turn my back on her. 😟 (💭 She's kind of a hoot too, and stubborn and strong, kinda like someone else I love! ❤️)
Steffy: (looking miserable 😖) But you have to. I love you. 😢God, I love you! ❤️ (💭 And my heart is breaking 💔 right now.) You are SO GOOD! But Sheila is EVIL 👹. You are naive (💭 delusional) to think she'll change, that she won't devestate our lives.
Sheila is NOT going to be IN OUR LIVES, no where near Kelly or Hayes.
You can't have BOTH. 😟
It's either HER.
Or ME. 😐
Finn: 😕I hear you. Of COURSE it's YOU. It will always be you. ❤️ (Steffy and Finn share an emotional embrace, both with weary 😞, teary 😥, worried 🥺 expressions. They hold on to each other, emotionally spent.)
The end.

Here is the update to my last team chemistry post:
ALL TEAMS
Eric Berry S 2x Chiefs at 80 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
Channing Crowder MLB 2x Dolphins at 80 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
Kevin Mawae C 2x Jets at 80 OVR; 2x Jets, Seahawks, Titans at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
Frank Gore HB 2x 49ers at 80 OVR; 2x Bills, Colts, Dolphins, 49ers, Jets at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
Ronde Barber CB 2x Buccaneers at 80 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
Jordan Reed TE 2x Commanders at 80 OVR; 2x Commanders, 49ers at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
Rob Eisen HB 2x Any Team NFL Combine†
Team Affinity Strategy Items (1x-4x)
ARIZONA CARDINALS
96 Emmit Smith HB 2x AKA Crews
93 Greg Dortch WR 2x Division Dynasty
92 Aeneas Williams CB 3x Team Diamonds
88 Marquise Brown WR 2x Division Dynasty
84 Paris Johnson Jr RT 2x Rookie Premiere*
ATLANTA FALCONS
99 Bruce Irwin LOLB 2x AKA Crews
98 Kirk Cousins QB 2x AKA Crews
96 Jonnu Smith TE 2x AKA Crews
95 Ruke Orhorhoro DT 2x NFL Draft 3
94 Kirk Cousins QB 2x NFL Free Agency
93 Jake Matthews LT 2x Division Dynasty
92 Bill Fralic RG 3x Team Diamonds
88 Calais Campbell RE 2x Division Dynasty
84 Bijan Robinson HB 2x Rookie Premiere*
BALTIMORE RAVENS
96 Randall Cunningham QB 2x AKA Crews
95 Adissa Isaac LE 2x NFL Draft 3
95 T.J. Tampa CB 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Travis Jones DT 2x Division Dynasty
92 Anquan Boldin WR 3x Team Diamonds
88 Odafe Oweh ROLB 2x Division Dynasty
84 Zay Flowers WR 2x Rookie Premiere*
BUFFALO BILLS
97 Andre Reed WR 2x AKA Crews
95 Keon Coleman WR 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Reggie Gilliam FB 2x Division Dynasty
92 Ruben Brown LG 3x Team Diamonds
88 Dion Dawkins LT 2x Division Dynasty
84 Dorian Williams MLB 2x Rookie Premiere*
Frank Gore HB 2x 49ers at 80 OVR; 2x Bills, Colts, Dolphins, 49ers, Jets at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
CAROLINA PANTHERS
99 Bruce Irwin LOLB 2x AKA Crews
97 Charles Tillman CB 2x AKA Crews
95 Ja’Tavion Sanders TE 2x NFL Draft 3
95 Johnathan Brooks HB 2x NFL Draft 3
94 Damien Lewis LG 2x NFL Free Agency
94 Josey Jewell MLB 2x NFL Free Agency
93 Bryce Young QB 2x Division Dynasty
92 Julius Peppers LE 3x Team Diamonds
88 Bradley Bozeman C 2x Division Dynasty
84 Jonathan Mingo WR 2x Rookie Premiere*
CHICAGO BEARS
99 Bruce Irwin LOLB 2x AKA Crews
97 Charles Tillman CB 2x AKA Crews
96 Gale Sayers HB 2x AKA Crews
94 Gerald Everett TE 2x NFL Free Agency
93 Nate Davis RG 2x Division Dynasty
92 Alshon Jeffery WR 3x Team Diamonds
88 Justin Jones DT 2x Division Dynasty
84 Darnell Wright RT 2x Rookie Premiere*
CINCINNATI BENGALS
95 Eric All TE 2x NFL Draft 3
95 Jermaine Burton WR 2x NFL Draft 3
95 Kris Jenkins DT 2x NFL Draft 3
94 Tee Higgins WR 2x NFL Free Agency
93 Ted Karras C 2x Division Dynasty
92 Geno Atkins DT 3x Team Diamonds
88 Logan Wilson ROLB 2x Division Dynasty
84 DJ Turner CB 2x Rookie Premiere*
CLEVELAND BROWNS
93 Shelby Harris DT 2x Division Dynasty
92 Joe Thomas LT 3x Team Diamonds
88 David Njoku TE 2x Division Dynasty
84 Dawand Jones RT 2x Rookie Premiere*
DALLAS COWBOYS
96 Troy Aikman QB AKA Crews
96 Emmit Smith HB 2x AKA Crews
96 Randall Cunningham QB 2x AKA Crews
95 Marshawn Kneeland ROLB 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Osa Odighizuwa DT 2x Division Dynasty
92 Chuck Howley MLB 3x Team Diamonds
88 Leighton Vander Esch MLB 2x Division Dynasty
84 Luke Schoonmaker TE 2x Rookie Premiere*
DENVER BRONCOS
98 Aquib Talib CB 2x AKA Crews
98 Chris Harris Jr CB 2x AKA Crews
95 Jonah Ellis ROLB 2x NFL Draft 3
95 Troy Franklin WR 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Mike McGlinchey RT 2x Division Dynasty
92 Julius Thomas TE 3x Team Diamonds
88 Jerry Jeudy WR 2x Division Dynasty
84 Marvin Mims Jr WR 2x Rookie Premiere*
DETROIT LIONS
99 Bruce Irwin LOLB 2x AKA Crews
98 Amon Ra St. Brown WR 2x AKA Crews
95 Christian Mahogany RG 2x NFL Draft 3
95 Ennis Rakestraw Jr CB 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Jalen Reeves-Maybin LOLB 2x Division Dynasty
92 Kevin Glover C 3x Team Diamonds
88 Penei Sewell RT 2x Division Dynasty
87 Aidan Hutchinson LE 2x Rookie Premiere*
84 Jahmyr Gibbs HB 2x Rookie Premiere*
GREEN BAY PACKERS
97 Josh Jacobs HB 2x NFL Free Agency
95 Edgerrin Cooper MLB 2x NFL Draft 3
95 Javon Bullard SS 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Elgton Jenkins LG 2x Division Dynasty
92 Clay Matthews LOLB 3x Team Diamonds
88 Christian Watson WR 2x Division Dynasty
84 Lukas Van Ness LOLB 2x Rookie Premiere*
HOUSTON TEXANS
97 Dalton Schultz TE 2x NFL Free Agency
96 J.J. Watt RE 3x Team Diamonds
95 Kamari Lassiter CB 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Sheldon Rankins DT 2x Division Dynasty
92 Mario Williams LE 3x Team Diamonds
88 Jimmie Ward SS 2x Division Dynasty
84 C.J. Stroud QB 2x Rookie Premiere*
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
99 Pat Mcafee P 2x April Fool's
97 Marshall Faulk HB 2x AKA Crews
97 Michael Pittman Jr WR 2x NFL Free Agency
95 Adonai Mitchell WR 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Samson Ebukam RE 2x Division Dynasty
92 Reggie Wayne WR 3x Team Diamonds
88 Julian Blackmon SS 2x Division Dynasty
84 Julius Brents CB 2x Rookie Premiere*
Frank Gore HB 2x 49ers at 80 OVR; 2x Bills, Colts, Dolphins, 49ers, Jets at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
93 Roy Robertson-Harris RE 2x Division Dynasty
92 Donovin Darius SS 3x Team Diamonds
88 Zay Jones WR 2x Division Dynasty
84 Brenton Strange TE 2x Rookie Premiere*
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
99 Tyreek Hill WR 2x AKA Crews
98 Travis Kelce TE 2x AKA Crews
95 Jaden Hicks SS 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Donovan Smith LT 2x Division Dynasty
92 Will Shields RG 3x Team Diamonds
88 Isiah Pacheco HB 2x Division Dynasty
86 Darrelle Revis CB 2x Playoffs†
84 Rashee Rice WR 2x Rookie Premiere*
Eric Berry S 2x Chiefs at 80 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR Team Captains†
Chiefs Super Bowl Offensive Playbook 1x
Chiefs Super Bowl Defensive Playbook 1x
Chiefs Super Bowl Home Uniform 1x
Chiefs Super Bowl Away Uniform 1x
Chiefs Super Bowl Base Stadium 1x
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
99 Bruce Irwin LOLB 2x AKA Crews
95 Jackson Powers-Johnson C 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Daniel Carlson K 2x Division Dynasty
92 Lincoln Kennedy RT 3x Team Diamonds
88 Marcus Epps FS 2x Division Dynasty
84 Tyree Wilson ROLB 2x Rookie Premiere*
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
98 Chris Harris Jr CB 2x AKA Crews
96 Hunter Henry TE 2x AKA Crews
95 Junior Colson MLB 2x NFL Draft 3
95 Ladd McConkey WR 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Zion Johnson LG 2x Division Dynasty
92 Phillip Rivers QB 3x Team Diamonds
88 Gerald Everett TE 2x Division Dynasty
84 Tuli Tuipulotu LOLB 2x Rookie Premiere*
LOS ANGELES RAMS
98 Aquib Talib CB 2x AKA Crews
98 Kevin Dotson LG 2x NFL Free Agency
97 Isaac Bruce WR 2x AKA Crews
97 Marshall Faulk HB 2x AKA Crews
95 Braden Fiske DT 2x NFL Draft 3
96 Todd Gurley HB 3x Team Diamonds
93 Coleman Shelton C 2x Division Dynasty
92 Ryan McNeil CB 3x Team Diamonds
88 Kyren Williams HB 2x Division Dynasty
84 Byron Young LOLB 2x Rookie Premiere*
MIAMI DOLPHINS
99 Bruce Irwin LOLB 2x AKA Crews
99 Tyreek Hill WR 2x AKA Crews
99 Jaylen Waddle WR 2x AKA Crews
96 Jonnu Smith TE 2x AKA Crews
95 Jaylen Wright HB 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Jason Sanders K 2x Division Dynasty
92 Reshad Jones FS 3x Team Diamonds
88 Emmanuel Ogbah LE 2x Division Dynasty
84 Cam Smith CB 2x Rookie Premiere*
Channing Crowder MLB 2x Dolphins at 80 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
Frank Gore HB 2x 49ers at 80 OVR; 2x Bills, Colts, Dolphins, 49ers, Jets at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
98 Danielle Hunter LOLB 2x NFL Free Agency
98 Kirk Cousins QB 2x AKA Crews
96 Randall Cunningham QB 2x AKA Crews
95 Khyree Jackson CB 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Dalton Risner LG 2x Division Dynasty
92 Fran Tarkenton QB 3x Team Diamonds
88 Harrison Phillips LE 2x Division Dynasty
84 Jay Ward FS 2x Rookie Premiere*
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
98 Aquib Talib CB 2x AKA Crews
97 Mike Owenu RT 2x NFL Free Agency
96 Hunter Henry TE 2x AKA Crews
96 Jonnu Smith TE 2x AKA Crews
95 Ja’Lynn Polk WR 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Cole Strange LG 2x Division Dynasty
92 Logan Mankins RG 3x Team Diamonds
88 Jabrill Peppers FS 2x Division Dynasty
86 Darrelle Revis CB 2x Playoffs†
84 Christian Gonzalez CB 2x Rookie Premiere*
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
98 Chris Harris Jr CB 2x AKA Crews
98 Cameron Jordan LE 2x AKA Crews
95 Ga’Quincey Mckinstry CB 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Rashid Shaheed WR 2x Division Dynasty
92 Jimmy Graham TE 3x Team Diamonds
88 Tyrann Mathieu FS 2x Division Dynasty
84 Bryan Bresee DT 2x Rookie Premiere*
NEW YORK GIANTS
97 Brian Burns RE 2x NFL Free Agency
95 Tyler Nubin SS 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Evan Neal RT 2x Division Dynasty
92 Terry Kinard FS 3x Team Diamonds
88 Shane Lemieux LG 2x Division Dynasty
84 John Michael Schmitz C 2x Rookie Premiere*
NEW YORK JETS
93 Tony Adams SS 2x Division Dynasty
92 Joe Klecko DT 3x Team Diamonds
88 Laken Tomlinson LG 2x Division Dynasty
86 Darrelle Revis CB 2x Playoffs†
84 Will McDonald IV RE 2x Rookie Premiere*
Kevin Mawae C 2x Jets at 80 OVR; 2x Jets, Seahawks, Titans at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
Frank Gore HB 2x 49ers at 80 OVR; 2x Bills, Colts, Dolphins, 49ers, Jets at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
97 John Madden MLB 2x Ring of Honor
96 Randall Cunningham QB 2x AKA Crews
95 Cooper DeJean CB 2x NFL Draft 3
95 Jeremiah Trotter Jr MLB 2x NFL Draft 3
93 D'Andre Swift HB 2x Division Dynasty
92 Troy Vincent CB 3x Team Diamonds
88 James Bradberry IV CB 2x Division Dynasty
84 Nolan Smith Jr LOLB 2x Rookie Premiere*
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
95 Mason McCormik LG 2x NFL Draft 3
95 Payton Wilson MLB 2x NFL Draft 3
95 Roman Wilson WR 2x NFL Draft 3
95 Zach Frazier C 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Broderick Jones RT 2x Division Dynasty
92 Le'Veon Bell HB 3x Team Diamonds
88 Mason Cole C 2x Division Dynasty
84 Darnell Washington TE 2x Rookie Premiere*
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
99 Richard Sherman CB 2x AKA Crews
97 Isaac Bruce WR 2x AKA Crews
93 Aaron Banks LG 2x Division Dynasty
92 Merton Hanks FS 3x Team Diamonds
88 Dre Greenlaw ROLB 2x Division Dynasty
84 Ji'Ayir Brown SS 2x Rookie Premiere*
Frank Gore HB 2x 49ers at 80 OVR; 2x Bills, Colts, Dolphins, 49ers, Jets at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
Jordan Reed TE 2x Commanders at 80 OVR; 2x Commanders, 49ers at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
49ers Super Bowl Offensive Playbook 1x
49ers Super Bowl Defensive Playbook 1x
49ers Super Bowl Home Uniform 1x
49ers Super Bowl Away Uniform 1x
49ers Super Bowl Base Stadium 1x
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
99 Richard Sherman CB 2x AKA Crews
99 Bruce Irwin LOLB 2x AKA Crews
95 Christian Haynes RG 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Jason Myers K 2x Division Dynasty
92 Steve Largent WR 3x Team Diamonds
88 Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR 2x Division Dynasty
84 Anthony Bradford RG 2x Rookie Premiere*
Kevin Mawae C 2x Jets at 80 OVR; 2x Jets, Seahawks, Titans at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
99 Richard Sherman CB 2x AKA Crews
98 Aquib Talib CB 2x AKA Crews
98 Mike Evans WR 2x NFL Free Agency
95 Chris Braswell LOLB 2x NFL Draft 3
93 Aaron Stinnie LG 2x Division Dynasty
92 Doug Martin HB 3x Team Diamonds
88 Ryan Neal SS 2x Division Dynasty
86 Darrelle Revis CB 2x Playoffs†
84 Yaya Diaby LOLB 2x Rookie Premiere*
Ronde Barber CB 2x Buccaneers at 80 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
TENESSEE TITANS
97 Chidobe Awuzie CB 2x NFL Free Agency
96 Jonnu Smith TE 2x AKA Crews
93 Azeez Al-Shaair MLB 2x Division Dynasty
92 Keith Bulluck ROLB 3x Team Diamonds
88 Jeffery Simmons RE 2x Division Dynasty
84 Will Levis QB 2x Rookie Premiere*
Kevin Mawae C 2x Jets at 80 OVR; 2x Jets, Seahawks, Titans at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
98 Kirk Cousins QB 2x AKA Crews
97 Andre Reed WR 2x AKA Crews
95 Johnny Newton DT 2x NFL Draft 3
95 Mike Sainristil CB 2x NFL Draft 3
94 Frankie Luvu LOLB 2x NFL Free Agency
93 James Smith-Williams LE 2x Division Dynasty
92 Brian Orakpo ROLB 3x Team Diamonds
88 Cody Barton MLB 2x Division Dynasty
84 Emmanuel Forbes CB 2x Rookie Premiere*
Jordan Reed TE 2x Commanders at 80 OVR; 2x Commanders, 49ers at 81 OVR; 2x Any Team at 85 OVR; 3x Any Team at 96 OVR Team Captains†
*No longer obtainable
†Marks a player item that must hit a certain overall to unlock an extra chemistry slot

I just want to share my story and share the good vibes. Sa dami ng problem sa mundo, we sometimes need a reminder that there are still good things happening around us, may it be small or big.
I was supposed to get married last year. My ex was Singaporean Chinese and I’m based sa UK as an OFW (pure Filipina). Met thru mutual friends. LDR from the start. Was in a relationship for 8yrs. Got engaged Nov 2021. Then out of the blue, he told me that he wasn’t ready to be a provider, told me not to wait for him, but still wants us to have communication. I begged him to stay, not to cancel, pero wala talaga. So we officially broke up after a week of trying to fix things. No communication at all.
After 5mos, i decided to try online dating. I met somebody, and he is an ofw in sg. Yes, sg na naman and ldr na naman! Haha lapitin ata talaga ako ng ldr. 1st ex ko ldr rin e 🤣
Anyway, this guy that I met, he ticked all the requirements na pinag-pray ko ke Lord. He was really genuine. Constant with chats and video calls despite the distance and time difference. I decided to meet him after almost 2 mos of communication. I knew i was falling in love with him before meeting him in person. And we became official last Dec. Mabilis po ako mag-move on lalo na if sinaktan ako. Idol ko si Taylor Swift, the Patron Saint of Moving On kaya! Hahahaha (i sometimes wonder if minahal ko ba talaga ex ko sa bilis ko mag-move on from our 8yr relationship 😅)
So why the red string? 1. My 1st ex bday is in Oct. He is a Libra. He’s name starts with E. — my bf’s bday is Oct, also a Libra, and name starts with E. i only noticed this months after we became a couple. Di ko na kasi naiisip tong 1st ex kong serial cheater until pinaalala nung friend ko 🤣

1. My ex fiancé works as an IT engineer, wears glasses. — my bf also works as an IT consultant, also wears glasses (i like nerd guys btw). Found out about his line of work during our talking stage.
   
2. Both of us like Pokemon.
   
3. We both like IU. We only found out after talking for a month. We have a lot in common. I feel like i am dating myself.
   
4. Sakanya lang ako naging comfortable. He won’t believe that i’m an introvert kasi ang daldal ko sakanya 😂
   
5. We share the same core values and beliefs. We work on the same wavelength.
   
6. We started chatting on ig on his birthday. Kaya i always joke that i’m his best birthday gift ever 😂
   

I still believe in love kahit na grabeng pagpapaiyak ang pina-experience saken ni Lord last year. I learned a lot as well. We’re getting married next year! Now i know the reason kaya pala di tinuloy ni Lord ang kasal ko last time. Sa ibang tao pala kasi ako nakatakda 🥹
Ps: my current partner is still consistent with his efforts since day 1. Video call pagkagising nia at pagkauwi from work til bago matulog. fineflex rin ako sa social media, na never ko na-experience. Ako rin wallpaper nia sa gadgets nia, kahit profile pic sa work whatsapp nila 🥹

Round 1, Pick 14 - Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State:
NFL: The Saints fill their tackle need with a feisty and powerful brawler who can make an immediate impact along the offensive line. Fuaga's presence will help the unit become more physical, which will only benefit quarterback Derek Carr and the run game.
CBS Sports: B+. He fills a major need for the Saints. They have big-time tackle issues. Fuaga is a nasty player who will start right away. Love it.
ESPN: The Saints picked a position that has been on their radar since the end of the 2023 season, and it checks a lot of boxes for a New Orleans first-round selection. Fuaga was a team captain and two-year starter for Oregon State and played in the Senior Bowl, a game that has produced a lot of Saints players. The question is how fast can he start and where on the line he fits best. Fuaga said he's open to playing on the left side and has been training for that, even though he played right tackle in college. If the Saints move him to the left side, he'll compete with 2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning. If they keep him on the right side, it could signal that the concerns about Ryan Ramczyk's knees are worse than they thought earlier in the offseason.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: Is constantly asking teammates for electrical tape.
Round 2, Pick 41 - Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama:
NFL: The secondary figured to be a spot the Saints might attack, and they traded up to land McKinstry. He's a steady, smart, solid corner with good field awareness and decent but not great ball skills. This selection feels like a solid line drive into the gap for a team that needs more reliable defenders.
CBS Sports: B+. Such a clean outside CB prospect. Press man specialty. Physical but not overly grabby. Solid, not spectacular speed. Ball skills meet the standard you want out of a higher-end starter. Good size too. Arguably the best player available. Expensive trade up.
ESPN: The Saints liked McKinstry enough to trade a fifth and sixth-round pick to move up four spots from No. 45 to No. 41. The team nabbed him in the middle of an early Day 2 run on cornerbacks. The addition of McKinstry doesn't mean it's a sure thing that the Saints deal 2017 first-round cornerback Marshon Lattimore, but it does mean that will be a potential move to watch this summer. McKinstry would join Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor and potentially Lattimore in the cornerback room, and he said he'd also like to contribute on special teams as a kick returner.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: Was the kid who Naruto ran between classes in high school.
Round 5, Pick 150 - Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina:
NFL: This is lower than I imagined Rattler going, especially after six quarterbacks all went off the board in the first 12 picks. Rattler is an interesting developmental talent who has some skills that might remind Saints fans of a certain age of Aaron Brooks -- for both good and bad reasons. Well worth the pick here.
CBS Sports: A-. Former huge recruit who once received first-round buzz. Arm talent jumps off the film. Unafraid to make any throw and at South Carolina connected on many of them. Low-level athlete despite some functional movement away from pressure. Accuracy is good, and reads coverages decently. Older prospect but does have upside. Smart investment this late.
ESPN: The Saints added another quarterback just one year after signing Derek Carr and selecting Jake Haener in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. The Saints usually operate in "win now" mode with how they manage the salary cap, but the selection of Rattler indicates the Saints could be looking toward the future at that position. Rattler will compete with Haener for the backup spot behind Carr after the departure of Jameis Winston. Winston came in for Carr several times last season after Carr left three games with injuries.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: Glad to be drafted but really wanted a 9-5 desk job as an actuary.
Round 5, Pick 170 - Bub Means, WR, Pittsburgh:
NFL: Means has the speed to dent the WR depth chart in New Orleans and is a good fit for what the Saints do. He has big, reliable hands and can stress a defense deep but never was a featured target in his three college stops.
CBS Sports: B+. Height/weight/speed specimen with the long-striding speed to take the lid off the defense. Tracks it well and can carry out classic possess WR duties on the boundary when he’s not going deep. Some YAC flashes but not his speciality. Prudent add, even though he’s a niche type who won’t separate a ton.
ESPN: The Saints fill another need, adding a wide receiver to account for the departure of Michael Thomas. Means ran a 4.43 second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine this year to go along with 721 yards and six touchdowns at Pitt. Means will join No.1 wideout Chris Olave, speedy Rashid Shaheed, A.T. Perry and veteran Cedrick Wilson. Dennis Allen said earlier in the offseason that they were looking for another pass catcher, and Means will join a new Saints coaching staff with a potentially revamped offense.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: Is convinced if he messages the mods enough, they’ll finally listen to him.
Round 5, Pick 175 - Jaylan Ford, LB, Texas:
NFL: A thickly built thumper with monotone play speed, Ford thrives with instincts and tape study. Does he have enough athleticism to make it as more than a two-down defender? We shall see.
CBS Sports: B. Lengthy middle linebacker with some suddenness to his game. Wasted movement appear on film, so do impressive plays on the football in coverage. Not an overly physical or high-motor defender. Sifts through traffic well. Has starter traits because of his three-down ability. Although he must tackle more soundly.
ESPN: Ford will add linebacker depth and versatility, as he played both inside linebacker and outside linebacker at Texas. 35-year-old Demario Davis and Pete Werner will take the majority of the snaps, with new signee Willie Gay rotating in if the Saints are playing base defense. That means that Ford will likely be a depth piece and a special-teams player to begin his career.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: Can only spell bananas by singing Holaback Girl. There is choreography too.
Round 6, Pick 199 - Khristian Boyd, DT, Northern Iowa:
NFL: He's not a great playmaker, but Boyd's mass and bull-like strength could give him a chance to be an early-down nose tackle. He's tough and reliable with good stamina.
CBS Sports: B+. Big-bodied NT with athletic prowess. Rushes tend to get high, and while he converts speed to power on occasion, if he sunk the pad level, he could be a very powerful defensive lineman. Pass-rush move arsenal isn’t barren just not relied upon often. Unique NT with DT abilities.
ESPN: The 24-year-old comes in with a lot of college experience, having started his career in 2018. The Saints like to rotate their defensive linemen, so he'll join a rotation that includes Bryan Bresee, Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd. He said he prides himself on stopping the run, but also had 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks at Northern Iowa in 2023.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: He is aiming to be the greatest player ever picked 199th.
Round 7, Pick 239 - Josiah Ezirim, OT, Eastern Kentucky:
NFL: Ezirim is a converted D-lineman with two years of OL play under his belt. His outstanding mass could serve him well if the Saints are patient with Ezirim's development.
CBS Sports: A. Starter-caliber size and length to play OT at the next level. Natural power jumps off the film. Better getting across the line than climbing to second level. Grip strength is very good. Well-balanced. Not a freaky athletic specimen but has clean film. More OT help for Saints.
ESPN: It wasn't a surprise that the Saints continued to look for offensive line depth after using a first-round pick on an offensive tackle. Ezirim was a former nose tackle who moved to the offensive line during the 2021 season and became a permanent starter at RT for the last two seasons. At 6-5 and 329 pounds, he'll be the heaviest player on the team next to new OL Oli Udoh. He'll start out as a depth player.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: Has a really nice fountain pen collection.