Life had decided to cut the group some slack in 2010, it seemed. After the harrowing and heartbreaking way 2009 had wound down, they were all due.
Bella’s first semester at the University of Virginia was going well, and Max had again extended his offer to come join his team, but Bella was determined to finish her degree first. The money Manfred and Rose had left her meant she could keep up with the beautiful old house, live just fine, and focus on her classes, so she opted to jump right into the new semester with a full course load.
Stacy and Brad had made the move to California. Brad had started at his new job a bit later than planned due to his unforeseen injury but was already making a name for himself in the firm. Stacy’s dream of attending Cal Tech had launched with the spring semes
