It had been seventeen happy years since Olaf's death and the Baudelaires and Quagmires' misfortune. The minute they arrived back at the city, Baudelaires' first and original hometown, Justice Strauss, who I'm thrilled to say had survived the fire at the Hotel Denouement, adopted all six children. Instead of living in her lovely house. the kind-hearted judge hired some of the original architects of the Baudelaire mansion and they all moved in. The large library was filled with new books that the children and judge collected and furniture that was bought with some of the money Violet finally inherited. For the Quagmire children, Isadora roomed with Violet and Duncan and Quigley roomed with Klaus. Also, thanks to Violet's inheritance, she, her siblings, and their friends managed to go to a great school, one without horrible little girls like Carmelita Spats didn't exist. By time Violet was in high school as well as Isadora, Duncan, and Klaus were in middle school, they all became boyfriend and girlfriend. Quigley was hurt, but he knew that he shouldn't interfere with his brother's wonderful relationship. Sunny, by now, had quit biting people and objects.
Violet and Duncan both agreed to get married after they both graduated college as did Isadora and Klaus. Unfortunately, by time Violet turned twenty-two, Justice Strauss died in a case involving a serial killer, who, by the way, was sentenced to live in prison for rest of his life for killing a judge in court. Violet knew that she couldn't abandon Sunny after their truly better guardian had died. So, instead of moving into another house, Violet and Duncan stayed at the Baudelaire mansion until Sunny was old enough to take care of herself on her own. However, Quigley decided to leave, wanting to find where it was that he really belonged. Klaus and Isadora soon followed suit and stayed at the Baudelaire mansion. When Violet was twenty-seven, she gave birth to a happy, healthy baby girl who she called Beatrice, in memory of her deceased mother.
The real story begins when Sunny is packing up for college. "Sunny!" called out Violet. "Hurry up! We need to get on the road now!"
"I'm coming, Vi! No need to get agitated!" bellowed back an adult Sunny. She came out of her room and headed downstairs, lugging two suitcases.
"Let me help you with that!" cried Duncan, rushing up the stairs to help his young sister-in-law.
"It's fine, Duncan," Sunny said. "I got them."
"Oh, no, you don't!" Klaus said, who had entered the room and also hurried up the stairs to help with the suitcases.
"What's with you guys today?" laughed Sunny. "You're acting like I just dropped a glass vase." There was a shattering noise after that statement.
"Oh no!" cried Isadora in the dining room. " I just dropped a glass vase!" Violet rushed in dining room with a broom and a dust pan.
"Isadora, let me clean it up," she said.
"No, no, Violet," Isadora said. "I appreciated your concern, but I created this mess and I'll be the one who cleans it."
"But you're pregnant!" Violet said. "You shouldn't bend over or do anything that involves your belly!"
"But Violet-" whined Isadora.
"Isadora dear," Klaus said, "let Violet take care of it."
"Okay," said Isadora. Duncan and Klaus finally got Sunny's suitcases down the stairs and they and Sunny walked in the dining room, noticing Violet on her knees with the dustpan in front of her as well as the broom and Isadora standing beside her. They grabbed five clear glasses, the other two were for Violet and Isadora, and served themselves some water.
"Vi! Is! Get in here!" Duncan said. Violet stood up and she and Isadora walked over to their husbands and the youngest Baudelaire.
"Wait," Violet said stopping. "Beatrice needs to get down here." She cupped her mouth and yelled, "!" The five-year-old girl skipped down the stairs and into the dining room.
"Yes?" she asked in a sweet high-pitched voice.
"Come in here," Duncan said. "We're prosing a toast to Aunty Sunny." The little girl walked forward and took a smaller cup of water.
"A toast to Sunny!" Klaus said, bringing up his glass. "May she have a wonderful experience at Hartville College!"
"To Sunny!" everybody else cheered, clanking their glasses with each others. All, but Beatrice drank the water.
"Aunty Sunny's leaving?" she asked. Everybody all looked at her; they had forgotten to tell her the news. Now poor little Beatrice starting sniffling.
"Oh, don't be so sad, little Bea," Sunny said, patting her niece's head. "I'm not leaving forever."
"Yes, you are!" Beatrice said, crying now.
"Beatrice dear," Violet said, "Aunty Sunny's just going to college. It's nothing to be upset about." Beatrice stopped crying/
"What's a college?" she asked.
"A college is a place where people go if they want to make sure they get a good job, Bea," Sunny said. "I'll still come to visit you and Mommy and Daddy and Aunty Isadora and Uncle Klaus and, maybe," she said, whirling around and patted Isadora's large belly, "even the new cousin."
"Bea, isn't it time for your afternoon nap?" Duncan said.
"Oh! It is!" she squeaked. She gave Sunny her cup and ran up the stairs to her room. Sunny walked over to the sink and poured out the little water and put the cup in the dishwasher. She turned around and froze; everybody was staring at her with such big, sad eyes.
"Why's everybody looking at me like that?" she asked.
"Seventeen years ago, you were a little baby," Isadora said.
"And now," sighed Violet, "you're a woman."
"Time sure flies when you're growing up," Klaus said.
"Um, you're acting as if I've been your baby all this time," Sunny said uneasily.
"Well, we've all thought of you as our little sister, Sunny," said Duncan.
"Really?" asked Sunny in pure surprise. Everybody nodded. Sunny's eyes filled up with tears and she rushed and hugged her older siblings and siblings-in-law who also cried with her.
"Now," Violet said, drying her eyes, "we need to go." She, Sunny, Duncan, and Klaus all walked to the front door, picked up the suitcases, and walked to Violet's car. They put the suitcases in the back and Sunny climbed into the passenger seat. "You ready to leave, Sunny?" Violet asked. Sunny paused for a moment and then nodded.
"Yeah, I am," she said. Violet turned on the engine and it purred. Sunny turned her head to see Duncan, Klaus, and Isadora waving at her, which she returned as well as a smile. She also saw Beatrice waving at her from her bedroom window. Sunny smiled bigger and she waved even harder. She would miss her happy home, but she couldn't wait to arrive at college.