One evening at the diner table Lucas and Amy (his now girlfriend) came up hand in hand and announced to both my mom and dad a pretty important news. They decided to move in together. Amy had a stable job in the acting career path and Lucas was slowly moving up the corporate ladder. Whenever Amy would go around doing both photo and video shoots around the world, Lucas would tag along to meet new people in the business and gain experience.

Mom and Dad exchanged a look, and Mom, being as discrete as she is, asked if Amy and Lucas were getting married. Clearly they weren’t; even I knew that. Both of them simply complimented each other when it came to appearances and business, but besides that, I don’t think they were actually in love with each other. Did you have to be in love to marry? Who knows. I was almost convinced Amy and Lucas would never marry, and even less have children. Having a family would probably slow down their career and stop them from traveling the world and playing in different movies.

Love or not, Lucas and Amy moved in together in a medium-sized, modern looking house in the outskirts of Sunset Valley.

Mom and Dad were somewhat upset that Lucas had moved out so quickly, but I had seen it coming. As more weeks passed by, I just sat around. I tried gaining a few painting skills, but that was a failure. I tried practicing my chess moves, but I lost patience and gave up. I tried cooking a few meals from the cookbook, but after three disasters, I put the book in the trash. I started to realize that being an heir wasn’t as thrilling as I thought it would have been. Mom and Dad wanted me to get a job, but I didn’t know where to start. Which branch to go into, or simply which type of career I wanted. I sent out a few application forms to the different parts of town, in hope that someone would agree to interview me. Meanwhile, I played the guitar and worked out every so often. With my half guitar pick, I wanted to know where the other half was. Did Emily, my best elementary friend, have it?

I was so busy on thinking about what to do next the guitar pick, It had totally slipped my mind that it was time to celebrate my parents birthday. In the same week, both of them were turning into elders. Yes my parents were quiet old.

Mom was the first to age. We gathered in the kitchen, and I watched as my mom spun in circles, surrounded by sparkles. How fast did things get? My mother lost her bright blond hair and her smooth skin. It was all replaced by white hair, and a rough skin with wrinkles of old age forming. She went from having pointy feminine shoes and low-cut pants, into large clothing with old lady floral patterns. It was an extreme makeover.

Dad was the second to age. I watched as his muscular figure was wrapped up by sparkles. He spun a few times, and it was done. How fast did things get? From one second to the next, things had changed drastically. Starting from his appearance, he had grown out a full head of white hair, and his once broad-shouldered figure was now more slim and delicate. Deep lines spread across his tan cheeks and maybe it was only me, but I thought he got shorter. All that was besides the point though. Those were all known facts of aging, and that was only what was going on the outside part of him. The true and intense sign of his aging was going on inside his body, inside his mind. As my father aged into an elder, he developed Alzheimer.

Now that dad had Alzheimer, the whole family had to sit together and discuss what to do next. His case wasn’t at it’s worse, but still someone would always have to be in his presence. Jeremy point out he couldn’t do so, seeing as his relationship with his boyfriend was going great, and he was always so busy serving people by using his various talents. I couldn’t accept taking on the task, seeing as I had the huge responsibility of being heir, and I was still trying to figure out my way through life. Mom, as she grew into an elder as well, simply wasn’t capable of taking care of Dad. She herself was frail and sometimes forgetful. After talking for over two hours, we all agreed an a final decision. We decided that Mom and Dad would move into an old folks home. The institute took care of all types of elders. From those who can live without help, to those who couldn’t do many things on their own. It was only a half hour away from Sunset Valley, therefore the whole family would be able to visit occasionally.

It took a full month to put all the papers in order, and we then started packing up the luggage. It was sad seeing my parents go. My whole life I pictures myself moving out (I always imagined being young when I moved out) and now here we were packing their bags. Jeremy let out a tear or two as he packed the bags and said over and over how he was going to visit often and bring them whatever they asked for.

When everything was finally in order; papers done, and luggage packed. Last thing to do were the good-byes. Dad knew where he was going, but he kept asking every ten minutes. I figured I’d have to get use to the repetition, and to keep my patience. A taxi came to pick up mom and dad. I put all their suitcases into the trunk. I wasn’t sure how to tell them good-bye. Dad’s eyes were teary, and he suddenly wrapped his skinny yet muscular arms around me. He tapped my back and more tears strolled down his cheeks. He whispered me a thank you and told me how much he loved me. He knew I was doing the right thing, and he assured me he understood our choices.

As for Mom, I simply waved her a good-bye. Her eyes filled with tears, but she quickly whipped them away. She never made a single effort to comfort me or hug me throughout my life, therefore I simply gave back what I had been given.

As the weeks went by, I still tried finding myself a job. I had just finished passing by city hall in hope of maybe getting hired as an assistant or maybe even a banker, but unfortunately the job was given to someone else. I didn’t want to go home to an empty house, therefore I decided to stop by he library and maybe pick up a few books. I had been wanting to get cook books in order to learn a few recipes and maybe show them off to Jeremy. I got bored with looking around for books, and had already found a few that I wanted. I wasn’t a very big fan of reading, so I thought it may have been a nice idea to get recipes off the internet. All the computers at the library were taken. I would’ve went back home to use our own computer, but once again, I couldn’t stand sitting in a silent and empty house.

I looked around, and noticed a woman sitting at one of the computer desks, yet she was reading a book. Her hair was a fiery red and she was hard to miss. I looked closer and noticed the computer she was using was off. I walked up in front of the desk and asked as politely as I could, “Sorry, but can I use the computer?” She looked up from her book and stared right at me. She responded, “It’s taken.”

Why did people have to be so complicated? I was already getting annoyed and I spoke with a hardness I hadn’t intended to express. “You’re reading a book and the computer is closed. All the others are taken. So, can I please use the computer?” She smirked at me and said, “Fine.” She took a small black and yellow thing she used as her bookmark. I looked intently at the little piece, and the look of my face must have been so intent since she asked me what was wrong. “Can I see your bookmark for a second?” She handed it over to me, and my mouth came open like a huge ‘O’. I looked from her bookmark, to her and couldn’t believe what was happening. The little piece of plastic that this complete stranger was using, was a half guitar pick that was written ‘Guns N Roses’ on it. I thought things had been happening so fast lately, but the fastest of them all, was finding the person who had ever cared about me. I looked back up to the woman in front of me with the orange-red hair and said to her aloud, “Emily?”

Note from the author:

Hey everyone!

- I’d like to start by saying that I might not update very often in the next couple of weeks. My computer is having difficulties, and it will end up breaking soon enough. It was even a suprise that I was able to make this update! But, no worries, the legacy is not over!

- Secondly, I’d like to take this chance and ask if any of you readers, simmers, and bloggers, have twitter? I find it an easy way to communicate and it’s a nice way to advertise whenever we have updates, to show some sneak peeks, or to share some extra pictures that were taken during game play.

- Lastly, I’d like to simply thank all of yous for reading up on this legacy I really do appreciate it.

xcin100x

PS . If you have a twitter account, please leave a comment below with you’re name. I’ll be glad to ‘follow’ you! Please&Thanks !

Seeing as I was still a teenager, I wasn’t literally in charge of the family. Mom was still the one leading the family, paying the bills, and making sure everything was under control. Maybe it was because of all her extra ‘free time’, but she got straight onto building the new home. She hired some of Sunset Valley’s best architects and contractors. Within’ six months, the house was already built! (Thankfully we would be able to get out of that small chalet) Anyways, once the house was built, we still wouldn’t be able to live in it – the decoration, and all the furniture were still missing. My older brother, Jeremy, had a huge passion for creating things. He loved designing clothes and cooking with a variety of ingredients, and he loved decorating indoor and outdoor designs. It’s for that reason I told him he could decorate the next home. Mom disagreed (she disagrees with everything I say or do) but I insisted that it was going to be my house, and why shouldn’t Jeremy be allowed to do what he loved? We had the money (I think) and he’s my brother and I owe it to him.

By the time the house was built, Ryan, Jeremy and Lucas had turned into adults. Yes, I was the youngest of the family, and the only teenager left. As soon as the walls and roof were done of the house, Ryan got a job offer to join a Pre-Olympics organization of cycling. It was a well-known society named: Pro’s Pedal for Poverty. It was a group of high-placed bikers that traveled the world and raised money for different causes and donated money to those in need. Mom, as usual, disagreed and wanted him to stay home. I didn’t see the point in that, since they weren’t super close (closer than her and I however). Anyways, he still left.

Jeremy had loved designing the outside and inside of the home. He insisted on doing every single room, and I was impressed to see the final product. After only three months, with the help of workers, the house was finally and completely done. As we visited the new built estate, everything smelled of freshness. I was extremely amazed at Jeremy’s piece of art. Everything was high-class and well-decorated. Things fit together perfectly, and the added decoration gave every room a cozy environment. Mom examined every corner of the rooms, as if she were some perfectionist who wouldn’t accept the fact of something being slightly wrong. Jeremy was so proud with his work. When he came to visit the house with the rest of the family, he expressed so much joy, I had never seen someone like that in my life. He waved his hands back and forth, babbling on and on about the architecture, style and design he used. I don’t understand why Jeremy wasn’t chosen as heir. Ok, so maybe he was gay … but still, he had such a promising future! He was talented in so many things, and no matter what he did, he did it amazingly. He definitely was an overachiever and was ambitious to live his dream.

While Ryan joined himself into a wealthy organization, and Jeremy was conquering the designing world, Lucas was making quiet a good future for himself as well. The day he turned into a young adult, he went straight to get an interview at a Production Studio, and because of his young expertise, he was hired on the spot! He was still at the bottom of the ladder, but I had no doubt that he would get quickly promoted and earn large amounts of money. He was another reason why I didn’t know why I was chosen as heir. Why couldn’t he be heir? He was smart, ambitious and pretty intelligent if you asked me. Yet, I was the ‘chosen one’. Thinking that made me laugh self-consciously. Was I really the ‘chosen one’ or had they simply picked names out of a hat? I think that’s what happened. Funny how after saying I was the heir, neither my mom or dad explained it. We all just sat there around the dining table, and continued our dinner after the big news.

* * *

* * *

The school bell had finally rung – I couldn’t wait to get out of here. I didn’t really like school. Actually I really didn’t like it. Most of the students took the school bus, but I usually walked or bike back home. It took me a while, yes, but I didn’t want to take that dreadful yellow bus. Though I was happy the school day was over, I didn’t want to go back home. Why would I go there for? Sit around, do my homework , watch some tv and go to bed? For once, I wanted to do something fun, something thrilling and out of the ordinary. That’s when I got a sudden urge to go visit the cemetery. I went out to grab myself a quick supper and waited till the sun was setting and then made my way towards the cemetery. Neither mom or dad would even notice if I got home late, so I figured why not take advantage of that. The air was cold and fog was already covering the moist soil. I opened the large metal gate at the front and stepped inside. I felt a chill go down my spine and goosebumps suddenly covered my body. I took slow steps and looked at every tombstone, reading a few of them and unable to read others. I had come here for one purpose, and that was to explore the catacombs. Everyone who went there always had a story to tell. How some saw spirits, others collected gold, and then there were those who said that whoever went in would never come out. Of course I just thought those were all scary stories. What I thought was in there, was pretty much a storage room. So I crossed the small, dark pond and stood in front of a large stone door. I took a deep breath and opened it.

So, maybe some people were right; it was a pretty scary place. I’m not sure what it’s use is for, but there are many coffins. Spider webs were hanging off from every wall and the only light was coming from a few oil lamp that were hanging onto the walls.

When I finally got out, I told myself I was never going again. I had collected a rare stone that was a shining yellow, and I snapped a few pictures but besides that, all I got was the creeps. Maybe after all, I wasn’t the bravest guy in Sunset Valley.

I was right; my life was boring. As I sat there at the large glass table and did my homework, I looked at my older brother Jeremy fulfilling his life. I think Jeremy was the most ambitious and talented person I ever met. he was great at painting and drawing, he was an amazing cook, and even if he was gay, he managed to be more popular than me. Why hadn’t they chosen him as heir? Make everyone’s lives easier. Though Jeremy had every reason for people to envy him, I didn’t. I wasn’t close to my oldest brother Ryan, and Lucas simply thought he was better than me, and then mom and dad didn’t really know I existed. Jeremy however treated me like a brother. He actually asked me to go places with him and sometimes he tried teaching me how to paint. “Release your creativity” is what he always said. Still, I wished I was able to do half of what he was capable of doing.

Not only was I bored out of my mind, but I had no one to share my boredom with. I couldn’t just call up a friend, or sit at the computer and chat with a buddy; truth is, I didn’t have many friends. The people I talked to weren’t really considered friends. I think you can just call them acquaintances. Sure I talk to them at school, and sometimes even have lunch with them, but we never hang out if we’re out of school. I tried joining the soccer team to make better friends with them, but let’s just say I was never the athletic type, so they cut me off the team. Wasn’t a surprise honestly. Plus, seeing as my brother was gay, a lot of people called me gay as well, but I assure you; I’m not. I don’t have the proof of that since I don’t have a girlfriend, and well, never had one. The closest thing I had that resembled a girlfriend was my grade five homework partner. We were pretty close friends, but lost touch since she moved to a country suburb.

I have to admit I was pretty pathetic. Even Jeremy had a boyfriend! I found it somewhat weird at first seeing them both together, but I got used to it. It was just hard to believe that he got in a relationship so quickly, and I still remained single.

Jeremy wasn’t the only one who found love. Even Lucas made himself a girlfriend. She was Asian and moved into Sunset Valley to begin her acting career. For acting, I thought she was pretty good, but as a person, I just thought she was fake. She wore extensions and had bloated red lips. Her breasts were obviously fake and it wouldn’t surprise me if she was going to get face lifts in her late thirties, maybe even younger. It was good that she (her name Amy Nguyen. How many Nguyens were in this world?) Anyways, she was pretty popular in this acting business, and it would do good for Lucas to climb up the corporate ladder with her by his side. I’m not sure if that’s the only reason as to why he’s with her, but I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

News got around quickly in Sunset valley, and people knew about me as being the next generation heir, and they passed by in curiosity to look at the new house. When they knew that Jeremy was the one who designed it, they were thrilled and several people started asking him to do some little jobs in other people’s home. He decorate outdoor landscaping, he painted canvases that people ordered, and he decorated rooms that people wanted remodeled. While he was making a fair amount of money and making people happy, Lucas was working hard to get promoted. He had already gotten a small promotion and became an assistant of one of the main actors. Mom was out doing the groceries and dad was at the bar cleaning up after the night before. I was home alone, and that’s when it came. I was becoming a young adult. I had known since a few weeks that my birthday was coming up, but I guess it didn’t feel that way. Especially since there were no balloons, no cakes, no gifts, and well … No people. I was sad that I was spending my own birthday alone and no one would see me growing up, but on the other hand, I had gotten use to it over the years. I was a grown man now, and I wasn’t as excited for birthdays as when I was a child. It was okay with me to spend my birthday alone. I guess what really bothered me, is that no one even wished me a happy birthday. Well, dad had left a note on the fridge saying ‘Happy Birthday, Sorry I can’t be there’. Then there was Jeremy, the only one who actually seemed happy for me. He congratulated me, gave me a few friendly hugs and told me happy birthday. Unfortunately he had to leave soon after; A pregnant mom needed him to remodel the nursery. So I spun in a series of twirls and sparkles, and rather sooner than later, I had become a young adult.

I was pretty excited as I turned into a young adult. No more high school, No more homework, and no more people calling me gay. The first thing I wanted to do now, was get myself a car. Lucas had a modern sports car.

And then there was the family car which Jeremy often used.

Therefor, for once, I wanted something that belonged to me and me only. I could have went to the company and pick out my very own car just like the rest of my family did, but I wasn’t like them. I didn’t really want the newest or most modern version of a car. I just wanted something that I can take care of and something I can call mine. I didn’t want something brand new with no problems and that would practically take care of itself. It’s for that reason, I decided to go to an old car dealership outside of town. The garage owned many used up cars and fixed cars for a cheap price. I knew I was able to afford a brand new sports car like my brother, but it wasn’t what I wanted.

I rode back him in, to my eyes, my brand new car. It was an old 1998 pick-up truck. It was a dark shade of gray on the outside, and on the inside had a pair of comfortable leather seats. The car had just come into the garage and it still needed to be cleaned inside and out. I guess that would have bothered anyone else, but me, It please me. I was going to bring this car back into a shiny gray pick-up truck.

I was cleaning up the extra junk that was lying around the backseat, the glove compartment, and under the seats. I reached my hand under the driver’s seat and found a dollar. I reached again, and pulled out something else; something flat and small. I pulled it out and noticed it was a half of something. I took a closer look. I recognized it.

It was a guitar pick, but only a single half. It had half the words of Guns N’ Roses. A legendary Sims group that played rock music. What amazed me wasn’t that the previous owner of this car had half a pick. The true beauty in it all, was that I had the second half.

Remember when I mentioned my grade five homework partner? Her name was Emily Myers. She was a great guitar player even at a young age, and before moving to her new home in the country, she broke her guitar pick in half and gave me one of the halves. I kept my half after all these years, and now, seeing the other half of the guns N’ Roses pick simply startled me. She was the previous owner of this pick-up truck. She was older than my by almost a year, therefore she must have been driving this old truck for some time now.

I stopped cleaning up the truck, and instead went to find my half of the pick. It fit perfectly; I knew it was hers. That gave me an inspiration to pick up a guitar and strum at the cords. When Emily would play, sometimes she’d try and teach me a few notes and she’d let me play on her guitar. As I picked up the guitar that had accumulated dust in the study, I strummed my pick slowly against the metal cords. So many memories came rushing in. I started playing, and before I knew it, I was playing some old songs that Emily had once played. I was still strumming at the guitar when Mom and Dad came home. I had been playing for nearly two straight hours.

It was at that moment I knew I was going to be playing guitar quiet often. I loved the feel of the music in the air flowing into my ears and heart. At the moment, I also knew something else. I was going to find Emily. As I played songs she used to play, memories were flooding my mind, and I couldn’t wait but see her again. I missed my best, and only, friend.

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Note from the author:

Hey everyone! I was pretty excited when putting up this post. It’s the first chapter of the 5th generation with my first male heir! Let me know what you guys think!

For the type of writing being used, I know it’s different from the past heir Ashley but it is simply because Ashley was a writer and published books. Peter however is just someone trying to find his way, therefore his writing may seem more informal. Just trying to make things more realistic! Hope it worked

I also know sometimes it takes me a while to post. I’ll try to schedule myself a little more, by posting one new chapter per week. Preferably on weekends. Let’s see how this new technique will work out…

Wow. I think this is my longest chapter! 3081 words! I’m proud haha Don’t forget to comment!

From xcin100x

The house is a two-story high structure, and contains a large underground basement. The structure itself is built over top a large ground foundation. Going from the ground floor, to the second layer of the foundation, and then to the third layer where the walls of the home were built.

Outside of the home.

On the right side wing of the house, just outside is a small open area for lunching or dining. Like the rest of the house, it is on the third layer of foundation.

Basement…

The basement is a large open space that was built-in as the study. Different sections separate the room. Integrated with the activities, is a separate room; the office. With two separate desks and computers, and a large table centering the room, it is perfect for business work, or simple homework.

First Floor…

The first floor contains a large kitchen and dining room (with area for quick snacks such as breakfast), a living room,  a guest room which exposes a modern fireplace, and of course the main bathroom.

Second Floor…

The second floor contains all the bedrooms, including the master. With several bathrooms, the master bedroom connects to its own and private washroom. The washroom has large, wooden, French doors opening to the balcony in the front of the house.

Along the progression of the story and with chapters soon to come, there should be more pictures of other rooms, hallways, and decorations that weren’t shown on this page. I’m unsure when the next chapter will be coming, but it should be soon. It will be the first chapter from Peter’s point of view!

Enjoy! And of course…Happy Simming!

As the weeks passed by, Thomas insisted we should start looking out for the next heir of this legacy. I never wanted to go through this process. For one, it meant I was getting older and would no longer be in charge of the legacy. And for two: How can I pick a single one of my boys to continue the legacy? It would have been hard if I were close to all of them, but now I think it was even harder because I didn’t know very much about them. It’s for that reason, for the following week I watched every single one of my child. I felt guilty for even having to go through this. Isn’t a good mother suppose to know her children inside out? Guess that wasn’t my case. Thomas had always wanted Ryan to continue the legacy, but I didn’t want to hand down the torch without being sure of my decision. In my short week of observation, the thing I seemed to notice the most, was how all my kids had grown up without a mom. Even as I stayed home and watched them, it was impossible for me to catch up on all the years I had missed. Instead, Thomas filled me in on each and every one of them.

The only thing that wasn’t a surprise to me, was that Ryan loved sports; especially racing. Over the years he had bought a total of four bikes, each of them serving different purposes. He parted in high-placed racing and usually did very good. He had gotten over five trophies and at least fifteen medals!  He rarely watch television or went on the computer. Instead, his past times were working out, building up his cardio, and of course riding around the town with his bike. He had joined a sports club that specialized in biking, and thanks to that organization, Ryan learned much more about bicycle racing. However, his grades weren’t necessarily good, and he had failed a few subjects, he was able to persevere in something he loved. Later on in his life, he plans to travel the world learning more about biking, and being able to race with different cultures and in different countries.

Lucas, reminded me so much of how I was at his age. He loved reading, writing and watching movies. I, however, never really enjoyed movies because I always thought the books were a better version, but he, loved the movies more than the books. He would rent three or four movies at a time, and watch them all in less than a week. He wasn’t the lazy type who stayed in his room all day and night sitting in the dark staring at the tv screen. He was more of the type to search for specific genres, and read scripts, and make modifications to them. He loved making up stories and reading the ‘behind the scenes’ of every movie or scene. He looked so much like his father. With his chocolate-brown eyes, his tan skin, and his auburn hair. For the future, he wants to become an actor, or a move producer!

Then there was Jeremy. When Thomas had described him to me, the most shocking news I learned, was the my very own teenage son was homosexual. How can I not see it? After all these years I never noticed my son was into men? Ok, so maybe I didn’t notice, but he never even told me? I suppose that wasn’t very surprising. After all, why would he tell me? I would’ve probably brushed him off anyway. I learned a lot more about Jeremy. Thomas told me he was extremely creative and loved designing things. He had designed a few different clothing styles, but his absolute favorite, was designing and modeling houses. Sometimes he used the easel to create quick and glamorous sketches, other times he would use special programs on the computer to create more specific and architectural designs. Later, Jeremy would like to be an indoor decorator, or start his very own clothing line!

The last born, Peter, was the subject I avoided the most. I would have thought that over the years, I would’ve gotten over the fact that he was the child who had caused me a near depression. But still, after all these years I barely knew him. I was curios to see what Thomas would tell me about him, but he refused to say anything. “Ash, you’ve missed out on so much with all of our sons’ lives, I think you at least owe it to Peter to spend time with him and to learn who your son really is. I’ve told you enough about our own children, but I think you need to know Peter on your own. He needs you.” I figured Thomas was right, yet there was no possible way I could make it up to Peter. His whole life he grew up without a mother. I missed out on some of his birthdays, and wasn’t around when he spoke his first word. When he won a spelling bee at school, I never congratulated him. Memories of me ignoring him came flooding in. Like the time he finally learned to ride a two-wheeler and the disappointment in his face when he saw I still wasn’t pleased. Or the time he drew me a picture and I didn’t put it up on the fridge like he had asked me too. Now, seventeen years later, I only saw one solution to show Peter that I did love him.

And that was to make him the following heir. He was to sit in the following throne…

Finally entering Sunset Valley, I decided to visit Thomas at his work. I was excited to tell him about the interview, and I couldn’t wait to tell him how Bridgeport was. I wheeled the large SUV in the back parking lot, and made my way to the front entrance. The smell of thick liquor quickly filled my nostrils. I squinted my eyes, trying to find Thomas.  The flashing purple lights were giving me a headache, and making my search difficult. Finally, I glanced over to the right side of the room, and there he was. What was I expecting? Of course he was dancing with some young woman, their bodies touching against each other. I crossed my arms, and nervously tapped my foot against the vibrating floors. As much as I wanted to yell at him and scold him, I stayed standing there, watching for the rest.

I watched in the main entrance and waited to see Thomas’ next move. He danced with one girl to the next, all of them going in rhythm with the music. Suddenly, a male tapped Thomas on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Thomas nodded and followed him into a deeper room. Curios, I followed them, twisting myself through the dancing crowds. Four men sat around a green, velvet table. All of them drinking and laughing. The music wasn’t as loud over hear, and the lighting was a tad brighter; still I had trouble seeing. After a few minutes, the men started passing around cards. Silence fell upon the table, and poker chips were equally divided between each man. The game began.

After watching a few rounds, I was fed up. I finally understood Thomas was betting large amounts of money (and from what I could tell, he was losing most of it). I know I had no job, but my whole life I had worked hard into saving up money and I know my parents had worked even harder than me; there was no way Thomas was going to spend all our money on a stupid card game. Hadn’t he learned his lesson when a unkown man had come banging on our door? Threatening me? Putting the lives of our kids in danger? Hadn’t he understood the consequences of gambling? Supposedly not, because now, here he was drinking, gambling, and definitely losing, yet he kept playing.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I held my head high and marched towards their green table.

“Thomas! I’d like to speak to you please!”

Thomas looked around, and with a smirk, said, “I’m listening?”

I had to take a few deep breaths before continuing. “Thomas please?” He didn’t move. That’s when I lost it. “Thomas! How could you! How could you gamble like this! You’re losing all of our money! We’ve had threats, we’ve had to pay someone so he can leave our house! Don’t you think about the children, what will they think of you? Do you want them to live this life?” I raised my voice as I spoke.

Thomas was definitely drunk as his body swayed back and forth. “Look who’s talking missy. As if you’re such a great example to our children. Did you know, you had a son called Peter? I know, I know, it’s surprising right. Well at least I’m there for when my kids need me, and,” he paused, raised his hands towards me and said, “and whenever I am there, I do set a good example. Unlike someone I know.”

Being so close to tears, I almost ran out of the club. I couldn’t bear hear my own husband say such mean things to me. I knew I wasn’t the best mom in the world, but for him to go that far and insult me in front of all his friends? To tear me down to my very last string?

I went home that night and waved the kids hello. For the very first time, I realized they didn’t answer me back. I never payed any attention to any of our conversations, but I stood there in the entrance and no one came to see me. I had no teenager asking me to borrow something, and no child asking me to play, or showing me a drawing they did. I put my purse on the floor, and made my way into the living room. Peter was already asleep in his room, and Lucas was on his way to bed. Ryan was still downstairs having himself a ‘midnight snack’. I got myself comfortable on the couch, and slowly drifted into a deep sleep. The long days and short hours of sleep had really taken over my body, and now no matter what was going on in my life, was going to have to wait for tomorrow.

I woke up the next morning and the kids were already off to school. I hadn’t been there to serve them breakfast? To wave them good-bye and watch them enter the school bus? That’s when I realized I had never done those things; ever. I was surprised, however to see I was home alone. Where was Thomas? He should have been home a long time ago, yet he was nowhere to be found. There was no note on the fridge saying he had gone out. I decided to call him.

“Hi Thomas?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s me, Ash. Where are you? Did you even come home last night?”

“Ya, I came home, took a few things and went back out.” I was confused with the little information he gave me.

“Went out? Where did you go? Thomas what’s going on here?”

“Listen, Ashley.” He hadn’t called me Ashley in so long. “After what happened last night, I just needed time to be alone, and think about all this. No matter what I do, it’s never good for you, yet you’re not the one pulling off miracles either. I’ve packed a suitcase, and I’m at a motel. If you want we can talk here.” He gave me the address and name of the motel. I opened the drawers and noticed all his things were missing. I was going to the motel.

* * *

* * *

I drove up to the motel, and parked the car in the gravel parking lot. I went to the front side of the motel, looking at all the lined up blue doors. The white panels on the house were a dirty brown color, and parts of wood were moist and falling off. I couldn’t bear being in such poor and falling-apart places. I looked at my torn piece of paper and read the address: A09. I walked over to the room A09 and knocked on the wooden door.

I knocked a second time, and heard a scream from inside saying it was open. I turned the rusty door knob and stepped inside. There was a rotten smell of moisture, the room was poorly lit, and poorly decorated. It was small, and barely had space for the furniture it had. There was a double bed centering the room, with an old tv with antennas across from it. Towards the left was a small dresser with old, rustic wood, and toward the left was a sink and a dirty mirror. Thomas was standing above the sink, shirtless and brushing his teeth. Had he just waken up? It was nearly twelve in the afternoon?

Thomas finished brushing his teeth and turned towards me. I wasn’t sure why I had come here. Was I expecting him to come back home? Was I suppose to tell him to stop gambling? To stop the drinking? To stop with all the other woman? Or maybe it was to stop the bar itself.

“Thomas, we need to talk.”

“Yes, I understand that. What do you want to talk about?”

“I want you to stop the club. The bar. The night life.” Thomas let out a laugh, then realized I was serious. “That’s not happening and we both know it. The club is not just a job for me Ash. It’s my life. I have friends there, and whatever goes wrong, being there makes it better. It’s a passion I’m not about to give up.”

“What about your family? Aren’t we more important?”

“Ashley, you make it sound as if I’m never home! I’m out whenever the kids are asleep. When I’m home I’m always with the children. Now you however, that’s a different story. I don’t know what’s bothering you so much, but you’re not my mom, and I’m not going to give up on something I’ve worked so hard for.”

I must have looked miserable, for Thomas tried to reassure me. “Ashley, I’m not leaving you or the kids. I just need time to be alone and think about all this. I understand it bothers you, and I’ll try to improve my habits. I don’t like hurting you or the kids, but I want you to know that this doesn’t mean anything.”

“How long will you stay here for?”

He hesitated before answering. “I don’t know, maybe a few days, just enough time to get my thoughts right.” I nodded, getting ready to leave. He pulled me closer, kissing the top of my head and opening the door for me. I walked back, and made my way back home. What was I expecting anyway?

The days passed, and it was finally time for Peter to age into a teenager. Every day before his birthday, I told myself, I should get ingredients to bake him a cake. I need to buy balloons. Get him a gift, and prepare myself to renovate his room. Even if I had lots of spare time to prepare for his special day, I never brought myself to prepare anything. As I had expected, I bought him a last-minute cake and found some old dusty balloons up in the attic. I felt horrible for showing so little love, but every time I forced myself to do so, I simply wasn’t capable. I didn’t know very much about his personality and what he liked, so when it came to buying him a gift, I simply got him several gift cards. One at an electronics store, one at a sports department, and one at a general store. He probably wouldn’t notice the difference anyway. I rather him pick out something he knows he’ll enjoy instead of me buying something for him that he’ll never use. Besides he was too young to understand about love and relationships, he would never notice the way I feel towards him. At least he won’t until now.

The cake was put onto the counter, and we set up a small stool for Peter to be able to reach the cake and blow  his candles. At the last-minute, his father, Thomas, showed up with a smile and a gift in hands. He kissed me on the cheek and came inside to join the rest of the family. At least he hadn’t forgotten about his son’s birthday. Peter blew his candles, stepped off the stool, and he was quickly being spun around in a tornado of sparkles.

As Peter aged, his hair became longer, and a shade that was so blond, it was almost white. His eyes were a deep green color, and his voice had become rougher; deeper. He stood in the center of the room, looking shy, with hands in his pockets and hair falling into his eyes. he looked straight at me with a bowed head and smiling lightly. He knew it all along that I had never showed him any love.

I made my way in the big city that I had never seen. Finally arriving my destination, I made my way to the large glass doors and entered the gigantic skyscraper. This was Bridgeport. The city that never slept. I had never been here before, but now, here I was, about to pass an interview with the famous Ellen Regenerous. I pressed on a thick, golden  button and an intercom went on. I spoke into it, “Ashley Smith?” Another click, and I noticed the door next to me open. Inside, the marble floors were pristine clean and there were marble statues that decorated the large lobby. I admired a beautiful fountain in the far left corner. Behind the desk was a young woman, maybe in her twenties, and she told me with a smile, “Ellen is waiting for you on the tenth floor, you can go right up.” She pointed to a stainless steel elevator. I walked towards it, my shoes making loud clacking sounds against the hard floor.

I was nervous as I waited in the elevator. I was alone, and watched as I went up every floor. My palms were sweaty and I felt slightly dizzy. Finally, there was a high-pitched bell that rang as the doors opened. I took a steady step out of the elevator and looked to my left, and then my right. A young, skinny boy walked towards me with a smile. “Mrs.Smith, we’ve been expecting you. You can step right this way,” The boy put his arm slightly around me waist, guiding me down the hall and towards a polished wooden door. I wasn’t sure who he was, or what his job was here, but I thanked him and opened the door.

Stepping inside, I quickly noticed Ellen Regenerous as she took long strides towards me. She took her hand out, smiling and said, “Ashley Smith in person!” I smiled at her, and shook hands with her. She guided me towards the room where the interview would take place. We each sat in our respectful chairs, and suddenly she was out of view. Instead, I saw three people all over me. One was combing my hair and applying hairspray to it. The other was brushing my face with make-up and then another woman, with clipboard in hand and earphone clipped tightly on her ear, she explained to me how the process would go. “We’re live in five minutes! If you ever feel uncomfortable, just scratch your ear and we’ll move onto a commercial. Ellen has a script in mind, and she has specific questions to ask, all you have to do is sit back and answer with honesty.” She made it sound as if I had the easiest role to play. All the extra people on the scene quickly moved out, and went behind the cameras in their respectful places. I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. This interview was live?!? No one told me about it being live! Ellen sat across me, a wide grin spread across her face. Someone behind the cameras and long microphones screamed loudly, “We’re on in ten!”

The interview must have started, because Ellen looked straight into the camera and said with joy, “This evening, we’re happily joining a young woman who not only loved to read and write, but even got herself several published books. One of them being a touching true story. Everyone, welcome Ashley Smith!” Ellen got up in a position to hug me, and I quickly got the message to get back up and hug her. I smiled at the camera and lipped a ‘thank you’.  I sat back down on the big leather chair and smiled across at Ellen.

“So Ashley, how about you start by telling us where your from!”

I hadn’t prepared for this, but under the pressure, words were slipping out of my mouth. “To be honest, there isn’t much to say. I was born in a small town named Sunset Valley. I was the fourth of five children, and my whole childhood I enjoyed reading books. I started writing stories probably when I entered third or fourth grade. My sisters played with the doll house, and I wrote the stories that went on with the dolls. Later into high school, I gave more interest into my writing, and I actually started writing different genres.”

“What about your biggest success!”

“My biggest success would definitely be the biography I wrote about Jill Rahmer’s story. It took a lot of work and patience, and of course a lot of research, but I believe it payed off.” Ellen looked down at one of her cue cards and asked me with sincere interest, “While writing this biography, did you ever get emotional? What were your feelings through this piece of work?”

“The hardest part of writing this book was definitely the researching. As I learned for myself about what Jill Rahmer had done, and what she had planned to do, it was terrifying. I never thought someone can actually do such actions.”

Ellen continued asking me brief questions about my life, my family, and about my books.

However, as the interviewed continue, the questions became more serious and personal. “How about your sister, Aquamarine?” How did she know about my sister? She had never been made public in all these years? How can I explain about my special-powered mermaid of a sister? I hesitated in the question, unsure of what to say. I decided to answer briefly, not going into details. “All my family members meant so much to me, and they’ve all helped me grow up into the person I am today.”

Ellen continued asking questions, and I could tell she was really interested. I looked at the giant, decorative clock that sat in the corner of the room. It’s loud and repetitive ticking was getting me nervous. I was barely able to concentrate on the interview itself, but soon enough, I was happy when the cameras were brought down; we were going into commercial. Once again, two woman came; one for make-up, and the other for my hair. Ellen smiled at me and told me how great I was doing. She told me how my story was truly interesting and inspirational.

Once the two-minute break was over, we were back live into the interview.

Ellen asked me with great interest, “What about the relationship you have with your family? It must be a handful having so many children and a husband!” My mind was flooding with different images. My child Peter who just had a birthday yet I barely spoke to him, or my husband Thomas who was living a double life. I once again tried giving the least amount of details possible. “My family plays a huge role in my success. It was definitely hard trying to raise four children and have time to write books. But for the past few years I’ve had more time at home.”

Ellen nodded and then asked me, “What about your relationship with Thomas? Rumor has it, you two are covering a rough patch!”

How did she know about the life me and Thomas had? What did she mean by rough patch? Did she know about the arguments lately? Or worse, did she know about his late night outings? Whatever she knew, who else knew about it? Media these days can make people’s lives so public.I tried remembering what the signal was if I felt uncomfortable. A cough? A stare at the camera? Under the stress and the stares of Ellen, I couldn’t remember the right signal. I tried coughing, but nothing happened. I wanted to skip this question, or go into commercial, but I couldn’t remember the right signal. I took the cup of water that sat beside me and took a long gulp. I had to answer this question. “Thomas and I are doing fine. We have are good and bad times, but I believe every relationship has. What keeps us together is our family and children. Their a huge part in our lives.”

Ellen smiled at me and then shifted towards the camera. She advertised my book and showed a copy of it, pointing it toward the camera’s lens. She got up once again, and I was queued to get up as well and hug her. After our friendly hug, Ellen said her usual ending phrase, and all the spotlights and camera were let down. Ellen rushed out of the room, waving me a good-bye, “Gotta run, I’ve got to be with the family in less than a half hour!” She rushed out of the room, leaving me with the rest of the crew. They congratulated me and told me I did a good job. Personally, I was happy I chose the branch of book-writing instead of acting. The pressure and stress was unbearable. I was definitely not a performer, or entertainer.

I was heading back home and reminded myself that it was time to celebrate Thomas’ birthday; he was aging into an adult. Personally, all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep all day, but I knew that wasn’t possible. I had a family to take care of, and life moved on. As soon as I got home, the whole family was already gathered in the kitchen and they started lighting up the cake. I dropped my purse into the entrance and joined the rest of the family and clapped as my husband blew out his candles. As soon as the flames were out and light smoke flew away in the room, Thomas had already grown up.

Slight wrinkles started showing across his dark complexion, and strands of gray were quickly spread across his chocolate-brown hair. Though his outer looks seemed to have age, his eyes still contained the life of a teenager.The kids had decorated a wonderful card for him. The card contained two pictures of him, and had different icons and drawings that represented him. While he thanked all the kids and hugged them all one by one, I stood there empty-handed. He put a single arm around my waist and kissed me gently onto the cheek. I smiled him a light smile and told him, “Happy birthday.”

After celebrating the aging of Thomas, it was time for us to celebrate the birthday of my third son, Jeremy. Today, he was going to become a proud teenager! Good-bye to his doll house and plastic cooking oven, and in came a grown man.

As Jeremy became a teenager, I immediately knew there was something different about him.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Note from the author:

Hey everyone! I know this chapter was short, but I have a lot in store for the next chapter! Not sure when it will be posted up though…Got a lot going on in my real life, so my sim life is being a little slow lol.

Happy simming,

xcin100x

I didn’t know about the things going on in others’ lives, but on this very morning, I was awoken by the piercing rings of the phone. I pulled myself out of bed, and made my way to the phone. I was upset at the phone as I clicked on the green ‘talk’ button.

I listened to the other side and was speechless. I nodded and answered that I would be right there. I woke Ryan up telling him to take care of the younger kids and ran out the front door. The roar of the large white truck probably woke up half the neighbors – but I didn’t care.  I stepped on the gas pedal and swerved through the usual morning traffic. I looked in the rear-view mirror, and with my left hand tried patting down my hair into its natural curves.

I parked the car and ran out. The loud double-click of the truck reassured me that I had locked the doors. I pushed the large metal doors and entered the police station.

I opened the second pair of doors and found myself in what seemed to be a reception. I walked up to the front, rustic desk and looked down at the woman sitting on the other side. I could tell she worked long hours because her hair was growing out strands of gray and there were puffy bags forming under her eyes.

“Hi. I’m Ashley Smith, I received a phone call not long ago regarding my husband? I was told he was under arrest?”

“What’s your husband’s name ma’am?”

“Thomas Smith.”

She got up from behind her desk and opened a door at the back of the room. We walked down a long gray hallway and finally arrived at the right cell. The woman juggled her keys, trying to find the right one to open the cell. I waited anxiously, wanting to see Thom. I don’t know how he got into this situation, but I needed to know that he was safe. Finally, the woman picked up a shining golden key and inserted it into the rusty key hole. There was a click and the door open. Right after that, the woman left, and Thomas stepped out of the room. I felt as if I hadn’t seen him in years and my first reaction was to jump in his arms. I was so happy to see him and I felt a lot more peaceful knowing my husband was safe.

Though now I wondered what had gotten him here in the first place. It was a quick drive back home, but a silent one. We were both afraid to talk, wondering what the other had in mind. As we entered the entrance of the house, all the kids were standing there, waiting for our arrival. Once again, I was speechless. What was I suppose to tell my children? I had no time to react and Ryan was all over his dad, asking what was going on.

“Dad is it true you were arrested?” He emphasized on the word ‘arrested’.

Thomas grinned at his son and revealed little information, “Just a little misunderstanding.” I stood behind them, feeling uncomfortable. I should have stayed in bed this morning. I stared at Thomas just like all my other kids did. I had to take action, I didn’t want my kids knowing whatever happened with their father.

“Ok Ryan enough questions. Can you boys leave me and your father talk please?” Ryan walked away with disappointment and I motioned for Lucas to take his little brother with him.

All the kids left except for Jeremy. He took a step towards his father, lowered his head and started fiddling with his thumbs. Finally, he looked up and asked, “Daddy, did you get in trouble?” The look on my son’s face was heartbreaking. I couldn’t blame him for being sad or upset, after all, Thomas really did get under arrest. I scratched my head, thinking of something to say. Finding nothing, I simply repeated my first demand. “Jeremy, can you leave your father and I talk in private please?” He walked away with slouched shoulders; he was disappointed in his father.

The rest of the day was silence. Lucas watched movies in his room, Ryan ran on the treadmill, and Jeremy played with his younger brother Peter. I couldn’t face Thomas; not yet. I wasn’t sure what to tell him or how to take on this conversation. He still never mentioned a thing to how he had gotten in the cell, but I needed to know. I think I didn’t ask him because I was simply scared to know what the reason was.

* * *

* * *

The sun had slipped away and the moon was now the only light shining above the town. All the kids were sound asleep, and I prepared to go to bed next to Thomas – but I couldn’t. I needed answers to my questions.

“Thomas, you haven’t told me a single thing all day long. I need to know what happened.”

“What happened with what?”

“Thomas please, I’m serious. How did you get arrested? What happened? What did you do?”

“Like I said a simple misunderstanding.”

I felt overwhelmed. I had no more energy to argue. Personally, I just wanted to climb in bed and curl myself up under the covers, but still, I needed to know some answers.

I stared at Thomas, waiting for him to give me a reasonable explanation. He stretched his arms, exposing he fit body. He began, “Ok, Ok. I was at the bar, and some guy came up to me saying I owed him something. I never saw this guy before in my life so I refused to give it to him.”

“Give what?” I got more and more curios as he told his story.

“Money. He said I owed him money. But I didn’t so I told him to leave the club. He wasn’t moving, so I told him I’d have a talk with him outside. With all the flashing lights and loud music, it was hard to understand the situation. Plus, I didn’t want to attract any attention from the other people. Anyways, we walked outside and he told me once again I owed him money. I told him I wasn’t going to give him a single dime, so he started pushing me around and you know me, I don’t like getting pushed around. So, I kind’ve lost it, and we both started fighting. Some client must have called the cops or something, because after five minuets of fighting, we were both hauled into a police car. End of story.”

I stared blankly at him. I had no response, I simple nodded my head and made my way to bed.

I couldn’t sleep that night. I tossed and turned trying to make myself comfortable but nothing worked. I could hear Thomas’ slow breathing next to me; he was in a deep sleep. It was probably past midnight, but I was wide-awake. I decided to go downstairs and pour myself a hot chocolate. I sat there, with my hot chocolate in hands. Why did I even do this? I’m not thirsty, and definitely not hungry. I emptied the cup down the sink’s drain and went to the living room. Was Thomas telling me the truth? For someone who had gotten in a fight, he was scratch free and he didn’t seem to be sore. Was that man really telling the truth? Did Thomas really owe money to a complete stranger? Or did Thomas actually know this man? I couldn’t come up with many answers, but before I knew it, I was asleep.

I heard a loud thumping noise. I opened my eyes and listened carefully, making sure I wasn’t in some type of dream. I looked at the far clock, it read 4:32am. I sat up and put on my soft slippers. I rubbed my eyes and tried adjusting myself to the poorly lit room. It took me a few minutes to realize the thumping sound was coming from the front door. Was there someone knocking at my door? At 4:30 in the morning? I walked towards the front door, flicking the light switch on. The kids seemed to still be sleeping upstairs, and there was no sight of Thomas. So many thoughts of the night before were roaming in my mind. Why had I come to sleep in the downstairs living room? I tried remembering Thomas’ story of how he got arrested, but then I remembered how he didn’t tell me much of the details. Or at least much of the truth. I reached the entrance and looked through the  small side window of the door but the night’s darkness didn’t allow me to see very much. I sighed, annoyed with all the commotion going on from the past few days. I unlocked the door knob and opened the door.

As I opened the door, I once again had trouble seeing who stood in front of me. My eyes had trouble adjusting to the outdoor darkness – the only light was coming from the moon and it’s stars. In front of me, I could make out a tall, broad figure.I spoke only a little above a whisper, “Can I help you?” I started thinking why I even decided to wake up? Who in the world would open their front door to a stranger at four in the morning? Ah well, I’m here now.

” I need to speak to Thomas. Thomas Smith.” The voice had a deep roughness to it. I sighed once again, shaking my head. “Sir, it’s really early right now. Maybe you can come back later in the morning, or maybe during the afternoon.” I took a step back and started closing the front door, but the man put his hand across the door, forcing me to leave it open. I got a sudden glimpse of fear.

He repeated his first command, “Thomas Smith. I have to see him right now.” I stepped outside, closing the door behind me. I didn’t want this noise to wake up any of the kids. Besides I was getting annoyed with the nonsense. Not only couldn’t I fall asleep, but now some stranger is going to tell me what to do? Ya right.

“You listen to me mister. I don’t know who you are or what you want-”

He interrupted me mid-sentence, “I want Thomas Smith.” I sensed a threat in his words. I gulped, feeling so much smaller than him. I wished I had simply stayed in bed and waited for the thumping sound to go away. Why hadn’t I stayed in bed. I stood there in my pyjamas, in front of a man I did not know. I didn’t know what to say anymore. I had to admit, I was afraid and speechless. My eyes had started adjusting to the outdoor light, but I still had trouble making out the features of who stood in front of me.

I was startled when the front door opened, but once I saw Thomas I felt relieved.  I felt safer. I was about to explain the situation to Thomas, but instead he looked straight at the unknown visitor. “Leave. Now.” He had a threat in his voice, and his eyes told me he didn’t like this man, but I could tell he knew who it was. “Well, well, well Mr. Tough guy has come to the rescue. You didn’t think you would get rid of me so fast did you? You owe me something pretty big, and I’m not leaving until I get it.” The man seemed to be taking this as a game.

“Thomas, what is he talking about?” Thomas just stared at me, looking angry. “Go inside.” I refused to do as I was told. I lost me sleepiness, and was now fully awake and curios to see what this was all about. Thomas gave me a terrifying glare. I had never seen this side of him before. Memories of how we first met came rushing back in. I remember when my child’s life was in danger, and he was the one to come help me fight the bad guy. Was he going to fight the bad guy again? The dark-skinned man broke the silence, “Oh, because you didn’t tell your pretty little wife? Well then, guess I have to do everything around here.” He turned to face me. “Hi. I’m Marvin. Your husband is a horrible poker player, and because of his dumb mistakes, he owes me a great deal of money. We were suppose to sort this out a few days ago, but unfortunately your husband was under arrest. Now that we’re all here, I’d like to get my money back.”

I looked at Thomas, “So this is what it was all about? Why would you do this Thomas? We don’t need any money! What if our kids learn what’s going on? Is this the example you want to set out for your children? Living off of dirty money?” I couldn’t believe what I was saying. I told Thomas that he should be an example towards our children, but I shouldn’t be the one to talk. I know I’ve been distant with some of my children, especially my latest, Peter. But this was different, somehow. Thomas refused to pay ‘Marvin’ but I was fed up of all this unneeded drama. I headed back into the house and rummaged through my purse. I pulled out a rectangular paper and pen and came rushing back outside. I’m not sure why I felt so angry but I wanted to get this over with. I think I was just frustrated with everything going on in my life for the past months that this was such a perfect occasion to let it all out.

“Thomas, how much do you owe him?”

“We’re not paying him anything. He cheated the whole game.”

I raised my voice, “Thomas, how much!”

He looked around, seeming ashamed and mumbled out a number, “Ten thousand.”

It took be a second to understand the number he gave me. Ten thousand?! I wrote on the check I had taken. I signed it at the bottom and wrote in Marvin’s full name. I tossed the paper to him and told him with a stern voice, “If you come near my family or my house again, I swear I’ll send you right to jail!” Marvin nodded at me and walked away into the darkness of the night.

* * *

* * *

It had been a whole week since the incident. I was still upset at Thomas, but he did no effort to apologize. This morning, I dragged myself out of bed; I had to prepare for Peter’s birthday. That was probably the last thing I wanted to do. I know it wasn’t Peter’s fault, but I still thought of him as the missed opportunity to have a daughter. I had no motivation to decorate for this birthday party, but I forced myself into blowing up a few balloons and went to the groceries to buy a birthday cake. That’s when it dawned on me; it was the first time I wasn’t going to bake a birthday cake myself. I pushed that thought away and prepared for my youngest son to age into a school-aged boy.

The whole family gathered in the kitchen  to celebrate Peter’s birthday. I should’ve pushed aside my own feelings, but I couldn’t help but hold a grudge. I was upset at Thomas for his dumb money and betting mistakes, and now I was angry that I was once again reminded that I was to never have a daughter. I posed Peter on the floor, and the whole family looked down at him, waiting for him to age. My son’s cheered their little brother on, but Thomas and I simply kept silent. Not only did I have four sons, but my husband was acting like a child himself. Make that five kids to take care of. I sighed, and waited for Peter to age.

A few twists and turns, and Peter had turned into a school-aged boy. Everyone cheered him on, including Thomas, but I could only stare. Peter took out his hands, looking down at them and realizing what had just happened. Peter looked at me, waiting for me to say something. I couldn’t think of anything. I couldn’t hug him, or congratulate him. I had to force myself to even pull off a light smile. I don’t know what had taken over my body, but I didn’t feel comfortable with the people who surrounded me. I wanted a daughter to go shopping with, and go to manicures, or to talk about boys. Instead, I spent my days cleaning up after a herd of messy boys. Once again, I thought how this wasn’t Peter’s fault. But when I was pregnant with him, I was so sure it was going to be a little girl, but when I saw it was a boy, my dreams simply came crashing down.

* * *

* * *

I stood in front of the calming water. The sun reflected onto the smooth waves. I thought about everything going on in my life. My family, my occupations, my life. Being an at home mom probably wasn’t the best decision I had made. I wanted to have more time to spend time with my kids, but in reality, I just slept in most mornings, and made sure there was food on the table for whenever the kids were home. For the past few years I had been waiting for something out of the ordinary to happen, but still after the situation that occurred with Thomas, I was bored. To be honest, I was annoyed by what happened with Thomas. I know I wasn’t the best example for my children, but I had no idea Thomas was even betting such large amounts of money. Luckily, over the years, the Smith family had collected enough money to live comfortably. Of course I was upset after paying the unknown man ten thousand dollars, but money wasn’t the thing bothering me now. I didn’t feel a difference from paying him or not. What I felt, was lonesome.

The whole family got together to prepare for the numerous birthday celebrations. We bought three cakes, all of them containing different flavors and colors. We laughed and shared the cakes and danced to the soft music playing in the background. But then came time where we had to age onto a different stage of life. I was aging into an adult, Lucas was turning into a teenager, and Jeremy would become a school-aged boy.

After the cake and music, I was the first one to spin in a glory of sparkles. It had been so many years since I’ve passed through this tunnel of bright colors, but now old memories came flooding in; as if I saw my life flash by me. It took me a few seconds to realize I had now change. I became a grown adult. My hair became a lighter shade of blond, and it lost that shine it use to have. Personally, I was pretty pleased to see what I had become. I still had my soft skin and my brilliant green eyes.

Everyone cheered me on as I smiled to the new me, but soon enough, someone else was about to change. We formed a circle around Lucas as we waited for him to become a teenager. He went through the same tunnel of brilliant colors as I had, and he became a stunning young man. His hair had gotten lighter once again as it matched the color of his light brown eyes. He grew tall and strong and his voice had become a notch deeper. I can tell he was pleased by the way he looked. With his new, spiky hair and his broad structure, he was a handsome young man.

Last but certainly not least, it was time for Jeremy to grow up into a child. His small figure sat on the wooden floors as we all looked down at him. He looked back and forth at us, unsure of what was to come, or of what was going on, but soon enough he was spinning and growing up into a school-aged boy. He stood up and looked at his new body and face. It was a big change for him. Going from baby talk, crawling, high chairs and cribs into a tall, standing boy who’s about to enter school.

* * *

* * *

Aging into an adult had changed things for me. I wanted to take more time for myself and do the things I loved. I wanted to lead a relaxed and leaned back lifestyle and to do so, I decided to quit my job. I made it to the tenth level in the journalism career, wrote novels, newspapers, stories, had done interviews and after all that I gained up to the maximum in the writing skill. I was unsure of my thoughts, but I knew that what I was about to do was better for me, and for my family. I went through my speed-dial list and contacted my secretary at work. I instructed her to pass over my boss onto the phone, and once I heard the husky voice from the other side, I knew I would miss my boss.

“Hey, it’s Ashley here. You probably won’t be too pleased with what I’m about to tell you, but I have no other choice. I’ve decided to take more time for myself, so, I’m quitting my job.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re the best I’ve got on the team. You can’t just leave us! Besides what made you decide this?”

“I thank you for the compliments, but this is what I want. I’m sorry I’m leaving in such short notice, but aging up into an adult really made me think about things. I’ve been on maternity leave for a long time, but I always worked hard from home and now, I want to take that time and spend it with my family. It was nice working with you and the whole crew. I’m sorry. I’ll always remember you guys.”

“Alright Ashley. You know I’m only accepting this because you’ve worked so hard after all these years. You lead yourself a great life and may all your wishes come true. You’ll pass by and visit sometime! Cya.”

I hung up. I would miss the people and all the laughs I had while at work. But I would definitely not miss the loads of stress and pressure.

Being an at home mom allowed me to be learn more about my children and spend more time with my family. Whenever Ryan got home, he went straight to workout. Pumping up his muscles and biceps, or running hard on the treadmill trying to gain endurance. When he grows up, his biggest wish would be to join the national biking team of Notre-Dame University. It was ten hours away from Sunset Valley, but so many determined and succesful athletes went to that university.

Going from the first speed, Ryan paces himself moving on to the next level of speed. It only takes him a few minutes before he’s racing on level seven! Pacing himself nicely, he presses onto the next button; speed eight. The mechanic machine speeds up, making Ryan jog faster; nearing onto a sprint! Taking deep breaths, he advances to speed number nine! Determination and adrenaline fills up his body as he presses onto the button for the very last level; speed ten!

Even if Jeremy had grown up into a school-aged boy, he still played with his favorite baby toy; the doll house. When he was a young toddler and learning the basic’s of life, it was cute and amusing to watch him play with the dolls and make up stories but now, I was worried. Jeremy was going to school in two days, and young boys that age don’t usually play doll house and dress up. If it were up to me, I’d let him do whatever he liked, but Thomas told be the opposite. Other kids will laugh at him! That’s a girl’s toy, why is he still dressing up his pretty little dolls? Worse for worse he should at least play with boy figurines! It was fine when he was a baby or a toddler, but now this is too much, he has to give up these toys!

I figured Thomas was right. It was a little weird that my child was about to go to elementary school and he still liked to play these girlish games.

“Jeremy, how about you leave the doll house and go play outside with your brothers?”

“No it’s ok mommy. Jenny and Rick are moving into their new home and I have to help them decorate it. Then I need to get them a new wardrobe. Want to play?”

“Um, no it’s ok hun. But I really think you should try to play something else Jeremy. You’ve been playing with the old doll house ever since you were a little boy, I think it’s time you move onto something else.”

“Something else? But why? I like my dolls!”

“I know hunny, but your going to school soon and I really want you to try other things that surround you. Ryan is outside cleaning his bike, how about you join him?”

A look of disappointment covered my son’s face. I felt bad for him, knowing that this doll house was his very favorite toy. I know sports wasn’t his favorite activity, so I proposed that we buy him a brand new toy. We went shopping the next day and bought him a brand new cooking oven.

Matter of fact, Jeremy loved his new toy oven. He cooked muffins, cupcakes, and a variety of small, simple pastries. He burnt a few of his first experiments, but he was a quick learner. Thomas didn’t agree with this new occupation of his. So we get rid of his dress up dolls and buy him a pink and blue cooking kit? So much for manning him up!

My second-eldest reminded me of how I was when I was younger. He enjoyed reading books and reading between the lines of whatever lay in front of him. His favorite hobby was probably watching movies. He can stay up into the early morning hours, just enjoying a good film and savoring the stories that are told. That’s when I decided I would show Lucas some of my earlier creations that had gotten published. I gave him three books of mine. A dramatic thriller, a sci-fi and action book, and then one of my written comedies. He read them all in record time and then spoke to me about the books.

“Mom, these books of yours are really great! I knew you were a good writer and I knew some of your books had gotten published, but these writings are really marvelous! It’s really great and I have to say I’m proud of you mom.”

He embraced me in a tight hug and went outside to embrace the cool, evening breeze. It made me feel great when people told me good comments about my books and stories, but it was even more special when my very own son told me he loved them. I hadn’t shown them to any other of my children because I didn’t think they were ready, or perhaps if they even cared. Even Thomas had read a few of my writings, and told me he liked them, but I could tell he wasn’t much of a reader anyway.

My very youngest child was my boy Peter. Peter was probably one of my youngest children. Whenever he wanted something he just waited in silence. It was rare I would hear him cry, either for food, dirty diapers, or for getting out of the crib. Teaching Peter how to walk was an easy breeze, but trying to teach him how to talk was a whole different stories. I tried telling him some easy basic words in hope that he would repeat them, but he rarely ever did. I moved the task down to Thomas who tried just like I did. He would repeat a word, sometimes show pictures or even make sounds, but Peter remained pretty quiet. Sometimes he would repeat the right word, but once he finally learned how to speak, he still didn’t seem as thrilled as all the other boys had been.

* * *

* * *

The sun was shining above the town, warming the dark pavement that created roads and the light breeze brushed away the dead, fallen leaves. It was a perfect day for a picnic. I told the boys about our outdoor trip and seeing as most of them loved being in the outdoors, they couldn’t wait to go. Everyone helped packing up the light brown basket. I made different foods and had packed up several drinks. Thomas helped me fold the checkerboard cloth that would use as a table for us. The rest of the boys brought themselves footballs and baseball mites and several other activities to do. I wanted to keep the destination a surprise, but once I pulled into a parking right near the beach, everyone in the car started cheering.

We lay the soft cloth onto the pale white sand and started handing out the food. Everyone sat together and starting laughing and chit chatting about everything and anything. We sat under a large tree that provided us shade, and next to a solid wooden and ceramic gazebo. We ate pizza and had a few vegetable dipping spread around, each of us with our separate juice.

It wasn’t long before I was left alone sitting on the hot sand with a bunch of dirty carton plates surrounding me. Thomas and Lucas were throwing a football, and then Ryan wanted to teach Jeremy to play football as well. It was nice to finally see Jeremy play outside and play sports, but still I was alone. The only one keeping me company was quiet little Peter.

I sat there, looking at the incredible view and watching my family have fun and play all together. Though I sat here with my youngest son and couldn’t even make the smallest effort to speak to him. He sat there and looked at me, as if he knew I was sad. There was only a small part of me that wanted to pick him up and tell him everything was ok, but I couldn’t. My self-conscious didn’t want to get near Peter. The inside of me blamed him for everything going on now. He was the girl we were hoping to have yet he had been a boy! I know this was ridiculous, and I kept repeating it over and over, but for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to forgive Peter’ yet he had done nothing at all. In fact he was so quiet and helpless, I couldn’t understand why I would even dislike him. I didn’t dislike him, I mean, I did love him, don’t get me wrong, but still. Still I wanted a daughter and when I was pregnant with Peter I had my hopes so high up, that I came crashing down once I saw that I gave birth to a baby boy.  I took another glance down to Peter and looked into his eyes. He had sad, yet understanding eyes. He had the eyes of an old wise man, full of wisdom. But I couldn’t bring myself to get over the fact that he was the girl I always wanted and never was going to get.

“On your mark! Get set! Go!” The sound of the shot pistol made the bikers pedal quickly on their bikes. I watched as Ryan started pedaling quickly trying to make it to first place, but I could tell he wouldn’t be able to pass by the older boys. The race took place all around the streets of Sunset Valley, and it was only an hour later that we started seeing some bikers arrive at the finish line. I was sad, but not surprised, when I saw a dark-skinned teenager come into first place. Only two minutes later, we saw a young girl speeding by on her bike; she came in second place. I hoped Ryan hadn’t fallen off his bike, and gotten hurt. Five minutes later, we saw two bikers speeding side by side pedaling with all their force up the hill. I started screaming and clapping when I saw Ryan take the lead. He rolled down the hill at full speed, and passed the finish line only six seconds before the next biker. He had made it in third place!

After receiving the bronze medal, Ryan made his way to the car with a frown to his face. I was heartbroken, as I saw him be so disappointed after the race he had been waiting for. I told him he had done a great job; and I truly meant it. Honestly, I didn’t even think he would finish in the first ten! But he surprised me with his amazing speed and perseverance. I told him I was extremely proud and that he had worked very hard and everything had paid off. I know I didn’t cheer him up very much, but at least I was able to get his mind off of his race.

While my eldest boy was practicing his bike skills and racing in community competitions, my youngest boy was learning the basics of life. I loved trying to teach Jeremy to walk and talk. His loud squeals of joy whenever he accomplished something good.

* * *

* * *

I decorated the cake, had blown up at least twenty balloons, and now I lit up the candles. Ryan took a steady step forward, and blew out the candles; letting smoke evaporate into the room. We all cheered and grabbed a piece of cake, laughing and sharing it at the diner table. I knew we were celebrating my son’s birthday, but I was still so surprised when I saw him age into a teenager. My little boy was truly growing up; his hair had grown longer, his young boy’s voice had changed, and his structure and grown and gotten bigger.

The exact same day, it was Lucas’ time to grow up into a school-aged boy! He spun in sparkles just like his older brother had done, and in no time a taller boy stood in front of me. Where had the baby squeals gone? We took out his wooden crib and got rid of all the used up toys such as the plastic blocks and the dirty old teddy bear. His new room was for a big boy.

Now that my boys were getting older, they often played together. Ryan and Lucas got along great; they played football outside, told each other jokes, and it was thanks to Ryan that Lucas learned how to ride a bike.

* * *

* * *

I was the only girl in the family. Three boys and one husband was a lot to take care of, and I missed having other women in the family. I remember when I was just a young girl how much fun me and my sisters had. There was a part of me missing, a part of me that craved for a baby girl. I had to confront Thomas about this idea that crept in my mind day and night.

“Thomas, hunny, I know having three boys is a handful and that we’re very busy, but I’d really love it if we can have a baby girl.”

Thomas laughed, but my face remained serious, and I waited for his answer. “Are you serious? We have three wonderful children. Three boys to be exact and these three boys need all the love and care they can get. If we get another child…”

“What would happen if we got another child? Nothing but more joy and happiness. We’ve raised our three sons, and I don’t see why we can’t try for one more? I’m sure that deep down you’d love it if we can have a daughter. You’d treat her like a princess and she would be daddy’s little girl.”

I think I hit a soft spot when I mentioned daddy’s little girl. Thomas was a big, muscular man, but he always had a soft heart and I’m sure he’d love to have a daughter to take care of.

“Your right. Nothing but more joy and happiness.”

Thomas had quickly taken things into action that it was only in a few weeks that I realized I was pregnant once again! I was nervous at first to see Thomas’ reaction, but he was so excited for this birth! He wanted to have a little girl just as bad as me now and he was constantly rubbing my growing belly and talking to it as if the child can actually listen. I was so excited with this pregnancy. I wanted to have a baby girl so much, and now that I was pregnant, I felt a step closer. I had to accept the fact that the baby I was carrying might very well be another boy, but there was a feeling inside of me that told me it was going to be a baby girl.

* * *

* * *

Ryan’s Point of View:

High school was probably the best place to meet people. Especially girls. I hated having homework and all these important exams, but I kept myself busy with meeting new people. Just in the first month of high school. I was already becoming popular. Girls loved me; obviously. And the guys and me would hang out often after school and in the parks. Mom would get mad at me sometimes. She doesn’t like it whenever me and my friends are just sitting around in public areas, she keeps thinking that were gonna do something bad.

Mom and dad were heading out to the restaurant to celebrate I don’t know what, and I had the house to myself, and well my two younger brothers. Jeremy was sleeping in his crib by 7:30 and Lucas refused to go to bed. I called up at least fifteen of my friends to come over to my house for a party. It wasn’t long before the news was being spread throughout every teenager in Sunset Valley.

I was hyped for the party tonight, my adrenaline running high. I payed Lucas ten bucks so he would stay in his room for the rest of the night, I ordered two large pizzas, and because my father owned a nightclub, I was aware of all the different mixes to make delicious drinks. I brought the two stereos into the entrance and turn them both on with the music really loud. Lucas came running down, complaining about the sound, but I sent him right back up to his room, threatening to take the ten dollars back.

The guests started coming in a handful through the front door. Some went straight for food, others for drinks, and other started dancing to the beat of the music. There were some sims that I hadn’t even invited that were walking through my front door, but I quickly understood how they were friends of my friends.

The party was really going great. The loud music got everyone dancing wildly and pumping their fists into the air. I had taken a few drinks and I could feel my face a burning red and my legs were getting weaker as I dance to the music. With time, the people got more at ease and comfortable with the home. They made their way upstairs and they had no problem opening the fridge to grab whatever food lay in front of them.

Back to Ashley’s Point of View:

Thomas and I spent a wonderful time at the restaurant. We started our meal with a light Caesar’s Salad, followed by a loaf of rich chicken. The main course was a bright red lobster, and our dessert was a piece of cinnamon and cheese cake. The whole evening was wonderful. Delicious meals, candle-lit table with a cool breeze to keep us nice and cozy. It was nice to have such a large meal because of my pregnancy cravings. I had never seen Thomas so romantic with me before. He whispered soft words and kissed me across the table every so often.

After our perfect diner, Thomas and I drove back home. Thomas parked the car in our large driveway and helped me get out of the car. I heard a faint thumping noise, but ignored it and made my way to the front door. I unlocked the golden door knob and stepped inside, and I automatically knew where the loud noise was coming from.

Loads of strangers were in my home, dancing, yelling, rummaging through my fridge. A wave of anger and surprise took over my body and then I saw Ryan dancing wildly and laughing at who knows what. I immediately shut off the stereo and demanded, “What’s going on here!” I yelled louder than I had intended. Ryan had a look of shock in his face, but he soon started to laugh.

“Hi mom! Hi dad! Meet..meet them. My friends, I don’t know how they got here.” His words were slurry, and I could smell his breath full of alcohol.

“Everyone out!” I yelled and shooed everyone out the front door. I couldn’t believe it when I saw teens running from downstairs. Were there people in my bedroom? Finally everyone was out of the house.

“Where’s Ryan and Jeremy?” I asked Lucas.

“Uhm, there sleeping. I think.”

“You did this party? Lucas what were you thinking? And what have you been drinking!? You can’t even stand straight!”

“Ok, that was too many questions. But I think I did this party, but…but not all these people were suppose to show up. And I drank uhm..I don’t know.”

It was no use talking to my son in this state. No matter what was said tonight, was going to be forgotten tomorrow. Lucas was finally up in his room into a deep sleep and I turned around to look at Thomas. He didn’t even look surprised or upset. After all, he worked in parties like these all the time.

* * *

* * *

I received a phone call in the middle of the day and when I listened, there was a woman with a high pitch voice who spoke.

” Hi, Mrs. Smith?”

“Yes, this is she.”

“This is the police station of Sunset Valley. Your son, Ryan has encountered a problem at school this morning and was sent here for you to pick him up.”

“My..my son? What happened?”

“Don’t worry Mrs. Smith your son is in good hands right now. I believe he got in a fight at school that led the other teenage boy to the hospital. However for more details ma’am you’re going to need to come down here to pick up your son please.”

“But…but I’m pregnant. My husband isn’t home right now and…and I can’t drive like this.”

“Alright ma’am I’ll arrange something. One moment please.” I was put on hold and in a minute or so the high pitch voice began again. “Mrs. Smith? An officer will drive your son home within the next twenty minutes is that ok?” I agreed to her offer and thought it was very considerate of her.

The line went dead.

In the next fifteen minutes a cop car pulled up in the front drive. I immediately ran outside, wanting to see my son. I wasn’t sure what to think at this point. I was mad at Ryan for even getting in a fight, but I was worried to see if he was ok. Was he hurt? The other boy was at the hospital at this very second, how was my son?

The officer let Ryan step out of the car and waved me a good-bye, leaving me outside with Ryan.

“Ryan, are you ok? What’s going on?”

“Mom, it’s nothing. I…I just got in a small fight at school.”

“Small fight!? There’s someone at the hospital right now!”

“It’s not as bad as it sounds. He just got a little cut on his lip and needs a few stitches. Listen Mom, I don’t wanna go through this right now.”

“Oh your going to listen to me young man. What were you thinking to pound on an innocent teenage boy?”

“Innocent? Mom he was all over my girlfriend and flirting with her, I had to do something!”

“Oh because you have a girlfriend?”

“Well, not anymore. She broke up with me right after the fight.”

I started getting teary-eyed. My son had a girlfriend? He had parties and got in fights? This wasn’t the way I wanted to raise my children.

“What happened to the little boy who use to love biking? And who would try so hard to come in first place?”

I frowned and walked back into the house, disappointed in my son’s behavior. That’s when I saw a flash of Thomas in my son. He had the temper of his father…

I think I had reached a soft spot with Ryan when I mentioned his old biking passion because now as soon as he got home from school, he was in the study working hard to gain endurance and pump up his muscles. It was comforting knowing where my son was after school. This way I knew he wasn’t causing trouble going to parties and getting into more fights, or worse.

* * *

* * *

I paid over two hundred dollars to spend the day at the spa. With the pregnancy and the bouncing hormones, it was nice to sit back and relax while getting a smooth massage. I was making my way to the back room where there were bubbling hot tubs when I felt a sharp, intense kick in my stomach. This feeling was all too familiar and I immediately knew the baby was coming! I yelled in pain, and one of the employees quickly understood the situation and drove me down to the hospital. I called Thomas on the phone and explained the situation.

Thomas met me in the hospital room, and we were both so excited to see the birth of our fourth child. The pain was unbearable, but after six long hours, a baby was finally born. I held my newborn child, then looked up to Thomas.

“It’s a boy.”

We were both a little disappointed in seeing me give birth to a baby boy, but it was still our child and we were going to love him just as we loved all our other children. It seemed as if I wasn’t going to get the princess daughter I had been dreaming for, but I vowed to myself that I wouldn’t let it stop me from raising our fourth baby boy.

Meet Peter…

Because of the lack of space and the little amount of rooms, Thomas and I decided to combine Peter and Jeremy into the same room. The light green room had enough space for the both the baby equipment and contained all the toys needed.

______________________________________________________________________________

Ryan had definitely grown attached to his bike. He would ride it all over town and race his friends uphill and downhill. If it was hot and sunny outside, he washed it extra clean scrubbing off every piece of dirt it had. The rainy days however were hard for Ryan, but he still managed to bring the bike inside and polish it till it was shining under the bright lights. He absolutely loved riding bikes and doing races. That’s when i got the idea that we should sign him up in a small town competition.

The local elementary school held different challenges every week, and this week Ryan had signed up for a race. The race was by bicycle and was to be done all around Sunset Valley. Ryan was one of the youngest contestants, but he was determined to win. The race was in two weeks and he wanted to be sure that he was ready for this competition. He wanted to get himself a personal coach, but I told him that was completely absurd. Of course Thomas agree with him though, and they both ended up talking me into it.

Francois Moreau. That was the trainer that stayed with Ryan teaching him tricks to improve his skills. Francois was in his early thirties, and was born in France. He moved to Sunset Valley for a reason he didn’t want to tell us, so I didn’t bother insisting.

Francois was skinny yet I could tell he use to be an athlete when he was younger; the muscles that lay underneath his skin were still visible. He had a heavy accent but I quickly found out that he was a very lovable man. For the next two weeks, Francois and Ryan were always outside pedaling hard on their bikes. Francois made Ryan practice other skills, such as endurance, strength, and flexibility. I couldn’t believe how my son was already growing up so quickly. I felt as if he were training for the olympics when it fact it was only a community race between students. I loved my son and found him very talented, but personally, I didn’t think he would win this race. He was one of the youngest and smallest boy competing and had little experience but when I saw how determined and excited he was, I knew I was doing the right thing.

_______________________________________________________________________________

The air was cold and the sky was covered with dark gray clouds. I had read a bedtime story to Lucas and had already made sure Ryan was in bed. Now I lay in my bed rubbing my baby bump gently. I waited for Thomas to get home from his working shift at his bar. I waited for an hour, then fell asleep in the warmth of my bed; with no one by my side.

The bright lights piercing through the window’s shades woke me up. I looked around the room and saw Thomas getting dress my the mirror. I quickly jumped to my feet, remembering that last night he had never come home.

“Thomas? Where were you last night. I waited for such a long time, but I…I fell asleep.”

“Ya, sorry hun, there were problems at the bar and of course I had to deal with it.”

“At what time did you get home?”

“Around 3:00am”

“What was the problem?” I asked curiously, wondering if he was actually telling me the truth. I have to admit, I had my suspicions on him, especially after the last time I went to his work and say all those women toppling over him. I picture of ‘Trisha’ came into my mind.

Thomas looked at me with a look of hesitation. “A guy refused to pay his final bill, and when I told him I’d have no choice but call the cops, he went on some type of rage mode. The police came in time before much damage can be done.”

I nodded and hugged him gently, happy that he was safe, but still wondering if I was hearing the full story. Was he cheating on me?

I couldn’t believe how fast this day had come. It seemed as if it were only yesterday that I was giving birth to this bundle of joy, but today, this bundle of joy was entering toddler hood. It was time for Lucas to blow out his candles and become a growing toddler. I picked up his little body and helped him blow out the candles, I had no time to place him on the floor and he had already turned into a young toddler. He clapped his little hands and squealed loud baby sounds. I smiled and couldn’t believe how fast time went. Time flies.

Once Lucas grew up into toddler hood, we quickly saw who he resembled most. He had inherited Thomas’ chocolate eyes, and thin lips. Once I saw how dark Lucas’ hair was, it reminded me of my mom; Sapphire with her long, black, silky hair.

The book I had written about Jill had made me become a great success. Not as much as my mother, but still I had fans. One afternoon I received an email from my boss and was told that I had to get to work early one morning. I got dress, put on my black high heels and applied my favorite pink gloss onto my lips.

I parked my car in my reserved slot behind the massive gray building. I smiled as I saw my name engraved on a plate, indicating this parking space was specially reserved for me. I took out my magnetic card, allowing me to open the heavy front doors and stepped onto the marble floors. The lights were closed and there was no one in sight.

“Hello?”

I took a few more steps, the only noise being the clacking of my high heels onto the polished white floors. I headed to the side of the wall, and opened a sequence of light switches. I was unsure of what was going on, and suddenly I saw at least twenty faces popping out of behind furniture.

“Surprise!” They yelled with perfect synchronization. I was still confused, but then I saw my boss step through the small crowd and make his way towards me. He shook my hand and spoke in a loud, husky voice.

“Ashley Smith, it’s with great honor, I would like to announce that you’ve reached the top of the journalism career!’

Everyone started cheering me on, wine bottles being burst open and music started playing from the large black speakers.

After the celebration, I headed home I spread the great news to my family. I couldn’t believe it; I had done it.

I was sitting in the nursery, watching Lucas play with his bright-colored block when I felt a sharp pain. This pain was all too familiar, only this time the pain was worse. I yelled for Thomas, and he carried me down into the car. He sped through the streets and guided me through the hospital doors.

After four painful hours, I finally gave birth to another healthy baby boy!

Author’s Note: Sorry if there are writing mistakes or any sentences that don’t make sense. I had to rush through this chapter since it’s Christmas, and a lot of my time is being spent with family and friends, therefore whenever I have the chance to write a chapter, I try to hurry.

Thanks for understanding,

xcin100x