baby – Page 2 – Vicarious Living

Celebrations

The voice outside her bedroom has stopped, the phone call ended, the silence smothering her, making it hard to breath. The door to the Granny Annexe opens, she can tell by the way shoes are scraped on the mat that Richard has come in. Will he come to this side of the divider and tell her what the phone call was about? She can hear his steps coming over, and through the divider she can see his tall form, looking incredible weary. Her heart sinks. The phone call must have been bad news. She leans back into the pillows, clutching the yellow bedspread as tight as she can, to stop herself from crying out, from breaking down. If that was bad news, then Richard will need a strong wife to help him through this storm.

Richard comes round the blue divider, looks at her, and almost throws himself on her. “Oh Tabitha,” he weeps, “Oh Tabitha, that was Dr Dean himself. There is hope, there really is hope! I will need to get to the EA Hospital straight away, bringing my ID number, and Letter of Introduction, he will take photos, and review my case! He says not to despair, that it’s amazing what they can do, and he sympathised with me, saying how awkward it must feel to be a doctor and not being able to help myself!”

He clutches her, sobs shaking his broad muscular shoulders, his broad chest heaving, breathing big gasps of air. “I have been so scared, so worried! I love you so much, I am desperate to have a life with you, I want a family with you, to be all that a husband should be, protecting you, supporting you, cherishing you…instead I’m dying on you! I feel so guilty, so devastated, and now…there is hope, I can finally see this minuscule speck of light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel!”

Getting dressed, getting bags packed, getting transport, getting to the Hospital…Tabitha sighs, so much getting, rushing, moving around. Now they are at the huge EA Hospital, and it has turned into a waiting game. Dr Dean’s secretary has taken their details, ID number, Letters, papers. They have been for photos, and the results were through to the Doctor already, she assured them. There is nothing to be done but wait. Tabitha looks at Richard, waiting patiently in the uncomfortable chair next to her. He looks exhausted! First the party, then that phone call and all the emotions that call brought to the surface, then the mad scrambling about, and now…nothing. No wonder he looks past it!

Finally they get to see Dr Dean. He is very kind and confident, lively and with a great sense of humour. Tabitha is amazed, she found most doctors lose their sense of humour after seeing to many patients, worn down by people’s grumbles and complaints. He tells them that there is definitely hope, and that he might be able to do a Reversal, if necessary, but that he will need a little more information. He gives them a list with information he will need, and a note for the ward where Richard will need to stay overnight, as well as the usual stack of permission papers to sign.

The ward is light and tastefully decorated, based on the second floor, with large windows at the end of each room. Richard installs himself, glad to be able to rest. Tabitha fusses around, refreshing his water, straitening his blanket, moving things, fiddling…until he asks her to just sit, and rest! Tabitha lowers herself in the chair, feeling herself shaking inside, her nerves taut as a tightrope. She just wants to know the outcome, wants the procedure done, wants Richard well!

Late in the afternoon, when Tabitha realises that she will need to get back home soon, the door to Richard’s ward opens, and a doctor comes in, a lady doctor. She is very kind looking, smiles, introduces herself and explains why she is here. “I have looked at your case, and I can see that there are 16 t-shirts missing. We will try and reverse that, of course, but I will just need to look into it a bit more.”

Tabitha and Richard are stunned. T-shirts? Missing? Does she mean he hasn’t got Llama Flu, but just a clothes allergy? “You mean…you mean, if I just wear a different type of clothes, I will actually be alright?” Richard stammers, utterly confused.

The lady doctor smiles, and says, “Well, that might work. You could try it, and see if it works?”

Tabitha speaks up then, her voice strained, lips feeling like rubber and out of her control, “We tried that! We tried it lots of times! As soon as he arrived somewhere new though, the symptoms all came back! I’m sure, we’re sure, it’s a lot more serious than can be fixed by different clothes. I know allergies can be devastating, debilitating, but this seems to be very different from an allergic reaction!”

The doctor listens, makes some notes, and agrees to look into the case a bit more, but she explains that if there is a fundamental disease at work, there might not be much modern EA medicine can do to help. They might just have to learn to live with the bug, or not live as the case may be.

Tabitha leans back in the chair, too shocked to hear or see anything. She barely registers the lady doctor saying goodbye and leaving the ward. She doesn’t hear the nurse telling all visitor to go and let the patients rest. She is just lost to the world, utterly devastated. No hope after all. Richard will always be in Sims Mobile, no traits, never really part of the family, and no friends, for his disease makes it impossible for people outside the family to interact with him properly. He will be living in the house for many generations, seeing them, hearing them, but never really part of them. How absolutely ruinous this disease is, destroying their lives, their dreams…

She finally staggers from the hospital, blinded by tears, her face wet, her heart crushed and grinded to pieces. No hope! No hope, her heart beats with each step. She can’t remember how she got back home, but somehow she finds herself in the little Granny Annexe, in the big double bed with the yellow bedspread. How she hates that bedspread by now, determined to buy another bedspread as soon as she can! Any colour but yellow, she thinks, her head spinning, thoughts floating round and round, making her feel nauseous. She leans back in the pillows, turning them every now and then when the cascading tears have soaked the pillowslip too much.

When morning comes, Tabitha drags herself out of bed, gets dressed, and prepares herself for the hospital visit, her thoughts drifting through shops selling black outfits. “I will need a mourning dress, and some black every day clothes,” she thinks, exhaustion making her walk slower than ever. She gets to the hospital though, of course she does, however much she wished she didn’t have to be there yet, to just postpone the inevitable a little longer. There is no delaying the meeting though, and soon she is standing by Richard’s bedside. He looks so handsome, yet so poorly, she thinks. Richard clearly hasn’t slept either, the grief in his eyes nearly her undoing.

The door opens, they turn round, and there is Dr Dean! He smiles at them, shakes hands, and sits down at the side of the bed. “I need to apologise,” he begins, “something went wrong yesterday, a bit of a misunderstanding I’m afraid, so don’t worry about my colleague’s explanation. Anyway, I have reviewed your case again myself, and I am convinced that we can do the Reversal. That has some consequences, as you can imagine, but it should also lead to your full and total recovery, if the procedure is successful, that is.”

Tabitha gasps, Richard grips her hand, and both of them stare at the doctor, hope springing up in their hearts again, tears forming, happy tears! They smile at each other, and agree to have the procedure done immediately. It won’t take very long, and hopefully the effect will not be too devastating. “Richard will need to stay in overnight, for observation, to check that the Flu is definitely gone. If he seems clear he may go home, and you will need to observe him there for a day as well. Once he had been clear for the day, he should be recovered fully.” Tabitha wondered how the doctor saw ‘full recovery’, whether there would be any aftereffects of the Flu, any permanent damage… She didn’t really want to ask though, I mean, she couldn’t, could she! He had just given them a ticket to life, so how could she moan about details, and wanting more than was given them?

She wondered though. She wondered all through the operation, when Richard came back to the ward, looking himself, and feeling better already. The doctor said that he was quite sure that the Reversal had been successfull, but obviously only time would tell. Tabitha went home, and still wondered. Richard came home the next morning, having been completely cleared by the Hospital. That evening they knew, they both knew that the dreaded Llama Flu had been vanquished! Yes, there had been some cost to it, some small losses, but nothing they couldn’t recover, really. Now he was here, with her, alive and well! Oh joy!

“The honeymoon can start now!” he whispers into her hair that night, “Where would you like to go? I can’t believe it, I really can’t! My heart feels it could burst any moment, I’m so incredibly happy! After the desolation the bad news brought me, I feel total bliss and exhilaration, and…and so much joy!”

Tabitha smiles, and kisses him back, and whispers, “I know, my beloved, I know. I didn’t believe it then, but that night, that horrible excruciating night, when the lady doctor had taken all hope away from us, a verse came into my heart. I dismissed it, too grieved to even believe it possible. After all, she had been pretty sure of herself, and seemed very smart and competent, so I had no reason to believe this whisper in my heart. It said, ‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ I was too sad to listen, but it was right! That still, small voice was right, and I am so glad! I’m just overflowing with gratefulness, and I can’t wait to glide through life at your side!”

The honeymoon was glorious, and all that honeymoons are made for, joy bubbling from hem like a spring, infecting everyone around them. Their happiness knew no bounds it seemed, and life was the golden dream that Tabitha had so wished for. They didn’t think anyone in Sims Mobile could be happier than they were, that they had really bumped into the ceiling of joy.

They were wrong. It turned out that joy could grow a lot more, as it did, in sync with Tabitha’s belly! They were expecting a baby, and Tabitha didn’t have to wonder anymore. When Dr Dean had said there would be a full recovery, he really meant it! They were going to be parents, they were having a family after all! Tabitha cried so many happy tears that her Mum started to worry. “I’m sure all these tears can’t be very good for the baby,” she said rather disapprovingly one afternoon, “I think you might have to deal with your happiness in a better way, my dear.”

The months flew by, and then there was the big day, when Richard and Tabitha were able to show their daughter to the world! They named her Eva, ‘the mother of all living’ Tabitha had said, smiling, and crying again, of course! “She is our miracle baby, the blessing we thought we would never have. We feel so, so utterly rich.” She kissed the tiny face, overwhelmed with God’s goodness to them. Yes, they were definitely dancing on the mountaintops again, and not ever would they take any blessing for granted, but would always carefully count them, one by one!

Changes in the air

The bassinet is in use again, and not by Guinevere and Sebastian…again. Lancelot and Adrianna, both looking as young and glowing with health and happiness as ever have another son, Jephta. Adrianna is so pleased, and Lancelot beams around all day long. The close observer in the family, Christie, notices how her son seems to avoid his sister and her husband, Sebastian. She wonders about that, and starts to observe them just a bit more.

Soon she gets a good chance to spend some time with Lancelot, as he is trying to do one of the Luxury events, and has chosen to do it with his mum. He loves his mum, loves her slightly exotic looks, and it’s a great pleasure to spend a few hours with her. Time flies, especially when he takes a bit of a risk with some questions..

Christie looks at Lancelot, and she sees his eyes full of pride when he looks at his little children, but she sees the anxiety when he spots Chris, who is really Tabitha’s age. He also avoids talking about Guinevere. In the end, Christie decided that being straight is sometimes the best cause of action, and asks him outright, “I see that there is something going on between you and your sister Guinevere. What is it?”

Lancelot sighs, rubs his neck, looks everywhere, but in the end he looks back at Christie, and sees her kindness and understanding and her willingness to just quietly listen. “It’s because of Jephta. Well, no, not really because of Jephta, it’s because of Guinevere. She is becoming very bitter and hard, and something is going on with her that isn’t right. She absolutely adores Chris, is always hugging him, and listening to his babbling, but she avoids our children. Since Tabitha, and especially after Jephta was born, she has started making barbed comments. Just little hints of unpleasantness you know, some of them so vague, you wonder if you have imagined it. When I ask her she denies doing it.”

Christie looks very sad, and as she helps Lancelot with his Event, she thinks about his words. She wondered if there was something like that going on! “What sort of comments? And what does Sebastian say?” she wonders in the end.

Lancelot waves his hand around the hobby room where they have just checked out his clothes, again. “She comments about Jeptha’s name, saying that if you want Biblical names, Jephta might not be top of the list…But we like Jephta, and he was a Judge, and…well, anyway, why I am defending myself now? That is the sort of thing she does, just little catty comments. Adrianna finds it hard as well, as she feels Guinevere is very sad. They both work in Downtown places, but she hardly sees Guinevere, she is working so much!”

This is true, Guinevere is out at al hours, working hard. It seems to be the one thing that cheers her up, something that gives her a sense of achievement, of being on top of things. Once she reached level ten there was no stopping her! Sebastian works hard as well, but it is clear that he just enjoys working with people. Also, being around Guinevere is becoming quite hard work, and Christie wonders if even Sebasian is starting to avoid her company!

Lancelot hasn’t discussed the Family Line with Christie, he doesn’t want to burden her, especially as no doubt she and Joash will soon have their papers that will force them to move into a retirement home. The last thing they need is the ranting of a bitter daughter, he explained to Adrianna once she asked. The story almost came out one day, after Adrianna returned from a party. The party was actually at a distant relative’s house, and she hadn’t thought anything of it.

As soon as she arrived at the party, virtually the first one to arrive, she saw Lancelot Line, Granny Garbriella’s cousin-once-removed son, or some such title. “I can’t remember,” chuckles Adrianna, adjusting her blue glasses, “I saw all those names coming past, and there was Simeon, who married Iris Coates from the Nightclub. They had a son, Leonardo. He moved out with permit papers, to marry Aurora, I think. Well, apparently, they had a son named Lancelot! Isn’t that an amazing coincidence? Fancy having two Lancelots in the family? I was so very thrilled! Well, Lancelot Line has a daughter, called Roxette. I didn’t get to see her at the party, I believe she is still very young. I love her name, so sweet sounding!”

Adrianna had been so excited when she found out. All the digging for ancestor Chris made her more interested in the Mortina family, and to actually meet a distant relative, well, she couldn’t get over it. The tricky moment came when her mother in law Christie wanted to know how come she knew so many names and generations…after a very awkward pause she managed to explain that part of her work was filing papers. That satisfied Christie, partly because of the new distraction in the form of Sebastian. She tried not to look too disapproving, but thought to her self, “I thought it was mother in laws that were supposed to be intolerable, but really, in this family it’s the in-law children that stress me out!”

Sebastian showed the family some papers that arrived that morning. He looked a bit sad, and excited, and thoughtful. “These came this morning, they are my retirement papers.” They all gasped, and all heads swivelled towards Guinevere, who looked very unhappy, and rather determined somehow. “Naturally, I will not take up retirement just yet, as I have still got many levels to go in my career, as well as a very young son.” Ouch, no mention of a young wife there!

Guinevere straightens up at once, “Don’t forget your very young wife, who also still has many plans for her life and her family! I might have achieved level 10 in my career, but that isn’t the only thing I want to achieve in life!” At the word career, Sebastian looks very uncomfortable. It seems that over time Sebastian has aged, not just outwardly in shape, but inside as well. He shies away from exciting things, doesn’t really like meeting new people and somehow reminds Guinevere that he doesn’t think her job as DJ constitutes a career. The fact that she brings in more money seems to slide past him somehow.

Life for Guinevere and Sebastian is becoming sad and at odds with each other. Guinevere is dressing more and more modern, using quite a bit of makeup, something no other Mortina women have done. The exception was Iris Coates who married Simeon, Lancelot Line’s grandparents. But then, she was a NPC, so there was nothing the family could say or do about that!

Sebastian on the other hand actually turned grey, not resorting to any treatment as most people in Sims Mobile would do if they were still working. He seems to relish the idea of growing old, and is determined to do so gracefully. When the new Quest boxes deliver a sofa, and more little tables, Sebastian takes charge. He has the back bedroom rebuild, has the bathroom moved, and before Guinevere is over her shock he has a purpose build granny flat! With granny wallpaper, and a tiny kitchen. Guinevere is stunned, but her parents love the little flat, so at the moment there is nothing she can say.

She feels the resentment growing inside her, and only feels herself relaxing and growing softer when she is with her little boy Chris. She dreads the day he will grow up, knowing it won’t be long! She is desperate for him to get three stars in Good Upbringing, and dreams of him taking over the house, maybe even in First Line! Somehow, even though she doesn’t know this great great grandfather, she has become rather obsessed. She doesn’t want to stop and think about it though, she is too keen hat things will go according her plan. He has convinced herself that it’s just to undo the injustice done, not about her or her son, but she sees her bother and sister in-law’s doubting looks when she defends her position. This just makes her dig her heels in even more. If only she had another child, or even three, like Lancelot, that would give her claim to the Line more support. She slumps down in her seat, feeling tired, and unaccepted and very, very low. What will happen when her sweet Chris grows up? And when will Sebastian actually accept the papers? Will he really expect her to move into the granny flat with it’s geriatric wallpaper? She feels the anger and resentment bubbling inside her, and knows that she will need to sort it out. After all, clinging on to such strong emotions can’t be good for you!

New Mortina Life

New Mortina life

Little finger prints can be seen on the windows, toys are found in the strangest corners, noises come from the bassinet at all hours. Yes, the Mortina Line is extended! The messy family tree is messier still! The beautiful Adrianna and handsome Lancelot are the very proud parents of a little boy, Josiah. His shock of auburn hair make him look like many Mortina toddlers that can be seen in the family photographs. As the Sims Mobile shops limit the choices of toddler clothes, he looks identical to uncles, great uncles and great great uncles when they were his age. He is a lovely, happy boy, adored by his parents, who make sure he is having lots of Good Upbringing opportunities.

“He will do well” says a proud and assured Lancelot, when watching his son toddle round the house. “He might even be the one to carry on the family line. I’m looking forward to see him grow, and turn into a handsome young man!”

Knowing the speed with which children grow in Sims Mobile, it’s a fact that Lancelot won’t have to wait too long! In fact, the bassinet has been in use again, only to be abandoned for an incredibly short time. Another offspring of Lancelot and his beautiful Adrianna? Nope, not this time. This time it’s the heir of Guinevere and her kind husband, Sebastian. Who, in spite of his kindness and generous spirit, still carries the surname Brooks. Guinevere is actually loosing some of her twinkle, her eyes growing larger by the day. Not that it really hinders her popularity, she is still beautiful, her eyes still eye catching, but her family notices.

It started just before her baby was born. Lancelot and Adrianna pretended not to notice the heated arguments, and glares that came from green eyes that had only sparkled before now. They noticed the coolness between Guinevere and Sebastian, and when Adrianna spent some time with Guinevere during one of the Luxurious Lifestyle quests, Guinevere admitted that Sebastian was adamant that he didn’t want to change his surname. “It’s all to do with his age,” groaned Guinevere, “he insists on his own name at his age, saying that as all his traits are full, he doesn’t want the hassle of changing all the paperwork! I explained to him how important it is, and that it’s easy to be done, and actually can be used for the Daily List, but he won’t budge!”

Lancelot and Adrianna felt sorry for Guinevere, as it was obvious that to her it was a massive deal. Then the baby was born, a little boy. He did get a chance for a Good Upbringing star, which was great. Lancelot asked Guinevere and Sebastian what they would name the boy.

“His name is Chris,” said an extremely determined sounding Guinevere. Lancelot raised one neat eyebrow at his sister. He wondered about her tone of voice, so unlike her normal upbeat one she has polished in the nightclub.

“I like it,” Adrianna jumped in quickly, seeing the eyebrow, and wondering what was going on, “it suits the little boy, I’m sure!”

“Yes,” said Guinevere, looking straight at Lancelot, “it suits him perfectly. You see, he is the one who will undo a grave injustice committed in this family in the past. My son will put things straight.”

Well, what on earth was that all about? Lancelot looks at Adrianna, who looks as blank as only a lawyer who hasn’t got the facts can look. Then he looks at Sebastian, who looks very uncomfortable, but still tries to smile his kind smile, digging deep for his best bedside manners. What has gotten into Guinevere?

Lancelot and Adrianna talk about it in their room that evening. As Adrianna works at the Court she agrees to do some digging through the family documents, searching for the name Chris. Lancelot can’t remember having heard the name at all, and he wonders if Guinevere has just gone off her rocker, and made things up. “We’re only the seventh generation,” he says, still sounding bewildered, “how can there be an ancestor called Chris? Maybe she means Great granny’s sister Christine? But then, what would she mean with the ‘grave injustice’ committed to her? I really don’t get this, and it’s too late to think now, I need to get to he studio to finish my long shift.”

The very next day, as soon as Adrianna finishes the Luxury Event, she rushes back to the office to do some quick research before starting her short shifts. She finds the thick Mortina folder, looks at the papers inside, and, trying not to get overwhelmed with the amount of names, starts scanning the pages. Great, most of them had at least three children, she groans. Why not just one or two, just to keep the line going… Then she smiles, and rubs her own growing belly, and sighs in acceptance of others.

She soon finds the Christine that Lancelot mentioned, the daughter of Melany, the daughter of Marie Anne, the daughter of Ricardo and Danielle, the first of all Mortinas. She then looks more closely at Christine’s record, and gasps! Christine’s husband’s name was Chris! She keeps reading, searching for the ‘grave injustice’.

“She married Chris from the restaurant (the restaurant workers obviously make for good spouses, there is quite a few I’ve heard of in just this family alone!) and they have three children, a daughter Sophia, the second one already in this family,” mutters Arianna whilst following lines with her well shaped fingernails, “ah, they have a son, Joshua, and oh, another son, Daniel. Now, who marries who and moves….ah, oh dear, I think I have just spotted the ‘grave injustice’. Their line ends right here! None of them is ever acknowledged, no more mention of them anywhere!

So what happened to the house then? Let me see, bla bla, payment, moving in papers, oops, another restaurant worker, Ashton Sweeney, married to Abigail. That was Christine’s sister, they have children, yes, here we are, Gabriella, mmmm, THE Gabriella I presume and another daughter Alicia. Yes, Gabriella marries, oh guess what, restaurant worker Zachery, here’s Joash, my father in law. Oh dear, well, at least Lancelot has his answer I guess. Abigail and her offspring carried the line, with no mention of Christine and Chris who were sharing the house at that time. Now, let’s jump into my blue suit, and get started. ‘Guide graciously’ is the theme for today, I think!”

That evening Adrianna tells Lancelot about her findings. He looks at her, without saying anything. Then he sighs, and looks incredibly sad. “You know what that means?” he asks, “she is determined that her little Chris will take over the house, the Line. Well, this is a pretty kettle of fish! What are we to do?” and he looks pointedly at her shapely tummy…not shapely as in trim and what not, but shapely as in growing every day it seems. Adrianna smiles her most efficient smile, “Well, we’re not there yet, nothing needs to be done, as far as I understand. After all, the decision is still years away, and who knows what our family will look like by then!”

So life just moves on, and the subject of injustice, or Great granny’s sister is never brought up again, but Adrianna catches Lancelot looking at their sweet Josiah with a special look, a look which doesn’t change or improve when their sweet Tabitha is born. He just can’t resist the poke at his sister, “Many Mortina girls have carried the Line…Interesting to have a son AND a daughter…!”

He immediately regrets his words as Guinevere flees the room in tears. Lancelot is stunned, what is wrong with his happy, bouncy DJ sister? The hippie in the family so to speak. He looks at Adrianna, who slightly shakes her head, to indicate that she won’t talk about things in front of Sebastian, wo is still in the room. As soon as the door shuts behind Sebastian she explains. “I heard them last night, Guinevere wants another child, Sebastian doesn’t. He feels he is too old, in fact, with all traits achieved he might receive his retirement papers any moment now. Guinevere argued that all Mortinas have large families. I felt so sad for her, I hope she will be alright…”

This is sad indeed, and over time Guinevere seems to get sadder and sadder, and also, it looks as if she wants to constantly remind everyone, but especially Sebastian, of the fact that she is still young and hip and cool… Where will all this end?