marriage – Vicarious Living

Married

04. Married

The weekend finally came, and although I had some work to do, it gave me time off as well. My job as a musician wasn’t very demanding, as most days work started late in the afternoon. It felt more relaxed, giving me time to do other things in the day time. The first thing I did after sorting out the garden and tidy up, was call Constance. Her name still thrilled me every time I said it to myself, and I felt the excitement when dialing her number…

We met up, and as always I felt relieved. I rang her quite often just for chat, and to invite someone out was a big step p. Sometimes they were at work, sometimes they just said, “Sorry, I don’t feel like coming over just now.” Nothing you could do about that, although you could still ring them for a chat. A chat isn’t the same as meeting up though! I still didn’t want her to see my tiny hovel, so we went back to ‘our’ park. Riverview had an abundance of parks, more than Sunset Valley it seemed. I had been to some other meet ups, but this one park near the house was so sweet. It had flowers, benches, quiet corners, and although you were hardly ever the only one there, it was usually quiet enough to have an intimate chat with someone.

Just to see her walking in brought back memories to my first night in Riverview, my long night on the park bench, and my misery. There she was, smiling, excited, her hair clean and neat. We kissed, held hands, and I studied her sweet face, feeling more sure of the next step than ever before, the ring burning a hole in my pocket. Yes, she was obviously excitable, but she was kind and sweet and funny. As soon as I could, I proposed to her. I did it the old fashioned way of course, went on one knee. “Please Constance, will you marry me, stay with me, be my wife for as long as Grim lets us?” She squealed, but just about managed to gasp “Yes, oh yes!” And just like that we were engaged. I felt relieved and so happy, I forgot about my homesickness and my bitterness. I even felt a spark of gratefulness towards Master Kraken. No longer did I wish to go back to Sunset Valley, and starting all over again wasn’t in my mind anymore. I just wanted to stay here, in Riverview, build the next generation, and just live each day with joy. Life just seemed so wonderful and full of adventure.

The very same day I checked my money. I had worked very hard all day every day, writing as well as working hard at my musician’s job, and money had built up a bit. I asked the builders to come, and extend my house. After all, a one roomed house wasn’t good enough for a wonderful woman like Constance. Oh, she would never complain, of course not. She was too much of a well brought up lady to do so, but I wanted her to have the best. Well, the best my bank account allowed, and by the time the house had been extended I needed more time, more income.

All that week I worked and scraped. I extended the house, bought an expensive, good quality double bed (not making the same mistake again!) and a fridge. I even managed a tiny bathroom. I mean, I have been going to the toilet in the library, and shower at the gym, but my wife deserved better than that. My parents would be proud if they saw me, I was sure, for I had made the most with the resources I had. The items were good quality, and I felt such happiness walking from room to room. I was glad that I had stayed. I was pleased with the progress made. After all, I was the first generation in the Legacy Challenge, and already I had a house with several rooms and some level of comfort.

I must admit, work felt different the next few days. I had a sense of purpose, an aim. I couldn’t wait till I had my day off, for I was determined to marry Constance at the first opportunity. For time was moving on, which wasn’t the only reason to hasten our wedding. I loved Constance, just wanted to be with her, and felt such a thrill at the idea of her living with me, husband and wife. Fancy introducing her, “This is my wife, Constance.” I could picture it so vividly, and the days flew past, nothing was too hard. It reminded me of Jacob in the Bible, who loved Rachel so much that the seven years he had to work for her seemed but a few days, for the love he had to her. This felt a bit like that, and it made me understand it all a bit better as well.

Thursday came, glorious, beautiful Thursday. My day off, the day of my marriage to Constance… She came over as soon as I invited her, and we held hands, hugged, kissed and then I suggested a small, private wedding. Constance shrieked, excitement all over her sweet face, and straight away agreed. So we married, and it was the best feeling ever! She moved in, thrilled with my house. I had warned her, but she loved the place. I mean, the view was amazing, and the plot was huge, so that helped too, I suppose. It was a very long walk to the road, and soon after the builders came that first fateful day I have regretted building the house right at the back. Maybe one day I will rebuild the house. That might take a few generations, though!

I felt on top of the world. Constance worked hard as well, her Lifewish the same as mine. She was a Freelance Journalist, and such a fabulous writer! She loved to hear me practice the guitar, and we both worked in our little garden. We had dinner round our kitchen table, another addition to our home. It seemed such a different place to live, such a different existence! My heart was full to bursting most days. The only thing making me feel worried was that Constance must have caught some bug, she was sick all night, and most of the day. I hoped desperately that it wasn’t a cause for Grim to visit our happy abode…

Constance

03. Constance

Tuesday morning came, and I woke up sore and stiff from my cheap bed. It taught me a lesson to buy quality things, but as money was still in very short supply I had to be content with my awful bed. I got up early, watered my two plants, tidied up a bit as the mess around the place was affecting my mood. I sighed, I will never underestimated maid service again!” thinking about the regular cleaner at my parents’ house. Granted, sometimes they just sat down and watched telly, or even raided their fridge, but at least the house was clean and tidy.

Work was a struggle. I did enjoy being part of the orchestra, but my tiredness dragged me down. The noise the instruments made hurt my head, and my fingers were sore from trying to play the guitar. Being tired didn’t help with making friends either, as my mood sank further and further during my shift. I couldn’t wait to get home, and my rickety bed seemed more and more like the most luxurious four poster in my mind. I really thought I might fall asleep on the pavement outside the theatre by the time work finished…

I napped, pottered, and then went to bed happily, knowing that tomorrow it was my day off! I had great plans and wild dreams, and it involved the Girl with Glasses. First thing in the morning I was going to find out her name and contact her. My life was slipping away from me, and in order to keep the Legacy going I needed an heir. Also, I needed company, as living by myself in this one room house with a terrible bed was making me feel ill.

The next morning I could hardly wait till it was day! I looked her up, and her name was Constance. It flowed off my tongue and I kept whispering it to myself. She seemed so competent, and classy, and my hands shook when dialling her number. She agreed to meet up in town, and I got the taxi down to town, my hands sweaty and clammy. I kept drying them on my trousers, knowing that I would have to greet her quite formally. After all, we only met once, and even that was a few days ago! I swallowed when I spotted her, she was very smartly dressed, her hair in a neat bun, glasses making her look very smart indeed. I just hoped she didn’t think me cheeky, what with my one roomed house and all that…

She didn’t, she was very sweet in fact. We just chatted, and when I asked her about her career it turned out she was a journalist! So we talked a bit about writing, and she was very interested in my writing, which really pleased me. “She’s so smart and much better at writing, yet she listens to me rambling on, telling her that dramatic story,” I thought. The one niggle I had was her laugh. It as a bit hysterical, and I realised that one of her traits must be excitable… I had never met an excitable Sim before, as my parents and relatives had always been able to chose their traits. I now realised what a privilege that had been.

Some days it’s hard not to long for what has been, or what will never be, I suppose. I never saw myself as disgruntled or jealous or anything negative like that. Now I find myself looking at other people and just wishing… I think back to home, and the luxury we had there, and I feel the seeds of bitterness taking root and sprouting like my lettuce seeds. My back aches from my cheap bed, and the reason it lowers my mood well into the red is that I remember my childhood comfy bed. I’m hungry, eating cheap salads from the supermarket, and my stomach protests, remembering the wonderful homecooked food. Life is so hard, and it never was. Part of me knows that I went into the Challenge voluntarily, but part of me shrieks, “It’s not fair! Life should not be such a struggle! The Sims Government should help their people more, like insist on better starting salaries.”

I know that’s not possible, and in a way, why should they? Life is so short, and progress can be made swiftly. It’s just that I feel my struggle, and I now realise that I am spoiled. On the other hand, is it wrong to want a smooth life, and have plenty of things to enjoy? Will it make me a better person when struggling each day just to exist? Of course, I don’t share any of these worries with Constance, I’m sure that she has the neurotic trait as well, and nothing must spoil this date! We get on so well, she really is lovely, and for the first time since arriving in Riverview I feel a bit happier. Maybe life isn’t just bleak when starting the Challenge…

Of course, all good things come to an end, even this wonderful date! I make firm plans to meet her at the weekend though, and as she accepted my request to go steady, I know we’ll have a wonderful time. Not once did she grumble or complain that I was boring.. I was dreading that, for when you have a long date, this often happens. Then the girl will march off, telling you plainly that you have issues and she won’t hang around dealing with it. That must be such an awful experience… Fancy ending a date on that note… Although many of my friends told me that the overall experience was still positive, and the girl still thanked them for a wonderful time. Really? I have a sneaky suspicion that they managed to somehow convince themselves of this…

The next few days go in a exhausting blur. Life is just so hard, and the days are so long and lonely! I shower at the gym, usually end up eating at work which doesn’t improve my mood for most of my shift. Food at work is actually pretty good, and as long as I don’t feel too awful by the time it’s time to go to work I actually aim to eat there. It saves another five simoleans for lettuce. My existence is dragging me down, to be honest. The fact that a nap on a park bench leaves me better rested than the bed I bought with my hard earned money is just nagging away at me. I know I should just move on, accept it as a life lesson, but I can’t seem to make myself. I never knew I could get so stuck on little things, and it grieves me, funnily enough. I always thought of myself as adventurous and good tempered, whereas I’m turning into a grumpy old man before I’m even an adult! Surely as a young adult I should be positive and hopeful and bounce back from little niggles in life? Come on weekend, roll on!

The Start Of It All

Back at the Sims! After a loooong break doing other stuff, I’m back at the Sims, but Sims3 this time, not Sims Mobile. Sims3 is different, in that it has a character called Grim, and your Sims die… In Sims Mobile they just move out to an old people’s home, presumably… Sims3 moves very fast, it’s very busy, and very much based round family life. They have jobs, which affects their happiness and health, and it’s a lot more involved. Great fun though, and watching them move around brings stories up again.

I tried first person, past tense for a change. My first time ever, and it feels a little weird, but fun to do! This is the first one of the series, and involves Grim…

The start of it all

It all started that one hateful morning.

I had seemed such an ordinary Saturday morning. Everybody had been at home, even I didn’t have to go anywhere till much later that afternoon. We had all started the day early, we liked it that way. Wilbert had to start at the base so early in the week, we all got used to getting up at the same time as him, have breakfast together, squabble over bathroom space, and then our day would just enfold.

Even in weekends Wilbert was an early riser, and he liked his family around him. Not that he talked much, but he did love having us around, especially me. So that morning had been an ordinary morning. We had breakfast, I think Dad actually made us breakfast. The twins were still very young, and Samuel used to go off and paint straight after breakfast, and keep it up for hours. Sarah was a lot more complex. She didn’t really paint, didn’t play the guitar, and had as her Lifewish to be the top surgeon in the hospital. Or top doctor, I don’t know, something medical anyway. She tended to read a lot. She did enjoy working out with her twin brother though, but even then she got stressed in school easily.

Having the twins had been hard work. Of course I had eaten all the relevant fruits, read the best books, listened to that awful channel on tv, and had the stereo blaring away kids’ music. We had had to wait before we were granted permission. The Baby Planning Office takes its job very seriously, and my brother was still living with us when Wilbert and I finally got married. We had to wait to get married, as my brother’s wife wanted to have her first child before we did so. She obviously wanted to settle in as the oldest family unit; you know, the young couple with a baby, as opposed to just a young couple, and to share the Child Grant equally. They had their first boy, and we got married. The very next day she announced that she was expecting again, all glowing and smiling. We knew already, of course, our bedroom was next to the bathroom…

That meant that our Child Application was rejected, and there was no way we would be allowed to have a child. I was heartbroken, as well as furious, but Wilbert was always so calm and strong, he just saw me through that impossible time. Soon after Caleb, my brother, managed to persuade my parents to pay for a decent family home for him and his family. They did, of course they did. We have one of the healthiest bank accounts around, so why not? I didn’t even begrudge Caleb his apartment. I was just relieved, and rushed the application off as soon as he and his family left our large home. I was just desperate to have twins; after all, time moves so fast, and I was still young, Wilbert had a good income, and worked really hard. Having twins would mean less time off work for me too, so I could carry on my wonderful music career. I felt that twins would make up for lost time as well.

So I read, listened to kids’ stuff, and ate and ate… It paid off, as it always does, and we had Samuel and Sarah. I fell in love with them, even though many days I went a little stir crazy in the house, rushing around to make sure they had a very good upbringing. After all, only then does the Baby Planning Department allow you to choose traits for your children! We managed, Wilbert didn’t get involved too much, he just worked hard. My dad helped a lot, and so did Mum. Then Mum passed, but she had always been quiet, and in a way she made me nervous. You see, Mum had been a very successful musician in her time. She still worked for the Orchestra, and did well. I just moved on, relying on Dad to help out and do the garden. He and Mum were both very keen gardeners, and neither Wilbert or I could stand it! Dad just dug away, humming, and laughing.

Then little Joseph was born, and I loved him, even though I chafed a little at my time away from the Music centre. I hadn’t really been at work since I had the twins, and now I was off even longer. Wilbert just laughed and hugged me, encouraging me to play the guitar outside, in front of the house. I did, and it was lovely. Many people pass our house on their way to the pool, and they always stopped and listened to me playing. Time was sweet and happy, and so calm. Dad cooked a lot of the meals, he worked in the garden, and saw to the children. Life was just amazing in our huge family home, with my three sweet children, my smiling Dad, and the most wonderful husband in the world. Then the fateful day struck and I never even saw it coming.

Dad decided that he’d harvested enough to make it worth a trip to EverFresh Delights Supermarket to sell his produce. I smiled at that, knowing that Dad had a lot of good quality fruit and veg to sell. In a way, I knew that with three kids we were bound to end up paying for at least one family home… So Dad announced that he was going to the Supermarket in a bit, which was fine. He just sorted out little Joseph who had just aged up into an adorable little toddler. On a whim Dad decided to take Joseph with him, which was a bit odd, but as I had just started a painting to work towards my own Lifewish, I was glad that there would be no distraction whilst Dad was out.

Dad and Joseph went off, and I painted, greeted neighbours, hummed whilst choosing my colours… Suddenly I felt this panic, and I just knew something was wrong. I looked around, but Wilbert was working, the twins were busy doing their own things, all the neighbours seemed fine… I called out to Wilbert whilst sorting out my brushes, “I’m just popping over to the Supermarket!” I made it sound as if I needed some ingredients or something, but I just ran and ran all the way there.

I will never forget the sight. I was too late, well, almost too late. I could hear Joseph’s crying from the distance already and that odd roaring sound when Grim is at work. My heart sank, and my legs shook, but somehow I managed to stagger on. And there, in front of the supermarket sat my sweet little Joseph waving his fists and wailing like a banshee. I was just in time to see the last of my Dad fade at Grim’s feet, the people around crying and begging Grim… In fact, even Grim must have been moved, probably by the sight of my crying baby on the pavement, for he stayed on for a while. Of course, there was no arguing with Grim, I tried that, naturally. I picked my little Joseph up, and consoled him, but my heart was just in pieces. My poor Dad, I just realised how much I loved this quiet man, and Wilbert and I seemed so young and inexperienced! Now it was just us and our three young children rattling along in that large house.

That’s when it started.

I changed; everything changed. Wilbert was calm and patient with me, and just loved me to bits, but I changed. For starters, I found out that another baby was on its way, even though I didn’t tell anyone at work, I had only just gone back after having Joseph! Nobody really knew, as it was Wilbert’s birthday that same day, and there was all this cheering and clapping, and they all missed my quiet announcement. I knew time was starting to run out for us soon too. Wilbert had aged up into a mature adult, and I would follow in a few days. Before we knew it we would be elderly, like my Dad, and that horrible Grim would come with his heart stopping noise. So I threw caution to the wind, even though I still loved my career, and even though I had no idea how we would manage with so many little ones, but my brain had been re-wired it seemed. I just wanted… Well, that was exactly it, I just wanted, full stop.

Sophie was born, my little darling girl. I can’t even remember going back to work for more than a few days, because by the time Sophie was much older, Jonas was born. I told Wilbert that it really was a shame to have all that empty attic space, and he laughed and told me to get the builders in if I wanted… I did, they converted the attic space into a huge new room. It was very rudimentary, but it had a few beds and lights, so it worked. I bought quite a few things in fact, and discovered Retail Therapy. Not that it healed much, but Wilbert just laughed and shrugged, and his hugs did really help.

That was how it started, and after baby Andy was born I was too busy and tired to think much. I just didn’t want to think either. So I painted and played my guitar, and thought of things to buy for our home. And I never ever tried to think of that hateful day. Not ever!

Ralph

The kindest eyes, and sweetest smile goes completely unnoticed by Anselma. All she sees is the worst face in SiMobile, a body out of shape, and ears…well…Anselma quickly averts her eyes, her cheeks burning with anger, humiliation and horror! This man in front of her is her Adonis, Ralph Snowdon? Her hero, her muscular man, with the handsomest face in town? The one that she was going to show off to all her friends, watching their eyes turn green with envy? Anselma gasps for breath, and suddenly mumbles a quick excuse, something about choosing bad leftovers, and dashes to the nearest bathroom. Not that bathrooms can’t be invaded, but she just hopes for a few minutes respite. Anselma just needs some quietness, in order to process this disaster. Staring in the mirror, clutching at the cool sink, Anselma tries to get her head round the facts. This young man, this…this man that must have the worst looks in SiMobile, is really and truly Ralph Snowdon? Could there be a mistake, somewhere? There are a lot of people called Snow, because of the Townie family with that name. The same could be true for Snowdon? Maybe he is not the one that she thinks he is? Surely her parents called him a good match? Surely they mentioned his good looks, and how they wanted to make sure she knew that good looks weren’t everything?

Anselma groans, bending over the sink in despair. In her heart she knows that there is no mistake, no doppelganger, no second Ralph Snowdon, with amazing looks and a body to match. She has just met her future intended husband. She starts to shake, and sobs flood over her before she can stop them. “No,” she whimpers, “no, it can’t be true, I can’t be promised to this man! There must be a mistake somewhere, oh…what will I do! I can’t even bear to look at him! Those ears..” Her sobs give way to wails and groans, and Anselma allows her grief to overwhelm her. How can she marry him? How can she even spend time with him? She can’t possibly be seen with him, what will that do to her aspirations and plans? How will she ever get a career in the fashion industry if she is spotted with a husband as ugly as that! She briefly stops when the word ‘ugly’ comes into her head, feeling guilty even thinking the word. Surely nobody should be called ugly? It can’t be right to call anybody by that word to describe them, and Anselma actually glances over her shoulder, suddenly worried that somebody could read her thoughts. She worries that somehow it will get known that she called her future husband ugly. She can feel shame wiggling into her heart, and suddenly she understands her parents words.

They were not urging her to get her priorities right before meeting her stunning husband. They were urging her to get her priorities right, because she would need to see beyond people’s outward appearance, before meeting her…her…”Ugly,” she whispers softly, new tears splashing on her cheeks, “there is just no other word available! He is just so ugly, and I could never look past that! If he had a few problems, you know, sticking out lips, or bright ginger hair, or if he was a bit overweight, of course I could learn to look past that. This is too much to ask though, for everything about him is awful! His face…!” and she bends over the sink again, clutching on for dear life, grief pouring over her in huge torrents. The party noises start to get through to Anselma after a while, and she somehow manages to calm herself down. She blows her nose, dries her eyes, and checks her appearance in the mirror. This brings new tears, as she has a vision of things to come seeing her beautiful face in the mirror. She can just imagine his ugly face with ridiculous grin next to her face… Anselma manages to pull it together though, and with a deep sigh, ending in a groan, she leaves the bathroom, and rejoins the party.

Within seconds Ralph is at her side again, his face contorted in a concerned frown, doing nothing to improve his looks. “I hope you will feel better soon,” he says, surprisingly beautiful eyes looking at her with kindness, “it can take eight hours before the effect has worn off! Could I get you something to drink?” He continues, his face with the huge mouth grinning at her. Anselma cringes every time she looks at him, and finds herself focussing on his eyes. They are totally the wrong shape, of course, and in the wrong position as well, but they sparkle, and are a beautiful stormy grey. It’s the only redeeming feature, she thinks, a seed of bitterness firmly planted in her heart. She manages to nod, and mumble something. Ralph nods enthusiastically, and lumbers off to get her drink. She watching his retreating bulk, and shivers.

“What were you two thinking?” she hisses under her breath, the seed of bitterness cracking open, when she thinks of her parents choosing this man for her groom! “How could you,” she moans under her breath, gulping down salty tears, whilst keeping her bright smile firmly in place. She looks around, and promptly gives up. Where ever she looks there are tall, handsome men, laughing, smiling with well shaped mouths. Their well trimmed bodies complementing their wives and girlfriends, and Anselma can’t bear to see anymore. Ralph returns with their drinks, and smiles his smile at her. Anselma accepts the drink, even somehow finds the strength to smile at him, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on his eyes. “Thank you,” she says, only the slightest tremor in her voice, “I wasn’t really expecting you at this party. I thought I would have to wait till the one at our house, and I was so disappointed!” She stops suddenly, and her hands start to shake, almost spilling her drink over her new Izzy gown. Yes, she had been so disappointed, and so impatient! She had been counting the days, she had been complaining about the delay…but all that was before he had actually met Ralph! Now she wished, oh how she wished that they had never met, that their party would crash before he managed to get in, that the party setting had gone wrong and the party had opened to all and sundry… Anselma can feel her cheeks burning again, and her eyes sting with unshed tears. So many things could go wrong, so many arranged marriages fail because of the Government interference. The one arranged meeting that she would have liked to fail actually took place before schedule. Not only were they at the same party, they met up early on in the party as well. They even established contact.

She clutches at her drink with both hands to stop the glass from slipping from her shaking hands. She tries to sip, hiding her face in the glass tumbler, hoping it will hide her tears and the desperate look on her face. As a fashionista in training she manages to control herself after a while, however. Ralph seems oblivious to her little breakdown, and the first thing she sees when she raises her face from the glass is his idiotic grin, making her shake all over again. “It’s a wonderful party, isn’t is?” His warm voice is rumbly and clear at the same time, his oddly shaped eyes roam the house where the party is held. “I’m so very glad to see you here,” he continues, his eyes looking at her, “I was disappointed too that we would have to wait so long. Here we are, all of a sudden, and it’s such a blessing too! I was just chafing against the wait, so I feel very grateful that the wait is finally over. Till meeting you I mean,” he adds hastily as he sees Anselma’s face turn as pale as chalk. “I really can’t wait to spend more time with you, and as all the arrangements have been made, and the papers can come any day now, I don’t think we ought to hang around! I know from somebody in the office that they will process my Moving Permit as soon as I meet you, so I will let them know straightaway when I get home. I’m so excited and your parents told me that you want to get married as soon as possible as well, which I think is great. It prevents a lot of common problems if people marry sooner rather than later, don’t you think?”

Anselma nods, and somehow manages to squeak out a sound that sounds like an affirmative noise. Marry this man as soon as possible? Really? How dare her parents suggest that to this man! Of course, she had been very keen to marry quickly, and to have a family as soon as was appropriate, but that was when she was still convinced that she was betrothed to the most handsome man in SiMobile… Not to the worst looking one! Anselma feels trapped. She feels that Ralph is kind and thrilled to meet her. Well, she thinks, with an edge to her words, at least he has good taste when it comes to women! “I can’t tell him different now, can I,” she groans in silence. “He might be ugly, and I just dread the thought of marrying him, but I couldn’t ever tell him. He has kind eyes, and it isn’t his fault, really.” She nods and makes agreeing noises whenever he says something, and Anselma manages to retreat into herself far enough to block Ralph out. Then his rumbling voice breaks through her slight trance, and Anselma hits the ground with both feet.

“Shall we leave the party now, and go to the café for our first date? It’s still quite early, and I’m sure you’ll agree it’s best not to waste any time.” She looks at the ugly face, his eyes happy and hopeful, huge mouth wider than ever, and just manages to nod. Then Anselma makes another dash to the bathroom, and throws up in the glittering golden toilet. Her legs are to shaky to support her, and she lowers herself on the tiled floor, sobbing, and groaning. The café! She really and truly has to go with Ralph to the café? She shudders, and wonders how to disguise herself enough to not be recognised. She runs through the list in her head of people she normally encounters at the café, and which ones will cause issues. She groans, thinking of the Simstagram posts going up! Pictures of her and Ralph sitting in the café, dancing, contemplating the beauty of nature…

Anelma decides to make it look like she is doing an interview with somebody. An interview with a random Sim, for her fashion blog… She giggles then, for who would believe that? Doing an interview with the worst looking Sim in town, for her fashion blog with its many glowing reviews! She drags herself back on her feet, and leaves the bathroom, determined to make the date look like a business meeting, in case any of her followers spots her with this man. Ralph is very polite and kind, and if he is surprised by her insistence to just sit at the table and chat he doesn’t show it. He gallantly holds the chair out for her, and orders their teas. They talk about all sorts, and Anselma feels herself relaxing a little. He isn’t pushy anyway, she thinks, and he is actually very kind. I like the way he treats the waiter, although I do think that waiter is a bit forward. Oh well, hopefully that means that this doesn’t look like a date, for surely the waiter wouldn’t be that flirty with a very young woman on her first date? “Thank you Will,” she says to the waiter when he brings their bill at the end, and flashes him a bright smile, hoping to convince him even more that this is definitely not a date, but a business meeting…

Ralph and Anselma leave for home, and she feels herself relaxing a little. Her parents are very pleased to see Ralph, treating his with respect and kindness. Anselma grinds her teeth, bitterness growing inside her. She watches her parents, and when she sees them sharing a smile, she spins round and storms off to her room. “I knew it!” she sobs, hot angry tears appearing instantly, “I just knew it as soon as I saw him! They chose him to punish me. They think I’m too vain, and too concerned with outward appearances, but I’m not! There is nothing wrong with liking beautiful things, is there? There is also nothing wrong with enjoying the company of beautiful looking people. I hate how they promised me to the most ugly lump in SiMobile, just to teach me a lesson! They have ruined my life, and everybody will be laughing at me!” This isn’t actually true, but there would be nothing her parents could have said to Anselma to convince her of that. They liked Ralph, and saw his kindness and godly character straight away. They found him a good listener, somebody with a great interest in others, and a calm and steady man, strong and capable. They realised that his character would be just right for Anselma, and that of all the young men in SiMobile he would be the best suited to her moods and vain personality. Neither of them paid much attention to people’s looks, having learned over time that looks can be deceiving… It hadn’t even occurred to them until Anselma told them…

The courtship is progressing well, and Ralph seems happier than ever. His large round face carried a permanent blush, and his large fleshy lips are puled into a fixed grin. His heavy lumbering steps seem somehow more bouncy, and his warm generous laugh can be heard in every room. Anselma on the contrary looks more and more sulky, struggling to keep an edge out of her voice. It isn’t that she dislikes Ralph, in fact, she has started to find him quite acceptable. In the Mortina House that is. She has learned to enjoy his company, still thinks his eyes are beautiful, and finds herself wanting to hear his laugh. Going out with him is a different matter though. She somehow manages to block out the terrible ears, ugly face and huge bulky frame when she is at home. As soon as they leave the house, she becomes painfully aware of his looks. She just imagines people looking twice in horror, expecting people to raise their phones to take a picture to put on Simstagram, and Anselma finds herself checking all social media anxiously every time they have been out together.

“No! Oh, I can’t believe it,” her voice sounds so desperate and distraught that her mother, Tessa, comes running up to the hobby room, in spite of her stooped shoulders and grey hair. “Look, she has put a picture of me and Ralph up!” Tessa opens her mouth to correct the grammar, but changes her mind when she sees her daughter’s face. Anselma looks like her life has just ended, and Tessa peers at the computer screen. All she can see is a lovely photograph of her daughter and Ralph at the restaurant bench, engrossed in conversation. “Can’t you see?” wails Anselma, when her mother looks at her with a blank expression, “everybody will know that we weren’t together for business! They will know that we are in some sort of relationship! Now the news will come out soon, for they will look into it, and more pictures will probably turn up! That’s it, I’m ruined!” Dropping her head on her arms, Anselma sobs and wailes and speculates about her ruined social life and career.

Tessa is stunned, she had never expected this! She genuinely thought Ralph and Anselma got on well together, and she was pleased that her daughter seemed to be over her obsession with people’s looks! “Sweetheart, what do you mean?” she asks, confusion written all over her face, “I think that is a lovely picture of the two of you! Such a sweet couple!” Her eyes widen when Anselma sits up with a shock, eyes blazing, her wet face red and blotchy, and her mouth pulled in an angry sneer.

“Exactly! We look like a couple, and I have done everything I could to avoid that! I don’t want people to realise that I’m in a relationship with him! How will anybody take my fashion advice or my career seriously if they know that I’m married to the worst looking man in the whole of SiMobile? This picture will ruin me! I will lose my followers, and what sort of fashion shop will promote me, knowing that I don’t even know what a handsome husband should look like?” She glares at her mother, and carries on in a voice filled with bitterness, “How could you do this to me? What sort of parents choose a husband as a punishment for their daughter? How could you do this, when you knew I would be unhappy for the rest of my life?” Fresh tears pour down her cheeks, and Anselma buries her face in her hands, and cries like her heart is broken. Tessa is stunned, and far too shocked and upset to speak. Erik has come in, drawn by the commotion, and it is Erik who answers his daughter.

“We had no idea, Anselma, and we hadn’t even thought about Ralph’s looks. We can assure you that the thought of punishing you didn’t come into it at all. Of course, we realised that he might not reach your ridiculous high standard when it comes to handsome young men, but we think that character is far more important. Somehow we never managed to instil that into you, and as such we have failed as parents. On the other hand, you are an adult, capable of making your own decisions, as well as responsible for your own attitudes and actions. I think it is scandalous the way you think about Ralph, and if you lose friends over him? Well, good riddance I would say! No proper friend would dump you over this, and if they do, it just shows how shallow and conceited they were. I cannot imagine that Ralph will harm your career, that is just the ramblings of a vain young girl, who has a lot of growing up to do! It hurts me to say this, but as your father I’m horrified by your attitude and your weak character. I can only hope and pray that you will change and mature, before you cause more grief. Your words and thoughts are harmful to yourself and others, and only a change of heart can bring healing, I fear!”

He storms off, worried that he may say too much, sadness clouding his eyes. Tessa is in tears, of course, and Anselma sits at her desk, looking sullen and grieved. Guilt makes her insides wobble, as she knows her father is right. Her eyes fall on the picture on the screen again, and she groans. She is still convinced that all her friends will look down on her and laugh at her behind her back. Why did she have to be promised to Ralph… Then she remembers his kind eyes, and his care for her. She knows deep down that her father is right, and she also knows that her attitude stinks. Anselma struggles, as she knows all that, but on the other hand is her glowing career prospects, and her blog with its beauty loving followers… She sighs, and looks at her mum, guilt winning it this time. “I’m sorry, Mum,” she sighs, hugging Tessa, “I will do better, I promise. I don’t know how, but somehow I will get there, and I accept that you didn’t choose him as a punishment. I do actually like his company, it’s just that…”

She looks at the picture, and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ slides through her mind, and she shivers. “It’s just hard for somebody like me, you know, somebody who makes a living out of fashion, it’s hard to…to…” mmmm, how is she going to put this, without getting in trouble again? “It will be fine, Mum, I’m sure it will be fine. Don’t cry over us, for I’ll manage…” She cringes inside, as somehow she doesn’t think that was the thing to say. It doesn’t sound like she has changed really, and she knows for a fact that she hasn’t. She also knows that she will have to find a way to deal with it, as she refuses to give up on her career and her dreams. On the other hand, she knows that she has fully accepted her pending marriage to Ralph. Somehow she will have to merge the two. She smiles at her mum, the effort making her jaws ache. It is one of the important skills in the fashion industry though, to smile at all times, and Anselma is a great fashionista, and Tessa soon smiles back at her daughter. Anselma sighs with relief as the drama seems to have passed. Now for some damage control, she thinks, turning back to the computer.

Tessa and Erik

“Mum, do I really need to be there at the reception?” Tessa’s large grey eyes are already filled with tears, and she can feel her lips trembling. “I haven’t been to work yet, and nobody in this family has completed the fashionista career yet. At this rate I will have all my traits before I finish the career. I had to do the exercise Bootcamp as Brandon and Camilla didn’t want to leave the baby with Brooklyn, so can’t I go to the studio now?” Tessa feels desperate, not so much about her career, although she does love fashion. She is desperate to escape Brandon and Camilla’s wedding reception. “Why are they having a reception now? With Brooklyn’s toddler running round, and their own baby in the bassinet? They really have no shame, have they?” she says a bit more vehemently to her mum. “Mum, I don’t want to be here, I don’t want to meet Brandon’s friends, and I don’t want to lie…what if somebody asks me if they really have two children, what can I say? ‘Just one, the older one is from Brandon’s concubine…’, Mum, please say I can go to work!”

Her mum is adamant though, “It’s your own brother, of course you need to be there! We’re expecting just a few guests, which means that it will be difficult enough to get the party up to the high standard that the SiMobile Government demands from parties. We need the Gems, and the blue tickets. Brandon has already used up four tickets to have his two children, we will need more. You are part of this household, so you need to contribute. Besides, your career is not that important, as you will be married off soon enough. Brandon says he will look for a good husband for you. Careers don’t transfer, so no need to get too high up. Maybe Camilla can work in the studio once you have left…” Tessa has gone very pale, her freckles standing our like little dark mud splats. That is the main reason that she does not want to be at the reception! The fact that Brandon is looking for a husband for her!

She rushes back to her room, tears streaming down her face, sobbing, gasping for breath. There is no escaping the party though, and Tessa dresses as conservative as she dares for Brandon’s party. Brandon and Camilla are waiting for the approval of the SiMobile Government to start the party. Papers have to be checked, and Brandon and Camilla have a quarrel about the question that lets you choose between ‘Anyone in SiMobile’ or ‘Friends only’. Brandon wants everyone to turn up, you never know if somebody good looking will be there… Camilla insists on Friends Only, as she really hopes somebody from her family might turn up. However much she wanted to escape their lifestyle and what she sees as narrowmindedness, strangely enough she does miss them. Misses their hearty laughter; misses her mum’s rather wild ideas; misses her strong Viking uncle and his lovely wife; misses her many siblings and little Viking cousins… She secretly admits to herself that she is just a little homesick…

Finally the approval is granted, and Brandon dashes out to get all the party things: the board next to the post box, the table with the cake, the book for guests to sign…he comes rushing back, and it’s a real scrum to get the house decorated before the first guests arrive. Tessa helps with the decorating, as she loves it. She is very good; her grey eyes taking in the décor, studying it, looking for ways to improve it… Once she is satisfied she finds a very quiet corner, and from there waits to see what will happen. “I wish I could make myself invisible,” she sighs, “and just hide in this corner till all the guests have gone… What will I do if Brandon brings one of his horrid friends to me, to introduce us? What if one of these louts makes a flirtatious introduction? What if they want me to come to the little café? How can I refuse? The SiMobile Government only lets you refuse the risky advances, but not the small standard ones… I have no way out…!” Panic is climbing up her, twisting round her, choking her like bindweed, and it seems just as impossible to eradicate… Tessa can feel herself sinking deeper and deeper into a panic attack, when suddenly Camilla appears.

She could tell from her side of the room that Tessa wasn’t doing very well. She isn’t surprised, as she has met quite a few of Brandon’s friends herself. There is Brooklyn as well, of course. No, Brandon hasn’t got the best reputation, and now that she has come to know Tessa a little she can just imagine the young girl’s fear! Quickly she sidles up to Tessa, and says softly, “Don’t panic, Tessa, I’m quite sure some people from my family will come. I will make sure that you get introduced, and then we can ask them to take care of matters! Brandon is so busy with Brooklyn and me, and our children, that he’ll be more than happy to delegate… Just trust me, I won’t let you down,” and she smiles at the terrified girl. Tessa just nods, fighting her panic, willing it to stay under control…

Whenever she looks round the room she can feel it wriggling at the base of her throat though, trying to get her to scream and run… Some of Brandon’s loud friends are already here, but at the moment Brandon is kept entertained by Brooklyn… Brooklyn’s huge blue cat eyes have taken it all in, and she overheard some of what Camilla said to Tessa, and thoroughly approves of the plan. She has no regard for Brandon at all; all she wanted was to be made active, and to leave her job behind. Brandon was her ticket out, and all she needs now is for Tessa to leave, so Brooklyn can take her place. So she decides to lend a helping hand by distracting Brandon, so he won’t have time to drag Tessa over to one of his friends, or to even point her out to his friends.

Tessa stands in her sheltered corner, feeling her bare knees shaking, rubbing her freezing, clammy hands dry on her little skirt, when she hears her name mentioned. Her heart stops, then starts its rhythm again, but at twice the normal speed. She glances up, and gasps in horror! Camilla is talking to this huge, blond guy, and is pointing where Tessa is trying to blend in with the paintwork! “No,” she breathes, “no, please, Camilla, no… Lord, please, not me, don’t let him come to me…” Her voice trails off into a little whimper, as the big blond man lets out a loud, hearty laugh, hugs Camilla, then turns round, and strides up to her with purposeful strides. Tessa can’t breathe, and she can feel her body starting to shake. She can hear his footsteps stopping just in front of her, but she daren’t look up.

Then, a warm, deep, manly voice says, “My cousin Camilla tells me your name is Tessa. That has such a sweet ring to it; I think it suits you. Please allow me to compliment your hairstyle as well, my cousins will be very jealous. You see, my family is saving up for one of the expensive hairstyles, so they won’t be able to afford that cut. I think it’s beautiful, and makes you look like a pixie.” He laughs, a warm, caring laugh, rumbling like thunder in the distance. Tessa looks up then, and meets the kindest eyes imaginable, with cute blue eyebrows above them! She can’t help it, she has to smile, and her little face lights up. So do the young man’s eyes, she notices.

She blushes a little, and says softly, “I love your blue eyebrows… And that was the kindest flirtatious introduction ever heard in SiMobile, I’m sure!” They both laugh then, Tessa’s light, tinkling laugh, its silver bell effect matching her grey eyes. The blond young man’s laugh is loud and hearty. He stands at a respectful distance, not crowding her at all. He doesn’t look her up and down with leering eyes, like Brandon’s friends do. He doesn’t try to impress her; he just stands there, smiling, patient and with an inner calmness that calms Tessa as well. She can feel her heartrate settling down, and realises that there is no sign of panic now at all. Just a curiosity about this giant! “I’m sorry,” she says, going red, “I didn’t get your name… You say that you’re Camilla’s cousin?” She looks over at Camilla who is chatting to another guest, and looks back at the blond man with the blue eyebrows. “I can’t spot anything blue on Camilla…?” She makes it sound like a question, as the blue eyebrows somehow really intrigue her!

The giant laughs, and says with his deep voice, “Sorry for the oversight; my name is Erik, son of Magnus, the Viking. As for my blue eyebrows, well that is quite a story. May I buy you a coffee at the little café and I can tell you the story if you’re interested? It’s…ah…rather noisy here?” His voice goes up at the end of his sentence, making it sound like a question. He looks round at the other guests, and looks at the little toddler, Deborah, with her cat like eyes and dark hair. A look of great sadness glides over his face for a moment, but when he looks back at Tessa the look has gone, and only kindness can be seen on his smiling, handsome face.

Tessa feels ashamed of her messy family, and greatly relieved that Erik has offered her a way out of the party… “Yes please, I’d love a coffee,” she says, blushing at her eagerness. I won’t need that Izzy Creation effect with the fire at this rate, she thinks, my face will self ignite any minute now if I keep blushing like this! Erik looks relieved too, and he guides Tessa out of the house, somehow, without touching her. People make way for him, only glancing at the slim girl next to him. One of Brandon’s friends, one that Tessa really can’t stand, tries to look at Tessa too long. Erik moves so he is blocking the guy’s view, as well as glaring at the man. The man goes bright red and hurries off into the hobby room.

When they pass close by Camilla, Erik says softly, “I’m taking Tessa for a coffee at the little café. We will see you later. You better let Brandon know, so he doesn’t get any ideas in his mind with regards to his cronies!” He looks quite stern, his green eyes looking right into her heart it seems, and Camilla can feel the heat creeping into her cheeks. She can only imagine what her burly cousin must be thinking… She looks over at Brandon, sees his burning eyes fastened on Tessa, his hand resting on the arm of one of his obnoxious friends. It is clear that he was just about to point out Tessa to the guy. Now he is too late, and Brandon is too much of a coward to even dream of confronting Erik, or to try and argue with him. Tessa is safe, and Brandon’s evil plan has come to nought. She knew he would find a nasty piece of work for Tessa, as he can’t stand his sister’s faith, and always tries to hurt her emotionally or cause her distress. This time he is too late, and when Camilla looks at Brooklyn she can see the bright blue cat eyes sparkling with malicious pleasure. The two women look at each other, and their glee is a precious shared moment.

Camilla almost does the fist pump used for pulling off a risky action, for Brandon’s friend has just missed out. Her plan worked, and her handsome cousin has obviously taken a liking to the petit girl. “Good for him,” she grins, “good for him, I’m really pleased. Tessa is a sweet girl, way too emotional for my liking, but in the Mortina household she’ll be fine. They will look after her, and show her the kindness she deserves. As she doesn’t mind looking modest, and staying faithful and all that, she will feel right at home! I hope the first date goes alright, and I just hope, or maybe even pray, that they will continue in a relationship. I like Erik, he’s lovely, just like Uncle Magnus. I think its nice that he dyes his eyebrows blue, as a sign of belonging to his father. He really is a great guy, and it’s a shame he is my first cousin, hahaha, otherwise Tessa might have had some competition!”

She is shocked out of her pleasant daydream by a harsh voice in her ear, “You look like the cat who got the canary. I take it you planned this? Arranged a marriage for my sister without bothering to tell your husband, who happens to be the girl’s only brother?” She looks round, and can see the fury in his dark eyes, but Camilla doesn’t care anymore.

She looks as haughtily as she can and over her shoulder, whilst walking over to one of the nicer guys, she says, “I didn’t arrange anything. In fact, you know that I wasn’t sure anyone from my family would attend. As the guy is my cousin, I think Tessa has made a perfect choice; as Tessa is a sweet, kind girl, I think my cousin has made a perfect choice too!” She briefly makes eye contact with Brooklyn again, who looks more like a cat than ever, and Camilla is sure she can actually hear her purring happily to herself…

Erik and Tessa have a lovely time at the café, and by the time the choice for relationships crops up, Erik doesn’t hesitate to apply for ‘Soulmate’. He adores Tessa, he loves her lithe frame, and those grey eyes…well, they’re large enough for any man to drown in! As they are walking over to the Mortina home to start their courtship, Erik realises with a shock that he has fallen for the girl hook, line and sinker! He tries not to worry about that fact, but he keeps seeing his cousin, bare midriff and all; his cousin’s husband with his piercing eyes; he remembers the disgusting guys at the party…and for a split second he wonders if Tessa fits in the same picture… Immediately those nasty images are replaced with his first sighting of Tessa. The tiny girl, more modestly dressed than anyone else in the house, standing in the corner. He actually could see her knees knocking together, and when they shook hands he felt the icy cold fingers; could feel the trembling of her hands and his heart had melted for this young girl, who was obviously not having a great time… No, he decides, she is nothing like anybody in that family. Let’s hope she’ll get on with cousin Zahra…

She does, and Erik is relieved. He likes Zahra, and values her opinions. She has recently married one of the Knights, Michael, who has just moved in. The wedding was very special, as it’s not the first time that a Mortina married a Knight. Zahra had glowed with happiness, and kept saying, “He is so wonderful! I just feel so honoured, I mean, think of all the things Michael has to give up… There is also the risk of…” and she had stopped, a worried frown appearing. The others knew what she meant though. The last time a Mortina had married a Knight, it turned out that he was suffering from Llama Flu. Not the Weebles strain, which was very easily cured. No, this Knight, Richard Knight, had been struck down, literally, by the Pink Blob strain, and his life had hung in the balance for several days. He was cured, eventually, but the stress had been terrible on all the family. His cousin Victoria had been in the house at the same time, as they had had a double wedding. Erik can’t imagine what it must have been like… After Michael and Zahra are married, and Michael moves in, Erik can tell that the whole family is holding their breath. It turns out that Michael is as fit as a fiddle though, and life had settled down.

Tessa is amazed at how her life has been turned round. Here she is, little Tessa, with nobody to talk to, nobody who understands her, all alone; transformed into Tessa, Erik’s girlfriend. She has to keep pinching her arms to check that she isn’t dreaming. Surely this is too good to be true? She adores Erik, and thinks the world of him, even after a few dates, and time with his family. She loves the house, and they are more than happy for her to use their yoga mat. She loves it, as the yoga mat is near the piano where Michael is playing. He smiles at her whenever she looks at him, and is very kind and polite. He loves to help, she can tell, and she likes to watch him interact with what he calls ‘his three girls’, for Michael and Zahra have two daughters.

Tessa leans over, and this time happy tears drop onto the yoga mat. “Thank you, Lord, thank you! I can’t believe how my life has changed. I’m so very grateful; I love Erik, and I love the way he speaks to me; I get goose bumps from the way he looks at me, with respect, and warmth, kindness and love…He makes me feel special. Thank you Lord, for sending the right man at exactly the right time…” Her thoughts drift off for a moment, and she shivers. In one of her few moments at home Camilla had told her in quiet whispers what had happened at the party; Camilla had in just a few words made crystal clear to Tessa what sort of life she had narrowly escaped, for Tessa knew the man Camilla described.. How awful, she thinks, how utterly and profoundly unhappy my life would have been…

Then Tessa looks up again, catching a glimpse of one of the Mortinas in the kitchen, and smiles to herself, and breathes out, relief flowing off her in huge waves. “Thank God for this family, and thank God for my…well, fiancé in just a few hours!” It is true that Erik has been patient, not wanting to push Tessa, but the proposal comes at the right time. The whole family rejoices with the happy couple, and before anyone realises it they are wearing the SiMobile Government issued wedding gear, their faces beaming. They make a striking pair, the blond, giant, muscular Erik, his Norse blood showing. Standing next to him leaning on his strong arm stands the frail looking Tessa, with her tanned skin and large, grey eyes filled with happy tears! Tears that splash onto her freckled cheeks when her blond Viking leans over and kisses her under the wedding arch, and whispers with his face aglow with wonder and happiness, “Welcome home, Mrs Tessa Mortina, wife of Erik the Viking!”

Tessa and Camilla

The door opens with a bang, making Tessa jump. She can hear Brandon’s voice, sounding pleased and cheerful. “Long may it last,” she mumbles, whilst quickly walking back to her yoga mat. Doing yoga stops Brandon from talking to her, or asking her difficult questions. Lately he hasn’t bothered her at all though, as he has been too busy chatting up Camilla. Tessa stares ahead, lifting both arms in a stretch. She doesn’t know what to make of Camilla, her soon to be sister in law. She seems kind enough, and doesn’t make the same sort of remarks as Brandon does. Something feels a little off though, and Tessa can’t figure it out. There is a feeling of desperation, of needing something hanging around Camilla. She shakes her head, as if shaking the thoughts out of it, “Never mind, it will all become clear once she moves in, no doubt.”

Tessa catches a glimpse of Brandon and Camilla as she leans over to one side. She sighs with an air of disappointment. Still no wedding garb! They finished the engagement ages ago, and Tessa has been expecting Camilla in a white wedding dress any moment. She dreams away then, imagining pretty Camilla in a white flowing dress, and Brandon in a tux. She smiles, yes, they’ll make a good looking pair. Both are dark haired, although Brandon looks a lot darker, because of his beard and his very dark brooding eyes. Tessa wished they got married; she does like Camilla in spite of this little niggle in the back of her mind. To have Camilla living in the house will be so much nicer. Camilla is completely taken up with Brandon, which doesn’t leave any girl time, Tessa thinks; when she lives here I might get to spend some time with her.

She feels puzzled though, “They spend so much time together, surely they will be almost at the level where the SiMobile Government will issue the Moving Permit without any problems? Why aren’t they doing the Wedding event? Is Brandon aiming for a top level relationship before asking Camilla to be his wife? I wouldn’t think that Brandon would wait that long…” Tessa bends over, wondering when she will have her Promotion papers, and whether her promotion will cause problems in the household. Being promoted means that she can find a husband, the thought making her shiver. Brandon has already been hinting that he will be able to find lots of his friends willing to marry a tiny slip of a girl like her… She hadn’t said anything at the time, but had left the room as quickly as she could without it looking like she was running away. She had made a b-line for the bathroom, and had been sick; the thought of one of Brandon’s cronies eyeing her up, leering at her, holding her hands… The though had been enough to make her lose her entire breakfast!

Tessa is startled out of her thought by the door of the hobby room being opened. Camilla comes in, carrying a red suitcase. Tessa forgets all about her yoga, and just stands there, staring at the suitcase. Why did Camilla bring a suitcase with her? SiMobile Government doesn’t normally allow overnight stays where you can bring a suitcase. Bedding down on a friend’s couch can happen, but to bring your overnight things along in a suitcase is a different story! Camilla smiles at her, an exuberant, glowing smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t disturb you,” she laughs, “we’ll be off in a minute anyway, just to finalise the last bits and bobs before our wedding.” And she’s off, before Tessa can even open her mouth.

Tessa sinks down on her mat, remembering just in time to stretch her leg out, just to make it look as if she is still engrossed in her yoga exercises. Her mind is spinning, and she struggles to catch her breath. Camilla is moving in? Before her actual wedding? Tessa is incredulous; she knows it happens a lot in SiMobile, people move in together all the time. Some people have very loose relationships with other Sims, having a child when they haven’t even had their first date at the café yet. She knows all that, but she had just never expected it of Camilla. You can tell that she comes from a very respectable family, and a very proper one. She has told them some stories about the Mortina Dynasty, and the faith of some of its members. Tessa had never once dreamed that Camilla would move in, like she just seems to have done! Tessa feels her eyes filling up, and before long tears make tracks down her cheeks, making her nose runny. She walks to the bathroom to blow her nose, and to pretend to have a shower, just so she can have a good cry. She feels so disappointed; somehow it has spoiled things, even though she would struggle to explain that to an outsider. To her it has marred the relationship. That is one of the ways that Tessa is different, she realises. “I just can’t see things in a relaxed way. I know I’m being fussy, and very old fashioned, but I can’t see it any other way. I believe that doing things properly is always best, the rest will lead to heartache and issues, I’m convinced of that,” she sobs, hot water running over her, washing away her tears, the warmth calming her down.

That afternoon Camilla and Brandon are walking round the house in their wedding outfits, looking as handsome as a pair can look, their faces glowing with happiness. Tessa has to smile at them, in spite of her disappointment; they just look so beautiful! The way the stand together under the wedding arch, holding hands and smiling into each other’s eyes… The way they dance slowly to the music…Tessa’s heart melts, and she sheds happy tears this time. She prays for their happiness to last; for peace in their marriage; for blessings to multiply each day and on and on Tessa prays, wishing them all the good things she can think of.

As soon as the wedding is over Brandon returns to work. He has taken a lot of time off, in order to spend time with Camilla. Not that he has achieved his goal he needs to go back to his job in the restaurant. Camilla is left behind, looking a bit forlorn. She realises that she misses her family, she confides to Tessa. “There are so many of us, it being an old family home. Most Mortina families have multiple children, so the house is just never quiet.” She starts to giggle, and when she sees Tessa’s confused face, she giggles even more. “You see, my parents had a bit of a scheme going. They needed to put some ancient Injustice straight, so they decided that the way to do so would be by having as many children as there are letters in the alphabet. So I was number three, Camilla, you know. I have two older brothers, Albert and Daniel. The problem was that my aunt and uncle were getting upset, as the bassinet was always filled with my parent’s babies. In the end they talked to my mum and dad, and they agreed to just have one more child, which was Zahra, my little baby sister.” And Camilla’s laughing face sobers then, remembering her sweet little sister, just staggering round the Mortina home…

Tessa laughs as well, imagining Camilla’s family… It mases her wonder though, so she asks, “Did they mind you moving out, and, well, and moving out without being married I mean?” She blushes a bit, as the question sounds so judgmental, but she would like to know what the people in Camilla’s large family thought of it. She worries for a moment that she has gone too far, and made Camilla feel offended, as Camilla doesn’t immediately answer the question. She is staring out of the window, her mind clearly back with her family. Then she smiles again, and the old Camilla reappears.

“Yes, they did mind. In fact, my parents were very upset, and so were my aunt and uncle. My uncle is from a Norse family, and although they are quite easy going in that respect, he felt I should have been different, as I belonged to the Mortina family. You see, my family is very old fashioned, holding on to morals, and their faith very much dictates their actions.” She pulled a bit of a face then, clearly not approving, and Tessa feels very sad all of a sudden. So Camilla’s family would maybe accept her, but it doesn’t look like Camilla will have much time for her views and concerns! She glances at Camilla’s clothes, and suddenly feels her lips trembling. Camilla got changed out of the wedding dress as soon as the event was over, and is now wearing a short top and mini skirt.

She catches Tessa’s glance and her face lights up, her family’s disapproval a thing of the past, it seems. “Do you like my top?” She asks, eyes shining, “I just got it this afternoon, as present from Brandon, for he knew I was desperate to have it! I just love it!” and with one hand she strokes her bare midriff, making Tessa cringe. “It just feels so light, and I feel so special in it. It makes me really feel liberated, and glamorous. Although,” and her face clouds over for a moment, “although I didn’t like some of the comments from the other guys. You know, Brandon’s dodgy friends…” Camilla pulls a face, a disgusted face; just thinking about Brandon’s friends gives her goose bumps. Whatever has he got those friends for, she wonders, and where did he find them!

She turns back to Tessa, feeling a little annoyed with the girl’s obvious disapproval. “I like to wear things like this, and to feel I’m free,” she says, her tone a little sharper and more defensive than she meant for it to be, “all my life I had to wear modest clothes, and I just wanted to be…well, not slutty of course, I’m not like that. I just wanted to know what it feels like to be really attractive, and to have men appreciate you. I must admit that men staring at me creeps me out though, I’m obviously more of a Mortina than I thought, hahaha.” She laughs, and Tessa has to smile in spite of her upset, for Camilla really has a great laugh. “Inherited from my mum, I’m afraid,” she grins, when Tessa tells her how she loves her laugh…

Soon, Camilla seems to have lost the ability to laugh though… For the very next day he brings his work colleague home. Her name is Brooklyn, and she has large cat like eyes and hair that is dyed pink. She looks at Camilla with her slanted eyes gleaming, and even has the audacity to chat to Camilla as if they are friends, before disappearing with Brandon to fill the bassinet! Camilla is heartbroken, and struck down with grief. Tessa tries to comfort and support her, but Camilla is just overwhelmed with grief. Tessa herself isn’t feeling much better, and she can feel her hatred against her brother growing inside. To bring Brooklyn home, and to betray his wife so utterly and totally just leaves her stunned. Poor Camilla! Brooklyn goes as soon as the baby is born, and Brandon acts as if nothing has happened. In the end, Camilla can’t stand it any longer, and Tessa sees her marching up to Brandon’s room to confront him. Tessa makes herself scarce; she hates confrontations…

The house is large enough, but the walls are thin, so Tessa can’t escape their raised voices. “Darling, you don’t understand,” Brandon’s voice sounds calm and tired, as if speaking to an ignorant child. “It is important that we have beautiful children; I’m an artist, I need to surround myself with beautiful things. So Brooklyn is my concubine, not my mistress. Mistress sounds so common, and dirty, and secretive. She is my concubine, and you’re my wife, and my life is complete, for beauty encompasses me. You’re artistic too, so surely you understand what I mean. When I turned up for work there was this new co-worker. Have you seen her eyes? They are so unusual, so I knew I just had to bring her home. We’re married, nothing will change that, so I don’t quite know what your problem is. I promise that as soon as the bassinet is empty you and I will fill it, alright?” Tessa hadn’t heard Camilla’s reply, as she had to run to the bathroom. She only just made it, and was sick until she thought her stomach would turn itself inside out. “How absolutely disgusting; how dreadful, oh, poor Camilla! What will her family think? I wonder if she will divorce Brandon…?”

Nothing of the sort happens and Tessa is shocked to see Camilla and Brandon laughing together, and even more horrified to see Camilla chatting to Brooklyn! They look as if they get on well, striking up a tentative friendship. Tessa can’t understand, and again she realises she is alone, with nobody to talk to; nobody at all who she could trust. All she could do was drag her weary body back to the yoga mat, and use the time to pray. Pray and cry, it was all she did these days, it seemed. Brooklyn was at the house a little more often, and Brandon was spending a lot of time with her. He hadn’t forgotten his promise to Camilla though, and as soon as Deborah becomes a toddler, Camilla and Brandon filled the bassinet.

Camilla smiles at Tessa’s upset face, and even gives her a hug. “Don’t worry about it, Tessa, it happens all the time in SiMobile… Lots of families live like this. In fact, Brooklyn can’t stand Brandon, but she has her own scheme to get him back. I’m a bit angry and admit I felt hurt at first, but I do agree with Brandon, that to get the right genetics, you need to be a bit openminded sometimes! Personally I don’t really care much for her huge cat eyes, but Brandon thinks they are so special, he just wants to have them mixed with his dark eyes… he knows you’ll be promoted soon,” Camilla continues, a sly smile making her face look very different. “He says you’re the marrying type, so as soon as you have married he wants Brooklyn to move in!” Camilla can’t continue, as Tessa has literally fled the room in tears. She goes to find her after a while, rolling her eyes over the girl’s sensitivity. “Those tears appear at the drop of hat,” she thinks to herself, “I hope she has calmed down by now!”

Tessa has calmed down, and Camilla tells her as a matter of fact that Brooklyn has a plan… Once she has moved in she will start a relationship with her lover. As both she and the young man she fancies are Townies it is impossible to have a relationship. SiMobile doesn’t allow two Townies to get together. Once she has moved in she will no longer be a Townie though, so she is using Brandon to have her own way… Camilla thinks it’s brilliant, beating Brandon at his own game, and is exasperated when Tessa cries even more. “Can’t you see how wrong it is?” The slender girl cries, “You can’t make a right out of two wrongs, and it’s definitely wrong! I don’t care that loads of families do it; that doesn’t make it right at all. I know Brandon is…is horrible, but surely that is not an excuse to do this…this evil scheme! Can’t you all see the grief and sadness and heartache this family has and will have in the future?”

Camilla looks at Tessa with astonished eyes, and says, “No, I can’t! You’re the only one, to be honest; we’re all having a great time! It’s called freedom; we all do whatever we like, wear what we enjoy, and just make friends and relationship that are free of restrictions and narrowminded rules!”

She walks off, feeling that Tessa is hopelessly old fashioned, and stuck in her narrow world view. Tessa lies back down, and weeps bitter tears, her heart breaking over her family’s brokenness. She knows grief and heartache will be there. There is spitefulness and jealousy already. Brooklyn and Camilla get on quite well, but it sickens Tessa the way they both vie for Brandon’s attention. He sits there, like the king, and both of them hover around him, waiting on him hand and foot. There will be fighting between the children as well, and.. “Lord, it’s all so wrong, and soon I will be promoted, and…and the idea of one of Brandon’s friends flirting with me… I really can’t do this anymore Lord, please…” Just before she drifts off to sleep, worn out from crying, the words of the hymn she heard last week floats into her semi consciousness, calming her, comforting her more than anything else can. “Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.” Then sleep overtakes her, and Tessa sleeps, a peaceful smile now round her sweet lips, her black curly hair framing her little pixie face.

Camilla

“Mum, when will you two retire? Surely the Gems will be here soon, so how long after that will you step down?” Camilla’s beautiful face is spoilt by the pout; she looks at her mum expectantly. Miriam laughs, but is doesn’t sound anything like her loud, hearty one. It is a rather sad one, the hurt vibrating through it, as she looks at her eldest daughter. Several sons have gone and left the house already, making their own way in SiMobile. Ursula has gone as well, and now Camilla is desperate to go, but not into the unknown, but to the Snow household. Camilla heard about Brandon, and very early on she has been promised to him in marriage, an arrangement both parents agreed to. Now she is grownup, and impatient to join him, going as far as to ask her mum and dad to step down sooner rather than later!

Miriam sighs, she loves her children, and although in a way she knew this day would come, what with their crazy scheme of populating SiMobile with young people, it still grieves her. She is happy that at least Camilla has a wedding arranged; back to Miriam’s own family home no less! Saying goodbye will still be excruciating though, especially saying goodbye to her daughter. Zahra will still be here, of course, but that thought doesn’t cheer her up too much. Zahra is single, and no young man or his parents have come forward… She never realised how sad this time of her life would be, and how reluctant she would be to let go! In a way she is excited about retirement, but that excitement fades into the background now that she is confronted with the losses that accompany her retirement.

“I don’t know, sweetie, I still have things I like to finish. I know your dad has finished his goals, so he might be more inclined to go straight after Gems arrive. You could ask him,” she says, then wished she could swallow those words back down, as Camille walks off, looking very determined! She finds her dad, and asks him straight out, her face emotionless, totally oblivious to the distress this question brings! All Camilla can think of is the changes she would like to make, and the opportunities she has once she is made Active.

Samuel Vince Mortina looks at his beautiful daughter, and sadness changes his whole face, as he knows what the question means. Is he really ready? Ready to leave the active position, ready to accept that he has done his share in the Mortina Dynasty? Has he really fulfilled his destiny, and restored Justice? He sighs, just like Miriam; when he finishes his shift, his last ever shift, he goes home, looking for his wife. They hug, Miriam has a little cry and Samuel looks like he could do with one himself… “I will accept, love, for I know that Brandon Snow is having his party soon, and Camilla will need to make sure she gets in early… I hope he will be good for her, good to her as well. I know he is related to you, but I have heard that he is a bit of a hippie…I hope Camilla will remember us, and will stay in touch, somehow!”

So Samuel Vince Mortina accepts his retirement papers, turning grey, stooped and old straight away. Camilla’s face lights up, and she can’t wait for the promotion papers to come through, so she can choose an outfit, get a bit of makeup on and just make her own choices! She has it all worked out, studied her mum’s wardrobe so she knows what to wear. To her horror, and everyone else’s in the family, Camilla has a bout of Llama Flu as soon as her promotion comes through! There she is, looking like a Weeble, just as many friends have done recently; no chance of choosing clothes: she’ll be lucky to survive! No man, not even Brandon, would be the slightest bit inclined to marry her… Miriam gasps, and clutches her grey headed husband, doing her best to swallow down the hysterics she can feel worming its way out of her throat… Together they manage to put a brave face on it all, and after some simple treatment Camilla is as well as can be expected! The whole family breathes a sigh of relief that is was the Weebles Strain, and not the Pink Blob one, as that one is so much harder to cure! Camilla cries big tears of gratitude, especially as she hears via a card that Brandon had suffered the same fate, but fully recovered as well. She is so happy, she hugs her mum, dances around, even dresses quite conservatively, like all the Mortinas down the ages have done. Her relief is sweet to see. She can’t wait to meet Brandon, and drives Miriam to distraction with her restlessness; pacing up and down waiting for the party announcement…

The announcement comes, of course, and Camilla is the first guest to arrive, almost before the house is decorated for the party! The party is just to meet up of course, but it does put the whole family under considerable strain, as they are honourable enough to make sure it reaches Level ten status. Camilla is a little shocked by Brandon’s greeting. He doesn’t waste any time, but even outside the house, on the little strip of grass, he greets Camilla in a very flirtatious manner. She blushes wildly, and feels shy, hoping that if she is a bit reticent he will slow things down. Obviously, Brandon doesn’t get the hint, and he sticks to Camilla like a leech all during the party. He leaves the levelling up, the handing out of stickers and greeting the other guests over to his uncle and mum. Brandon clearly has a one track mind, and Camilla is starting to feel a little uncomfortable. She squirms, and gasps as he kisses her soundly in front of all the other party goers; strangers that she has never met before, she doesn’t even know their names! For that matter, even Brandon is like a stranger; she has only just met him after all.

Camilla goes home that night, totally overwhelmed; wondering if this arranged marriage is the biggest mistake ever. She looks at her parents, and envies the fun they have together. Even now, with her father all grey and stooped, her mother’s laugh still brightens up the entire Mortina home. Brightens it up like lightning during a thunderstorm, not once but time and time again. Camilla sighs, “Oh, I’m jealous…jealous of what my parents have! I do like Brandon, he is very arty and clever with a camera, but…but he is so intense! I just wanted to…” She stops, what is it she wanted? She stares ahead in the dark, trying to think back to before her promotion, but it’s all a blur. Probably an after effect from the Llama Flu, she sighs. She does know that things are not really going the way she expected. Brandon is so in her face, it drains her! His dark eyes staring at her with a burning intensity that makes her nervous, as she feels she might say the wrong thing!

She lies down, eyes glued to the ceiling, or where she knows the ceiling to be, rather. She thinks about her near future. Soon Brandon will propose, in fact, she is sure that the very next time she will see him he will start the Proposal event. She sighs, even before their official first date, the one everybody goes on at the little café, even before that he had brought their relationship to level three! He is very pushy, she thinks, and I wasn’t banking on that… My mum has firm ideas, and I thought I was getting my freedom by marrying an artist. Mum isn’t really pushy though, although she is usually very much in love with her own ideas. Brandon…well, Brandon insists on his ideas, in a nice way, but definitely insisting on them… Oh dear, this could be tricky!

The next morning Brandon proposes to her, and Camilla accepts, of course! She is excited as well, as Brandon seems to relax a little now their relationship level is going up steadily. Camilla has a shock when she pops back home though, for Miriam insists on her taking a job! Camilla drops down in the nearest chair, shock written all over her beautiful but proud face. “A job? You want me to take a job? Here, in town, today? Why? Why do I need a job, I mean, Brandon is already doing the Proposal, I’ll be at level eight before I would finish my job! Mum, really?” Miriam however is adamant, even though she is filling out the Acceptance forms for her own retirement.

“You must do all you can to help this family,” she says, voice more determined than Camilla has ever heard her before. “This family has been very good to us all; they took me in, even though at that time the Snow family had only just arrived. We were totally insignificant. They took me in, introduced me to friends, gave me stickers…” She has to swipe at her eyes there, realising that no more stickers will come her way! “You have met several of them, Uncle Magnus’ family for one, and my best friend Lucille Ball…Not to mention myriads of other wonderful and supportive friends. This home has been good to you too, Dad has allowed you to be Promoted, and it is the family’s loss when he did so. He had reached level ten, bringing in a steady income from hobbies and jobs. You don’t really think you can just sit around, twiddling your thumbs, waiting for your artist to come and carry you off on his white horse, do you?” Miriam’s blue eyes had been blazing by then, as Camilla’s face had become sulkier and sulkier during this tirade.

“What will I do? Work in the office, wearing that awful suit? I don’t want to be a doctor, not after… after the awful Llama Flu; what if I get infected at the hospital again, this time turning into a pink blob…” Her voice breaks, and tears roll down her well shaped face, for Camilla can switch the tap on at any given moment. Miriam is not impressed, as this trick has been used too many times now… “What about Daniel?” Camilla continues, tears switched off as she can tell they’re not making the right impression, “What about him? When is he going to get promoted, and are you forcing him to work too?”

Miriam sighs, “Goodness child, what a choice of words. It is important to contribute. You know we’re almost able to afford the next bit of ground to be cleared. It will be good to be part of that, to share the burden. Yes, Daniel will be promoted as soon as his papers arrive, just in case he meets his betrothed. You know he has been promised to Giada… Both of you will soon be gone as well and we’ll be alone, save for Zahra… Of course, Daniel will work too, he wants to be the photographer.”

Camilla wails straight away, “Ooooh, mum! I wanted to be the photographer! You can wear your own clothes, and you get to meet lots of important people! That is so unfair, why was Daniel allowed to be the photographer, why did nobody ask me if I wanted to have that career…?” Tears appears as if by magic again, and Miriam waits patiently, even though she feels like rolling her eyes, and shaking the spoilt girl! Camilla finally finishes off with a few sniffs, and says, “Well, in that case, I’ll do the fashion career. I’m good at fashion, and I might even be made a model, who knows! Serves Daniel right if he has to do a complete photoshoot of just me!” Miriam pulls a face, knowing that the likelihood is extremely remote…!

Off to work they go, the newly promoted Daniel, with his beautiful face, dark eyebrows and smiling eyes, and the sulky looking Camilla. Daniel reminds her a little of Brandon, because of their longish hair, although Brandon’s isn’t as neatly kempt as Daniel’s hair. Daniel loves his job, taking pictures everywhere. Camilla doesn’t enjoy her work, or any work for that matter! She is just filling in time, waiting for their relationship to progress. She doesn’t have to wait long. Brandon is in a hurry it seems, and even before the wedding the official SiMobile Government Moving Permit arrives. Camilla’s parents and aunt and uncle gasp; they can’t believe she will move in without being married to Brandon! Camilla doesn’t mind, doesn’t care, as her only concern is to start a new life, as she keeps telling herself, and her bags are packed; she is ready to go, ready for her new life as Mrs Snow, being an adult in her own right, choosing a hobby, doing what she wants, wearing what she wants! “I can’t wait,” she whispers in her room whilst packing her few personal belongings, “I can have all the makeup I want, wear whatever I want, do whatever I want… I can’t get over it, it’s going to be amazing! I can’t wait to ditch this top for one, it’s so stiff and starchy!”

The first thing Camilla does at the Snow’s house is change her outfit. That is, after the quick treatment for the repeat bout of Llama Flu, the Weebles variety again, fortunately. Both Brandon and Camilla were quite relaxed about the Flu this time, trusting the treatment. Fortunately for them, the treatment worked. Camilla appears again, wearing a short top, showing her bare midriff…unheard of in the Mortina household. Nobody ever, in the entire Mortina Dynasty, has ever showed bare midriffs… Camilla feels great, the cool breeze on her stomach a totally new thing. The first thing Brandon does when Camilla moves into the Snow residence is to start the wedding Event, Camilla secretly feeling relieved…

Miriam is chatting to Eva, a close relative of Brandon; Eva being Eva Mortina before her marriage into the Snow family. Eva pulls a face, and Miriam suddenly remembers Eva’s childhood nickname of Miss Stroppy, and thinks to herself that nothing seems to have changed on that score! Eva sighs, and says, clearly doing her best to be tactful, “Camilla moved in as you know, and Brandon started the wedding event. Fortunately, they can just do the event, not the entire Quest, like Paul and I had to do… Camilla seems to be alright, she changed her clothes straight away, obviously making a statement. Mind you, I think it backfired a little… She was crying and complaining to Brandon’s mum how all the guys make comments, pat her back, give her funny looks and what have you… I don’t think she realises she is sending out a dodgy message with her dress code. Of course, those guys are wrong, but sending out the wrong message is…well, it’s the wrong message, isn’t it!”

Miriam leans against Samuel that evening, looking sad, feeling weary. “Do you think she will be alright?” she asks, and she puts her hand on her heart, as she feels that each day another shard splinters off, shrinking her heart; hurting her heart… Samuel smiles at her, hugs and elbows her at the same time. They would have had a wild game, using cushions, rolled up newspaper, anything, but Zahra walks into the room, recently promoted! Her sweet face glows, and she is waving a note at them. They both sober up, and give Zahra their full attention.

Zahra shows them the note, and explains that she has been accepted in the Fashion studio, as an ASOS Fashionista. A position had come free in the atelier, as Camilla had left to move in with Brandon. What a difference, Miriam thinks, what a difference between my two girls… “This note is amazing news as well,” Zahra continues, “it’s from the Knight family. Their son…” she tears up, overwhelmed by happiness and excitement, “their son…he…he has indicated his willingness to marry me!” and she cries a flood of happy tears, hugging Miriam, and showing her the letter. Miriam is relieved, and hugs her back tightly! She reminds herself that all things are in God’s Hand, even her daughters’ lives, and that some people just have to learn the hard way that the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side… She is suddenly convinced that Camilla will be fine, and that it will all work out well. It might take time, some people are slow learners, but she is sure that Camilla will grow up in all respects, some time! As for Zahra, well, Miriam is bursting with happiness, and feeling blessed that she will be able to share in her happiness, at least for a while. Will she be around long enough to meet Zahra’s Beau…or will the retirement cake be served before then…

Miriam

She was absolutely sure that there was more cheese in the fridge. Miriam is standing in front of the fridge, a frown on her face. She checks the shelves again, and the more she looks the more she is convinced that a lot of the cheese has gone. She groans, just what she needed. She had sneaked into the kitchen in the dark, hoping to quickly grab a chunk, mainly to cheer her up. Now the cheese she was looking forward to is no longer there. “How strange,” she mutters, trying to think back to when she stacked the fridge. “I only stocked it just before the Cocktail Party…” her voice trails off, as she all of a sudden remembers some of the guests making multiple trips to the kitchen, coming out in giggles, and looking just a tiny bit guilty! “Oh well, I suppose I shouldn’t have it at night anyway. I have been so busy at this job, I haven’t done any yoga for a while either, so cheese is probably not the best idea anyway.”

Miriam hesitates, but decides to go back to bed, back to her thoughts. Slowly she makes her way through the silent house, relieved that everyone is asleep. Explaining midnight snacking is always a bit embarrassing, she grins, and I don’t really feel like talking to anyone either. Here the grin melts away, replaced by a worried frown. “I just don’t know what’s wrong with me, I’m so tired these days!” Miriam had complained to her best friend, Lucille Ball. “I just don’t have any energy, everything takes so long, and I’m just ready to go to bed as soon as I come home. Last night I didn’t even want to go to the party. I went, of course, but I really had to make myself!”

Lucille had sympathised, and listened to Miriam, her eyes looking worried as she listened. This was not the friend she had come to know and enjoy! They used to have such good times together, and now Miriam looked all sad and dejected. What was going on? Of course, Lucille managed to draw Miriam out of whatever mood it was that she was struggling with at the moment, and soon the two of them are laughing again. Miriam’s dancing always makes Lucille double up with laughter, and soon Miriam seems the old Miriam again.

Miriam knows better though, and that evening in bed, she thinks about it, a big frown which changes her whole face, very unlike her! “Something is wrong with me, I just know it. Maybe it’s llama flu, or something else, but I’m not myself at the moment. I am just so tired, my legs won’t move. My job at the Club is driving me nuts, it’s getting boring now. It’s mainly elderly people who come to dance, and only when Lucille turns up is it great to be there. Zahra is will be a toddler soon…” and suddenly Miriam finds tears dripping on her pillow! “My life is just so empty, and it used to be so much fun! I don’t know what has happened!”

Samuel has noticed as well, and he is worried. “Are you alright?” he asks one evening, when it’s just the two of them in the house. They are sitting in the lounge of the Granny Annexe, where it is a lot quieter. A lot of their children are grown up, so they help keep an eye on the little ones. “I just noticed that you seem a bit quieter, so I was wondering about you,” he explains, “I just thought of it, as you looked really tired coming in here.” Miriam snuggles up, elbowing him at the same time, causing Samuel to groan and protest, and soon they’re both laughing, poking and tickling. When they finally stop, both completely out of breath, Miriam sits up, brushes her wild black hair out of her face, and sighs. This sobers up Samuel Vince quicker than anything else!

Miriam leans against him, and both are very quiet for a moment, rather unheard of with them! Then Miriam starts, sounding tired now, “Yes, I have been so tired. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s Llama Flu, who knows. Lots of our friends have had relatives affected by it. It just seemed to have come suddenly, and I don’t feel like anything at the moment.” Samuel doesn’t know what to say to this, so they sit together for a while. Miriam suddenly continues, “It started just before we had that talk with Magnus and Esther. In fact, just before Lucille told me she was going to accept retirement after the next Gems.”

This makes Samuel sit up, and hug her tightly, “Oh my dear, crazy darling,” he gushes, big grin back in it’s usual place. “You’re just feeling down, that’s all! It’s a case of the blues, and not surprising either! You get on with Lucille really well, so her retirement would be very sad. Then we decided to retire soon after her announcement and after the meeting with Magnus and Esther. That meeting was a bit upsetting too, as we had sort of hoped to have another string of babies… We agreed to just one more, so that probably didn’t help your mood!”

Miriam laughs, suddenly, her loud, wild laugh, filling the Annexe with it’s rich sound. “You know, you could be right! How silly of me… I do feel very sad about so many things, and I think all the bad news has drained me. I will miss Lucille dreadfully, which is why I’m actually happy to retire after we get our Gems. I just never realised how boring the job in the Club was going to be! It looked so exciting, you know, the lights and music, people coming in to dance…turns out it’s mostly retired people, some of them still trying to trick others into giving them stickers! I think they should be banned from the club if they do that! There is not much to do either, just play the music, or talk to people. I thought I’d be partying all the time!”

Miriam feels the grey, heavy cloud lifting a little for the first time. Yes, she thinks, it’s just the blues, but soon I will be retired! I’m quite excited about that actually, I’m just too tired and down at the moment. She thinks about the bassinet and their wild scheme, and before she knows it, giggles are bubbling up. She turns to Samuel and says, “You know, when we were thinking of ways to Restore Justice to your ancestor, what’s his name again? Thomas? No…Chris! That’s it, Chris, well, remember we were thinking of lots of plans. I still think we had the best plan! I mean, that guy Gregory at the Club, he’s absolutely ancient. All he does is scrubbing that table. He really is hopeless, and so are some of the other ones staggering round town. The Government would never have allowed an old people’s home though, would they. After your final birthday cake they frown on relatives contacting their elders that have moved out.”

This is true, and it’s the one thing that all retired people dread. It’s not so much the grey hair, the stooped shoulders and the aimless wandering; it’s the fact that after some time, a birthday cake will be presented, which is when you have to leave the home. Your family cannot contact you again, although some friends and relations still can. The Government obviously wants families to be forward looking, not stuck in the past, but surely a family should be allowed to keep in touch! Miriam feels the grey cloud descending again, thinking about never seeing her family again. Never seeing her best friend Lucille again…or maybe she will actually, and the sun comes out again. In fact, they might even be in the same apartment block. If so… and Miriam’s overactive party mind sets to work straight away. Samuel groans, he knows that look…!

“I still think our plan was best,” he says, trying to get Miriam out of crazy planning mode, “I love our children, and I’m sure they’ll make a difference. I’m sure it really was a fitting way of restoring Chris, and of course Vincent as well. I had to repair past injustices for two, which we did!” They laugh, and Samuel says, more dreamily, “Twenty six children would have been amazing though, imagine the impact! They would have had to move out of course whilst they were still quite young…”

Miriam looks at him, and she feels the ground sinking beneath her, as the reality of that statement sinks in. Somehow it had never entered her head; she just thought it was a bit of a laugh having children in alphabetical order, sending them into SiMobile to replace the NPCs there… The consequences of the scheme never registered with her. Until now, that is. Her precious children will need to move out. She will never see them again, unless she bumps into them by accident. They will leave, she will retire, so she has no way of communicating with any of them! She can feel panic starting to wriggle in her stomach, and actually lies her hands on her stomach to keep the fear under control. “My children!” she gasps to Samuel “My children, and I will have to say goodbye to them forever! Where will they go, what will they do now?”

Samuel Vince realises that Miriam is really upset, and he hugs her, and tries to comfort her. “I’m sure some of them will be married off. How about your sister’s children, they will need spouses won’t they? And how about my cousin Eva, she has got at least one child, hasn’t she? So maybe some could marry their children? There might be some friends who will need spouses. Anyway, there are plenty of flats available, and they’re all very good in landing on their feet!”

Miriam stares ahead, thinking about the coming days, and how she will need to say goodbye to her children. “What about the Dynasty?” she suddenly asks Samuel, and he looks surprised. “Will any of our children be eligible for the Dynasty at all? Or do they just take siblings? Maybe one of the girls could be nominated, or whatever you do to stay in the house…”

Samuel agrees, and explains about the family meeting they usually have. “When the Gems are out, or almost out, we have a large Family Meeting, and we decide on the future of the Dynasty. Two people can take over the house. That could be brother and sister, or cousins. What we did in Eva’s case was that she was promoted, she got married to Paul, and moved in with your parents. Once she left, I was promoted, and I then got to know you!” Another wild interlude follows, and when they’re all calm and trying to catch their breath again, Samuel says, “I think one of the girls should be promoted, really. Maybe Zahra; as she is the youngest, she won’t have much time to prepare herself for an independent life. Camilla is so pretty, and energetic, maybe she ought to marry into your family? Does your sister have a boy? Maybe Eva has a boy… We could do the same thing, promote Camilla, till she has moved in with your relatives, and then promote Zahra… She will need a good husband though. We’ll have a look round…”

Miriam feels a little better, it is helpful to make plans, she finds; the future doesn’t look so bleak when you plan ahead. The idea of Camilla marrying one of her relatives pleases her as well. That way, she will feel her little girl will be looked after. Zahra is special, as she is the last of her children. As she was the last, Miriam took more pains over the name. It had to be a ‘Z’ of course, but she wanted a name with meaning. The other children’s names had been rather random, but this last baby had to be special. It felt so final, and Miriam spent a long time studying names, feeling them on her tongue, checking them for meaning. When she came across ‘Zahra’ she fell in love with the name. Zahra, meaning Dawn in Hebrew…just perfect! The Dawn of another phase, another sphere in SiMobile. Dawn, bringing light, and hope and a new day. She felt sad about closing the chapter, but this last special baby reminded her constantly, that ‘weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning’; yes, she would cling to that, whenever the grey clouds suppressed her. She would cling to that thought, rather than the thought that she had missed out on another eighteen children…

Miriam manages, but still finds it hard to be as upbeat as she always was. She still meets up with Lucille whenever she can though, but some days she feels too tired and down to even talk to anybody. It is on days like that, when she doesn’t even fancy a party, that Esther goes to the parties. Esther doesn’t mind, she isn’t much of a party goer, but she doesn’t shy away from them either. As the bassinet will be free any moment now, Esther feels like partying anyway! They will finally have their family, finally have a child!

So Esther gets dressed up, goes to the parties, meets and makes friend; eventually Miriam decides to go, as she hears the last party is at Lucille’s house, a Special Ball. Both girls dress up in smart outfits, and Miriam is relieved when she finally makes it to Lucille’s house. She gasps, as the house has got a huge ballroom, and Lucille is there, waiting, smiling… Miriam rushes over to her friend, and they chat, and plan, and together they are determined to shake up all the old people around town.. Just wait till the Gems arrive, then trouble will begin, they both smile, looking like the conspirators that they are… SiMobile beware!

Bright and Beautiful

Paul and Eva have been engaged for ages, it seems. Esther keeps a close eye on the calendar, as she just wants to get to her own wedding day! There have been a few changes in SiMobile, and this always causes problems. Paul’s family is new in town, so Paul and Eva will be the first to get married in their household. This means that they will have to do the main Marriage Quest, an event that last for ever it seems. As Paul’s family is new, there are no tricks to speed up the process either! Eva grumbles every evening about the length of time each step takes.

“We looked at outfits, we looked at menus. Now we have to look at both again! It’s just never ending… All we want to do is get married and have a life. Why does everything have to be so hard? His parents are getting on, so Paul’s dad is actually ready to retire whenever we get married. The Proposal event went really quickly, but now it’s just one thing after another! Their bathroom is terrible, as they are new, so even a shower doesn’t make you feel that much better!”

Yes, Eva is definitely Miss Stroppy these days, hoping to turn into Mrs Stroppy soon, Esther grins to herself. Well, good luck to Paul, although he seems quite a happy, calm sort of guy. He needs to be too, there is no way they can replace walls or windows, so hopefully he will be able to keep Eva in a good mood. Then they get the wonderful news, the wedding has started! Not long now, Esther sighs a great sigh of relief, not long, and about time too! I wasn’t sure how much longer I could wait!

The day after Eva’s wedding her Permit arrives, and Eva spends the rest of the day snapping and packing, looking stressed in her rush to get out. “I didn’t realise we were that awful?” says Samuel, smiling, although his eyes are just a little darker green than usual. He must be annoyed, to let it get to him! “I have never seen anyone leave this home in such a rush! Paul must be amazing, or his house is like a palace, or…” He stops, for Eva has turned round, her face red, eyes glaring at everyone.

“No, it’s not this house, it’s not this family, it’s this town!” she hisses, surprising everyone with her anger! “We have been doing this wedding event for days and days, just to get married. On top of that, so many things have changed in SiMobile. We heard that it’s almost impossible to have a honeymoon baby now! First you have to do a baby event, and you have to attend all sorts of classes, buy stuff, do events. Then, in order to actually have the baby you need enough tickets to do so, just to prove that you can actually look after a baby! What has SiMobile come to, that they now want all prospective parents to prove themselves! I know there has been a lot of goings on in this town, and some families have more children than they should have. It’s just a silly rule, that will favour the rich and powerful, like…like…well, you know, friends we know of…!”

Eva stops then, going a brighter shade of red, realising that one of the families she was thinking of is her own father’s family, and as Samuel’s mother is her dad’s cousin, it means she grew up in the same house. The others just stare at her, too shocked for a moment to say something that isn’t going to come out all wrong. Samuel laughs, not one of his hilarious laughs though, a funny dry, short laugh. “Ha, you mean like our friends to whose parties we have been? I mean, the parties that you have been to? Like the party recently, where Esther met Magnus? Those sort of friends, with those sort of houses, you mean?”

Eva actually looks down, looking ashamed now. “I am sorry, I really am. It’s just, well…I just…” Eva stops, and swipes her eyes! Eva, the hard as nails Eva is actually crying! It is Samuel’s turn now to blush, and he hands Eva a tissue. “You see, Paul and I were so desperate to get married. We knew we had to do the official quest, and that it would take time. It just hadn’t registered how much time! I felt so bad, for I know Esther has been so looking forward to getting married, and I know you have spent lots of time with Miriam… When we finally got married, we were just looking at the…next ehm…step, and then,” tears start rolling again, and Eva mops away with the rather soggy tissue. “Well, we soon realised that in order to have children, there is a whole boatload of new events, new regulations and boxes to tick! The tickets are the worst, they are hard to get…”

Poor Eva! Esther really feels sorry for her sister. She can understand the pressure although not once has Eva let on that she was trying to do things as fast as possible to help Esther. On the contrary, she kept repeating how important it is to do all steps properly, to not rush a wedding, to really enjoy each day as it comes… Esther sighs, typically Eva, little Miss Windup, she thinks. This business about the needed tickets is bad though, as a lot of young families will struggle! “Oh Eva, how difficult it must be! Don’t worry, everything will work out for the best, you’ll see! Nothing happens by chance, God is in control.” A picture of a tiny silver hammer floats through her head and is gone, but the niggling worry stays behind.

Soon Eva’s bags are packed, and she says goodbye to them all. Moving to another family can be very hard, and soon the realise that the implications can be terrible. They can’t contact Eva, and she can’t contact them! How sad, only via family members can they keep in touch! Of course, many promises are made on that score! “Well, at least we don’t have to worry about extra quests, tickets and permissions!” says Samuel Vince, smiling around, but Esther did notice his quick look around to make sure Eva had definitely gone…

The house has space! It has gone very quiet, even though nothing much has changed, really! Mind you, Miriam makes up for any missing person, and is happy to fill any quiet moment. Samuel is clearly in love with her, and those two together are working on something, Esther is sure. Before Esther and Magnus have finished their events, Samuel Vince Mortina is strutting round the house in a blue tux, followed by a laughing and shrieking Miriam in a white dress. Their Wedding is Wild… Fortunately, Magnus and Esther have part of the event out of the house, at the Cub where Miriam works. It is very quiet at the club, making Esther giggle to Magnus, “No wonder it’s so quiet, Miriam is at the house!”

Esther thinks about the little hammer a lot; it still worries her. Magnus makes it sound as if it was just a family tradition, a family joke, but does he really see it that way? Esther smiles a little, “He really is a Viking, always talking about stuff he has done, things he can do, deeds to be done…almost as bad as Samuel with his Bringing Justice! He is a kind guy though!” Later that evening Esther is glad of Magnus and his Viking strength, for one of he guys at the Club is becoming a nuisance. Esther can feel herself getting flustered, and just wishes the man would go! Just when she thinks she will need to raise the alarm or something, there is a strong arm around her, and a deep voice challenges the annoying man.

“Leave the girl alone, you’ve done enough harm for one night, making a fool of yourself, annoying a lady. No go home, sleep it off, and behave yourself like a gentleman next time. You will be in serious trouble if I still see you in two minutes…” The man doesn’t need two minutes, and within a few seconds he has left the Club, heading towards the brand new bus stops Esther spotted on their way to the Club… Magnus turns her round, his face all smiles again, his voice still deep, but warm, rumbling, breathless… “You never worry about anything whilst with me, dearest Esther,” he commands, smiling, “I will take care of you, and I will make sure that nobody can harm you! Don’t worry about the guy, he won’t be back tonight. I love you, Esther, did I tell you already this last half hour?”

Esther laughs then, relieved that her Viking stepped up so nicely, and protected her. Relieved to see his caring face, and amused by his sweetness. “You only told me three times this half hour, you’re slipping!” She tells him, “Thank you, my dearest, for being my protector, I enjoyed that! I thank God for you every day; I thank him for your handsome face, and your strength, and your amazing warm heart…” She smiles at him, and is a little surprised and hurt to see his eyes darken a little, his broad smile slipping just a tad. “What is wrong? Have I said something to upset you?” she asks, quickly reviewing her words. What is it? She thinks, what did I say?

Magnus sighs, holds her a little tighter, and says, “I don’t quite get why you would thank God for me? I mean, our marriage was all arranged by our parents, we agreed, we met at the party, so why thank God? Also, I was the one that sent the guy packing. He ran off, because of me, not because God brought thunder down on him. I was here, at the Club, with you; you’re my fiancée, almost my wife. So of course I would come to your rescue, and I will always do so. It’s my duty and delight,” his smile is a bit broader, definitely his eyes look more mischievous, “definitely an delight, to protect you, to be with you, to keep you safe. You know, at home Bjorn and I used to do lots of wrestling. Well, you know how big he is, but I didn’t lose that often…!”

Esther giggles, men and their games… Then she turns serious again, because what he has said is serious, and she wonders how to explain, without offending him. She groans, “Lord, do I really need to explain all this? Can’t I just leave it, and explain another day, in another conversation, or can’t somebody else explain…?” She knows the answer though, and actually blushes a little for she feels a bit of a coward, backing out of an awkward conversation! “I know what you are saying, and I do understand. However, I believe God ordains things, brings things about, orders things right. So I truly believe that our meeting up, our arranged marriage, is a gift of God. You are a gift of God, and I love you even more because of that!”

She stops, wondering how Magnus will react. He is very quiet for a moment, thinking about her words, turning them round in his head, in his heart. Then he grins at her, “Well, I can definitely live with the idea of being God’s gift to you! That’s pretty cool, and does a lot for a man’s ego!” He hugs her, spinning her round and round, all serious talk forgotten, for the wedding is at the door, it will be a white dress for her, a tux for him…then they will be husband and wife!

The wedding is wonderful, even though it’s a formality in SiMobile but to Esther is the most wonderful of events, as it is an event done with Magnus. He looks incredibly handsome in his tux, and she feels like a princess in her white dress. The time speeds by, the event seems short because of its beauty and sweetness. Esther’s face aches from smiling, her eyes hurt from the camera flashes, her feet are sore for they danced too much, and the entire event wears her out. Magnus is over the moon, he loves his tux, but wears his red jacket for part of the event, explaining that the red looks great with her white dress!

Esther notices his eyes though, and it actually thrills her as well as making her nervous. Magnus watches her, a lot. Not just in the normal way, like he always does, with pride and joy shining in his big eyes, but more thoughtful at odd moments. Esther is secretly thrilled, for she can tell that he is actually thinking about the incident at the Club, and her explanation. She can tell that he watches her, to see how she lives out her words. This is what makes her nervous, for she knows how small things can really upset her. She tends to worry about small issues, knowing it’s wrong, but seemingly unable to stop herself from doing so.

The big test arrives soon after their glorious wedding. There is a small family celebration, as both Magnus and Miriam have been granted their Moving Permits, and both have walked in with huge suitcases. Now the four of them are sharing the big house, they decide to have a proper Wedding Reception. Miriam is very keen, “Ohhh, I love parties! My parents only had the one, just for Paul and Eva to meet, and for me to meet up with Samuel! It was a tiny party, hardly anywhere for guests to stand, the house is so minute!” Her head back, she roars with laughter, nudging Samuel with her elbow at the same time.

It takes a while before both have finished laughing, and then bit longer before they’re all ready to carry on the planning. Esther loves style, she loves long dresses, graceful garments, showing class. She prefers a wedding party where all the guests turn up in their best outfit, refined, pleasant, and for everyone to just have a wonderful time. Magnus doesn’t mind at all; he has been to all types of parties, his family do wild parties and classy parties, so as long as Esther is happy, well, he, Magnus is thrilled. That leaves Miriam and Samuel. It is Miriam who pipes up, making Esther gasp with her proposal, “Let’s have a really bright one, you know, a fun one! Everyone gets to wear whatever they want as long as it’s colourful, and just have a uproarious time!”

Samuel is laughing, and agrees straight away. Miriam and Samuel do a high five (really? Esther just about manages to stop the eye rolling) and cheer, and start discussing possibilities straight away. Esther hesitates, but decides to give it a shot, “Are you sure? I mean, don’t we normally wear a wedding gown type dress for the Wedding Reception? You see, it would make it feel more like a Reception, won’t it? Well, what I mean is, a lot of people wear really bright clothes anyway, they might want to wear something…chic…something stylish I mean…” She stops, blushing, struggling to sound upbeat, openminded, as if she is totally up for the weird and crazy, but just wanted to mention the…normal, proper option as well.

It doesn’t work; Miriam laughs her wild laugh again, and vetoes it straight off, “Nooooo, that’s so stiff and starchy, you don’t want that! Our friends love a bit of a laugh, don’t they? I mean, everyone knows that people in big houses get up to all sort of…hahahah…well, fun, for want of a better word! Let’s do it! I can’t wait, it’ll be hilarious!” Magnus watches Esther, she can feel his eyes, watching her, assessing her, remembering her bold words and great claims. So, if what she said is correct, then this is also in God’s control?

Esther struggles, she has to give in to the others and the party invites are sent out, calling the theme Bright and Beautiful. The last bit was a concession to Esther, as some people do like to dress up in style, even Miriam admitted that much. Esther has to think about this big question though, and she just finds a quiet spot, right behind the Granny Annexe. She sits down, feeling herself relax; the sun overhead warming her bones, the waves hitting the beach, calming her, restoring her. “Lord, I don’t understand. You said all things work to the good of those that love You. You promised that not a hair can fall off our head without Your knowledge. You said not a sparrow can hit the ground without Your consent. So how does that work with things like…like stuff I don’t want?”

Esther feels herself calming down, relaxing, peace rolling over her like the waves rolling over the nearby beach. The sound of the waves rolling, washing the beach, makes her think of her auntie’s favourite hymn, ‘When Peace Like a River…’ and she realises that it has a good part of the answer to her question. “Of course,” she whispers, “of course, it keeps repeating, ‘It is well with my soul’, so of course, part of the answer is that God doesn’t give us a perfect life on earth. The best is yet to come, and this world is a fallen world, so there will always be grief and evil. God is still in control though…”

Esther smiles, and rolls onto her front, feeling her face starting to have a familiar tightness, which means the sun is turning her skin a bright red. With the party coming up, that is not such a great thing to happen. “At least it will be bright,” she suddenly giggles, then her face lights up a bit more, “Yes! That’s it! Joseph! He actually explained to his brothers and told them that they meant the whole throwing-in-the-pit incident for evil, but God meant it for good! The incident brought Joseph to Egypt, got him into prison, ordered it so he got to meet the cupbearer and explain his dream, who remembered it rather late and that brought Joseph before Pharaoh to explain Pharaoh’s dreams, who made him governor of Egypt, which made Joseph save his family! Wow, what a long line of incidents, all terrible, sad, painful…but meant for good! All under God’s control…”

She smiles then, relieved that she has managed to work it out in her own heart; grateful for the quiet moment of reflection. Suddenly she finds herself looking forward to the Reception, wandering in her mind’s eye through her wardrobe, wondering if amongst her very sensible collection of clothes there will be something Bright! She finds herself rushing over to the house, caught up in the whole spirit of the party, looking forward to meeting the guests, showing off her amazing husband, dreaming of, no trusting in, a Bright and Beautiful future…

Growing closer

Even good parties have to end, some sooner than others. Esther is just so relieved that she managed to meet Magnus at his own home, however daunting it was! It is nice to meet at parties, she thinks, meeting somebody amongst friends and family, although I wished it had been somewhere private really. Esther is sitting in the lounge, photobook on the brand new coffee table made of beautiful light coloured wood, matching the wooden floor. She sits there, looking at recent pictures. She strokes the pictures of her and Magnus, grinning, remembering her nervousness, and Magnus’ kindness. It seems so long ago, for so many things have happened. She chuckles when she remembers the first date at the café.

“I thought we would never get away,” she whispers, smiling broadly, when she sees the next picture, “the party went on for ages, and I was so nervous! Björn was there, watching, and lots of other friends and relatives… we managed to leave together though, and how wonderful the date was!” The café had not been too busy, so they actually got a table, rather than just sing, talk to he plant and check mugs. Her smile fades a tiny bit, for it was in the cafe’s bright light, sitting opposite Magnus at a tiny table that she managed to get a good look. She loved his smiling face, his kind eyes, and his broad shoulders. It was his hair…she hadn’t quite realised how blue his hair was… he had even dyed his eyebrows and stubble!

Esther hadn’t said anything, of course not, but a tiny shiver had rocked her heart. She looks at the pictures in front of her; Magnus in his bright red jacket, and blue beard and eyebrows. She sighs a little, as it feels so petty! He is such a wonderful young man, so helpful and kind, and here she is, moaning about his hair colour. It is just that I imagined him as a Viking, she thinks, smiling a sad smile now. I have let my imagination run away with me again!

She turns the pages of the album, the pages of her heart as well, for she has to move on from these feelings, somehow! She looks at her phone, looks at the door. Magnus will be here any minute now. She feels her heart skipping a bit faster, her breath speeding up just by thinking about him. He really is a great guy, she thinks, her smile growing with anticipation. Miriam has already arrived, to spend time with cousin Samuel. She can hear them in the kitchen, stirring something to eat no doubt, as well as stirring up trouble… Miriam’s raucous laughter can be heard all through the house. Esther looks at the album, biting her lip. Is Miriam really the right person for Samuel Vince? Samuel likes a joke, he is quite noisy himself, laughs a lot, but Miriam takes it to a completely new level!

“I’m glad my Viking is a lot more refined,” she thinks smugly, “he just knows how to behave towards a girl!” Then she remembers her first meeting, and how she had heard him laugh from the next room. Esther giggles to herself, “Oops I think I’m biased! His laugh is not coarse though, it’s a good manly laugh!” She can hear the door being opened, and quickly puts the album away and gets up to smooth her clothes before briskly walking up to the main doors. Magnus’ smile grows very bright indeed when he sees his girl, his Esther. He hugs her, almost lifting her off the ground! He goes to say hello to Samuel Vince and Miriam, before having some tea with Esther.

She watches him, and notices how well he gets on with Samuel. They both laugh, and chat, standing straight, making themselves bigger and taking a wide stance, like sailors on a moving ship. She can’t hide the grin, until she sees Miriam watching the men as well. Miriam is laughing her wild laugh, and sidles up to Samuel Vince, tugging his arm to get him closer. She doesn’t take her eyes off Magnus though, and Esther all of a sudden feels something like panic starting up in her chest. “Hands off,” she whispers to herself, glaring at Miriam, who looks back with her bright blue eyes, laughs loudly, tosses her black hair over her shoulder, and drags Samuel out of the kitchen. “Come on, Samuel, let’s go. Where were we? Was the proposal next, or were we still on the last short event?”

Magnus sees Esther’s upset face, and laughs, taking her in her arms. “Ignore them,” his voice rumbles in her ear, “she’s just winding you up! Samuel will have to watch her, she’ll run rings round him! It’s much more important that we remember where we got to last time, don’t you think?” He turns her round, so she is facing the kitchen counter, and whispers’ “You promised me your favourite pudding. Don’t you realise that a man’s love goes via his stomach?”

Esther feels her heart becoming closer to Magnus every day. He is great to be with, listens well to her chatter, and is so patient! Samuel likes him as well, although when he tells Esther what he and the lads get up to, she wonders if they are really talking about the same Magnus… Esther loves how Magnus takes charge, making her feel cherished and cared for. He opens the door for her, guiding her through it with a strong but gentle hand. She smiles to herself, yes, she has fallen for him alright! “You are everything I need in another person,” she confides in him that afternoon, when she is trying to hide her clammy hands on the sofa. She really wants to explain to him how she feels for him, but doesn’t want to go all weepy on him! “You see, I get so worried about things; what people think of me, and if I have upset somebody, or if my work is good enough… I know it’s silly and I know that in Jesus I’m perfect, and the only thing that really matters is how God sees me. I forget, though, and I start worrying about little things, never feeling good enough…” she stops, as she knows that if she carries on, her tears would come.

Magnus smiles his extra kind smile, and gives her a squeeze. “Don’t worry so much; you are a wonderful person, and you have so much strength and courage, nobody will be able to get you down!” Esther looks at his strong face, and smiles back; she has too! Something inside her wobbles though, for she knows that nobody is perfect of themselves; there is nobody in the world that you can trust all the time for all things. Every person is fallible, had faults, issues, failures… She looks at her strong, brave Viking, and feels a little sadness spring up, like a tiny warning sign, reminding her that even her handsome Viking will not do for everything. “God, you’re my all, my everything, my Peace, my ultimate Protector, and I am grateful for this wonderful man, who is such a special gift!”

Magnus seems to have forgotten the incident with Miriam within minutes of them leaving the kitchen, helped by Esther’s pudding no doubt, but Esther is worried. That Miriam, honestly, you never now what the girl will do next. She isn’t one for hanging around either, and before Esther and Magnus have finished all the events necessary, Miriam and Samuel Vince Mortina are officially engaged! Esther is very upset; she manages to hide this from Samuel who comes to tell her the exciting news, his smile almost as wide as Miriam’s. At least he is kind about it, and says, much quieter, “You and Magnus will get there soon as well. Also, you know that Magnus’ Moving Permit will have top priority, because of his family? Miriam’s parents are new in town, and they’re not even married, they didn’t have the money. Eva has just received her Moving Permit, as she got engaged to Paul recently, so that will speed things up. We will have to wait for her to actually move out though. She and Paul are getting married, but as they are the first couple in the family to do so, it will be a long and very expensive process. Eva insisted on it though, said she wanted to be made an honest woman.” Samuel had suddenly laughed, one of his mischievous laughs, and adds, “I wonder if she really does, or whether she just wants to annoy people; make people wait, string Paul along to all sorts of endless appointments, you know, shopping for clothes, checking the menu, that sort of thing. I wouldn’t put it past your sister…!”

Neither would Esther, but all she can think of is her own marriage, and the wait for her and Magnus if Miriam gets her papers first. Especially as they’re engaged, they now will be able to get married, and she is quite sure that Miriam really doesn’t mind waiting for her permit, even if she has been married for a while already. Esther and Magnus agreed to marry at the very time that his papers will be in the post. That way they will be able to have their wedding night in the Mortina House. Esther looks round her room, and all of a sudden she feels the tears dripping on her hands! She just cracks after all the stress and worry, the excitement and anticipation. It just is too much all of a sudden. She lies down on her bed, and sobs and sobs. Half her tears are happy tears, the other half are sad, worried, scared and disappointed tears.

After a while she calms down, and she sits up, looking round the room. She wonders who will have the big room, the blue room with the bassinet. If Magnus gets his Permit first, and…and they fill the bassinet first…she puts her hands on her belly, trying to imagine the baby growing, with typical SiMobile speed, lying in the little family bassinet. She looks at the bassinet, a sweet, warm smile softens her face, making her look like a beautiful young woman, a woman loving, living. Then, her smile disappears just as suddenly, and she gives a little gasp. “Oh! Oh, I had forgotten…I wonder…No, he said, didn’t he? It…it just felt so wrong… Lord, I don’t know what to do, or say, or even think,” she breathes, “it was such a strange incident, and well, I love Magnus, he is such a good and kind man, so I’m sure what he did was alright? I just feel worried about it, and…and I have to admit Lord, that it just doesn’t seem to line up. With the verse about being unequally yoked, about light and darkness not having fellowship together…But then, this is Magnus, and he seems so full of light and life…I can’t see…Oh God, I just don’t know, but it feels wrong.”

She lies back on the bed, arms behind her head, thinking, staring at the ceiling. It had happened the other day, soon after the Proposal event. She had come into this room to get a special dress for a party they both wanted to go to. She had found Magnus, standing by the bassinet, holding something in his hand, whispering, mumbling something, and then he put the item, which looked like a little silver cross on a leather string in the bassinet. When he spotted Esther, his face had become one big smile, like it always did on seeing her. She had asked him what he had done, curious, as the little item seemed like a cross. He had laughed his loud, warm, rumbling laugh, and explained, “No my love, it’s a very old Viking thing that we do in our family. We have done so for endless generations, as long as I know. It’s a little Viking symbol, and you put it in the bassinet, you know, as a token for the little one; to show that he belongs, you see.” From this, she had guessed that it wasn’t a little silver cross then…she had wondered what it was, but didn’t want to ask; didn’t want to hurt his feelings, although he never seemed to think in those terms.

Esther sits up, suddenly overcome with nosiness, unable to constrain herself any longer, and after a very quick peek outside the door, to listen to where everyone was in the rambling Mortina home, she quickly goes up to the little bassinet, and her fingers curl round the little cool object on the leather strap. She brings it out, and stares in horror. No, it’s definitely not a cross. It’s a little hammer, a Mjolnir, Thor’s Hammer. A Viking symbol. A Norse symbol, here, in her home, put there by her fiancé, and even knowing what it is, she still is unsure what to do, if she should do something that is…Well, apart from slipping it back into its place, her mind whirling, hands clammy, her mouth dry. She turns away from the bassinet, and all she can think is, “I need to think. I’m sure it’s alright, but I need to think…”