toddler – Vicarious Living

Samuel

Who knew that one little boy could make such a difference to a person. Victoria Mortina stands in the doorway to the blue bedroom, staring at the little bassinet. The same bassinet that has sheltered and housed every single Mortina baby; ever since Danielle and Ricardo Mortina started their family. In the bassinet, fast asleep, his ginger hair reflecting the light, tiny balled fists next to chubby cheeks, is the ninth generation of Mortinas. Her son, her precious little Gift, Samuel. Or rather, Samuel Vince Mortina, for he isn’t just any baby. He is the Mortina who will carry on the fight for Justice.

Victoria blushes a little. It’s not only every day life that has changed, with the feeding and changing and all the rest of the Bundle of Joy activities needed to make sure that Samuel will get a three star Good Upbringing trait. That is a priority at the moment, of course, and even though he is just a tiny baby, he has got one star already; Chris and Victoria have made sure of that! No, it’s not just the daily care for Samuel that has changed, she has changed too.

Chris used to bore her silly with his endless rants about Injustice, and Destiny, and all his self importance, and his victim stance, his constant fussing about being misunderstood by the whole of Sims Mobile, and how difficult his life was. Now she finds herself remembering more and more of his endless litanies. Looking at the tiny Samuel, she can feel some of the excitement that Guinevere must have felt, looking at Little Chris. “No wonder she always called him ‘Little Chris’ even though he is by no means the smallest Mortina,” Victoria smiles.

Yes, she actually smiles about it now, whereas only a year ago it used to make her cringe. In the end it got so bad that Victoria just had to leave the room whenever Guinevere started off on one of her ‘Little Chris’ stories. It just made her so mad, the endless stories about all Chris’ doings, and the way he was talked about, as if he was going to save the Mortina race, at least the race belonging to ancestor Chris… Now she finds herself daydreaming, seeing Chris and Samuel standing up for justice together. Maybe they will lead a petition at the Court..mmmm, not so heroic, you just fill in some forms. With Victoria actually working there they don’t even need to go to the civic centre, she can just take it in to work with her.

Well, maybe they can do a protest in the market square? Not very many important people passing through, she objects, and it would look a little silly, just standing there. On the other hand, both of them have just received their last trait. Little worry lines appear, whilst she carefully straightens Samuel’s blanket. Having all their traits will mean retirement soon after Samuel grows up, no doubt. Of course, they can delay their retirement for a while, but then that would prevent Samuel from fulfilling his…his destiny, I suppose, she realises with a shock.

“Oh dear,” she whispers, sitting down on top of the blue bedspread, “oh dear, I’m starting to sound like Chris…and his Mum! Am I going to be as obsessive as them? Will I be nagging my little Samuel with Destiny, Justice and Restoring the Line, like Guinevere did to Chris? Oh Lord, please protect me and him from doing that! How awful if I put the same kind of pressure on Samuel!”

It was a busy time for Victoria. Many of her friends that she had grown up with were all taking retirement. She felt sad, and a bit lost, knowing that she wouldn’t see their familiar faces around anymore. Even some of her relatives are retiring, and she stand on the doorstep, watching them walk off, out of her life, and feels her stomach getting heaver and heavier. “Bye David, bye Alex,” she whispers, swallowing tears and with the tears the funny squashed feeling in her throat. “What will I do at parties without you guys there to have a chat? It will be so strange! Who do I talk to?”

Well, that is nonsense of course, she recovers herself, tugging at her bright green top, a reminder to be strong, to stand for what is right. “You have been to lots of parties,” she reminds herself in her sternest voice, “and you always find somebody to chat to. You have even been to parties where you didn’t really know anybody. Remember the last one you went to, Taylor Mason’s party! It was great, so many art lovers there…” It had been a great party, one that Victoria had never been to before, but Taylor was going to retire soon, and wanted to have one more party, so Victoria went, and had a great time. It did lead to words with Chris when she came back, and described the children’s bedroom at Taylor’s house. Chris was not amused, and felt that she was trying to make him feel bad for not having built a special room as big and bight as the one at her friend’s house!

David and Alex had told her about some of the others ready to retire; the one that stunned her the most being Sierra! Sierra Chisholm, retiring? Who had ever dreamt that would be possible! So when Sierra pops in for a moment, obviously on her way to something, she isn’t as shocked as Sierra was clearly hoping she was going to be.

“Well, you won’t be retiring yet, not with a baby,” says Sierra, lifting one eyebrow in her well known manner, “I can’t imagine Chris wanting anymore kids now he has got someone to carry on his world saving mission… Mind you, having an only child with such lofty ideals set before him is bound to turn it into a spoiled brat. You’ll probably be quite relieved you’ll only have the one child to deal with. Less damage…”

Victoria had gone very red and could feel herself starting to shake with anger and hurt, but Sierra had flounced off, waving over her shoulder, “Must be off, lots to do before I take life a bit easier…” Victoria was left standing on the doorstep, hot and bothered, too angry to speak. Of all the cheek…! She soon gets over her anger though, as holding tiny Samuel in her arms melts her heart, and makes her forget the whole of Sims World! She loves to sing to him, and watch his little face light up when she makes cooing noises. He is such a beautiful baby, so lively and has such bright eyes, that by the time the birthday cake appears, Victoria is convinced that Samuel is special.

“You see,” she explains to Chris, “I do worry about putting pressure on him, especially when he is so small, like your mum did to you. I’m not talking about that, but I do think that he is a very special child. The way he looks, and the speed with which he reacts to everything, I think that’s amazing. I am convinced that he is really going to make a difference in Sims Mobile.”

Chris couldn’t have been happier. All his life he had been prepped to make a difference, to Restore justice, to…to fix the Mortina Family Line. With his little son, it looked like he had done just that! He felt the sense of relief as well, relief that it wasn’t actually something he still had to accomplish, but rather, he had done it already! He felt happier than ever, and was beginning to feel that tiny spark of job satisfaction that comes from a task completed. He leaned back, watches Victoria hold his baby son, and a warm, tingling feeling starts at his feet, and works through his body, till it culminates in a beaming smile.

“I’ve done it, Mum, I’ve done it,” he whispers, “I’m not a failure, I haven’t let you down, nor Ancestor Chris for that matter… I have provided Sims Mobile with a son. My beautiful Vince, well, Samuel Vince, will Restore Justice. Not just for Ancestor Chris, but also for Ancestor Vincent, the one that…well, the tragic one…” Of course, Samuel was still tiny, but children grow up with the speed of lightning in Sims Mobile it seems, and birthday icons appear out of nowhere before you know it!

Samuel grows up, of course, Victoria knew it would happen sooner rather than later. He is a cute little boy, and she loves to watch him. “Don’t you think he really looks different in that top?” she asks Tabitha one day. Tabitha looks at her strangely and then averts her eyes quickly.

“No, I don’t,” she says softly, after a very awkward moment, “he looks just like any other Mortina boy I have seen in this family, whether it is this generation, our generation, or any generation. They all looked like little Samuel. I know to you he is special, you’re his mother, but don’t go down the line of worshipping him, and spoiling him.”

Victoria blushes violently at these words, and has to look away, horror written all over her face, shock widening her eyes. Spoiling him? She hears Sierra’s voice again, when she came to say goodbye, assuring her that her darling Samuel would grow up into a spoiled brat…! That mustn’t happen, and she is sure that it can’t happen. Samuel is such a smart little boy, and so handsome already…

It niggles away at Victoria though, and she decides to watch out for any signs that Samuel is being spoiled. She spends the rest of the day not just feeding and playing with Samuel, but also looking for any signs that he is becoming a spoiled little boy. That evening she talks about it with Chris, as she is starting to get a little concerned, now that she has observed Samuel a bit closer, but feels that as Samuel’s mother she might not be the best person to recognise the signs. She looks at Chris, a little unsure how to bring this up, without upsetting him.

“I watched Samuel today,” she begins, twisting her fingers, then realises she is wearing her favourite green top, which is showing signs of too much usage, and takes a deep breath, drawing in strength as well as air. “I watched him react to things he dislikes, and really, he went nuts! Do you think we should be concerned? He is really very demanding, you know, and he has such a temper….”

Victoria stops, as she can see Chris’ matching temper rising too. “Well, what did you expect?” he says, his voice already on edge, “He has a Destiny in life, you know, there is a Mission ahead. He’s not just any sort of kid, who can just wander through life, collecting his handful of traits, getting level ten in careers and hobbies, and then just pass into retirement, never to be heard of again! My son, our son, well, he is Special, he…he needs all the strength of character he can grow, and he will need sheer determination, stamina and will power to undo a Grave Injustice…” Chris stops, out of breath, glaring at Victoria, daring her to disagree, to belittle his son or his calling in life.

Victoria sighs to herself, but smiles at Chris, putting her hand on his arm, calming him, reassuring him, and says soothingly, “Of course I know all that, but you see, my family were heroes too, in fact, I helped out with various missions,” she plucks at her bright green top with her free hand, smiling at the distant memories now, “but we were always told that being strong is not the same thing as being pushy. It is easy to be forceful, to hit people over the head with a big stick, but it’s a different matter altogether to have strength of character. That is what makes a hero.”

“There is a Bible verse that says, ‘He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit is better than he takes a city’ so I know it’s important to have self control, and I do believe that it is important that Samuel learns that. I know he is a darling little boy, and I do agree that he is very, very special, but if he grows up without strength of character, he will bring heartache and harm to the Mortina Line, rather than restore the Line. I know he has the makings of a great man, a great warrior for justice, but if his temper is untamed, he will be a walking disaster.”

She looks straight at Chris, sees his frown, the blazing eyes, but her steady gaze, her calm face and sweet smile conquers, and in the end she can see his anger ebbing away. He takes a deep, shuddering breath, and nods. “Yes, yes, I know you are right, I just want him to do well…I love him, and I just know that he will be special, and I want him to succeed in whatever he does. I know he needs steering carefully, I don’t want his spirit squashed, but I can see he needs the right kind of upbringing.”

This is easier said than done. Samuel is a very strong willed little boy, with a flaming temper to match his fiery hair, sparkling green eyes full of zest for life, and a cheeky grin. His ideas are as wild as his hair, and his parents look at each other in despair several times each day… What will become of their sweet little darling, when he isn’t little anymore? Victoria doesn’t know, but she is determined to be the best mother she can be for this vibrant little boy! How grateful she is every day for this little bundle of joy, this wriggling mass of chubby arms and sturdy legs, this wonderful boy with a zest for life that infects the most dour person around him! Samuel, a fitting name for the daily reminder that God had heard her prayers!

Clouds

Victoria watches her sister in law from the corner of her eye. It is only when her muscles start to tremble that she realises that doing a bendy dog whatever, and staring, eavesdropping, at the same time is not what yoga was made for. She straightens up, and does another move, who knows what it’s called. She is not into yoga at all, but needs to stay fit and trim, healthy…

She breathes out, more a sigh than a breath, and leans over, to hide her tears, hoping they won’t actually let go of her eyelashes and drop onto the mat. “How sad my life has become,” she sniffs, “when did that happen?” Then she takes another breath, and speaks to herself in a totally different voice, “Come on Victoria, what is going on? Having your surname changed isn’t the same as having a total personality makeover, old girl! You know you’re fine, you love Chris…mostly…well when he is in one of his rare happy moods anyway. Oh dear, here we go, right, try that one again: you love Chris, you get on really well with your kind cousin, you get on pretty well with your cousin’s wife Tabitha, the inlaws are ok, ehm, well, come on woman, keep counting your blessings!”

She sighs, this really isn’t working at the moment. It should though, she is normally such an optimist. Getting married, moving in, they are big events, and then that awful disease, Llama Flu, that hit cousin Richard…she shudders, and can still feel the stress, the fear, right deep inside her. She thinks back to those days, straight after their double wedding, and can still picture Tabitha’s face, eyes, staring, fear vibrating off her in huge waves. She was so scared herself as well. She has always been very fond of strong cousin Richard, and moving into this household didn’t seem such a massive deal with him under the same roof. The idea of him so ill, and possibly dying, scared her witless, as by then she was starting to get tiny inklings of the support she might need and want.

The first tiny ripples in her Pond of bliss came during the Wedding Event itself, and were totally unexpected. She was feeling regal and beautiful in her white wedding gown, Chris looked smashing in his tux, smile in place as it had been all during their courtship, engagement and still was now in the wedding. The change in his face came when they discussed having a family. She thought it was a nice intimate thing to chat about, you know, test the waters a bit, try and get onto the same page if possible.

She was not prepared for the dramatic shift in his mood though. “Kids?” he had growled, yes, growled! His voice sounded weird and angry and…scary! “What do you want to talk about kids for? We’re not even married, are we? Can’t I just enjoy you for a while, you know, just me and you, without having little kids crawling all over the place? Do you know how much energy and time they suck up? How can I concentrate on my calling with demanding kids around?”

He had stormed off, leaving her standing near the arch, too shocked to speak, too bewildered to move! Was this Chris? The same guy she had spent all that time with, the happy, smiley, charming guy? She had gone inside, trying to look busy and involved, smiling at the others, hoping that they hadn’t registered Chris’ absence. He had been back after half an hour, charming as ever, smiling at her, as if nothing had happened. She struggled, couldn’t change faces that quickly! He had been annoyed, she remembered, and had actually rolled his eyes at her!

“I’m here now, and talking to you, aren’t I?” he had sighed like a martyr, “I know you’re trying to make me feel guilty, and you probably feel I should be grovelling before you, begging your acceptance or whatever. Well, I won’t. I think it’s dreadful the way you try to manipulate me into apologies!”

She could feel her face going hot, even now, thinking back about the incident. “I should have known,” she mumbles whilst stretching the other way, “I should have run a mile then and there! I didn’t, I was sure it was just nerves.” It soon became clear that nerves were nothing to do with it, for as soon as they were securely married, he changed. In fact, Victoria hardly recognised him most of the time. When she mentioned it to her Mum, she had just smiled at her.

“Most men change once they are married, dear. There is nothing to worry about, I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s probably nervous as well, and with cousin Richard so desperately ill, well, no wonder Chris is a bit unsettled!”

Victoria had felt very alone, sure that it wasn’t just the normal change in a man after he has gotten married. She felt the change was too monumental for that, it was like a totally different man altogether. They way he glowered from morning till night, and sneered when she talked to him, dismissing anything she said offhand. Also, she felt sick and tired of his victim stance after just a few weeks. “Honestly, if he mentions Injustice or Restoring a Great Wrong one more time, I might just scream! It’s amazing how he manages to bring it up so many times a day! He is just obsessed with the whole idea of bringing justice for this ancestor, for restoring whatever went wrong. All it means is that one guy didn’t see his children take over the house. Not particularly a massive deal with this house if you ask me!”

After a while the constant moans and groans from Chris were starting to get to Victoria, something she would never have thought possible. He is so paranoid, she whispers whilst trying to get herself into a triangle shape. No wonder I’m getting paranoid too! Where has the real Victoria gone? She walks off quickly, and pretends to go to the gold bathroom. She washes her face, spending as much time as possible in the bathroom, whilst trying to find her smile back. “I mustn’t give in,” she whispers sternly to the pale face staring back at her in the mirror, “I really mustn’t give in. Or give up hope for that matter. I’m sure he’ll change back sometime, I’m sure I can help him, after all, without children he won’t be able to undo the whole ancestor thing, will he? He needs children, I just wished he wouldn’t be so hateful all the time…”

Watching Tabitha and Richard have their sweet daughter Eva had made things worse. As soon as Eva was born and started to get too big for the bassinet she had mentioned having a family again to Chris. He had exploded with rage, leaving her in tears. When he had calmed down enough to stop yelling he had justified his aversion against children. “Can’t you see how Tabitha dotes on that child? Can’t you see how she smiles at her, hugs her, and only has eyes for the girl? What about Richard? What husband wants to share his wife? I don’t want you to look at another person like that. I want you to only look at me in that way!”

After that he had become more and more suspicious. “Why are you so keen to have a family?” he had asked. “Have you got plans or something? Have a handful of kids, and then rush back to your fancy mansion, taking my children with you? Is it that I’m not good enough for you? Do you need children to make you feel better?”

Victoria had tried to placate him, making it worse. “Of course not, Chris, I love you, you know that? I really didn’t mind giving up the Knight house for you, I’d follow you anywhere, to any sort of house!”

That had not gone down well, she still grimaces thinking about the storm that had broken over her head at those words. Chris in tears, sobbing that nobody loved him, that he was never accepted for who he was, that even Victoria now said that his house wasn’t good enough for her and that she only lived here out of duty, sacrificing everything for Chris. Didn’t she know how that made him feel, why was she so hateful, manipulating him, forcing him to spend more and more hours at the office in order to earn a high enough salary to satisfy Victoria’s demands?

She stands on the pink yoga mat, and can still feel the shakes, and the cringing feeling in her stomach. What could she say to that? He hasn’t said very much about it since then. She has seen his mood deteriorating though, especially since Theodore was born a few weeks after the incident. Victoria daren’t bring the subject of children up again. She knows with the bassinet filled up, she won’t be able to have a child anyway. What is the good of setting Chris off again?

She struggles through the next few moves, watching Tabitha, feeling despair licking at the edges of her heart. Tabitha, about to have another sweet baby, smiling, and obviously on top of life, enjoying time with Richard and their beautiful children. A third child! “It is so unfair,” she groans, “so unfair, I could just cry for weeks. Why should they have three, and I can’t even have one? Not by choice either, at least not my choice! I can see them looking at me, wondering why we haven’t asked for the bassinet before. I have to smile at them, pretend life is hunky-dory, and our marriage is wonderful and living in this house is like…like living in a bed of roses. I miss my mansion, I miss my family, the beautiful carpets, the bubble blower, friends popping in and out. All I have is a miserable husband, too grumpy for words, sour and bitter, only concerned with his Destiny, mumbling about justice, never once thinking of anybody else…”

“I am desperate, Lord, I am so desperate to just have a child. I have three traits already, what if times runs out? Lord, please, change something, anything! Change Chris, change me, change whatever is needed, but please God, just give me this one child. I just need something to hold, something warm, something that belongs to me. I need someone to love, unconditionally. I am just so alone, and so unhappy! The worst part is that everybody expects me to smile and be upbeat. I can’t take it anymore, Lord, please help me!”

Victoria wants to trust, to be accepting, even accepting Chris and his bizarre moods and anger issues, but it’s getting harder and harder. She just busies herself with her yoga, hoping it will keep her in shape, keeping her strong enough to carry a little one, even when she will have all her traits if it comes to that! They all are busy with their hobbies most days, and Richard just loves his piano. The sad truth is, Chris loves the piano, he loves the kitchen, and he has chosen writing, because he loves it… The fact is that Chris tends to love whatever somebody else likes, especially when he can’t have it! He chose to be a writer, explaining that it was part of his Destiny, his Quest for Justice, that he would need to let the whole of Sim World know how he was going to rectify the Grave Injustice done to his ancestor. So Tabitha decided to do the cooking hobby.

“Well, I will need the kitchen a lot as the table is large, and I don’t think it will be a good idea for you to work in the kitchen when I’m trying to concentrate.” He had protested that Tabitha would squash his Gift, and that of course, she wouldn’t understand how important his lifework was, that nobody understood him, least of all his family! He had sulked and moped about for a week or so, until Victoria had chosen the yoga hobby. That had really set him off, exclaiming that he could not cope with being shamed by his wife. He wondered what he had done in his life that made people hate him so much, that all he got from everybody was contempt, and everyone was out to block him on his mission.

Victoria had sighed, then dressed her face in her widest smile, and moved the mat as near the kitchen as she could. She had explained that she had to take up a hobby, and that having a fit, trim, healthy wife would surely be an asset on his Quest. He had grumbled at that, eyeing her suspiciously, studying her bright smile to see if he could spot scorn anywhere. By now, however, Victoria could blank out any hateful or spiteful or disgusted feelings for this man, with a perfection that stunned even herself! He didn’t spot anything, so the grumbling went back down to the normal, daily rumblings, and normality as Victoria had come to know it was restored.

That is, until Richard chose the Piano hobby…! Chris had ranted and raved for ages, furious with Richard for taking up such a creative hobby. “You need a genius to play the piano well, everybody knows that. It should be part of my calling, my destiny, to play the piano. How can I write and put my thoughts into words for the whole world to benefit when someone who didn’t even carry over his Good Upbringing trait is banging away, pretending to be a playful plunker! Right next to my desk too, I can’t even hear my own thoughts or inspiration, and I know he just did it to mock me. He has never liked me, and always tried to belittle my existence in this house, and now he is doing his best to destroy me completely!”

Victoria sighs, she is aware of how much the other do despise Chris. He brought it on himself though, as none of them started out that way. In fact, most of them feel quite sorry for him, the only child of a rather obsessive mother and old father, he didn’t have an easy life as a child. On top of that, his Mum filled his head with talk of his destiny, and how he had to restore justice for his ancestor Chris, and how he was set apart to do great things. No wonder he is odd, and hard to live with… That is no excuse for his obnoxious behaviour though.

“It might be a reason, but not an excuse,” Tabitha had said one evening, Victoria, stretching just outside the kitchen window, heard Tabitha and Richard discuss Chris. “I know he had a tough time, but so do lots of other people. Doesn’t mean to say you can do what you want, and get away with it. I do feel sorry for Victoria, I wonder what…” Her voice had disappeared then, as the two of them had left the kitchen, leaving Victoria to mull over their words. Well, she wonders too, wonders where her sanity can be found again! She twists, bends, stretches…and prays…with all the frantic longings of her heart, “Please Lord, one child, just one child…”

Calm Waters

Tabitha is standing in the middle of the kitchen, staring at the Peacock table, trying to think why she had gone into the kitchen in the first place! She looks at the table, looks round, catches sight of two little pigtails, and remembers! The spare nappy bags! Quickly she digs through the drawers where she was sure she had some stashed away, and dashes out of the kitchen the moment she lays hands on them. Great! Now, where is Eva? “Eva, where are you, sweetie, come here quickly, because Mummy needs to check on Theo.”

Tabitha grins to herself, and can feel her smile growing the moment she lifts Eva high up in the air! She has a daughter! A sweet, cheeky toddler, cute little face, little pigtails, auburn hair of course. She still needs to remind herself that it is really true, she has a daughter, and now, in the bassinet there is a little baby. She actually laughs out loud, which sends Eva into a fit of giggles!

“Do you think that’s funny?” She croons, tickling her, “You have no idea how special you are, little one, you really have no idea! One day, when you’re old enough, we will tell you. We will tell you about the miracle that you are, and why we called you Eva. I suppose we will tell you also why your little brother is called Theodore, which means Gift from God. You are, yes, you are, you both are,” she continues, and probably would have continued a lot longer, but for the footsteps coming into the lounge.

Cousin Chris, she groans to herself, just what I need. I wonder how much he heard. I know I shouldn’t care, really, but I do. She looks up, mainly because of Eva, who is looking up with a very confused expression. She never knew that toddlers could look that confused, and it worries her a little. Chris is standing nearby, a scowl making his eyes almost disappear under his bushy eyebrows. “Great way to go, cousin,” he grates out at her, “nice and kind, ha ha. Great to rub it in, as if you’re the only ones favoured by your God. You know, some peace and quiet in the house could also be a gift from God, and that is exactly what I would be enjoying, if your kids didn’t make such a racket.”

With that, he is out of the lounge again, leaving Tabitha almost as confused as Eva. The little girl looks at her face, and Tabitha brings on the sunniest smile she can pull, and they both giggle, and spin round, and play, until Tabitha feels all the anger floating out of the huge latticed windows. She tidies herself up a bit, straightens the lounge, and as she turns to go to the room with the bassinet, she glimpses a shade of red going round the corner. Victoria.

Tabitha’s happiness has a little wobble, she feels so sad for Victoria! After all, the girl grew up in an amazing house, a mansion, richly decorated and furnished, with fun loving people. Now she is living in their cluttered house, as varied in colour as the ‘amazing technicolour dreamcoat’, apart from the amazing bit that is. She wonders if Victoria ever regrets marrying Chris? Not at first of course, as Chris was all smiles and hugs whilst courting her. He dressed immaculately for their wedding, and even for the wedding reception. The pictures show him smiling broadly at Victoria, hugging her, talking to her.

Tabitha tries to think when that changed. She knows that straight after their wedding Richard was diagnosed with Llama Flu. She shivers, like she always does when she thinks of that time. Her stomach still does a flip when she remembers the fear and anxiety of those days. Victoria had been so sweet then, helping her, supporting her and Richard. They had lived in the Granny Annexe for a while, until just before Eva was born. Victoria had suggested they moved back, and she and Chris would live in the Annexe.

Tabitha thinks through the moments they have had, and that is when Richard notices her. He is feeding Theodore when she walks into their room. “You alright?” he asks, looking a bit concerned, but still focussed on his son. His son! He can’t get over it, one moment he is going to live with Llama Flu, and all that entails, the next moment he is the immensely proud father of two children! “You look like you’re thinking,” he smiles at Tabitha, “trying to remember something you needed to do? Bath Eva? Clean Theo? Kiss me?”

Tabitha laughs, honestly, Richard can cheer her up any time! “I was just thinking about Victoria,” she says, “I was trying to remember when Chris stopped being outgoing, smiling, and returned to his usual sulky self. I spotted Victoria walking past the lounge, and I just wondered how she really is doing at the moment. You both grew up in such a lush environment, with so much luxury, it must be hard to leave all that behind.” She looks at Richard, and tries to smile at him. She doesn’t want to sound like she thinks he is ungrateful or materialistic, but she is a realist!

Richard looks at the tasteful blue room, the little boy in his arms, beautiful wife standing in front of him, and his smile reaches from one ear to the other ear, splitting his face in two. “Oh sweetheart, don’t you worry about that, not ever! I have all I need, all I want, you’re the best thing any man can have. I also have two adorable kids, what more would I want? I’m the richest man in Sims Mobile, who cares about stuff? You know, having the Flu helped to get life into perspective. It’s so sweet of you to think about that though, you’re my love!”

Tabitha is relieved, she knows he really means it. He really is the kindest man she could imagine, and to be married to him is, well, amazing doesn’t really do it justice! She looks round the room as well, happy with the blue bedspread… “I’m so glad we have a blue bedspread,” she says with great conviction. Richard straightens up from the bassinet, and stares at her.

“Excuse me?” he hesitates, looking totally confused, “did I miss part of the conversation? I thought we were talking about something different?”

Tabitha laughs, “It’s my wild train of thought,” she jokes, “it just took an unexpected turn. I was thinking about the Llama Flu, and the horror of those days, and how I used to wake up looking at the yellow bedspread. I vowed at one time that I would get rid of it, and never sleep under a stripy yellow bedspread again! Life is so different now, the Llama days seem a different lifetime, something that happened to another generation, and I just thought how grateful I was to have a blue bedspread.”

They laugh, her wild thought patterns a standing joke between them. Tabitha maintains that it helps her in her job, that it makes her a more creative photographer. Richard winds her up, and says that she just uses it as a smart excuse in order to get away with chaotic conversations! They look at each other, holding hands, smiling into each other’s eyes. “Can you remember that party Victoria threw for us? The one straight after Eva was born? Everyone seemed to turn up in yellow! In fact, one of the guests thought they had misread the party invite, and missed the fact that it was supposed to be a yellow party!”

“That was such a wonderful night, and I remember the feeling of your hands, your kisses, when we renewed our vows…It was so special, I was so moved…” Tabitha’s throat isn’t being very cooperative just now, she can only swallow, not speak. “I remember,” she manages to squeak out, “I remember us both promising to love and to hold, to cherish, in everything, in sickness and health… By then we really knew what those words meant, we weren’t just rattling our way through them in order to finish the Event. We meant them. Doesn’t that seem forever ago? But I can still see us both, standing under the arch, you in your canary shirt…” she can’t talk, she is laughing too much now, remembering Richard, by then the picture of health, wearing a ridiculous getup, love radiating off him in huge waves, encapsulating her, captivating her, enveloping her, until they were the only people on Sims Planet, let alone Sims Mobile.

Nothing else mattered, nothing else was needed, just the two of them. She remembers the tiny pitter patter of Eva’s staggering first few steps, and how it had reduced her to tears, overwhelmed with God’s goodness in all their riches.

Looking at the little bassinet, just able to spot a tiny fist waving about, she thinks back to those days, dreaming, floating on the memories. She looks up at her Mr Handsome, and says, in a much more serious voice, “You know, I can’t ever forget those hair raising days, the heartache and grief, but you know, I realise how easy it is to become placid. It is so easy to slide into everyday life, and to just take it all for granted!”

Richard agrees, “Yes, I sort of vowed that I would never take good health for granted again. Most days I do, though, and it’s scarily easy to do so! Life is so full and busy, and we lap it up, and we forget to actually stop and thank God for it. We just live it, love the gifts, enjoy the gifts and use them, and we actually in all our busy moment forget the Giver! It’s only when things go wrong that we look for something or someone to blame. We never blame anyone when things go the way we want them to go… It’s just so easy to do, I mean, life is so amazing, and the days just glide from one day into the next, it’s so surreal after the manic stress and devastating terror of those Llama days!”

Tabitha goes back to the kitchen, thinking about this. Victoria helps her to get dinner ready, and they chat a little in between grilling and stirring. “How are you doing?” asks Tabitha, “I meant to ask you the other day, we just seem to move past each other all the time!”

Victoria smiles, she always smiles thinks Tabitha, and shrugs, “Oh, I have been busy too, although not in the same way as you have of course! The Court is just quite busy at the moment, there have been quite a few parties in town, so that always brings extra work of course.” Tabitha grimaces and nods, parties can be like that. Looking at Victoria’s cute pixie like face, she realises that she could actually listen to Victoria’s voice for ages, it’s so sweet!

“I saw your friends quite a while ago, you know, the guy with the cowboy hat? They came in to register their daughter’s birth! It can’t have been that long before Eva was born, it was definitely around the time of…of…well, you know, that awful time, when everyone in town was so worried. Penny they called her, so sweet! She really is a cute little girl, and they are so happy! They were both at the Celebration Party as well, you know, after…after…” Victoria’s melodious voice actually harpers a bit, Tabitha notices in shock, “They said they had someone keeping an eye on Penny, and they took it in turn to pop back home to double check. I wonder if they have had another baby yet, or whether they will just have the one. Its such a responsibility, you know, so I can understand about families with just one child. Seems a tiny bit sad for the child though, if you know what I mean. Also, it’s then easy to put all your hopes and expectations on the one child, which could be awkward, like with…” she stops, blushes a bit, and turns to the microwave, “Oh, this one is done, I just love how you can nuke things quickly!”

Tabitha is a bit dazed after all that, and grins in herself, “I know I said I could listen to her sweet clear voice all day? Well, I think I just did…!”

Victoria breezes out of the kitchen once they’re finished, smiling, and chattering to Adrianna. Tabitha looks at the two of them disappearing off to some project no doubt, Mum loves projects, an Victoria always seems to have a surplus of energy… I wish I could borrow some, at least till Theo sleeps through the night… Interesting that she suddenly stopped though, when talking about small families. Maybe she isn’t as happy as she looks. After all, Chris is Mr Awkward at the best of times, with his longsuffering attitude…with the stress on suffering… Honestly, I’m sure he just looks for opportunities to become the victim of something or other! I wonder what they think about our children? I have seen Victoria watching, smiling as usual, and Chris seems to glare every time they make a noise. I just wonder…poor Victoria,, I hope she really is alright?

New Mortina Life

New Mortina life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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