Chapter 31 - Goodbye For Now

It's Melissa's birthday!

This time, Tiara does not invite Gussie.

Megan finally deigns to crawl out of bed, at least.

Gus's features are still a little heavy on a teenaged girl, but the hair draws enough attention away from it for the time being.

Makeup only accentuates the strange proportions of her face, so she does without. She thinks she looks pretty without it, actually.

Toulouse and Dizzy are now at the point where they sleep more than anything. Both Tiara and Melissa observe this over cake.

Which is why, when asked what she wants for her birthday, Melissa announces that she wants a new pet to help stem the inevitable ache when the two felines pass on.

Blessedly, Tiara is receptive, and a phone call is made.

Melissa didn't mention she was going over Tiara's head and adopting a puppy instead of a kitten.

Meet Robo! He's the smartest dog you'll ever meet!

When Tiara gets over her shock, she gets excited about Robo's arrival.

She also likes it when he pees outside.

Marie's birthday is the next day.

The sisters bond before the party in the only way they know how.

Dirk proves why he's the Best Boyfriend Ever.

The other guests start to arrive. Melissa's pretty friend Adriana has aged up as well, but she's entered that awkward teenaged phase where her beauty is a bit stifled.

Whatever. Melissa still thinks her friend is a princess.

They are each other's dancing partners all night long.

Dinnertime is just a little awkwardly placed.

Inevitably, Dirk decides he'll get some food later and takes the time to cuddle Max instead.

"Hey."

Dirk looks over at Megan and smiles. "Hey."

She doesn't smile back. She does, however, offer him the last hot dog. "Do me a favor."

"Yeah?"

"If you ever hurt my sister...sleep with your windows open. It'll be easier for me to kill you in your sleep."

Everyone sort of leaves just as Marie steps up to the cake...the party is a failure and Tiara is exhausted for making all that effort for nothing, but perhaps it's better to say goodbye to her daughter when it's a family-only affair.

Marie ages up beautifully.

She subsequently moves out and marries her newly-aged sweetheart Dirk the next day.

She also follows her mother into the music career. Her poor audiences...

Megan has to garden during the day now that there's no older sister to protect her at night.

------

Melissa's new trait is Childish and Marie's new trait is Hopeless Romantic. 8D

Also, when puppies run in game it's the cutest thing ever. I keep asdfghjkling over Robo. <3

Chapter 30 - A Peculiar Date

"So, when are you and Boyfriend having kids?"

"We're getting started tomorrow night, duh. How's that homework coming?"

"Shut up."

"Idea! You can have a kid too, and we can raise them together and stuff! Unless you just want to be the crazy spinster aunt."

"HAHAHAHAHA no."

On a whim, though, Marie's comment inspires Megan to make a phone call of her own.

"Sup?"

"Hey Dorian. What're you up to?"

"Oh no."

"Whaaaat?"

"No. No no no. You're not coming over here and stealing our damn lettuce again."

"I wasn't gonna say that!"

"Uh-huh."

Coming up with a Plan B is harder than she thought. "I was just...gonna...go out and wondered if you wanted to come with."

"Depends on where we're going."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"C'mon, Dorian, the sound of weights is music to my ears, man. And you know we both need some toning and stuff, right?"

"Why do I even go places with you?"

"'Cuz you're hoping to see me in a sports bra. C'mon."

"HNNNNNG."

"PLUMBOOOOOB."

"WHY DID I LET YOU TALK ME INTO THIS?!"

"SHUT UP, MY BICEPS ARE EXPLODING."

"Watcher! Meg, seriously, this is some bullshit!"

"Shut up! Three more reps!"

"It's an hour past curfew! How is this place still open?!"

"The hell's that smell?"

"...oh, for fuck's sake, it's YOU, man!"

"No it ain't! I put on deodorant before I came here!"

"Well, it's sure not me! I'm too ladylike to stink!"

"BULLSHIT."

"Wait, is that-"

"You have GOT to be kidding me!"

Megan storms outside, hoping the cloud of body odor around her might make the cop pass out. "How do you even keep finding me?!"

She hears a manly voice call out from behind her somewhere. "'Cuz she can smell you!"

Dorian better be damn glad he can run like a freaking antelope and that he's got that bike of his.

"Megan, I am so disa- geeeeeez, what's that smell?"

"Mom!"

"And who in the world is that?"

"Sup."

Megan resists the urge to facepalm and wonder just why the hell the kid decided to follow the cop back to her place.

 

Dorian personally already dislikes this mother person thing.

"...all right, you get to say your goodbyes. But you're grounded for the weekend after this." Tiara heads inside. Megan sees the fact that she lets the door actually shut as a sign of trust.

She sways on her feet, waving away the cloud of body odor. "Dorian, if I ever say we gotta do something like we did tonight, please, just...just hit me."

"I don't ever wanna hit a wo-"

"Hit me."

Dorian watches her rather closely from his distance and Megan realizes that, really, this is about as perfect an opportunity for her first kiss as she's going to get.

...except she's swatched in body odor and about to pass out from exhaustion.

"It's okay, man. You don't gotta do anything," she murmurs in what she hopes is a comforting tone and not a drunk one. "We can make out later, that's fine."

He looks relieved. "Aight, cool."

"Want a hug?" she asks.

Dorian immediately takes a step backward.

With a chuckle, Megan grins. "Boy, you're lucky I'm not that easily offended."

"Hell yeah, I am. You gonna get in all right?"

"..." Megan clears her throat. "Yeah, can you, uh, do me a favor and just sort of stand here until I get inside?"

"What?"

"Well, I mean, you never know when like ghosts and murderers and stuff are just gonna jump right out of your trash can and-"

Dorian cuts her off by chuckling and looking down at the ground.

"What?!"

"You're just cute's all."

"...oh."

"Have a good night, Megan. Go on."

She gives him a sleepy wave and makes her way inside, rolling things over in her head.

As she goes to bed that night, after a long shower, she realizes that all of the jumbled tired thoughts are giving way to a single one:

"He thinks I'm cute!"

Chapter 29 - Surprises

When the doorbell rings, Tiara isn't really expecting anyone in particular. Maybe a pizza that Megan happened to order, maybe the newspaper deliverer complaining about all the shredded newspaper on her front porch.

She definitely isn't expecting the man she last bedded.

"Jamie?"

"Hey, Tiara." He's dressed in a familiar outfit, one she's pretty sure she might've worn before, and she wonders why he's stopping by her house when he's got to be at work so soon.

And why the hell does he look so angry?

"Can I come in?" he asks, words flaking with annoyance.

"Uh, yeah, sorry. Just wasn't expecting you. C'mon in."

Toulouse welcomes the stranger to his humble abode, but is soundly ignored.

Marie is reading her book in the background, but she immediately keys in on the seriousness of the conversation before it can even begin. Her page turns become quieter, her eyes more watchful.

"So," Jamie begins with a scowl. "Were you going to tell me?"

"What?"

"That you had my kid?"

For the first time, Tiara wonders how the hell people keep figuring this shit out. But she keeps her face schooled in indifference and doesn't even sigh. "Should I ask?"

"Word gets around." Jamie pauses. "And Gussie's got a damn big mouth. Doesn't take long for a guy like me to draw conclusions."

Tiara is silent, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Were you just gonna keep it quiet until you needed something? Or were-"

"Would you like to see him?"

"What?"

Tiara's had enough of the accusations that she's just some chick who'd sleep with a guy, have his kid, and then use that kid for ransom money. She looks at Jamie with sad eyes and a frown. "Would you like to see Max?"

"..." Jamie's scowl softens into a vague appearance of confusion, but he nods. "Yeah. Yeah, sure."

She retrieves Max and appears moments later. "This is Maxwell Toft. He's due to grow up in a few days. He's got my eyes but-"

"But my hair," Jamie murmurs, taking in Max with a rather neutral expression. But slowly, wonder starts to peek in. "It's kind of...scary," he says softly, a hint of a chuckle on his tone. "LaKecia looks just like her mother: black, ethnic hair, the whole nine yards. Didn't get a lick of me in her. But this kid..."

Tiara nods slowly and speaks with a hesitant voice. "Yeah. He looks just like you."

Max gives his father a curious look, though no smile.

Jamie rubs the back of his neck with a little sigh. "Tiara, I, uh...do you want to, uh..."

She spares him the embarrassment. "I'm happier as a single woman than I'd ever be in a relationship, Jamie."

"Cool." He nods, clearing his throat. "But could I...could I still come see him sometimes?"

In all honesty, it's a breath of fresh air to hear a man say right out that he wants some time with his kid too. "The second he's a child, he can make that decision for himself. But you're welcome at his birthday."

"Thank you." For a moment, his expression turns tender, even a little passionate as he looks into Tiara's eyes, sheer gratitude in every inch of his posture.

It makes Tiara wonder what it would've been like if they'd made a go at it. But then she remembers that anger in his eyes, the way that for a moment she was terrified, and she writes it off.

No. No, there's only one man she could ever see herself being with for the rest of her life, and her remaining time feels so short that she knows it will never happen.

Jamie's eyes shift to Max again and he smiles softly. "All right, I've gotta get to work. But thank you again. Send me the invitation, okay?"

"I will."

He runs off and Tiara finally lets her vice-like grip on Max loosen slightly. This is still her son, regardless of who supplied the other half of his genes. Let the man who tries to take him from her rue the day.

Melissa and Max play later in the evening. They are frans.

Megan, meanwhile, rips a tomato open and finds its seeds with a happy sort of vengeance.

"Can I go inside yet?"

"Hell no. It's dark. You're gonna just leave me to the wolves?"

Marie sighs patiently. "Megan, there aren't any wolves in Appaloosa Plains."

"Buuuuuullshit."

"You don't even know how to garden."

"Yeah, well, I'm gonna learn! Ooh! Burn!"

"That was a horrible burn."

"Shut up, I'm making life!"

At dinner, Megan informs Melissa of the best way to get on Tiara's good side for when she becomes a teenager and starts breaking curfew too.

"But what if she catches me with a boy?"

"Sis, that would mean that you'd have to even get a boy."

"URGH."

"HAHA, just kidding. No, but seriously, you won't get a boy. You gotta get a MAN. Men are the only ones worth your time."

"You don't even have one!"

"Yet."

------

I love it when  Sims show up at your door with absolutely no warning and it works perfectly for your story purposes.

Chapter 28 - Green Thumb

Max's birthday comes before Tiara is ready for it. It's sort of weird, really, being aware that this is the last time she'll hold a baby that she birthed. After all, she meant it when she said that this was the last time that something like this would happen.

Maxwell grows into a (creepy-looking) toddler, inheriting his father's hair.

The eyes are all Tiara, however, as well as the skin tone.

With the realization that there is so little time left for everyone in the grand scheme of things, Tiara decides to spend a little extra time cuddling the now old Dizzy and Toulouse that morning. She's not quite sure how she's going to cope when the animals have suddenly vanished. Even if she DID tell Gussie that she was going to stop obsessing over stray animals...she's still aware that they're out there not being loved or adored, and the mere thought of a house without a pet is bizarre and strange.

Melissa and Max bond over eating delicious blocks.

Meanwhile, Tiara shows off her still rocking body every night as she heads off to her gig as a lead guitarist.

Can't you just see this in slow motion with heavy metal behind it?

A couple of days after the Watering Hole fiasco, Megan receives a phone call.

"Hello? ...Dorian? Sup?"

"Nothing much. Just giving you a call."

She snorts, stepping outside with a small smile. "Took you long enough."

"Man, I wasn't gonna call you at all, but you scare the shit out of me, so..."

The irony in that one statement is so palpable that Megan feels coated in it. She's the one that still needs to sleep with a tiny nightlight, that runs everywhere at night so that the ghosts and murderers don't catch her. "Smart choice" is all she says in response. It sounds cooler. "What're you up to?"

"Eh, watching my dog Patch rip up the lettuce plants in the backyard-"

"You have plants?" As if on instinct, her thumbs start burning. "Like what kind of plants?"

"Hell, I don't know, tomatoes, lettuce, grapes..."

"Oh. My. Plumbob," Megan murmurs reverently, eyes getting huge. "Where the hell do you live?"

"What?"

"Tell me where you live, fool!"

"Are you gonna like bring a gun and shoot me?"

Eventually he gives in.

"Dude, what gives?" Dorian whines the second he comes outside.

"Get out of my way." Megan slides past him and goes through the house, calling over her shoulder. "I'm on a mission!"

She accidentally goes in the pantry and almost walks in on his dad in the bathroom, but eventually Megan finds her way into the backyard.

Gardening is something she's always wanted to do. ALWAYS. Every time she sees her mom's grocery bill, it just makes her want to throw up, seriously. So much wasted money when all they have to do is water some dinky little plants instead.

They waste money on everything, actually, from taxis to the water bill...it's making Megan think that maybe she should start doing things a different way when she becomes an adult.

"So do I really scare the crap out of you?"

Dorian hems and haws and tries to change the subject enough times that she knows it's true. That's a hell of a lot of power, actually, knowing that she intimidates someone to the point that they are sort of scared of her.

Dorian finally succeeds in changing the subject. "So how'd you get out of the house? Thought your mom'd ground you for life or whatever."

"She tried," Megan mutters, eyelids growing annoyedly heavy and languid. "But, I mean, c'mon, she's a big softie at heart. All I had to do was promise I wasn't gonna do it again."

"Damn. Lucky you."

With the produce burning a hole in her pocket, the two fall into easy conversation until she succeeds in what she hadn't even realized was a secret desire of hers.

She makes him laugh. She makes him full-out guffaw until it looks like he's about to fall over.

He's really cute when he laughs that hard, actually.

"Would you kids quiet down?!" his dad yells somewhere else in the house. "Can't concentrate on a damn thing! Watcher!"

They snicker. Totally mature.

"Aight, man, you gotta get out of here before my dad freaks any more."

"No problem," Megan says with a smile.

And then she turns on the smolder. "See? There's nothing to be scared of, pretty boy."

"Pretty boy? You really gonna call me that?"

"Gotta keep you in your place and all that, y'know. If I call you something else, like Mr. Hot Shot, you're gonna lose your head."

Dorian isn't as good at smoldering as Megan is...but then again, he doesn't have Rhiannon Toft's genes.

------

Since I've been neglecting to include it as they grow, mostly because I couldn't remember what they were, I'm going to include the traits of the kids here:

MARIE: Genius, Family-Oriented, Ambitious, Computer Whiz.
MEGAN: Absent-Minded, Green Thumb, Easily Impressed, Coward.
MELISSA: Loves the Outdoors, Clumsy, Friendly.
MAXWELL: Brave, Athletic.

If you haven't guessed, one of my rolls next gen is Living Green, haha. I figured I'd go ahead and have Megan get some good-quality produce cultivated so she can start filling her refrigerator early.

Doesn't Maxwell look like a vampire baby? DOESN'T HE?!