Chapter 26 - Heartbreak

 

 BIRTHDAY!

[NOTE: This was the point where my version of M.C. became unusable in many ways due to Stylist and C.A.S. refusing to work through it, so Tiara's stuck with a pregnancy shirt that clips horribly, haha. Hence why you get an oh so lovely view of her from behind instead.]

It should come as no surprise that Megan grows into a heartbreaker.

The piercing comes on a whim with the money she's been saving from her allowance since she was a child, but her mother doesn't fault her for it. After all, Tiara's younger sister, Naomi, was equally fond of nose piercings. If anything, it's sort of like going back to Tiara's adolescent days.

Tiara isn't aware of Megan's belly button piercing, of course, but Megan decides that Tiara really didn't need to know anyway.

A secret desire of Megan's finally comes to the forefront in the form of her birthday gift: a terrarium!

Megan politely asks Toulouse (who is now Level 8 in Hunting) to go find her a turtle.

Toulouse will accept this request.

He ends up bringing her a turtle worth almost 1,000 Simoleans, which sort of freaks her out. What if she drops it?! Will it die?! Will it eat her?!

Oh geez, oh boy, oh man...

The next morning, the sisters eat breakfast together.

"Mom's doing a lot better, isn't she?" Megan murmurs around a mouthful of cake.

Marie takes the time to chew hers and swallow before meeting Megan's eyes. "I thought so. But now I'm not so sure."

"What? Why?!"

"Remember that birthday party for Melissa tonight?"

"Yeah?"

Marie frowns. "She's apparently inviting Melissa's dad."

"..." Megan furrows her eyebrows and sits back in her chair. "So...why's that a bad thing?"

"Well, I mean, what if she just decides to use him or something? Sleep with him and kick him out all over again?" Marie sighs, nudging her hair out of her eyes. "Watcher, I don't even know who he is. I've never met him."

"Well...maybe it's a good thing, okay?"

"Yeah. Maybe."

Tiara cuddles her new baby close to her before blowing a raspberry on his tummy. Maxwell Toft has proven to her that the Tofts are at least capable of birthing males.

She sighs as she kisses his forehead and breathes in his clean baby scent. She meant it when she told Marie that her previous lifestyle was over. But that doesn't make the pull to get a babysitter and go out tonight vanish. Instead it just leaves her with a pulling on her body, with a tingling on her skin, and she wishes there was a simple way to make it go.

The front door opens and she hears a familiar Southern drawl. The little kickstart to her heart there isn't expected and, in fact, makes her wonder if this was the worst idea she's ever had.

Gussie arrives.

When Tiara sees him, she immediately smiles. "Gus..."

"Hey there, darling," he drawls, his voice soft and reverent, and approaches her to give her a hug. It slides into an embrace without either of them intending it. "Where've you been keeping yourself?"

She closes her eyes, the smile still on her lips. "I could ask you the same question. I feel like I never see you at work anymore."

"Yeah, well..." They pull out of the hug and meet eyes. "Gotta say, I've been missing you. I've been missing you a hell of a lot."

There's a long moment of silence only punctuated by Tiara's pounding heart. When Melissa titters on the floor behind her, it's the perfect distraction.

Gussie is very enthusiastic.

Melissa grows up to look sad due to her father's mournful features, right down to his eyebrows.

A peculiar crying in the back sounds later in the party, and it catches Gussie by surprise.

Tiara emerges from the bedroom after feeding Max and blinks. "Gus? You okay?"

He turns to face her, every part of his expression as serious and intense as a heart attack, and Tiara has to look away. "How many kids is that now, Tiara?"

"...four," she murmurs, her voice slightly broken.

"And which one of those is mine?"

"Melissa."

"Which number?"

"...number three."

"..." He breathes in slowly through his nose, a harsh and unwelcome sound, before he sighs heavily. "Damn." A long moment of silence stretches between them. "Y'know, I...I-I always thought that maybe..."

"...maybe what?"

"Maybe I'd...be your last. Not just another notch on your bedpost."

"Gussie..."

He's had enough and refuses to listen anymore. Off he goes.

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Megan asdfghjkl