1.6 Bonding Time

Geneva

   This 'big sister' thing isn't all so bad. I mean, I definately don't want one of my own anytime soon, but I guess she's pretty cute, even if she is smelly and loud... Speaking of loud, she started crying, so I shouted mum and put her back in her crib, before running off to shower.

   See, it was Saturday. My first Saturday as an official teenager, so I could go down to the arcade with my best friend, Maria. We played some army-space-blaster game. We skipped the intro, and it was hilarious because neither of us knew what we were doing. Maria's sister, Abigail, is pregnant by my cousin, Marlon. They're not much older than us, but I know my mum had me young so I don't suppose it'll be a tragedy.
   "She's HUGE now, like, she looks like she could pop any second." Maria twittered. "It makes me feel a bit sick when I see her belly, like, it looks like it could just pop. It creeps me out, like, I think her skin might split and the baby will just fall out." She made gagging noises and I giggled. My cousin had recently moved to our town, because of the impending baby.

    A few days later, it was Aria's birthday. Her first act of toddlerhood, was to mess her nappy, and giggle. My mum looked exasperated, but me and dad just burst out laughing. We'd made plans to go to the gym together. I didn't like the weight I was, and dad kept saying he was getting a 'middle-aged spread', so we'd agreed to go together.

   On the drive over, dad asked me if I was being bullied over my weight.
   "No!" I replied, kinda surprised at the question. Nobody had ever mentioned my weight, it was just a personal issue I had with myself
   "You know if anyone ever says anything, you can tell us." He didn't believe me. "I want you to know that you're gorgeous the way you are, you don't have to be thin to be pretty."
   "Yes, dad, I know." I groaned. "I want to be a police officer when I grow up, I need to be able to pass the training."
   "Oh really? You've never mentioned this before?" I looked at him, he was beaming at me.
   "Oh, sorry, I've been thinking about it a while now." I shrugged.
   "Well, I'm proud of you. That's an honourable career to choose."

   At the gym we talked about all things police-force. How to enroll, when to enroll, where to enroll. What the physical test would be like, what the final exams would be like, what the training would be like. Which area I wanted to work for, traffic, homicide, forensics, patrol... I'm still undecided on that one.

   As we were leaving, dad handed me the car keys. I just stared at him questionably.
   "Every copper needs to drive, why not learn now?" He smiled, getting into the passenger side. Shakily, I climbed into the drivers seat. I didn't even know the basics! "Well, to start with, belt up." He prompted, pulling his own seatbelt on as I did the same. "Look in the footwell. Those peddles are go, stop, and gear change. Remember 'ABC' - Accelerator, Brake, Clutch. That's the order they're in if you ever get confused." I nodded, already a little overwhelmed. He explained a little more, before he made me pull off. It was terrifying! It took me ages to pull out of the car park because I couldn't work out how fast cars were coming at me. Dad was really patient though, and when we eventually arrived home he said I was a natural and wouldn't need all too many lessons.


Nazari

   "Shit-munt!" Aria giggled. I'd decided to take the opportunity to help her with her speech while Ernesto and Geneva were out. It wasn't going too well.
   "No. Chip. Munk." I sounded it out really slow for her.
   "Shit. Munt." She laughed even harder. She thought it was a game. I had heard somewhere that not making a big deal out of toddlers swearing would make it less appealing. I think that advice was wrong.

   "Shit-munt, shit-munt, shit-munt!" Aria chanted, giggling. I sighed. That advice was definately wrong. I heard a screech of breaks and then a car engine clunking outside. "Twat?" Aria questioned, and I stared at her while I tried to work out what she meant.
   "Do you mean 'what was that'?" I clicked what she meant. But that was yet another swear she knew now.

   I stood, and handed Aria her bottle. My back was killing. This being heavily pregnant with a toddler thing was no fun.
   "Mum! I drove!" Geneva burst through the door, startling me a little.
   "Well done." I smiled. Ernesto really was brilliant with the girls, and so supportive.
   "I'm gunna go shower." She stopped and posed, flexing her biceps. "An afternoon at the gym and I'm already a bodybuilder." She joked, dancing off to the bathroom.
   "Don't worry about turning the engine off or shutting the front door!" Ernesto called as he walked in. He pecked me on the cheek as a greeting.
   "Thank you." I smiled at him.
   "For what?" He asked. "I had to shut the door because it's starting to frost over already out there."
   "Not that, for being wonder-dad." I wrapped my arms around him. "Now, wonder-dad. Rundown-mum needs a nap." I kissed him before pulling away towards the bedroom.
   "Get some rest, this baby is kicking your ass." He looked a little worried, so I shook my head to reassure him before closing the bedroom door behind me.

Geneva

    I got out the shower, and Westly had texted me.
   Westly: Abi had bby boy cld Kenyon xx
   Geneva: K thx xx I replied. He'd put kisses. Why did he put kisses?

    Westly was the reason I even knew Maria. We'd been best friends as kids, and I used to go to his house and we'd sing karaoke together. Maria and I got closer as we got older. I started to like-like Westly and I didn't think he felt the same, so it had been awkward.
   But he'd sent kisses. Another text came through.
   Westly: Its bn a whyl... Meet @ libry 2mo? xx
    Geneva: K :) xx  Then again, maybe I'd been wrong about his feelings...



_______________

Aria is too cute <3
Aria is said 'Ah-ria'. Yes, it's that simple.

Also, points for who can spot the crazy inconsistency in the pictures ;) 

1.5 Fear

Nazari

   When we'd managed to make it to the hospital, things thankfully got much easier and less panicked. Several hours later little Aria was born, and a few more hours after that we were allowed home. A few days later we eventually arrived home. Well, not literally, but damn. I've never seen anyone drive so slow! Ernesto's driving caused an argument... I don't think he realised how uncomfortable I felt. I'd just pushed a 9 pound baby out! I was exhausted! And there he was driving 20 below the limit all the way across the city. I suppose it was sweet that he didn't want to risk his newborn daughter being in an accident, but I was snappy, and when we got home he went all sulky and went to his little garden. There isn't even anything to do in the garden, it's coming up to winter now, but I was glad of the few minutes alone with my new baby. She's gorgeous, got her daddies eyes and mouth, but my nose... I think. She's a little too young to tell.

    Of course, having two kids did have its downsides, especially in this tiny crappy trailer... I didn't mind the sleepless nights so much, and I know Ernesto didn't either, but I felt awful for Geneva being up all night and then having to be at school all day. I really hoped her grades wouldn't suffer. I know I'd never even bothered attending school, but I wanted better for Geneva. I worried whether her situation at home affected her making friends in a town where everyone was richer than us. Did she hate that everyone else had two parents? The same parents as their siblings? Did she wish me and Ernesto were married? I know I did. I just wished I knew how to ask her these questions in a way she felt she could answer honestly without offending me. But then again, she was a tough girl, she's probably not even bothered.

***

   The familiar crackle, the roar, the hiss, the heat. All I'd wanted to do was show Ernesto how much I loved him by making him a romantic dinner. Now the girls were in bed at the far end of a burning wooden cabin with no exit.
   Maybe they won't wake up. Then they won't feel a thing as they burn to death peacefully in their sleep... My idiotic brain told me. I wanted to go save them, but I was frozen to the spot in fear. Some mother you are, too chicken to go save your kids lives... I couldn't help it. We'd had six housefires as a kid. Every time Sunset Valley Fire Department had showed up in no time. But Starlight Shores Fire Department was the other side of the city. Nobody's coming, it's been hours... I knew it hadn't really. It had been moments but it had seemed like a lifetime. See? This is why Ernesto doesn't want to marry you. He can have much safer fun with some blonde chick in a mansion... I didn't even understand why my brain had thrown that one at me, it had nothing to do with fire, but I suppose your mind does stupid things in panic mode.

   I looked around me. Ernesto was by my side, Geneva was here too. And SSFD had arrived. I don't know whether I'd blacked out or if I'd been too deep in terrified thought to notice them arrive. Ernesto is in his underwear... My brain told me. He saw the fire while he was with that other woman, didn't even have time to get changed... But that would be a good thing. He loves me enough to leave her behind to make sure I'm ok. I stared at him. He looked terrified... But they were swim trunks, and that made me breathe a sigh of relief. We all covered our ears at the boom of the fire extinguisher. But I still heard Geneva scream...

  "MOMMIEEEE!!!"
   "GENEVA!!"
   "I'M ON FIRE!!!" She screamed. I screamed. The fireman turned to me.
   "Get her in the shower!" He demanded, a little too calmly. Luckily, Geneva heard him. I was still frozen to the floor.

   "I'm doing it!" Geneva screamed to me as she ran for the bathroom. In all the fires I'd seen, I'd never seen anyone on fire before. My poor daughter, I desperately wanted to go help her, but I really couldn't move. The fireman soon got the blaze under control, and once the flames had gone he double-checked that it was all out, before leaving, telling us to be more careful on the way out.

   The house was still warm from the flames, but Ernesto seemed really cold.
   "I'm sorry." I mumbled, knowing nothing I could say would fix the destruction I'd caused. "I only wanted to make you a romantic dinner..." I reached out to touch him, and he batted my hand away.
   "Just leave the cooking to me in future." He snapped, and continued to stare at the charred remains of our kitchen.

***

   The next morning was Geneva's birthday. We hadn't had time to scrub the kitchen yet, but she wanted to have her cake for breakfast. My tiny baby was becoming a teen... I couldn't really believe it. It wouldn't be long before Aria was a toddler either, it made me feel old...

   For her birthday, we got her a chipmunk we found outside. She named him chip. This trailer is too small for all these sims and pets. There's four of us crammed into a tiny bedroom, and then two huge cages taking up valuble space... We've started looking for new places, but we can't afford anything bigger.

   And I think we're going to need that bigger place...





_______________________________

Lol. looksie at what the kind fireman did...

 He cleared my leaves!! Haha! He stayed about 20 hours. It was silly. But I got Nazari to burn the piles of leaves so he'd feel at home. lol.

Also, if the fire-scene seemed really... not like Nazari, it was supposed to. Being the mistress has caught up on her, and growing up without a father and with a mother she didn't get on with, she has issues forming relationships as it is, without the added trust issues. I wanted her fears she hides away to come to the surface for a moment. She'd got a tough shell, but she's still really young and has a lot of baggage hidden away.

I feel now would be a good time to reveal everyone's traits. lol. They weren't a secret, I just forgot until now.

Nazari Ursine: Loves to swim, Virtuoso, Never-nude (UGH!), Mooch and Easily impressed. I didn't get to choose any of her traits as she never went to school. Her favourites are Chinese music (but she's a pop-star....), stir-fry (fits with the music, perhaps she ought to travel..) and the colour black (although she wears white. lol.)

Ernesto Gonzalez: Ernesto is a pre-made from Starlight Shores. He's a Party animal, Hot headed (which I've been sort of playing on, not in a huge violent way though), Childish (which is why he gets on with the kids so well), Mooch and Lucky. His favourites are Latin music, Ratatouille, and Spice Brown.
Ernesto also has some weird obsession with playing the lottery, he rolls wishes for it constantly, but despite his lucky trait, he never wins. lol. (If he was to win, I'd familyfunds it away, it's too cheaty, I just wanted to see how much you can win off the lottery)

Geneva Ursine: Genius (in contrast to her illiterate mother), Artistic, Mooch and Lucky (Yes, everyone so far is a bloody mooch!). Her favourites are Beach Party, Vegetarian Chilli and the colour Orange.

Aria Gonzalez: Easily Impressed and Brave. I'm not sure how a baby can be brave, but there y'go. Her favourites are French music, Vegetarian lobster thermidor (???), and the colour Orange like her sister.