Chapter Ten - Motherlode

Tamsin's old mailman had finally transferred. She kept an impersonal relationship with the new one. She had hated feeling paranoid when she went to the mailbox. "I won't hit on this one", she vowed, "...I guess."

Meanwhile, Cory had informed Tamsin that she was moving on from baby-sitting. She was a young woman now, and wanted to try her hand at more challenging full-time work. She hadn't pinned down a job yet, but she was actively searching. Cory really had become Tamsin's best friend, and they spent time together regularly. The new baby-sitter that the service had assigned her was... ...less than ideal.

Moonlight had taken up scouting. She was becoming more and more erratic. It was a period of huge changes at 2 Kat Road.

The biggest change being: Tamsin had conceived a child during her visit to Egypt. She was distraught. She didn't know how to act. She was handling the second pregnancy much more comfortably than the first, but it distracted her from Moonlight, who was really feeling the lack of attention. She was becoming more resentful of her mother. As with her first pregnancy, Tamsin threw all her energy into her work. Somewhere, amidst all the draining struggle of parenthood, she still had a dream of inventing something that would change the world for the better. She wanted to help the environment. She wanted to save the Earth.

Time flew by. She was in labour again. She was calm and sensible this time. She took a taxi. The entire trip to the hospital, she lectured the driver about the inefficiencies of the the gasoline engine. Her mood was dropping. She wished Youssef, who knew of the child but was far too poor to come to Tamsin's aid, was with her. He was a noble man. If he could have, despite having only lust for her, he would have helped her raise the child. Instead he sent a sizeable cheque. Tamsin knew he had sent her everything he had.

Penny is born.

The morning after she gave birth, Tamsin walked into the kitchen in pain. She was tired, she was angry with the hospital for not letting her stay as an inpatient. She would write a letter of complaint.

Moon was already up, talking aggressively into space. When she noticed Tamsin she said:

- "It's Leafie's birthday today. Did you know that? He's having a party. I can't go. Because you're making me go to school. Not fair, huh?"

Understandably, Tamsin was confused. She was too tired to argue.

- "Okay bub", she said, "That's cool. I'll make sure his party goes well."

Moonlight departed on the school bus about 30 minutes later.

At midday there came a knock at the door. It was Cory.

- "Hi Tamsin, I'm here for the party!", she looked around quickly, "Do you think it was a good idea to give Moon the day off just for a birthday party? Surely you could have held it this afternoon?"

It took Tamsin a good few seconds to work out what Moon had done. She was glad Cory would be there, and braced herself for more guests to arrive.

Cory went to the nursery to meet Penny properly. "I don't know what this family would do without me", she thought to herself, cradling the one day old protectively. It was true, Cory was much more aware of the children's needs than Tamsin was, despite not living with them. Whenever she visited, the kids were cared for. That much wasn't guaranteed when it was just Tamsin at home, beset as she was with mood swings and depressive episodes.

Tamsin was relieved to find she knew most of the guests. She'd never met Cleo before, though. At first she had assumed Cleo was Jimmy Ropata's date, but Jimmy was still tragically, miserably single. "I wonder why we didn't work out", she had thought to herself, forgetting, momentarily, the pregnancies. She was sometimes very angry still to be single at her age. She was so earthy and positive - she told herself - so why didn't men leap at the chance?

Jimmy, however, was becoming flagrantly desperate. It was a shame. He even, to everyone's embarrassment, propositioned an old friend of the family, Margo Tumeke, who was openly gay.

As each guest arrived, Tamsin explained to them what had happened. Despite all her apologies, and having had quite a good time, they left unimpressed. They had expected to spend time with a birthday girl. Tamsin, for her part, had completely forgotten about Moon's birthday. The fake party, and her forgetting, had made her feel sick and hurt.

She called up Youssef, and they talked at length. Youssef said he was saving his money to come to Riverblossom Hills one day. He wanted, more than anything in the world, to meet his daughter. His support, even from a distance, made Tamsin feel stronger.

She waited for Moon to come home, glaring out into the night.

Moon got home very late, dressed up in her fairy costume. She was sullen. Tamsin gave her a ten minute lecture, while - in Moon's head - Leafie patrolled the stairs for trolls.

Moonlight becomes a Teen.

Moonlight imagines Leafie becoming a Teen.

Later still that night, Leafie sat in the kitchen silently. He had been told to wait there. Moonlight was getting changed. She walked out of the hall, into the kitchen, and took an apron out of the drawer:

- "Leafie", she announced, "It's time there was a mother in this house."

Chapter Nine - Walk Like an Egyptian

It was another day at number two, Kat Road. The house was coming along nicely, although Tamsin had been a bit reckless in her spending. She and Moon were getting along well, and had spent several afternoons building a tree fort out back. Moon insisted on sleeping up there most nights.

Tamsin becomes an Adult

And doesn't look thrilled about it...

With all the inventing she had been doing, Tamsin wanted to get out of the house. She wasn't having a full-blown mid-life crisis, but she wanted to do something big. She looked at her bank account. There was more than enough to take both she and Moonlight overseas somewhere. That sounded brilliant, but Moon threw a tantrum at the idea of leaving Leafie behind.

Tamsin was a bit bothered, but she was eccentric herself enough to roll with Moon's little quirks. She booked only one ticket, and asked Cory to babysit for the weekdays she was away.

Al Simhara

Tamsin arrived completely unprepared in terms of her clothing. The heat was sweltering and she still had her cardigan on. She visited the local markets, buying some gifts for Moon and Cory respectively, then she dashed into the bathrooms to change.

There were so many quaint things about this place. The rustic grittiness of it seemed very romantic. She loved the sunshine, and the open landscape. Somehow, she thought it would better if people back home returned to such simple ways of living.

Riverblossom Hills

At home, Moonlight endured her first day of school without her mother around. Thankfully Cory also went to the same school, and helped her through the day.

Al Simhara

Tasmin was enthralled by the bright children's park on the waterfront near Al Simhara. She had spent a good portion of the day relaxing there. It was ridiculously hot. She had noticed a handsome Al Simharan man watching her off and on while she had been there. She'd returned his glances, but only inquisitively. Eventually he approached her.

She quickly discovered that he was very, very charming.

Her new love interest's name was Youssef. He had grown up in Al Simhara, and loved to cook. He spent a lot of time talking about food. She wanted to impress him, so after he had gone home she tried, under cover of darkness, to cook something delicious, vegetarian, and organic. "Perhaps I should try this again when I can see what I'm doing", she said to herself when she was finished.

That night, before going to bed, she mad a long distance call to check up on Moonlight. She was well. Mostly she talked about her doll.

The next morning was beautiful. Tamsin had set up a date with Youssef, and she had a quick breakfast in town to psych herself up for it.

The date went well.

Youssef invited Tamsin to come back to his place. This visit was an education. She realised very quickly that Youssef was very poor. His house had mud walls, and his furnishings were shot. The pair spent all evening talking about their lives. Youssef was very keen on art, and he loved to flirt, which Tamsin found invigorating.

That evening she cooked him a meal. It was a complete success. She felt so refreshed for this new, passionate affair. She didn't think about the past, she didn't think about the future. They just enjoyed each other's company.

Early that morning she kissed a sleeping Youssef goodbye, scoffed the leftovers of the meal she had cooked, then rushed out to catch her flight.

Riverblossom Hills

Moonlight was extremely pleased with her gift. An expensive camera! Cory, however, was surprisingly ungrateful for hers. Tamsin had not realised the girl could be such a snob.

Tamsin read Moonlight a bedtime story. For all the wonder of her trip to Al Simhara, it felt good to be living her simple, natural life again.

And she was glad for the sweet memories Youssef had given her.

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Challenge Notes

Finally! Tamsin is pregnant with the heir. I'm so excited, I'll roll for the next generation as soon as the heir is born. This whole chapter was formed around a bloody great big misclick. I meant to send BOTH Tamsin and Moonlight to Al Simhara as a mother-daughter bonding session. But I forgot to add Moonlight to the party who were going, and so Tamsin went off herself and I had to retcon the whole intention for going. :P

I loved the old Egyptian man with a cane. I was also really pleased to see my XML mod for the WA worlds is working properly. I modded the world files so that all the Sims in them have flavour text, as God intended. In France there are even three celebrities. One of the ghosts is a tribute to Jim Morrison of The Doors (who is buried in Paris) so it just made sense that his ghost should be famous. Seeing as they're working, I might share the XMLs on MTS at some point in the future.

Moonlight having the camera really fascinates me, because she can take photos of her "imaginary" friend. I don't know how that will play into my imaginings!

Chapter Eight - Two Parties

There were always more bills. But now that Tamsin had decent savings, she was finding them much less of an issue. She was still depressed, and still dressed to impress. Although she had grown close to her daughter, she still had a guilty sense that she didn't love her daughter.

Moonlight was often pushed into the background of Tamsin's day. Cory came over sometimes, unpaid, to check that Moonlight was being cared for. To the degree that Tamsin was motivated, she looked after Moonlight: Feeding, changing, the obligatory snuggle.

Anyway, sometimes Moonlight and her entourage creeped Tamsin out a bit.

Sorting her mail after breakfast Tamsin found an invite to a party at Jed Barracks's house. She'd only met him once, briefly, but she decided she and Moonlight would go. It would mean a walk in the sunshine, and she needed to get to know more people. The only company she had was Cory, who, she had to admit was becoming a dear friend despite being only a teenager.

Tamsin also wanted "adult company" again. It had been a long time. She seriously considered leaving Tamsin at home, but decided to make a go of being a good parent.

The party was... ...weird. The house was ill-lit, and instead of playing music, there was sport on the television. Jed was making rather unappetising looking nibbles.

Tamsin spent most of the evening talking with the only other guest to show up, Jimmy Ropata. At first she had mistaken him for his father, Russell, who she had met at the hospital a few weeks earlier. Where Russell was mature and opinionated, Jimmy had a sexy glow of youth about him. He made for nice conversation. Unfortunately he had to leave for work.

Tamsin was left alone with Jed and Serge Barracks, and a television. She was getting tired, and dreading the trip home, so she tried to make conversation.

- "So, Jed, what do you do?"

- "I was stationed in Symria for two years", he replied.

- "Oh", she replied. Then she added, "I did oppose the invasion. I mean, we haven't really helped anyone, have we?"

- "I think you should leave", Jed said.

It had been an odd moment. Tamsin relaxed when she got home. She would have to find an excuse to call Jimmy. He seemed like a nice guy. He had probably paid more attention to Moonlight at the party than she had, it was obvious he was good with children. Maybe she needed someone like that?

The idea struck her like a bullet. She'd just been to one party, and checking the calender she wasn't wrong - it was Moonlight's birthday! She'd throw a birthday party and invite her friends! She even went out on a limb and invited Perseus, not expecting him to come. He was Moonlight's father, though. She figured she sort of had to.

He was the first guest to turn up. He and Tamsin exchanged an uncomfortable greeting.

The party started to come alive when people she and Moonlight actually liked arrived. Perseus, throughout the party, made no attempt to get to know his daughter. Jimmy, however, did.

Moonlight became a Child

A cross-eyed child.

After the cake was dished out, Cory dragged Tamsin aside. She was upset that Perseus had been invited. She said everyone in town had heard him bad-mouthing his daughter.

It wasn't long into the evening when Perseus snapped. He had been moody all afternoon.

- "You just had fucking cake, you heifer!", he shouted at Moon as she helped herself to more food.

In that moment, any doubt Tamsin harboured about her love for Moonlight fled. She ripped in to Perseus, insisting that he leave her home. Cory, for the first time, was impressed by Tamsin.

Moonlight was less happy. She understood that man was her father. She understood that Tamsin was her mother.

Her parents were fighting.

She snuck outside, and played with her doll in the porch-light. "Leafie", she had named him, because her mother liked leaves so much. She felt happy with Leafie, and sad with her mother.

That night Tamsin could hear Moon chattering away to Leafie. She felt pleased with herself. The party had been motivated by selfish desires, but in the end it had lit that spark of loving loyalty to Moonlight that she had sought. Little did she realise what had happened.

Moonlight had snapped. In her head, Leafie was there. All her senses told her so.

Reality was a different matter.

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Challenge Notes

Due to her rough childhood, Moonlight has developed the Can't Stand Art trait. I'm eager to get to the heir, and so I'm going to be angling for Tamsin to meet up more with Jimmy. I found it really funny that SP has shoved Jimmy into exactly the same career as his father. They look very alike in their uniforms.