One Choice Away, 2005

Patar, summer, 2005
Sazo is 46, Sandy is 43, S'Ahmisa is 18 , Si'Enya is 13

Returning to Apple Valley took the Warwick family the same amount of adjustment, if not more, then leaving for Kimikura did. Return culture shock-that's what it was called. Either way, it was very much a real and scary thing. S'Ahmisa coped the best, naturally. She continued her tai chi and lessons learned in Kimikura while indulging in the joy of being closer to Verde.

"I know you and Verde are doing more than just kissing, but you still need to remember to be protected and make smart choices."

S'Ahmisa nodded. Her mother and her father had taken to increasing the amount of heart-to-heart talks with her. She wasn't sure if it was because she would be a freshman this fall at Pierce University, her internship in Simmington Hills that would start in a few simweeks or the fact that Verde had approached them concerning marrying her.

"You're still young and there is an entire world out there for you to explore." Sandy continued.

To be honest, she knew that S'Ahmisa had a level head on her shoulders and that she shouldn't worry about her eldest daughter-or her youngest one for that matter. She had been blessed to have such smart, responsible and beautiful daughters. She didn't take it for granted. She knew that they were always only one choice away from changing their entire lives. It could be a move to another hood, an unplanned pregnancy or a brillant suggestion during an internship. Either way, they were always one step away from changing their lives.

"I know mom." S'Ahmisa said, trying not to sigh. "I talked to Verde about that already and told him that while I appreciate the gesture, I feel that we're still too young to be thinking about such a big step."

"Not just Verde, S'Ahmisa. You still have so much to experience. I don't want you to get so focused with schoolwork either that you lose sight of enjoying yourself."

"Yes m'am."

-----

Another part of the reverse cultural shock came when Rebecca knocked on their door with their tax bill. Sandy and Sazo didn't have taxes in Kimikura and now the hood council was requiring taxes to be paid every summer. Sandy groaned when she looked at the bill. The expenses of moving back to the county, the new house and restarting the business had taken a toll on their finances and now there was this insane tax bill.

"This is stupid!" Sandy sputtered. "Who calculated this? They're an idiot."

"I calculated it," Rebecca sighed. She didn't have time for this. She only wanted to deliver the bill and get back to the hospital to see her daughter, not engage in some ancient form of verbal warfare.

"Well, I demand this to be recalculated. It's crazy!"

"The hood council looked at it several times and this is your tax bill."

"We can't appeal the darn thing?"

"I guess you could, but we won't have the time to look at it anytime soon. You'd risk being late with your tax payment."

"This is-"

"Rebecca, how are you?" Sazo said coming from the basement. He had heard the commotion and naturally wanted to ensure that his family was safe.

"I'm, I'm ok thanks."

"How's your daughter? Is she still in the hospital?"

"You're baby's in the hospital?" Sandy asked.

Rebecca nodded. "She's been there for a few simlonic months and it doesn't look like she'll be out soon. She still has another surgery left to go."

"Oh," Sandy said, ashamed at her earlier reaction to the tax bill. "Why don't you come in and have a cuppa?"

"Yes, have a cup of coffee and Sandy can go upstairs and write the check for the taxes while you're here." Sazo said giving Sandy a pointed look.

"Hmm, smells good. Anymore left?" S'Ahmisa asked coming in the house.

"Yes, come join us."

"Hello, Ms. Rebecca. How are the twins?"

"They're much bigger now, almost teens."

"Wow, were we really gone that long?"

"Here's the check," Sandy said coming from downstairs.

"Thanks. Thanks again for the coffee. I have to go, visiting hours will start soon."

The family nodded as they watched the woman head to the door.

"Si'Enya, where are you going?" Sazo asked his youngest.

"Probably to look for bugs," S'Ahmisa whispered while she texted Verde.

"Look for bugs," she absentmindly replied.

"Verde's on his way, is that ok?"

Sazo rolled his eyes. "I don't see why you two text each other all the time. The boy lives next door, send hand signals from the windows. Heck, that would lower the phone bill."

S'Ahmisa laughed.

"Sure, your father and I are going to the coffee shop. We need to do some more unpacking. Promise to be good."

"Aren't we always?"

"Yes, but still promise."

"I promise," S'Ahmisa said crossing her heart with a smile as she ran outside with her sister.

"Find anything yet?"

"Only stuff I already have. I'm looking for a very rare spider and I can't find it. It would complete my collection."

"Hey S'Ahmisa, hey Si'Enya." Verde greeted the young women.

"Hey you!" S'Ahmisa grinned leaping into his arms.

"I'm going to the lake," Si'Enya said. "Maybe I'll find it there." 

She doubted she would find the spider there, but she didn't want to be in the house while the two lovebirds were there. For some reason it made her stomach hurt to see Verde kiss her sister and she didn't want to think about what that meant. Instead she was going to the lake to watch the fish swim and butterflies prance from flower to flower.

"Are you just going to stand there?" S'Ahmisa asked smiling up at her boyfriend.

"Umm," Verde tried to find words to say.

He wanted to talk. To talk about them and their future. They had been together so long and the chemistry was great, so why wait any longer. Instead, S'Ahmisa insisted that they were too young. She had said the same thing when he wanted to go steady with her at soccer camp. Sometimes a man just knows, but now...now he wondered what was the point. If she didn't want to get married, why was he wasting his time. Why was he over here in the first place?

"Well, are you going to just stare or are you going to come and get it?" she smiled seductively at him.

Ah, he remembered now. She may not want all of his heart, but Verde was determined to give her all of something else.

----

Si'Enya returned from the lake well after the sun had set. She heard the two lovebirds giggling in the yard before she saw them.

"Did mom and-oh! I didn't know you guys had come back." Si'Enya said watching her parents play a spirited game with water balloons.

"We're back. How was the lake?"

"It was ok."

"Find that spider?" Her father asked.

"No, not yet." She said entering the house.

"Better luck next time!" he yelled after her.

"Yea, maybe next time," she whispered to the fish.

She looked around the empty living room before starting her ritual conversation with her beloved fish.

"Am I too fat? I mean, I know I put on some pounds, but daddy says I'm beautiful...you're right, daddies are supposed to say their daughters are beautiful. I shouldn't want a boyfriend, right? I'm too young, right?...Then why does it hurt so much..."

----

"I don't want to think about it."

"It's only for the summer, she's a big girl now."

"Still, why couldn't she do her internship here? Si'Enya's doing the camp and then helping in the community garden, right here in the hood. I bet Fiona would have taken S'Ahmisa."

"Sazo, sometimes you have to leave your hood to explore and see what's out there. I had to do it."

"Yea, and you didn't ever return. What if she stays there?"

"She won't. She has university to think about and believe me, she'll be back for that."

"And that Verde boy. She'll be back for him."

Sandy laughed. "I'm not sure how long those two will last."

"What makes you say that?"

"Call it mother's intuition. They're not the same couple that they were when they were younger. Verde wants a lot more from S'Ahmisa and she's not ready for it. I'm not sure how much longer he'll wait. Too bad, I like Verde, he's a good kid."

"Daddy, can you help me with my suitcase?"

Sazo sighed. "We'll finish this conversation later."

"No we won't."

"We won't?"

"No, our oldest will be on a plane in less than an hour and our youngest has training for her summer job. That means an empty house for at least six hours."

"Ohhh."

"Be a good girl, enjoy yourself."

"I will, mom."

"Learn a lot and make sure to give Sabien that package of Kimikurian tea when you arrive."

"Yes , daddy."

"We'll miss you." Si'Enya said as her sister climbed into the waiting taxi.

"I'll miss you too, but I'll be back in a few simweeks!"

"Bye!"

---
Verde talked to S'Ahmisa and her parents about marriage offscreen. She doesn't want to talk about it, she's always been the one to put the brakes on their relationship while Verde has been pretty vocal about his love for her to just about any sim that would listen. As a result of Verde's insistance, his secondary aspiration will be changed to family.

S'Ahmisa is off to Simmington Hills for her summer internship with Mayor Cunningham while Verde has summer basic training to look forward to.

Sandy has the ROS for picking a fight with the sim of the lowest relationship. She actually had a zero relationship with Rebecca, and many other Apple Valley citizens, but distance can do that for you. Her lowest relationship was with a sim in Kimikuria, I doubt that she would go back just for an agrument.