Share the Secret, 2005

Havar, fall, 2005
Grex and Ginger are 33, Bryant and Annie are 10, Breckin is 2 and Lara is 1

Ginger wondered how much one family could take. Every simday she woke up with a feeling of dread, wondering what the day would bring. Grex tried to tell her that sometimes things just happen. It's not as if everything is directed towards their family, but sometimes...things happen.

Things like a hefty fine from the county council for Grex's fight with Jorge. Grex still wouldn't say what started it and he refused to press charges. Ginger knew that it had something to do with Jolie. Why else would the woman's husband pick a fight with her husband? Ginger made sure to pay the fine and she even packaged some cheese trays with the payment as well. As if cheese would erase the embarrassment.

Things like the couple was still not pregnant. It wasn't for lack of trying, but for some reason the biology wasn't working. Eggs were not being fertilized, her womb was still empty and the test would still read negative.

Things like the adoption options drying up. Even in other hoods, adoptions were more difficult to process, the requirements more difficult. The number of interhood adoptions were falling. She couldn't get in touch with her friends in the other hoods anymore and she was feeling very lonely.

Grex told her to focus on the good, not the bad. So she did...most days. She remembered coming home to find the living renovation complete. She screamed with joy at the sight.

She spent hours running her hands over the wallpaper and admiring the photos hung in a row. It was her vision come alive.

No more peeling paper or squeaky floors. It was complete and beautiful.

She thought about her children. Breckin now had a command of the simlish language and could make simple requests. He enjoyed being read to.

Every simday, he would request The Adventures of the Red Hatted Gnome and would often try to recite his favorite parts of the book.

Lara was attempting to walk. So far she could only manage a few steps on her own,

however she loved to toddle about holding onto her papa's hands.

The twins were exceling in school. Byrant was showing growth in artistic ability, so they invested in a small easel for him. Grex didn't think that anything resembling artistic or ability came off of the easel, but Byrant enjoyed it.

Maybe his artistic talent was hiding in something else. Maybe Bryant wasn't a genius with the paints, perhaps textiles were more his talent. Like Ginger, who would often spend a few hours a simday working on a project-usually a teddy bear for the kids or a set of pajamas.

Annie was showing mechanical aptitude, her progress report said. Perhaps that's what they call it nowadays when a child tears apart the classroom intercom looking for the voice inside.

Even the family's newest addition, West, was a delight to have.

Grex didn't know how West tolerated the children

pulling on him, tugging at him,

making him chase after a stupid ball

and snuggling under him at all times.

Somedays he wished West would share his secret, especially when Breckin and Lara were clamoring for attention at the same time. Yelling "papa! papa!"

The harvest was going well, it was just beginning,

so a few crops here and a few crops there.

In addition to caring for the still growing produce and

planting the seeds that would produce the last bounty of crops,

Grex would try to steal away to do a bit of fishing or simply watch the trains go by.

The family had the routine memorized. While Grex worked the crops, Ginger would spend a few hours before the market opened creating delicious treats to sell for the day.

Sometimes it was gooseberry pie, sometimes roast lamb

or the occasional wild turkey.

If it was a cool day and Ginger made roast lamb racks, Grex could always look forward to a day of high sales. Eversince Ginger won the regional cooking competition with her roast lamb,

residents have been clamoring to taste the prize winning dish.

Today was one of those simdays.

"You're out already? It's not even noon!"

Ginger shrugged. "I'm sorry, it sells pretty quickly. Maybe I can interest you in some fresh fish. I have a very nice rainbow trout that would be divine if you grilled it with lemons and rosemary."

"What about pie? Do you have anymore pie?"

Ginger directed him to the pie, "You might want to be quick about it since I only have two more left."

"No more roast?" another customer approached Ginger.

She shook her head, "No more. But there's plenty of fish and vegetables right off the vine."

Ginger's breath caught in her throat as she watched the woman saunter into the market. She hadn't seen Li in almost a year. Why was she here?

Don't be silly, she told herself. Maybe Li wants to buy some fresh produce like all the other sims in the market.

After closing up for the day, the couple returned home to give the sitter a break.

"Guess what?" Grex said pulling her close.

"What?"

"We finally paid off the loan for the market."

"Really?"

"Really."

"That's great news, no more payments!"

"We could start saving for fertility treatments if you want to now."

"That would be great."

How Big is Yours?

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Natural Healing Power, 2005

Havar, fall, 2005
mini-update

Susie was having a great time.

The last couple of weeks had been spent dividing her time bewteen rehearsals, private dance classes and Anthony. He was so sweet and attentive and so darn sexy. Sometimes when he touched her she was sure that her skin was on fire. The chemistry was just that amazing.

He made sure to let her know that he was thinking about her. Often dropping off flowers, texting her little notes or forwarding her articles about his theory that sims were aliens controlled by a higher being.

They did so much together, things like visiting the art gallery and pretending that they were shopping for their own apartment,

or dancing in his apartment to the music on the radio, or the static on the radio depending on the weather,

or even just watching the news wrapped in each other's arms and his hand softly stroking her shoulder.

As she worked on her hair for tonight's date, her thoughts drifted to their first date at the pier. She was nervous, not of doing something stupid, but she knew that he would be her undoing and it was always hard to walk the path knowing that piece of information.

They mostly walked around the pier and watched the boats arrive, made up silly stories about the sims they saw and stood in silence next to each other.

It was so simple, playing kicky bag,

laughing at silly jokes,

or discussing their jobs.

Perhaps that was the nicest part about it. They were enjoying simple activities and each other. They didn't have to have an elaborate dinner date planned, as long as they were in the same room, Susie was content.

More than content, she was in love. She paused, the brush still in her hair. She was in love and it scared her. Anthony wasn't another Bill, she knew that much. He made his intentions very clear from the beginning.

"I'm in this for the long haul. If that's not what you're looking for, you need to tell me now."

Of course, she said she was in it for the long haul. How could she say no? Especially when he looked at her with those hypnotic eyes of his. He could lead a cult with those eyes of his.

"You look amazing," Anthony breathed as he took in the sight of Susie before him. He reached out to stroke her hands. He had to touch her, to smell her, to see her. Yes, it had only been twelve hours since the last time he saw her, but that was too long.

"Thank you and congratulations again."

Anthony grinned. He had found a position as a research assistant in the medical centre's lab. His paper on the healing power of sea lice interested the county council especially in the wake of the growing Plumbbob Virus epidemic.

"I've got a surprise for you," Susie whispered as they stood on the rooftop waiting for their table.

"What is it?"

"I can't tell you. You'll get it after dinner. "she promised.

"May I have a kiss to tide me over until then?" he asked pulling her closer to him as raindrops started to fall around them.

Susie inhaled his scent as her knees wobbled. She didn't have to nod or answer his question, he knew the answer as she slid her hands up his chest.

"How is the new job going so far?" she asked as they waited for their first course.

"Great. I've managed to show them how to isolate the genes from the sea lice to take advantage of thier natural healing power. Hopefully we'll be able to develop a vaccine soon."

"That would be great. It's becoming a bit scary with so many sims getting sick. Thankfully, I was able to recover quickly, but there are more sims entering ICU everysimday."

"I know...how is your foster mother doing?"

Susie looked off in the distance. Her foster mother was still in the hospital for observation and it didn't look good.

"She's hanging on. The doctors are fearful and she's not that optimistic either. Apparently, a very similar illness struck her village when she was younger."

"She'll be fine."

"How do you know?"

"I just know." he whispered reaching across the table for her hand.

"Are you ready for your surprise?"

"I'm very much ready," Anthony said pushing in his chair.

"You'll need to wear this," Susie said producing a blindfold.

"Ooo, I like..."

Susie blushed. "Maybe some other time."

She led the man to the elevator and pushed the button. Carefully she helped him enter the room and looked around. Satisified that everything was in it's place, she removed the blindfold.

"Cool! A bedroom! You shouldn't have!" Anthony gushed.

"No, silly!"

"Then what?" he asked, turning to give her that seductive eye again.

He walked closer until Susie was pinned against the wall bewteen his arms.

"What's your surprise, baby?" He whispered in her ear, the heat of his breath causing her stomach to flip. She tried to stay focused as his hand stroked her hip. "What's your surprise?"

"Me." she managed to whispered as she caught her breath.

Anthony stepped back and held her hands in his. Susie tried to read his face, but he kept his gaze fixed on her fingers. Finally he looked up into her eyes.

"Are you sure?"

Susie nodded as his arms wrapped around her.