Mother's Voice, 2006

Lovar, spring, 2006
Julio is 39, Rebecca is 36, Abel and Amanda are 10, Ana Rayne is 1

"EEEEEEEEEE"

Rebecca jumped as Ana Rayne's shriek startled her from her post. She rushed to see what had caused her daughter's shrill cry only to find her cuddled up with Decade.

"Why did you scare mommy like that?" she asked picking the toddler up.

Thankfully Ana Rayne was in a good mood and allowed her mother to cuddle with her before placing her back on the floor. Usually the little toddler demanded to be held, as if being seperated would cause her to die. The way that Rebecca responded, you would think that Ana Rayne would die without constant touch.

"Let's play a game," she said sitting on the floor with the toddler.

"Peek-a-boo, I see you!" Rebecca sang.

She was greeted with Ana Rayne's wails and tears streaming down her face.

"It's ok, don't be scared." She tried to comfort her daughter to no avail. "Maybe it's time for lunch."

She placed Ana Rayne in the high chair and took out the fresh eggplant and pole beans. She added the vegetables to the blender, adding water until the perfect mixture of lump free nutrition was created.

She placed the bowl in front of her daughter and waited. This was the test, if Ana Rayne approved of the mixture then she would dip her fingers from the bowl into her mouth, if there was a lump then Rebecca would have to clean the food from the toddler's hair and walls.

Thankfully, the lunch was lump free and Ana Rayne successfully put most of the food into her mouth.

"Time for a nap so mommy can work on her inventory." She pleaded putting the toddler in her crib. "Be a good girl and go to sleep, ok."

Today was a really good day, as Ana Rayne went to sleep without her usual cries for attention. Rebecca focused on piecing together the newest toy. The shop was doing well, not as well as it had been before Ana Rayne's birth, but Rebecca knew that those days were behind her. The days of bringing in buckets of simoleans each day, the countless hours of freetime spent designing new toys and working on the business as well as working late nights at the shop were over.

Instead the family had tapped into their savings to pay for Ana Rayne's surgeries, selling their home and moving into a cheaper townhouse to help fund the procedures and to avoid tapping into the twins college funds. Rebecca hardly had free time to work on toys, her days were spent tending to Ana Rayne's increasing demands. She was unable to open the shop every simday, instead opting for two or three times a simweek.

The family now depended on Julio's paycheck for their daily expenses. Even if Rebecca could run the shop every simday, they would have to hire a nurse to tend to Ana Rayne and that would eat away at any simoleans Rebecca could bring in from the shop. Rebecca wiped her eyes, she missed her mother and father especially during these times. If they were still alive, at least there would be extra help at the house to help her care for the children. Sometimes she felt as if she could hear her father and mother's voice in her head, guiding her. Other times, there was nothing but silence to accompany her as she stumbled.

"How was your day?" Julio asked finding his wife hunched over her worktable.

"Ok," she smiled weakly. "Ana Rayne actually ate lunch today instead of throwing it."

Julio nodded, noting his wife's tired look He worried about her. As a doctor, he could tell when patients were streaching themselves too thin and he knew that things would have to change soon for Rebecca's health. Tending to a special needs child was often more than enough for most sims, not to mention trying to manage a business at the same time.

"Are the twins home yet?" she asked.

"They just arrived, Abel asked if a boy from school could stop over for a few moments, I said that it was ok."

"Is he here yet?"

"No, his folks will be dropping him off in a hour or so."

Rebecca nodded, "Why don't you stop by Tobi's place and hang out for a minute. I'm sure you had a rough day at work."

"What about you?"

Ana Rayne's cries pierce the air and Rebecca weakly smirked. "I'll take Ana Rayne downstairs for a few moments."

Rebecca read to the active toddler, while Amanda sat nearby listening to her mother's voice.

Abel was outside with Decade, flinging sticks as far as he could for the dog. Amanda was better at fetch than he was, she could naturally throw the stick so far that it sometimes would end up in the neighbor's yard.

Julio greeted Tobi and his family. "Let's toss the ball around for a few minutes."

The men walked outside and tossed the small baseball back and forth bewteen the two. They were silent for the most part, Tobi knew that Julio had a lot on his mind and simply needed to be active in order to think.

"You good?"

Julio nodded. "I'm good, I just don't know about Rebecca."

"Yea, well you know that I am clueless about women."

"Yea, I know." Julio said laughing.

After Tobi went inside, Julio stood at the corner and watched the couples walk by in the bright light. Watching Suzanna and Bradford together made Julio long for those carefree days that he and Rebecca were able to be open with their romance. Those days when their life was routine and borderline boring.

Those days were behind them, he thought entering his home. His twins sat on the sofa as their friend joined them in watching TV. Julio didn't regret Ana Rayne, but he couldn't help but feel guilty, he thought as he took out the ingredients for dinner. If he hadn't been so persistent about having another child then their lives would be so much different. They would be traveling like Rebecca longed to do, the twins finally old enough to tag along for family trips. He was sure by now that Rebecca's shop would have been a wonderful booming business instead of what it was now. How could you not feel guilty as you watched your wife's dreams shrivel based on a choice you made.

---

Julio stepped in the renovated office. It felt good to have a little more space in the medical centre thanks to the larger budget share that he managed to convince the county council to give the center.

With the increased funding, came increased responsibilities.

These responsibilities were now being shared with Dr. Donna O'Dale from Pahala Shore.

Julio admired the woman and her work ethic, especially listening to her goals and dreams concerning the pediatrics department.

"I think a fall campaign for health that focuses on the children would be a wise investment."

"Interesting..."

"I could visit the school with a mobile clinic and allow parents to get simple tests and check-ups done for their children while there."

"Sounds like a great plan. Do you think you could have a proposal written up by the end of the simlonic month for me to review?"

"Of course," Dr. O'Dale nodded.

"How is she?" Dr. Donna O'Dale asked following Julio into the room.

"She's improving, the meds are taking their effect now and she has agreed to start seeing a counselor to discuss...things."

"Keep your chin up. Depression isn't fatal, she'll recover." Dr. O'Dale encouraged him.

"I know, I just have to convince her of that."

Rebecca slowly flipped through the pages of her book. She could hear whispering outside the door and she knew that her husband was there. She wished that she could remember what landed her here in the hospital and who was taking care of her children. Julio said that the twins had come home to find her shaking and hugging her knees in the kitchen, tears streaming down her face and lumpy eggplant mush in her hair. Ana Rayne was screaming in her high chair and Decade was clawing at the back door. They said that she was depressed, all the symptoms were classic and she was placed under monitering.

"How are you, love?" Julio said placing a kiss on his wife's cheek.

Donna was right, depression wasn't fatal, but it was enough to wound those diagnosed with it and those surrounding them. Julio still wondered how he could have missed the signs, how he could have allowed his wife to get so sick.

"I want to go home."

"Not yet, love."

"Well, how are the children?"

"They are fine, they are being cared for."

"By who? I know not Jorge, he has his hands full with his own family and Antonio always seems so scared of Ana Rayne."

"Carmela has been coming by in the evenings to help with the twins and I hired a nanny for Ana Rayne. She has great recommendations and training with special needs children."

"How much is that costing?"

"It doesn't matter, she is staying. I need you more than I need the money."

"Julio, we can't afford it..."

"Don't worry about it."

"How can I not worry." Rebecca sighed. "Oh, no. You didn't go into the twin's college fund did you?"

"No..."

"Then how..." she said attempting to get out of the bed. A stern look fromJulio made her swing her legs back onto the thin mattress.

Julio sighed, he knew that she would keep digging until she discovered the answered. Besides, her position on the county council meant that she would uncover the truth soon.

"It's a thank you gift, for my work with the vaccine."

"Oh."

"Now you need to rest and focus on your health." Julio said leaving the room. "I love you."

"I love you, too."
----
ROS: Suffer Depression-Rebecca Wilsonoff

Ana Rayne's birth / Ana Rayne is sick / Ana Rayne comes home / Julio wants another baby / Wilsonoff's Routine Life / Rebecca's Dreams / Rayne (Rebecca's mother) dies / Ajani dies