Viola
We settled in pretty quickly to our new house in Riverview, and I even had a little routine going, much to my surprise.
I’d wake up to Nico’s cries when it was still dark, then feed the other kids as they woke up.
Then I’d work on teaching Hermione and Dain their toddler skills.
I figured while I was on a roll I should keep going, so I hired a maid service and a babysitter.
Initially, they only sent one maid over, but once he realised how much work there was to do around the place he called for backup!
(Seriously there were even more maids than this, it was awesome.)
The babysitter I found was called Sally Hustev, and she was fantastic.
She mostly looked after Nico while I worked on teaching the toddlers their skills, but she was quick to care for the other kids too when they needed attention.
We made a good team.
Sean helped out with the kids when he could, but he slept odd hours because of work, so it mostly fell back on me.
Also, we quickly realised Hermione didn’t like Sean for some unknown reason. She would scream whenever he picked her up, and threw some great tantrums for him.
Sometimes, he could get a smile out of her, but it was a rare occurrence.
Looking back, everything started to fall apart on Dain and Nico’s birthday. Dain could talk and use the potty, but he still kept falling over every few steps when he tried to walk. I was trying to get in some last minute teaching, but after he fell down for the fifth time in a row I resigned myself to the fact that he just wasn’t going to get it.
‘Why don’t you let me have a try?’ interrupted Sean. I started a little - I hadn’t realised he was behind me. ‘Hermione keeps crying when I’m with her, and Dain likes me better.’
I got to my feet, and Dain uneasily tried to stand again too, copying me, before he fell down again.
‘Fine,’ I said in a toneless voice. ‘Try. But he’s not going to get it.’
I stalked out of the room and wandered down to the living room, thinking.
I had to come to terms with the fact that Sean and I were never going to get together again. No matter how much skimpy underwear I’d worn around the house since we moved here, he’d never even batted an eye. Ignored me. Like I was invisible.
We barely talked, and if we did, it was about the kids. I had to stop these silly games and grow up. At least, that’s what I told myself. I just hoped I was as strong as I thought I was.
Dain and Nico had their birthday’s that night, and aged into beautiful kids. I was quite touched that Nico had my blonde hair.
My first test came after we’d celebrated the kids birthdays. Sally told me she wouldn’t be able to babysit for me anymore, because school was starting again. I thanked her, and she said goodbye to Nico, who she’d spent the most time with, and the other kids.
I’d cope without her, I told myself. I’d be fine.
Nico was a funny toddler. Sometimes, he’d forget that I just fed him, for instance, and scream for no reason. Other times I’d smell that his diaper needed changing, but he wouldn’t be crying at all, just happily playing.
Hermione, well, there was no respite with her. She demanded attention all the time, even when she was well fed, had a clean diaper, and had had plenty of cuddles. Screaming the house down for no reason was one of her favourite past times, especially if Sean so much as got near her.
Only her favourite toy, the xylophone, could hold her attention for long.
Dain didn’t really care much for his siblings, and fair enough too, since they kept him awake at night.
He’d often go and sit on the swing in the pre dawn light, for some peace and quiet.
He seemed to be able to keep himself entertained, which was good.
I had my hands full with Nico and Hermione, and that didn’t leave much time for Dain.
None of us were getting much sleep, and the strain was starting to show. Sean kept showing up to work exhausted, and had been demoted to super villain.
Dain kept falling asleep in class, and was failing school.
Even Nico and Hermione often fell asleep where they lay, and neither of them had mastered any toddler skills yet.
And me? I was at my lowest point ever.
Age caught up with me, and I had my elder birthday, which did nothing for my fragile mental state.
Dain kept complaining to me about the babies crying, but there wasn’t really anything I could do.
I tried so hard to keep them happy, but there was only one of me.
Hermione aged into a child with none of her toddler skills mastered, which only devastated me further. I felt like such a failure of a mother.
I thought things would be easier with just Nico to look after, but since I had almost completely lost the will to do anything by this point, it didn’t make much difference. Hermione, like Dain, often escaped the noisy house for the sanctuary of the swings, and watching the sun rise over the river.
It was hard to ignore that Dain was in a constant state of exhaustion.
I honestly had no idea what to do, I felt so helpless. I’d had multiple calls from the school about Dain, and now Hermione, sleeping in class.
I should have expected it. I should have known that when the man with the clipboard came to the door, it was the end. But I was in denial. When I realised why he was there, on my doorstep, I lost it.
Sean
The thing with anti depressants is that you hardly feel anything. I was sitting across the table from the social worker, and he was telling me my kids were getting taken away from me, and I was perfectly calm. I knew I should be upset, angry, something, but I just wasn’t. When he finally stopped talking, I managed to get a question in.
‘Where will you take them?’
The man looked through his papers. ‘We have one young couple who lives nearby that are wiling to take more than one child. We find we have the most success when we keep siblings together.’
‘Yes. Please keep them together. Can you tell me anything about the couple?’ I knew he probably wouldn’t, but it didn’t hurt to ask.
He looked at his file grudgingly. ‘They have agreed to the distribution of personal information,’ he muttered, as if he didn’t approve. ‘Your children will be taken in by a Miss Lorie Bachelor and Miss Alannah Collingwood.’
Viola was in Nico’s room, sitting on the floor with Nico in her lap, sobbing. I sat down next to her.
‘Viola. Honey, look at me.’ I said, even surprising myself by the gentleness in my voice.
She looked up, her face streaked with tears.
‘Alannah’s taking the kids. Alannah Collingwood.’
It took a moment for her to register this. ‘Are - are you sure?’
‘Yes. And she doesn’t live in Sunset Valley anymore, she lives here, in Riverview. We might be able to see them. It’s going to be okay, Viola.’ I stroked her hair. ‘It’s going to be okay.’
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Author's notes:
As you can probably tell by the lack of screenshots, I didn’t play through the social worker bit. Silly me forgot I had the kids saved to the bin so I exited without saving so I wouldn’t lose them. Anyway, I will be continuing on with whichever kid wins the heir vote, I’m just waiting for Buckey’s opinion on whether I call it generation three or make it the start of a new wishacy.
This chapter was super hard to write. I could not bring myself to make it really sad and awful, so that above is what I settled on.
I was going to get Sean and Viola together again, as they both had a wish to get married. But there just wasn’t any time to get the romance going.
The maid and babysitter hiring was the free day. The social worker came because Dain's social need was low, and he kept passing out so I couldn't raise it. I explained it in more detail on the Hand of Fate thread (link over to the side somewhere).
Gifts! (This is a new thing I’m doing, when a gifted item appears in a chapter I’ll list who gave it to me.)
The house was built by ClarkFamilySims. I plan to use it again in the future, probably as the next generations share house.
I don't normally list CC unless you guys ask, but Viola's sexy underwear was made by Wiktoria von Frege, who is quite possibly my new favourite creator.
Remember the heir vote is still going, for anyone who still has not voted. And my writing contest closes soon, so get your entry in if you wanted to enter. The link's over on the side there somewhere...
Until next time,
xx Courtney.
