Generation 7; Chapter 17

I hate seeing them like this.  I wish I could wave a magic wand and make everything better.

But sometimes the best thing for them is to let them figure it out themselves; that’s how they learn and grow.

I’m so grateful for Nathanael.  I couldn’t have chosen a better partner and father to my children.  He’s good at hands-off parenting–that is, until someone needs a hug.

This afternoon, Nathanael helped me plant the apple orchard I’ve been planning since before the new house was constructed.

I’m excited to bring new life to the property.  Nathanael just wants fresh apples for his homemade apple pie (not that I’m complaining!).

Then we had dinner as a family, a rare treat.  Kylie loved it — she went on and on about her “crazy fun” day at school.

That reminds me–I need to help her with her homework tonight.  Apparently Dale and Jenna have a date!

Generation 7; Chapter 16

Kylie sat on her pretty new bed, mashing some clay into the form of a bunny.  It looked more like a blob than anything else, but she knew her daddy would tell her how great it looked anyway.

He always praised her art projects, even if she herself thought they weren’t very good.  But the encouragement was enough to keep her practicing, which only made her get better.  She was thankful for that.

But she knew something was wrong.  When he thought she wasn’t looking, his smile would fade.  She knew he was unhappy, but he never said why, so all she could do was hope it wasn’t because of her…

Come to think of it, maybe it was because of her.  How anyone could stand listening to her play the violin, if you could even call it “playing,” baffled her.  The piercing screeches made her want to plug her ears.

“Hey, Kylie.  What’s up?”
“Daddy isn’t happy.  It’s not because of me, is it?”

“No one is responsible for another person’s unhappiness.  You father has a lot to think about, that’s all.  Maybe you can help him…would you like that?”
“Oh, yes!  How can I help?”

***

“Kylie, will you help me plan a little surprise for Jenna?”
“YES!”

Generation 7; Chapter 15

“So, Dale, how’s everything going?  Are you and Kylie settling in alright?”

“We’re more than alright!  Again, thank you for opening your home up to us, Mrs. J.”

“Kylie absolutely adores it here.  She really loves that pink violin you guys got her–”

“I’m so glad.  And…how are you and Jenna?  I haven’t seen you two together much lately.”

“Oh, uh…you noticed that, huh?”

“You know how busy a high school student can be…I tried to include her in my and Kylie’s playtime, but she didn’t seem to enjoy it…she’d rather just write her book alone in her room.  So I just stopped trying.”

“She has to understand that Kylie’s my daughter…Jenna has you and Nathanael, but Kylie only has me.  I have to put her first.”

“I respect you for that, Dale.  You’re doing the best you can, given the situation.  But one thing I learned after becoming a wife and a parent is that you have two separate rolls to fill: that is, you must raise your children, but you also have to set aside time for you and your partner.”

“I think I get what you’re saying, Mrs. J…I’ve got some things to think about.  Thanks for the chat.”

“Kylie, will you help me plan a little surprise for Jenna?”
“YES!”

Generation 7; Chapter 14

“So, how’s everything going…are you settling in well?  How’s the big novel going?”

“Great, Mom!  I just love my little writing nook.  The novel’s going great.”

The novel is not going great.  It isn’t going anywhere.  I’ve written one sentence.  One.  I’m never going to be an author at this rate…

“Everything’s…great.”

“That’s…good.  How are things with you and Dale?”

“Oh, same as always…pretty great!”

We don’t spend any time together anymore.  He’s always with Kylie.  I get it — she’s his kid — but I’m his fiance…does he even want to marry me anymore?

“Well…I better get back to the novel.  Thanks for the chat, Mom.”

Jenna sat down at her great-grandfather’s writing desk and stared at the blank computer screen.  She teared up, as she always did after those “chats.”  They always brought up the plum she didn’t want to think about…

Whatever.  She wiped her cheeks.  Back to writing.

Generation 7; Chapter 13

Bliss lifted her glass, a smile spread across her face.  “A toast, to the new house!”

“My favorite!” Nathanael exclaimed upon taking a sip.  “How did you know?”

Bliss smiled softly.  “You pick up a thing or two after two life stages of marriage.”

“And a blissful two life stages they’ve been!” Nathanael chuckled at his own pun.

Jenna rounded the corner, having just finished exploring her future home office.  She pulled her mom into a big hug.  “The house is perfect, Mom.  It’s like a chance to start over, and at the same time bring back the beauty of Old Oasis Springs.  I’m glad we did this.”

“Thank you, Sweetie.”  Bliss couldn’t believe how well her daughter was taking this…all she’d gotten for weeks was snarky remarks or silence.  Teenagers…they get a lot of plum for being unpredictable, erratic, even — but it may very well be their biggest strength.  They’re adaptable.

“Has anyone seen Kylie?” Dale asked as he walked up to his new family.  Future family, he reminded himself.  We aren’t married yet…  He was grateful they’d taken him and his daughter in after the accident, but something felt different since they actually moved in.  Jenna seemed different.  Things change when you move in together, I guess…  He shook the thought from his head, not wanting to dwell on it.

Jenna’s smile dropped ever so slightly upon feeling Dale’s presence behind her.  “She’s checking out her new room,” she answered, focusing her attention on a corner of the ceiling.  She could feel his warm gaze as he walked past her; she hoped he didn’t notice her, however subtle, change in mood.  As he ascended the stairs, she realized she shouldn’t have given it a second thought — he was oblivious.

And that only made her feel worse.

Returning

This blog is back from (unannounced) hiatus!

I’ve finally got the time (and motivation) to return to the Johnsons, my very first Sim family.  I’m determined to see them through to Gen 10!  That being said, I’m very out of practice when it comes to more “formal” blog posts (as opposed to quick forum or tumblr posts).  Bear with me as I get back into the swing of things.  Nothing new, but I might mix things up a bit — try a different writing style or perspective or something.  Just letting you know!

Is there anything specific you readers want to see?  A time-jump?  A particular Sim’s point of view?  More or less drama?  Let me know in the comments!

Generation 7; Chapter 12

“Jenna, we need to talk…”
“If this is about Kylie, I already told you that I love having her here–“
“And she loves being here, so do I.  We especially love you, and that’s why I hope you’ll marry me.”“Is that a ‘yes’?”
“Yes, definitely yes.”“So…which one of us is gonna tell Kylie?”
“We’ll tell her together.”

*

Later that night…
“Kylie, Jenna has something to tell you.”

Generation 7; Chapter 11

Secret Feelings
Jenna Johnson
November 6, 2015

Writing Prompt: What’s the most significant secret you’ve ever kept? Did the truth ever come out?

“Are you plumming kidding me? I came all the way to Newcrest to get away from you!”

Angry.
Sad..
Scared…

“May I have this dance?”
“Wha–you’re such a plumhead.”

Annoyed.
Amused..
Attracted…Loved.
Hesitant..
In love…

Generation 7; Chapter 10

Camden Krough, now a frail old man, arrived at the Johnsons’ doorstep with a sad face.  He knew Grim would come for him any moment, and he had one important affair to get in order.  “I’m sorry–” he blurted out the moment Bliss opened the door.

He stopped short, taken aback by her appearance.  He had expected her to be a gray-haired, wrinkly elder like himself; instead, he found her to be more beautiful than ever.  The only wrinkles she showed were well-earned smile lines; her hair was as long and dark as it was when they were children.“Don’t apologize,” she said, handing him a piece of Spooky Day candy as peace offering.  “The past is past.”  Bliss had long ago made amends with him, but the two never truly mended their friendship.  By the time he came back into her life, they both had families and lives of their own.

“Your hair…it’s long,” Camden finally choked out.  “I like it.”
“And yours hasn’t changed a bit, well aside from the…” Bliss teased playfully.
“Gray, I know,” he finished.  It was like old times — himself, Bliss, finishing each other’s sentences, the park, the play dates, their prom…

A small smile lit his face as his life began to flash before his eyes.

Generation 7; Chapter 9

Reflection
Jenna Johnson
November 2, 2015

Writing Prompt:  When you were 16, what did you think your life would look like? Does it look like that? Is that a good thing?

I guess I had some pretty high expectations for my teen years.  I thought it would be like: Watching funny sim.tv videos and sharing the latest juicy high school gossip with my little sister,Having late night adventures with my friends and taking selfies so we would always remember,Spending the night with my loyal, loving boyfriend and being complimented on my bedhead in the morning.

I guess I had too high expectations, because, unfortunately, it’s been more like…Realizing my sister has already seen those funny videos and already knows all of the juicy gossip,Realizing my best friend will get more Likes on that solo selfie than our couple selfies ever will,Realizing my boyfriend is a cheater and a coward who doesn’t deserve the time of day let alone my love.

Can I age up, already?