Chapter 2 - Is Three a Crowd?

 

I decided to break the news on Christmas. 

 

"Our family is going to be getting bigger soon," I said. "I'm going to have a baby. You guys are going to be a big brother and big sister. What do you think of that?"  

"You mean you're going to adopt another kid like us?" asked Jude. He seemed very curious, not upset. Isla, on the other hand, just glared at me.

"No, dummy," she said. "She's going to have her own baby that she's going to love more than us."

My heart broke as Jude looked up at me with fear in his eyes. "Is that true?"

"Absolutely not," I said. "Yes, the baby will be biologically related to me, but it doesn't mean I will love the baby more than you. I love both of you very much."

Isla continued to look skeptical.

 

In my heart I knew I was making the right choice. I could only hope that Isla would come around. I made my appointment at the hospital. I would be doing this on my own as I have so far with Jude and Isla. Things haven't worked out for me on the dating scene, but that's okay. I know I'm meant to be a mom, and that's all that matters. It doesn't matter how you get there. 

 

It wasn't long before it was time for Jude's birthday. I couldn't believe he was already going to be a young man. It felt like just yesterday that I brought him home. I wasn't worried at all. He was such a sweet boy. I knew he would be a great young man. 

 

Jude grew into a handsome young man. I couldn't be more proud as a mom. He continued to do so well in school. His teachers were always saying he was gifted and that he would do well in university one day. 

 

Even with so much else going on, I never forgot about my passion. This time I adopted a senior horse in order to give her a good home. I knew she didn't have much time left, but at least she would get to spend it in a loving home. 

 

There were some times early in my pregnancy that I almost thought I had made a mistake. I'd never felt so sick in my life before, and it really affected my training with Baxter. I was not allowed to take part in competitions in my condition. I get it, but it was still really hard. 

 

Even though I couldn't ride, I still made sure to spend a lot of time with the horses to let them know that they were still loved. Looking back now, I should have been spending more time with Isla. I know that now. I've made mistakes. I can only try harder from now on. 

 

Jude really stepped up when it came to the horses. I couldn't help but laugh sometimes because he was so inexperienced as a rider, but I realized I was once a beginner too. I just appreciated all the help he's been giving around the house. 

 

Speaking of the house, we now had enough money to build an extension. Soon this house will be something to be really proud of, especially knowing that I built it up from nothing with just the funds from competing with Baxter and training horses like Blossom to sell later. 

 

During this time, Isla really did her best to ignore me. I can't say I even blame her. I was too preoccupied with the pregnancy and taking care of the horses. At least she had friends to hang out with and apparently complain about me to.

 

"It's so cool your mom is a professional equestrian."

 

"She's better with horses than people," said Isla scornfully. 

 

If I'd known how hard pregnancy could be, I might have just adopted again. By the end of it, you really feel like a blimp, and it's so hard to do little things you take for granted like tying your shoes or even picking things up from the ground! In this picture I feel just like the snowman, my middle a huge round ball. 

 

I'm trying to be better at spending quality time with the kids. Part of that is making sure we sit down to family meals together. Slowly but surely I feel like I am making progress with Isla. 

 

And yet it's her friend who asks for a bedtime story instead of her. :( He's such a sweet kid though that I couldn't say no! 

 

I wasn't prepared when the time finally came to the hospital. Was I  ready for this? I had adopted Jude and Isla as children. Was I ready to care for an infant, a toddler? 

 

It was too late to back out now! And as soon as I laid eyes on my little Hazel, I knew then I had definitely made the right choice. I was shocked at her skin tone though. I had chosen a donor from Dragon Valley, and apparently he is an elf. I was not expecting this at all, but I will love Hazel no matter what she looks like. I wonder if she'll inherit the pointed ears like Jude has? 

 

Hazel is such a sweet little girl. She loves being held all the time. I can't wait to see her grow, what she'll be like, what she chooses to do with her life. 

 

Speaking of life, before I knew it, it was time for Isla to grow  up. I was more nervous this time around. Isla and I have been at odds so much, and she was only a child. Would she be even worse as a teen? 

 

Her best friend had already grown up and was excited that soon they would be the same age again. 

 

Isla stepped  up to the cake, and I could tell she was making a wish. She closed her eyes tight and didn't move for almost a whole minute before blowing out the candles. I wish I knew what she was thinking. 

 

"Thanks for the birthday party, Mom."

 

"What? I mean, of course, sweetie."

 

I was not ready for that. With Isla it's usually a snarky comment of some sort. Hopefully this is a good sign of things to come. 

 

Isla grew up into a beautiful young woman. She hasn't said much since I brought Hazel home from the hospital, but I've noticed a change in her personality. It was like she was expecting to hate the baby, but I don't think she does. She spends more and more time with her baby sister. I don't even have to ask her to do it. She just does it.

 

Maybe I didn't need to worry so much after all. 

Chapter 1 - Welcome to Dragon Valley

 Chapter 1 - Welcome to Dragon Valley

 

Hello. My name is Scarlett Thorne, and I've just moved to Dragon Valley. I grew up in Bridgeport, but I hate all the noise and chaos of the big city. I knew I needed a clean break and a fresh start in a smaller town. My parents were able to lend me just enough money to buy a small starter house in Dragon Valley. I'm so excited to be beginning my new life here. 

 

And did I mention I won't be alone? This is Baxter! Horses have always been my passion for as long as I could remember. I grew up pestering my parents about buying me a pony. They never did but when I revealed to them my plans to move to Dragon Valley and raise my own horses, they surprised me with the greatest gift they could ever give me, my very own horse! As you can see, Baxter is quite the handsome horse. I can't wait to train with him. Maybe one day we'll win some championships! 

 

It's not easy caring for a horse in the small backyard of a small house, let me tell you, but Baxter and I make it work. He's such a good horse, if a bit lazy, but he's very obedient. He always listens to me. He's definitely my best friend. I left all my old friends behind in Bridgeport. Only time will tell if I'll be able to make new ones. I haven't always been great at that sort of thing. 

 

But everything will be okay as long as I have Baxter here with me. He's such a good boy! 

 

Having never ridden a horse before in my life, I don't think I did such a bad job on our first big ride. It was still pretty scary though. I kept feeling like I was going to fall off, even though Baxter was only walking. 

 

Everything was going so great that of course something bad had to come along and happen. Not long after I moved in I was robbed! I couldn't believe it. I thought Dragon Valley was supposed to be a safe town. The thief stole my toilet of all things. I don't even know how he was able to remove it and carry it off with him, but he did. 

 

There's a big mayoral election coming up in Dragon Valley so I made sure to make my complaints known to one of the candidates. By the way, did I mention that there are some strange folk living in Dragon Valley? They have oddly colored hair and skin and pointed ears. They call themselves elves. I'd heard stories of elves growing up, of course, but I couldn't believe they were actually real! And they had made Dragon Valley their home for a long time. Anyway, Mr. Mithrilen seemed really concerned about my story of the burglar. He promised me that if he should be elected, he would really crack down on crime in the town. 

 

After purchasing the house and land for me, my parents didn't have much money left over for anything else so I literally came to Dragon Valley with only Baxter and the clothes on my back. However, as we get better at riding together, we have been winning cash prizes at the equestrian center. It's allowed me to purchase some much needed training equipment and a stall for my friend. 

 

"I love you, Baxter." 

 

I knew that if I wanted to achieve my dream of becoming a prosperous horsewoman, it would take more than Baxter, as amazing as he is. Major simoleons can be made by raising and training horses and then selling them to the equestrian center. I knew that raising and training would be no problem, but I feared that I might not be able to let go so easily when it came time to sell a horse. The first horse I adopted with this goal in mind was Blossom. She's a sweet, brave little foal, and she's really fast too. 

 

At first she was heartbroken and missing her mama but with enough love and care she soon felt less homesick. I think Baxter really likes her too. 

 

Remember how I said I'm not the greatest at making friends? Well, I have tried to meet more people in town other than the potential mayor. This is Sean Kelly, and he's an elf. He's very sweet, and he seems to like me quite a bit. I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea though. I'm here to make friends. I've never been comfortable being romantically involved with anyone. It's not something I've ever desired. I do want to have my own kids soon, and I know that's going to be a little tricky. 

 

Baxter and Blossom have really taken to each other. I'm already dreading the day when we'll have to say goodbye to her, but we desperately need the money. 

 

My riding skills have been steadily improving as Baxter and I go for our daily rides around the neighborhood and entering into the competitions at the equestrian center. Things were going pretty well, but it felt like I was missing something. My parents had adopted Baxter for me, and I had adopted Blossom. If I wanted to have my own child, maybe it didn't have to be so tricky after all. Maybe I could adopt a child in need of a loving home. 

 

That was how Jude came into my life. Jude is a sweet, smart little boy. At first, he was very shy around me, and I noticed that he wore his hair long, covering his pointed ears, almost as if he were ashamed to be an elf. 

 

"Jude, this is your home now. You're safe here. You can be yourself. I just want you to know that you don't have to hide any part of yourself. You should be proud to be who you are."

 

Jude scuffed his shoe on the floor and didn't quite meet my eyes, but I hoped he took my message to heart. 

 

Sean called me every day it felt like. I can't say I wasn't flattered, but he also kept sending me all this stuff in the mail, gifts and love letters and such. He was definitely getting the wrong impression, but I didn't know what to do. I'm not good at this sort of thing at all! Why couldn't other sims be more like horses? Horses are simple. They want food, water, and plenty of exercise, and someone to love and care for them. I understand horses. I'm not so sure I understand sims! 

 

Jude really helps out a lot with the horses, especially Blossom as she grew older and bigger. I'm so proud of him! 

 

He's even old enough to clean her hooves and brush her coat. She is so patient with him. She is such a good girl. I don't know how I am ever going to part with her. 

 

I felt like I finally had to clear the air with Sean and make my feelings known. Surprisingly, he seemed to take it pretty well.

 

"Sean, I like you. You're a good friend, but that's all I want to be. I don't want to lead you on or hurt your feelings," I told him. "It has nothing to do with you. It's me. I'm asexual."

"Thank you for being honest with me, Scarlett," he said. "I can't lie and say it doesn't make me sad, but I'm glad we can still be friends."

 

 

Telling Sean how I really felt was such a big relief to me. It felt like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders and I could finally concentrate on being a parent to Jude. I feel so guilty a lot though, because caring for Baxter and Blossom takes up so much of my time. I have to train them and take them to competitions to make enough simoleons to pay the bills and put food on the table and that doesn't leave a lot of time left over for Jude. There was something I could do about that though, but I wasn't sure if it was the right call. If I couldn't even give Jude enough of my attention, was I crazy for wanting to adopt another child? 

 

I set my misgivings aside for Jude's sake. He needed a sibling. He needed someone to be there for him when I couldn't. That's how Isla came to be with us. She's a really funny kid. It's clear she's used humor as her defense mechanism while surviving the tribulations of foster care. But she hasn't emerged from the experience completely unscathed; she seems to be very anxious around electronics for some reason, as if they are going to zap her. If I ever get enough free time from training the horses, it's something I definitely want to work with her about. 

 

I can't believe it. I have my own little family. I've come so far. It's been a whirlwind since leaving Bridgeport, but everything has been worth it. If only I could spend more quality time with the kids, then I would have everything I wanted out of life. Jude seems to take my absences in stride, or at least he tries hard not to show if it upsets him. Isla, on the other hand, makes her feelings known by sitting away from me or taking dinner to her room to eat. She hasn't really said much to me since she came to live with us. I can't blame her. I know I need to give her time. 

 

"Do you want me to read you a bedtime story, Isla?"

 

"Are you kidding me?" she scoffed. "I'm not a baby. Just go outside and take care of the horses. You love them more than us anyway."

 

That really hurt, but I knew now was not the time to push her.

 

Even with competition winnings, we were far from rolling in the simoleons. I was still able to scrape enough money together to buy a Snowflake Day tree and presents for the kids. Jude was so excited. It was as if he'd never gotten any presents before in his life. With a pang, I realized that he probably hadn't, living almost his entire life in foster care until this point. Isla stood off to the side as usual and stared at me almost with suspicion. 

 

"What is it?" Jude cried with excitement, shaking his present. 

 

"You'll have to open it and find out," I laughed.

 

Before I could even give her her present, Isla sneered at me and ran outside to her the igloo she's made. She spends way too much time out there lately, too much time alone. I made as if to follow her, but Jude stopped me.

 

"It's okay, Mom. She'll be okay."

 

I still teared up every time he called me that. "Do you like your present?"

 

It was a brand new teddy bear, not the greatest present of all time but all that I could afford at the moment. 

 

"I love it! And I love you."

 

Those were the best words I'd heard in a long time. I couldn't help but worry about Isla though. If she was already having trouble adjusting to her new life, to me, then how would she react when she found out what I was going to do next?