Tuesday, January 29, 2013

[Prologue] Chapter 13: Some Are Born To Sing the Blues


“Maeve,” he murmurs her name softly, letting the delicate sound linger on his tongue. “I’ve missed you.”

Maeve smiles and kisses him again. “You don’t know how long I’ve dreamed about this moment,” she whispers breathlessly. “But I need to tell you something, Luca.”

“Can’t it wait?” he asks as he runs his hands down her back and begins fumbling with her clothes.

She pulls away slightly and shakes her head. “No. I need to tell you something,” she repeats, more firmly this time. “Wait here.”


Grabbing her hand, Luca looks her straight in the eye and says, “Come back, okay?”

Maeve tries to laugh off his words, but Luca’s face remains hard and serious. “I’ll only be a second,” she assures him.


What she brings with her when she returns sends shockwaves down Luca’s body.

“This is Tallulah,” Maeve tells him quietly. “She is your daughter, Luc.”

A million emotions rip through his chest as Luca’s eyes come to rest on the child in her arms, but anger quickly overwhelms him.


“You were pregnant?!” he hears himself say. “And you didn’t tell me? We have another daughter, and you didn’t tell me?!”

Maeve’s face falls. “Luca,” she pleads. “It’s not like that! I didn’t know I was pregnant when I left, and before I could tell you they discovered me. The council, they found me, and I had to cut off contact, to protect you and Delilah.”

Luca takes a step back. “I’m so tired of your bullshit,” he whispers, shaking his head in disbelief. “You show up here after years of being gone, and then you drop something like this on me?! I can’t- I can’t do this anymore. I want to love you, but you’ve done nothing but hurt me and my family. No more, Maeve. No more.”

Tears begin to stream down her face as Maeve reaches out to him. “Please,” she cries. “I wanted to tell you, but I was scared! I couldn’t face you again so soon after leaving, and I needed some time away to think about things. I’m sorry.”

“No,” he breathes as he reaches for the door. “We’re done, Maeve. I’ll take the kid if that’s what you want, but I never want to see you again.”

“But I’m going to stay in Jericho!” Maeve sobs, desperation seeping into her voice. “To raise Tallulah near you and her sister. I want to be a family again, Luc. I want-”

But he’s already out the door.


After walking around town for hours, Luca comes home late that night to a warm welcome from Emily.

“I was so worried!” she cries, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. “Where have you been all day?!”

Luca closes his eyes and braces for the worst. “I saw Maeve today,” he whispers. “I- We have another daughter, Emily.”


To his complete and utter surprise, Emily doesn’t freak out or lose her temper.

Taking a deep breath, she simply nods and says, “It’s okay, Luca. It’s going to be okay. We can get through this. You can get through this.”

Hearing those words, full of love and support, Luca feels the walls of anger and frustration that have enclosed his weary heart for so many years collapse around him, and he begins to sob, choking on the tears he’s held back since before Maeve left.

“I love you,” she soothes as he cries on her shoulder. “I love you.”


Hoping to distract Luca from his worries about Maeve and their daughter, Emily arranges a day at the park that weekend with him and the kids. The ponds have already frozen solid for winter, and so the family decides to try their hand at ice skating.


Ever eager to show off his athletic prowess, Rigby is the first to try skating all the way around the pond.



Although he struggles a bit at first, he does eventually get the hang of it.


Not to be outdone by Rigby, Kieran also attempts to make it around the whole lake, but he’s much slower to pick up the skill than his nimble friend.


Delilah doesn’t like ice skating. It’s much harder than it looks.


Emily, however, finds the exercise stimulating and enjoyable, and she loves the challenge of trying to keep her balance, even if she isn’t that graceful yet.


Oona is a natural and doesn’t even fall once. Well, that is until she and Rigby decide to try spinning together…





Whoops!


Nevertheless, they get right back up and try it again.


After skating, the family starts a fire and roasts some marshmallows. Despite repeated warnings of burnt and blackened sugar, Delilah insists on doing three at a time…


And naturally she burns them all.


Aww, sad. ='(


Kieran gives her one of his extras, and the rest of the day proceeds without incident.


Meanwhile, Emily’s nausea continues to worsen to the point that even Luca begins to worry about her.


One night over dinner, he ventures a theory.

“You’re not- I mean, you can’t be… Are you pregnant, Em?”

Emily freezes, carefully considering the idea. “I- I’m not sure,” she admits quietly. “Will you go with me? To find out?”

Luca nods and squeezes her hand reassuringly. He doesn’t want more kids, but pregnancy would be far better than some life-threatening ailment.


The night after the doctor’s appointment, they’re both in shock.

“I’m sorry,” Emily whispers, barely able to make eye contact. “I should have been more careful.”

“Stop it, Em. It takes two to make a baby.” He smiles and runs his fingers down her wet, tearstained cheek. “I love you, and I feel blessed that I’m going to be a parent again. Especially with you.”

Emily looks up at him skeptically. “You mean it?” she asks.

Luca nods. “I know it wasn’t planned, but we can handle this.”

“But what about the kids?”

“They need to know about us,” he replies with a sigh. “We should have told them from the start, but they’re good kids. They’ll understand.”


Pulling her into his arms, Luca kisses her fiercely.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he tells her when they break apart. “And I love you.”

“I love you too,” she whispers contentedly.


For the most part, the kids take the news in stride. Rigby even suggests that the pair ought to get engaged soon.


Delilah, on the other hand, has the opposite reaction.

"How long do you wanna bet they stay together?" she frowns. "Six months? A year?"

“Forever,” Kieran replies confidently. “I don’t think Miss Emily is going anywhere.”

“You’re no fun!” Delilah pouts. “Besides, relationships never last, and this one won’t either.”

Kieran just shrugs and turns back to his cereal.


At Emily’s urging, Luca invites Maeve over to the house the following afternoon. He needs to tell her about Emily, and he wants to get acquainted with his other daughter.


He plays with Tallulah for a little while before sitting down to talk with Maeve.


“I’ve moved back into my mother’s old house,” Maeve tells him as he joins her on the couch. “Atticus had to return to his garden near Arundel, but I plan to stick around this time, Luca. I want Tallulah to know her father.”

Luca sighs. “I want to know her as well, but that doesn’t change things between us, Maeve. I- I’m with somebody else now, and we’re expecting a baby soon.”

Maeve inhales sharply, her eyes wide with surprise. “Who?”

One word, a single question, but Luca can’t help but feel offended.


“Does it matter?” he snaps. “I love her, and she loves me. I will be a father to Lulu, but I don’t want anything to do you with you, Maeve.”

Maeve frowns, feeling both frustrated and hurt by his angry declaration. “Fine,” she whispers at last. “But if you want to see Lulu, then I get to be a part of Delilah’s life as well.”

Luca shakes his head. “No,” he says simply. “She has a mother, and you are not her. If she wants to meet you again when she’s older, I won’t stand in her way, but until she’s a teenager and fully capable of understanding her decisions then I don’t want you to have any contact with her. You hurt her badly the first time you left, and I can’t risk that happening again.”

Maeve tries to argue with him, but Luca remains firm in his decision. Seeing no alternative, she finally relents and agrees not to contact Delilah until after her birthday.


One day after school, Kieran and Delilah decide to check out the arcade games at the Old Station Venue near their house.


They both love music, however, and are immediately drawn to the karaoke machine.



♫          Just a small town girl
             Livin' in a lonely world
             She took the midnight train goin' anywhere
          ♫


♫          Just a city boy
             Born and raised in South Detroit
             He took the midnight train goin' anywhere
          ♫


♫          A singer in a smoky room
             A smell of wine and cheap perfume
             For a smile they can share the night
             It goes on and on and on and on
              ♫


♫          Strangers waiting
             Up and down the boulevard
             Their shadows searchin' in the night
          ♫

♫          Streetlight, people
             Livin' just to find emotion
             Hidin' somewhere in the night
          ♫


♫          Workin' hard to get my fill
             Everybody wants a thrill
             Payin' anything to roll the dice
             Just one more time
          ♫


♫          Some will win, some will lose
             Some are born to sing the blues
             And now the movie never ends
             It goes on and on and on and on
          ♫


♫          Strangers waiting
             Up and down the boulevard
             Their shadows searchin' in the night
          ♫

♫          Streetlight, people
             Livin' just to find emotion
             Hidin' somewhere in the night
          ♫


♫          Don't stop believin'
             Hold on to that feelin'
             Streetlight, people
          ♫

♫          Don't stop believin'
             Hold on to that feelin'
             Streetlight, people
          ♫

♫          Don't stop!          ♫


Back at home, Emily’s baby bump continues to expand at a rapid rate. Despite his initial concerns, Luca actually feels excited at the prospect of another child, and he honestly can’t wait to meet the little stinker. Sure, the 3 a.m. feedings are a pain and he could live without all the dirty diapers, but he loves Emily and is looking forward to raising their baby together.


“How did it get in there?” Delilah asks one morning.

Emily smiles as Lila gently presses her head against her belly. “When a man and a woman love each other very much, they will have sex together,” she explains carefully, “and sometimes, very rarely, a baby is created.”

Delilah’s eyes widen. “But how does it get out?” she breathes.

“With a lot of pushing,” Emily laughs.


A whole heck of a lot of pushing in Emily’s case.


After hours and hours in the delivery room, Luca and Emily bring home a baby girl, who they name Zosia.


A short while later, Kieran quietly ages up into a teenager.


And life at the McKinley household finally settles into a happy routine.


Challenge Notes:

Zosia is pronounced like “Sasha” except with a Z at the beginning instead of an S. It’s the Polish variation of the name Sophia, which is Greek and means “wisdom”. Zosia was born with the computer whiz and bookworm traits, so I thought it suited her quite nicely.

The whole situation with Maeve got rather… sticky there for a while. When Maeve originally left my family, she was, unbeknownst to me, pregnant through a risky woohoo. When I found out, I decided to let her have the baby, thinking that I’d move it into my family and have Luca raise it, but then I decided that I *really* wanted to see a Luca/Emily kid. So this is the story line I came up with to accommodate all the changes in my plot.

However, I’m PUMPED to get on to my next generation! Kieran turned out really, really cute as a teenager, even better than I could have hoped, and Delilah and Rigby become teenagers next chapter as well. In case this wasn’t obvious, Delilah is going to be my generation 2 heir. =D

(Also, sorry for the shameless Glee insert. I was only really a Gleek for a couple of seasons, but I just love their version of that song!)

26 comments:

  1. Good boy Luca *feeds treat*

    Why do I get the feeling that there will be something between Kieran and Delilah later on... Granted, you may have a curve ball where he is just a "with help" sort of thing... But still...

    I'm on to you...

    I can also see the proverbal hitting the fan when Maeve contacts Delilah when she's older.

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    1. Haha, yep. Luca did the right thing for once. Well, kind of, lol.

      As for Kieran and Delilah, well only time will tell... ;D

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  2. Ok Luca, I forgive you. Even if your first instinct was to try and get her undressed!

    I'm excited for Emily.

    Kieran did indeed grow up very cute.

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    1. Thanks! =D

      I'm glad you forgive him. I'm not sure I would be so kind, as his first instinct totally was to get her into bed, but he learned from the experience and it brought him closer to Emily, so that's good.

      I'm so happy you like Kieran! <3

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  3. ^^Teal, I've wondered that too, since they were so close as children and (from what I could tell) not related.

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    1. Kieran and Delilah are not related, but don't get your hopes up! I'm still figuring out Lila's story. =D

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  4. Whoa, things could have gone very badly there, if Luca had gone with his original plan to jump Maeve. Poor Emily. At least this was all a huge wake-up call for Luca. I guess. I don't hate him, I just want to laugh and shake my head at how messed up he is.

    I love seeing all the kids interact. And I think I'll be sad to see Rigby go eventually, lol. But at least he'll be around town maybe?

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    1. ROFL! Jump Maeve, haha. That's the perfect way to describe that situation too. =) Luca is very messed up. I honestly don't think I know how to write about normal, non-messed up Sims, but maybe I'll work on it. ;) You're right though, that it was a big wake up call for him. He's determined to make it work with Emily now, so that's good at least.

      I'm working SO hard at trying to write about my kids more, cause I love watching your kiddos grow up and I think it's neat how you give them all such distinct personalities from such an early age. Rigby should (maybe?) get more camera time as a teenager. Poor Oona, she gets left out a lot as well, but with five of them running around it's hard to keep up all the time!

      Thanks for reading! =D

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  5. My first reaction reading this entire chapter was...damn. Kieran is a hottie! Also, maybe I've got the wrong idea from reading Twilight (lol) but Kieran and Delilah, and Rigby and Oona aren't related. That could be a lot for some interesting relationships. In fact, Zosia is really the one that "pulls" them all together.

    I think the only thing I'm still upset with Luca about is that, as far as we've seen, he still didn't talk to Kieran about the harsh words he said to him on Spooky Day. I definitely respect his decision to have Maeve wait until Delilah is older but when Maeve finds out the other woman is Emily, I'm concerned about where that will go.

    You're really going to have to upload these sims! If you're partial to sharing that is.

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    1. Haha! I was really quite proud of Kieran, so I'm happy that you like him too! I'll share Kieran if you share Malone/Casey with me (from the Casting Call contest)... ;D

      About Luca- I actually had a scene between him and Kieran completely planned out and photographed, but this chapter was already approaching 50 pictures, so it (unfortunately) got cut. I'll try to show a bit more about their relationship later, though, if I remember. =)

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  6. Phew, crisis averted...

    I'm so glad that Luca didn't end up getting back together with Maeve, I like him being with Emily much better. I loved the interlude with Delilah and Kieran and I really hope the two of them end up together when they grow up

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    1. Thanks, Ali! Hah, yeah, crisis averted. That should have been the title of this chapter, lol. I like Luca better with Emily as well, so hopefully it will work out. ;)

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  7. Mmf. Kieran. You grew up well, lad. <3

    Love the name Zosia.

    I love Delilah and Emily's conversation about babies. Lol.

    So, so glad that Luca didn't give in to Maeve. SO SO GLAD.

    Great chapter, Colleen. :D

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    1. Hehehe, so much love for Kieran! I'm blown away right now (but in a good way).

      Zosia was just the first interesting name I came across. I spend way, way too much time looking up unique names for my Sims, lol. Thanks for reading! *hugs*

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  8. Mmmmm! Kieran is yummy! And I love love love that Luca is calling Tallulah 'Lulu.' We call our 4year old that when she's being hornery in the Bugs Bunny style (Watch out for that first step-it's a Lulu!)
    Yay for Emily and Luca! She deserves a happy ending.

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    1. Thanks so much, Sunny! You're right about Emily- She of all people deserves to find happiness.

      Lulu is such a cute nickname! I love that you call your daughter that. =D

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  9. Oooft! Kieran <3

    Also, I TOLD YOU!!! I'm not even joking, go back a few chapter and look at my comment. I told you Maeve was pregnant and hadn't told Luca! Granted, I didn't know you didn't know, or that this child wouldn't be the 5th, but I still knew! Tallulah is pretty!

    I also am glad that Luca realised what he has with Emily is a hundred times better than what he had with Maeve, and he shouldn't throw that away. I'm not sure why he didn't tell her it was Emily though, I can't see how hiding that will help things.

    I also agree with the others saying that Delilah and Kieran would make a good couple (and I don't think Delilah would be able to resist Kieran, phew, he really is hot!)

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    1. You were right, gemly! You must have ESP or something, cause I really didn't even know myself until later. That's pretty awesome. =D Lulu is a cutie, but I'm of course a bit more partial to Lila.

      Delilah and Kieran would make a cute couple... ;)

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  10. I like... had a whole long response ready in my head but then my phone ate it when I read this the first time. So then I PM'd you with a question I had.

    Then I logged on tonight so I could redo my message but totally forgot everything as soon as I saw Kieran as a teen on my big screen.

    <3 him. So gorgeous. You must share him so I can use him as a baby daddy for my heir. Cause he be smoking hottie.

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    1. Thanks, Cece! I think Kieran's pretty cute as well. =D

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  11. I really enjoyed this chapter--loved all the kid interactions! I'm glad that Luca did go back to Emily, but darn, he needs to think a little more before reacting, lol.

    Delilah makes a great heir, I can't wait to see what she gets up to next!

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  12. Loved the picture of the family roasting marshmallows. <3

    The kids are so beautiful. Kieran is incredibly good-looking. Is he up for adoption? He would fit so well in to the 6th generation of my normal legacy. :)

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  13. So glad that Luca stood his ground with Maeve. Crisis averted!

    The ice skating and karaoke scenes were lots of fun, I loved them!

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  14. +1 for "Don't Stop Believing" but I'm going to pretend you used the Journey version. =P I'm glad Delilah will be the next heir, but I hope Kieran will still be around too.

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