Author Topic: Rising Above *Graveyard*  (Read 7769 times)

Offline TheGoat

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #15 on: August 15, 2019, 11:26:32 PM »
I haven't been very active lately, but I have been checking in on this story. I like where you're going with it so far, Ally. Good job.

Offline Ally3772

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #16 on: August 19, 2019, 01:13:16 AM »
I was sitting at the dining room table with a piece of paper and a pen. I was tasked with the difficult job of writing my mother to tell her that Frankie and I were going to get married alone. Why not call her? Because I don't think I could bare to hear the heartbreak in her voice. I just wasn't all the way over the shock of the divorce, but mostly we just wanted this day to be just us. I tapped my pen against the table and bit my lip. How do you even go about doing this?

"Hey, can I talk to you?"

I looked up to see Frankie nervously standing there.

"Are you pregnant?" I joked.

"Har Har." She said.

She sat down next to me.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Writing my mother to tell her not to come to the wedding." I sighed.

"Oh, that sounds fun."

"It's not."

She giggled nervously.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I want kids." She blurted.

I looked at her for a moment.

"I do too, what brought this up?" I asked.

"I kind of signed us up for Fostering at work yesterday." She blurted again.

"WHAT?!" I gasped.

"I know! I know! It just happened!"

"Frankie, we aren't even married yet!" I told her.

"I know, but it won't happen right away!"

I looked at her, but I couldn't be mad at her face. I sighed and put the pen down and squeezed her hand.

"Well, ready or not." I smiled.

"Really?!" She asked.

I nodded, even though I was scared as hell.

...

It's been an hour.

It has been an hour and I still have not wrote a single letter on this darned piece of paper. Frankie was already at work, but I figured out ways of distracting myself.

"Okay, come on Clara. Just sit down and write." I told myself.

I sat down and picked the pen up.

Dear Mom,

This is Clara. But you already knew that, huh? I don't know how to say this on the phone so I am choosing the chicken way and writing you this letter. First off, I want you to know how much I love you. You have been my rock and my best friend my entire life and you stuck up for me when the world tore me down. Which makes this even harder to tell you. As you know Frankie and I are getting married and we thank you for your blessing. Mom, Frankie and I want the wedding to just be us. I know that is hard to hear, but I hope that you understand. Truth be told I am still a bit confused and shocked over the divorce. I don't want any of those feelings getting in the way or clouding this day up. That may seem harsh or selfish, but I feel like it needs to be this way. I love you mom and please do not be upset about this.

Another bomb shell I got this morning. Frankie apparently signed us up for Fostering children. I'm a little mad that she did it without consulting me first, but we already talked about wanting kids. Life is too short I suppose! I will tell you more on that when I know!

I love you and I hope that you aren't too upset.

Clara


It took me another hour to get up the nerve to even put the letter in the mailbox. But, it was done and I hoped that she understood.

A Week Later

"I can't believe the day is finally here." Frankie giggled.

"I know." I grinned.



"You look beautiful." I told her.

"Not as stunning as you do." She smiled.

"Stop it." I groaned.

"Sorry, I cannot stop complimenting you."

I blushed.



It was a beautiful sunny day out and there was a gentle breeze. We we just outside the house in the side yard, you could see people walking in the park behind us. I couldn't of asked of a more beautiful day for our wedding. We said our vows, shockingly without becoming a blubbering mess of tears. I slid the ring on Frankie's finger gently.

"I love you." I told her.

"I love you too." She said.

With that, we kissed and made the biggest step ever.




We were now married.

We both looked at each other and giggled a bit.

"We did it." I said.

"I'm so happy." Frankie whispered.

"You make me so happy." I told her.



...


"I'm home!" Frankie said.

I stood in the living room anxiously.

"You would not believe the day I ha-"

She stopped mid sentence.

"So this is Ducky." I said.

"Ducky." She said.

"And this is Julie, the, er, social worker in a way?"

"Hi Julie..." Frankie said slowly.

I giggled and smiled nervously.

I looked down at the ground as Frankie stood with her mouth open.



"You got a dog?" Frankie asked.

"We, we have a dog." I told her.

She grinned up at me, "And his name is Ducky?"

"Yep, isn't he cute?!"

"Where did he come from?"

"The shelter! I was bored, and went to look at the animals. He just spoke to me!"



"I suppose we are even now." She giggled.

"Not even close." I laughed.

So, we were married and now the owners of a puppy named Ducky. Life was really taking off now!

Welcome Ducky!
My Stories:
Figuring It Out / Something to Hide *Complete*
-----
It's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going.
And when it's dark out, no one's around, it keeps glowing. <3



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Offline Ally3772

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #17 on: September 15, 2019, 05:58:28 PM »
"Ducky what are you doing?!" I squealed.

Ducky looked up at me before going back to his ball.

"That thing is bigger than you are!" I giggled.

He let out a little bark.



I grabbed a bottle of water before heading into my office. Frankie was at work, and I had a stack of freelance work to catch up on. Procrastination was hitting me hard this week, but I needed to get it done. We were able to keep up on bills pretty easily but there were times that money was tight. Mom and I talk almost three times a week, she seems to be doing well with the divorce. She has even went out on a few dates but nothing too serious. She still gave me a hard time about missing the wedding and I can understand where she is coming from. I just wish that she would respect our decision in doing it the way that we did. I picked up my tablet and got to work.



Frankie had a scare at work when a criminal pointed a gun at her. She was hesitant to tell me because she knew what my reaction would be. Thankfully her partner was able to talk the person down and no one got hurt. Frankie was required to talk to someone after that to make sure she was okay mentally. She handled it like a champ though, wasn't scared one bit. Me on the other hand reacted the complete opposite and it took all I had not to ask her to leave the force. She had a good crew behind her though and I knew that they were watching her back.

"I'm home!" Frankie called.

"Already?!" I called.

"Yeah, early day. I was going over hours."

I walked out of the office and sat on the couch.

"I missed you."



"I missed you too." She smiled.

"Ducky is the cutest thing!" I told her.

"What did I miss?!"

"He is now starting to play with the purple ball and the thing is bigger than he is!"

She giggled, "You know I love you right?"

"Oh god, this sounds bad." I told her.

"No, I just, I'm feeling lucky. We're married now, have our own puppy, and will be starting a family soon. I just am thankful."

I smiled, "I'm thankful too, every single day."



...

T: You copied my work.

An instant message popped up. Who was T?

Clara: Excuse me?

T: You heard me, your last piece you completed for Tech Works. That was mine.

Clara: I'm pretty sure that they check those things, and I don't copy others. I think you have the wrong person.

T: We'll see what my lawyer thinks. Have a nice day.

T ended chat.




I stared at the screen.

"Frankie!" I called.

"Yeah?"

She walked in the office and up behind me.

"Look at this." I said, moving the laptop so that she could read it.

She read the entire conversation.

"Print that out, along with the piece she is talking about. I will take it to the station tomorrow and see if we can trace it." She told me.

"She's threatening to sue me."

"Don't worry about it babe, nothing will come if it."

I printed everything out.

"Here, should we hire a lawyer too?" I questioned.

"No, not yet." She said.

I looked at her concerned.

"Everything will be fine." She said kissing my forehead.

I nodded.

"I'm going to make dinner."



I decided that going outside was a good idea to clear my head. I needed to get some yard work done anyways because Fall was coming and the leaves were slowly starting to fall. If she really did get a lawyer to sue me, what would that mean for my freelance work? No one would want to hire me anymore because they would lose all trust in my work. I guess that I could try to find another job somewhere, but it would have to be something without painting. I worked so hard to get where I am right now and I have so much farther I want to go with it. I walked back inside and into the room to check on Ducky. He was sleeping in his bed, and it was huge compared to him. He would for sure have to grow into it.



The phone rang, and I heard Frankie answer it. I bent down to put Ducky and he rolled over to his back and fell back asleep. I giggled and stood back up.

"Babe?" Frankie called.

I walked into the living room.

"What? Why do you look like that?!" I gasped.

She stood there with the phone in her hand, and she had this shocked look on her face.

"That was the foster agency, they had a foster child for us... They're bringing them over right now..."

Bum bum bummmm
My Stories:
Figuring It Out / Something to Hide *Complete*
-----
It's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going.
And when it's dark out, no one's around, it keeps glowing. <3

Offline Ally3772

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #18 on: September 15, 2019, 10:18:39 PM »
"We're not ready." I told Frankie in panic.

"I know, it's sudden. I wasn't expecting it either!" Frankie agreed.

I looked around the house, where were we going to put the child?!

"Okay, um. Okay so here is what we are going to do... Remember how we had someone come and expand the basement last week?" Frankie asked.

"Yeah?" I said.

"We move your office into that little room, and then he or she will move into that room."

"Oh god, are we getting a baby?! Or a child?!"

Frankie just looked at me.

I was beginning to panic, were we even cut out for this?

There was a knock on the door.

"Frankie." I gasped.

"I got it." She said.

She walked over to the door and I smoothed out my skirt and tried to offer my best welcoming smile as I walked to the door. The foster agent stood there smiling.

"You must be Clara and Frankie. My name is Amy." She greeted.

"Hello." Frankie said.

"I would like to introduce you to Leah." She smiled.

Walking up the walkway was Leah, I breathed a little bit of relief. A child would be easier then a newborn.



"Welcome Leah!" I greeted.

She just kind of smiled.

"Come in!" Frankie offered.

The agent and Leah walked in, the agent set down Leah's belongings on the ground.

"Now first thing is first, let's get Leah set up in her room." Amy told us.

"Of course, right this way!" I told them.

I shot a nervous glance at Frankie. What if the room wasn't big enough, or clean enough?

"Um, we didn't have time to get a bed." I told her.

"That's okay, Leah has a blow up bed." Amy told us.

"We'll get you a proper bed in the morning!" Frankie told Leah.

"No thank you." Leah whispered.

We just looked at each other as Leah began to unpack her things. One of the things included a huge stuffed animal cat, and the other was a small violin.

"Do you play?" I asked.

She shrugged as she set her backpack down by the bed.



"Leah, Clara and Frankie and I are going to go talk out in the kitchen okay?" Amy told her.

Leah nodded.

We walked out of the room closing the door behind us. All three of us took a seat at the kitchen table and Amy opened up a file folder she had with her.

"So, I know that this was very sudden." Amy told us.

"Is she alright? Was she in any trouble?" Frankie asked.

"No, unfortunately her father passed away and there are no other living relatives that she can go to."

"Does she know?!" I asked.

"We told her, but she seems to be in denial and believes that he will be coming back for her."

"That is so sad!" Frankie gasped.

"It's not the best situation, but I have no doubt that you two will take care of her. Now, a few questions starting with are you fostering with intent to adopt?"

Frankie and I just looked at each other.

"We haven't discussed it fully, but I believe that is the intent." I said.

"I would like too." Frankie said.

I looked at her before nodding, "Then yes, we will foster with the intent to adopt."

"Perfect, and are you available for any other children that we may need homes for in the future?"

"Yes." I said.

Frankie looked at me and smiled before grabbing my hand. It was a sudden answer and I wasn't even sure if Frankie would be okay with that. It just felt right, we had so much love we could share to those who needed it.

"Now Frankie, it says here that you are a police officer, is that correct?" Amy asked.

"Yes ma'am." She replied.

"And what are your hours?"

"Well, before I worked crazy hours, but last week I told the chief that I couldn't do overnights anymore. I wanted to be home for when we did end up getting a child."

"Wonderful, and Clara you paint?"

"Yes, freelance work mostly." I told her.

"Freelance, what is that exactly?"

"Oh! It's pretty much a stay at home job. I basically go online and do jobs for different companies or even regular people and they pay me for it."

"And you make a decent living off of that?" She asked, writing something down.

I began to get nervous.

"Yes, we have been able to pay our bills and have enough left over for savings."

"That's great!"

"Is that an issue, me working at home?"

"Of course not! In fact it'll look wonderful on your record! Having a stay at home parent, while the other one is out working but is home at night as well."

"Good." I said.

"Okay, well I think I have all the follow up information that I need! If you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to call me or the office!" Amy said standing up.

"That's it? We take it from here?" Frankie asked.

"I have all the confidence that you guys will do fine!" She smiled.

She handed us a packet of information about fostering and also a file on everything they knew about Leah. Her medical records, allergies, and things like that.

Just like that we were parents.

Frankie's POV

"So how is it going?" Toby asked.

"I don't know, I think it's going okay." I told him.

"You don't know?" He said.

"Well she's still getting used to it, and we are adjusting. We just don't want to be pushy so we are kind of having her take the lead."



"That might be a good way to do it." He told me.

"It's just so overwhelming, but I am excited and Clara seems to be as well."

"You guys will do fine!"

"Thanks."

"Frankie! I need you to book this one!" The chief called.

"Coming!"

I hurried and met the chief at the booking door.

"This way. Come on move it!" I demanded.

"God you guys are pushy!" The girl snapped.

"Hush up!"

I led her to the fingerprint booth.



"Up against the wall and hold this up for me." I told her.

She grabbed the board and did exactly what I said before I led her to the cell.

"Alright, in you go." I told her.

"Can I get out now?!" Another prisoner asked.

"What do you think?" I snapped.



I shut the cell door and locked it.

Clara's POV

"How are you doing in there Leah?" I asked.

"Fine." She said through the door.

I was standing outside of the bathroom. It was the second night of having her and I still wasn't sure what to say to her.



She walked out of bathroom.

"Do you want something to eat?" I asked.

"No thank you." She said.

"You know, maybe tomorrow we could go shopping for some things for your room! How would you like that?" I asked.

Frankie walked through the door. She hung up her things and walked over to us.

"No thank you, my dad will be coming for me soon. My room doesn't need anything else." She told me.

I looked at Frankie before bending down to Leah's level.

"Sweetie, your dad passed away. Do you remember Amy telling you that?" I asked her.

"Yeah, but my dad always told me he would always be with me. So he'll come back, I know he will."

I sighed and stood up, "Okay, how about you go in your room and play with your toys?"

"Can I read instead?" She asked.

"Of course." I told her.



I smiled as she picked a book and headed over to the couch.

Maybe this would be harder than we thought.

Welcome Leah!

My Stories:
Figuring It Out / Something to Hide *Complete*
-----
It's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going.
And when it's dark out, no one's around, it keeps glowing. <3

Offline Ally3772

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #19 on: September 19, 2019, 09:41:45 PM »
"May I feed the dog?" Leah asked.

"Of course!" I smiled.

She walked over to the tub and filled up the cup with the dog food before going over and filling up the automatic feeder.



"Did you have any animals?" I asked her.

"No, we didn't really have anywhere to keep them." She said.

"I thought you said you had a room? Did your dad own a house?" I asked.

She looked embarrassed.

I walked over to her and bent down to her level.

"You're safe here, you can tell me anything sweetie." I told her.

"Well, we kind of lived in this big tent. I had a corner of it for myself."

"You were homeless?"

"Yeah, but he says he will get a house soon! With my own room!"

Now the bed made sense. I gave her a soft smile.

"May I go watch some TV?"

"Yeah, go right a head."



I pulled out my phone.

They were homeless. -C

What? -F

Leah just admitted that they lived in a tent, and she only had a corner of it for herself. -C

That's horrible! -F

Yeah, she still thinks he's working on getting them a home. -C

Babe, I have to go. Raincheck? -F

Of course <3 -C


I checked on Leah before going downstairs. I sat down at my desk and instead of doing the mountain of work I had to do I opened up a search site. I grabbed a pad of paper and a pen before researching how to get your child to understand grief and accept death. The general consensus was the best option being therapy. This child has been through so much already and no they wanted me to put her through more? Therapy wasn't bad but I just didn't want her to be uncomfortable. I wrote the number down of a few therapists and I would discuss it with Frankie tonight. I walked back upstairs to find Leah sitting at the table working on something.

"What are you up too?" I asked.

"Homework, I start back at school tomorrow." She told me.

"Do you like school?"

"It's okay, but I don't have many friends."

"I didn't either when I was in school."

"You didn't?"

I sat down at the table across from her.

"No, back then I used to be overweight and no one would talk to me."

"You were overweight? But you're so skinny!" She gasped.

I smiled, "Well thank you, but that took a lot of work to achieve."

She smiled a little.



Frankie walked into the house about an hour later, and it was about time for Leah to go to bed.

"How about you wash up and go to bed?" I asked.

"Okay, hi Frankie!" She said.

"Hi Leah, sleep well." Frankie said.

I watched as Leah headed into the bathroom. Frankie walked over and gave me a kiss before sitting down at the table.

"So, how did today go?" She asked me.

"Alright, she didn't talk much besides of what I told you earlier." I told her.

"Maybe we should speak to Amy about how to make her fully understand that her dad isn't coming back for her."

"What do you mean he isn't coming back?!"

We turned around to see Leah standing there.

"Honey, come here." Frankie said.

She walked over to us.

"Do you remember Amy telling you that your dad got sick?" I began.

"Yeah, but he told me he'd always be with me, so he'll come back." She told me.

"He will always be with you, but just not in the way that any of us hoped he would. You see, your dad died. Do you know what that means?" Frankie asked.

"Is that when people go away, and don't come back?" She said, sadly.

Frankie and I looked at each other. I grabbed onto one of Leah's hand and squeezed it gently.

"Yes, he isn't coming back sweetie." I told her.

"Can I go to my room now?" She said.

"Sure, but we're here if you have any questions." I smiled.

She nodded and went into her room.

"I think she understood." Frankie said.

"Sadly, I think she did." I whispered.

Frankie rubbed my back gently.



With that obstacle hopefully completed maybe we could tackle the next one easier.

Thank you for reading =]
My Stories:
Figuring It Out / Something to Hide *Complete*
-----
It's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going.
And when it's dark out, no one's around, it keeps glowing. <3

Offline Ally3772

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #20 on: September 23, 2019, 12:28:45 AM »
One Month Later

It's been a month with Leah and things were getting slightly better. She was still hesitant with things, but learning how to open up with us a bit more. Amy had set up an appointment with a family counselor so that we could work through her grief. She seemed to understand that her dad was gone after it and we were able to move on from there. There was still no progress made on changing her room though or at least getting her a new bed. She was fine with the one she had and I understood that but it couldn't be comfortable.

"Good morning babe." Frankie said.

I was in the kitchen making waffles for Leah before school.

"Good morning." I smiled.

"Have you been up for a while?" She asked.

"Yeah. Thought I would make Leah some breakfast."

"She'll love that."

Frankie sat down at the table.

"Do you think we should take her shopping?" I asked.

"For what?"

"New clothes. The ones she has are ripped."

"We could always bring it up, but she seems keen on the ones she has."

I walked over to the table.

"But, at some point we have to step in right? Maybe a new pair of clothes will help her feel better about herself. I just don't want the past to hold her back."

"I know babe."

"Good morning Ducky!" Leah greeted.

I turned around to see Leah giving Ducky his morning treat.



"I made you waffles." I told her.

"No thanks, I'm going to eat at school." She said.

"Oh, okay then. Have a good day at school!"

She smiled and waved before leaving.

"She's just not hungry right now." Frankie said, trying to make it better.

I smiled and nodded.

"I have to go to work, are you going to be alright?" She asked me.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

She gave me a kiss and headed out. I walked back into the kitchen and got the ingredients out to make a cake.



I hadn't told Frankie this yet, but I made a huge decision. Money was getting tight now that we had Leah and if we were serious about taking in more foster children we would need more money. So, I decided that now would be the right time to quit Freelance. I already talked to Amy about me not being a stay at home parent any longer and she said that would not reflect badly at all. I got too nervous to tell her before she left for work, but I had quit this morning and applied for a normal painters job that was listed in the ads.

"What do you think Ducky, did I make the right choice?" I asked him.

BARK!

I giggled.

"I think I did. It'll be more money and who knows! Maybe I'll even learn more about the trade!" I smiled to myself.

Later That Night

"Oh! I didn't hear you come in!" I told Frankie.

"Where is Leah?" She asked.

"In her room, she is working on a project."

"Can we talk?"

"Yeah! I actually need to talk to you as well."

We sat down at the table.

"You first!" I told her.

"I just got fired." She said, not wasting any time.

"What?!" I gasped.

"Yeah, I made a huge mistake. I even tried talking to the chief about it, but there was nothing she could do."

"Frankie! I am so sorry!"

"It's taking a little to settle in, but I'll be fine. What did you have to tell me?"

"I quit my job today."

"You're joking, right?"

"No, I-I did it this morning."

"Clara! How could you do that without talking to me!" She yelled.

"I didn't think it would be a big deal! I applied to be painter with higher pay!"

She looked at me and took a few breaths.

"Sorry, I'm just stressed. This isn't the time to lose both of our jobs." She sighed.

"I know, but we will figure it out okay?" I told her.

I gave her a kiss.

We talked for an hour about what to do with my office now that I wouldn't be working for home. We decided to get rid of the office all together, and then we decided to sell my paintings to an art gallery for extra cash. I didn't want to do it and make Frankie feel bad because she created the gallery to begin with. She was fine with it as long as I was though. She was always so supportive and I really didn't deserve her. Of course though I kept her painting and one other that I liked, and I would keep painting on the side for my own pleasure. I would just sell them to collectors and art galleries for extra cash. Frankie ended up applying for some Tech Guru position so that she would contribute to the income as well. She seemed fine but it was her dream job, so I know that she was just playing tough.



"Clara?"

I turned around to see Leah standing behind me.

"Oh, Leah! What's up, is something wrong?" I asked.

"No, um, I was just wondering, could you maybe paint me?" She asked, shyly.

"Paint you? Of course I could!"

"Awesome!"

I grinned and told her to stand very still.

"I can't wait!" She squealed.



2:54 A.M.

I jumped awake.

Knock! Knock!

"Frankie!" I whispered.

She jumped awake, "What? What is it?"

"Do you hear that?" I asked.

Knock! Knock!

"What is that?!" Frankie asked sitting up.

I got out of bed and turned the lights on. When I opened up the bedroom door Leah was standing there.

"Leah? Come in!" I said.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Frankie asked, sitting up.

"I had a nightmare." She cried, rubbing her eyes.

"Awww, come up here."

Frankie patted the bed and Leah climbed up there.

"You know what my mommy used to do when I would have a bad dream?" I asked her.

"What's that?" She said.

"She would make me a nice cup of hot chocolate. Does that sound nice?"

She nodded.

Frankie's POV

"I'm sorry for waking you guys up." Leah said.

"Never apologize for that! Clara and I are here for you whenever you need us!" I told her.

She looked at the floor.

"What is it sweetie?"



"Am I going to stay here, you know, forever?"

The way she asked broke my heart.

"We would love to have you forever, yes. But if you aren't happy here then we would understand that too." I told her.

How do you have this conversation?

"I am happy here, it's just been a lot you know?"

"There isn't a timeline for you to be settled in. But Clara and I would love to be your parents and we just want you safe."

She smiled a bit, "Would I have siblings?"

"We have talked about fostering to adopt more children at one point yes, but we don't want to rush that. Right now we want you to feel welcome."

"What would I call you guys?" She asked.

"Well, whatever you would like! Whenever you are ready! I could be mom and Clara could be mommy, or something like that."

"I'll have to think about that."

"I'm just glad you want too."

I hugged her gently.



I had a feeling that I would love being a mother.

Longer chapter for the shorter one before it! I hope you guys are enjoying it!
My Stories:
Figuring It Out / Something to Hide *Complete*
-----
It's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going.
And when it's dark out, no one's around, it keeps glowing. <3

Offline TheGoat

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #21 on: September 24, 2019, 02:44:05 AM »
Great job building tension and throwing curveballs at your characters, Ally! I'm loving it right now.



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Offline Ally3772

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #22 on: September 30, 2019, 01:28:57 AM »
"I think I'm ready." Leah said.

I was sitting in the living room with Frankie.

"Ready for what sweetie?" I asked.

"To go shopping, for clothes. You said you wanted to take me?" She asked.

I tried not to get overly excited. I gave Frankie a fan girl look before turning back to Leah.

"Of course we can go shopping." I told her.

So there we were, shopping for clothes. At first she was shy and didn't know what she may like but finally we ran across this cute dress that had a jean top and a soft yellow skirt. She seemed to really like it and her eyes lit up as soon as she saw it.

"Wow! Look at this!" She said.

"You like that one?" Frankie asked.

She ran her fingers over the skirt and coming across the price tag in the process. She glanced at the price before making a face and letting out a sad sigh.

"Lets go over here and look." She said.

She headed to the clearance section. I took a look at the price tag and realized that it wasn't even that bad, it wasn't even twenty dollars. I took it off the rack and held it up.

"What is wrong with this one? You loved it a second ago." I said.

"It's too much money, I know how to find something cheaper." She told me.

She looked so sad and it honestly broke my heart. How was it at home with her dad? I walked over to her and handed her the dress, she glanced up at me shocked before running her hands across the skirt again.

"I want to buy you this dress." I smiled.

"Thank you." She said softly.

A Week Later

A week had passed after that shopping experience. She loved her new dress and looked great in it!



Another milestone we managed to reach is she let us redo her room and buy her a better bed! She got to pick out everything down to the colors of the walls and she was excited to have her own desk in her room. She planned on doing her homework there every night and it was adorable. I loved this little girl, so very much, and I hoped that one day we could officially adopt her. The thing with fostering children though was that there was a chance they could find another family for them. Frankie told me not to focus on that because Amy told us that there was a high chance of us being able to adopt her for good after some time and if Leah wanted it. At the end of the day all I wanted to do was what was best for Leah.

"I love my new room!" Leah squealed.

"We're so glad!" Frankie told her.

"You even kept my violin!" She said.

"Of course! Do you play it?" I asked.

She hook her head, "Dad found it one day and brought it to the tent. I don't really know how to play."

"We could get you lessons if you would like!" I told her.

"Maybe."



Things at the new jobs were going well. Frankie was struggling a bit to understand some of the extra work she had to do, but she was slowly learning. As for me, being a painter was a lot more fun then just doing freelance work. We even had the opportunity to go to conventions to meet with other painters that were around here. I learned something new almost everyday and it kept me on my toes.

"This is stupid." Frankie said.

"What?" I asked.

"We're suppose to learn this stuff, and this website isn't working!" She growled.



"It might be down babe, give it time."

She sighed.

"Do you like it there?" I asked.

"It's obviously different from being a cop, but I'm enjoying it. It's a nice change of pace."

"That's good."

I walked over and gave her a kiss before heading downstairs. I was working on a painting to sell for some extra cash. Leah was downstairs and looking at it.

"What are you doing sweetie?" I asked.

"Oh, sorry! Sorry, I wasn't touching anything I swear!" She said nervously.

"You are perfectly fine! Do you wanna try to paint?" I asked.

"No thank you, but can I watch you?"

"Of course!"



...

"You're getting better!" I said walking into Leah's bedroom.

She groaned.

"What?" I asked.

"I am not getting better." She sighed.

"You know, if you don't like it then you don't have to play it." I told her.



She put the violin down and sat down on the bed next to me.

"He gave it to me." She whispered.

I looked at her, "You know, just because you don't play it doesn't mean you don't love him or appreciate him giving it to you."

"It doesn't?"

"No, he would want you to do what makes you happy!"

She smiled and nodded.

"How has school been going?" I asked.



"Fine, some kids are bothering me though."

"How so?"

"They found out I'm living with you and Frankie and that you guys might be my parents. They're laughing that you guys are married and calling me an outcast."

"I'm sorry they're doing that, but you are not an outcast. Families all come in their own shape and sizes, some kids have a mom and dad, some two moms, and some two dads. Then some with just a mom, or just a dad, or even no parents."

"Like me?"

I rubbed her back, "Yeah, like you. But not anymore, because Frankie and I really have been enjoying having you here."

She smiled, "I have too."

I kissed her forehead.

Winter was officially here. Ducky loved the snow, like beyond loved it, it was to the point where he hated being inside.

"You are too tiny to stay out there!" I cooed.

He looked at me before licking my nose.

I giggled.



"Can we build a snowman?!" Leah said, coming out of no where.

I laughed, "Sure! Let me go get dressed!"

"Where is Frankie?" She asked.

"I'll drag her out as well!"

So there we were, outside even though it was freezing cold but it was the first snowfall of the year.



"I'm going to go work on shoveling!" Frankie said.

"You sure you don't wanna join?" I asked.

"No, no! You go ahead!"

"I wonder what it's going to look like!" Leah said.

After we finished we giggled at the end result.

"I love the little eye glass!" Leah laughed.

"I can't believe we actually found a blue tie!" I told her.

It was a evil looking snowman if I've ever seen one.



"I'm going to go check on Frankie, are you going to be okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I'll be okay!" Leah said.

I walked over to the side of the house.

"I see Ducky is helping you." I giggled.

"He thinks he is." She laughed.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Fine, almost done. Did you guys finish the snowman?"

"Yeah, it looks great!"

She smiled.



"Well I'm going to get Leah inside and make some hot chocolate. Do you want a cup?"

"Sure!"

I smiled and kissed her before heading inside and making some hot chocolate for my family.

That snowman creeps me out, hope you liked it!
My Stories:
Figuring It Out / Something to Hide *Complete*
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It's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going.
And when it's dark out, no one's around, it keeps glowing. <3

Offline Ally3772

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #23 on: October 03, 2019, 09:24:22 PM »
Four Months Later

Frankie's POV


It's been about five months since we've gotten Leah and what a change it has been! Amy was very happy with our monthly check up and we were thrilled to announce that adoption papers were being worked up and all we had to do was sign them once they were ready. Leah was actually the one to ask us to adopt her and I swear Clara cried the entire night in happiness. We were officially parents to this wonderfully beautiful little girl.

"Hey mama! I have an idea!" Leah said coming out of her room.

"What's that?" I asked.

"How about we surprise mom with a clean house for when she comes home?!"

"That sounds nice!"

"Awesome! I'll go get the stuff from my room!"



"Do you think she'll be surprised?!" Leah asked.

"She will love it!" I smiled.

"Mama?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad I'm here."

I looked at her before walking over to her and kissing her forehead.

"I'm glad you are here too."

I walked back to the sink and grabbed a few more dishes.



...

Ducky grew up to an adult dog!

To celebrate we took Leah out to the pet store to pick up a few new toys and a new collar for him. She picked out a collar that doubled as a red bow tie and it looked so adorable on him.

"You look dashing Ducky!" Clara told him.

I giggled.




"How was school?" Clara asked.

"It was fine." Leah told her.

"Just fine?" I asked her.

"We have this science project and I don't really know how to do it."

"Is there a textbook to help you?"

"There is, but I don't know how to read some of the words."

"Tell you what, go set up and mama and I will help you, sound good?" Clara offered.

"Okay!"



It took a bit to figure out, but at the end of the night her science project turned into a roaring volcano! She was so excited to try it out tomorrow at school and I told her to make sure she got a video so that we could see the final reveal. We sent her off to bed so that we could have some alone time.

...

"Leah! The bus will be here in half an hour! Are you almost done?!" I asked.

"I'm almost at the last question!" She called back.

I sighed and looked at the clock.



Twenty five minutes later she came sprinting out of the room with her backpack slinging off her shoulder.

"Leah we need to get on top of this! You've been so good at getting homework done in the past, what's happened?" I asked.

"Sorry mama, I just got distracted with that project!" She told me.

"That's fine, but tonight is early start, okay?"

"Got it!"

I gave her a hug and a kiss and sent her on her way.

Did she make it?" -C

Barely. -F

We need to work on this -C

Already taken care of, she is going to start early tonight. -F

We're kicking this parenting thing! -C

Hell yeah we are! -F


I smiled at my phone. I was almost ready to take it to the next level and add another foster child to the mix, but I had to talk to Clara before that.

Time for more children?! We shall see!
My Stories:
Figuring It Out / Something to Hide *Complete*
-----
It's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going.
And when it's dark out, no one's around, it keeps glowing. <3

Offline Ally3772

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #24 on: October 04, 2019, 09:45:10 PM »
"Leah, we would like to welcome you to your home, forever!" I smiled.

I opened up the door to the house.

It may have been cheesy, but I was excited. We just got back from signing the adoption papers and Leah was officially our child. When we first took her in she was halfway into childhood, so in a few days she would grow up to be a teenager. I was excited though, this little girl was going to go far in the world. Leah walked through the front doors with Frankie and I following her.

"Are you happy this is your home?" I asked.

"Yeah!" She beamed.

"You know, just because you are officially our daughter now," Frankie said bending down to her level, "Doesn't mean we are replacing your dad. You know that right?"

"Yeah, but I think that he would be happy that I'm being taken care of." She smiled.

I smiled down at them, and I swore my heart grew ten more sizes bigger.

"Amy said she sent us an email, I'm going to check." Frankie told me.

I nodded.

"Mom?" Leah asked.

"What's up?"

"I love you." She smiled.

"I love you too."



"I'm going to go tell Ducky the good news!" She beamed.

"You do that!" I chuckled.

I walked into the kitchen to start dinner.

"Is roast okay?" I asked my girls.

"Yeah!"

I smiled as I started gathering everything I needed.



"Babe?" Frankie asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can you come here?"

I walked over to the laptop where Frankie sat looking focused.

"What's up?"

"Amy just sent us this." She said, turning the laptop towards me.

I read it for a moment.

"Wait, she has another kid for us?" I asked.

"Yeah, and she wants to bring them by tomorrow."

"Wow, okay, um. Well we have to discuss this with Leah, it's no longer just us. She has to be okay with it too."

"Agreed."

We both walked over to the couch and sat down with Leah. Ducky got off the couch and ran into the room where I assumed he laid down on his bed.

"Leah, mama and I need to ask you something." I began.

"What?" She asked.

"What would you think of another person coming into the family?" Frankie asked.

"Like a sibling?"

"Yeah."

"Would they stay forever?" She asked, looking between the two of us.

"Well, that is the plan."

She got really excited, "I would love a sibling!"

I smiled and looked at Frankie.

"Well I think that answers our question." Frankie giggled.

The Next Morning

DING! DONG!

"Clara! They're here!" Frankie called.

I walked out of the bedroom.

"Why am I so nervous?" I asked.

"Because, it's a new person. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I ever will be!"

Leah was at school, so we chose to have Amy come over now so that the new kid could adjust by themselves. Frankie opened up the door and the smiles on our faces quickly dropped when we saw that not only was the kid a toddler, but Amy was also holding a baby in a carrier.

"Uh, um. Hi Amy, come in." Frankie said.

I stared blankly at them as Amy walked in.

"So, not to be rude or anything, but why are there two?" I asked.

"I put in the email that it was two children from a previous foster home in the email." Amy said.

I looked at Frankie.

"We must have misread that, because we were only expecting one child. Child being the key word, they are a toddler and baby."

"Is this a problem?" Amy asked.

"It's just, we don't know how to handle small children." I told her.

She smiled, "It takes time to learn, but once you do they are wonderful."

I took a deep breath.

"What do you think?" Frankie asked.

"Well, it's two and not one, and they are little. We'll need a bigger house for sure."

"If you are worried about the housing situation, right now this is fine. All we are looking for is a roof over their heads. However, we would like to see a bigger space down the road." Amy told us.

After an hour of discussion we decided we were up for the challenge.

So, welcome to the house Meredith.



Then, the littlest of them all, Lucas.



Amy left and we were in the house all by ourselves.

"I'm scared." I admitted.

"It'll be an adjustment for sure, but we can handle it!" Frankie said with such confidence.

I looked at her for a moment and just admired her.

"What?" She asked.

"You amaze me, and I love you." I smiled.

"I love you too." She said.

I gave her a kiss.

"Oh, there is Leah!" I said.

We walked outside, Meredith and Lucas were both sleeping.

"Hey sweetie!" I waved.

"Hi mom!" She squealed.

"We have a surprise for you!" Frankie told her.

"You do?!"



"Yup! You remember us talking about siblings last night?" She asked her.

"Yeah?"

"Well turns out, two of them needed homes. So you now have a brother and a sister!"

I was nervous for her reaction.

"Wait, you're telling me I have TWO siblings now?" She asked.

"Yeah, is that okay? Because if that's not okay then we will figure something else out."

"NO! I want them! Can I meet them?!" She yelled.

Frankie laughed and looked at me.

...

"This is my bed, and that over there, that is your bed. We'll be roomies! But don't touch the backpack, or my violin! But that big white cat over there? You can play with her until you get toys!" Leah told Meredith.

I smiled at the door frame.

"You okay with this ladybug?" I asked.

"Yeah! It's going to be awesome having a room mate!" She cheered.

"If she gets up in the middle of the night, come get us okay?"

"Okay!"

I left the room to let them get acquainted some more.

"Are they doing okay?" Frankie asked.

"Yep, Leah is so excited." I laughed.

"That's good."

Lucas started crying.

"I got him." I told her.

I walked into the bedroom where Lucas would be staying.

"Okay, be patient with me. You are really tiny and I may break you." I told him.



I rocked him gently as he quieted down and looked up at me.

"See, this isn't too bad right?" I asked.

I smiled down at him.

"I'm going to be your mom." I told him.

I thought about his experience in this life so far. They didn't know much on his past, and same with Meredith, and that made me sad.

"I promise, you and your sister will know how much you are loved in this world." I whispered to him.

Just like that, three became five, and boy I was interested to see how this roller coaster was going to turn out!

Spice it up!
My Stories:
Figuring It Out / Something to Hide *Complete*
-----
It's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going.
And when it's dark out, no one's around, it keeps glowing. <3

Offline Shewolf13

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #25 on: October 05, 2019, 10:20:18 AM »
Ooo! I've been reading along, Ally, just haven't had much time to post. Loving this. Welcome to the little ones!

Offline Ally3772

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #26 on: October 13, 2019, 04:13:52 PM »
Dear Mom,

This past month has been interesting to say the least. As I've told you, you have two new (hopefully) grandchildren and I've included pictures of them in this letter. I know you don't understand why I say hopefully, but we are just fostering them right now. There is that chance someone could come and claim or take them from us. As you can imagine the house is a bit cramped, Meredith is sharing a room with Leah and Lucas is in with us. However we have some more news!!!

Frankie and I went to the bank and talked about a loan. I know, I know, you don't like loans but mom we had to do something. We were cramped into that house, and we need bigger! After all, Frankie and I have discussed the future as foster parents and we are looking into at some point taking in one more child. It won't be for a while, probably not until Lucas is a child, but we needed to talk about it. This way we can be prepared for that. We found the home mom. We found our forever home and it is absolutely gorgeous! I mean look at these pictures!






I know you are stewing over the fact that we took out a loan mom, but it was only a small one. Because we had the majority of the amount already so we only needed that small push. We have a plan to pay it off don't worry. Things are looking up for us mom, I promise you that. This house if gorgeous and the kids seem to love it. Leah even insisted on sharing a room with Meredith even though we have extra rooms. It's crazy to think about isn't it? That I am a mother of three children and have the worlds hottest wife? It blows my mind still to this day.

I love you mom.

Clara


"So, I know we haven't had much alone time. How are you feeling about all of this?" I asked.

I was helping Leah on her current project for school.

"I love it! This house is so big!" She told me.

"And being a sister? I know we only talked about one child."

She looked at me.

"Mom, I know I'm still a kid but the way I look at it is we have the room. So why not help the children who need it? Like you and mama did for me."

I paused to smile at her.

"How did you get so grown up and sweet?" I asked.

She giggled.



It really did feel like I was living in a dream. I did miss the old house, but this new one held everything I hoped our future would be. Frankie seemed to love it the most and she was almost obsessed with the house staying clean. Even though I told her it was pointless because now we had a dog and three kids. That didn't stop her from trying though and that was one of the many things that I love about her. Both our jobs were going quite well and so far we were not having any issues with paying the bills. My favorite part about the house? The little gazebo thing by the pool had a painting easel so now I could enjoy painting while having a view.



"MOM!" Leah yelled.

"Coming!" I told her.

I walked into the nursery to Lucas screaming his head off.

"I didn't do anything! I was just trying to calm him down!"

"I know you were, you wouldn't hurt him." I reassured her.



"What's the matter little guy?" I cooed.

I scooped him up and rocked him.

"Can I get you anything?" Leah asked.

"Yeah, can you get me one of his bottles?"

"Coming right up!"

She rushed out of the room to go get a bottle from the fridge. I rocked him and hummed while I waited for her to return. Frankie was at work, she picked up some extra hours at work for some extra cash. Leah returned with the bottle already warmed and handed it to me. Lucas immediately stopped crying when I put the bottle in his mouth.

"You're really good at this!" Leah said.

I laughed, "I'm still learning."

"You're a good mom." She smiled.

"Thank you."

I walked into Leah and Meredith's room to find Meredith sitting in bed.

"You're up from your nap! Are you hungry?" I asked.

"Food!" She said stretching her arms up.

I giggled and picked her up.



I walked downstairs just as Frankie was getting home.

"Hey!" I smiled.

"There are two of my girls!" She cheered.

"I was just getting her lunch. How was work?"

"Fine, I am exhausted though.

"I'm sure! Do you wanna nap?"

"Nah, I'll be fine! I'm going to go check on Lucas."



I walked into the kitchen with Meredith.

"Hey, what are you up too?" I asked Leah.

"Playing with Ducky." She said.

I smiled.

"Do you think Ducky needs a friend?" She asked.

"Oh no, no no, this house is full enough. I think Ducky is just fine being the only dog."

"It was worth a try." She laughed.



The last thing this house needed was another animal. But who knows what this crazy life had in store for us next. We knew for sure it would be teen years for Leah though, and that was just scary to think about.

Leah will be a teenager! How crazy is that?!
My Stories:
Figuring It Out / Something to Hide *Complete*
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It's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going.
And when it's dark out, no one's around, it keeps glowing. <3

Offline Ally3772

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #27 on: October 21, 2019, 12:43:47 AM »
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

SLAM!

"Well, I've enjoyed fostering. Box them all up and lets send them back." Frankie said.

I laughed and groaned at the same time.

"Please tell me that this is just a phase." I told her.

"It is, and I bet you it's those group of girls she hangs out with too." She replied.

"It's just weird, she went from the sweetest little girl to this moody teenager."

"Unfortunately that is normal."

Leah grew up to be a teenager. It was only a week into high school that she started to hang out with these friends who believed in everything black, red and goth. So in turn Leah started to dress the same way and I tried not to be judgmental but her whole attitude changed. I tried bringing it up to her one day and she lost her crap and freaked out. Storming to her room was becoming a regularity around here, but I was believing Frankie when she told me that it was just her being a teenager.



Later that night Leah came out of her bedroom.

"Leah, we need to talk to you." I told her.

She stopped and just looked at us.

"We can't do the slamming doors anymore Leah. It's fine to express your feelings and if we can help you do that in any way we will. However, we have your siblings in this house and they are small. They need quiet and peaceful surroundings." Frankie started.

"I understand, and I am sorry." She apologized.



"We just don't want you to be angry all the time." I told her.

"God, I'm not angry all the time!" She snapped.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry."

She groaned and walked away.

"I don't know who she is anymore." I whispered.

...

Leah's POV

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Mama asked.

"Yes! I'll be fine!" I groaned.

"Okay, we will just be a few hours. Now, you have our numbers. We love you, and please do your homework!" She said.

"Bye!"

I sat down on the couch with my homework. Meredith was napping on the couch with one of her cartoons playing. I smiled at her, so peaceful. I knew that I had changed and I knew that mama and mom could see it, but this was how I wanted to be. This was who I was and I am happy with myself, I just wish that they would accept it.



I was only halfway through my homework when I heard Luke crying from upstairs. I checked Meredith one more time and headed upstairs. He was flailing in the crib and screaming his head off.

"Oooooo I can smell that all the way over here!" I shrieked.

I looked down at him before quickly changing his diaper.

"That was some gross stuff Luke!"

I scooped him up in my arms.

"What's wrong buddy?"

I rocked him but he was still fussing.



"It's going to be okay, I promise you."

I rocked him for a little while longer until he finally managed to fall asleep. I gently placed him back down in the crib and walked out of the nursery. I walked back downstairs to find Meredith sitting on the chair and eating a piece of cake that I had sitting on the counter.

"How on Earth did you get that down?" I asked her.

She giggled and looked at me.

"Well, however you did it do not tell mama or mom I gave it to you."

I sat back down on the couch and picked up my school book again.

"Homework is stupid, you'll see when you are older, but it's just wasting time."

She just looked at me. I couldn't wait until she was older because maybe then we could get closer. I loved her though, it was a cool feeling being an older sister.



Clara's POV

"Frankie! She did it again!" I groaned.

She walked upstairs to see paint everywhere.

"How are we going to get her to stop?!" She asked.

"We've tried everything!" I said.

"I got this, go work on dinner. I'll give her a bath afterwards too."



I walked downstairs.

"Thanks for watching them today Leah." I smiled.

"You're welcome!" She said.

"Homework all done?"

"Yeah, it's in my backpack already."

I looked at her.

"I know I don't understand what this new lifestyle is, but I'm trying sweetie."

"I know mom." She smiled.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

I pulled out a cutting board and started to chop tomatoes.



After dinner was done, and the small children were put to bed, all was quiet in the house.

"Leah is going to bed early. She has an early school detention." Frankie told me.

"Again?!" I asked.

"This time though it was for punching someone." She said.

"You sound happy about that."

"It was for bullying a kid."

I sighed, "I'll let it slide."

She gave me a hug.



"We've got this. I believe that we can survive this teenage phase." Frankie told me.

"You better be right or you are calling Amy back." I laughed.

Jokes aside, I wouldn't trade my kids for the world.

I REALLY want the Island DLC but I can't afford it yetttt. Hopefully soon!
My Stories:
Figuring It Out / Something to Hide *Complete*
-----
It's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going.
And when it's dark out, no one's around, it keeps glowing. <3

Offline Ally3772

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #28 on: October 25, 2019, 08:20:37 PM »
So. Unfortunately I am going to have to graveyard this story. I'm legit upset at Sims right now because I had been playing another family outside of this one to just have something else to do. I got Island Living on sale and went to load into this game to give them makeovers only to realize that Clara and Frankie were ghosts somehow and the kids had all grown up. Unplayed Sim Aging is off so I literally do not know what happened. I am so sorry guys, I was truly having a lot of fun with this one! I will have another story going shortly for those who would like to see it! 
My Stories:
Figuring It Out / Something to Hide *Complete*
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It's just a spark, but it's enough to keep me going.
And when it's dark out, no one's around, it keeps glowing. <3

Offline TheGoat

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Re: Rising Above
« Reply #29 on: October 26, 2019, 12:26:30 AM »
So. Unfortunately I am going to have to graveyard this story. I'm legit upset at Sims right now because I had been playing another family outside of this one to just have something else to do. I got Island Living on sale and went to load into this game to give them makeovers only to realize that Clara and Frankie were ghosts somehow and the kids had all grown up. Unplayed Sim Aging is off so I literally do not know what happened. I am so sorry guys, I was truly having a lot of fun with this one! I will have another story going shortly for those who would like to see it! 
Oh, that's a bummer! Good luck with your next story, though, whatever it ends up being!

 

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