I didn’t expect for Less and Mama to arrive together. Actually, I didn’t expect for Less to arrive at all, given she had three newborns at home. But, given her situation and lifestyle, it made sense that she would hire a nanny immediately. One day, I’d probably have to break down and do that, but until then, me and Sophia were the only caregivers Desiree needed. Less seethed with anger, and my parents were quietly upset for her. I almost felt guilty about being so full of joy. But it was my birthday, and I had finally become a father. Surely they wouldn’t feel betrayed by my happiness. I could resume my murderous thoughts tomorrow, but for the moment, I wanted to feel joy.
My thoughts were like a broken record sometimes, and once again I considered how my home life may not have been what I wanted, but I could never say we didn’t stand by each other. Even while divorced, my parents put aside pride and hurt to come together to give us as much love and support as they could muster. They were both flawed sims and gave me many examples of what not to do, but somehow still managed to show me the way and helped me to arrive safely at the current moment. Their unwavering love outweighed all the bad, and I was grateful they were still here to welcome me into this next phase of life.
My sister, my first friend, always astonished me. I watched her go from being this listless little girl who only cared about pancakes to a woman who moved to another country to pursue her newfound passion. She went from being dead set against relationships to being in love—though that ended badly. I feared she would never open herself again, but no matter what happened in her life, she always rose to the occasion in the end, and I loved that about her. When she was involved, I gave more than I received, but I didn’t mind. She’d always have a soft place to land in my heart.
I could write volumes of books explaining why I loved my wife, but at that moment, I was just in awe of the woman she was. Life with Sophia had truly been an adventure, and I never knew what to expect next. She was bold and confident, sometimes even more than me. I felt safe with her, and there was no one else on earth I would want by my side as I hiked this next trail.
Today, Maira was the only one who reached out to me, which spoke volumes about our relationship. Our friendship had its complexities, but we remained close despite all the hurdles life threw at us. She was the first sim outside my family I ever felt close to. The first sim I ever called friend. Regardless of what I felt for her or explored in my mind in the past, she had always been friend first, and I was so grateful to have her there with me.
Last, but certainly not least, my baby! We had only known each other for a few hours, but we already had a deep bond. She was my gift, and I was at a loss for words for how grateful I was to have her in my life. All of my favorite sims (plus Dub in spirit), all the sims I could always count on, came together by happenstance to celebrate me, and I finally knew what it felt like to have an inner circle. It was great to know that whatever I faced in life, I’d always have a village to help carry the load.
Happy birthday to me!
