The Atwood DITFT: Generation 4, Chapter 2
Author's Note: Hi! Yes, it's less than a month after last chapter and it's already time for the next one! I've been inspired lately, which is great after a long period of not really wanting to play Sims or write more plot! I'm now solidifying where this generation is going, and I think you will all hate it, but in a good way! Lol. So. Chapter 2 of the 4th generation is here!
The Atwood DITFT: Generation 4, Chapter 2
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Norah and Rue sat together in their parents’ living room. Both sisters seemed to be fighting internal battles, and neither of them had said much.
“Well, I’ll start,” Norah finally said. “I just want to make sure you know that I wasn’t just a terrible kid. I mean, I was, but I wasn’t doing it because I had no sense of your feelings or anything like that. I guess it was just that you were a threat.”
“A threat?” Rue said. “To what? You getting attention from Mom and Dad?”
“I guess,” Norah sighed. “You seemed like the perfect kid, and I was used to being the perfect kid. I couldn’t accept that you might take my place as the favorite. So I made sure you wouldn’t.”
Rue laughed to herself, a little bitterly. “It’s funny that you bullied me because I was perfect. I always thought it meant that I was unworthy to be part of the family, I guess.”
Norah looked sad. “I wish I could say I never meant to make you feel that way, but the terrible thing is, I think I did.”
Rue nodded. “Jealousy does weird things to people.”
“I also think it’s my fault that our parents didn’t really want to be at home when we were younger. Of course, to them it will seem like your fault-well, they actually might not want to admit that they ever avoided coming home on purpose, but I think they did. They might say it was because you were such a troublemaker, and you know what? You were a troublemaker because I made you look like one. I feel really bad about that. It’s almost like our parents don’t know who either of us was at that age. And that’s my fault, too.”
“I’m not going to deny any of that just to make you feel better,” Rue said honestly. “But I appreciate the fact that you understand what you did.”
Norah nodded. “That’s all I could really ask for from you. I know I probably messed you up.”
“I don’t want to make you feel worse than you already do, but yeah, you did kind of mess me up,” Rue sighed. “Self-esteem-wise, anyway. It took awhile, but I’m over it now. James helped a lot.”
“Yeah, I wanted to apologize about all of that, too,” Norah said. “Probably the shittiest thing I ever did was make fun of him for being in a wheelchair. Always behind his back, but that doesn’t make it better.”
“Thanks,” Rue said. “He’s the best friend I’ve ever had, and pretty much the reason I don’t hate myself.”
“Well, thank goodness for him, then,” Norah said.
The sisters were quiet for a moment. Rue was actually starting to feel sorry for her older sister. Really, things were better than Rue could ever have hoped for, and her childhood with Norah seemed like a distant past that hardly affected her anymore. And then there was the matter of this mysterious toddler, Aidan…
“Well, Norah, I hope you don’t beat yourself up too much about all that… I mean, yeah, it sucked while it was happening, but I’ve changed a lot since then. Traveling really helped me escape and become my own person, separate from how you defined me. And James helps a lot, like I said. Anyway, it’s kind of like a different person who that all happened to. I’m not really mad about it anymore.” She was a little surprised that this was true.
Norah just smiled gratefully.
“Okay, I have to ask,” Rue finally burst out. “What’s up with your son? What happened with that?”
Sadness overcame Norah’s face. She sighed deeply, as if preparing herself for what she was about to say.
“His father…my fiancé…passed away about six months ago. Cancer. Our wedding would have been next year, when Aidan turns five.”
Rue had no idea how to respond. She felt terrible for Norah-she couldn’t even imagine what that would feel like. “I’m… I’m so sorry,” she said, knowing that wasn’t really enough.
“Thank you,” Norah said sincerely. “We’re doing all right. Jaden and Serena have been helping us a lot. Making dinner when I can’t. Babysitting while I go to the graveyard.”
Norah was crying by now, and Rue was surprised to notice that she shed a few tears herself. She tried to say something to console her sister. “God, I just…” No words presented themselves to her. “I’m so sorry,” she said again.
Norah shrugged. “At least I have my son. And Jaden has reminded me never to let Aidan go. You know, after Jaden’s birth mother was too depressed to take care of him, and Mom and Dad took him in-he’s making sure I don’t let that happen with my son.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t know about any of this,” Rue said sadly. “I guess I talked to Jaden on the phone every once in awhile, but I’m sure he knew I wouldn’t want to talk about anything to do with you. I’m sorry I held a grudge for so long… Truce?”
Norah smiled, tears drying on her cheeks. “Truce.”
* * *
The triplets introduced themselves to Genie enthusiastically, and told her where they were from. “Our grandparents live just up that hill,” Beth said, pointing.
“Where do you live?” Jackie asked.
“In a clearing in these woods,” Genie said, gesturing behind her. “Not many people even know my house is back there, since it’s hidden by so many trees,” she said proudly. “No one ever bothers me there.”
“Do you get bothered other places?” Beth asked.
Genie suddenly looked uncomfortable. “No,” she said quickly. Graham thought she might be lying. Genie changed the subject. “Do you want to see my house? I have horses there!”
“Ooooooooh!” the triplets exclaimed simultaneously. “Yes!” “Let’s go now!” “I love horses!”
Just then, they heard a voice calling down the street. “Graham! Beth! Jackie!” It sounded a lot like their mother. “Triplets! Where are you?”
“Uh-oh, it’s Mom!” Jackie cried. “Let’s run and hide in the forest!”
“Dinnertime!” Rue was yelling. “Graham! Beth! Jackie! You’ll miss the meal!”
“Oh, no!” Beth lamented. “I wanted to help Grandma Reagan cook! We have to go back, then, so I can at least eat it and see what it’s like!” She pouted at her siblings with puppy-dog eyes. “Let’s just go,” she pleaded. “We can come back and visit Genie later!”
Just then, Rue came hurrying up. “Where have you three been all afternoon?” she exclaimed. The triplets grinned at each other slyly-their escape had been successful! Then Rue spotted little Genie. “Oh, who is this?”
“This is Genie, Mom,” Jackie announced proudly. “Our new friend!”
Genie smiled shyly. “They said you guys live in Italy,” she said, sounding awed. “Is that true?”
“Sure is, sweetheart,” Rue said, smiling. “But I grew up here, in Appaloosa Plains! In fact, we’re visiting my family here right now, and that’s why these three have gotta get home. But maybe they can come back and play again soon?”
“Sure,” Genie said softly. “I’d like that.”
“Yeah!” the triplets agreed enthusiastically.
* * *
“Hurry up, you guys!” Jackie yelled behind her. She and Beth were marching purposefully along the street, but Graham had stopped to wait while Genie tied her shoe, and now they were behind. He rolled his eyes and laughed. “My sisters are never patient,” he said to Genie. “Don’t worry about them.”
“I like them,” Genie said softly, smiling. “They’re fun.”
“Well, I like them too,” Graham admitted. “But if anyone should be in charge of this, it should be you. We’ve never been downtown before, and you have!”
“Well, not much,” Genie admitted. “My mom and I mostly stay at home. I don’t think I’d be able to show you around too well.”
Graham thought about this. At home in Monte Vista, he and his family were always going downtown. He couldn’t imagine staying home all the time. “Well, it’ll be an adventure for all of us, then!”
When the four kids finally arrived in downtown Appaloosa Plains, they congregated by the edge of a park. “What do we do first?” Jackie demanded. She and Beth eyed Genie expectantly, wanting her opinion.
Genie looked uncomfortable. “I’m… I don’t know,” she said nervously. “We could go see my school. There’s a nice playground.”
“Perfect,” Beth said excitedly.
Genie took the lead, Graham right beside her.
“If you don’t know much about what to do out here, you can just say so,” he said quietly. His sisters were busy bickering behind him, so they didn’t hear. “They won’t be mad.”
Genie shrugged. “It sorta seems like they might be. I don’t want to be disappointing.”
Graham smiled. “I think no matter what you’re like, they’re gonna be fascinated by you,” he said. “We are all three explorers, and part of going on an adventure means meeting the locals!”
“What’s it like being an explorer?” Genie asked, wide-eyed.
“It’s super fun!” Jackie burst out. The two girls had tuned back into the conversation. “We get to go to all kinds of neat places and see all sorts of stuff!”
“We want to be like our mom when we grow up,” Beth added. “She explored pyramids and fought a mummy!”
Genie’s eyes were as round as saucers. “No way,” she said.
“Yeah huh!” Jackie exclaimed.
The four came upon the playground by the school, and Jackie climbed eagerly up the jungle gym, fighting off imaginary enemies. “She was like wham! Bam! Take that, mummy!”
Beth giggled. “At least, she says she fought a mummy. But she definitely went into some dangerous tombs and stuff!” She followed Jackie up the jungle gym, yelling, “Help! Traps! The floor turned into lava!”
Graham yelled and ran to the swingset, clambering on and shouting, “Don’t touch the ground, Genie! You’ll get burned!”
Genie giggled and followed Graham to the swings. “I don’t want to catch on fire!”
“That’s the spirit!” Jackie called. “Now, who’s the mummy lava monster?”
“Me!” yelled Beth, jumping down from the jungle gym and starting towards Graham and Genie menacingly.
“Okay, we’re gonna run on three,” Graham whispered to Genie. “We can’t stay on the ground too long, though, or else we’ll burn up! Ready? One…two…three!” He and Genie leapt off their swings, sailing through the air, and then took off running towards the safety of the jungle gym, laughing the whole time.
* * *
“I’m just saying the kids should be careful,” Reagan said in a low voice. “You never know…” The two women were using their intense chess match as a cover for a conversation they hoped to keep private despite the house full of people.
Rue sighed. She was feeling a little inadequate wearing her slobby sweatshirt next to her perfectly put-together business tycoon mother-who also happened to be destroying Rue at chess. “She seems like a perfectly innocent little girl, Mom, I just can’t imagine-”
“Listen, from what I know about the mother, there are some serious mental health issues in that family. Little Genie might seem innocent now, but you never know what puberty is going to do to a girl with genes like that.”
“Fine,” Rue said. “I’ll keep an eye on things. The four of them have been inseparable this entire vacation, and I can’t just tell them to cut off their friendship because Genie’s mother might be a little unstable.”
“That’s true,” Reagan said. “Well, I’d just monitor things a little more closely if I were you. Especially if you plan to come visit again.”
“We definitely do,” Rue said, smiling. “The kids love it here, even Logan.”
“That’s wonderful,” Reagan said happily. “Your father and siblings and I have really missed having you around. Even Norah.”
“Thanks, Mom,” said Rue. “I’ve missed you guys, too.”
* * *
“…and then Beth was like, ‘I can’t ninja jump off a horse!’ and then I was like, ‘Don’t you know who your mother is? She’s a martial arts master!’ and then you were like-”
“Jackie, shut up,” Graham sighed, rolling his eyes. “I was there, I know what happened.”
“Okay, but I’m just saying it was so cool when Genie showed us how to jump off her horses!” Jackie was jumping up and down with excitement at the thought.
Just then, Beth hopped down the stairs from her bedroom towards her two triplets. “Hi, guys!” she called. “What are we doing today?”
“I don’t know,” Graham said pointedly, “because Jackie won’t shut up about horse-jumping long enough to focus!”
The family had just returned from their two-week trip to Appaloosa Plains. In reality, all three triplets were practically bursting with enthusiasm from their adventures. Logan had tired of their chatter almost instantaneously when they arrived home; their parents became impatient soon afterwards. But now that even Graham was frustrated, there had definitely been enough reenactments of all the different things the triplets and Genie had done.
“Well,” Beth said, trying to get everyone on track, “this is one of the last days of spring break, so we have to make today count!”
In the end, the triplets decided on swimming at the beach, followed by gelato and people-watching downtown. Although they had had a wonderful time in Appaloosa Plains, they were also thrilled to be home-and so exhausted from their trip that none of them really felt like doing much exploring.
Still, the more important part was that they enjoyed their day together.