The Gemstone Legacy: Chapter Twenty-Six - Three of Us

[Kaye]

Chapter 20: Prom Night

It seems like the Aqua and Alex have taken some interests. Aqua joined the shop and art clubs at school, and she spends most of her free time on her easel outside. Even if it's cold, she'll be out there, as long as it's not raining.

Alex joined the newspaper club, but she's also been taking classes at City Hall and spending a lot time practicing her speaking in front of the mirror.

Andro wasn't sure what he wanted to do, so he got a part-time job at the grocery store.

I told him not to fret over it because he has plenty of time to figure something out. There's no need to rush anything.

Our children have been spending more time with us as well. Either just chatting with us or asking us to help them with their homework. No reason as far as I  know. They're just doing it.

Lauren and I aren't whining about it, of course. We appreciate it. And all three made honor roll.

Prom came on Friday night. Neither of the triplets had a date, so they went as their own group.

Andro had to work on prom night and couldn't take off, so after an argument with his boss, he quit. I'd disagree with that, but prom does only come once. Can't blame him, really.

From what we heard when they came back, it was a very...interesting night to say the least. Here's the rundown I was able to put together:

Andro and Alex were voted prom king and prom queen, Andro and Aqua got into fights, all three were rejected for dancing at first, they eventually found schoolmates to dance with and started relationships, Aqua and Alex were momentarily mesmerized by the dance lights, Aqua had a drink thrown in her face, and Andro fell flat on his face. So all in all, Alex had the best time, Andro was second, and Aqua had the least, although still a good time there. And all three went in single and came out partners.

I don't remember my prom being as exciting.

[Kaye]

Chapter 21: A Troublemaker Stirs

While the girls seem to have some clear goals, Alessandro is still trying to figure out his. That's okay. What's not okay is he's been causing some trouble.

He's become the town prankster. Lauren and I weren't aware at first, but Aqua and Alex came home one afternoon and told us how some of their schoolmates complained to them about Alessandro because their parents had complained about his pranks.

Alessandro probably knew he was in trouble when he came home from school that day. For a second, he looked remorseful, but that wasn't going to get him any sympathy.

And copping a bad attitude wasn't going to help him either!

For about a minute, we had an argument, but in the end, he knew he was busted and he was in more trouble for arguing and talking back than he would've been for just the pranks.

He was grounded for a week and he had a long list of chores to do to keep him busy for that week. He whined about that not being fair, but when he went to Lauren, she had no sympathy for him either.

Why he thought playing us against each other would work is beyond, but needless to say, Lauren agreed with me. From what Lauren told me later, he felt like I was treating him like a child. What does he think pulling pranks is? Childish.

But after that, he didn't try any more stunts and accepted his punishment.

A little while later, I caught Alex and Aqua looking sad as they came down the stairs. I asked them what was wrong. They weren't being punished.

"Nothing," Aqua told me, but her face said otherwise.

"Come on," I insisted. "Out with it. Why are you two upset?"

"Well...we wanted to have a slumber party," Alex finally admitted.

"So why didn't you ask?"

"Because you and Mom were fussing with Alessandro," Aqua answered.

"You still could've asked," I told them. I talked to Lauren and we gave them permission to have their party. Alessandro didn't need to be told not to try to join. I guess he figured the punishment he already had was enough.

The girls had their party the next night and only invited one guest, a classmate named Mindi Adams. Considering how small their bedroom is (not that we would've confined them there), three is probably all they can fit!

The triplets' birthday is soon approaching and we're hoping no more punishment will have to be administered because we want to plan something big for all three of them.

[Rikki8528]

I really love this story and your style of writing!

[Malley]

Nice job on your story so far.  The triplets are lovely!  The photos you had of the triplets as children where each one was waving after they received their new hairstyles/clothes were extra cute.  I also really like the name theme of Gemstones.  Very good idea!  I like doing name themes myself and might have to give this one a try in a dynasty somewhere down the road.  Looking forward to more

[Kaye]

Chapter 22: Birthday Bash

Alessandro toned down his prankster self and kept his pranks reserved for us around the house. Alex and I didn't exactly laugh, but Lauren and Aqua didn't mind. He was never in trouble with his pranks to begin with. He'd been in trouble being a nuisance to others, especially since Lauren and I had to learn about it through Aqua and Alex after the complaints were taken to them.

We heard no more complaints after that, and Alessandro even apologized to the classmates who'd complained, so we let it go. He served his punishment and apologized, so holding it over his head was unnecessary.

Lauren and I had a special surprise for the triplets' upcoming birthday. It fell on Saturday, so we were able to get most of the work done while they were at school.

We hadn't finished when school was dismissed. Alex and Andro have clubs after school, but Aqua doesn't, so we asked her to collect some seeds for us to keep her out a little longer. Thankfully, she didn't ask why!

About an hour later, Lauren and I had everything ready for the party. All the guests were called, the tables were set up, and most importantly, the triplets had no idea.

When everyone was finally home for the night, we told the triplets they had to be awake by nine o'clock tomorrow. They did ask why, but we simply told them it was an important event they couldn't exist.

The next morning, everyone was up by nine and ready by ten. The party was supposed to start at eleven, so we arrived ten minutes early. Lauren and I told the triplets to close their eyes. They did, we led them inside, and let them open their eyes. The second they did, all of the guests yelled, "Surprise!!"

And surprised, they were! The party kicked off great. For a while, everyone danced and skated in the rink, but soon enough, the guests started to get hungry. The triplets decided it was a good time to blow out their cakes.

Aquamarina.

Alexandria.

Alessandro.

The party continued into the night, so it was getting close to being time for everyone to close home, but the triplets didn't want the party to end before they'd done the firewalk!

Andro and Aqua were nervous going over it, but Alex just strolled across like she couldn't feel a thing.

After their burning soles were cooled, the party was over. Everyone enjoyed themselves and thanked us for inviting them. They gave the triplets some final congratulations as they left out. Lauren, the triplets, and I were all tired too, but there was one more surprise before the day was over.

Lobster Thermidor! It was a favorite dish for all of us and I'd made it just for the triplets' birthday. Thankfully, we weren't too full from the cake and party food to have some.

A little later, when the triplets were getting ready to go to bed, Lauren and I went into the girls' room to talk to Aqua (Alex wasn't there yet).

"Aqua, listen, honey," Lauren had said. "A few days from, your father and I will be leaving."

"What? Where are you going?"

"Don't worry," I told her. "We're not going far. We'll be close by. But you and your siblings are adults now, and as the oldest, you are going to be in charge of the house."

"So Alex and Andro have to leave too?"

"No," Lauren told her. "That's up to them. The three of you have to work that out. We're not leaving right away. It'll be a few weeks. Don't worry about it."

"How close is close by?"

"Next door," I told her.

She smiled at that and we left, so she could sleep for the night. For all of us, it'd been an amazing day.

[Kaye]

Chapter 23: Different Paths

The graduation ceremony was held just a few days after the birthday party.

All three of our triplets graduated with honors and Aqua was chosen as valedictorian. Lauren and I were very proud of them. Lauren almost cried, and I don't blame her. It was hard to see all three of our babies up there at once. And, thankfully, they didn't hear that.

Shortly after, Alex and Andro went out to find work. Andro signed up for the military while Alex went for journalism. I guess Lauren's love of writing rubbed off on her.

My sister Roxanna invited us to a costume party. I'm not one to dress up, but everyone else. Lauren went as a military soldier (ironic), Aqua went as a firefighter, Alex chose a mermaid costume (surprised that wasn't Aqua's choice), and Andro dressed up as...I don't even know. A punk?

Aqua isn't sure what career she wants, or if she even wants one for the time being. She's content to paint and practice her snowboarding.

That's fine with us. Lauren and I won't be here for much longer, so it's wholly up to her. I hope she does make up her mind soon, though. There's no telling if Alex and Andro will stay or not.

Speaking of Andro, he's doing very well in the military. He's already gotten a promotion and he's very proud of that. He's working hard to keep it up.

Alex isn't slacking either. She's moving her way up quickly.

Aqua eventually mastered painting, so it seems she started focusing on romance. She's been spending more time with her boyfriend since she graduated.

Lauren's excited at the thought of seeing our kids marry, so she's happy to see Aqua in a relationship. I just hope they're getting along.

It became pretty obvious our kids would be fine, so Lauren and I decided on a house near my parents' and siblings. Before we moved, Lauren celebrated her birthday.

It wasn't easy to let go, but it was necessary. They knew we loved them and they could call on us if they really needed help, but I'm certain they'll be fine.

Lauren: Now, who's crying?

Lauren...

[Kaye]

Chapter 24: A Little Lonely

Hey there, everyone. It's me, Aquamarina. You can just call me Aqua. Everyone else does.

I love my Mom and Dad, but it's nice having the house a little less full. Since I mastered painting, I decided to take up sculpting. I put the sculpting station where Dad's nectar-maker used to be.

Our house was about to have even more room because my sister was also leaving shortly to move in with her boyfriend, Sam.

Alex worked her way up to being an investigative reporter. I'm really happy for my sister that she's doing so well with her career and is going on her own, but I can't say I won't miss her. She's the only sister I've got, after all.

After she was sure she had everything, Alex told our brother and me goodbye. She left after work with Sam.

My room didn't feel the same anymore. It's funny. I'd always say under my breath I couldn't wait until my siblings grew up, so we could move out and have our own houses. Now, it feels too soon.

Somehow, even my sleep felt different, knowing Alex wasn't above me before I drifted off.

But I was about to feel even lonelier. Yep, Andro was moving out soon too. I had to fake a smile when he told me that news.

The thing about my brother is he can easily see through fake smiles, so he knew I wasn't happy. I wanted to keep it to myself, but he made me 'fess up. I told him the truth. I missed our family and I didn't really want to be alone. It didn't feel like I thought it would. It felt...lonely.

Andro said he felt the same, but none of us were alone. We wouldn't be living together, but we'd still have each other because that's what family is for. And, of course, if I really needed help, they'd come back in a heartbeat.

That made me feel a whole lot better. I still wasn't exactly looking forward to being alone in this big house, but it helped knowing my family wasn't far away.

Andro moved out the next day to be with his girlfriend, Mindi.

Like Alex, he left after work that day.

So now, it's only me. No parents and no siblings. Just me. But I'll be okay.

[Kaye]

Chapter 25: Two In The House

I never realized how empty it'd feel without my family around. I guess I just need to get used to being alone.

Really, I just go throughout the day, trying to fill my time however I can. I don't have a traditional job, so I don't make much money right now, but it's enough to live on and pay the bills.

When spring arrived, Alexandria held a "Welcome, Spring" party and invited me. It was a nice little get together with some of her other friends. We chatted, watched TV, and Alex made salad for us.

Going to Alex's party only reminded me more of how much I miss everyone, so the next day, I invited my boyfriend over and asked him to move in with me. It was a sudden request, but he gladly said yes.

I guess I'm just not someone who does well all on her own.

[Kaye]

Chapter 26: Three of Us

Ruben and I have been trying to get ourselves together. I want to focus on my creative skills and Ruben doesn't really know what exactly he wants to pursue, but if we keep going like this, we're going to be flat broke sooner than we realize. My creations don't earn us a steady income just yet. We're not exactly lacking anything, but soon, we wouldn't only have ourselves to support.

I eventually found myself not feeling so well and it took me less than a few days to realize I was pregnant.

Ruben and I were both excited, but also very nervous. We weren't even married, despite that we'd been playing too. We didn't know how we were going to fit in a baby on top of everything else we were trying to do, but we had to.

Up until it was finally time for me to go into labor, things were pretty stressful. I was sore much of the time, though Ruben helped with that, and it was hard to study or focus on anything because I felt like my energy had been sliced in half. Ruben was worried about leaving me alone to work since I felt so awful. Secretly, I was glad he preferred to stay with me, but it wasn't helping our situation.

I went into labor during the night. That's the worst way to be woken out of your sleep.

I didn't really want to go out into the dark, but the hospital has pain medication!

I gave birth to a little girl we named Amethyst. I didn't realize until afterwards Amethyst starts with an "A". I blame my parents for that one!

My grandparents had five children and my parents had three. I love my family, but I think I'm going to stop at one. I hope Ruben doesn't want any more kids. At the very least, not until we get ourselves sorted out.

Since it was so late, I put Amethyst to bed. She fell asleep almost instantly.

Ruben and I sat down to finally discuss things seriously. We had to get ourselves in order, not just for us, but for our child. We couldn't just wander around forever.

We talked for a long while. Miraculously, the baby didn't wake up for anything. We laid everything out and decided we'd prioritize making money first. We'd find jobs with some alternating schedules, so Amethyst wouldn't need a babysitter. We'd worry about marrying later. We had to concern ourselves with what Amethyst needed right now, and two parents stressing over supporting her wasn't it.

Saying and agreeing on it was one thing. Doing it was another. I felt so behind already at my age, I wasn't feeling very confident, but Ruben told me otherwise. He wouldn't slack either. He wanted the best for our daughter too.

[Nutella]

I'm moving this to the Stories Graveyard due to inactivity.  @Kaye - you can revive this story by contacting a moderator.

Original Storyboard:  Sims 3 Legacy Stories