After the Plague (new, Nov 13)

[MarianT]

AFTER THE PLAGUE

Prologue

   Her phone rang, and Cassandra answered it.
   “This is your father,” said Mortimer. “Don't talk; just listen. There's a plague loose in Willow Creek. A vaccine we've been working on mutated – well, that doesn't matter. I want you and Alexander and 6 of your friends to get out of town. Go to Granite Falls and stay there. We're setting fire to all the houses in Oasis Springs, so it should be safe to move there in a week or two.”
   “But – “ Cassandra began.
   “I love you, and tell Alexander I love him, too,” said Mortimer. “You can get camping supplies in Granite Falls. Now go!”

   Dazed, Cassandra hung up the phone. She told Alexander about the call.
   “But what about Mom?” asked Alexander.
   “Dad didn't say,” said Cassandra. “Maybe they'll join us later.” She phoned three people, and Alexander phoned three and made a reservation at the campground.
   “I almost forgot,” she said. “Dad said to tell you he loves you.”
   “Sounds like he doesn't expect to see us again,” said Alexander.

   By the time they arrived in Granite Falls, everyone needed to use the bathroom. Cassandra dreaded having to tell people why they'd been invited on an impromptu camping trip.
   “Listen up, people!” Alexander announced.
   “Okay, but make it quick,” said Shayna Bagley. “I need to pee.”
   So much for breaking things gently, Cassandra thought.
   “We each need a tent, a lantern, a cooler, a firepit, and a chair,” said Alexander. “The ranger's station has all that stuff, and it's over there.”
   “Is that it?” asked Olivia Lewis.
   “For the moment, yes,” said Alexander.
   There was a general stampede for the bathroom.
   “You didn't tell them about the plague,” said Cassandra.
   “I thought we could wait a bit,” said Alexander. “Maybe Dad was wrong. Maybe it was a false alarm.”
   “I think we need to tell them,” said Cassandra.
   “I think we should have a plan first,” said Alexander.

Guidelines

All 8 sims need to complete the first level of the Outdoor Enthusiast before the group can move to Oasis Springs.

Once in Oasis Springs, each sim will buy a residential and a retail lot. Retail lots will consist of the following:

1. Plumbing and bedding supplies
2. Clothing
3. A bakery
4. Appliances and electronics
5. Kids' stuff
6. A bookstore
7. An art gallery
8. A gym and athletic supply company.

Sims will live at their businesses until they have a child, at which point they will have to move to their residential lot.

Until further notice, all buildings will be 8 x 8 square, and made of cement block with a flat roof. Sims can live either above their stores or in a basement below. The museum in Oasis Springs was not demolished. An observatory, microscope, unbuilt rocket ship, and easel can be found there.

Sims may get furniture and other things only from the stores, from the wood-crafting table, and eventually from career rewards. Buy mode is accessible only to store owners for what they stock.

Other sims seen walking around are assumed to be aliens, plague-carriers, zombies, or hallucinations, and must be avoided. (Except when they're customers -- even zombies need wastebaskets.)

Once a sim has reached level 5 in a basic skill (cooking, fishing, gardening, or handiness) and level 5 in some other skill, he or she may get a job as a scientist. Once a serum to cure sickness has been developed, sims may work as doctors. And once 25 patients have been cured, the sims may take other jobs. Sims may not go to the hospital to give birth until a doctor is working there.

Rounds will be 3 days for each sim, unless the sim is pregnant, in which case I'll try to play the sim at the birth. Infants can be changed up by visitors, as it means they'll get random traits.

Children will be aged up when they complete their childhood aspiration; and Teens when they get an A and reach level 3 of a part-time job. Traits will be assigned randomly. I'll be playing with Aging On only for the active household and normal length.

When a sim has completed an aspiration, travel will be allowed to Willow Creek and Magnolia Promenade. That sim may also build a new house and/or shop.

Note: I've posted the guidelines (minus the prologue) as the Entrepreneur Challenge on the official forum.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 -- Unhappy Campers
Chapter 2 -- Setting Up -- Benson and Olivia
Chapter 3 -- Setting Up -- Shayna and Alexander
Chapter 4 -- Setting Up -- Stacy and Bill
Chapter 5 -- Setting Up -- Cassandra and Peter

Round One

Chapter 6 -- Benson Dahl
Chapter 7 -- Olivia Lewis
Chapter 8 -- Shayna Bagley
Chapter 9 -- Alexander Goth
Chapter 10 -- Stacy Lee and a New Goth
Chapter 11 -- Bill Pancakes, Cassandra Goth, Peter Lee, and Another New Goth

Round Two

Chapter 12 -- Benson Dahl and Olivia Lewis
Chapter 13 -- The Bagleys and the A. Goths
Chapter 14 -- Stacy Lee and Bill Pancakes
Chapter 15 -- The C. Goths and Peter Lee

Round Three

Chapter 16 -- Benson Dahl and the Lewises
Chapter 17 -- The Bagleys and the A. Goths
Chapter 18 -- Stacy Lee
Chapter 19 -- Bill Pancakes, the C. Goths, and Peter Lee

RECAP I

Round Four

Chapter 20 -- Benson Dahl and the Lewises
Chapter 21 -- The Bagleys and the Lewises (continued)
Chapter 22 -- The A. Goths and Bill Pancakes
Chapter 23 -- The S. and P. Lees
Chapter 24 -- The C. Goths

Round Five

Chapter 25 -- Benson Dahl
Chapter 26 -- The Lewises
Chapter 27 -- The Bagleys and the A. Goths
Chapter 28 -- The Pancakes, the S. Lees, Peter Lee, and the C. Goths

Round Six

Chapter 29 -- The Dahls, Lewises, and Bagleys
Chapter 30 -- The A. Goths, Pancakes, and S. Lees
Chapter 31 -- The P. Lees and C. Goths

Round Seven

Chapter 32 -- The Dahls and Lewises
Chapter 33 -- The Bagleys, A. Goths, and Pancakes
Chapter 34 -- The S. Lees, P. Lees, and C. Goths
Chapter 35 -- The Dillards and Goddard-Wans

Round Eight

Chapter 36 -- Birthdays
Chapter 37 -- The S. Lees, P. Lees, and C. Goths
Chapter 38 -- The Dillards and Goddard-Wans

Round Nine

Chapter 39 -- A Week with the Dahls
Chapter 40 -- A Week with the Lewises
Chapter 41 -- A Week with the Bagleys
Chapter 42 -- A Week with the A. Goths, Pt. 1
Chapter 43 -- A Week with the A. Goths, Pt. 2
Chapter 44 -- A Few Days with the Pancakes
Chapter 45 -- A Few Days with the P. Lees
Chapter 46 -- Gunther Goth, the Dillards, and the Goddard-Wans

RECAP II

Round Ten

Chapter 47 -- A Week with the Dahls and the Lewises
Chapter 48 -- The Bagleys and the A. Goths
Chapter 49 -- A Week with Stacy Lee and Her Family

[MarianT]

Chapter 1 – Unhappy Campers

At first none of their friends believed Cassandra and Alexander. It wasn't until they had tried calling their parents, and other friends, and then the police that they began to think something had happened in Willow Creek. No one answered anywhere.

Benson Dahl was the first to break away from the group to be on his own. He'd planned on becoming a doctor, and he thought he still might be able to do this. A clumsy bookworm and geek, Benson would be a quick learner.



Olivia Lewis just wanted to run away. Being a goofball, romantic, and good, she was usually fun to be with, but right now she wanted to cry.



Alexander was romantic and family-oriented like his mother, and a bookworm like his dad.



Shayna Bagley was also a bookworm. She was an active lover of the outdoors and planned on becoming a gardener like her adoptive mother, Elaine Joy. At the moment, she was more interested in catching a fish.



Peter Lee was a geek like his parents, Liberty Lee and Travis Scott, but he was also an active bro.



His sister Stacy was a genius, ambitious, and cheerful.



But she didn't like bears.



Bill Pancakes had more immediate needs than his distress over his parents. A creative bookworm and goofball, he still plans to be a writer even if only a handful of people will read what he writes.



That night they got together to discuss the future. Cassandra joined them. She was trying not to let her gloominess get everyone else down. She missed her piano, but had picked up a violin at the camping supply store.



“It's too soon to decide much about the future,” said Olivia. “But while we're here, we should all work on things like fishing and collecting plants. It's not like we're going to be able to grab some donuts at Bill's mom's place.”

“True enough,” said Benson, “but I hope someone will open a place where we can get some good food. Veggie burgers and strawberries are going to get old fast -- oops, sorry Stacy. These are really good.”

"You're cooking next," Stacy said calmly.



That night, they all pitched their tents close to the bathroom, Stacy having told everyone about her close encounter with a bear.

[Playalot]

This is so cool! What a fantastic idea! As usual, I love your humour... that last screenshot is so funny. Lovely to see the great mix of characters/sims. Can't wait for your next update.

[MarianT]

Chapter 2 – Setting up – Benson and Olivia

It wasn't long before everyone had harvested 10 plants and caught 5 fish. At the very least they wouldn't starve.

The last day had been pretty miserable, in Benson's opinion. First Cassandra, then Olivia, then Alexander had started moaning about how homesick they were. He'd wanted them to just shut up. Sure, he missed Lucy and he was sorry she was gone, but their grief just reminded him that he was adopted and that he'd never known who his parents were.

Anyway, he was glad to be getting started. He set up his plumbing shop, and then he realized that he would also need lights, so he added an overhead light to his stock.



Benson was sure he would make money – everyone was going to need a toilet and a shower and a sink to wash their dishes in. He had also promised his friends that they could call him when their plumbing needed to be repaired.

He set up his living quarters on the roof – his tent, his campfire, his chair, and his cooler. The lantern went in his bathroom; the overhead light he'd bought was keeping his store illuminated.



The view from the roof was gorgeous – and sad. The lighted billboards were a reminder of the bustling community that Oasis Springs had once been.





But with the houses gone, you could see how beautiful the land was, Benson reminded himself.





And they would rebuild society soon, possibly with the help of aliens.

Olivia was looking forward to providing her friends with clothes. She had excellent taste – everyone said so. She couldn't wait to get Cassandra into something other than black.

It was kind of dull, just having cement blocks to build with, but she decorated the front of her store with the colored eggs she'd found in Granite Falls.



She had some herbs and wild plants, too, that she could grow in planters. Benson had promised to start making them as soon as he was able to afford a wood-working station. She figured the money she'd spent on plumbing would help. Olivia had put her bathroom inside her store for her customers to use as well as her. She took a selfie and put it on the wall. Her framed first simoleon would be hung next to it. Olivia hummed as she put the finishing touches on her mannequins. As long as she could keep busy, she'd be pretty happy.

[MarianT]

Chapter 3 – Setting Up – Shayna and Alexander

One night in Granite Falls, Shayna found herself exploring a thicket of brambles.



She kept climbing and climbing a steep, dark path. She might have turned back, except that she felt it was safer to keep going up than to try to go back down. Finally she reached the top of a hill so high that it might be considered a mountain. An elderly woman in a patched dress was there, watering her plants.  She reminded Shayna a little of Elaine Joy, her foster mother.



Shayna felt a bit shy, but the woman was so gentle and kind, that she was soon at ease. She warned her about the plague, but the woman didn't seem frightened. “The people who need to see me will make their way here,” she told Shayna. “If they're sick, they'll find healing.”

As she bid good-night, Shayna asked her her name. “Gillian Joy,” said the woman.

“Do you know Elaine Joy?” Shayna asked in surprise.

“My great-niece, I think,” said the woman. “Norman was my nephew.”

That night Shayna slept more deeply and securely than she had since they'd come to Granite Falls.



When she woke the next morning, she was back at the campground with the others.

Shayna thought about the wise woman of the mountains while she was making her first batch of cupcakes. She decided that even though she served food at a price, she would also have free food on hand in the cooler for anyone in need.



Before she opened her store, she needed to have a bathroom. She ran into Olivia at Benson's plumbing store, who was there on the same errand.



“I've got some clothes that would look great on you,” said Olivia.

“And I'd love to buy them,” said Shayna, “but I need to make some money first.”

Back at her shop, Shayna decided to put a table and chair up for sale in addition to the cupcakes and donuts. Olivia had told her about using colored eggs as decoration, and Shayna decided to use them in her store as well.



As soon as she opened her door, Cassandra and Alexander showed up, along with two other people. Shayna had been feeling a bit lonely, so she was happy to talk to them even if they didn't buy anything. To her delight, though, Cassandra did buy a chair.



Cassandra laughed when she told her she was calling the shop Bagley's Bagels, but Shayna knew that she'd be making plenty of bagels pretty soon.

Alexander was in love. The only problem was, he didn't know which woman he was in love with.  Olivia was elegant and self-assured – and a romantic, like him. But then Shayna was adorable, and a good cook, too. And Stacy was just beautiful. Unfortunately, they were all unattainable, not because he was so homely, but because they'd all agreed that it would be bad for the gene pool if they married each other.



After eating his fish, Alexander went downstairs and looked at all the toys in his store. He hoped there would be children to play with them, and that some of the children would be his, but who knew what might happen?



Note:  Thanks for reading, everyone, and please accept my apologies for the darkness of the pictures. At the moment, my sims have only one lantern and one light fixture available.

[Playalot]

The screenshot of Oasis Springs with no other buildings is so atmospheric... sets the scene so well. I love the starter businesses. As to the darkness of the screenshots... they look great! How else would it look after the plague! 

[Cristina]

I love the businesses too. Poor Alexander, I feel bad, he seems like such a romantic. Can't wait for your next post! 

[MarianT]

Chapter 4 – Setting Up -- Stacy and Bill

Stacy Lee was going to burst. Never had she been in such urgent need of a bathroom. “You have got to open your store and let me get a toilet,” she told Benson.

“Mmphurg?” Benson grumbled. “I was sound asleep,” he said a minute later, emerging from his tent.

“Sorry,” said Stacy. “Just go downstairs and re-stock, and I'll be out of your hair.”

“Okay, but I have first dibs on a TV when you get one.”



Stacy went ahead and fixed herself a tofu dog while she waited for Benson to finish. She made a note of the TV. She had quite a list of special orders – Bill Pancakes wanted a computer so he could start writing books; Shayna Bagley wanted a coffee-maker. And a refrigerator. And a stove. And kitchen counters. But right now, Shayna was going to have to settle for the coffee-maker.



Stacy took a picture of herself and hung it on the wall. Her store looked rather bleak, but she wasn't going to put little colored eggs out. Some prints from the microscope might look nice, if she could ever find time to get over to the museum.

Bill Pancakes took a moment to look at Oasis Springs from his rooftop. In one direction, he could see the dinosaur gas station and car wash.



In another, just empty desert and mountains.



And down the road, Stacy Lee's appliance store. He was really grateful to her for getting him something to write with. His first book, Fast Foods are Bad for You, was gone forever. He didn't intend to rewrite it. There wasn't much point, without fast food restaurants and children to be warned about them.



But there would be children, and Bill intended to write a couple of books for them. He went back into his store, which he'd opened. A few people were there – Olivia, who was talking to some stranger, and... That couldn't be his father.



“Hello?” Bill said tentatively. He didn't want to scream “Dad!” and throw his arms around someone if the man turned out to be an alien in disguise.

“Hello,” the man said in return. “Just looking.”



The resemblance was uncanny, but Bill knew this wasn't his father.

Later on, he went over to Shayna's to get something to munch on while he wrote. Cassandra was there, and the two of them went outside to look at the stars.



He told her about seeing his Dad's doppelganger. “I know,” said Cassandra. “I've seen him too, and your mom as well, except she's not your mom. I've seen Olivia's mom, too.”

“Well, that gives me an idea for my first science-fiction novel,” said Bill. “Do you think it really is them, and they just don't remember?”

“Don't,” said Cassandra. “That's too creepy.”

Bill wanted to ask Cassandra if she remembered kissing him in the library when they were teens, but that seemed like a long time ago. And she had been quite adamantly opposed to the eight of them getting romantically involved with each other, so there wouldn't be any point in bringing it up.

Back at his store, Bill decided to write his children's books about insects and fish. And maybe frogs. He mounted a couple of the fish he'd bought and put them on the wall for sale. He might as well sell the insects, too. He sat down and started typing.

[MarianT]

Chapter 5 – Setting Up – Cassandra and Peter

Peter Lee had intended to sell building supplies like windows and landscaping, but he made an interesting discovery – they couldn't be sold. He relayed the information to the others, who all said much the same thing – “Yippee! I can add a window.”

Peter added a houseplant to his stock of merchandise, but it wasn't much. Empty fishbowls couldn't be sold either.



He went up on his roof and looked at the dinosaur in the distance. He'd have to wait a while until he could start a soccer team. Maybe he could find a rich wife somewhere.



“My, it's dark in here.” That's what everyone said when they entered Goth Gallery.



Cassandra didn't mind. If it was dark, people couldn't see how amateurish her painting was. She figured her big sales would come from the easel, and possibly the wood-working table. She'd already sold one to Benson.



Painting was more fun than she'd expected it to be. It wasn't as much fun as playing the piano, or even the violin, but she could live with it.



Everyone was settled in now, Cassandra reflected as she cooked her fish. Who could predict what the future would hold?

[MarianT]

Round One

Chapter 6 – Benson Dahl

Benson looked over at the museum as he grilled his fish. He had so many things to do, but he still wanted to go over there and start developing his logic skill.



Before opening the store, he went over to Olivia's to buy some new clothes. Dahl's Basic Needs was doing well, thanks to his friends, and Benson wanted to spread the wealth around a little. Cassandra was there, too, trying something on. Benson told her she looked good, but Cassandra ended up not buying.



Running the store was the main thing. Even with all of his friends in possession of their necessary plumbing, he still was getting customers – the couple that looked like Bill's parents, mainly, as well as Cassandra. Benson was glad that the woman who came from Granite Falls wasn't coming any more. Everyone got tense when she was around because they knew that she was really a bear.

“What happened to the shower you bought?” he asked. “If it broke, I can come over and fix it.”

“I'm going to build a house someday,” said Cassandra. “So I'm stocking up.”



Benson had also learned how to build a couple of pieces of furniture, which he could sell – the mirror and the bar stool. He could build a planter, too, but that wasn't saleable – something he told Olivia and Shayna, who had been planning to build gardens.



Woodworking could be painful, but Benson persevered. When he reached level 10 in handiness, he'd be able to get a job as a scientist, and that was his goal.



In the afternoon, Benson picked up a book at Bill's Bookcakes. He stopped at Shayna's to get a bite to eat, but there wasn't anyone else around. He took his book over to the park. Benson could remember when the playground was filled with children, but today the pirate ship was empty.



The next day Benson hurried through his duties. He wished that some pretty girls other than Cassandra would come to his store. Even so, he chatted to his customers, and finally earned enough perk points to get the reward that would enable him to ring people up faster.




Benson's other reward was a trip to the museum, where he spent some time on the microscope.

[MarianT]

Chapter 7 – Olivia Lewis

Selling clothes to the public was tricky, Olivia was beginning to find out. You couldn't assume that all your customers would be young and good-looking, so you had to avoid extremes. Would short shorts look good on every woman who came into the shop? Probably not. And then there were hats. Olivia wanted to make money, but she kind of hoped that none of the men looking at her current outfit on display would decide to buy it.



Nevertheless, owning a shop did have its moments – like the time she saw Bob Pancakes flirting with her female mannequin.



Of course, Olivia was pretty sure that he wasn't Bob Pancakes – not the one who was Bill's father, anyway. She suspected he was an alien, assuming the appearance of Bob Pancakes as a disguise. After all, Charlene the bear could pretend to be human, even though that hat and checked shirt didn't fool people because they got tense when she was around, so why couldn't an alien pretend to be Mr. Pancakes?



In addition to making lots of money from her shop, Olivia had several other goals. One was to become an excellent herbalist, able to provide the residents of Oasis Springs with cures for all kinds of ailments – including burns (lucky she had a fire extinguisher handy).



Another was to find Mr. Right and have a few children. She was friends with Jakob Andrew and started a flirtation with him, but once she discovered he was evil, she ended it. Opposites might attract, but Olivia knew that being good herself, she would be sad all the time she was with him.



Johnny Zest was a much better prospect. He'd been camping in Granite Falls at the same time she was, so she knew that he wasn't a zombie. And he'd been living in Oasis Springs before the plague (which Olivia suspected had been sent by the aliens), so she knew he wasn't an alien.



Yes, he was a much better prospect.



No children resulted this time, which was probably just as well, Olivia reflected. She couldn't afford to build a house on her lot, Sandtrap Flat, yet.

Her most immediate goal, however, was to get Cassandra Goth to wear something other than black.



“Why do you wear black all the time?” she asked. “It's depressing.”

“Maybe I'm in mourning,” said Cassandra.

“We're all in mourning,” said Olivia. “Do you think because you wear black, you feel sadder than I do?”



Cassandra didn't have an answer for that. “And besides, it's too hot,” Olivia continued. “There's just too much sunshine in Oasis Springs for people to wear black. Now, you'd look good in this sundress, and the hat has a nice broad brim.”

“Okay, ring me up,” said Cassandra.



Yes, owning a shop definitely had its moments. Now if she could just get those people running around in clown suits and hot dog costumes to come inside...

[Cristina]

I'm so happy Olivia found Johnny, they look really cute together! Can't wait for your next update 

[MarianT]

Thanks, Cristina!

Chapter 8 – Shayna Bagley

We first met Shayna in Willow Creek. Elaine Joy adopted her when a meteor strike in Riverview killed her grandparents. Shayna had been living with them because her mother was in jail. Where – or who – her father was, no one knew. Although Shayna missed Elaine and certainly hadn't wanted anyone to die of the plague – or anything, really – she wasn't unhappy with her current situation. She wasn't “that girl whose family was killed by a meteor” any more; they were all survivors of the plague together.

There were only two things she wanted – a boyfriend, and enough money to buy a bookcase.

Armando Boyle had been a customer at her bakery and was lavish in his praise of her cooking. Shayna invited him to come upstairs with her one evening.



They started flirting...



...and progressed to trying for baby.



Shayna was delighted when she found out she was pregnant...



Armando – not so much.



The next morning, Shayna went downstairs and made some more cupcakes. She still wasn't skilled enough to make bagels – a fact that at least one of her customers pointed out every day. And the cupcakes weren't selling well – they barely paid for the ingredients to make them, let alone the cost of cleaning the machine.



Later on, while she was eating breakfast, Shayna remembered an important fact:  when she had a child, she would have to build a house on her lot and live there. Plus, she'd have to buy a bassinet for the baby, and who knows what else.



She called Armando later on in the day and explained the situation to him. “Babe, you do know I've got the noncommital trait, don't you?” he said.

“You wouldn't have to marry me,” said Shayna. “Just move in for a while. And you could move out any time you wanted.”

“Well, when you put it that way...” said Armando.

The next morning was spent in a wonderful whirl of shopping. The first thing Shayna bought was a bassinet for the baby. She also had a bookcase and some books on her list.



After a few hours, Shayna was hungry, so they stopped at her cafe to get something to eat. Armando introduced himself to the customers, while Shayna chatted with Cassandra.



“He's not bad looking," Cassandra commented. "What's he like?”

“Well, he's a glutton, so he doesn't mind if I burn a meal or two,” Shayna began.

“Shayna, you're a great cook,” said Cassandra. “Don't put yourself down. What are his other traits?”

“We-ell, he's kind of noncommittal,” Shayna admitted. “And a little bit lazy.”



Cassandra shook her head. “That doesn't sound like a great combination,” she said. “Does he have a job?”

“Um, no, but he's willing to help out with the store,” said Shayna. “He cleaned up the counter this morning.”



“I'm glad to hear it,” said Cassandra. “I just hope he's not marrying you for your money.”

“Actually, we're not getting married,” said Shayna. “And, if you must know, he's putting up the money for me to build our house.”

After lunch, Shayna and Armando went to Olivia's to get some new clothes. They both agreed that what the male mannequin was wearing didn't really suit Armando. "Actually, I like the shirt," he said, "but the shoes just aren't my kind of style."



But Shayna looked cute in the dress on the mannequin, even if she did look like she was carrying a watermelon.



Armando was tired, so he went home, while Shayna went to Benson's store to get plumbing and see if he could find a bed. She ran into Alexander Goth, who congratulated her on being pregnant. “Hello, nooboo!” he greeted the baby, but Shayna noticed that his eyes were sad.



Armando was sleeping in a straight-back chair when she got home.



Shayna managed to get the air mattress set up, then shouted “Surprise!” in his ear.

Armando was furious. “Don't ever wake me up like that again,” he hissed. “Don't you know I hate being waked up? I was having this great dream and you ruined it.”



“But you looked so uncomfortable,” Shayna protested. “And I got us a bed. And I thought you might like to...” her lower lip quivered.

“Oh, don't cry,” Armando muttered crossly. “Go fix us some food or something. There's nothing to eat here.”

Shayna shed a few tears while she fixed their baked potatoes. A little while later, when she went into labor, she was careful not to make any noise and wake Armando up.



But as soon as the baby was born, Shayna forgot her problems and was lost in wonder. She decided to name her Elaine – Elaine Bagley.



And Armando, she was glad to see, was charmed by his daughter as well.



Shayna spent her time at home taking care of the garden when she wasn't taking care of Elaine.



Armando either slept, or read one of Shayna's books, or grumbled because Stacy at Steampunk didn't know when she'd be able to have a television for sale.

It was actually a relief to Shayna when Elaine became old enough for her to get back to the store. She inherited the active trait and her red hair from her mother, her blue eyes from her dad.



Things were a bit hectic at the store when Shayna returned.



“But everything's going great,” she told Alexander, when she finished repairing the toilet. “Elaine can't come here during school hours, and of course, we couldn't leave her at home alone, so Armando's looking after her.”

“Great!” said Alexander. “We were all a bit worried when no one came to open the store, but I can see that with a baby you might have had your hands full.”



He didn't say it, but Shayna could tell what he was thinking – why hadn't Armando come to open the store? Well, she wasn't going to let that worry her. Her biggest concern now – besides running her bakery – was making sure that Elaine had the best childhood ever.

[Cristina]

I feel so bad for Shayna! She has to look after Elaine and the store on her own while Armando just keeps putting her down. I hope she either leaves him or he changes his attitude, if not for Shayna then at least for Elaine. Sorry about my rant 

[MarianT]

In fairness to Armando, even though he was angry (apparently lazy sims get angry if you wake them up), and even though he had the whim to "rant and rave," it took me 3 or 4 tries to get him to actually do that. But as soon as he starts getting tense and having "ball and chain" moodlets, he's moving out.