O'Hara Random Legacy

[alex51299]

No, not the dreaded cliffhanger!! I can't wait to see their nooboo though.

[loveSims]

Can't wait to meet the nooboo! Awesome update.

[Sugarnibble]

I don't know if I've commented before, but this is a great story. I can't wait to see the nooboo.

[ArianaJade]

Thanks Alex, loveSims and Sugarnibble! The nooboo should be making an appearance tonight, if my internet stops acting up.

[Tears of Jade]

Wow I love how you write. Very few people have the talent that you have. Can't wait to read more!

[ArianaJade]

Skye at Night



Skye O'Hara was born at 3.34am that morning.



She was an adorable child, although Ellie knew she was biased. Possibly the most perfect child in the whole of Twinbrook, if not the Simniverse. It was love at first sight. Even the constant midnight feeding and messy diapers didn't dull the feeling of having a newborn.



Not that she had to do many. James was just as enamoured with his baby daughter as Ellie was and it was sometimes difficult to prise them away from one another for long enough to get some time in. He taught her to walk and talk, and took her to the library to read all the toddler books they could find. The drawing and painting books were her favourites and judging by the crayon-art on the walls she loved the practical side of art just as much.

But with that butter-wouldn't-melt face, and the fact that their walls were still a mess, neither of them felt up to telling her off for it.



Instead they bought her a xylophone, in the hope of some musical art. That didn't work as well as they had hoped, once she discovered that the beater was more fun to chew than to make music with. Maybe that wasn't quite normal for a child, but they all had their odd phases and both of her parents were sure it was nothing to be worried about.



There was only one thing bothering Ellie as she prepared to go back to work after her maternity leave; nobody had replied to her letter. Maybe it had been a stupid idea to send it. Maybe it was the pregnancy that had told her it was a good idea.

She hadn't been back at work long when she discovered she was pregnant again. She was out on a field trip with her class and they were all excited for her. As was James, when she phoned him during the kids playtime.



They both planned to spend more time with Skye before the new baby arrived. Ellie neared her due date and spent a lot of time at home with her husband and daughter but occasionally taking teaching work when the school was short of cover. After a great deal of discussion they had decided that it wasn't worth James looking for a job, and that he would remain a stay-at-home dad until at least Skye and the newborn were teenagers. This suited James perfectly, who loved his little family and caring for the house far more than he would any job. Gardening, then cooking the produce, and teaching his children skills was all he wanted from life, really.

Ellie was heavily pregnant and practising chess outside the front of the house when a tall, pale man with a geeky looking cardigan wandered up to the front of the house.

“Harvey?” she asked, uncertain.



“The very same. I got your letter.”

She wasn't sure what to say, since she's said most of what she wanted to in the letter itself. The apology for the way she'd left him and his parents behind when they told her she was adopted, the news of her pregnancy, the thanks she should have given them before for raising her so well. They might not have been her bloody family, but they were still family.

Luckily, Harvey continued. “Dad's still upset. He didn't really want me to come. He thinks you should be the one to travel to us. I agreed with him to begin with, but then I realised I wouldn't want to travel several hours with a small child to potentially get a reaction like his was. So I came here because I thought I should.”

“I was worried you might not want me back,” she replied. “Or doesn't he?”

“I think he does. You did leave, well, suddenly. And... angrily. For days afterwards the house was horrible. Nobody spoke. I think they both wished they'd told you earlier, and I was terrified to ask if I was adopted too. Part of me wanted to be adopted so I could tell you and you wouldn't feel so alone. And maybe then you'd come back.”

“Are you?”

“Nope. They thought they couldn't have children, but then they found out they could after they'd adopted you.”

“I'm sorry,” she said, and pulled him into a hug. What else could she say? For a long while afterwards it hadn't even occurred to her that they might have been hurt, that they might have wanted her to stay. And as she hugged her brother, she felt sorry for someone other than herself for the first time since she had found out about the adoption.



“What about Mum?” she asked.

Harvey pulled away from the hug at that point.

“Mum's ill, Ellie. She can't travel here, she would have wanted to if she'd known and that would have only made her worse.”

“She doesn't know I wrote to you?”

“No. We wanted to tell her to were coming to visit, and make sure you would turn up and be nice to her. Will you? It would mean the world to her.”

“Do you really think I'd not want to see her again?” For the last time, she nearly said. Something in Harvey's voice told her it might be that bad.

“The way you left, we didn't know. But anyway. How about you introduce me to your little one?”



Skye and Harvey hit it off straight away. She showed him her current favourite toy, and he made a good show of being interested in the way blocks fell through holes for several hours, a feat which neither Ellie or James had yet managed.

It was a good thing that they had bonded so well, as he found himself babysitting when Ellie went into labour.

Bonus pics of Skye:







And why I love Twinbrook as a town. It's a bit grungy, and some of the townies are downright weird, but it's got such stunning scenery. It's making me want to become better at taking photos in the sims. Can't wait for my new graphics card either.



This story is probably going on a short hiatus for the next few weeks. I've got a massive work deadline coming up, two exams, my dad's wedding, and I'm going to visit my best friend for a few days on Monday. I'll hopefully be able to update it sporadically, but there won't be much in the way of regular updates between now and early May.

[alex51299]

Skye is adorable! I haven't really used Twinbrook since I first got Ambitions, but now I am tempted to use it again after seeing this. And don't worry about the hiatus, I'm sure we all understand that you have a life outside of test. I am taking a break from sims too since I have state tests the next 2 weeks.

[samoht04]

This is such a great story! It'll be worth the wait when you post the next chapter I am sure! 

[Lisey]

I have to agree - Twinbrook is beautiful and definitely my favorite town even though I think I've overplayed it at this point. Have fun at your dad's wedding! I'm glad she reconciled with her brother and I hope she gets to see her adoptive mom before she gets too sick...

[xFezIsAFreakx]

I do really like Twinbrook. Skye is so lovely, great update!

[ArianaJade]

Thanks everyone! And good luck with your state tests Alex.

Skye's traits are artistic and insane. I plan to roll for the first three traits of each generation and pick the last two. The rules of the challenge let me choose, but I wanted more randomness! I also rolled for the requirements for gen 2 when she was born like the rules tell me to.

Marital Structure: Second Chance
Number of Children: 3
Primary Income: Artist
Secondary Income: Author
Generation Goal: A Party To Remember
Misc: No strangers

I'm not sure how I'm going to pick the heir yet, but seeing as I haven't even introduced the other two kids, that's not a problem right now!

[ArianaJade]

Circles

Two healthy, bouncing babies were born that night, a girl and a boy. Winter and Rowan. Winter was a quiet, calm baby, staring serenely out of her blanket and taking a polite interest in everything around her. Rowan was more demanding, and needed near constant attention to keep him happy.





Ellie hated the idea of leaving them in their newborn state, but James assured her he could cope with the two of them and Skye, just for the few days she would be in Sunset Valley. So, a couple of days after the birth, Ellie and Harvey were catching the morning train back to her old house.



Skye and James had waved them off from the front porch, and as the taxi driver had pulled away to take them to the train station she could hear the giggling of an excited toddler. She knew she didn't need to worry. James was more than capable with the children. He was almost a natural.

The house in Sunset Valley looked no different to they day that she had left. The same teal wood walls, accented with the brickwork that had always appeared precarious but had never shown any signs of being unsafe. She followed Harvey up to the front door, with only a slightly amount of trepidation.



Before she could knock, however, Jacob came flying out. His eyes were wide with fear.

"Harvey, Ellie, come quickly!"





From what was supposed to be a simple visit, Ellie found herself attending a funeral.

After the service, she walked up to the grave and knelt down, carefully digging into the fresh soil in front of the headstone. Pulling the envelope out of her pocket, she inserted the letter she'd written the night before into the earth.



Mum,

I'm sorry for hurting you when I left. I wanted to find my real mother, but what I didn't know is that I had her all along. You.

You are the best mother I could ever have wanted. Even though I wasn't your biological daughter, you treated me like I was. Even though I wasn't always very nice to you, you were always there for me. I know that sounds just like something people say, but I mean it in a way I didn't even know was possible.

I remember when we went on that holiday to France, and I realised I'd left my teddy at the hotel when we were on our way back, and Harvey was plane-sick, and then Dad thought he'd lost the passports. Most mums wouldn't have coped. But you managed to mop up Harvey with one hand while phoning Mr Bear with the other and convincing me he was having the time of his life living in a cottage next to the Effiel Tower. And you found the passports.

And when the boy I liked turned me down for the prom, you convinved me he wasn't worth my time, even though just hours before I'd been completely gaga for him. If I'm anywhere near as good a mum to my three children as you were to me and Harvey, I know I only have you to thank.

I wish you could have met your grandchildren. But even more I wish that I had said sorry. Or even, that I'd never put you through it all in the first place.

You must have given up so much to take me in and I should have thanked you, appreciated it. I hope you didn't blame yourself for the way I reacted. It was all my fault. I don't know how I could do something so horrible to a person who had shown me nothing but love. It's not fair, and I'm sorry.

I love you. I miss you.

Ellie

Winter:


Rowan:

[alex51299]

I'm glad the hiatus is over! Winter and Rowan are very cute. The letter was very sweet too. 

[loveSims]

I'm glad to a update! The twins are adorable. The letter was very sweet.

[xFezIsAFreakx]

Aww, that was a sad moment with the letter. It's so sad Ellie's Mum didn't live to read it. Winter and Rowan are both so lovely!