The Smallwood Family Legacy Generation One: A Sims 4 Story

The Smallwood Family Legacy: A Sims 4 Story

Chapter Eleven: Looking To The Future

My lovely daughter Abigail has always struggled with her feelings for boys! And now we know why! After landing her dream job, she was going round the doors of Forgotten Hollow asking her neighbours questions for a social media project she is working on...

...and she came to my old house! Inside was this lovely human being! Her name is Charley Huffman, and as soon as Abi clapped eyes on her she took her breath away!

Her project goes to the back of her mind, and they are now chatting away like they've been friends forever!

This is the beginning of something beautiful! As I worry for her twin, Abigail gives me no concern at all, she has her life on the right track! And Charley is a sweet girl!

"I love our conversations! I'm just sorry I can't visit during the day!"

"Aw that's okay Abs, I don't care when you visit, as long as you do!"

Their relationship is progressing well, they are now officially a couple! Not only is Abi's work going well, her love life couldn't be better!

I don't want to get too optimistic, but I'm hoping to hear wedding bells very soon! I just wish that Esme could find that special someone to give her as much joy as Charley gives Abi!

My children are growing up! Three have already grown into beautiful young women! Soon I may be a grandmother! One can only hope!

I still sleep by my son's bed, I don't know why I do it! He still has us wrapped around his little chubby finger!

However he is a good little boy, if he wakes before me he amuses himself! It is now his turn to play with the old tablet handed down to him by all of his sisters! He's a fast little learner, and he has almost maxed every toddler skill!

Lilith comes round with a favour to ask her nieces, she would like her boys to be a little more outgoing, so she thinks that an outing with their big cousins will do the trick!

Dylan and Larry are rather shy, spotty teens. They struggle with socialising, something my girls have never had a problem with, so the five cousins all head out to a coffee shop to do just that, socialise! But the boys are sticking together, defeating the purpose of the outing!

While they are out, Alex discovers something that has been digging into his back under the mattress. As Raven bursts in and asks him what he is up to, he shoves the offending item down his trousers and laughs nervously, "Hey there Raven, just...taking a nap!"

"Oh okay!" She nods and leaves him to it!

"What are you reading?" Lilith enquires,

"Oh, I...n-nothing!" Alex has been caught red handed with Vivvy's old journal!

The girls arrive home with their younger cousins and are not amused at Alex! "I just found it!" He says in defence,

"OMG it doesn't mean you have to read it Alex!" Abi scolds him.

"Total breach of your wife's privacy!" Esme chimes in.

Caleb is not too amused either, "What possessed you Alex? You never read your wife's journal! My God!"

"Ah..." Alex cuts in, "...but she was not my wife when she wrote it!"

And as Vivaana appears and is met by this scene, Lilith gives Alex a piece of her mind by telling him his logic is flawed, "Just because she wasn't married to you doesn't make her any less your wife! Alex are you stupid? Or just insane!"

"What's...going...on?" Vivvy looks at her sisters, then her father, then her aunt.

"Well are you going to tell her? Huh?" Lilith points her finger at Alex. This is going to be interesting!

Raven is getting a kick out of all the kerfuffle! At least they aren't giving her a hard time! Not that they ever do, but sometimes she feels that being one of the youngest is a strain to emulate the ones who came before her!

She's a clever one though, I don't think I need to worry about her at all!

As for her older sister, she has invited Lucas over to ask him if he is really married, or if he said that to get her off of his back, she hopes her age up might change his mind!

But no he is most definitely married! "But Lucas you were my boyfriend! You had no right to marry someone else!"

"Oh come on Esme, I grew up! Hey, you fancy a little drink? That last one was sweet, tickly and...hot! I still have the puncture marks!"

"PAH!" Esme is disgusted, Lucas is just a typical man in her eyes! He wants his cake and to eat it too! "Go back to Catrina!"

"Catarina!"

"Whatever!"

Buzz comes out to play tonight, and his incessant barking is putting Raven off of her homework!

"Shut up dog!" She grunts, as Buzz ignores her and continues to bark at shadows, or possibly spectres that we cannot see!

Landon decides to have a go at the blocks by himself, just to see if he can really do it! He's almost as smart as his sister...

...although the blocks elude him! "I is confused!" As he places the block down in defeat, he hears a high pitched growl coming from the stairs...

Esme is still fuming over her encounter with married Lucas Munch with the vampire biting fetish! "MEN!" She exclaims.
"I is not a man Esme! I is boy!" Esme giggles despite herself, and Landon takes that as a cue to make her laugh even more!

The little tyke strips down to his nappy and proceeds to run around the house, he even ventures outside...

He descends the steps with ease and yells to his sister, "Come catch meeeeeee!" Esme simply rolls her eyes and leaves him to it!

He gets bored and cold, puts his clothes back on and curls up on the grass for a nap! I am all over the Manor looking for him, until Raven finally spots him!

"HE'S OUT HERE MUM!" She shouts between mouthfuls of her french toast, "Landon mum is looking all over for you! Come on get up you'll catch your death on that damp grass!"

"Sorry!" He whimpers, wiping his sleepy eyes he chuckles and runs past his sister...

...who is so engrossed in her food, she doesn't realise she is bursting for the toilet! "OMG!" She announces, chasing after her brother in desperate need!

Both my youngest children arrive in the hall, one crossing her legs and the other crossing his fingers that I do not scold him for going walkabouts!

He climbs the stairs and shouts "MUMMY!" But his calls are met by,

"NO! DADDY IS NOT HAPPY LANDON!" Caleb has given me the night off, he is tired from work but he feels he is missing out on Landon's tender years!

He takes my place tonight, for tomorrow Landon is becoming a child! I am sad and happy, I am not ready to give up my sweet little man to school and other children!

Early the next morning I help him blow out his candles as he lets out that adorable chuckle in my arms...

My boy is beautiful, he is a goofball of course, and he aspires to be a social butterfly! I get the feeling he will be just as cheeky in childhood as he was when he was a toddler!

Still in everyone's bad books, Alex tries to do something nice for Esme and suggests they all go to the karaoke bar for some fun.

As well as his wife and her sisters, Alex invites his own sister Cassandra along to join in the fun!

Esme has no luck with the menfolk to begin with! They are either too old, married or just plain grumpy! She is beginning to think that being single is probably the better option!

The girls are still not talking to Alex, it is really getting to him but he understands why, he crossed a line! As they listen to a young woman singing rather well, Vivvy puts her hand up to take part...

...and she is very good! Abi, Cassandra and her husband all cheer her on, but she does not win the competition unfortunately!

Esme on the other hand, she is miserable, and trying to find her happiness at the bottom of a glass! "Ach, singing is for losers!"

"Glug...love is for losers!" The more drunk she gets, the more cynical she gets! I still hold out hope that she will find her Prince Charming!

My poor girl is miserable! As her sisters are blissfully happy and enjoying themselves, Esme is still wallowing! In the middle of their conversation, Vivvy groans, hearing a familiar voice over the microphone...

"Um..." Alex mumbles uncomfortably, "...this is for my wife, my soulmate, Vivaana!" Alex sings a love song, very badly like his father-in-law before him, but he tries his best as Vivvy covers her ears.

A few courageous drinks later, Esme meets Wolfgang Munch! He is Lucas' very single elder brother who also happens to be in the political career! This is a promising encounter!

Vivvy gets up to prize her husband off of the karaoke stage while Esme and Wolfgang are flirting up a storm! 

Max Villareal is stalking around as usual as Charley arrives to the surprise of Abi who is more than happy to see her! Esme makes progress with Wolfgang...

...and he agrees to be her boyfriend, there is a bit of a gap between them, he is soon to become an adult but if she is happy...Max continues to harass Vivaana, "Hey!"

"Ugh!" Vivvy decides it is time to go home as the sun comes up!

The rest of the gang follow suit, "Vivaana, baby are you still mad?" Alex calls to her as they head to the tube station. Esme is on cloud nine, as is her twin, love is most definitely in the air!

Landon is highly amused at his brother-in-law chasing after his sister like a little puppy! "I'm never going to be like that, no woman will ever make me that crazy!" We shall see my lovely Landon, we shall see!

He is so amused by Alex's behaviour that he tells Vivvy as much, "He's like...a puppy wanting approval from his master it's...yuech! Hehehe!"

"Landon..."

"But seriously, you need to forgive him because it's just...sad!" Out of the mouths of babes! Although Landon does have a point!

And as Vivvy mulls it over, knowing that what her baby brother said makes sense...

Landon continues to show maturity by doing the laundry for me! He really is a sweet boy, and a very observant boy too, he sees things, he watches, and he doles out some great advice at such a tender age!

Vivvy joins him, they chat some more and she realises how wise he truly is, "You know Landon, you're pretty smart for a boy!"

"And you're pretty talented for a girl!" He quips, he is so very cheeky too!

"Um Vivvy? Are your feet getting wet?"

"Why?"

"Because there's a bubbly river on the floor!"

Yes the washing machine has broken down and is haemorrhaging soapy water! We have only just managed to get our heads above water money wise, excuse the pun, now that there are six adults adding to the pot...

...but we had to sell our bar before Vivvy's wedding to pay for it! Hopefully we can afford a new washing machine! Our gallery is progressing, Caleb is just busy with work! We will have a full one in no time!

It is now Raven's turn to be coached by the sage and his words of wisdom! "You know you need to have a little fun now and then Raven, or you'll burn out!"

"Oh really?" She raises an eyebrow at her younger brother.

"Yeah, I mean look at me! I am as cool as a cucumber because I always reserve time for fun! All work and no play makes Raven..."

"Top of the class?"

"No, grouchy!" They both continue to chat while Alex tries to get back into his father-in-law's good books...

After fixing the dishwasher Caleb heads off somewhere, Alex cleans up for him but merely gets a grumble for his trouble. If he really wants Brownie points he should put away Landon's cake before it spoils!

And there is another dryer fire, honestly Caleb! I am convinced that dryer wants to kill my husband!

Luckily the girls put him out as Alex panics! I swear one of these days Caleb will be joining Vivaan in the back garden!

The twins tell Vivaan all about Caleb's troubles, they all have a good laugh at his expense as he sits reading in disgust.  "Seriously my friend!" Vivaan chuckles, "Why do you insist on going near that thing?" He shakes his head as Caleb grunts. I just wish he would go and have a wash! He is still singed from his recent encounter.

And my indiscretions are coming back to bite me in the backside (again excuse the pun) as the man I fed off of the other day has transformed! I am trying to achieve my Lifetime Aspiration of a Vampire Family, although I know Caleb will not be happy, he still lives by the permission to drink rule! Something I have abandoned in my quest!

And as one of my children of the night has turned, I feel it! As my biological children dance and have fun together, I am feeling guilty!

To take my mind off things, I listen to my two youngest teasing one another over their dancing expertise! "You dance like dad Landy!"

"And you dance like a stalking vampire!" Landon quips back, yes you would need to get up early in the morning to have one over on this boy!

"Maybe I am stalking, stalking you you little twerp! I'm going to eat you!" Raven is not beaten in the battle of the insults!

"You'd need to catch me first old woman!" Landon is confident, smart, cute and cheeky! Raven is no match for her little brother and his mouth!

And I am at it again, feeding off of people I have transfixed, whether this one will turn is a mystery, but I'm sure I will feel it if he does in a couple of days! Oh Caleb don't hate me!

After several days of practice, Abi is doing really well with her dance moves! She is a dance machine after all!

I am invited to the DJ set by my brother-in-law, Joaquin Le Chien, and I decide to take Esme with me as a way to encourage her to find someone worthy of her love! But all she can do is protest, fighting for the cause she is campaigning for!

She is convinced that Wolfgang is different from his brother, but I want her to stay away from that Munch clan altogether! I introduce her to this young man, he doesn't seem to float her boat...

...she would much rather chat with a ghostly Dominic Fyres! Max Villareal is never too far away, stalking as usual!

Abi is not the only one that has moves, Esme shows off her dancing skills as I look on in awe, I am so very proud of all of my children!

And as we are dancing together, a total knockout of a girl walks into the venue, Esme informs me that it is Charley Huffman! "Abi's Charley?" I squeak, what a beautiful girl!

She nods at me and shouts, "Hello Ms Smallwood, so nice to meet you finally!" Abi has done well, Charley is radiant with legs to die for! I see grandbabies in my future that are absolute beauties!

We snap a photo, to remember the great night we had together. I see a change in Esme even though she didn't manage to find a gentleman that took her fancy!

I can now only sleep in a coffin, the trials of climbing the vampire ranks! Caleb joins me in solidarity! We have moved into a newly built room upstairs to give Esme our old room. We now have two more rooms, this one and the one downstairs that Landon and Raven share at the moment. And as money comes in, we add more toys and furniture to them.

That evening, Esme awakes to be told that her sisters and cousins are taking her out to the nightclub again to find her a man! She is sceptical and tired, but she agrees to appease them!

Alex, Abi, Esme, Dylan, Larry and Vivaana arrive at the club only to be greeted by a nosy Max! He is always around, always!

Esme's sisters try to convince her that in order to find her man, she needs to get out there every night and mingle, "It's the only way you'll find him!" Abi quips,

"Oh really sis? And where did you meet Charley again?" Esme hits back, not at a club that's for sure!

Vivvy attempts to calm the situation, "Regardless of where we found love Esme, what Abi is trying to say is that if you scour the club you have more chance of finding someone!" Esme agrees finally, it's worth giving it a go.

"Well we'd better get in..." Vivvy finally announces, "...the others will think we've gone home!"

Alex does indeed wonder where the girls are as he waits to order a drink. A young man with dark hair and a smart outfit climbs the stairs and smiles at him.

As Alex decides to take a seat and wait for his wife and her sisters, the man waves at him and says, "Hi there!"

"Oh, hey!"

"So, where are all the lovely young ladies at?" The man chuckles and winks as Alex nods down at my girls who have finally made an appearance downstairs.

"Oh I'm here with my wife and her sisters, one of them is actually single! I could introduce you if you like?"

"Oh yes please, I have not been fortunate to have female company for a while, my work takes me all over, I travel a lot so it is hard to meet people, and I'm away for long periods of time!" The man replies gratefully.

"Well here she is now!" Alex sees Esme approaching them.

The man takes no time in introducing himself. "Hello there, your brother-in-law here says you would like some company?" Esme blushes and takes his outstretched hand.

"Oh, um, y-yes! I'm Esme...Esme Smallwood!"

"Pleased to meet you Esme Smallwood, I'm Rick Stone!"

"Pleasure!" Esme is quite taken, while Alex is joined by Max, that young man is a pest!

"Forgive me!" Rick smiles shyly, "But you are so very beautiful!" Esme cannot believe her luck! Could this young man finally be what she is looking for? Have her sisters been right all along?

"Are you flirting with me?" Esme blurts out.

"Yes, I do believe I am!" Rick smiles, a little startled, "I've been away working for a few months, I'm a little rusty when it comes to...this kind of thing!"

"Well you can practice on me no problem!" Before she can stop it, it's out of her mouth! Rick chuckles and shakes his head in amusement! They are both feeling awkward, but eager to get to know one another!

Rick tells Esme all about his work and how he travels for months at a time, it is a lonely existence as he moves around a lot, taking in lodgings where he is posted. Esme is totally hooked on him! "Well, I really must get going, I'm not sure when my landlord locks the doors for the night so..." Esme nods and lets him walk away.

As she stands, frozen on the spot, a voice in her head jumps to the surface and she shouts "WAIT!"

The man smiles and calls back, "Yes Esme?" The way he says her name has her melting. She cannot let this one get away, she has to try!

"Why don't you stay a little while, I'm sure you can stay with us if you get home too late!" Rick waves a bashful hand at her and accepts.

They sit and chat for a while, they exchange numbers and they find a lot of mutual interests. Abi appears and tells her twin "Come on sis, this is your song...oh!"

"Abi this is Rick, Rick this is my twin sister Abigail!"

Esme jumps up to go and boogie to her favourite dance as Rick's eyes twinkle at Abi, "Twin eh? Double the beauty!"

"Back off pal I'm gay!" Abi barks, then realising her aggression blushes and apologises.

"No no, I was...well forgive me for being flirty, your sister has awoken something in me! She is a lovely girl!"

Abi watches her sister, finally happy with a decent guy, they agree to dance together and her heart warms to Rick and how he is so kind and gentle with Esme.

They dance, they hug, things are getting so very serious! Her sisters look on and hope and pray that Rick is finally the one!

Abi and Vivvy announce it is time to go, Esme reluctantly says goodbye to her new Romeo! But not before she makes it very clear how she feels about him...

"Bye Rick, hope to see you again!"

"Oh I will call you dear Esme, you can be sure of that!" He winks. Lilith smiles behind her niece, she also approves of this young man, he seems to be a hit with all of my family so far.

"That Rick guy seems nice! Esme sure does like him a lot!" Vivvy smiles,

"Yeah, here's hoping she's finally met her prince after all those frogs huh?" Abi giggles happily. One can only dream!

To Be Continued...