Chapter 5: Part 2: Money Troubles
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/967/063/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
Cardinal was amazing. He was the best thing that ever happened to me. All the worrying along the way was well worth it. Holding him in my arms was something I could have never imaged before, and yet, here he was. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
Although Red had to spend more time at the office than we would have liked. But we needed the money, badly. An architect and a painter weren’t exactly raking in the dough.
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/954/063/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
One downside, though, was the babies are always sick, it seemed. I was pretty sure that Cardinal had given me something bad, I couldn’t keep anything down, but I was always hungry. The odd thing was that he never had any of the same symptoms as I did, but he had been sick a lot, and I assumed that I had caught it from him.
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/957/063/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
The three of us, Red, Cardinal, and I, made an appointment for the doctor. If what I had came from Cardinal he would need to get some medicine.
They ran some tests on us to see what was wrong, they even did some on Red in case his symptoms just hadn’t shown up yet. The wait seemed too long, and it was driving me crazy. I felt like I had to throw up just standing there.
But nothing ever crossed my mind telling me that it could have been anything but the flu.
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/953/063/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
The nurse walked in with a big smile on her face. I thought it was weird that a nurse would be smiling at sick patients, but she seemed very happy.
“I have some good news.” She said, “None of you are sick.”
I felt another wave of nausea rushed over me, “What do you mean were not sick. I feel like I have to throw up right now.”
“Well, actually Mrs. Prism, I have more good news.” The nurse started, “Congratulations...”
I interrupted her, fearing what she was about to say. I didn’t even let her finish her sentence, “Congratulations, what?”I asked.
“You’re pregnant!” She said happily. It was exactly what I was afraid she was going to say.
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/951/063/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
I turned to Red and he gave me a supportive smile. The nurse left us alone to process what she had told us. I felt terrible for being sad, after all a new child should have been a momentous occasion.
“What are we going to do?” I asked, a few tears making their way to my eyes, “An architect and an artist can’t support two children.” I blinked, and it broke the surface tension in my eyes. I pressed my face into Red’s coat, remembering that Cardinal was there, and I didn’t want him to see me cry.
“We can do this.” Red assured me, “You paint more, and I’ll take more projects at work.” He ran his fingers through my hair. I took a few deep breaths and stopped myself from crying. I didn’t want to walk through the waiting room with tears running down my face.
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/001/064/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
I wiped my eyes and picked up Cardinal. He touched one of the tear streaks down my face, but he didn’t say anything. He hadn’t quite gotten a hold of talking, yet.
“It’s okay, Cardinal.” I told him, “You’re going to have a little brother or sister. Do you like that idea?”
He clapped his hands in excitement, and I pulled him closer to me.
“Good.” I told him, and we walked home.
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/959/063/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
Red managed to get a few extra projects at work. He had longer hours, but at least we didn’t have to worry about paying the bills. Sometimes I felt bad for him. He made all of the money, but he didn’t get to spend a lot of time with his family.
I was glad that I got to stay home with Cardinal, but still make some money. When I wasn’t painting I was teaching him to walk and talk. I made sure that he knew how to say ‘daddy’ because I thought it would make Red happy.
He had really taken a liking to his xylophone, and he spent all of his free time playing it. He was actually starting to play some coherent songs on it, I didn’t know where he had heard them, but he loved to play them.
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/947/063/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
Aqua-Marine’s daughter, Cyanna, and Cardinal were best friends. They came over for play dates all the time. She was only a little bit younger than him, and they got along really well. I was afraid that they were only friends because she was the only other tot that he got to play with, but soon I could tell that they really were friends.
“I can’t believe that you and Red are having another baby already.” Aqua-Marine told me, “Cyanna keeps our hands full!”
“I would have liked to wait a little longer, but I’m happy. It was going to happen eventually, but the sooner the better, I guess.” I shrugged, “There can’t be anything wrong with having two little bundles of joy.”
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/950/063/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
Before we knew what gender Cardinal was going to be we had bought some toys, including a doll house. When we found out he was a boy we had almost gotten rid of the doll house. But when we found out we were having another baby we kept it, in case the second one was a girl.
It was Cyanna’s favorite toy, and she and Cardinal always played with it together. Cardinal would only play with it when Cyanna was over, otherwise he was playing his xylophone. Aqua-Marine told me that she had bought a doll house similar to it, but that Cyanna would only play with ours.
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/952/063/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
Cardinal picked up walking very quickly, although talking was a bit slower for him. He could say words, but he had problems forming full sentences. Sometimes he would get my attention with his xylophone, instead of calling for me.
I started to worry about him a little bit, but every time I considered taking him to the doctor to get his lack of speech checked out he would make huge improvements, and I would stop worrying, until he reached a lull again.
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/948/063/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
Cardinal liked to run over to Red when he got home from work, and it made Red happy to see that his son loved him, even though he was gone a lot. I think he was worried that Cardinal wouldn’t have a father figure, so he spent every waking minute that he was at home with him.
Cardinal would yell, “Dada!” for Red, and he called me “Moom.”
“Hey, little man.” Red said to Cardinal, and then he turned to me, “So, he’s got walking and talking down?”
“Yeah, I spend about twice as much time teaching him as I do painting.” I laughed, “He’s making leaps and bounds with his talking.”
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/963/063/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
“And how are you feeling?” He asked.
“Good. I’m getting more and more excited about this every day.” I let him feel the baby, even though it wasn't big enough to start moving yet, “The more time I spend with Cardinal, the more ready I feel for a second one.”
“I’m warming up to the idea, too. At first I was pretty worried about it, but Cardinal is so great!” He turned around and picked Cardinal up.
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/961/063/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
“I just wish that I could spend more time with you two... three, I mean.” He corrected himself, looking over at me. I smiled.
“I wish you could too, but you’re our main support, and I really appreciate that.” Suddenly I had a mood swing, and I was crying. “You work so hard, and all I do is paint! I should get a real job!” I sobbed. Red stopped playing with Cardinal, and looked at me.
“Greth, you are just as important to this family as I am, in fact you are more important. Without you Cardinal wouldn’t exist, and neither would our baby.”
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/099/064/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
Red handed Cardinal to me, and I felt better holding him.
“Why... sa... moom?” Cardinal asked. I assumed he wanted to say ‘Why sad mom?’ but he couldn’t get it out. I loved his botched words, they were adorable, so I pulled him into a snuggle.
http://lvlt.thesims3.com/sims3_asset/sims3_asset/media/shard000//shard000/116/064/011/00/screenshot_original.jpg
“I’m okay, Cardinal.” I snuggled him, “Do you want to play with your xylophone?” I asked.
He clapped his hands, and nodded in excitement. “Ya-ya-ya!” It made a tear come to my eye, because he was starting to express himself with words.
“Greth, do you want me to make dinner?” Red asked.
“That would be amazing.” I told him.
