Rose 9: Setting their shoes on fire

     The next morning, I catch Pedro before he can go and take a bath or whatever it is he wants to do.
     "What is it, Rose?"
     I just blurt it out. "I'm pregnant!"

     He gets the silliest grin on his face that I've ever seen him do as he keeps asking me if I'm sure and that he knew it, of course. Why ask me if I'm sure if he says he also already guessed?
    I had no idea this man could talk as fast as he talks as he starts telling me that he's determined now to get that house that went up on the market. He doesn't want to bring a baby home to this tiny, little house, and I have to agree with him.

    The owners of the house figure out how we're not the only ones interested in it, and they raise the price. It's all Pedro can do to keep me from finding them out and setting their shoes on fire. I don't know why the shoes, but that's the first thing I can think of. Sounds good enough to me.
     Pedro insists that I let him go to the bank and get a small loan for the increased house cost and inevitable decorating of the house. It comes pre-furnished like houses around here do, but he claims he knows me and that I'll want to decorate.

    Here it is. 717 Bella Vista Drive. The houses surrounding it are even bigger than ours, but we have plenty of room on our property to expand later should we want to. Right now, it feels huge compared to where we lived what feels like just this morning.

    The first thing I notice are the garishly-white walls. Pedro distracts me from them by acting like he's giving the baby the tour of the house, not me. He's such a sweetheart, and I humor him.

     "And here's Mommy and Daddy's room." he says to me, um, the baby.
     "More white walls."
     He turns to me now and says, "The house has all white walls. I knew you'd want to change that." He grins.
  

    We go upstairs to more white walls and he brings me to the front bedroom that will be the baby's room. The other door is another full bathroom. There's a patio/deck/veranda on either side of the second floor.

    He bought a crib and a single bed for the room. I tell him the single bed was an unnecessary purchase. I'm so worried about our future financial situation. This house may be more than we can afford.

     "Since when are you the worrier?" he asks me as he pulls me towards him, and after he tells me he'll return the bed.
     "I told you that just because I don't talk about it, it doesn't mean that I'm not thinking about it."
     "We'll be fine. You'll see."
      I decide to just believe and trust him for now, and I do decide to decorate.

    I don't do much but add a few of our things and change the wall color to a more natural one. I go a bit more nuts in the bedroom. Pedro says he feels like he's sleeping in an enchanted fairy forest or something. That was the idea! When I tell him this, he merely shakes his head and laughs a little.

     On the warmer days, I love bringing my easel outside so that I can paint and look out over the scenery. We can see the ocean from our porches.
      Pedro works on a fantasy novel after his third book deal gets made. He doesn't act satisfied with the money deal they make. He hopes he can make more money with this next book, but as more and more time goes by, he starts acting tense and nervous.

    On one of these beautiful days, he approaches me and says he has something to tell me.
    "You see," he continues, "I am now actually getting worried that we can't keep paying our bills this way." You think? "And since I write a lot of Science Fiction novels, I thought that getting a job at the science facility would be helpful for all parts of this possible problem." He looks so guilty that he went and did this without first asking me what I thought.

     It's that guilty look that finally wins me over. I'm content that at least he realized that him doing that wasn't nice to do without talking to me first. I tell him it's okay, and that I trust him to do what he thinks is best, but that I really wished he'd come to me and talked it over. Then I get the 'you're a wonderful wife' speech. He looks so relieved.
    "How long do you think you're going to do this?" I ask after he kisses me.
    "I'm not sure."

    Every day gets shorter than the previous one, and I show more and more. Pedro keeps worrying and saying I'm too skinny, and he keeps trying to get me to eat more, shoving food in my direction. I'm not saying I don't get hungry, but I still don't see why I have to stuff my face. I get sick of having the 'you need to eat' conversation at dinner every day, so I just humor him and eat a little of everything he offers.
     His job at the science facility takes a lot out of him, and he comes home exhausted most days. I've been getting better at cooking, and I like to have dinner ready for him when he gets home. He still sometimes insists he cook me more food.

    The best part of these days are when he gets all mushy and stuff over my growing belly. Sometimes, I have to work hard to keep the tears at bay.

     He's very good at making me feel better.

    Ahem. Yes, very good.
    How did this picture get in here?!

    Pedro wants a boy. He assures me that either would be just great, but he comes up with more boy names than girl names. I'm just happy he's thinking names period! He also has this look about him when he talks about the boy stuff they could do. I don't really care either way. I'm just happy to be having his baby.

   The night arrives, and it hurts! I'm glad Pedro doesn't freak out. He just very calmly calls a taxi and helps me into it.

    For some reason, Mrs. Monty is out taking her son Antonio for a walk in the middle of the night. She does live across the street, but really? The middle of the night. The way she looks at me looks like she's recording the information in her head so she can gossip about it later.

    Pedro had had a rough day at work, so he's beat when we make it to the hospital. He'd only gotten about two or so hours of sleep before I'd gone into labor.

    Everything goes smoothly and I deliver a healthy, 7lbs 3oz baby girl.

    Fiona. Pedro insists that we name her Fiona Rose. I don't know how I feel about naming a daughter after the mother, but he loves it.

    After I give her a bottle and change her, I put her in her little crib for the first time, happy to be a mommy.

------------------------------------------------

Little Fiona is finally here. :) She was born with the artistic trait and I randomed and got the loves the outdoors. She is a witch. 

After this I finally got the extra creative LTR for Rose. Pedro didn't get his because he wanted a boy and that want didn't get realized. Maybe next time, Pedro!

Their bills came in for the first real time after the loan and it's over a grand every time. The first time, I thought they weren't going to be able to afford it, but in that same mail, the mayor sent Rose a picture worth $2,250. That took care of the bills. So is this what the mayor spends his campaign money on?

When Fiona is only a day old, Pedro rolls the want for another baby. Already.

Also, so glad Rose can now upgrade things with magic.

Rose 8: Hot, dry igloos

    I'm keeping this one. It's a sad scene, but I'm happy with the results. I'll call it Olive Cries.

    Pedro and I decide to visit Sim Fest for the first time at this community lot that seemed to have appeared overnight right next to the fairgrounds. It's been here for a little while. In fact, we've eaten at the diner, but this is their first official event.
    It's too bad that Ron has to show up and ruin it for me. He walks towards me, and I wonder for a second if he's going to speak to me about something when he suddenly turns and talks to some woman behind me. Like I care one way or the other.

    The second performer is a magician, and he uses Ron as a 'volunteer' from the audience.

     I don't think this is what the magician had in mind. I nearly die laughing.

    Pedro's book does marvelously, and he also finds cheaper tickets. We finally get to go on our honeymoon! I'll just show you a bunch of pictures and not bore you with the details.

    I guess I lied just now. I have to mention that I was not happy to be spending my honeymoon in a tent at a public campground. However, I got used to it and eventually came to love it. They're like hot, dry igloos.

   I got a pet shrew! I tamed it. Mr. Bunbuns really likes it. He poofed right next to it almost as soon as I set up the terrarium.

    Our house is starting to get a little packed. The upstairs is almost as bad.

   More weeks go by, and I wish I could shake this mild stomach bug I get. Sometimes I'm fine; then with almost no warning, I'm running to the bathroom.

   One night, I go to fix dinner. I'd planned on having ratatouille since I hoped that might be nice to my stomach.
    "I changed my mind." I say to Pedro while he works on his final book in the trilogy. "I want spaghetti instead."
     "I was looking forward to ratatouille." Pedro says, not quite whining.
     "We're having spaghetti!" I say a little too harshly, earning me a strange look from my husband.
     While we eat our dinner of very delicious spaghetti, Pedro tells me about a house that just came on the market that's on the high end of our price range. I tell him to go for it. There are very few houses in this town, and I can't think of one that I'd say I particularly hate. As long as we have more room than this all-of-a-sudden-tiny house.

    Later, I wonder if I should've made the ratatouille. I don't get it. That spaghetti was so good going down. What on earth made it come back up like this? I'm sick of being sick. Honestly, it's getting old.

    A little while goes by, and I start to feel better. Pedro keeps thinking I'm pregnant. He, very carefully might I add, mentions to me that I'm moody and I keep changing my mind on what I want for dinner. He's got a point. Yesterday, I wanted nothing but ice cream, and come hell or high water, that's just what I was going to have.

    Fall arrives again, and one night, I feel a strange fluttering in my lower abdomen. I'm reminded of the pretty red butterfly I saw. Then it finally occurs to me. I'm pregnant!


-------------------------------------------------

So she wasn't actually pregnant when I threw in all those luscious hints that she might be. The actual event took place in the pic where she's standing outside the tent at the upstairs room at the market on their honeymoon. Still, it was fun to stretch it out.

Pedro's third book Quantum Hop in the trilogy sells for the typical high end (I'm guessing here) for a SciFi one. $148/week. I've decided to have him write a fantasy novel for more money.

Giacomo and Florence Taylor are now engaged. He still calls Rose every day.
Luis Toledo and Rose Foley are engaged.

I'm working on saving up their points to get Pedro the 30k author thing. Likewise, the 30k extra creativity LTR for Rose.

I sold most of the things they got on their honeymoon for about 10k.

Rose 7: That's what we do

The crazy game keeps giving Pedro the 'celebrity did a no-no' rumor that he's sleeping with the occult. He's freakin married to a witch what do you expect?!?!?!?! So, I just ignore it. Maybe it'll get so bad that he'll lose celebrity status and I'll not have to deal with it, but his books are doing well so he's getting famous as an author. That moodlet is annoying. 

-------------------------------------

     Pedro and I happily settle into married life after we receive such thoughtful gifts like the stereo shown here. Somebody also gets us a DJ booth. I sell it. We need the money since we're having trouble raising the 2,600 we need for our honeymoon. 

     Another gift I'm very surprised to receive is the cauldron. Right away, I start trying to figure out how to use it, and I discover it can really take a lot out of me... I mean a lot.

      Weeks turn into months, and we still don't have the money for the honeymoon due to all our other expenses. We don't let it get us down, however.

     I find out it's possible to get a loan, should we need it. However, the people at Rossi Savings and Loan say the interest is ten percent! That's much higher than what I'm used to, and I know we wouldn't be able to afford the bills should it come to that.

     Then Pedro gets a cold, and I discover a grown man when he's sick is the most pitiful thing in the world. He keeps thinking he should get up and finish his book, but I won't let him because every time he does, he winds up coughing and sneezing and acting all together miserable. So, I force him to stay put.. the most I'll let him do is sit on the couch and watch TV.

    It's during one of these sick days of his that I make my way to the magic shop, and a pretty butterfly comes and lands right on my nose! I laugh and gently encourage it to get on my finger. I stand and admire it as the warm summer sunshine beats down on me, and I wonder if butterflies have a state of self-awareness. I can't help but wonder because it looks like this butterfly is trying to communicate something to me. I shake my head no and laugh at myself and my own silliness before I encourage the little thing to fly away.

    I go back home afterwards to discover that Pedro is, at least at the moment, being good and staying in bed. Something stinks awful bad. It's coming from the fridge.

      Ugh! Who knew salad could go bad so quickly?! Oh no. 

    The horrid smell coming from the fridge hits me harder than I expect it to, and I go dashing to the toilet to be sick. I can't believe I reacted like that. I've never reacted to bad smells like this in the past.

    Another gnome magically appears! I put him with the others so he doesn't get lonely.

     "You've got to be kidding me." I say in a very unenthusiastic way to my husband when he asks me to play goalie for him. I stink at this sport. Well, any sport.

     "Aw, come on. It's not so hard. Just keep the ball from making it into the goal."

     "Right." I say sarcastically.
     So, I magically change into my athletic wear since I am a sim, and that's what we do.

     Then I ... fail. He cheers until I glare at him. 

     "Come on, Rose. Give it another try." he coaxes. 

     I let out a huff and stand up.

    He shoots again, and I go the wrong way ... again.
    "Now see," he says as he tries not to smile hugely, "I knew you would go to that side, so I went to the other side."
    "I thought you were going for this side."
    "I was faking."

    I try for the other side, and he acts like he expected me to do that because for once he shoots the ball to my right -- without faking.

     I'm tired of this already. I don't get up again. This last landing has really bruised my hip I think.
     Once Pedro stops jumping around like a child, he finally notices I haven't stood back up.
     "Rose?" he asks, walking over to me and looking concerned. "Are you okay?"
     I'm really okay other than my probable bruise which I can live with, but I pout anyway. "I don't want to do this anymore."
      "I'm sorry. This wasn't fair since I've been playing this my whole life." he says softly and helps me to my feet.

    "I suck at this, and I wanna go home." I almost whine.
   "You don't 'suck at this'. Those were nice dives for the ball... just the wrong way." he says and looks like it's killing him to keep from laughing.
     "You're laughing at me!" I accuse and try to keep from crying.
     He can no longer control himself, and he does start laughing. I glare at him and decide to see myself home.

    He prevents me from doing that, however, when he side-steps and blocks my path. Before I can say anything, he suddenly kisses me. I make this little irritated noise and stomp on his foot. The man actually laughs into my mouth as he kisses me! Oh, I'm so mad.
    When his hands get a little too, and unexepectedly frisky for my comfort level being out in public and all, I say, "Stop it! People can see us."

     "Nobody cares. And besides, we're newlyweds. They almost expect it." He smiles and backs up just to make me happy. "Alright. You really want to go home, we can go home. Maybe someday I'll teach you better how to play this."
     "I think I'll just stick to painting. There are less bruises involved with that." I say before he holds his hand out to me for us to leave. "Um... well... maybe I don't want to go. They were gonna start up this... thing, and I thought we could go watch it next to the water."
      "The fireworks?" he asks.
      "Yes! Fireworks." I answer now that I remember what the word was I was trying to remember.

     "Enjoying the show?" he asks once the fireworks really get going.
     "Mhm." I answer and wonder why he's watching me and not the fireworks.

     "Pedro, you're missing it." I say as I turn to him.
     "No I'm not."
     I giggle. "Yes you are, silly. You're sitting there staring at me for goodness sake."
     "That's right, and the fireworks I see when I look at you far outshine the ones over our heads."
     He needs to write greeting cards, I think uncontrollably. That's the kind of stuff he'd put in his letters to me.
       He brings our hands up and kisses the back of mine, looking rather pleased with himself at how he's gone and made me speechless again.

     When the fireworks end, we don't get up. Instead, we sit here and stare at the clouds and stars overhead. I'm happy it's not raining.
      "What are you thinking about?" I ask him because I want to know. He's always so quiet.
      "Things." he answers vaguely.
      I ram my shoulder into his in a mildly-irritated fashion before I ask, "What kind of things?"
       "Nice things." he answers, being just as flipping vague.
       "Like?" I ask, determined not to give up now.
       He sighs. "Well, for one, and this is only a little one, I finished my book."
        I gasp. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?!"
       "Because I wanted to wait and tell you once I struck the deal with the publishing company. I have them by the balls and they know it, and I'm going to get some money out of them this time."

     He turns to me, "So that we can finally go on our honeymoon."
     I start crying. "That's wonderful." I eek out before I work on calming myself down.

     "This is the fourth time you've cried today. What's gotten into you?" he asks.
     "I have no idea, but my butt's cold. Let's go home now."
     "And warm up your butt." he says, trying not to laugh again.
      I smile, knowing what he's implying. "Yes." Then I roll my eyes while continuing to smile.


-------------------------------------

Alrighty, so update on more mundane things while Pedro warms up Rose's butt. Rose finally painted a brilliant painting, and I sold it. Yes, I actually sold one of her paintings. I've been keeping way too many.
I purchased 'fast learner' for Pedro.

Oh, here's a moderately big one: Giacomo has moved in with someone named Florence Taylor, and SP tells me they're going steady. However, he still calls Rose almost daily to ask her out. >.>

Pedro's 2nd book in his trilogy, The Quantum Malfactor, does really well for a SciFi novel. $148 a week. I think I'm going to have to get him to write a few money makers now.

Luis Toledo is no longer lonely. He moved in with Rose Foley. Nice name, Rose.