Generation Eight — Chapter Six: In the Face of Temptation

   Trenton sighed. He loved his wife very much. Yes, she was older and her age was showing. Yes, he was a much younger man. However, fending off the Babes was beginning to get difficult for him. He had no idea he was so desirable. Of course, Tiana was having similar problems, but then again she was lovely. Even into her advanced years. He certainly was a lucky Sim. Learning just how lucky when coming downstairs one evening to get some ice cream, he overheard her on the phone, “Raiden, I told you, I’m a married woman — I have triplets. Get it into your head, I’m not interested.” She sounded very insistent. Firm. That filled Trenton with resolve. If ever he wavered, he’d remember her loyalty.
    Not long after this moment, he found himself tested. This one Sim kept showing up wherever he went. Out dancing at the club, you name it there she was. Not only that but she was also proving rather aggressive. He was reminded of an old movie he once saw about a woman who was relentless in her pursuit of a married man and went so far as to kill the family’s pet when spurned. He was scared witless. He was a little afraid, now, that exact scenario was playing out in his own life. Once again he got a text message. ‘Trenton, I have been thinking about you a lot. Do you want to go to Old Alcove for dinner?’

    He quickly tapped back his response. ‘Sure, meet you there.’
    Feeling a tad awkward, Trenton went to his old restaurant. As he walked along, he rehearsed in his head just what he was going to say to this Sim. This wasn’t her first invitation. She was one of several who kept badgering him. By now you’d think he would remember her name, but he just didn’t. Seeing her up ahead, however, he did recognize her, yet her name eluded him, still. Taking in a deep breath he steeled himself for the encounter. Trenton flagged her down, and trotted quickly to catch up to her.
    “Ah, you made it,” she said, smiling.
    “Yeah, I did. But only because we need to have a little talk. A chat. And doing it over text or even the phone just isn’t — how do I put this? Good manners.”  He wanted to tell her that method wasn’t working, but that dead rabbit scene flashed in his head, and he thought better of it. Taking her by the arm, he turned her so she was facing him. “You have got to stop calling me like this. I’ve tried to be nice. I’ve tried to explain to you that I’m a married man. I have three children. Triplets. Teenagers. There can’t be anything between us.”  
     “No? You’re here, the restaurant is right here, and the night is young,” she said. “Why don’t we just go in, have a drink or two, or three, and a bite to eat? Where’s the harm in that?” She moved toward him, wrapping her arms about him, pulling him in closer. He could feel her hot breath on his neck. Trenton took her arms, gently untwining himself from her grasp, taking a step back.

    “You just won’t quit, will you?” He was starting to get a little annoyed.
    “I make a point to never give up. So far, the strategy works. I do get what I want. And I want you, Trenton Cantrell.  I used to come to the Old Alcove all of the time,  just to see you. And then suddenly you sold the place and left. Remember me? I was one of your regulars.”
    “No thanks. I’m not on the menu. Goodbye.”
    “Wait. What? You can’t just leave, again. Just like that. You accepted my invitation for dinner, after all.”
    “Watch me. Oh, and forget my number — please.”
    “But, I always get what I want —”
    Trenton turned back toward her. “Not this time.”

    With that she turned and walked down the sidewalk, passed the restaurant. Trenton watched for a time and then returned home.
    Tiana was in the kitchen when he got back. “There you are? I was wondering where you disappeared to.”
    “I took a walk. I just needed to get something off of my chest.”
    “Well, I do understand that sometimes you just need to be alone. But, I was hoping you’d allow me to share some alone time with you. The children are out for a few hours. Maybe, we could ‘get together’ like old times. If you take my meaning.” She looked gorgeous to him. He smiled, flirted and she did the same back.
    Next thing he knew they were running up the stairs to their bedroom like a couple of kids. They flirted, kissed, made woohoo and all but burned up the sheets with their passion. It was nice to know they hadn’t lost it. He did love Tiana so very much.
      
  
  

  
  

   

Generation Eight — Chapter Five: Hannah and the Kitchen Disaster

    Hannah was a bit of a late bloomer. She was the second one born, and the smallest of the three, but the triplets arrived at thirty-seven weeks plus one day into their gestation, so the physician couldn’t classify them as preemies. Yet, Hannah was Hannah. Trenton was beside himself. He heard her frantic screams, aware she was out in the kitchen and he ran to see what was wrong. Sweet, sweet Hannah looked like a piece of toast that had been in the toaster too long. Burnt, blackened like halibut, she was terribly singed. He worried.

    By the time he’d made it to the kitchen, she was no longer on fire, having managed to put out the flames, herself.  But she was full of scorch marks up one side and down the other. He caught the acrid smell of burnt hair. He nose was black. She almost looked like a black cat.

    “Hannah!” he said.

    “Daddy, oh, Daddy, I was just trying to make a grilled cheese sandwich. I don’t know what happened. Suddenly, I was just on fire.” 

   “Are you okay?” he said, giving her the once-over.   

    “Yeah, I’m just covered in soot.”   

    “More like burnt skin, Kidd-o. You need to be more careful. How many times has your mother and I told you …?”      Hannah rolled her eyes.   

   “Oh, Daddy, not now.”   Trenton took out his cell phone, gesturing with it at her. “Let’s get a picture together. I want to keep this moment for posterity.”

    “Oh, please. Must you snap a picture of every little thing?”   

  “Yes, I do. Besides, this isn’t what I’d call a little thing. You could have been killed.”

    Despite her protests Hannah leaned into her father and Trenton snapped the photo. Tiana walked into the kitchen, just then, having arrived home from work. “What is all this?” she said, noticing her once goldenrod stove was black and likely beyond repair.  “Place looks and smells as if there was a fire.” She ran a finger over the stove top.

   Hannah glanced from her father to her mother, and then to her father again, as if he might be an advocate for her mishap.

    “Hannah, have you been attempting to cook again?” Tiana said.

    “I was hungry. And how am I ever to learn how to cook, if you and Daddy keep barring me from using the stove?”

    “Well, except for the black markings, you look okay. Go shower and clean up. I’m going to try to salvage my range.”

    “Could you fix me something to eat while you’re at it,” Hannah hollered from the adjacent bathroom.

    Later on, Trenton went over to visit his uncle Jett. The jog to his house didn’t quite abate the tension he felt, as he hoped it would. Nor that sickening fear in his stomach that he almost lost a daughter. Jett met him outside on the lawn. Trenton took a moment to vent to Jett, who was just as concerned as he.

    “Is she okay?” 

    “She’s as snarky as she’s ever been. I took that to mean she would be fine. I left while she was in the shower trying to get the ‘soot’, as she called it, off of her body. Jett, she was covered in black marks. I’m guessing it was scorched skin. Here, take a look,” he shared the photo.

    Jett poured over the photo. “Thankfully, she’s okay.”

    “I know. I just don’t know what I’m going to do with her. The other two …”

    “Careful,” Jett interrupted. “You know it’s never a good practice to compare children to each other — especially siblings.”

    “Yeah. It’s just that I know Seth and Betsy are going to be fine. It’s Hannah. I don’t know, maybe the other two squeeze off her oxygen in the womb. She’s just not as …” he struggled for the words. “Quick as the other two. Not as bright. And the other two are blond. So much for that myth, eh?”

  
      Jett patted Trenton on the shoulder. “Trent, she just put you through the ringer, is all. I’m sure there’s more of that ahead for you. You are the father of three teenagers, after all. I think you’ll survive, in the end. Somehow your parents did. As did mine.”

    “Yeah, but I was an only child.”

    “Now, you know why.” Jett punched Trenton on the upper arm, then gave him a bear hug.

    “Jett, you’re my best friend. I’m so glad I have you.”

    

   
   

   
   

      

Generation Eight — Chapter Four: Earth Rattling Moments …

Just as Trenton leaned over the table blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, he heard a curious rumbling noise. This was not the first time, but rather the second time in as many days. What was going on? As he stood back up, underneath him the ground began to move. First a sudden jarring jolt, followed quickly by a steady tremble.  A rocking motion that lasted for what felt like an eternity, but in reality only lasted about twenty seconds. Looking around him, he was uncertain what was happening. He could feel the house shaking. Feeling very insecure, he clutched the edges of the table, trying to hold on.  He had no idea that turning thirty was so earth-rattling.
    His first instinct was to run outside, but they were already out on the patio. Besides, before he could get his feet to move, the tremble stop. Abruptly. All was still again. Or, at least the ground was no longer in movement that he could detect. He couldn’t say the same thing for himself. Trenton was shaking like a leaf in the wind. He took a seat at the patio table.
    “Anybody want cake?” he said, knife in unsteady hand. “Where did everybody go?”
    “I’m just hanging out in the door-jamb,” Seth called back. “That’s what they taught us in school, at least.”
    “What, on Earth was that?” Both Betsy and Hannah chorused. They, too, squeezed themselves into the back door frame, next to Seth.
 

  

 

 

     “That,” Gramps began, “is what’s known as an earthquake.”
     While looking for something to read, awhile back, Trenton came across an interesting book all but hidden behind other books on the shelf.  Inspecting the cover, the images of a singer looked curiously familiar.  Looking closer at it, he was excited to see it was written by a long-departed relative. The book had sat there so long, he was surprised he hadn’t found it sooner. He’d read nearly everything else in the house. Taking it off the shelf, he blew the dust off of the top pages. Intrigued, he eagerly flipped through it. Turned out to be a biography of Gramps.

 

    Always the bookworm, Trenton sat down and read the entire thing in one day. He was dumbfounded at just who Gramps was, and how badly he’d been ripped off by a trusted employee. Erik Cantrell’s accountant had slowly drained away Erik’s hard-earned assets. Mega-Super Rock Star that he’d been, it wasn’t hard to realize he’d chosen this beautiful piece of land — which was made affordable because it sat on a Fault Line. Erik needed a new life, a change of pace. He wanted off the merry-go-round of fame. So, he bought the only piece of land he could afford, despite the Fault. 

 

“So, Gramps, enjoying the ride?” Trenton said, as Gramps floated about, nonchalantly, nearby.

    “I see you’ve read my biography,” Gramps said. “I had to get out of Sunset Valley. I was mostly broke, and what few Simoleons I had left allowed me to purchase this piece of land. You have to admit, it has quite a view. And to be honest, this is really the first time the Fault has made itself known. It’s been decades.”
    “That is has. Quite a view, I mean.”
    All of these years, the tectonic plates had remained stable. Dormant. So, just what agitated them, now? Trenton didn’t know, but he would seek information on the internet. Before he could do anything, his cell phone went off. Taking the device from his pocket, he could see it was his boss calling.

    “Trenton Cantrell,” he said, clicking a button.
    “Cantrell, you had best be lying on your death bed! You’re late. If you don’t wish to have your career ended abruptly, I suggest you get yourself down here.”
    Trenton didn’t get a chance to speak for himself, his boss hung up, that quickly. He’d take the time to mention to his boss, after he got to work, that an earthquake had hit, which required he check out his home for damage.  What else could he do?
 

  

 Fortunately enough, Trenton arrived at work, focused and ready to go. He put in some hard work, too. Able to smooth things over with this boss, he got home that night with a new job title and a raise. He was now a Technician. This was a good thing. Tiana was a number of years older than Trenton, and her birthday was coming up. She shared her day with their triplets, who were about to enter their teen years.

 

Trenton was uncertain just how long Tiana could handle the grind of a daily job. He had to admit that being a Writer wasn’t as stressful as managing a restaurant, but still. His dear wife wasn’t getting any younger. He could tell by how worn out she got. She wasn’t strutting her way through the days anymore. On the whole, he had to admit, she was slowing down.
    The day was upon them, and Gramps was up early baking. A chocolate cake for Tiana and cakes for the triplets. For Seth, he made a hamburger cake. The girls shared a chocolate cake like their mother’s.  They had a household of six, if you didn’t count their many deceased relatives that visited nightly, that is. That was a lot of cake. 

 

    One by one the birthday Sims had their chance to make a wish and blow out the candles. How quickly the children had grown.  Trenton sighed. Before he knew it, all three raced out the door to San Myshuno, a new district nearby. He wasn’t worried, knowing they would be gone for several hours. The girls had their brother to protect them, after all.

 

    All three of them were into singing, too. Sadly, all three of them were simply terrible at it. But, for now, at least they were out of the house and likely singing at the Festival. For a brief few hours, his eardrums could rest. While he encouraged the pursuit of music, it was somehow easier to endure the squeals of a violin over the screech of the Sim voice. Oh, well, perhaps, in time, their voices would grow into the power of their lungs, emitting enjoyable sounds. He could hope. Why had he allowed Tiana to talk him into purchasing that huge Karaoke machine? If the three didn’t get better, their teenage years were going to be long.
  
    

  
  

   

Generation Eight — Chapter Three: Decisions, Decisions …

Trenton sat at the dining room table, papers spread in front of him. He had some tough decisions to make. The children were growing, fast, and were already halfway through grade school. Before he and Tiana knew it, they would have three teenagers on their hands. That meant all kinds of expenses. Since Dad had died, the family was barely scraping by. With the loss of Jett’s help in the restaurant, things were mostly left to Trenton.

Tiana sat down beside him. “You look like you could use a friend,” she said, placing a loving hand on his shoulder. Trenton gazed up at her and smiled, or at least tried to.

“Things just aren’t going as well as I expected. In the beginning, I had all kinds of vision for the Old Alcove. We’ve made some incredible changes. Upgrades. We’ve even been awarded five stars. Yet, despite how much training I invest in the Staff, we’re barely breaking even.”

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I’ll try to help out. I could come manage for you.”

True to her word, Tiana did come the next day. Trenton was struggling. Being a loner with the restaurant so full of people, he was all but climbing the walls in his anxiety. Tiana smiled brightly at him as she came in.

“I’ll take over,” she said. He kissed her cheek. “Why don’t you go to the spa. Loosen up a bit.”

“I’ll see you at home,” he said. Off he went to the spa. At first he had the sauna to himself, which suited him just fine. Before long it was filled to capacity. Trenton began to feel as if he couldn’t breathe. His chest tightened up and he gulped for air. Jumping up he went to the locker room and changed back into his street clothes. He decided to walk home, figuring this would give him the much-needed time alone, he so desperately sought.

By the time he reached the front yard of his home, he’d made a decision. He was going to sell the Old Alcove. He’d seen a brand new cottage-style café going up in Magnolia Promenade. It was smaller., He’d buy that one and see if he could make it work. He set the menu to more of a breakfast/brunch, keeping it simple. He renamed the place Tiana’s Café, and they opened just a few days later. 

Starting over wasn’t as easy as he thought. The staff he hired were barely capable. The customers unforgiving. His Chef could barely crack an egg, let alone cook an omelet. With so very little in the coffers, Trenton began to realize just what a mistake this was. After a long, grueling day in his new one-star establishment, he met Tiana out front of their home, after his awful day.

“Tiana, I love you,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “I wanted so much to honor you with your own café —”

“But, it’s just not working, is it,” she said, her smile sardonic.

“You know me too well. I’m really sorry, Sweetheart. I sold it today.”

“Don’t be. I’ve already taken a job as a writer. Maybe you should try to find something different, too. After all, and I loved your father dearly. But running a restaurant was his dream. It was never yours.”

“No, it was never mine.”

“I’m so very proud of you for trying to carry on for him the way you have. I think he’d be pleased, too.”

“You know what I want to do?’

“What’s that?”

“Be an astronaut. Find out what’s up there.”

“You’re kidding, right? They’re up there. Your family knows it, first hand.”

“Yes, but that didn’t stop great-Grandpa Rory from seeking answers, even so. I’m not that into science, but I’d like to go exploring.”

Before either one of them started their new jobs, a strange thrumming sound could be heard over head one evening. Looking out into the backyard, they could see Gramps caught in a bluish beam of light. Overhead was a flying saucer. It had happened again.  They let him down easy, right in the family grave yard.

The ghost floated back inside the house and proceeded to fix the plumbing in the downstairs bathroom. Both the shower and the sink had been broken by other ghostly relatives. Again. Was almost a nightly occurrence. Were they to ever sell this place they’d have to list it as haunted. It was very haunted. Something the occupants just learned to live with. And in a strange sort of way, almost comforting.

Hannah came home from school with a B grade, whereas Betsy and Seth, who were more into mental challenges, were struggling with Cs. Trenton would have to make time to help both of them study. For now, he was ready to play some chess. Logic was something he needed in his new career. New career. That sounded just fine to him. One way or another he was going to make things work. He wanted to leave Seth with a little something more than mere family pride.

Generation Eight — Chapter Two: Hello, Goodbye, Er, Wait?

 

 Trenton was uncertain just why Jett announced early one morning that he was moving out. He’d been doing some fabulous work at the restaurant, making all the changes Trenton had discussed with both him and James. He couldn’t help but think it was the triplets.  Yes, three babies could be very demanding and quite noisy. Trenton had taken to stuffing cotton in his ears upon his return home. If Jett required quiet, then Trenton was okay with his moving out. However, he also quit the restaurant, leaving the task to just James and himself. This he was not okay with. Without Jett’s help, the restaurant had become a burden.

  Without his excellent management, the restaurant wobbled between four and a half stars to a full five star rating. Trenton made sure his chefs were fully trained. Sergio had maxed out his cooking and mixology skills. Trenton gave him a raise and was always quick to praise him and give the occasional inspirational speech, if needed. But, just the other day, he realized his head chef was getting older. 

While the restaurant cranked along at top speed churning out delicious meals, and the Wait Staff maintained its Excellence in Service, Trenton was struggling with his fear of crowds. He was a loner by trait, and welcomed Jett’s willingness to come in at a moment’s notice and give Trenton the needed break. That was no longer. Dad did his best to help fill in, but he was still working for that other place bringing in the much-needed Simoleons. With Mom gone, they were down to really only one paycheck. Trying to get the proper Ambiance for the Old Alcove was proving costly. He was only slightly annoyed that yet again, even after the cloth covered tables and the booths were replaced with cloth-covered chairs, the change in chandeliers, et al, that this critique still popped up at him. What more was he supposed to do?   

   Stopping off at the mailbox on his way in,   he found the utility bill in the stack of mostly junk mail. Carefully breaking the seal, he unfolded the statement and perused the bottom line. Then he ran a hand through his jet black hair. “How in this world? I don’t have the money for this.”  Somehow, he owed over ten thousand Simoleons! The third floor was all but bare,   stripped of everything that had once made it a nice cozy apartment.   Did he need to peal off the wallpaper next, pull up the flooring? Looking around him, there was so very little left to sell.

Setting the bill on the desk, he decided to go out back and relax by sliding on the Slippery Slide. He hadn’t done so in a very long time. Besides, he heard his father out there laughing and having a good old time.

“Dad,” Trenton said, joining his father on the patio.

“I didn’t hear you come in, when did you get home?” James said, smiling.

“Oh, not long ago. Thought I’d work off some of the steam by taking a few slides.”

James clapped his son on the shoulder. “No better way to relax, unless you sit in a sauna.”

     “I seriously contemplated that on my way home. But I wanted to see my babies. They’re only babies once and won’t be for much longer.”  After the two made a couple of rounds sliding down the mat, it turned into a bit of a competition. Trick slides became the order of the day. Then suddenly, something went amiss. James had stopped for a bit to rest and was up on the patio. He was in no way close to being exhausted. James watched in horror as his father suddenly collapsed. In what seemed like slow motion, the elder came to rest on the patio floor. Trenton ran up the short set of stairs, while Gramps floated onto the scene. Looking over their shoulders, they both saw Grimmie.  

    “No, Dad, no! It can’t be time. Please,” Trenton began to sob. Now, he really felt alone.

    

   Tiana came running out of the house. 

   “Trent, what is it, what’s wrong?” 

“I’m an orphan. Dad’s gone.” 

      “I’m so sorry. I really liked your Dad. He was a good Sim.”

“I just keep wondering what are we going to do, now?” 

Generation Eight — Chapter One: Baby, Oh, Baby, Oh BABY, It's Triplets!

Trenton barely got home from the restaurant when Tiana went into labor. Seemed like it was only yesterday Tiana announced the Big News. Jumping around in a near panic, he could hardly believe it was time. If only his mother had hung on one more day. The irony was stupefying. But he had no time to wallow, he needed to run around, flailing his arms about, and doing absolutely nothing to help. What was it he was supposed to do? Regulate her breathing? Call the doctor? Get her luggage and her into the car? What?

What he did know is he was hungry, from the long shift. So, he foraged in the fridge, hoping for a tasty leftover, but he discovered he was going to have to make something for himself. Tiana was upstairs, napping. Doing her best to follow her doctor’s orders, which was for her to conserve her energy. They were to contact the doctor when the contractions were five minutes apart for about an hour. Or, was that an hour apart for five minutes? He was still in panic mode, unable to think.

What was it the doctor had said? Oh, yeah, first babies took a long time. So Trenton filled his time fixing a bite to eat. Then, he’d check on Tiana.

With Tiana fully asleep, Trenton was having difficulty judging the time between the contractions. He couldn’t even tell if she was still in labor. Next thing he knew, she sat up in bed, moaning, and went to stand before that strange alien bassinet his family had kept over the years. He soon realized they’d waited too long. This birth was going to happen at home. Or in the car, if he dared try to take her to the hospital at this point.

But, why stand before the bassinet? Wouldn’t gravity pull the baby downward? Wouldn’t it be more likely to fall on its head? Is that where the old adage, Bouncing baby boy came from? He just knew he didn’t want his child bouncing onto the floor. He tried to get Tiana to come back to bed, but she continued to stand before the bassinet, moaning, grabbing a her abdomen and all but calling him names. 

Finally, a baby appeared in the bassinet. A girl. They named her Betsy. Tiana was back to moaning, however. Next thing he knew a bassinet appeared out of nowhere with another baby tucked inside. Another girl. They called her Hannah. Still Tiana moaned some more. Trenton was getting nervous at this point. Twins. And Tiana, apparently wasn’t done! Baby, oh, baby, oh, baby, he sighed. Twins. Then Tiana moaned really, really hard and out popped another baby, into a bassinet that just appeared out of nowhere. My, but Social Services had some interesting abilities. This child was his long awaited son. They named him Seth.

Triplets. Trenton shook his head. At least they got their family in one shot. Good thing they wanted more than just the one child. But, … triplets? The thought of what life had just become was staggering to the new father. If he was worried about feeding one child, he now had three little mouths to keep full. And oh, the diapers! How many cases would be required?

James, Gramps and even Jett were all on hand when the three began to wail in unison. Tiana, barely on her feet, breast-fed Betsy, while James fed a bottle to Hannah, and Gramps bottle fed Seth. Happily, these Sims were experienced. They agreed to be ‘on duty’ for the next go-around, with Tiana breast-feeding Hannah, next and then Seth the round after that. Seeing they had more hands than required, Trenton slapped Jett on the back and said, “I’m going to bed, what about you?”

“Congratulations, Nephew. You outdid yourself. Triplets. Wow. I’m crawling off to bed, too. We have a restaurant to run, after all.”  

Generation Seven — Chapter Eleven: That Strange, Weird Thing Called Life …

Carley seemed her normal self. Perky, spunky, and walking with a little spring to her step. She made a point, however, of inviting her two middle sons, who had long moved out of the house, over for an afternoon of fun. Johnny, and Jaron found her out in the back yard, along with their brothers, James and Jett, and their nephew Trenton. Tiana was there, too. They all sat together at the patio table eating sausage and peppers, and drinking those nice fizzie drinks, James had made, catching up with each other.

Smiling, Tiana said, “I have some Big News!”

“Oh, yeah,” the two brothers chorused.

“Trenton and I are having a baby!”

“Wait a minute,” Johnny complained, “That would make me a grand-uncle.”

“Can’t complain about that,” Jett said, then frowned. “Oh, wait, I’m not even thirty, yet! What’re you doing to me? But, seriously, that’s great news.”

“Congratulations, you two.” Jaron said.

After a time, the two brothers left, giving hugs all around. Carley seemed subdued, perhaps a tad wistful as they left. The next day, she went to work, as usual. Trenton went to work at the restaurant. The day was full, busy and exhausting. He fired one waitress, hired a new one, set up classes for their new chef, promoted the senior chef and his host, and made sure to check on all of the tables, which were full. In some cases he expedited their orders, on other occasions, he simply chatted. He became aware there was a Foodie among the guests, catching the Sim busily making notes. Were they being Reviewed?

Trenton drew in a breath. He just wanted to make this business a success. Between him and Jett, they’d already raised their rating to Four-Stars, of which James was quite proud. Trenton, now with a baby on the way, felt the responsibility of needing to continue improving things, on his shoulders. Perhaps, he had a son on the way? One who would ultimately inherit this restaurant after Trenton. Certainly, his son would one day carry on the family Legacy. The crush of customers was upon him, breaking into his reverie. He spoke to the servers, the chefs, the customers, all the while wishing to be alone. He was a loner by trait and being in a sea of Simanity such as he was, currently, was sorely testing his wherewithal. He could feel the tension building up in him. Never a good thing. 

Patrons came in waves. The first rush left, and slowly the ones who filled the interim came trickling in. Sometimes in groups of two or three, sometimes, alone. Trenton wished to be alone. Then he got a beep on his cell phone. He drew the device out of his pocket, swiped his finger across the screen and read the text. 

Taking center stage, “All right, people,” he said to his staff, “listen up. We just got ourselves a Five-Star Review! Well done. Let’s not let down now. Five-Star Review, that’s HUGE. Thank you so much, we did it!” A few hand-slaps later, “Okay, let’s get back to work, we have customers to serve!”

Again, the Old Alcove Diner was besieged with patrons. Trenton, growing weary, from a seemingly endless stream of customers, spotted yet another Foodie in their midst. Could they wow this Sim as they did the other one? If so, their overall rating would undoubtedly go up. What a perfect gift to his father that would be. James, who only had the one child, had taken a chance on this restaurant, too.

As the afternoon grew into evening Jett came along to take over as Manager. “Trenton, I’m here. Why don’t you go grab some sleep.”

“Thanks, Jett.” Before he got two steps away, his phone beeped again. Another text. “Jett, you’ll be happy to know this is our second Five-Star Review today.” He held his phone so Jett could read it.

“Five-Star?”

“Yeah, two reviews in one day. Two different Foodies. We’re in. This is a big deal. I feel like a million Simoleons.”

“Well, okay then. I’ll finish this shift and close up shop.”

     By the time closing came around, Jett got the word they needed to work on their ambiance. Looking around at the tiny place he thought to himself. Ambiance. Where were they lacking in that? Making an executive decision, he changed out their simple square tables for ones with tablecloths. Taking it a step further, he decided perhaps a small vase of flowers in the center of the tables would make a nice appointment. Putting the last vase in place, he stood back admiring his handiwork, and  then he went home.

Jett and Trenton were discussing the changes when it was time for Carley to return home from work. Hearing a noise out front, they went to investigate. To their horror, they found the elderly Carley curled in a fetal position out on the brick drive. 

“Mom,” Trenton gasped. “Mom? No, you can’t be gone. Mom, the baby isn’t here, yet. You were supposed to wait. It’s any time, now. Mom. Mom!”

Jett held his nephew back as the young adult all but collapsed by his mother’s side. James had already gone off to work, for the evening. Jett watched, helplessly, as the Grim Reaper did its thing. Floating on that dark gray cloud, whacking at the lifeless form of his sister-in-law with that huge sickle. In a moment, it was over. He took out his cell and made the painful phone call for the authorities to collect the body. Trenton was in deep despair. When Tiana came outside to see what all the flashing lights were about, the young Sim grabbed her, turned her back to the house. “Babe, it’s Mom, she’s gone. Let’s go back inside. Get you out of the night air.”

“But —”

“Not in your condition,” he said, taking her arm, drawing her back toward the front door. “Let’s just go inside. Jett said he’d take care of telling Dad.”

“Oh, Trent. Trenton, hold me tight, that could be me soon.”

“Tiana, that will be all of us sooner or later. It’s how it goes. This strange, weird thing called life. Here one minute, gone the next.”

“But, —” 

“No, buts. Mom was happy right up until the end. And that’s how we need to remember her.”

“Are you okay?”

“No. Mom was my stalwart. I didn’t even get to tell her about the Five-Star Reviews we got today. I was so excited to tell her.”

“I’m sure she knows. Wherever she is. She knows.”