Chapter 27: Birthdays

 Kei stared at her hands in horror.  Where had the time gone?  What did she have to show for all those years?  Ethan's murderer was still free, and Kei hadn't been able to do anything about it.  Every lead she ever found, dried up.  Chaine still refused to tell her what he knew, and it was really starting to irritate her.  Ethan had been dead for years, what was the purpose in holding the information back from her?  And when did her hands start to look so old?

 
  She growled under her breath.  Everything just felt wrong to her, like she was dreaming, and at any moment she would wake up and find that none of this had happened.  That Ethan still lay beside her on the bed.  He always knew the right words to say that would soothe her fears, and help calm her down.

  Chaine wanted her to just forget looking for Ethan's murderer.  He doesn't know why she keeps looking.  How could she tell him why?  That while she loved Chaine, it was a softer love, not the passionate, rebellious, all consuming fire love that Kei had had with Ethan.  How could she just let him go?  Chaine may have thought that she had reconciled herself to not finding the one who killed Ethan, but he had thought wrong.  She had been biding her time, waiting for her kids to get older before really pursuing the matter full time.  Now she and Chaine just fought about it constantly.

  And her father!  She snorted.  He wasn't much help.  After he broke up with his girlfriend, he seemed to have lost his mind.  He took up dancing, and spent hours in front of the radio dancing the Smustle.

 

  He would even persuade Chaine into joining him.  In Kei's opinion, her father was not acting his age.  And didn't he miss Emilie just a little bit?  They had dated for quite a while, yet Kona acted as if they had been nothing more than friends.  He even talked to her on the phone quite often about her new boyfriends.  Plural.

 
  When she finally asked him about it, he had told her, "I'll miss her Kei, but it just wasn't right.  I do know, now, that I am capable of having a relationship, I just need to find the right one."   She just didn't get him.  She wished she had her more level headed Dad back, she could really use his advice.

  This newer, happier, she cringed, version of her father was throwing her off.  The only one that made enough sense to her that she would listen to him was Kit, her oldest son.  He had a way with words just like his father did, and Kit could talk her down from just about anything.  It was the only reason that Mina left the house under her own steam.  Kei would have gladly sent her out in a body bag, after what she had done to her son.

  Kit had sighed, and reminded her of all the reasons why her solution wouldn't work.  Kit was so much like his father, Kei thought wistfully.  Only Kit was better than either she or Ethan, because Kit had never been rebellious, or hurt anyone on purpose.  He was a much better son than she deserved. 

 Nira stepped off the bus for the last time.  She grinned at Rylan, and he grinned back at her.  No more school!  Forever!  She let out a startled scream when two arms came from behind her and wrapped themselves around her, and twirled her around.  She came face to face with her grinning husband.  "Tris!  You scared me to death!  I would be so pissed at you, if I wasn't so happy to see you!"

  "Surprised?"

  She sighed as her lips found his.  A little while later, she stopped kissing him long enough to ask, "How long can you stay?"

  "Through the weekend."  He started to say something more, but was interrupted.

 
  "Dad!  You're home!  Woowee!"  Tristan braced himself for his son's impact.  He was running quite quick, having inherited his father's abilities, but still not disciplined enough to know that he couldn't run headlong into someone without almost knocking them both over.  "Sorry Dad."  Rhys apologized, after Tristan managed to keep them both standing upright.

 
   Tristan hugged his son.  "I am glad to see you as well!"  Tristan squatted so he could look Rhys in the eye.  "I brought you a little something Rhys."

  "What is it Dad?"  Rhys asked excitedly.

  Tristan pulled out a toy tank.  "This is a M551 Sheridan tank." He handed the toy to Rhys.

  "This is so cool!  Thanks Dad!"  Rhys ran off to try out his new tank, he wanted to be just like his Dad and fight off the enemy forces.

 
  "Fantastic distraction."  Nira said, then she kissed Tristan again.

  "I thought you would approve." He smiled at her.

  "Oh I do, definitely!  How about we use some of our borrowed time for a little private celebration?"  She trailed kisses down across his jawline.

  "Lead the way." 

 
   Reilly was fussy, and no amount of cuddles or bottles would help settle him down.  Kei was getting annoyed that she could not get him to stop crying.  Her father came into the nursery.  "Here, Kei, let me take him."  Kei gladly handed the fussy baby over to her father.  She was so glad she was done with having babies, she simply didn't have the patience for them anymore.

  Kona hummed a soft little tune while he rocked with Reilly in the chair.  Reilly quieted down some, but he was still fussing.  "You miss your Daddy, I know.  He'll be here soon.  Maybe in time for your birthday."

  But it was not meant to be, Kit was still at work when Reilly's birthday hour came.  Reilly had finally stopped crying, but he didn't stop pouting.

  Reilly:

   His cousin, Maya, had her birthday right after his. 

  Maya:

 
 Nira was ready to leave childhood behind.  She had so much she wanted to accomplish, and doors had been shut because of her age.  "What do you want to do?" Tristan had asked her earlier.

  "I'm going to write Trashy Romance Novels, that will actually have a plot."

  "Wherever did that come from?"

  She had shrugged.  "I've been reading them a lot lately, since my romantic life is usually on hold, and the writing is so horrid!  I can do a much better job, and I intend to."

  "Whatever makes you happy."

  Nira had smiled.  "You make me happy.  You and Rhys."

 
  Rhys paused his Space mission long enough to help his Mom celebrate her birthday.

 
  Rylan had been counting the days until his birthday ever since his experience with Natasha, who had kept thinking of him as a kid.  Rylan was not a kid, and he aimed to prove that to the female population in general.

  
Chaine wasn't bothered a bit by growing a little bit older.   He was greatly looking forward to the second half of his life.  He knew it was only a matter of time that Kit would crack the code, and the Revolution could start, and Camulodunum could be healed and it's people set free.

  Chaine lived for that day, now if only he could figure out how to get his wife to simmer down and not disturb things!  Chaine knew Kit would get to the bottom of what happened to his father.  He knew Kei didn't understand why he had to keep certain things from her, he could not tell her, but Kit could. 

  
     Kit wearily walked into the house, it had been a rough game, his team had been plagued by injuries, thankfully Kit himself had not been hurt, but two of his best players had been.  They won the game, but barely.  Kit rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen up some of his tension.  He just wanted to crawl into bed and go to sleep. He was greeted by the sound of his son's crying.

    "He's been unhappy ever since you left."  Kei told him irritably.

  "All afternoon huh?"  Reilly heard his Dad's voice and crawled over, and lifted his arms up.  Kit picked his son up and cuddled him until Reilly's sobs quieted down.

  "Daddy's home, it's all better."

   The next morning Rhys engaged his Dad in some pillow combat fighting.

   Rylan played with his daughter Maya.

   
   Kit glanced over at his son, but Reilly was still contentedly looking through his picture book.  Kit went back to looking through The Alchemy Book, but his mind wasn't on his studies.  He didn't know how to make things better for his son, who suffered from separation anxiety every time Kit had to go to work, or leave the house for any reason.  Kit even felt really guilty about it.  Maybe Reilly wouldn't be so dependent on him if Mina had stuck around. 

 
  It was Kit's fault that Mina had left.  When Reilly got older, Kit hoped his son wouldn't hate him for that.

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  Challenge notes---That was a lot of birthdays!  As soon as one would age, I'd be able to get a quick picture (after Edit in CAS for some emergency fashion help) and boom!  The camera locked on to the next one.  I think it took me an hour to get through all the birthdays, since I adjusted the outfits/hair on most of them. Except Chaine.  I need to figure out how to blacklist the gun (I use it for another story), a lot of sims are getting one---it must be Dresser's favorite accessory!

  Speaking of guns, some outtakes:

  The last picture is of Aiden Van Gould, Kit's cousin.  Aiden is the son of Keilani and Ayden Von Gould.  Aiden came prepared to take Mina out, lol! :D

  Kona has decided the Smustle is his favorite thing to do.  He is always downstairs dancing away.  It cracks me up, every once in a while I will find another Sim down there dancing with him.  He just aged to an elder in my game---I'm so sad!  Time with Kona is running shorter!  I have the elder stage set for 17 days, but he completed the Marathon (?) I think it is called, Challenge, that may allow him to live a little longer.  I hope so!

:)


Next: Chapter 28: The Book Opens