3.33 New Beginnings

“What are you doing here?” Bailey asked. She had noticed Ken playing with the toy chest. It had been a few days since the situation. “Isn’t Jordan banning you from coming here, or something like that?”

“Mommy told him that we were going to the park, but then she dropped us off here. She said she’s coming later to pick us up. I dunno what that’s all about, but I’m happy to see you again,” Ken confessed. “He didn’t hurt you too bad, did he?”

“It hurts when you poke it.” Bailey pointed to her side. “He did hit me pretty hard but it’s ok.”

“I was worried after I saw you leave school!” Ken exclaimed. “Don’t do that, let us know next time so we can help you.”

“You noticed that?” Bailey asked in shock. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“And risk getting you in even more trouble?” Scarlett joined the group. “No way could we do that. Who knows what Jordan would do to you.”

“I thought you guys would hate me,” Bailey said quietly.

“For what?” Ken questioned. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But…I don’t look like you. See? Look at my hair and skin. How are we even related?” Bailey frowned.

“It’s science,” Ken said. “Children look like their parents. We look like mommy and you look like dad. So, you’re the unique one. I’m stuck sharing my looks with Scarlett.”

“Hey, don’t lump me in with you,” Scarlett said, crossing her arms over her chest. “It doesn’t matter how you look. You’re our sister. The three of us have to stick together, and so we’re going to tell Mommy that we don’t want Jordan in our lives anymore and if she says no, we’ll stay here.”

“She doesn’t want to give up Jordan.” Bailey glared at her siblings. “Don’t talk about her like she’s a great person. She told me herself that she doesn’t want to see me anymore because I’m living with Ethan and Dad. So forget her, I don’t need her anyway.”

“She wouldn’t say that!” Scarlet defended. “Mom would never say that!”

“We’ll just ask her when she comes to pick us up,” Ken said. “For now, let’s just do something else. Want to see who could build the best house with those blocks?”

“Why did you choose to do your homework so late?” Apollo asked his children. “You have school tomorrow.”

“I already did mine,” Ken said. “Mommy makes us do it on Friday nights when we get home from school. I’m just helping Bailey with hers, see? We’re in the same class.” He held his notebook up.

“Today I’ll let it slide, but next weekend you have to do your homework before you play,” Apollo said.

“Okay,” Bailey agreed.

“Uncle Ambrose…how come you get to come home on the weekends? Don’t you live in that big bachelor pad on TV?” Scarlett asked.

“I’m not really allowed to be home, but they made an exception this time. But, I met a lot of nice girls, so I don’t mind staying there,” Ambrose answered.

“And that guy Kiwi is your friend?” Scarlett questioned.

“He’s my best friend.” Ambrose nodded.

Looking to her right, Scarlett frowned. “Her best friend was different, but that was still okay.

Scarlett hopped off of her chair and headed to the cake on the counter. Ambrose brought some over, thinking it’d cheer Bailey up, he had no idea that Scarlett and Ken were coming over as well, but it seemed to work in his favor. He got to see the whole family together before he had to go back to the Bachelor. “Scarlett!” Night exclaimed happily.

“What now, Night?” Scarlett sighed in annoyance. He had been fun until he started talking about how he wanted to marry her all the time. Kids don’t get married!

“Can I have a kiss?” He asked happily.

“Ew no, you have cooties!” Scarlett held her hands in front of her in disgust.

“Still with the imaginary friend?” Ambrose whispered to his brother who only nodded.

“They’ll grow out of it.”

“Wait until you’re older, you’re going to be the one who wants to kiss me!” Night said. “And I might not let you.”

“Shut it bird for brains,” Amelia scoffed. “Nobody would want to kiss you, you’re not even really human, and she might be terrified of the way you look!”

“Stop talking about that!” Night demanded. “It’s her imagination, I can’t help that!”

“I think our friends are arguing again,” Bailey said casually. She stood up from her chair. “Come on Amelia, leave him alone, let’s go.”

“Ambrose, hold fort while I’m gone. I’m going to call Lynette and see if she’s on her way. They can’t stay up all night, it’s a school day.” Ambrose nodded in response.

Within a few rings the phone was answered by a male. “Hello?”

“Jordan?” Apollo asked. He was the last person he wanted to speak to.

“Hehe, look who’s calling. It’s the faggot. I hope you enjoy having those brats run around your house because we’re not coming back for them.” He could practically taste the venom being spewed from Jordan’s lips.

He was ecstatic, that’s what he wanted, but he was also confused. “What are you saying?”

“Lyn and I are halfway to Monte Vista already, we’re getting hitched. She said we can have our own kids, so to hell with your half breeds.”

“Let me speak to her,” Apollo demanded. “I have a hard time believing that she’d just get up and leave her kids.”

“I don’t want to talk to your,” Was her faint reply from the other end of the phone. With a click, the call had been dropped and no matter how many times Apollo called back, she wouldn’t pick up. He had wanted the kids, yes, but he didn’t want Lynette gone, just Jordan. The kids weren’t going to be happy to hear this.

It had been a few years since the incident and things had been rough. Bailey hadn’t a care in the world that her mother had run off with Jordan. Ken was accepting of it, he was upset but in the end he knew how much his mother had hurt his little sister and he couldn’t forgive her for that. Scarlett on the other hand was devastated. She couldn’t believe, no she wouldn’t believe that her mom was horrible enough to do the things that she did. She had become even more reclusive and turned to Night as her only source of comfort. The two were even more separable than they were before. Ethan wasn’t too happy about it.

“Hello darlings!” Tasha grinned as she kissed her nieces and nephews. “Where’s the birthday boy?”

“In his crib.” Ken shrugged. “Dad said to let him sleep for a little.”

“Aww man, I wanted to see the little cutie.” She pouted.

“Hey, when are you getting a kid?” Ken asked her.

“You don’t just ask that Ken.” Bailey hit her forehead with her palm. “Ignore him Tash.”

“Ken is just being Ken. How about we go play with my hair? I’ll let you do anything you’d like to it as long as it doesn’t involve scissors.”

“Really?” Bailey’s eyes lit up. It wasn’t often that Bailey saw Tasha, but she was the only girl around her mother’s age that she could look up to for advice. She loved her dads, but they just weren’t girls.

The party was a success and everyone had a good time, even Scarlett. She had ventured away from Night long enough to see Alistair blow out his candles. She was completely awestruck with him. He was so tiny and cute!

“Wasn’t expecting the brown hair,” Ethan chuckled as he stroked his husband’s hair. They had finally put the kids to bed and were ready for sleep themselves.

“My aunt Daisy has brown hair, and I think it even traces back to my great grandfather or something,” Apollo said. “And maybe, there’s brunette genes in your history.”

“Maybe,” Ethan agreed. “Maybe not. Who knows?”

“You’ve never tried searching for your real parents, or did you just assume that they had died?”

“I just figured that if they had given me up, they must not have cared about what happened to me, so I stopped caring about them,” Ethan admitted. “I’ve thought about them often, but I know it’s better for me if I don’t ever get the chance to meet them, so please don’t come up with some crazy idea because they’re for a fact wizards, if I’m one and we can’t put the kids in that kind of danger.”

“Fine.” Apollo rolled over to face the wall. “You saw what happened with Cora. I wouldn’t force that on you like I didn’t force that on my mom. I’m just happy that you’re here, parents or not, you’re a wonderful human being.”

“Thank you.” Ethan leaned over and kissed his earlobe. “Get some rest, the kids are probably going to be grumpy in the morning.”

“Not you too,” Ethan sighed in annoyance. “These dolls are haunting me.”

“I found that doll in the mailbox. It said it was for Alistair. It’s like the one that Ken, Scarlett and I have,” Bailey said. “He’ll get to have an imaginary friend too. Do you think he’s going to pick a girl or a boy?”

“I hope he doesn’t choose any,” Ethan said wearily. “There’s already three of them running around here.”

“They’re not bothering anyone Ethan,” Bailey said. “Amelia is a good girl.”

“Uh-huh.” Ethan nodded his head but his mind was somewhere. Where were these dolls coming from? He couldn’t just take Alistair’s away, it would upset the other imaginary friends in the house. he might have been able to hide it if he had been the one to get the mail, but that wasn’t the case and now Ethan had to be on guard even more.

Flipping through the envelopes, Ethan’s eyes landed on one from Monte Vista. He hadn’t known anyone in particular from there, other than Lynette who had run away there with Jordan. Seeing the wedding picture felt like a slap in the face to Ethan. How could everything had gone downhill so quickly? Had she really been so blinded by love that she would toss her children to the side? She had abandoned them, and Ethan knew what that felt like. What was even worse was that she raised them like she loved them and then just ditched them once she found someone more interesting. Didn’t she have any emotions at all? He ripped the photograph in half and tossed it into the trash. he didn’t want this picture littering his home. The kids were finally beginning to move on with their lives, they didn’t need a constant reminder of what once was.

Time seemed to fly by. In no time, the kids had become teens. They were 13 years old and would finally be starting high school soon. Apollo’s books had been selling well and so, the boys decided to sell their old home and move into a bigger one. One where the kids didn’t have to remember the bad times, one where everyone could create new memories. The kids no longer had to share a room. Alistair had his own nursery which would be turned into a study when he got older. Then, he’d move into Ken’s room with him. Bailey and Scarlett shared a room and Apollo and Ethan had their own master bedroom. “It’s amazing!” Scarlett said in awe. “I really love it.”

“I’m just happy that Ken isn’t in my room anymore,” Bailey said. Amelia hated Ryder even more than she hated Night. It was ear splitting hearing her argue with someone that Bailey couldn’t see herself. Night was cooperative and did whatever Scarlett said. It’d be much easier to tame the noise with him around rather than Ryder. Ken would get worked up and argue as well, causing all three to fight. It wasn’t a pretty sight.

“The girls are going to be lining up to see my new pad.” Ken stretched his arms over his head. “High school is going to be fun.”

“You’re thirteen,” Ethan chuckled. “What do you know about girls?”

“That they love guys with nice stuff,” Ken shrugged. “Bailey and Scarlett can agree with that.”

“Well, that’s not the only thing!” Scarlett protested. “Nice stuff means that he can take you out to nice places, but it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t have a lot of money.”

“You guys are too young to talk about dating, no more.” Apollo shook his head. “I’m not ready to give you guys up yet.”

“One quick shot,” Apollo urged. “Your grandmother doesn’t have social media accounts, and she wants to see her grandchildren on the first day of school.”

“Might as well, you all look good,” Ethan said.

Looking at his kids, Apollo couldn’t help but smile. He remembered fondly his first day of highschool. He could have asked for a better four years, but life had more than made it up to him. This is where the teens would meet lifelong friends, experience their first real fights and maybe even meet someone special. The children had matured so much. They deserved this new beginning more than anyone else.

“First day of school pics are so lame!” Bailey whined. “The kids in school are going to make fun of us!”

“Who cares?” Scarlett shrugged.

“You may like blending in with the crowd, but I don’t,” Bailey retorted.

“Suck it up, it’ll make grandma happy,” Ken urged. Bailey couldn’t argue with that logic and she put up her best peace sign and biggest smile.

“One, two, three, say cheese.”

“Cheeseeeeeeee!” Ken laughed as he threw his arms over the girls.

“Grandma is going to love this one.” Apollo grinned as he held up the phone. “You guys are too adorable.”

“No dad, we’re not babies anymore. Adorable won’t do!” Bailey said. “Cute maybe, but not adorable.”

“Fine fine.” He held his hands up in defense. “You guys look cute.”

Apollo held Ethan’s hand tightly as he watched his children board the school bus, ready for their first day of highschool. “They grow up so fast.”

“How was your first day of school?” Ethan asked.

Scarlett looked up from her television program. “It was alright.”

“Only alright?” Ethan questioned.

Scarlett shrugged. “I didn’t really like any of my classmates. They seem to obsessed with boys and makeup. I like boys and makeup, but I also do want to learn, so I can’t hang around those guys who want to play around during class all day. The kids who like to study are nerds, and Bailey said it’s basically social suicide to align myself with them.”

“None of that really matters,” Ethan said. “If that was the case, your father would have never talked to me. He was way cooler than I was when we first met, at least in my eyes.”

“Speaking of him, is he meeting with an agent again? He’s never home.”

“How do you think we get to have this nice place to live in? This house is all thanks to your father’s books,” Ethan said.

“I know,” Scarlett said. “I’m sorry that I seem so out of it right now, I’m just a little frazzled by the entire high school experience. Its not what I’m used to at all. Everyone is so much mature than they were from last year. I don’t know.” She thought back to Night. She’d never escape the torment if she’d bring him up in conversations. Imaginary friends were in the same category as the Easter bunny. People would think she was crazy. What she saw was very real, but others just wouldn’t understand her, and so she’d have to separate her friendship with Night from her life at school. Ken and Bailey would probably be doing the same thing.

“It’s alright-” Ethan was cut off by the ringing of the bell. “I wonder who that could be?”

“You’re probably tired from being with Alistair all day, don’t worry about it. I’ll get it.” Scarlett stood up and headed for the door. “I wonder who it is, it’s probably just day,” She mumbled to herself as she yanked the door open.

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Isn’t Alistair the cutest? The triplets are good looking as well! This gen did well with the children, I must say lol. Anyway, I’d just like to give credit for the house. I didn’t build it, I downloaded it off modthesims (here). It’s called Modern Tudor and it’s so well made, I love it. 

PS: You can read about Ambrose’s time on the Bachelor here.