Ryker stood at his father’s telescope in the cool, crisp early morning air with an eye glued to the eyepiece. He had a particular interest in one faint shape in the sky – he was sure it was moving against a background of stars, which could mean it was a new discovery. He positioned his cell phone camera over the eyepiece and focused the telescope until he could see the fuzzy dot he was looking for. The image quality was terrible – as was every other photo he’d taken of it these last few weeks tracking that part of the sky.
A breeze blew by and Ryker realized how chilly it was, standing there in his pajama shorts and with bare feet. He stepped down from his stool and opened his phone camera gallery, flipping through the past few images. They probably wouldn’t hold up with the astrological society on their own, but they were enough to prompt an investigation with better equipment.
The sky was beginning to lighten. The sun would rise soon, so he wouldn’t be able to see his little shape again until tomorrow. He looked over to the garden and noticed his parents must have just come out to start working. A smile overtook his face.
“Mom! Mom! Mom!” he shouted as he ran over.
Bridget smiled brightly at him, “Good morning, Ryker.”
“Okay, good morning!” he said impatiently. “I discovered a moon! Previously undiscovered! With dad’s telescope!”
He bounced a bit in place.
Altman looked up, beaming at his son. “That’s fantastic, Ryker!”
“Incredible!” Bridget added proudly.
“Thanks! It’s not official yet, but I have pictures to send to the Astrological Society. I have a name picked out any everything!” the child explained.
“Well, you’ve got to tell us the name!” Bridget smiled.
Ryker giggled. “Okay, ready? … AltMOON Ryker!” he laughed, and so did they.
“I wanted to name it for dad,” he added, peering around his mother to see Altman, who was weeding the cucumbers. “But—”
“You didn’t want to give it the same name as the Medium Blue Giant he discovered,” Bridget said, nodding.
“Yeah,” the boy smiled. “I like that dad has a star – especially one he found.”
Altman laughed softly, finishing up with the cucumbers and moving on to the potatoes.
“But I still wanted to thank him for teaching me to use the telescope!” Ryker said excitedly.
His energy was something the other children didn’t share, and Bridget thought to herself that perhaps he helped them stay young at heart to finish raising them.
“OH! And letting me use it whenever I want!” Ryker added.
“It’s a wonderful name,” Bridget said.
“I couldn’t have thought of a better one,” Altman smiled. “Especially because now we can share a moon,” he added, laughing.
Ryker giggled, “YEP! Guess you’re stuck with me!”
He was still bouncing, but started to look at his feet to mind he didn’t step on any of the plants.
Bridget couldn’t stop smiling. How did he have so much energy?
“Well, that’s these sorted,” Altman said. “We should get out of here before the sprinklers come on. We can finish after breakfast, my love,” he said to Bridget.
She smiled at him, but before she could say that she’d start cooking, Ryker’s voice made them jump.
“DAD!” he exclaimed.
“Yes Ryker?” Altman asked with a laugh.
“Can we fish until the pancakes are ready? Can we, can we?!”
“And how do you know there will be pancakes?” Bridget asked, putting her hands on her hips in mock seriousness.
“Beeeecause,” Ryker said, still bouncing, his mind half elsewhere. “I’m asking really nicely? Pretty please can we have pancakes?” he asked with a cheeky grin.
Bridget laughed. “Well, since you asked,” she said, ruffling his hair. “Try not to drive your dad crazy with all that bouncing while you’re trying to fish.”
She could see Altman was smiling ear to ear and knew he wouldn’t pass up any opportunities to fish with his kids – especially the younger ones. Ryker’s bounces grew as he excitedly headed for the garden gate.
“Let’s go, dad!!” He leapt out the gate as Altman walked after him.
Bridget walked over to the fence and began dusting off her skirt. The sprinklers came on and she narrowly avoided getting soaked. Altman knowingly smiled back at her.
“You were right,” she said snidely. “Thanks for the warning.”
“I hope there’s fishing on our moon!” Ryker called as he bounced and spun his way to the pond’s edge. “Come ON, dad!”
It was a busy year. Since Rukiya had moved on to her own home garden, Bridget and Emery had to do more of the work at the Tevellyns’. Matthew leant a hand with the garden, too, when needed – assuming he wasn’t preoccupied with Dorothy, that is. Altman helped when he could, but mostly spent his time looking after the younger kids and organizing construction projects.
Over the next few years, they planned to add a pool, move and upgrade the kitchen, and convert the existing kitchen/dining combination into a living room. At the same time, they had to start working on houses that Emery and Matthew could move into once they were ready to leave home. It was Altman’s responsibility to establish work plans and coordinate with construction crews to make sure everything went smoothly – not to mention to make sure they could afford it all.
Aria was thrilled to receive a red keyboard for her 13th birthday that winter. She quickly taught herself to play some of the songs she’d made up as a child and watched hours of SimTube to learn others. The winter weather was a great excuse to stay indoors and practice, but she looked forward to taking her keyboard outside or even down to the community garden in the spring and summer.
The snow melted and the backyard pond thawed, but it still got dark rather early in the first months of spring. Still, Ryker and Mason were so excited for the warmer-in-comparison weather that Bridget and Altman agreed the family could celebrate Mason’s 5th birthday outside. Thrilled by the party and full of cake, the young boys were both running around the backyard with seemingly boundless energy right until bedtime.
Ryker and Mason needed less attention now that they were growing up and they had no trouble occupying themselves. Ryker taught Mason the best ways to build epic towers with their blocks and the basics of chess, but they were especially looking forward to having a pool they could play in.
It took another year or so, but the wait was worth it! The boys loved the pool and used it as often as they could. In the winter, they built igloos nearby and incorporated it into their adventure games. The igloos played the roles of castles, forts or arctic explorer bases while the pool was their moat, a treacherous chasm or deadly cold ocean.
Dorothy and Matthew also enjoyed the pool. Altman suspected Dorothy’s father would be none too happy about the amount of time she was spending in her bathing suit at their house, but it seemed impossible to reason with teenagers. Altman resolved to try to keep an eye on them as much as possible, but ultimately, he knew they’d find ways to do what they wanted. He just had to hold out hope that his talks with Matthew about sexual health were enough for his son to act responsibly.
Altman wondered if he’d be as laissez-faire about his teenager dating (and probably messing around) if it were Emery rather than Matthew. In truth, he was thankful that he didn’t have to worry about horny boys putting their hands all over his daughters yet. He was surprised that Dorothy’s father allowed her to spend so much time with Matthew, but recognized that it might be the lesser of two evils. Who knew what she might get up to if left to her own devices unsupervised? When she was in Appaloosa Plains, it was with a large family amidst an empty landscape.
Soon, though, it would be a little less empty. Bridget booked the same work crew that built Rukiya’s house to start on Emery’s place the next summer. Altman drew up some plans for their own house’s upcoming renovations as well as some ideas for Emery’s. He’d claimed a corner of the dining area for his work and displayed a few of the sketches on the wall. Emery didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about any of them, but they had a few months before they had to decide on a lot and send the designs in for the necessary approvals and permits.
One evening, Altman and Ryker entered the kitchen to get Ryker a snack when they noticed Emery sitting on the floor in the corner of the dining room with his sketchbook open on her lap.
Ryker giggled. “Em, are you sketching the WALL?”
“No,” Emery snickered. “I was looking at dad’s designs and it finally clicked.”
“Oh?” Altman smiled, walking over. He turned a dining chair away from the table and sat in it so he could see what she was drawing. Ryker sat at the far end of the table and began eating some leftovers from the fridge.
“I like some of your ideas, but they aren’t me, you know? I’ve been trying to think about what I want in a house and… well, I’m not sure a regular house like ours or Rukiya’s is really it,” Emery explained as she continued sketching.
“You can’t stay here forever or I’ll never get my own room,” Ryker pouted.
Emery laughed. “No, I mean, what I need is a studio. The house should have space for my art and help me find inspiration.”
Altman nodded, following her glances from the sketchpad to the designs on the wall.
“I want it to be my retreat, in a way,” Emery continued. “I want it to be peaceful, and surrounded in nature, like here.”
Altman nodded again and smiled. He knew exactly which lot they should buy for Emery.
A few weeks later, Altman and Emery were going fishing, just the two of them, which would be the perfect opportunity for him to surprise his daughter with the property he thought would be perfect for her. Before telling her, he had wanted to double-check that it was available and crunch the numbers. Now that the picture was clear, he could show her and see what she thought.
It was still dark out when they began fishing at Cinnamon Crest Falls on that autumn morning, but the sun soon emerged over the hilltops. Altman and Emery cast their lines from opposite sides of the pond. Emery had slightly better luck, and Altman jokingly showed her how small each of his catches were.
“It seems the student has become the master,” he said across the water. Emery giggled but assured her father that she wasn’t a master angler like him just yet.
They continued fishing until the sun was out and they started to get hungry for breakfast.
“Alright, let’s pack up. I want to show you something on the way home,” Altman called.
Emery silently walked around the pond, trying to figure out what her father would want to show her.
“And I want you to let me know how you feel about it; your honest opinion,” he added.
With that, he headed off towards the path between the hills. It was the route they usually took home, which confused her even more. What could her father wanted to show her that she hadn’t already seen on their walk to the Falls earlier that morning? Not to mention all her trips to the Falls since she was a child. Still, she followed without questioning him.
They reached the end of the path, where the hills opened and the properties on their street began.
“Emery,” Altman said softly over his shoulder. “I know you’re almost 19 and ready to move out on your own. But I want you to know you’re always welcome at home with your mother and I.”
“I know, dad,” she smiled. “But where is this coming from? What do you need to show me between here and the house?”
He continued to walk into the clearing ahead. “I know this might feel a bit too close to home for what you might want. I know you like having time to yourself… But I thought, maybe being close to the Falls and staying close to home might be good for you. So if you get lonely you can come any time, day or night.”
He stopped just over halfway to the street and gently motioned around them. “This is what I wanted to show you,” he continued. “I checked, and this lot is available, and its within our price range to build on... if you want it.”
Emery stared at her father in disbelief. After a moment trying to process what he’d said, she leaned forward.
“Are you serious?” she asked quietly.
“If it’s too close to our place, I’ll understand,” he said with a sad smile. “I just thought, with it so close to the Falls—”
“No,” Emery interrupted, touching his arm. “It’s perfect.”
Tears welled in her eyes and her lips trembled slightly as they curled into a small smile.
Altman’s smile brightened. “Being independent doesn’t mean you have to be alone, okay, Em? Your mom and I will always just be a phone call away, no matter whether you live here or if you move elsewhere.”
Emery threw her arms around her father and it was his eyes’ turn to well with tears.
“I don’t want to move away,” she mumbled into his sweater. “I love you, dad. Thank you so much.”
“You can also stay living at home, if you want,” he chuckled.
She laughed and wiped the water from her eyes. “I don’t want to stay that close,” she said with a smile. “A space of my own would be really nice.”
“I thought as much.”
Beaming, Emery looked around at what would become her property. Hers!
“Can I stay and sketch for a while before going home for breakfast?” she asked.
“Of course,” Altman replied. “I’ll save some food for you.”
“Thanks, dad!” Emery immediately sat down and fished a pencil from her jeans pocket.
Altman headed home with a smile on his face. He wondered who was more thrilled: Emery, who just learned she’d have her own place soon; or himself, who would get to keep his eldest close by.
Emery turned 19 the following spring and there was a lot to celebrate! Construction would soon begin on her studio, and she’d continue living with her parents until it was finished.
Rukiya, Dorothy, and Aria’s friend Chase were all invited to Emery’s birthday party. Everyone laughed and danced well into the evening. Emery didn’t really like dancing, but when Rukiya had asked her to, she shyly accepted. To her surprise, the feelings Rukiya gave her outweighed any awkwardness she felt.
She was relaxed and having fun until she started to wonder whether it would be a good time to tell Rukiya how she felt about her. She was 19 now; an adult. Rukiya was only 25 – well, closer to 26, but still, it was hardly a scandalous age difference. But there was still Shaun. Watcher, how she hated the thought of that man. He didn’t appreciate what he had.
“Hey,” Rukiya’s cheerful voice snapped her back to the reality of the moment. Their bodies were so close as they danced. Emery felt heat rising to her cheeks. “You okay?”
“Y–yeah,” Emery stuttered.
“Don’t think so much,” Rukiya said with her radiant smile. “It’s your birthday party, let’s just have fun.”
‘If only you knew what I want those words to mean,’ Emery thought. She tried to smile without looking pained by all the thoughts flooding into her mind about what she wanted to do. ‘Don’t think so much,’ a seductive version of Rukiya’s voice echoed in her head. ‘Let’s just have fun.’ Her heart was racing.
Thankfully, her mother began lighting her birthday candles and called her over to stand at the cake. Bridget broke out into ‘Happy Birthday’ and their guests joined into the song, ending with noise-makers and loud cheers. Emery blushed from the attention, but she had to admit that seeing those she loved around her, happy and smiling, made her deeply happy and grateful. She leaned forward, took a deep breath, and wished for courage as she blew out her candles.
She was a bit disappointed when Mason sat across from her, but she could hardly blame someone who just turned 6 for being oblivious that she’d want to sit with her crush. She was far more annoyed at Matthew and Chase, who took the other two spots at her picnic table.
Emery leaned forward to talk to Mason. “Can you sit with Ryker, mom and dad?” she asked in a harsh whisper.
Mason shook his head ‘no’ as he shoved forkfuls of cake into his mouth. “Rukiya’s al’eady put’er plate ‘dere,” he said through a mouthful of food.
Emery sighed and fidgeted with her fork as she glanced over. Rukiya had indeed already put her plate down next to their mom’s. ‘I should probably find a more private moment to talk to Rukiya, anyway,’ she thought.
Emery was quickly distracted by Aria’s conversation with Chase and Matthew, anyway. Chase had grown into a cute – albeit, rather sloppy-looking – teen, but at least he wasn’t wearing tight jeans like her brother did these days. Emery and Aria often joked that Matthew was trying too hard to show off his butt for Dorothy, and tonight would be no exception.
“I couldn’t really hear you when we were dancing,” Aria was saying to Chase. “I thought you said you have to go to a military event tomorrow.” She giggled at the thought.
“No shit, huh? The official announcement down by the river is for the military?” Matthew asked.
Aria’s smile disappeared. “Wait, that is what you said?”
Chase nodded as he swallowed his mouthful of cake. “Yep. My dad’s making me go. He hasn’t dropped the military school thing.”
“I thought as long as you keep your grades up you don’t have to go,” Aria said.
“Yeah, it’s all talk,” Chase shrugged.
“Making you get a job wasn’t all talk,” Aria retorted. “This isn’t fair.”
“It’s just some dumb event,” he tried to reassure her. “Besides, delivering papers is how we met, so it wasn’t so bad,” he added with a small smile.
“Careful there, Chase, that’s my baby sister you’re flirting with!” Matthew smirked.
“He’s not flirting!” Aria said, throwing her arms up in frustration. “Don’t listen to him, Chase.”
Chase looked back down at his plate, scraping up the last bits of cake. An awkward silence ensued.
Emery cleared her throat. “So, the event is here, in Appaloosa Plains?” Emery asked.
“Yeah, they’re breaking ground on a new training facility by the river,” Chase said, grateful someone had broken the silence.
“Cool, I was wondering what they’d be announcing,” Matthew smiled.
Aria said nothing, staring blankly at the boys’ empty plates.
“Why don’t you come, Aria? You should meet my dad in all his high-ranking glory,” Chase scoffed.
“You want me to?” Aria asked awkwardly. “Do you think it would help?”
“Yeah, we can sit at the back and make fun of it and whatever… my dad has to sit up front anyway.... I wouldn’t be as bored with you there,” he said. “Plus maybe my dad will see what a good influence you are on me.”
Matthew chuckled and stood up to leave the table. “He’s not flirting, though,” he said under his breath so only Aria could hear. She glared at him as he walked over to Dorothy.
Seeing Aria’s annoyance, Emery joked, “Aw, he lasted a whole 15 minutes away from her this time.” Aria and Chase laughed.
Rukiya and Chase left around the time Altman was getting Ryker and Mason ready for bed. Dorothy stayed later, so while Matthew spent more time with her, Emery and Aria helped Bridget clean up.
“Hey, mom?” Aria asked nervously. “Could you take me to the event tomorrow? I know you’re probably busy with the garden and—”
“I can handle it myself for a couple hours,” Emery interjected. “Don’t worry about that. You should go, mom, you can meet Chase’s dad.”
“Ah, so Chase invited you?” Bridget asked with a knowing smile.
“His dad is being super unfair and keeps threatening to send him to boarding school,” Aria looked away. “I just… I don’t want him to go…”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Bridget said softly. “Of course we can go. Chase’s father should see he has good friends he shouldn’t be separated from.”
A small smile slowly made its way onto Aria’s face. “Thanks, mom.”
“So… what is the event for?” Bridget chuckled.
“Oh,” Aria blushed. “Uh, they’re announcing a military training facility. His dad is an officer, or something? Chase doesn’t like to talk about him very much....”
“Ah, well it sounds interesting. Can Ryker come too, if he wants? He’s still obsessed with the space agency,” Bridget added with another laugh.
“Sure,” Aria said, her smile growing. “That’ll look less like we’re just there for Chase, too.”
“Mum’s the word,” Bridget winked. “Mission ‘Save Chase from Boarding School’ is a ‘go.’”
Author’s Notes:
The majority of this chapter's screenshots are 'reshoots' so that the life stages of the family members line up better. Because of how Sims' life stages and birthdays work, Mason & Aria's (to child & teen, respectively) and Ryker & Emery's (to teen & young adult (YA), respectively) ended up falling on the same dates and were celebrated at two joint birthday parties. For this story, I'm using real-life age 'equivalents' that don't perfectly align with the game's normal life span defaults.
If you're curious, these are: Baby 0-1; Toddler 1-4; Child 5-12; Teen 13-18; YA 19-34; Adult 35-64; Elder 65+. At Emery's 19th birthday party (in spring), Matthew would be ~17.5 (fall birthday), Aria would be ~14.25 (winter birthday), Ryker would be ~9.75 (summer birthday), and Mason would be ~6 (spring birthday).
This meant Ryker shouldn't be a teen yet when Emery turns into a YA, so I had to exercise some creative licence and exclude a lot of my original birthday party shots. Originally, Emery's birthday cake actually caught on fire, as well, so expect photos of that in some sort of special 'behind the scenes' post later on. :)
Thanks for reading!
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