Matthew needed Dorothy now more than ever.
He had been holding up relatively well since his father had passed, but she knew he was struggling. All winter, Matthew spent a lot more time in bed. She hadn't seen him do any writing—he'd barely gone near his computer at all. The whole family got together for Christmas at Emery's house, but the sadness in the air was obvious. A few tears were shed. However, overall it had gone better than Dorothy expected. She was on her best behaviour; she hadn't taunted Aria at all, and she found she quite liked Colette. Still, Matthew seemed emotionally drained for days after the event.
Dorothy did her best to keep up with the house cleaning and caring for the pets. She didn't want to complain about how much work it was maintaining things while Matthew took time to grieve. She knew he needed her support, she just wished it involved less litter box cleaning.
Matthew was doing a little better by the time the frost melted and the spring season began. Dorothy was very grateful he'd have more reasons to go outside, and that she wouldn't have to add even more chores to her list. Besides, she still found gardening boring. Matthew, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy getting his hands dirty and took pride in his harvests. Some days were clearly harder for him than others. Dorothy would sometimes hear him crying. He planted less and more plants were dying than in the year before. Still, progress was progress and she knew he would get through this rough patch.
They needed to get through this rough the sake of their growing family. Dorothy wasn't sure if her pregnancy news helped Matthew or not. Neither of them felt especially ready to introduce children into their already busy household. They hadn't started any of the home repairs Matthew had promised, and didn't have the time or money to expand the house to add a bedroom for the baby. So, the house wouldn't be baby-ready and the parents didn't feel baby-ready, either. Great.
Dorothy expected herself to be a terrible mother. Her parents weren't exactly shining examples. How had Bridget and Altman parented Matthew and his siblings? Dorothy wished she had paid more attention. She didn't feel any maternal instinct over their pets; would that be the case for their children, too? In her view, this baby would really need Matthew to feel well enough to be a good father. Someone needed to provide a stable, loving home, and Dorothy had no idea how.
Unfortunately, fate seemed to have other plans. Just as summer began, the family had an unexpected visitor.
Matthew and Dorothy were outside with their cat and two senior dogs on a beautiful sunny day. Vernon, the smaller dog, had been moving a bit more slowly the last few days, but otherwise seemed okay. His legs were clearly a bit stiff and he was struggling a bit to sniff his way around in the grass. Petunia, the larger dog, kept a watchful eye on him and Bellatrix the cat.
Rather suddenly, Vernon stopped and looked up. Petunia whined. A puff of black smoke appeared in the shadow of a nearby tree. Matthew and Dorothy froze in shock. A hooded figure materialized in front of them and floated towards Vernon. Skeletal hands hung from its cloak sleeves, one held a scythe.
"No—" Matthew blurted out. "Vernon! No, please, he has time left."
The hooded figure ignored Matthew's plea. It leaned down and gently picked up the dog. Vernon's tail wagged slightly as he was lifted into the figure's arms. Matthew and Dorothy watched in disbelief as the reaper hugged Vernon gently.
Aasifa the unicorn appeared, slowing from a gallop to a stop, to join her family in saying goodbye to Vernon. Matthew was crying and Petunia was whimpering, but Dorothy and Bellatrix were stoic.
The reaper gently lowered Vernon back to the ground. The dog seemed less stiff and more energetic, and went into his usual play stance. Vernon looked happy and full of life, all of his attention focused on the hooded figure.
A shimmering light appeared. The Sims had to blink to try to continue watching what was unfolding in front of them. It looked like the reaper suddenly had a stick in his hand. Vernon wigged his butt and let out a small bark, but he sounded …different? The reaper tossed the stick into the shimmering light and Vernon happily ran after it, jumping into and disappearing among the rays. Dorothy gasped. Matthew's crying and mumbled pleas evolved into loud sobs.
The shimmering lights flickered out. The hooded figure dissolved into a cloud of black smoke.
Vernon was gone.
----------
Matthew spent a lot of time in bed after losing his father in the fall, but this summer was on another level. For over a month, he barely left the bedroom at all, often only getting up to use the bathroom. He barely accepted the water and food Dorothy brought him. Sometimes he'd let Petunia or Bellatrix in, other times he'd ignore their scratches at the door, determined to be alone.
Dorothy had no idea what to do to help him. She tried to get him to talk to her, but he never wanted to say much. She'd sit in silence with him, or tell him about what the pets had been up to. She'd tell him Aasifa would worry if he stayed cooped up in the house. Dorothy even offered to call his siblings and invite them over, but he refused. Nothing seemed to help. She did her best to get Matthew to shower, to keep him and the pets fed, and to keep the house clean… but it was more than she could keep up with.
The garden fared a bit better. Dorothy worked in the garden when she could, and she surprised herself with how well the plants were doing under her care. Maybe she wouldn't be such a bad mother. Surely it would be easier to manage the house when Matthew was feeling better.
Slowly, he started to leave the bedroom more. At first it was usually while Dorothy was asleep. Matthew knew she meant well and was doing a lot for him, but he also wanted to avoid the "You're up! That's great!" and similar comments and encouragement. He felt empty and numb; her enthusiasm for any of his "progress" felt misplaced. He would shuffle out of the bedroom, use the bathroom, and then sit in the kitchen. He couldn't stomach sitting in his office next to Vernon's empty bed.
On a few nights, he managed to venture outside. Aasifa wasn't there. He felt he was letting her down by adopting her and then being unable to spend any time with her. He wondered if she felt the same—disappointed. He was glad she had the freedom to come and go as she pleased, so she could meet her own needs …as she must have for decades before he befriended her.
He stood by the fence, tracing patterns in the wood or watching as the blades of grass swayed in the breeze. On clear nights, he could see hundreds of stars in the sky. Appaloosa Plains was so beautiful, and he felt guilty for not being able to enjoy that very much. He used to spend so much more time appreciating these things when he was a kid. But along the way, he collected responsibilities. He never seemed to have time to relax and enjoy the nature surrounding him anymore. And now he was drowning in loss.
He decided to try his best to appreciate what he still had. After all, Petunia was also a senior dog and wouldn't be around forever. Matthew wanted to try to enjoy the time he had left with her as much as possible. Aasifa and Bellatrix, too, of course.
He also knew he had to pull himself together for Dorothy, the baby they had on the way, and the ranch itself. Dorothy couldn't keep up with it all on her own, especially the garden. If they wanted to expand the house so the baby could have a proper bedroom, they'd need to grow as much as possible, Matthew would need to write another book, and they may even need Dorothy to sell sculptures. It wasn't easy, but Matthew did his best to work on the garden as much as he could that autumn.
For the most part, gardening helped. Matthew could focus on weeding, pruning or harvesting and push other thoughts to the background. It was easy to zone out while watering, too. But every now and then, memories of Vernon and Petunia playing between the plants… memories of his little barks when he wanted attention… his little paw prints in the soil…. And once he was thinking of Vernon, it was all too easy to start thinking about his dad. Losing them both so close together….
Matthew continued to struggle to keep a regular schedule through the season. He slept at odd hours and often found himself snacking in the middle of the night instead of eating regular meals.
On the nights when he had some energy, Matthew started going into his office. He didn't write much, but it felt like progress. Petunia did her best to offer moral support and it got easier for Matthew to see Vernon's empty pet bed next to the desk.
Still, after months, the lack of progress on his book was frustrating.
"Why can't I do this?!" Matthew angrily asked aloud.
Petunia answered with an inquisitive sound. He turned to see her standing behind him. She was a good dog. He knew she must miss Vernon, too.
"Sorry girl," Matthew said softly, scratching under her chin. "Maybe a walk would clear my head. Do you want to go for a walk?"
Petunia's pointy ears perked up and her tail wagged gently. It sped up when Matthew stood up from his chair. He smiled at her. A walk would help ground him and reset things, if he let it. It would be nice to get out of the house. Nice for Petunia, too. He grabbed her leash and they walked around the empty streets of their neighbourhood. Matthew tried to clear his head. Petunia happily trotted along, sniffing everything of interest to her along the way. Afterwards, he still didn't know how to progress with his book, but at least he wasn't as frustrated and angry about it. He made a mental note to spend more time with Petunia, Bellatrix and especially Aasifa going forward. More time outside would do him good. Hopefully the book would follow.
Matthew apologized to Aasifa the next time he saw her in the paddock behind the house. He fed her some of the garden produce and asked if she needed anything. He couldn't hear her without her bestowing a blessing, but he still understood her to an extent. He told her he'd like to go on more regular rides with her. Maybe start practicing racing or agility, too. Aasifa pinned her ears back and gave him a serious look.
"Maybe not racing?" Matthew back-tracked, raising his hands apologetically.
Aasifa relaxed her ears and looked towards the race training posts set up as an oval track next to her paddock. Then looked back at Matthew. She shook her head, her black mane swishing against her neck, and gently huffed towards his shirt. Matthew was a bit confused; was she annoyed with him or not? Aasifa cocked her head and trotted playfully over to the posts.
"Were you trying to say you're so much faster without me?" Matthew chuckled. "You don't want to do practice racing together because you like to be fast?"
Aasifa raised her head proudly and let out several more huffs. Suddenly, she took off, galloping between the posts. Matthew leaned on the fence, admiring her soft black coat shining in the sun. After a few laps she slowed, looked over at him, then hung her head dramatically and slowly continued through the next pair of posts. Matthew laughed.
"I am not that heavy!" he called out to her.
She walked back towards him, more neutral and relaxed. He offered his hand for some scratches along her nose and forehead, which she accepted. He apologized again for not spending more time with her.
"And you're welcome to keep coming and going as you please," he added. "Including using the training posts without me, if you find it fun."
Dorothy was next on Matthew's apology tour. He found her in front of the house gardening, despite that she was in the second trimester of her pregnancy. Petunia was running around, tossing and tearing the newspaper. Matthew pet Petunia's head but didn't bother taking the paper away from her. The mess would be outside anyway, and newspapers aren't the worst mulch. He approached Dorothy and suggested she take a break.
"There's too much that needs to be done, and I'm just as uncomfortable staying still," Dorothy insisted.
"Even if your husband is offering an apology massage?" Matthew asked.
She looked up at him. "Apology for what?"
"I know moving here has been harder on you than you want to admit," he said gently, "and it's been worse since my dad passed, and even worse since Vernon…. But I want you to know I'm getting back in it. I'm going to be here for you and the baby. I'm the one who wanted this ranch lifestyle and I'm going to start pulling my weight."
Dorothy stood up while he talked. When he was finished, she simply replied, "I could go for a massage."
He smiled at her and nodded. He wondered if she doubted him, or if there was more he should apologize for. Was he missing something? Maybe it was just the pregnancy discomfort. He positioned himself behind her and began rubbing her shoulders and massaging her back.
Going forward, anytime he found her in the garden, he offered her a massage. It happened enough times that eventually he jokingly reminded her she could ask for a massage anytime, she didn't need to work in the garden to get one. After the massages, Matthew would take over the gardening and Dorothy would go inside to relax, sculpt, clean or cook something. She explained that for the most part she was fine to move around and do things as usual, it was just backaches and occasional heartburn bothering her at this stage. Matthew was happy he could help with the back pain, at least.
The garden fared well through the fall, yielding a decent income towards their savings. In the winter, Matthew focused on finishing his book and planning renovations. He and Dorothy decided to forego the non-essential repairs and upgrades to the ground floor for now, in favour of adding a second storey addition. The baby would need a bedroom sooner rather than later. There was no time to build anything before Dorothy was due, but if Matthew's book did well, they could afford to finish an addition in time for the baby's first birthday. Dorothy was skeptical that Matthew would have the time and energy to do such significant construction on top of all his other responsibilities—including the soon-to-arrive newborn baby. But what good would voicing her concerns do? It was better for some progress on the house to finally be made. She'd continue to cope with the cracked and crumbly plaster walls in the meantime.
They welcomed a baby girl, Mara Button, in the spring. Her crib was set up in the front room, next to Dorothy’s sculpting station. Soon it would also be across the room from the construction of the new staircase. Matthew seemed optimistic that he could work on the addition while the baby was awake, and his book, the garden, and other tasks around the house while the baby was asleep. Dorothy wasn't buying it. She raised the concern that she may need breaks from caring for the baby. Matthew assured her that was no problem and he'd do whatever was needed. She wished she could believe him. It was clear he was feeling better after suffering the losses of Altman and Vernon, but even when he was very productive before those events, she felt alone in Appaloosa Plains. Dorothy knew he was doing his best. She knew he worked hard and wanted to provide for her and their family. But he was working towards goals he wanted for himself and the family, not dreams they shared. Maybe that was her fault. She still hadn't found the courage to confess her lifelong fantasies or ambitions to him. 'It's not like they could ever come true in a place like Appaloosa Plains, anyway,' Dorothy thought. 'If I love him, maybe I should just keep trying to live his dream.'
Dorothy continued to go through the motions, caring for the baby, herself, the pets and the house as best she could. She was somewhat concerned that she didn't feel an instant deep connection with Mara. Looking at her, the newborn felt a bit like a weird little worm stranger. A demanding little creature who needed her for everything. Dorothy kept these sentiments to herself.
In contrast, Matthew was immediately enamoured. He was completely in awe.
Matthew was incredibly helpful with the baby for the first few weeks. Feeding, changing and giving her attention was pretty evenly split. When Dorothy was tending to Mara, Matthew got the garden set up for the growing season. When the weather was good, Matthew would bring Mara outside and show her the plants, or to hang out with Aasifa. Dorothy could sculpt as noisily as she wanted, or just take a moment to rest in quiet solitude. However, it wasn't long before these 'breaks for herself' were reduced to moments to catch up on cleaning. They were often short and full of distractions. There was little opportunity to focus on a sculpting project or fully relax on the sofa. Half the time she unexpectedly dozed off as soon as she sat down, only to be startled awake minutes later, feeling even less well-rested than before she’d fallen asleep.
Dorothy tried to be patient—with herself, Matthew, Mara, and Petunia. But that was a lot of patience to ask for. 'Things will get better,' she told herself. But when? It had been over six years since they'd moved in. Almost four years since they got married. Some things had changed, sure—they had a child now. But it seemed they still had all the same problems. Was she doomed to hate it here? Could Dorothy be happy living Matthew's dream? She didn't want to leave him. Honestly, she didn't want to leave Mara, either. She may not feel a deep, unbreakable bond with her daughter just yet, but she did care for her. She was starting to feel more of a connection, and wanted to see what that could grow into. Maybe she could frame being a good mother as a challenge for herself to live up to? Or maybe there was a dream she could pursue purely for herself in Appaloosa Plains; a way she could build her own happiness. Maybe. But for now, she was far too tired for any of that.
She was tired of the cracked plaster, the fact that construction for the addition hadn’t started yet, that the dog was always running around and needing flea baths, that Matthew was always too busy for them to talk much anymore (nevermind relax together or be intimate)….
She was tired of sleeping badly, thinking about what to cook, being a housewife with almost no one to talk to, panicking when she heard the baby start to cry in another room… She was tired of being tired. Tired of being frustrated. Tired that things kept happening and yet very little seemed to really change.
----------
The garden was well-established by the end of spring, just as Matthew planned. He was a little behind on starting the renovation, but he had a plan for that.
Although they had their own lives and responsibilities, Matthew knew he could rely on his family. He invited his mother and older sister to visit and meet the baby. He also planned to get their input on his renovation plans, and ask for their support while the project was underway. He knew his mother would be happy to support with childcare, and hoped his sisters could come by to help with the garden if needed. When construction finally began, he hoped to involve his two younger brothers. He could teach them as they worked together, just as their father had taught him. One day—probably soon—Ryker would want to start building his own house, and would need to know where to start.
Matthew greeted Bridget and Emery at the sidewalk in front of Button Ranch. "Thanks for coming," he said as he hugged each of them.
"Are you joking? We've been waiting to finally be invited to meet the baby!" Emery replied.
"She'll be awake soon and then you can meet her," Matthew reassured them. "We're going to go in around the back so she can finish her nap first."
He led them around the house to the kitchen door, quietly slid it open, and motioned for them to go inside. Petunia greeted them with a wagging tail and accepted head pats in return. They all stood in silence for a moment. Matthew offered them a half-hearted smile, and looked like he was going to say something. Instead, his eyes welled with tears. Bridget opened her arms to offer him a hug. He crumpled into her shoulder, crying softly.
"He is here with us, darling," Bridget told him in a quiet, soft tone. "And I imagine he's incredibly proud to see you being a father."
This made Emery fight back tears as well. They all missed Altman so much.
Bridget held Matthew for a few more moments and gently rubbed his back like when he was a small child. Emery resorted to crouching next to Petunia and giving her more attention. Soon enough, they heard soft coos rise from the next room, then turn into more urgent sounds of distress and small cries. Bridget relaxed her arms around Matthew.
"Shall we meet my first grandchild, now?" she asked with a smile.
Matthew nodded and rubbed the tear streaks from his face. The women followed him to the front room. Mara was crying out loudly, but she calmed a bit when she saw Matthew lean into his crib. He swaddled her and scooped her up, holding her close. Her voice quieted back to soft cooing.
He turned towards his guests, "Mom, Em, this is Mara… Mara, this is your grandma and your Auntie Emery."
"Oh, Matthew, she's perfect," Emery said softly. "Hello little darling," she added to Mara.
Bridget's eyes glistened. "May I?"
Matthew gently passed her the baby. At first, she could barely see her through the tears welling in her eyes, but after a few blinks, she could finally fully take her in.
"You two were once this small," Bridget said so softly that Matthew and Emery could barely hear her. "Your father was so surprised when I told him I wanted five children… it's hard to believe that was a lifetime ago, and now you're starting families of your own."
She lifted the baby towards her shoulder and held her closer, and a bit tighter.
"We are so lucky to have you, Mara," Bridget told the infant, kissing her forehead gently.
Emery was smiling and her gaze remained on the baby as she asked Matthew how Dorothy was doing. Matthew was glad they weren't looking at him as he sheepishly tried to formulate his answer.
"She's sleeping right now," he explained. "Moving here hasn't been easy for her, and I think in some ways having the baby has made her feel even more alone than before."
Emery turned to him. "How can we help?"
Matthew smiled. He knew he could count on them. He watched his mom effortlessly notice that the baby was about to make a fuss, just from the feeling on her shoulder. Bridget quickly repositioned her and gently lifted the baby up and down until Mara was smiling. Matthew explained he wanted to start their second storey addition and that they’d need help with childcare, the garden, and the construction itself.
"You know we're happy to help in any way we can," Emery said steadily. "But have you talked this through with Dorothy? Will she be okay with us being over here all the time, and all over the house?"
"I hope so," Matthew sighed. "I think she's known longer than I have that wee can't keep up with everything on our own. I want to ask her if she'd be more comfortable with everyone coming over at once or just one or two of you at a time."
Emery nodded and thought for a moment before adding, "Well, I'll ask Colette if she'd want to come, too. She and Dorothy seemed to get along at Christmas. Ask Dorothy if she'd like social time with her, or some help with cooking or cleaning. Colette likes that stuff, and it might feel better for Dorothy if it's like a friend helping and not only her in-laws taking over."
"That's a great idea, Emery," Bridget chimed in.
"I'll ask her," Matthew agreed. "Most of that has been falling on her; she could use the help. I haven't been able to do enough."
"You've had a lot going on," Bridget said as consolation. "I know Mason and I have both tried calling you—"
"So did Em, Ryker and Aria—you all called," Matthew admitted. "But I wasn't ready."
Bridget nodded solemnly and carefully passed the baby to Emery so she could hug her son.
"You can always call or come over, anytime," Bridget reassured him. "You don't need to know what to say or be feeling good, either."
Matthew hugged her tightly. "It meant a lot that you all tried to reach me. I felt guilty I wasn't doing the same."
"You will all need different support from each other at different times in your lives," Bridget said, taking a step back so she could make it clear she was addressing both of her children in front of her. "You two are the eldest, but I'm very proud of how reliable all of you are, and how willing you all are to help each other. Make sure that continues after I'm gone."
"Mom don't—"
"We will," Emery interrupted her brother.
Bridget nodded, satisfied.
"Mara, do you think your dad should go over the renovation plans with us now?" Emery asked the baby in her arms.
"He can do that," Matthew smiled.
Matthew showed them where he planned for the stairs to go, the door that would need to be moved, and some of his drawings. Emery kindly offered to clean up the plans with better measurements and notes to reduce confusion when their younger brothers were helping out.
"And please tell me you’ll be using drywall throughout this time," Emery said. "Because this plaster experiment you and dad tried to do is awful."
"Yeah," Matthew sighed. "I've been meaning to fix it all but from what I've read, the best way will be to either drywall directly over it, or take it all down and re-do it with drywall."
"Sounds messy," Emery frowned at first, then smirked as she added, "Sounds like a job for Ryker."
Finally, Matthew showed them the garden plants along the front of the house. Given his mother and sister's expertise in gardening, they needed little explanation. They returned inside to say their goodbyes.
"It was so good to see you and to meet Mara," Emery said as she hugged Matthew.
"Thanks again for coming and for all your help," Matthew replied. "Missed you."
"Missed you too. We've got to make sure we see each other more before I'm away for two years."
"You and Colette," Matthew agreed. "It's nice she and Dorothy get along."
"So far," Emery said with a cheeky smile.
Bridget accepted that she had to say goodbye to Mara, but asked Matthew if she could put her in the crib. Matthew agreed and watched as his mother affectionately lowered his daughter onto her little mattress.
"I'll see you soon, angel," Bridget said softly. "Grandma loves you very much."
She lingered a moment, then turned to Matthew and gave him another hug.
"I love you, mom," he said quietly. "And I think I understand now how much you love all of us."
"Oh, baby," Bridget's voice wavered as she replied. "You only know the beginning."
----------
By mid-summer, the stairs were in place and access to the second bathroom was relocated to Matthew and Dorothy's bedroom. One day it would be their ensuite, but for now all it had was the tub for bathing the dog. Upstairs, the exterior wall framing was going up. If they kept on schedule, the walls would be sealed and the roof installed before the temperature dropped too much. Matthew kept the garden a manageable size, but was still far too busy and tired to do any writing.
Most of the housework, childcare and pet care continued to fall on Dorothy. She tried not to stoke her resentment, but frustration remained inevitable. She saw Matthew putting in work; their gardening income was steady and the construction of their addition mostly stayed on track. This was, however, largely because his family had been lending so much help. Matthew had little time or energy for Mara and even less for Dorothy. Dorothy was having a hard time falling and staying asleep, so she ended up doing most of the overnight soothing of the baby. Why wake Matthew if she was going to be awake either way? But while feeding or rocking Mara, she'd ruminate over how disconnected she felt Matthew was from them. She felt like they were an extension of his 'real' family, the Tevellyns, rather than their own new family centered on them as a couple with a new baby, with his relatives as an extension of him.
One or both of Matthew's brothers would come over to help with the renovation almost everyday, often arriving with meals. At least oncce a week, Bridget joined them and spent time with Mara. Emery and Colette were also regular visitors, helping with various tasks around the house, doting on the baby and pets, and trying to engage Dorothy in conversation. Dorothy had to admit that Matthew's family was helpful but sometimes she just really wasn't in the mood. While the house was somehow cleaner during the renovation than it had been while Matthew was depressed after Vernon passed, there was somehow still always more to do. Always something Dorothy noticed needed to be done. Always more baby crying or pet whimpering for food or attention. She felt more and more like a husk in Matthew's home, just going through the motions of an endless list of tasks and performing small talk with his family. The most frustrating days were when Matthew needed as many hands as possible, so practiically the whole family was over including Aria and Chase. Aria would bring their dog Rusty and take him for a walk with Petunia, and she'd check on the plants, even when it was raining. Maybe she knew she was more welcome outside than inside their home. Dorothy didn't have the energy to torment her like she used to, but she dreaded the thought of Aria being more comfortable in Dorothy's home than she herself was.
The exterior work on the addition was mostly completed in the autumn. Heavy rain dominated the end of the season, testing the roof and delaying the installation of the windows and the siding. Luckily they were able to get the water-resistant wrapping up before anything got ruined. While they waited for cooperative weather, Matthew was able to check for leaks and drafts, as well as make progress on the interior insulation. It was soon cozy enough that Bellatrix the cat would sometimes slink up the stairs to nap on the subfloor.
The precipitation quickly changed from rain to snow, but Matthew and his brothers were able to install the two front windows on a drier week. He was finally able to start the drywall work. A lot of the finishing he could do himself—or at least with less frequent help. Matthew hoped this would be nice for Dorothy; he could tell she'd been getting overwhelmed with having company so often.
Unfortunately, less help from family members also meant more tasks Dorothy needed to do. She had to ask Matthew several times to fix the shower before she finally tried to do it herself. She ignored Mara's cries from the other room as she battled water spraying from the back of the shower fixture.
Matthew opened the bathroom door, sweaty and dusty with the baby in his arms, and had the audacity to ask Dorothy, "Didn't you hear her crying?"
Dorothy turned to glare at him. Water continued to spray. Her hair and clothes were soaked.
"Oh, did the shower break again?" Matthew asked. "Do you want me to fix it?"
"No, I only asked you a hundred times for fun," Dorothy snapped. "I will figure it out. Get out."
"I can—"
"GET. OUT."
They didn't typically argue very much. These days, Dorothy wondered if that was because they barely had real conversations anymore. Even when they sat down for a meal together, Dorothy had difficulty listening. 'The renovation this, Mara's bedroom that... has the baby pooped today? When was she last fed?' It all felt tedious.
Dorothy didn't bother trying to articulate all her feelings and frustrations to him. She knew why he was so busy, knew she likely had post-partum symptoms, and suspected Matthew couldn't really help her anyway. But she did try to remind him that the pets, especially Aasifa, needed more of his attention. Dorothy found it odd that she was spending as much or more time with Aasifa than Matthew was. Hadn't adopting a unicorn been his dream? She appreciated that he was trying to get the renovation done on time, but she worried about him. Vernon had seemed mostly fine right up until the day he passed. Petunia was also a senior dog. Bellatrix often went out hunting on her own, anything could happend to her and it would take them a while to realize. What if Aasifa got fed up and decided to really leave? Was Matthew avoiding the pets to avoid another heartbreak, and if so, would that avoidance actually help him cope when they inevitably lost another? Dorothy had a bad feeling that it would, in fact, be worse becasue he'd feel guilty about not prioritizing and enjoying them. Last summer he said he wanted to enjoy the time the pets had left.
At the same time, she did want the renovation to be finished as soon as possible. Maybe what was bothering her was that he'd likely stop all home renovation and repair tasks altogether as soon as this job was done. He'd increase his time with Mara and the pets, sure, but he'd also return to writing novels. He'd fill his time prioritizing everything and everyone over her and what she needed from this house. She'd continue feeling like a side character in his story. But what had she expected? Matthew had always planned for a busy life on a ranch. There weren't really any jobs in Appaloosa Plains. Dorothy had been running, trying so hard to get away from the life her parents had envisioned for her, and let herself fall in love. She romanticized what life with Matthew could be like. It was her choices that led her here. She resented herselef for being so unrealistic.
----------
"Who do you think I should invite over today?" Matthew asked Dorothy as she joined him at the kitchen table.
"For what this time?" Dorothy asked, exhausted.
"We need to bring the crib upstairs, so we'll need someone to hold Mara," Matthew smiled.
"It's finished?"
Matthew nodded.
Dorothy pushed her chair back to stand up again, "Well, let's see it!"
Matthew laughed. "You don't want to eat your lunch first?"
"No," Dorothy swatted at him playfully. "Get up! Let's go!"
They made their way up the stairs and Matthew outstretched his arms, "Ta da!"
The new second storey was one large room with the staircase dividing it roughly in half. The railings were spindles on both sides, making the room feel especially open and spacious. The wood stains on the stair steps, railings, floors, baseboards and window trims were all slightly different from one another. Dorothy wanted to ask Matthew to try to fix it so at least some of the wood elements matched, but she felt that was a request for another day. The walls looked so good compared to the plaster downstairs, and the green paint they'd chosen felt lively without being too bright or bold. Dorothy personally liked that there were only window facing the front of the house for now; they had to be small to fit above the roofline. She strongly preferred darkness over a sun-drenched space. Still, it was bright enough to read to Mara and for her to play safely.
"We'll probably add more windows eventually," Matthew said. "And I know it's just a big open space, we can always add walls to divide it up once we know how we want to use the space. Emery even drew up some options for us."
"It looks great, Matt," Dorothy replied, trying to maintain a soft tone. She reached out a hand to gently touch his arm. "I'm proud of you."
He smiled brightly at her. "I'm glad you like it."
Dorothy wondered how difficult it would be for them to add a dark basement where Matthew couldn't add any windows, and if she'd be annoyed if all his time was occupied by building something, if it was specifically for her. As she thought about it, she glanced around the room. She noticed Matthew had already brought in a toddler potty and waste bin.
"Potty training time will be here before we know it," Matthew responded to Dorothy's pause. "Time sure is flying by…."
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Matthew was happy the renovation finished on schedule. Mara's crib was no longer next to Dorothy's sculpting area; she had her own bedroom for her first birthday. Matthew's mother kindly offered to host her birthday party, and he was relieved to not be entertaining guests for a while.
He wanted to enjoy the spring weather with Aasifa. They'd managed a few rides in the summer, but Matthew was so busy with the renovation in the fall and winter that he felt guilty for not making making more time for her.
He decided he'd take a break from interior house projects for the season, and only write if inspiration struck. Instead, he'd focus on moving the garden next to the house and expanding it. This task was surprisingly quick, so he also added a fence for better protection from the local deer. Aasifa was not impressed by the fence. She'd huff at it every time Matthew was close enough to hear.
"You can still get in there to snack on the plants," Matthew reminded her. "Not only can you reach the apple tree from outside the fence, but I've also seen you open gates… and there's more plants now, so in a few weeks you'll have more variety than last year."
Aasifa begrudgingly decided not to destroy it. Instead, she would just annoy Matthew a bit whenever she remembered the fence on their rides together. She was happy he was spending more time outside and that they were riding more. Aasifa hoped he was also making time for Dorothy; Aasifa sensed an intriguing darkness in Dorothy and wanted more time with her. Mara, too, was interesting to the unicorn. How strange that Sim babies could not walk even a yeear after being born… surely she'd figure it out soon?
"Do you want to go for a quick ride right now?" Matthew asked.
Aasifa nickered and positioned herself for Matthew to throw a saddle on. As soon as he mounted, she took off up the road, enjoying the breeze created by her speed.
***
Author's Notes:
Why, yes, one of the first things Dorothy did was steal candy from her own baby! Here’s literally the 2nd screenshot I took after Mara’s birth:
It's been another six months so I suppose it's time for another chapter. My apologies for the huge gaps in publishing—the last few chapters have been especially long and have required a lot of screenshot work.
The Button Ranch chapters are some of the most dramatically affected by the combination of: (1) my rotational gameplay not always producing great story pacing; (2) sometimes playing 2 weeks instead of 1 before switching households, then skipping them on the next rotation to keep the playtime equal; and (3) the changes to my Sims' lifespans I made for better real-life equivalency after I decided to write this SimLit (in-game week 36 🥲). I shuffled some of Matthew & Dorothy's life events around to hopefully create a better reading experience. 🙂
If you're curious, in my gameplay: Altman passed away in week 11; Matthew adopted Vernon and Petunia in week 13, then Bellatrix in week 14; Mara was born near the end of week 14; Matthew adopted Aasifa just after midnight making it technically the first day of week 15 before I switched households. Because I played for 2 weeks in a row instead of 1 week for that round, they were skipped for the next round and they weren't played until week 24. Mara aged into a toddler on day 1, Matt & Dorothy aged into adults on day 3, then Vernon passed away on day 5, and finally their second child was born on day 6 of week 24.
Thanks so much for reading!
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