Gen 5 Chapter 8: New Beginnings

(Just a warning: This chapter is longer than most. Couldn't be helped. Sorry!)

As soon as both girls were asleep I called Phillip and told him of their arrival. There was a lot of gasping and shouting and laughing on his end of the phone. He was devastated he missed the birth and promised to come by the minute he was in town.

 In the late afternoon Phillip arrived at the end of my walk. "How are you feeling, beautiful?"
"I feel great actually. Maybe just a little tired."

"Well, you look great."

"Thanks. Are you ready to meet your daughters?"

"Yes I sure am. But before I do, I want to tell you something important."

"OK, what?"

"Well, while I was in Barnacle Bay, I did something a little bit impulsive, but now I'm really glad I did it, it was the right thing."

"Ok, what did you do?"

"I happened to run into the principal at the school there, who I've known for a long time. She told me they were looking for someone to teach world studies and geography. And... I applied for the job."

"Wow, that's great! You'd be a great teacher! But what about your traveling?"

"That's just it. While I was away, I kept thinking about you and our baby. At the time, it was just one baby I was thinking of, but anyways, I realized I didn't want to constantly be taken away from you both with trips anymore. I want to be closer, more available. Barnacle Bay is at least here in the same country. I'd be close."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Phillip was saying he was looking to settle in one place so he wouldn't have to be away from me, us, our babies. Barnacle Bay was still hours away, but it certainly wasn't as far away as his usual destinations.

"Wow, it would be so great to have you closer all the time."

"Now, obviously I haven't got the job yet or anything, but if it doesn't work out there might be some other schools close by that I could apply to."

"Well, I guess we can-"
Just then I was interrupted by the sound of one of our little girls crying. "Uh oh, we've taken too long. Come on daddy, maybe you can change your first diaper!"

Phillip was amazing with the girls. And the tear filled look he gave them the moment he first laid eyes on them was priceless.

"She really likes you, I can see how content she is in her arms."

"They are amazing, Patience I can't believe how much I love them and I've only know them 5 minutes!"

"I know. It really is amazing."

I watched him coo over both of the girls, and when little Ginger finally yawned in his arms, he put her to bed and we tiptoed out and down the stairs.
The first thing he did was gather me in his arms and kiss me intensely. "I really missed you."
"I missed you too."

"We seem to be saying that a lot to each other lately."

"Yeah, I know, it's not much fun."
Phillip suddenly looked very serious. "Patience?"
"Yes?"

"I want to run something by you. Just something I thought about on my trip. You don't have to give me an answer right now, you can think about it."

"Okay..."

"I was thinking about asking you to come with me if I get the job in Barnacle Bay."

With wide eyes, I said, "What? Really?"

"Yes. You and the girls. Barnacle Bay is only a few hours from here. I want to be able to really be there for you, not just visit on the weekends. And...I love you Patience. I want you to be with me. I hear they are building a fancy new cafe there, maybe you could get a job there and continue your career if you want."

"Wow" I didn't know what else to say.

"Don't worry, you don't have to give me an answer right now. You can take as long as you like to think about it. Whatever you decide is ok with me, we will make it work. But as for me, I'm ready for this. I want to be with you."

"Ok. I'll think about it." I couldn't help but kiss him again.

It was pretty late, and so Phillip stayed over that night, and we went to sleep. Phillip was sweet and got up with me to tend to the girls that night. But, was it ever hard to fall back asleep once I had been woken up. Not so much because of the girls, but because I couldn't stop thinking about Phillip's offer. Although I loved my job, and Sunset Valley, I knew my heart would always be with Phillip. And, the thought of moving didn't scare me one bit. If anything, I figured it would be one of the most exciting things I've done in my life if I did go with him. An adventure!

That morning, after we fed and changed both girls, I caught Phillip outside the kitchen again.
"I'll do it Phillip."

"Do what? You mean... move? Listen, you really don't have to decide anything today. You can-"

"Phillip! I don't need to think about it anymore. I want to be with you and if that means moving to Barnacle Bay, then I'm ready for that. But under one condition."

"Sure, ok. What?"

"I don't just want to move with you as your girlfriend. I want to be your wife."

Yep. That earned me one super surprised look from Phillip.

"You want to get married? Like, elope? I thought you said..."

"I know what I said before. Things have changed. My feelings have changed. I just want to be yours forever, and you to be mine. Eloping would be fine with me."
His smile got bigger and bigger and he gently guided my face to look in his eyes.

"So, you're saying all I have to do is promise to love and protect you always, and I can take you with me and hold you in my arms forever?"

"Yep. That's what I'm saying."

"DEAL!"

He kissed me, but then I realized something. "Wait, is it only a deal if you get the job in Barnacle Bay?"
He laughed. "If you'd let me, I'd make you my wife tonight."
"Whoa there..... you're serious? You'll marry me?"

"Yes, Patience, yes! I know how I feel about you and it's not changing anytime soon. I want to marry you. Ha! It feels so good to say that!"

"It feels good to hear you say it! Would you really marry me tonight?"

"Yes. I really would."

"OK. Then I think we should do it tonight. Why wait?"

"OK!"

Phillip went off to tell his roommate and tie up loose ends, and I secured a babysitter.
That night we met at a secluded beach.

We waited until the stars shone bright above us, and then we pledged our souls to each other and sealed our promise with a kiss. Phillip and I were husband and wife!

I was on cloud nine when I fell asleep in Phillip's arms that night knowing I'd get to do this for many more nights to come.
In the morning I saw Phillip on the computer, and when he saw me he quickly turned the screen off.

"I've got a surprise for you."

"Oh really, what's that?"

"A honeymoon!"

Somehow within a matter of hours, Phillip had hired a nanny, booked flights, and made our arrangements to spend 6 days in Egypt! All in the amount of time it took me to feed, change and snuggle the girls.

I couldn't believe it, I'd always wanted to see Egypt, and I was finally going to get to travel somewhere with Phillip! I was pretty anxious about leaving the girls, but Phillip pointed out to me that there was no time like the present because the girls were so young and I was off of work right now. He was right, I mean we may not be able to do this together for a long while!
We left that afternoon and soon we were on a plane, together as husband and wife, on a honeymoon adventure!

From the airport we went straight to the base camp of Al Simhara, where we would be staying. I must admit, I was a little surprised to find out we would be sleeping in tents, but honestly, I could have slept in the wilderness on a rock for all I cared. I was with Phillip, and that's all that mattered to me at that moment.

Once we were checked in and assigned a tent, Phillip took me to the open air market just over the hill. I had never seen anything like it in my life, I loved it!

The first stop was the bookstore, and I loaded up on what few cookbooks they had. Phillip found a novel too, and we decided to spend a little time in the Egyptian outdoors, reading and discussing our new finds.

After a while, we went back to base camp to rest and Phillip checked out the adventure board nearby. He came to me, and said, "Hey, there's an old tomb back behind the camp, you wanna go explore it with me?"
"Sure! Do we have the supplies we need?"

"Of course! While you were buying your cookbooks, I was buying supplies, come on!"

We entered the dim little room, and Phillip led the way, showing me through corridors, and moving statues to open other secret doors, this was so much fun! We found a few relics that Phillip said were fair game, we could keep them and check them out later at home.

We ended up spending the rest of the evening *ahem* exploring, and when it came time to sleep, I asked, "Well, shouldn't we be getting back? I'm exhausted."

"Oh, we're too far down in this tomb to get all the way back to the surface tonight. We'll stay the night down here."

"Down here? How?"

He pulled out a tent, and much to my surprise, had the thing constructed in only 10 minutes. "Ta-da!"
"Wow, that was pretty impressive!" I admired.

"So, what do you think? Is exploring tombs together as fun as you thought it would be?"

"Um, yeah, I guess... I mean, it's not that I'm not enjoying myself, but-"

"Ah, well, that's ok. It's not everyone's cup of tea."

"I definitely like the part of being here alone with you."

"Ah, yes, I do like that part too." And with that, he led me into our tent, and well, let's just say it was a wonderful honeymoon night.

The next morning, Phillip introduced me to a lovely invention called a "shower in a can". I can't say I prefer it to a regular shower, but it definitely did the trick. After eating a few morsels of dehydrated food, we made our way back to the surface, and towards the base camp.

Phillip got a call from one of his friends in Egypt, wanting to have his help with something, so I opted to stay behind and hang out until he was done. I think the jet-lag was catching up to me, and I just wasn't feeling up to trekking all over the desert today, which is what Phillip said he'd be doing mostly. I knew my way to the market and back to the base camp, and I figured that would be enough entertainment for me.

I made some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and loafed around a little at the camp before deciding to venture into the market place again.

I was still browsing from store to store when Phillip came walking through the door.

"Well, well, lookie who I found!'

"Hey there. I decided I wanted to shop a little more."

"Well, I'm glad I found you here, because I ran into one of my friends here, and they invited us to come visit them for dinner tonight."

"Oh, that sounds like fun! Sure!"

"And, another couple that I know asked if we would just at least stop by on our way, they are dying to meet you. Apparently all of my friends here are extremely surprised that I'm married now, and I'm pretty sure they want to see you in person, to make sure I didn't make you up."

"Ha! That's funny. Well, I'm excited to meet some of the local people here! Let's go!"

"OK! We're going to see the Hosni's first, they have a gift for you!"

"Cool!"

The Hosni's were a nice elderly couple who have lived in Al Simhara their whole lives.

We had to keep our visit brief, because the wife was not feeling well, but their gift for me was so perfect! A nice summery dress complete with sandals. They let me use their bedroom, and I tried it on, I loved this dress! While looking in the mirror, I noticed that the purple had finally faded from my hair. Thank goodness! I looked like my old self! I put my hair up to keep it out of my face in this sweaty, hot climate. I was so much more comfortable now!

We said our thank yous and good byes to the Hosni's, then headed over to the Hawas household for dinner.

They were a sweet family, and they all were so happy for Phillip and I. Phillip got along well with them, I could tell they were good friends.

Their daughter was begging for his attention all night, wanting Phillip to tell her all about life back in Sunset Valley.

It started to get late, so we left to head back to our base camp. Once we were outside, I looked up and was amazed at the number of stars in the sky. Not only did it seem as if there were more stars here, they were brighter too! I gasped at the beauty of it, which caught Phillip's attention.

"Ah, you noticed how impressive the night sky looks here, didn't you?"

"Yes... it's amazing!"

"Hmmmm..... shall we?"

I knew exactly what he meant. "Sure!"
We sat right there in the Hawas' yard, and admired the stars together.

"I can't believe you are here with me, and we are here enjoying this night together. It's like a dream come true."

"I know! It does feel like a dream. A very good dream."

"You know, that first night I met you, I had to leave to come here the next day, and I daydreamed the whole time I was here about you. I would have never guessed that the next time I came back here, I'd be bringing you here as my wife, and mother of my children."

I laughed. "Yeah, I bet you didn't see that one coming, neither did I!"

I woke up the next morning not feeling well. I don't know if it was something I ate, or just the stress of traveling, but I felt miserable. We went to the market to try to find something to settle my stomach, and while we were there, Phillip suggested I call home and check on the girls. "Maybe it will make you feel better."

So I called, and the girls were both doing well, and the nanny said they were some of the best babies she had cared for, they were both on the same schedule, and were sleeping well. It did make me feel better to know they were doing good, but it also started making me a little homesick too.

"I was talking to my friend, the shop owner here,  and he needs someone to track down some files for him. I know just who to see to get them. Would you like to come with me? It's going to be out at an oasis outside of town, it's beautiful!"

"Is it a long way there?"

"Well, yes. we probably won't get back until late afternoon. Are you not up to a long trip today? If not, I can go myself."

'"I hate to be a party-pooper, but I don't think it would be a good idea for me to go."

"Ok. Well, he also has a beautiful garden not far from base camp, he offered for us to pick some fruits to take with us, why don't you do that while I'm gone?"

"Ooooh, some exotic fruits! Yes, that sounds fun, I'll do that!"
Phillip told the store owner to let him know our plan, and then he left.

So, we both went our separate ways. The garden was pretty easy to find, and so beautiful! I couldn't believe I could pick whatever I wanted! I didn't want to be greedy, so I took a few plums, pomegranates, and grapes. I loved the view from the garden too!

I think the time outside relaxing did me some good because when I got back to base camp I was starving, so I made some fruit parfait with my new fruits. It was splendid!

Phillip didn't come back until nearly dark, and I was a mess when he got back. My illness had come back, and I missed our girls terribly. I was a pile of sniffles and tears when he got back to our tent.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Here I am on our honeymoon, crying, and sick, and all. I don't want to ruin our trip!"

"Aw, honey, it's ok! We've had a great trip up until now. If it makes you feel any better, I miss our girls too. You know, 6 days is an awfully long trip for someone's first international trip. Maybe I was a little too ambitious planning it for that long. Why don't we make arrangements to leave tonight? We've had a good stay. And I'd love to be snuggling our little girls by morning."

"Really? That would be great! Oh, Phillip, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry! We'll go on another trip another day. Maybe take the girls when they get older! Ok? So don't apologize anymore. It's ok. Let's go home."

And with that, we called, changed our flights, and we were home by morning.

Of course, I immediately ran upstairs and scooped up Ginger in my arms. Oh, it felt so good to be home!

Phillip was headed to the girls' nursery too, when he got a phone call.
"Patience, you aren't going to believe this. The principal from Barnacle Bay is here in town interviewing for that job, and they called me to come in and interview today! I guess we were meant to come back home early after all!"
"Wow! I can't believe it! That's great!"

"I have to go right now, they want to meet this morning. Hopefully I won't be long."

"Ok, Good luck!"

After the girls were fed and happy, I went downstairs to catch up on emails. Then, it hit me. Similar to how I felt in Egypt, but more intense, my stomach did a flip. Oh no....

Then I realized I hadn't eaten anything since our flight home. I went to the kitchen and whipped up the first thing that sounded good to me, some cobbler!

Phillip's interview went well, but he wasn't expecting to hear anything for a few days. In all this excitement, we almost forgot it was his birthday! Happy Birthday Phillip!

The next night I got the call that would change our lives. The secretary from the Par Excellence Prep School called to tell us that Phillip had got the job! We would be moving to Barnacle Bay! Looks like our next adventure had found us!

*buckey's notes*-   So, I realize I'm a liar, I said we'd see the twins grow up this chapter, but I didn't realize how much of Patience's story there was between the last chapter and the twin's birthday. So sorry about that! I promise for REAL you'll see them as toddlers in the next chapter.

As for the move to Barnacle Bay, well, something horrible happened to my save file after the trip to Egypt. I just recently got World Adventures, and found out the hard way that there are some glitches when you travel, and well, when I got back into my game after I had saved from them going to Egypt, the twins were unclickable. Everything I tried just made it worse, eventually the girls disappeared altogether, except for their thumbnail pictures to the left. SOOOO, after some major work, I got into a backup file and managed to salvage the household, and when I moved them into a completely new save file, they worked! Hence, the need for the move to Barnacle Bay. Luckily, I had played a few chapters ahead of where I had written, so I had time to fit in a move to Barnacle Bay in the story. :) 

One more thing. (eep, this post just keeps getting longer and longer O_O) I finally dug through old backup save files, and managed to find the Recurve Beach House that I used way back with Honeybee at the very beginning. It's in my studio if you'd like to download it, it can be found here:
http://www.thesims3.com/mypage/buckeygirl80/mystudio