Karen had a secret.
They had decided that Jasmine would be their last child. The house already felt too small and Sam was delighted with each of his daughters. But Karen secretly wanted a son, a little Sam Jr. running around. And so she resisted his attempted to have a vasectomy and insisted her birth control pills were enough. Why spend time and money at the hospital for an unnecessary procedure?
Only she hadn’t been taking the pills. Just one more, she promised herself. For Sam. If they’re a girl, she’ll give up. So when the familiar nausea hit, she clamped her mouth shut and smiled.
“Are you okay,” Sam was too perceptive by half, but it helped that everyone was a little under the weather. Evelyn had a cough she could not shake, they were pretty sure Jasmine had bloaty head, and she’d even caught Sam trying to hide his own dizzy spells. So she shook her head and admitted she might have a touch of whatever was going around the house.
The doctor confirmed her suspicion and suddenly she was simultaneously thrilled and terrified. What would Sam say when she told him? Sometimes the pill didn’t work? She wouldn’t be able to hide it for long.
Sam knew something was wrong with Karen. He was listening to the girls chatting on about some new card collection with one ear, but most of his attention was on Karen.
She poked at her food, pushing it from side to side on her plate, but he hadn’t seen her take a bit in five minutes. She swallowed and looked up, he knew she noticed him watching her. Suddenly she stood up and started collecting plates.
“Okay girls, have you finished your homework?” she asked. They scrambled for their notebooks. Sam watch Karen move into the kitchen, alert. He added up all the little clues. He had seen this behavior before. Not the guilt that she felt, that was new, but the rest…that he knew well.
The girls were emersed in their homework. He knew they would soon be done and begging for stories again. He didn’t have a lot of time. Sam joined Karen in the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her. He felt her stiffen and freeze.
“When were you going to tell me?” She melted into him and Sam knew his guess was right. “How long?”
“Four weeks?”
Sam pulled her closer to him. Four weeks and he hadn’t known? That left only 8 more before the child would be born. He’d already missed out on one month.
“Why?” he asked.
“I didn’t think you’d approve.” She said softly.
“Whether I approve or not, you can’t imagine that I would reject our child?” he stressed the our.
She shook her head.
It pained Sam that what should be happy news was now tinged with sadness. “No matter what,” he said, “I love you, Karen, and all our children.”
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Author’s Note: Okay I’ll admit, I’m projecting my desires on Karen, but I really want to give them one more try. And it seemed like something Karen might want. She really admires Sam and I think would like to have a mini-Sam running around as much I do. Also…yeah – um…ignore the fact Sam and Karen completely change clothes in that last scene, please? I promise I’ll do better in the future.
Raerei's Fortress 
I really liked this one! And I liked the inclusion of sim-pregnancy timelines 😛 The last two shots are very lovely too 🙂 Nooboo #4 is on the way!
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Yup. For better or worse, Karen and I conspired against Sam to have another try.
You liked that it takes 9 months and not there days? 🙂
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Hahaha I must have misread the timing XD It sounded like three months to me, which I assumed came form the three days 😛 Realistic timelines are good too 😉
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You make me doubt myself, but nope, he definite said 8. Although 3 months makes a lot of sense for sims. The Huffmans are kind of in between, were dancing on the edge of sim/real people. For example, I don’t think the gallery exists here, or legacy challenges, but both did in my pigglewiggle legacy. But there is that odd lack of toddlers… :p
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I think I see where she got that impression because I got it too lol. This is what it says: “Four weeks and he hadn’t known? That left only 8 more before the child would be born.”
The first sentence said four weeks, and then the next said “8 more” which implies eight more weeks seeing as how only weeks were mentioned. Sorry…went all grammar nerd on ya LOL. XD
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Perhaps rearrange the two sentences like this:
Sam pulled her closer to him. Four weeks and he hadn’t known? He’d already missed out on one month. That left only 8 more before the child would be born.
Ok…I’m done now lol.
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Haha – yeah on the second read through I realized what I’d done. I think I meant to write “months'” instead of “more” – but it is very clearly poorly written!
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No! Not poor. Just a tiny error 🙂
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Aaah. I’ve been sitting here trying to work out the math for the last five minutes haha! 3 months would totally make sense in the sims world, mind 😀
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If only I had thought of it, I probably would have done that!
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Ya know, if you hadn’t pointed out the clothing change I never would have noticed. LOL Actually, I can totally see her doing what she did with her personality so it fits well in the story even if it was your wish for another baby that made it happen.
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Haha! There’s always that risk when you point out errors in clothes and stuff. Drawing attention to what wouldn’t have been noticed.
I thought it fit as well, Karen is a bit selfish, so if she wants another baby, she’d probably do it no matter what. Plus Sam is a family lineage aspiration I think, the one where he needs four kids or grandkids. So it fit there too. But it didn’t fit Sams personality to be the one who wanted a fourth in such a tiny house….I’m going to have to add on this generation, I was really hoping to avoid that…
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Oh it only makes me adore Sam more … Sweet Karen knows she has a good baby daddy
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That she most defiantly does!
You remind me, I really must remember to plan for weddings. In my head these two are married, but I’ve not managed to do it in game. o.O
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I hope they have a little Sam too! And he better look just like him too LOL.
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LOL hadnt noticed the clothes change so never worry about us! and yay heres hoping for a baby!
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Yay. Yes. I do want a boy…since Sam is family oriented I figure he secretly doesn’t mind.
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Of Course not! Oh and I stated Jasmine looks like Sam but after Seeing Arty again she looks like her granpa too I wish they could have met him 😦
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Arty’s ghost is around, but I’m not sure which kids know him. I do know he tended Jasmine when she was an infant.
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Awe so so sweet!
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i can totally see Karens personality in this one. She wants what she wants and is in line with easier to ask forgiveness than permission.
With the three girls already sharing a bedroom it’s not going to be easy to not add on and while Sam is family motivated, he may not have wanted the expense of the addition to the home.
As a reader I’m happy though because yay Nooboo!!!
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I’m thrilled too – because well, I made them do it. I have risky on, but for this one we tried. (Karen and I) :D.
She’s got a strong personality, and isn’t as accepting as Sam and can work herself in knots, but she’s good people. And Sam adores kids, so he probably just didn’t want to say anything because he didn’t want to make her have to go through pregnancy again. But I’m pretty sure he’d be up for ten kids given the chance.
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Oh Karen, maybe yo should have talked about it instead of not taking your pills? But still, I’m happy that there is another baby on the way 🙂
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Lol – so true. It wasn’t a very smart decision. Luckily Sam adores kids and knows they’ll make it work.
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