I feel like a creep sneaking into my own house the next morning while Maia and Tami are still sleeping, but I need to get some work done at my media station. I received hundreds of replies to the livestream I recorded yesterday, and I want to go in and respond to some of them… although most of the comments focus on my haircut, not my content. A few of them make me chuckle:
“When hubby cuts his hair, but he still fine.”
“I don’t get why sims grow their hair long just to cut it all off!!!”
“Bro must really be going through something if he cut his locs.”
“I want to drown in those waves!”
“His edges sharp, though.”
It’s wild how people are so focused on appearance. I recorded that livestream to help people change their lives for the better—but they’re caught up in the waves in my hair. I do my best to respond to the more productive comments, then get up and hurry out the door before I run into Maia and Tami.
My stomach does a little flip as I look around for Hiro, hoping to take him for a jog. I even reach out for his leash on the wall—only to realize the only jogging he’ll be doing now is in doggy heaven. I take another look at Hiro’s leash, and my heart breaks, knowing my jogs will be solo from now on.
I do my best to leave my grief at the door, but it follows me down the street and throws a memory at me full blast when I arrive at the Manzanita Street market. When Maia and I were still dating and arrived in San Sequoia so I could meet her father, this was the first place we stopped. She talked about how she dreamed of opening a food stand right here. Standing in this spot brings back the enthusiasm I heard in her voice.
That was so many years ago, and her dream still hasn’t come to life. Am I the cause of that?
Maia brought up the idea again when Tami was still a toddler. And what did I do? I suggested we go to Cuidad Enamorada because I wanted to propose. It felt so important at that moment. But it was just one of the many ways I unknowingly disregarded her wants and needs. She put it off again, and now Tami is a teenager. No wonder Maia wants out of this relationship.
I’ve missed the boat so many times. And now the very last one has left the dock. I’m out of time and out of luck. The reality of that hits me in the stomach like a freight train as I turn to head back home to shower and change. I need to visit my friend Luca. I wonder what he’d have to say about all of this.
(If you’re interested, you can read about Dub’s visit with Luca here on Stories by Jes2g’s page. This link takes you to her website!)
Maia sits in a hot bath, trying to keep her thoughts from drowning her. Today is the day. Although she’s still sad about losing Hiro yesterday, she has to get back on her feet and open her food stand. It’s something she’s been putting off for years, and now the only thing holding her back is her thoughts.
Maia’s thoughts:
So here you are again… wishful thinking. Where has it led you so far?
You were never marriage material, and now you’re on the brink of divorce.
You should never have become a mother, and now you’ve raised a brat.
What makes you think you can open a food stand?
You’re nothing but a poor girl from central San Sequoia. No one ever escapes from that.
Maia reaches down and pulls the plug in the tub, allowing the water and negative thoughts to swirl aggressively down the drain in loud glugs. She’s opening her food stand today. And she will be successful.
After she dresses, she finds Tami in the kitchen.
Maia: Good morning! Today is the day!
Tambara: For what?
Maia: I’m opening my food stand at the Manzanita Market. Want to come? I could use the help.
Maia can almost hear Tami’s brain trying to conjure up a good excuse.
Tambara: Uh, no. I have some studying to do. I’m behind, remember?
Maia: *disappointed* Yeah, I remember.
Tami grabs food from the fridge and walks toward the table.
Tambara: But can you take me to Chestnut Ridge when you’re done? I want to see Finesse.
Maia sighs at Tami’s indifference—it reminds her of Dub.
Maia: Maybe. We’ll see.
(Author’s Note: Maia wearing a bra in the tub is a bug. Please ignore. Who knows when it will be fixed – lol)
Maia arrives at the market and stares at the empty booth, taking a mental inventory of everything that could go wrong.
Maia’s thoughts:
No one is going to show up. You’ll cook and cook, and there’ll be no one to eat it.
Are the ingredients fresh enough? What if someone gets sick?
What if a health inspector stops by and shuts you down?
Will anyone enjoy the food? You’ve never cooked for a crowd before—do you even know what you’re doing?
No, no, you don’t. You know it as well as I do.
Maia has two choices: she can turn and run back home, or step into that booth and start cooking.
Maia chooses to cook.
The waffle iron has barely preheated before a potential customer approaches Maia.
Potential Customer: Hey, I haven’t seen you before. Are you going to open this place up?
Maia: Uh, yeah. I was hoping to.
Potential Customer: Good! We’ve been waiting for some new and exciting food!
Maia already feels overwhelmed.
Maia: We? I don’t know how new and exciting—
Before Maia can finish, the guy calls over another sim.
Potential Customer: She’s about to open this place up!
Second Potential Customer: Nice! We should tell everyone we know.
Maia: No, please… it’s only my first day.
Maia’s voice is quiet and unsure. Both guys ignore it and pull out their cell phones.
Maia finishes her first batch of berry waffles and sets them out on the table. Both guys purchase a plate, take a bite, and remark on how incredible they taste. Soon, several other people walk over—each of them buys a plate, and every one of them enjoys it. One guy even returns for a second order.
Maia, feeling a bit more confident now, begins to call customers over to try her food.
A few hours drift into that magical hour when some restaurants begin serving brunch. Maia continues making waffles, but decides to expand her menu and prepare a veggie pizza as more customers arrive.
Female Customer: I heard you’re serving the best waffles in town! I’ll take two orders.
With renewed energy, Maia expertly serves her customers while managing the cooking. She’s moving without thinking. No one has complained, and nothing has burned. Maia realizes that she can do this. She was always meant to do this.
It’s like when she set out to complete her frog collection and helped fill the pond at the Skills Academy in Brindleton Bay. Or when she was asked to donate for the exhibit at the Deadgrass Museum. This is the Maia she used to be.
She bows her head slightly in greeting as she welcomes that old Maia back into her life.
Maia has survived the initial rush, but more customers arrive as the hours pass. Before long, she’s out of ingredients and has nearly sold out of food. She even sells some of her prepped chopped veggies—though there’s nothing particularly special about them. Still, her customers rave that they’re the freshest they’ve ever tasted.
Left with only a few slices of pizza (which she plans to take home for her and Tami’s dinner), Maia apologizes to the remaining customers.
Maia: Thank you all for coming, but I’m sold out for the day. I’ll be back tomorrow with even more breakfast and brunch choices!
The stragglers begin to wander off to other parts of the market as Maia closes her stand, several hundred simoleons richer. She can only hope to repeat her success tomorrow. After all, it’s not unusual for new restaurants and food stands to be flooded with customers on the first day—only to fade into “out of sight, out of mind” in the days that follow.
I leave Luca’s house and arrive home to find Tami standing on my porch. I walk up in a slight panic—right now, I can’t take any more bad news.
Tami sees me and hurries down the stairs.
Tambara: Hi, Daddy!
Her hug reassures me that everything is alright.
Wade: Is everything okay?
Tambara: No! Mom promised me she’d take me to Chestnut Ridge after she finished her food stand thing—
Wade: Food stand thing?
Tambara: Yeah, she opened her stupid food stand or whatever. Focus, Daddy!
Something in the way Tami says that rattles my nerves. I’m proud of Maia, finally living out her dream.
Wade: It’s not stupid, Tami. You should congratulate your mom. Opening that stand has been her dream for years. Did she say how she did?
Tambara: I didn’t ask. Anyway, I need you to take me to Chestnut Ridge so I can ride my horse.
I say the one word I should’ve said to Tami a hundred times over the years, even though it hits my system like jumping into an ice-cold pool.
Wade: No.
Tami flinches as if I slapped her.
Tambara: No? What do you mean?
Wade: You don’t know what no means? Take out your cell phone and look it up.
Tambara: I know what it means, Daddy. But why did you say it?
Wade: Because you have no respect for your mother or what she accomplished today. She’s put off her dream your entire life, and you call it stupid. We won’t step foot in Chestnut Ridge again until you go in there and tell your mother how proud you are. And then you need to ask her if I can take you.
Tami’s face shifts through several emotions before settling on something apologetic.
Tambara: Okay, Daddy. I’m sorry. I’ll go tell her and ask right now.
Wade: And don’t just say it, you’d better mean it. I’ll call Mr. Xavier to see if Finesse is available.
Tami hurries inside with a completely different attitude, and I pull out my phone.
(Generation 4 Chapter Summaries)
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