1.12 - The Sink That Broke The Llama's Back

The day of the Barnes fancy catered party arrives. Emma's very excited to show off some of her new dishes she's cooked as well as her fine produce. Darryl has asked her to be there early, so Emma leaves Isabel home with Simon. They're hanging out together on the porch when the mail arrives.

A strange Sim secret revealed ...

"Why do you insist on throwing the mail on the ground when the mailbox is right there??"

The mailman looks embarrassed for a minute. "Uh. Sorry. Your wife usually takes it. Your, err, mailbox is glued shut."  He's suddenly in a big hurry to get back to his mail route.

How very odd. 

But now. Simon knows.

"She's been keeping this from me, all this time?"

 And without another word, pays the ovrdue bills. All of them.

"And this brings our savings back down to zero. Done."

But Simon's nonchalant attitude hides the neurotic side... lurking, and waiting for a freak out. He makes a very bad decision to go immediately to the party at the Barnes house.

Another all time social low point for Emma occurs, ranking right up there next to going into labor at a party. Getting into a huge fight with your husband about money. At a party full of rich people.

Confronting your wife, at a party, with your kid watching, minus 500 points buddy!

Emma can't believe Simon would get so mad about anything worth making a scene at a party.

"Simon this is a very important party. What are you doing here --- wearing a camouflage cutoff shirt?!"

But now its Simon's turn to really let Emma have it.

In a mean mocking tone, "What's the matter Emma, your snooty friends might cut you off the VIP list?!"

And now that he's started, he can't stop. He accuses Emma of lying to him and hiding the truth about her credit card bills which he just paid out of their household retirement savings!

"I thought we had a trusting marriage Emma, but clearly your priorities are somewhere else and not with me or Isabel!"

Simon storms out of the party, leaving Emma to stammer and try to save face with everyone who had heard the whole thing.

"Oh wow, I'm so sorry. He's been really stressed out lately ..."
Jaqueline Lanson and Darryl Jackson are both thinking: "Awkward!"
(Nevermind Melody back there in her swimsuit, it was supposed to have been a swimming party!!)

Isabel tries to change the subject too ...

"Daggins are THE BESTEST. Someday I'm going to find one and fly away!"

Things really start to go downhill now. Emma doesn't even come home most evenings, staying late at Melody's or with her other friends while Simon stays home with Isabel.

Sneaking upstairs like a teenager out after curfew is pretty miserable.

Simon takes care of Isabel's early morning wake up and breakfast every day before he heads to work.

"DADA!! ... Daggin!"

Isabel can climb out of her crib and her high chair now (clever monkey). Simon's glad he's sleeping downstairs to hear her wake up for more reasons than just avoiding Emma.

"What? I am just an innocent baby, playing in my food!"

However, everyone does keep a closer eye on Isabel, especially outside.

Once she learns to walk ... she literally starts to run. Everywhere! She seems fearless, and loves being outdoors more than anything in the world. She cries if she's brought indoors except to sleep!

Cupid keeps a very close eye on the little pup who runs on two legs.

Emma still takes Isabel out daily for their social rounds. But Isabel is much less happy about that now and often tries to run away or climb out of her stroller.

Emma tries not to worry too much, Isabel couldn't possibly know how strained things were between she and Simon now, right?

But Isabel KNOWS. 

Emma tries to cheerfully plow on with life, attempting to maintain some semblance of normalcy even though she spends all day with Isabel and Isabel spends all evening with Simon. The two are never together with her.

Emma potty trains Isabel, who thankfully turns out to take to it very quickly.

"Daggin??"

And she buys her some picture books, to teach her counting, and more words.

"Twooo Daggin!"

Emma has no idea why Isabel keeps saying "Daggin" ... though she taught her to talk, not every word makes sense.

It's the first thing she asks for in the morning when she wakes up.

"Mama! Daggin!!"

But Isabel keeps crying for "Daggin" all the time, and Emma's frustrated on top of already being stressed out about Simon.

"Waaah, Daaaggin. Daaaaagin!"

But Daddy knows what "daggin" means ...

He's been taking Isabel along on his zoological study trips around town.

"And this, Isabel, is a little horned toad, which is actually a reptile, not an amphibian"
Isabel: "DAGGIN!"

And Isabel has her very own special one ...

"Dada Daggin! Izzy Daggin!" ...but Simon still insists "No this is not a dragon, just a very distant cousin."

Isabel squeals with babyish delight as she looks up to see the 'real' dragons ...

"DAAAGINS!" (And now we find out Isabel is brave!)

This is now Isabel's favorite place in her whole tiny world of existence.

The oddly creepy (and closed down) Fossilized Dinosaur Park.

Today's a good day. Simon gets a call from his boss. His internship is complete, he's now obtained his goal (and lifetime wish) to become a Zoologist!

"20 different animals caught, tagged, and released back into the wild!"

He gets a promotion at work too.

And promptly freaks out.

"Zabadadoodeee!"

Clearly, the stress of work and a strained marriage is getting to Simon.

Home life isn't so great either.

Emma comes home to find the dog, and Isabel, soaked and playing in the water as Simon tries to repair the sink - again.

And once again, the fighting starts up.

"I don't hear you Emma."

And goes from bad to worse.

(Noooo...you didn't really just go there!?!)

But Emma's lost all her fight. There's just no reason to keep this up anymore, is there?

"Do you even love me anymore Simon?"

The awkward silence that follows is unbearable.

Simon does love her, but just like her, unhappiness is making it hard to find.

The sudden realization that its over.

Emma makes an awkward phone call to her Mother the very next morning.

"Hi Mom, its Emma. Can Isabel and I come stay with you and Dad for awhile?"

All the details come spilling out now. The fights, the lack of money, Simon's strict rules about buying things and never having visitors. Of course Emma's Mother thinks this sounds absolutely terrible. This is no way for her daughter to live.

"No, things aren't going so well. I think I'd like to start a new career - maybe go to culinary school or something?"

Emma's Mother is delighted to have her daughter and granddaughter return to St. Claire and they work out all the details. Isabel's birthday is in a few days, and they will make the trip soon after that, before she starts school.

"We're going to go see the big city Isabel - you will love it!"

But Isabel firmly lets her Mom know, even as a toddler, that this idea does not make her happy.

"Mama Sad. Izzy Sad"

 This is definitely not going to be an easy departure.


---

Read on to Ch. 1.13 - "If You Love Something, Set It Free ..." HERE!


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Notes:

So sorry for dragging this one out!! It's my founder family. I invariably always get attached to them the most, and spend a long time developing their story - and this is my first time trying to write it in story format though I've done legacies up to around 5 gens before on my own. Rolling "second chance" has made it a harder beginning than the happy "Grandma and Grandpa" scenario one typically wants for the heir - so things start out rough for little Isabel - BUT - as you can see, she's tough (and has a mind of her own already) - she'll do great. She got Brave and Loves Outdoors for her first two traits. =)

Also - I probably started Emma and Simon breaking up too early based on how I want my plot to go. This first run is really trial and error like I said, new to the storytelling part. I think I probably should have waited until Isabel was through toddler days. SO many things to do with the walking/talking/books/potty routine which I really wanted her Mama to do.

So yeah... Generation One will be a long one for me, but the legacy will move on - haha!