1.9 - Something in the water

It's getting more difficult to bend over now, but Emma still tends to her garden and takes a walk every day to find more seeds to plant. She has surprised herself at sticking with it this long, considering its a lot of dirty exhausting work.

Plants, and babies are growing!

But more than anything else, Emma looks forward to her daily socializing. Part of her motivation to walk around town is so she can keep up on all the local gossip.

"I heard Imogen Pelly dumped Kanoa Parrott like a pile of dirt as soon as his wife kicked him out ..."

Melody Barnes has quickly become one of Emma's favorite playgroup Moms. She just had a baby too, and Emma can't wait for her own little one to someday play with Melody's little girl Bethany.

Emma feels like she can really open up to Melody, and confesses that the money troubles at home have strained her relationship with her husband Simon.

"We've had no money for months, and I just keep charging stuff on the credit card ..."

But Melody's a great friend, and reassures Emma, the same as Susannah did, that life has a funny way of working itself out somehow.

"Just think Emma, you're going to be a Mother any day now, and soon that's all that will matter."

Motherhood seems to be something many women in Appaloosa Plains are experiencing right now. Everywhere you turn, someone's having a baby.

Jacqueline Lanson, Jazlyn's good friend who lives across the street, just had a baby. She must have been pregnant when they last met and didn't know it yet.

Jacqueline went into labor at Flying V's in the middle of a live show much to the proprietor's dismay ... "Can somebody please help me clean this mess off the stage!?"

And even Jazlyn's sister, Hailey Shepherd is pregnant from an apparent "software failure" on her boyfriend's part, she says jokingly when Emma meets her and Jazlyn while out for a walk.

Hailey: "Hey we must shop at the same Mother & Baby store! Did you see the sale on designer baby shoes?"
Jazlyn: "I warned you there was something in the water here Emma, now everyone's popping out kids!"

She finds out that Hailey's moved out of the house she shared with her boyfriend and other roommates and is staying with Jazlyn to help out around the house until her own baby arrives.

They're all invited to Jacqueline's baby celebration party that evening, but Jazlyn doesn't seem to be up for anything at all ...

"I think I'm going to go down to the library to read some baby books before the party - I'll meet you there!"
 (Somebody please get Jazlyn a good stiff drink will ya ? ...)

Poor Emma, still pedaling around everywhere on that bicycle! Well at least she's keeping in shape.

(You are a really tolerant Sim Emma, that's all I gotta say - crazy Watcher's random rolls!!)

Emma's feeling a bit overheated when she gets to the library, but she finds the pregnancy book she wants to read and heads for a comfy seat, waddling the whole way.

"Expecting the unexpected" - wow ain't that right ...

On the way there, she gets stopped unexpectedly by someone she's never met but heard a whole lot about and seen around town. How can you miss her in those wild colors?

She rounds the corner nearly bumping into Emma, a sneer on her face as she looks Emma up and down.

"Oh look, its little Miss Goody-two-shoes!"

Imogen Pelly, local fashion train wreck and home-wrecker too apparently. All too eager to take a swipe at Emma for her 'outing' of the affair between her and Kanoa Parrott, Imogen decides the public library is a great place to go public with some choice name-calling. She even goes so far as to poke Emma's tummy with one neon painted fingernail and proclaim that Emma's 'brat' was probably Kanoa's too!

Well that was the one thing that finally makes Emma snap, and the protective Mama bear comes out.

"Don't you ever touch me again!  You don't even know me - but I assure you I know plenty about you and can make sure the entire town does too, with some nasty photos of you if I need to!!"

Emma's just getting warmed up now!

"You're CRAZY lady! Batshit CRAZY! You stay away from me and my husband or I'll post all the pictures on the computers here at the library ... I'll do it, I swear I will!"

Sufficiently threatened, Imogen storms out of the library in a huff without another word. But then Emma sees Imogen out in the parking lot screaming at Kanoa who had the misfortune of driving up just then. Imogen throws one of her spiked heels at Kanoa before zooming off in her sports car.

Emma decides she's got one more thing to say to Kanoa ... so she corners him in the parking lot too. Everyone's looking out the windows by now.

"I see now you never left our college days behind Kanoa Parrott. You had better wise up and GROW UP!"

Kanoa gets a full lecture from Emma about his immaturity and irresponsible behavior as well as letting down his entire family. Kanoa hangs his head in shame, but Emma's not convinced. She knows he's just a scoundrel and will stay a party boy forever.

"You could at least go see your kids and try to be a Dad since you fail so hard at being a husband!"

Wow - you GO Emma!! 

Completely wound up, Emma decides she needs to calm down for a few minutes, so she slips into the small back patio of the salon and lays down on a lounge chair to try and get her breathing back to normal. For some reason she feels so angry and tense, and its made her belly start to hurt a little too ...

Emma calms down and decides she's okay -  ignoring the tiny little pains as nothing ...

She gets an offer for a ride as she walks her bike slowly back towards home. It's Ruben Reid again, who keeps appearing like a knight on horseback - but this time its just a beat up old pickup truck. She accepts his offer as they're both going to Jacqueline's and he throws her bike in the back of the truck.

At the party, Emma tries to concentrate on what Ruben's asking Jacqueline. The house feels too warm and there's far too many people here talking and laughing ... Emma feels claustrophobic and sweaty.

Glazed smile. This is definitely not the usual Emma at a party ...

All of a sudden, what had at first just been a little twinge made Emma double over in pain and cry out.

A social butterfly's worst nightmare ... having your water break at a party with everyone watching (and freaking out)!

Everyone's useless, even Ruben Reid doesn't come to her rescue this time. Emma puffs and blows through the next rapid contraction and finally gets a minute to call Simon on her cell phone.

So typical Sims ... everybody freak out instead of helping the poor lady get to the hospital!

Simon had just gotten home from work and was playing with Cupid when he gets the call from Emma.

That moment right before your entire life changes ...

Fortunately she's only two houses away at the neighbor's so he rushes down the sidewalk to meet her.

"Just stand still ... I'm HERE!!" he yells.

One of the few times they actually took a taxi anywhere (and he even got the carpool happy moodlet) ... to rush Emma to the hospital.

Good job Dad-to-be - now get in there and have that baby!!

Many long hours later and well into the night, almost nearing dawn, Emma gives birth to a healthy baby girl, who she names 'Isabel' after her best friend back in St. Claire who ran the Simfest what seemed like ages ago.

New Mommy and Daddy, exhausted but headed home with a new daughter!

Isabel is already hungry as soon as they get home, so Emma feeds her and rocks her to sleep.

"You're a hungry nooboo!"

What a wonderfully happy ending to a very long and somewhat drama-filled day!

Mommy bonding with baby.

Poor Cupid, temporarily forgotten in all the excitement, parks himself at the base of the stairs, where he can guard over the entrance to the baby's room as well as his beloved Sims upstairs, finally resting after a long night at the hospital.

The loyal friend sleeps, keeping an ear out for burglars or crying babies.

Go HERE to read the next chapter:  1.10 - "Salad Days"


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Notes: Such a fun chapter to write, sorry it's so long!

- Imogen really did saunter up to Emma and start doing the 'crazy' routine (she's apparently got insane trait) to Emma, so it was just the perfect setup for some pre-labor anger explosion.

- I had taken Emma all over town that day, knowing she would eventually go into labor. I had actually been shooting for the library doing it. But by evening, and the party, I started to think maybe I was off a day. I was thrilled when she did a dramatic party labor scene, haha! Completely unplanned there too.

- Lastly, seeing Cupid sleeping at the foot of the stairs makes me sad because my beloved white shepherd used to do that same thing. She wanted to be able to see the front door while sleeping relatively nearby to warn us. She was such a wonderful watchdog. I miss her!