With the new babies came big changes! For starters, we totally had to overhaul the dining room and kitchen to make them more functional rooms for our big family.
Kyle's room was moved to the third floor, since we didn't want to go up and down the stairs all night long taking care of the toddlers.
The last renovation was turning Kyle's old room into the babies nursery. This was so much more functional for us, as the master bedroom was also on the second floor. For awhile I breathed a sigh of relief. Our children were all thriving. Lyddia had gotten a new educational job, and Kyle's improved logic got him a higher paying job on the police force. Everything in our world seemed okay. Well, almost everything.
Although I had quit my job, Kale stubbornly refused to give up his. He didn't like the idea of staying home all day. I knew he loved the children, but it hurt that he wouldn't help me at all with them. Lyddia was gone all day now, Kyle didn't get home until Kale did, and I was their only caregiver all day.
I loved my children, I really did. But I wasn't getting enough sleep and taking care of four toddlers is much harder than it looks! To top it all off, I felt Kale was going through a mid life crisis of some kind. He hadn't been himself lately, and I felt the distance growing between us. He had wanted a family! And now I felt he practically raced out the door each morning to get away from us. I couldn't help getting depressed. Kale had been the rock in the stormy waves of my life. Kale wasn't Kale anymore. And because of this, I didn't feel like me anymore either.
Kale talked to Jessica Richards about better ways to upgrade the fire engine. Jessica was a very handy sim so she was really excited to learn new techniques for making the engine run better. Candace Roberts looked on, disgusted that Kale was giving Jessica attention. Jessica isn't nearly as pretty or smart as me. Candace thought absently to herself.
She glumly walked passed them. Every since Kale had transferred to The Hidden Springs Fire Station all Candace could do was think about him. She knew he was married, had toddlers even, but Candace couldn't help it. He was so...what was the word she was thinking of? Good. That was it. He was one of those sims that just made you want to be a better person. Save kittens from trees and all that. Candace didn't really care about being good, in fact most of her life she had been anything but good. Opposites attract. She concluded. Candace heard Kale laugh at something Jessica said. She would get his attention. And, unlike boring Jessica, she would keep it.
I looked down at the mess Theodore had made all over his walker. He had squished baby crackers all over it. I started to clean his hands with baby wipes. What was that terrible smell? I recognized the smell and cringed. Theodore smiled innocently at me. "I can't believe this! that is the fourth time today!" How many diapers had I changed today? I couldn't think straight. Must be because tonight was a Full Moon. That, and the fact that I had maybe slept three hours in the past two days.
Kale arrived home around eight. I was nearly in tears. "Where have you been? I really could use some help! Theodore has had a terrible day and Kambree won't stop biting and Hay-" Kale interrupted me. "I just got home! We put out three fires today. Give me some space." I was taken aback. "I haven't seen you all day!" I stated, feeling the urge to cry but trying to stop myself. For once, Kale didn't comfort me. "I'm going to go down to Hologram and clear my head." I stared in stunned silence as he walked out the door.
Several hours, and about twenty energy drinks later, Kale turned to the mixologist. "Can I have one more, please?" Jane looked at him feeling very sad for her boss. She had never seen him like this. "Mr. Graham, you've had more than enough..why don't you go home to your wife? Hmm? I'll call a cab."
Although Kale came home, I still felt that he was guarded and distant. I didn't want to overreact, I didn't want to panic, but something just didn't feel right. He did say sorry but for once there was no sincerity in his tone. I began to wonder how alike he and Kanoa actually were.
The next day I am ashamed to say, I had a lapse in judgement. Meaning, I judged I could take a ten minute power nap on the floor.....when I was really low on sleep. Needless to say, I was completely passed out whilst the toddlers watched me. They really are quite well behaved. Kale got home soon after I passed out.
"Hey Holly I-" He started to say. The toddlers looked up at him smiling and babbling in baby speak.
Kale scooped Holly up and carried her to the bed. He noted she felt lighter and worried about her weight. He had never told her, but this had always been of concern to him. She had always been quite skinny, frail to him.
He tucked her in. He felt like every kind of fool. When the toddlers were born, he had no idea how radically they would change everything. He and Holly had gone from being the cool, young fun couple who went places to the young family that stayed at home. Kale had been trying so hard to hold onto who he used to be that he almost forgot what he was. A husband. A father. He felt he was failing both miserably.
Kale knew he had to turn things around and sighed. It wouldn't be easy. Four toddlers. Yikes. But he wasn't going to risk losing Holly. She had grown thinner and had dark circles under her eyes. As painful as it was to admit, he was wrong. He decided to quit his job the next day.
Unfortunatly, Kale got called in for one last evening shift because Jennifer couldn't make it. Candace was delighted that he was working her shift, and promptly started a conversation. Candace leaned in. "Kale, there's something I've been meaning to ask you..." Kale nodded, oblivious. "Sure, anything."
Candace pulled Kale in close and kissed him square on the mouth. In the heat of the moment, Kale started to kiss her back and then pulled away sharply, feeling himself a complete idiot.
"Why did you do that? I'm married!" He said, clearly angry, but not sure how to handle it. He had gotten caught up in the moment for all of a half second, and felt heat rise to his face. Candace, still determined stated. "I really care about you, Kale. I always have. Please say you care too." Kale bit his lip so hard it bled. He had never hit a girl, but he wanted to now. "I will NEVER care about you that way, Candace." He spoke carefully, trying to put a wall between them. "I love my kids, my wife, and I won't jeopardize my family for you." His resolve strengthened and he went downstairs to the office to call Anderson. He was done. Without looking back, Kale came home.
He hugged me as soon as he saw me. I felt the tightness of his embrace. "What's wrong?" He sighed and conveyed what had happened. I was furious that Candace had kissed him, knowing full well he had a wife and kids!
Kale pulled back and looked at me. "I am so sorry, Holly, for not being there for you and the kids the last few weeks its just, this is so..." I interrupted, "Hard? Different? A huge Change?" Kale smiled. "Something like that, yes. And its all changing so fast, and I feel like I can't keep up." I grinned mischievously. "I can keep you on your toes." Kale pulled me in for a kiss. "I like the sound of that."
Oh, and incase you were wondering where Lyddia and Kyle were most of this chapter.
Lyddia: *crying* Aren't we so lucky? The Romance Movie Network has a Romance Movie Marathon, what are the odds of that?
Lyddia: *crying* Aren't we so lucky? The Romance Movie Network has a Romance Movie Marathon, what are the odds of that?
Kyle: *so bored he would rather watch paint dry* What did I do to deserve this!!!!!?
Things aren't perfect...they never are with a family this big! But they are better than they were. Kale and I are getting close again and it seems to me that his mid life crisis was completely averted.
End of Part 17
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