Chapter 6.11: New Routine

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From Sirio's diary

Cassy: Hi Sirio! 

In no time, having received the news of Alba's birth, all my family and friends rushed to us for the customary congratulations and to meet the baby in person. They had been working on the paperwork required to come here for weeks, and their tourist visas arrived just in time, but they just couldn't miss such a moment!

Cassy: Hey, hi Alba!

Mom cuddled her a little more, before adding, with a hint of nostalgia in her voice:

Cassy: She looks a lot like you did when you were just born, you know Sirio?

On the surface we all seemed as happy as ever, but underneath we also harboured worries and sadness. In case you haven't noticed, dear diary, aunt Venus didn't make it to come with the others, she fainted and her doctors preferred to admit her to hospital. To be honest, by now both the mom and aunt Venus are really very old, and their health condition is visibly deteriorating.

Sirio: Mom, are you sure everything's is fine with...

Cassy: … Worrying about us wouldn't solve anything at all, would it? And now you have better things to think about!

Sirio: …

Mom is trying to do her best not to be a burden for us, but despite everything it's really hard for me not to worry about her. At least it comforts me to hear her so serene these days, her speech is not just an act.

With these premises, we could not have been really surprised when shortly after we were informed of aunt Venus's passing, while about mom…

She had suddenly felt unwell while she was at our house, there was nothing they could do. I have already said that it was an inevitable event, and that mom doesn't seem to have left any regrets behind her, but it really hit me hard…

Maki: (cautious) Hey, Sirio… You're really glowing a lot tonight.

Sirio: You don't need to worry about me, really…

Maki: (softly) You always go out of your way to help everyone else, but there's nothing wrong in receiving some help sometimes, you know?

She didn't add anything else, just hugged me tight for I don't know how long. She understands me really well, it really was what I needed at that moment.

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Months went by, and one way or another life goes on. With two little girls, one of which being a newborn, there is certainly no shortage of things to do around the house, not at all.

Lily: I tell you there's a monster under the bed! I'm going to wake up mom, she knows what to do!

Techna: I'm a robot programmed to protect humans from any threats, I'm confident I'm able to take care of it by myself.

Lily: (unconvinced) Uhm…

Techna: I'm sure spraying some water will make it run away!

Lily: This sounds silly to me, what monster would be afraid of water?

[*A visibly offended Nacho flees from under the bed, unnoticed by anyone else*]

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Alba is growing so quickly, lately she is learning how to stand up and stagger around the house.

Maki: Hi honey, ready to play?

Alba: Huh!

Maki: You like hugs at least as much as your dad does, you know?

Lily: She's so boring, all she does is sleeping!

Maki: It's normal, you did it too at her age.

Lily: …

Lily still doesn't seem particularly enthusiastic about her little sister. The fact that they share the same bedroom, and therefore she is the first to wake up every time Alba is crying, probably doesn't help either. But this apartment is quite small, and we certainly can't afford to rent a larger place anytime soon.

In essence, we are all entering a new and chaotic routine, with the typical ups and downs of everyday life. Maybe we need to distract ourselves a little, right? Here in the city they don't seem to know about this festivity, but I think I have the right idea to spend a different day from usual...

Sirio: Food is ready!

Lily: But why do you have a bell?

Sirio: It's traditional, isn't it funny?

Maki: I believe that once upon a time they celebrated Harvestfest in here too, but I had never taken part in it.

Sirio: Instead in New Sixam we celebrate it practically every year, it is one of our main celebrations to be honest!

Maki: Really? I didn't expect your celebrations to be so normal, don't you have any day about spaceships and such?

Sirio: Ehm... I don't think there was any real celebration on Sixam… So we ended up borrowing the ones we found when coming here on Earth, I think.

Lily: Do you just eat during Harvestfest?

Sirio: No, actually we usually thank for what we are grateful for.

Lily: Um.

Maki: Well, then I'll start by saying I'm very thankful for how things have been over the last few months because, believe it or not, they've been some of the quietest in my life so far!

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Meanwhile Techna has resumed building spare parts for their maintenance. They are keen to follow all the latest in robotic technology news, and are now also looking to change the electrical connections they use to recharge to be compatible with local electrical sockets.

I, on the other hand, have to maintain the inspiration levels required to make interesting paintings, a new exhibition is approaching and this may be a good chance for me to be noticed. I may also be Maki's partner, but she certainly won't exhibit my paintings unless they are better than the other options, she is extremely fair from this point of view.

Maki is gaining quite of a reputation as an exhibitions planner, and we are all working hard to make the next one as successful as the previous ones. So we're also spending a lot of time at the art gallery, making sure everything is perfect before the inauguration day.

Maki: (thoughtful) Maybe we should move them a bit lower…

???: Um um, I'm sorry to interrupt you...

???: Good morning!

Maki: Good morning. May I ask who you are?

???: My name is Jessica Smith, I am Mr Hotaru's secretary.

Now that I think about it, some time ago Maki mentioned a "very young and very blonde new secretary", with whom Hotaru apparently also moved in. Somehow we were relieved by seeing her instead of him, yet I could only perceive maliciousness around her. It's a difficult sensation to describe, but I had the strong perception that only lies would have come out of her mouth. 

Maki had a horrible first impression of her as well, the hostility towards the newcomer was evident in the colours of her aura. Needless to say, I prepared to support her in whatever was about to come.

Maki: What do you want?

Jessica: (With fake politeness) There's no reason to be rude, come on…

Jessica: I'm here to inform you that your presence, Mrs Maki, is requested in court the next Tuesday at nine o'clock for Lily's custody trial.

Maki: What? How can you give us such short notice?

But Jessica pretended not to understand our complaints and kept playing dumb, and left the scene by waving her hand and saying:

Jessica: See you soon!

I don't know what Hotaru told her precisely, but I could sense she was definitively on his side. Even more clearly, I knew we were in troubles, big big troubles...

Next Chapter -->

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§HermioneSims§ corner

I know I'm repetitive, but I really think sims die of old age so soon. At least Cassy managed to see once her grandaughter, yet...

Also, curiously, her urn was of an uncommon colour this time (because, I remind you, she was already revived about 10 sims-days ago after what the normal old-age death had occurred).

very curious...

To close on a funnier note instead, here there is one of Sirio's paintings:

Ehm, I'm quite sure that's not the kind of material he should expose around Sim City...