silverbellelj: (Sims - Shirley)
[personal profile] silverbellelj
Prompt: Baby boom ([livejournal.com profile] grilledfortune)
Characters: Alice, Shirley, mentions of Rosalie, Steven, Peggy, Nettie, and Dwight
Rating: PG
Summary: Alice and Shirley talking about families and such.
Notes: Canon.  Picks up roughly 5 years after I left off with the legacy.  Canon.  May appear in some format in the next chapter, so can be considered a spoiler.
Word Count: 513

Alice collapsed on the park bench next to Shirley as Steven and Peggy ran off to join their friends on the playground.

“Where’s Nettie?” the brunette asked.

“With Cindy.  She’s been getting into everything lately, and I needed a break.  Thank goodness that those two are in school most of the day, or I’d be losing my mind.”

Shirley nodded, her eyes scanning the playground where their children and several others from the neighborhood were running around.  “Dwight!  What did I tell you about jumping off the swings?” she shouted.  “I swear that boy is going to crack his skull open one of these days.”

Alice tried not to laugh, but she couldn’t help it.  Shirley’s son didn’t understand the definition of consequences, and he was constantly getting himself into trouble.

“Sure, laugh all you want,” Shirley grumbled.  “I’m just grateful that it’s just him to look after.  I don’t know what I’d do if I had any more.”

Alice smiled sadly.  Despite being married for over five years, Shirley and Walter still only had one child, their son Dwight.  Everyone else that they knew had two or three kids, and Rosalie was attempting to outdo them all with a new baby nearly every year since Bruce came home from the war.  Alice knew that it was a sore spot for Shirley, who wanted her son to at least have one sibling to play with.  But thus far, it hadn’t been in the cards for them.

“Have you seen anyone yet?”  Alice asked.  “I can ask Nick to recommend a specialist, if you want.”

“Thanks, but no.  If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen.  I should probably just ask Rosalie what she does, considering every time Bruce so much as looks at her she ends up knocked up.”

Even after all their years of friendship, Alice was still shocked by Shirley’s bluntness.  “Is she coming today?  I haven’t seen her in quite a while.”

Shirley shook her head.  “With eight kids, it’s a wonder she ever leaves the house.  If I were her, I’d tell my husband to keep it in his pants.”

Alice gasped, and Shirley shrugged.  “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought the same thing at some point.  I swear the only time I hear from her is when she’s announcing a pregnancy, a birth, or a christening.  It’s ridiculous.  Sometimes I wonder if Rosalie even exists anymore, or if she’s simply fulfilling the role of the Thorne kids’ mother.”

Alice shook her head.  “It must be hard to raise so many children, especially considering how much Bruce is gone for work.  My three may be a handful, but I have Nick and Cindy and James to help.  I can’t imagine doing it practically on my own.”

“Me either.”

Shirley sighed, and Alice took her hand.  Shirley gave a small squeeze.

“At least it means plenty of cousins for our kids to play with,” Alice said softly.

“True,” Shirley said, remembering all the fun she’d had with Nick when they were children.  “I guess cousins are almost as good as siblings.”

on 2013-10-05 04:42 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] rosefyre.livejournal.com
...Eight kids? Rosalie has EIGHT KIDS? I know she was planning this from the start, but that is way too many kids to deal with! Did you plan on Shirley having only one or have she and Walter just been unsuccessful when trying? Can't wait to actually meet the kids, cause I gotta admit, other than Steven, I'm still pretty lost on who's who.

on 2013-10-05 02:40 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] silverbelle1220.livejournal.com
Yes, Rosalie has eight kids. That's what I get for letting ACR pick the number of kids the "regular" families get. Her house is a zoo; I'm grateful that the older ones are kids now at least and can do some things. Shirley and Walter don't seem to have luck with ACR, and one kid is all I've gotten out of them so far. I may force the issue, or I may have them adopt; I'm not sure yet. Heh. I need a cheat sheet with this generation. I know I wanted a baby boom but so many kids gives me headaches.

on 2013-10-05 06:28 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] joandsarah.livejournal.com
Goodness, Rosalie has been busy. :P Maybe Shirley and Walter should adopt.

on 2013-10-05 02:44 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] silverbelle1220.livejournal.com
She sure has been. I may have Walter & Shirley adopt, if things continue as it has.

on 2013-10-05 07:48 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] mzyra.livejournal.com
EIGHT?! On her OWN?! Okay, I am fascinated how those kids turn out. And I'm kind of imagining that with that many (and only a year between each of them?) they haven't come to the park because their mother has just about successfully kept them in one place by locking them all in the house and is now sat crying because she can't control them all >.> Or maybe that's just me in her position.
Also poor Shirley. Still, at least they have Dwight if nothing else (and hopefully he won't get killed in a war >.>)

on 2013-10-05 02:46 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] silverbelle1220.livejournal.com
Yes, eight. On her own. Granted, there are two sets of twins thrown in for good measure, but yes. I imagine that you're right about why she hasn't taken them to the park, or she's just too ashamed to show that she can't handle it so she keeps them at home.

Yeah, for not being a family sim at all Shirley's pretty upset about not having a bigger family. I hope ACR is kinder to them in the future.

on 2013-10-05 01:31 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] katee412.livejournal.com
It was nice seeing some of the friendship between these two, and why am I not surprised Rosalie is outdoing everyone? Shirley's responses make me smile, although I hope she isn't too upset.

on 2013-10-05 02:49 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] silverbelle1220.livejournal.com
I like showing the friendship between these two, as they're very different but they balance each other out well. Yeah, Rosalie is out for quantity when it comes to kids for sure. Shirley's more upset than she lets on, and uses her humor to deflect. Dwight won't be an only child, though I don't know if it will be a biological sibling or an adopted one.

on 2013-10-13 06:19 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] leilia.livejournal.com
Rosalie wants all the babies! Then all of the Grand children! Cute story!

And adding in that adoption would be awesome for Shirley and Walter.

on 2013-10-13 11:33 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] silverbelle1220.livejournal.com
Yup. Rosalie wants far too many kids than what's good for her. And then she'll expect a passel of grandkids too. Family Sims.

I'm really thinking I might go the adoption route with Walter and Shirley...the more I think about it, the more I realize it suits them.

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