Notice

Does anyone still check this? I doubt it.

I haven't updated in a while, I'm aware. My computer decided to ploop and I lost all my Sims stuff.

Yeah. Ruby went poof.

I finally got around to making a new blog for a new challenge, so go check it out here. 

That's it I guess.

Small Update

The next post might take a while.

I really enjoy writing for this blog, but it's become a pain lately.

And before, you ask, I'm not quitting.

The save has become incredibly laggy. It will freeze up every time I click a Sim. Editing the house? Forget it.

So while I fix the save, I'll be working on the fourth legacy that I've attempted. Find it here.

Now, here's a small rant.

I've honestly wish I had never gotten Generations. I didn't have a single error code before then. Now I get them every hour or so. The features aren't even worth it. The pranks get old quickly and teaching teens to drive is a pain. Two new traits and no towns. Yipee. The imaginary friends are really annoying and have a habit of blocking doors. They don't leave the child Sim alone.
How do you uninstall it?

Friend Lookalikes- Babies 14 and 15

Austin stared at me as I set Topaz in her crib, amusement in his eyes. "Age up." he said. I just rolled my eyes and brought out the cakes. 

Austin as a child. All that reading Sofia and I did with him has payed off, I can't get him to put a book down. Colin got him into Harry Potter and are constantly talking about it. They enjoy going out into the back yard and yelling spells at each other. 

Zinnia and Topaz as toddlers. Zinnia is very sweet and loves to be around her family. Topaz is the opposite. Although she's smiling in this photo, she's usually scowling. It's rare to find her giggling, forget about smiling. She kind of reminds me of the Grumpy Cat meme in a way, but I keep those thoughts to myself.

Not only that, she's insanely stubborn. She fooled around the entire time I was teaching her. I was ready to throw my hands up in the air in frustration. In the nursery, Duncan was teaching Zinnia, who actually showed some interest in learning to speak. On my bed, Colin was reading Harry Potter, giggling occasionally as I growled in frustration.

"Hey mom, you should name some of the next kids in your challenge after Harry Potter characters!" Colin said a while later. "You know, since you like Harry Potter."

"That's a good idea." I said. "What characters?"

"Hufflepuffs!" Colin exclaimed. "Hannah Abbot, Justin Finch-Flechley, Susan Bones-"

"Got it." I said, cutting him off. Getting up, I ran after Topaz who had chosen that moment to try and escape.

"Please mom?" Hufflepuff to Hufflepuff?" he said.

"We'll see okay?" I said. "I have a special name in mind for the next baby."

"Kay.." Colin mumbled. "Promise?"

"Yes Colin, I promise I'll name some of the kids after Hufflepuffs."

"Okay!" he said brightly. "Got any good leftovers?"

"There's a ton, so help yourself." I replied.

"Okay!" Colin said, bounding out of my room.

Early the next morning, I signed on to the 100 Baby Challenge Mom's chat. To my delight, a familiar name was on the list. It was none other then Skye Everard, who had apparently had been spamming the chat with random letters and numbers for the last few minutes.

Ruby: Hey Skye.

Skye: About time someone got on!

Ruby: It's still pretty early Skye.

Skye: It's the only time I can get on. Why are you up at this freakishly early hour?

Ruby: I'm an early riser. You?

Skye: The kids. What else?

Ruby: XD Anyway, are you and Paisley still coming over?

Skye: Once I convince Paisley, yes.

Ruby: Got it. Anyway, the kids are getting up, so I better go.

Skye: You people get up WAY too early.

Ruby: XD Cya Skye.

I invited the next father over, a dude that looked a LOT like Skye Everard, right down to the eye color. It was really weird, but I want to get a move on in my challenge. And personally, I'm really excited to see what a mini Skye would look like.

When the kids got home, it was time for aging up. Duncan became a fabulous young adult with a strange passion for cars. Combined with his love for animals, he has a wide variety of interests. On top of that, he's going into the military career, which doesn't seem like something he would want to be doing for the rest of his life. But with a hug, I send my blue babe off into the world.

Colin aged up with an excellent sense of humor. Within minutes, he was telling jokes with his new found comedian talents. Just as I suspected, he got his father's hair. Colin doesn't like all the pink and blue though, and I suspect that he's going to chop it off soon.

Nothing really else happened during my pregnancy, so I won't bother to explain. But a few days later, I gave birth to another set of twin girls.

Skye Falls

Aqua Falls

Yay for short posts!

-_-

Sorry this took forever and it's really short. I just wanted to get this done so I could work on my next post, which I promise will be longer. So again, sorry for the horrible post. 

Going Along- Babies 12 and 13

This isn't how I planned to bring Bella back home. 

So much of her is still in our house. It took me all my courage to take apart the side by the staircase. Every time I pass that area, I burst into tears. 

I didn't organize a funeral. Who would show up anyway? Certainly not her dad, he's too busy to care about his daughter. When I called him, he said he was upset, but he didn't sound like that at all. "Isn't she just apart of your challenge anyway?" he added. 

I hung up on him instead of screaming at him like I wanted. Then I broke down in tears. 

I did eventually tell Sofia. At first, she was upset that I never told her, but she was quick to offer support. Any other Sim would have probably blown up at me. 

Birthdays were very solemn. Sapphire was in tears as she blew out her candles. Chase and Luke were keeping it together, but grief was clearly on their faces. 

  

Sapphire as a young adult. You would think Bella's death would have made her incredibly depressed, but now she's determined to do good in the world. She plans to donate most of what she earns to a charity that helps blind children. She's going into the music career like her half-sister Kayla. 

  

Luke as a young adult. I was so excited to finally see his hair color! He somehow wound up as a blonde, but I love it! He's going into the science career to hopefully find some cures for some devastating illnesses like cancer. He also discovered he loves to garden and plans to start one at the house the three of them are moving into. 

Chase as a young adult. He's more of a goofball then anything else, but he was accepted into the police force anyway. His magic with the computer will surely help crack some of the tough cases. With so much on the internet these days, he's going to be very busy. 

The triplets didn't really want to leave, but eventually went down the steps. There were tears in Luke's eyes, Sapphire had already burst into tears. Chase gave me a small wave, then piled into the taxi that was waiting for them. 

The birthdays continued without them. 

Colin as a child. The doctor said that he's most likely going to need glasses when he's a teen. He's not looking forward to it, but it's much farther in the future, so he's not really worrying. He adores books and is obsessed with Harry Potter. He calls himself "Colin the Werewolf Seer." He doesn't understand why Duncan and I are so upset and is always silly, trying to cheer us up.

Duncan as a teen. You can see the sadness on his face. He's the only one besides me that really understands what's going on. He still has a buzz cut, saying he likes it. What is with my boys and buzz cuts?! 

Austin as a toddler, the only one that isn't affected in some way by Bella's death. He's very playful and loves to move around. It doesn't take much to impress Austin. He was amazed when he found out he could pick up some blocks on the floor. 

Dinner is ridiculously quiet. None of us say anything, even Colin who has been trying his hardest to cheer us all up. Eventually, I push my chair back and wish the kids good night. At that moment, I needed to be alone. 

The girl's room and my room is completely renovated. I felt like the girl's room needed a fresh start. It's full of handmade paintings (courtesy of Sapphire) and three flower rugs. Since there's no girls in the house anymore, the room is unused and hasn't been touched yet. I know watermelons will be used in my future.

As for my room? I just felt it was too... dark. I wanted something more positive and refreshing. My room just seems to bring in a positive feeling. And after Bella's death, I need all the positive I can get. 

Sliding into bed is almost like a blessing. At first. But I spend hours tossing and turning, my eyes half open. My thoughts drift and tears begin to fall as I think of Bella. If only I spent more time with her, if only I had known sooner, if only, if only...

I promised her to continue with the challenge, but I don't think I have a willpower. Her death has reduced me to an empty shell. I just want to cry all the time. Continuing the challenge is the last thing on my mind. I don't even get the enjoyment I usually get when I take care of Austin. Everything feels empty. 

Eventually, I drift off, but my dreams are strange. I see all my kids, dancing, leaving before I can say hi. My mother is there, her cruel face looming over me. And Bella, right by my side, screaming at me to run. Waking up offers me no relief. 

It's around noon the next day when the doorbell rings. To my delight, it's Sofia. 

"Hey Ruby." she said. "Can I come inside?" 

"Sure!" I replied. "Come on in."

"So what brings you here?" I asked her when we get inside. 

Sofia wrung her hands nervously. "Well... mom kicked me out of the house..." 

"Wow." I said. "What did you say to her?" 

"Basically that she was a horrible mother and she didn't deserve us?" 

I started to grin. 

"It's not funny Ruby!" Sofia protested. 

"It's hilarious!" I said. 

Sofia rolled her eyes, but she was smiling a little. 

"Do you wanna crash here for a while? I have plenty of room."

"That would be great!" she grinned. 

The next thing I knew, Sofia had pried Austin away from the dollhouse and was teaching him to talk. When I protested and said that was my job, she waved me and told me it was the least she could do. "Besides, I wanna hang with my nephew!" she said. 

Duncan and Colin are surprised when they see Sofia, since they have no idea who she is. Some quick introductions put the kids somewhat at ease. It'll definitely take some getting used to, but I'm glad I have my sister back.   

Sofia decided to do everything, refusing to let me help. So that's how I found myself at Central Park in the middle of the night, crying my eyes out. I just felt so lost. I didn't know if I should continue the challenge or stop. I was perfectly happy with 11 kids, wasn't I?  Oh, how I missed Bella. 

"Are you okay?" 

Turning around, I saw a man with piercing green eyes, looking concerned about me. "If you want me to leave-" he begins. 

"It's fine." I said, cutting him off. "I just lost my daughter and now I'm so confused..." With that, my voice breaks and I burst into tears. 

Without a word, he takes me into his arms. "There, there." he murmured. "It'll be fine." 

"Bella..." I whispered. 

"Shh..." 

I don't know who long I stood there, crying on that man's shoulder. But eventually, I pull away, I'm sure my face flushed red. 

"I'm so sorry." I whisper. 

"It's fine." he says

"Jay! What are you doing?" someone shouts. I thought we were alone, but I guess not. "Don't you know who she is? She's gonna take you home and do what she does with all the guys she meets!" 

I sigh. The hatred is expected when your a challenge mother, but it never prevented me from being upset when people said those things. But tonight, I'm too sad to care. 

"Lay off!" Jay shouts. Then he turns back. 

"You know who I am right?" I ask. 

"Yeah. Ruby Falls. Took me a second to recognize you."

"I suppose you don't want anything to do with me now." I said. 

"Actually, I want to ask you something." he said. "Were you looking for a challenge father?" 

I sigh. "That was the last thing on my mind. I just want some time to think." I hesitate, but I add in. "I don't even think I'm going to continue the challenge anyway." 

"Why?" He actually looks surprised. "All your kids are really nice-" 

"You've met my kids?" I ask him. 

He nods. "Kayla and Dylan. They're both really great. You raised hem well." 

"Thank you." I murmur. 

Soon, I'm pouring my story out to him, my childhood, Bella's death, everything, things I haven't even told Sofia. He quietly listens until I realize the time. 

"Oh jeez, I didn't mean to talk so long!" I said, getting up to leave. 

"Hey, wait!" he says. He shoves two numbers in my hand. One is his. Another is a guy named A.J.'s. 

"A.J.'s a friend of mine that been wanting to join a challenge but never had time because he's so busy. Call me sometime kay?" 

Then he's gone. 

So many things are breaking in our house. First it was the shower, then the sink, then the dishwasher. After calling a repair guy, I quickly dialed A.J.'s number. He's delighted to participate and says he'll be right over. I told Sofia beforehand, so she's prepared.

Jay wasn't kidding about  A.J. being busy. He shows up in his tuxedo and fancy dress shoes. We quickly get things done and he rushes out the door. 

Then it's time for a challenge mother's least favorite skill... potty training. I highly doubt any of us have gotten used to the stench that comes from the potty chairs. It's way better then changing diapers though. 

I wind up having time to paint, something I haven't realized I missed until I picked up the paint brush. I seem to have been given a extra burst of creativity. My hands seem to act of it's own accord as paint is put on the canvas. A beautiful painting begins to take shape. 

I find this picture incredibly adorable. Austin loved the book to the point we was the one flipping the pages. Sofia started laughing, so hard, she couldn't continue reading. 

"Read!" Austin screeched, flipping a page. 

"Alright commander." Sofia chuckled. 

"Commander Austin!" he replied with a grin.  "Me Commander!" 

I start to smile. For the first time since Bella left, I feel happy. No, really happy. 

"Ruby." I mutter. "Bella is gone. You need to accept it and move on." 

I know I'm not going to handle it perfectly. There'll be some days where I become upset because I miss Bella. But I'm keeping my promise and moving on with the challenge. I'll never forget her. 

Sofia refuses to let me do ANYTHING, which drives me insane. It's a real battle to teach Austin to walk. She insists that it's the least she can do, but I put my foot down the next day. I don't want to miss out on Austin's toddler days. I just want to spend time with my kids, not sit around all day. 

My bump appears in the middle of our session. I'm glad that I'm moving along in my challenge again. It's something normal for once and it instantly boosts my mood. It might just be the hormones though. Oh well. 

I even get a little time to read with Austin. He's not as demanding as yesterday, but he's not pleased if I don't read as fast as he likes. At one point, he forgets about the story as he looks at my tummy. 

"Mommy fat." he said. 

I laughed a little. "I'm pregnant Austin." I said. 

"Fat." he replied. 

"Your going to have a new brother or sister soon!" I said. "Does that sound fun?" 

"No!" Austin, said, putting a pouty face on. "Just Austin." 

It's useless trying to reason with a toddler, so I continue reading. He crawls away though and starts smashing the blocks together on the activity table. I rolled my eyes and go to start dinner. 

My two genius children decide to spend the next day on the slip n' slide. There is a lot of whooping and hollering as they take turns. They slip about a billion times, but that doesn't stop them from acting like animals. I guess Chase passed it on to them. 

 Austin wants nothing to do with being crazy and instead goes to the study to look at his picture book. He's giggling madly the entire time as he looks at the pictures. Sofia is typing on the downstairs computer. Me? I'm flicking through the TV channels, trying to find something half decent to watch. I'm channel surfing for the third time when I hear a crash outside. A split second later, I can hear someone cursing. I walk outside and see Jay trying to shove all the trash back into the trash can. 

"Nice going." I said. Instantly, I mentally cringe. Smooth Ruby. I think. Very smooth. 

He smiles. "It's a talent." he replied, putting the garbage bin back up.

"So what brings you here?" I ask him.

"Well, I just wanted to stop by and say hi. Besides, we're friends right?" 

"Friend?" I ask. "Jay, we've-" 

"Ruby, you spent about 15 minutes crying on my shoulder. I think that classifies us as friends." 

I'm about to say some smart remark, but I shut my mouth. "Fair enough." I muttered. 

"Ruby, may I tell you something?" Jay asked a little while later. The TV was blaring as I slammed on the buttons on my controller. Onscreen, my car smashed into Jay's. 

"Sure." I reply. 

"You are horrible at this game." 

"Maybe you should go easy on me then."

"Fat chance." 

"Are you guys playing Mario Kart?" Colin asks as he runs into the room, wearing nothing but swim trunks. "Can I play?" 

"Sure!" Jay says, tossing him a controller. 

"Don't leave me out." Duncan says as he comes in. 

"Here." I said, giving him my controller. "I'm going to see if Sofia has returned from Writing Land." 

Sofia barely says anything when I try and get her off the computer. I try and rejoin the video game, but they've already started a match without me, so I settle for the deck. I bring my laptop outside and catch of with some fellow challenge mothers. The afternoon passes swiftly after that. 

Jay leaves a short time later and the boys won't stop talking about his gaming skills during dinner. I just nod and eat my key lime pie. Before we all head up to bed, I give Duncan and Colin permission to go to the beach the next day. Just as I'm about to head upstairs, Sofia tells me she's found a house .

"It's already furnished, so I don't need to buy anything. It's right down the road too, so I'll be able to visit way more." Then she pauses. "Thanks Ruby." 

"It's no big deal." I replied. Before she could protest, I go into my room. 

The next morning, Sofia is out of the house before dawn. I don't have much time to dwell about it though because I have to give birth to TWO beautiful baby girls!

Zinnia Falls

Topaz Falls

Sorry about the long wait! I kept getting Error Code 12 and I just kind of lost interest. 

Speaking of Error Code 12, it keeps popping up if I play for more than an hour or so. This time, it happened right after the triplets moved out, so I had to age everyone back up and kill Bella again... *shudders* Not pleasant. 

So when Bella died, I looked for her gravestone so I could remake the little garden. Well, I couldn't find it when she re died, so I was in a panic. After reading some similar problems on the Sims 3 site, I accepted that Bella had glitched and her grave was lost forever. 

I did find it. Where you ask?

Under the porch. 

Not sure how that happened.... 

Living in The Dark- Baby 11

The first thing to do after Colin is born is to age the two boys up. I personally wouldn't mind a baby and a toddler, but Bella has been a bit lonely since Sapphire aged up, so maybe Duncan can strike up a friendship with her. 

Duncan as a child. The second he aged up, a spark of intelligence came to his eye and he began observing everything. He quickly adjusted to being a child and literally RAN to the computer to play chess. Tyler would have gotten along great with him. 

Colin as a toddler. I was pleased to see that he got his father's blonde hair and most likely his highlights and tip colors. He was crossed eyed for a few minutes after aging up. I was getting worried but he uncrossed his eyes and started grinning. After Bella, I'm sensitive to eye problems. 

Colin was being a very easy, so I took the time to straighten up the house. I wrinkled my nose as I smelled the plates that had been left out. Bella, Sapphire, and Luke all try to be neat, but Chase? Forget it. Tyler wasn't Mr. Spotless either. 

I listen to Cookie racing around on his wheel. His food bowl is empty and his cage is a mess. Getting rid of Cookie is getting more likely, the kids pretty watch ignore him, aside from Bella. Maybe when Bella moves out, I'll give her Cookie. She's the only one that really seems to like him. 

I was walking down the street when the bus dropped the triplets off. Sapphire saw Colin and I made a beeline towards us. Chase wasn't far behind, but Luke was trying to keep up. 

"Will you guys slow down?" Luke complained. 

"Your supposed to be the athletic one."  Chase said. 

"Is that our new sibling?" Sapphire squealed.

"Yep. His name is Colin." I said. 

"He's so CUTE!" Sapphire screeched. 

Chase winced. "Cut it out!" 

"Lighten up Chase." Luke said. 

Chase frowned. "Says the guy that-"

"Hi!" Colin yelled, just as the boys were about to start fighting. The boys looked at him, then burst out laughing. 

"Good job." I whispered into Colin's ear. He smiled in reply. 

Just as I hoped, Duncan and Bella seemed to get along. Sapphire seemed a little hurt by this, but she just listened and ate her grilled cheese. 

"So maybe I'll go into the science career when I age up. If my eyesight gets better that is." 

"What's wrong with your eyes?" Duncan said. 

"I can't see well." Bella said. 

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Duncan said. 

"Duncan, knock it off." Sapphire said. "Speaking of aging up, you have an A right?" 

"Yeah." Bella said. "I hope I can age up tonight or maybe tomorrow." 

"We can do that." I said, hovering by the archway. 

Bella looked at me, or least where she thought I was standing. "Really?" she said. 

"Yeah. How about tomorrow after dinner?" I said. 

"Oh my gosh mom! Thank you!" Bella squealed. She slowly got up and hugged Sapphire. 

"I can't wait to be a teen!" Bella said. 

Sapphire smiled. "Hey Mom!" she said. "Can we go do something together? Just the 3 of us?" 

"Why not." I said.

"Great! Let's play some video games!" Bella said. 

"Bella, you can't-" Sapphire started. 

"I'll manage." Bella said. 

"Sapphire, where am I going?" Bella squeaked, squinting. 

"You just crashed into a wall!" Sapphire said. "Ah, Mom just passed me!" 

"I'll beat you all!" I grinned.

"Bella, you got a speed boost! USE IT, USE IT!" 

"What button do I press?" Bella yelled. 

"You just lost it." Sapphire groaned. "And mom won." 

"Victory!" I cackled. 

We played about a half dozen more rounds before Sapphire went upstairs to bed. Bella and I continued to play, but the game was hard for Bella to play without Sapphire guiding her. I tried my best, but Bella still kept missing turns and crashing into things. She refused to give up though. 

"Mom, I'm scared." Bella said suddenly. "About aging up." 

I sighed. "Well, your older brother-"

"I'm not talking about that." Bella said. "What if my eyesight gets worse? I don't want to live completely blind." 

"Bella..." I said. "The doctor said it may get better-"

"It's more likely to get worse though." Bella said.

"The doctors are trying to figure out how to fix it." I said. 

"I know." she sighed. "But what if-" 

I got up and hugged her. "Bella, we don't know. But you need to stop worrying. You are going to be fine."

"Alright Mom." she whispered. 

"Do you still want to age up?" I asked. 

"Yes." she said. "I wanna be with Sapphire." 

"Alright. Goodnight Bella." I said, leading her to her bed. 

"Night ma." she said. 

I had just stepped out the shower the next morning when I saw my reflection on the shower. Was my hair... yellow? Rubbing my head, I looked down and saw bright yellow dye all over my hands. One frantic shower later, my hair was back to normal. I couldn't figure out who did it either. I decided to let it slide and go teach Colin something. 

"Alright Colin." I said, setting him on the potty chair. "Ready to be out of diapers?" 

"Diapers yucky." Colin said. "Smell bad." 

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. How'd he figure out how to talk?

"Good for you. No more diapers for Colin."

"No diapers!" Colin cheered. 

Then we moved on to walking. Colin found it easy and he didn't fall once. He had a big grin on his face, clearly ready to go. His eyes her brimming with intelligence.

I guess the neglect got to poor Cookie because he passed away when I was teaching Colin. I cleaned out his cage and told the triplets who had just walked in that he had died. Chase and Luke just shrugged, but Sapphire seemed a tad upset. She didn't say anything, she just went to do her homework.

Then it was time for Bella to join Sapphire as a teen. 

Bella's beautiful long hair was chopped off, but not by her choice. When she stepped away from the birthday cake, she fell over. 

"Bella!" Sapphire and I had screamed, rushing to her side. Her glasses had fallen off her face and she had crushed them.

"I can't see anything!" Bella cried. "It's all dark... I'm blind, I'm blind!" 

Sapphire and I tried in vain to calm Bella down, but it was no use. She was hysterical. On top of that, she hit the knife I had put out for cutting the cake with her head when she fell. The knife wasn't nearly sharp enough to stab her, but it did manage to cut all of Bella's beautiful hair off. With help from Sapphire, I managed to put her hair into a suitable style for Bella. I couldn't believe how close Bella was to being rushed to the hospital.  

Losing her hair was the least of Bella's worries, along with her brush with death. She was freaking out. The only way I could somewhat calm her down was by telling her I would make an appointment with the doctor after breakfast tomorrow. Bella wasn't happy that I was waiting, but by the time Bella would finally be seen by a doctor, it would be close to midnight. 

Sapphire seemed to know how to calm Bella down. She calmly picked up the guitar in the study and began strumming. All of her siblings watched her as she plucked each string. Bella seemed hypnotized by her music, her eyes huge, not saying a word. 

The next morning, I mastered the cooking skill! I would have been ecstatic, but I was worried about Bella. From what she had said last night, she was now completely blind and it didn't seem like they could fix it. I was incredibly worried. On top of that, a challenge father decided that they wanted to be in the challenge TODAY, so it was going to be hard to juggle everything. I just hoped he wasn't picky like Colin's dad. 

Here's a picture of him by the way. His name is Spark Falcon and was MUCH more agreeable then the most challenge father. 

While I was with Spark, Sapphire decided to continue teaching Colin to walk. All the time with Bella made Sapphire realize there's nothing more important to her then family. She has always made time for her siblings and loves them to bits, no matter what. Sapphire is the only child that I've had so far that really understands why I'm doing the challenge. 

"Are you ready?" I asked Bella as we stood outside the hospital. 

"As ready as I'll ever be." Bella said, her slight smiling wavering. 

I put my arm around her and guided her inside the hospital. 

There wasn't a lot of people in the waiting room. I saw Jason, but I only had time to wave before a doctor called Bella's name. It was the same doctor that had checked over Bella as a toddler. 

"So, anything new Bella?" the doctor said, sitting down in a chair. 

"I can't see." Bella said quietly. 

He sighed. "Your mother informed us of that." he turned to me. "We need to run a few tests on Bella before I can tell you what the next course of action is." 

"Of course. Bella?"

"Alright." she said. The doctor put a hand on her shoulder and guided her out. 

About an hour later, they came back, Bella looking grim, the doctor worried. 

"Miss Falls, can I speak to you in the hallway?" he asked. 

I nodded and stepped outside. The doctor closed the door.

"It's just as I feared. Bella is now completely blind." he said. 

"Is there any way to fix this?" I asked. 

"Well, there is one way. We can perform a surgery on her eyes." 

"Okay..."

"However, it is a very risky operation. Most patients don't survive and if they do, they have severe brain damage. I would advise against the surgery, but it's the only way to restore her sight."

"I see..." I said slowly.

"I've already spoken with Bella about the surgery. I think you should talk this over at home." he said. 

I nodded. "Thank you doctor." I sighed. 

The ride home was silent. We were both lost in thought. Bella could either never see again or most likely die on the operating table. It was a lose-lose situation. I didn't want to lose Bella, but I didn't want her to never see anything again. 

"Hey guys!" Sapphire said brightly when the two of us walked in the door. "I just finished teaching Colin to walk. I'm just starting to teach him to talk and he's already speaking full sentences! How cool is that?" 

"Good job." I said quietly, walking past her to the shower. 

Sapphire looked at Bella. "Are you guys okay?" she asked Bella. 

Bella sighed. "We'll tell you later." she murmured. 

I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on my thoughts after my shower. The boys shower had broken and needed to be fixed. But after I had mopped the floor, nothing to do. The only thing that needed cleaning was the toilet and Sapphire was cleaning it. I could continue teaching Colin to talk... yes, I would do that. I needed to get away from my thoughts. 

Sapphire knew something was wrong, so she took on the task of making dinner. The only thing she knew how to make though was macaroni and cheese, so that's what she made. It turned out pretty good, but Sapphire insisted mine was better. 

After dinner came the conversation I was dreading.

"Mom, I've thought about it..." Bella said to me. "I want the surgery."

"Bella, you could die!" I said. "I can't..." 

I wanted to forbid her from having the surgery, tell her she'd have to suck it up and be blind. But how did I know? I could see. Bella used to, but it was ripped away from her when she aged up. What gave me the right to forbid her from even seeing her sibling's faces? 

"Mom, I want the surgery. I don't care if I get brain damage or even die, I want at least die knowing that we tried to do something-" 

"Bella don't!" Sapphire cried. I hadn't even realized she was there. "You can't die! I won't let you!" 

"I have to-" Bella said. 

"No you don't! You can stay here! Who cares if your blind-"

"I care!" Bella yelled. "You don't know what it's like, not seeing the sky anymore, not even knowing what your eating... I can't even see you smile at me Sapphire! I can't live like this!" At that point, her voice broke and she burst into tears. 

The boys had come over to see what was going on. I was going to shoo them off, but then Luke spoke up. 

"Sapphire, it's her choice." Luke said. 

"Of course you don't care." Sapphire, said, her voice full of scorn. "You don't even like her."

"I do too like her!" Luke said.   

"We all like Bella!" Duncan piped up. "When she was a child, she helped me with my homework!" 

"Sapphire, we all want Bella to live. But she wants her sight back." Chase said. "She's willing to die for it. I know you don't want her to die, but it's her choice."

Sapphire stared at all of us, eyes wide. "You all are heartless!" she screamed before running off to the study. 

Chase was about to go after her, but I stopped him. "I'll do it. You get Colin to bed." 

I followed Sapphire into the study, where she was painting. "Go away." she mumbled. 

"Sapphire, I know your upset..." I began. 

"That's an understatement." she mumbled. 

"But this is Bella's choice. She wants to see." 

"At the cost of dying?" she said. 

"She just wants to have her sight back. She could see before, but now it's been taken away from her and she wants it back. She just wants to be normal. I don't agree with her decision, but it's her choice. I'm her mother Sapphire and I'm yours too. This is just as hard for me as it is for you. I don't want Bella to feel like we're holding her back."

Sapphire didn't say anything for a moment. "When's she going into surgery?" Sapphire asked. 

"Monday."

Sapphire bit her lip. "Can I visit her after school?"

"Why wouldn't you be able to?" I asked. 

She shrugged. 

"Tomorrow is her last day at home. Let's make it special okay?" I asked. 

Sapphire nodded. 

I smiled. "Now let's go get into bed." 

It was a peaceful night until a robber decided to break into our house. I told the kids to get back into bed while I watched to see the outcome. Luckily the cop won, but I wasn't happy that my kids refused to sleep. After I promised them a big batch of chocolate chip waffles, they finally agreed to go to bed. 

Our house was slow to come alive the next morning. As promised, I made a big batch of chocolate chip waffles. It was decided we would go to Central Park. Chase need to shower, but he said he would meet us there instead of holding us up. 

I don't think I need to say anything about our day. The pictures say it all. 

All too soon, it's time to leave the beautiful park. Dinner is served and we all sit down for a family meal. It's a struggle not to cry as I look at Bella. Will this be our last family meal together? Will this be her last night at home? 

Will she live? 

Then the dishwasher breaks. Again. I swear, this thing breaks more then everything in our house combined. It's not like I have anything to do though. Colin's in bed and the kids are all cleaning or talking to Bella. I want a moment to talk to her, but this dishwasher needs to be fixed first. 

I never get a chance to. By the time I screw in the last bolt, it's close to ten and the kids are heading up to bed. I sigh and head upstairs. There's always tomorrow. 

Sleep doesn't come easy for any of us that night. I can hear the boys whispering and Sapphire trying to keep her sobs quiet as I toss and turn in my bed. Eventually my eyes close and I dream of emptiness and desolation. 

We all wake up early, but no one wants to go back to bed. Chat is idle as the kids get up and come downstairs. Everyone looks at Bella, but no words are spoken. Sapphire's eyes are red and the second she sees Bella, she rushes off to paint. Breakfast is even worse. No one says a word as they look around the room and look away when they catch each other's gaze. 

As the minutes to eight draw nearer, everyone suddenly bursts with life. Bella is surrounded by her siblings who are hugging her, teasing her, wishing her good luck. Then the bus honks and everyone makes sure to give Bella another hug before they reluctantly head to the bus, Bella and I to the hospital. 

As we are just about to walk through the hospital doors, Bella suddenly hugs me with a fierce grip. 

"Mom, if I die-" she said.

"Let's not say that." I said. 

"Let's be realistic mom. If I die, don't stop the challenge. on't let my death hold you back. Mourn me yes, but don't let it stop you from completing your goal."  

"Bella-"

"Promise me." she said. "Please." 

In her eyes was a fire, blazing with determination. I opened my mouth to say the words that would let her go into surgery with no regrets. 

"I promise." 

And together, we walk into the hospital. I am with her the moment until she's taken away by the doctors for surgery prep. 

"I love you ma!" she says as she's led down the hallway. 

"I love you too!" I reply. I know she can't see me, but I wave anyway. 

Leaving without her was the hardest thing I had ever done. Coming home and seeing Bella's bed by the stairs makes me want to cry. But I don't allow myself to mope around and throw myself into cleaning the house. Toilets are scrubbed, beds are made, showers are cleaned, trash is taken out... I'm not going to let myself become depressed. 

Cleaning gets me through most of the day, but I still have time to kill, so I go on the 100 Baby Challenge Mother's chat in hopes of talking to another mom. There's quite a few people on and they are quick to offer sympathy and uplifting messages when I tell them about Bella. They all urge me to stay strong and tell me they are hoping for the best. The chat is enough to get me through the rest of the day and I keep a smile on my face. 

At least until I get the call from the hospital. Bella's surgery is finished, but I can't see her until the next day because she needs to recover. And I'm due tomorrow. I beg with them to let me in, but they say they can't change the policy and wish me a good night. 

 I rush to the hospital after breakfast, reading to see Bella. I had just sat down when the doctor came in. 

"She's had some very severe brain damage Miss Falls." he whispered. "We aren't sure she's going to last another day." 

I drew in a shaky breath as he left the room. I pulled out my phone, debating if I should call the kids to the hospital, but I put it back. The kid need their education and how are they going to get here anyway?  It's a long bike ride and an even longer walk. It's useless to make them worry. 

I find myself looking at the clock as I flip through the pages of my book. Hours go by and Bella doesn't stir. It's so quiet I can hear what's going on in other rooms and in the hallway. 

Eventually, the silence is broken when my water breaks. I don't want to leave Bella's side though, so I bite my lip and hope that no one comes in or hears my muffled cries. 

Austin Falls

As I smile at my newborn, the monitor begins to buzz. A red light goes off and a half dozen doctors rush in and surround Bella. I'm ushered out into the hallway, no one commenting on  Austin. I manage to yank my yank around, but the door is closed. 

All I can hear is the doctors rushing around, yelling things to each other...