Building from the Breadlines | R1, Cox
Welcome back to BftB! Time for the Cox family to shine.
Onwards!
The arrival in her new house wasn’t too brilliantly eventful, Elouisa supposed - but it was refreshing. It was a stark, oddly prominently yellow place, but she couldn’t help but feel comfortable there. She was certain that many of the people recounted the seething dampness and ruination of the Hooverville, and didn’t wish to bore - but it was true that this new comparison was just what the doctor ordered. She definitely needed it.
One of the first things she did was begin to plant her tomato garden for the day her fridge would, rather unfortunately, she supposed, run dry. Food would have to be grown on her own until either she or someone else managed to purchase and run a grocery store, but honestly, she felt sorry for the poor soul who would be forced to do as such - to own a business during times like this was to sign your own contract with death, she’d felt. She knew that Barbara - the tough ‘un from their old… ‘homes’ - had started a store, but she later had it closed down. It was saddening, but Elouisa could not imagine the pressure the woman had been put under, and as tough as she was, ‘protection’ was a prison.
It had never really occurred to Elouisa what she had wanted in her life, asides from a family. She always knew she had wanted children of her own. Her own mother was lovely, a role-model, but also single. A single African-American woman, with a child, was always going to be in a horrible position, and she was. She worked several jobs; the best she could get without qualifications or power to back her up. But she had raised her only daughter well, and growing up in a single mother home, Elouisa had always desired a happy couple sort of deal - and a couple (or six, who would hopefully all get married off at some point in the future!) of children. She didn’t really like the feeling of being alone.
Her mother always told her that blood was thicker than water. That no matter what happened, family should stick together, because in the end, who do you really have? At the same time, Elouisa wanted to get successful first, you know? Build up a lovely mattress of money to settle her family on - a true foundation. Another thing her mother would say, in her own overbearing manner, was; “El, hun - you gotta know. When you hit rock bottom, you haven’t lost all control. Hitting rock bottom is good! You know why? It gives you a solid foundation to build yourself back up. To get back to the sky. Y’know? It’s good.” Her mother always had a few parting words of wisdom, as Elouisa would hug her before she left for work at 5am in the morning, or as she was braiding her daughter’s hair (if she had the time, of course), or while she was buttoning up her coat to go play in the rare snow that would fall on their old apartment complex. Elouisa always listened to that. It made up the few rules she lead her life by.
Her mother also said to “eat your food like a civilised person, not a dog!”. Elouisa never really listened to that, though.
She thought dogs were cute. (Admittedly, cats were better, but you didn’t hear that from her.)
She had heard tales of buried treasures, too. Set by the simselves just to give the group a little more to do, and as such had just begun to dig when a welcoming party turned up, and in it were two townies from a way away, come to scope out the new visitors, supposed Elouisa. Also, another person - she later introduced herself as Amelia Bishop - not a simself, but very close to them! She had appointed herself the position of official welcomer, having visited all a triptych of houses in the last few days all to establish a grasp on it all. She was sort of the middle man, learned Elouisa. But in magenta heels, and with a much better haircut.
“Welcome to Tannenbaum Strait; how are you doing so far?”
”It’s lovely. I mean, the house layout could be better, but I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
”Yeah, you can blame that on the simselves. Or, more specifically, one specific one. I’m sure the other two would sock me in the mouth if I suggested they would ever allow such an abomination to be made.” Amelia laughed.
”It’s cosy.” Added Elouisa. “Wouldn’t trade it for the world. Well, maybe for a mansion, but beggars can’t be choosers!” Elouisa noted in that moment that she may in fact use idioms far too much, but she always found them wondrous ways of saying what she would intend to say in a way others would understand. But maybe that was just her love of the obtuse, and the cryptic.
Asides from the two scuffling townies, Elouisa and Amelia got along perfectly fine, and the lovely introduction of some logic was good, too.
“Remember, only the first job in the paper (there really aren’t any options, I swear), the fridge is only good for what you have stocked. When it’s gone, it’s gone. Start fishing and gardening. Buy from a grocery store, once one of the others have got it set up. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure at least one of you do, and always remember that if you’re moving, you will be struggling for money - though that’s a pretty ubiquitous thing, anyway. Save up. The banks may be down, but your mattress will do just as well. Just keep it under lock and key. And no, I have no idea how one would go about locking up a mattress. Maybe just buy a wardrobe, instead.” Amelia smiled as she pulled Elouisa into a hug.
After the talk, Elouisa started the job hunt. Which wasn’t really much of a hunt, to be honest. The first job available was in the Construction career, as a Cement Mixer. It wasn’t the most glamorous of professions, but she was no stranger to hard work. God knows she had to work hard when her mother fell ill.
Though thinking about that sort of thing was far from motivation for her.
She did attempt to talk to the other two who visited, but they seemed more interested in the free food than anything else, and really, the man looked a little unhealthy. Elouisa was sort of hesitant with him, in all honesty. The woman with the strange ears just… was there. Elouisa never even learnt her name!
However, someone else did make an appearance - a rather acceptably haired townie by the name of Jackie Rockwell. She was quick to introduce herself.
He was far more interested in a conversation.
“What is it that you do, anyway?” Elouisa enquired.
”I’m in the Army… I’m on the base, up north, you know it? Albert Head.”
”I heard that that place was defunct.” Elouisa added. His smile faltered, just a little, but quickly returned.
”Nah, nah. It was down, just a while. Got bought back up later, though.”
”Why?”
”God knows. Can’t understand what’s going through Hoover’s mind anymore, can you? The man’s crazy. Lead us in, and ain’t doing jack all to fix. You’ve seen the posters, right?”
”"In Hoover we trusted, and now were are busted".” Recounted the woman.
”Exactly. Tell you what, though, there’s talks, going around, you know?”
”Of?”
”You know.”
”Not really!”
”New ideas circulating, and all. It’s all right there if you go looking.”
”Not a clue, I’m sorry.” In all her pros, one major downfall of Elouisa is she couldn’t stand politics. The entropy of it all… it was disgusting. She could barely stomach the thought of anyone going into the field, and this seemed right down that alley.
Regardless, her and Jackie seemed to hit it off - he stayed long after the others had left, and he was interesting. He didn’t speak much more about his work, though, and she found it a little odd, but she made a mental note to check out Albert Head later.
Though maybe she jumped the gun a little too early.
Not that it mattered later on!
Her mother always did say that “perseverance is a marking trait of the Coxes; you don’t give up on something, alright hun? Never just say, well, that’s it. I’m done. Because that’s not going to help anyone, y’know? No point in giving up. That’s for weak people. You’re not weak, are you?”
He left soon after that, and Elouisa was thankful. The final rays of heat seemed to have got her sweating a little more than usual, she was certain. A good long bubble bath was just what she needed. Relaxation, comfort and wondrous tranquility. Also, she’d end it all smelling all sweet like. “Cleanliness is next to godliness”, after all.
After bathing, she took to the easel to further the relaxation of the night, and found that she really, really was interested in pursuing Arts and Crafts! She wasn’t one to make impetuous decisions, but this was certainly right. No doubts.
The following day was good to her. The workplace was pretty good. She was comfortable enough there, and seemed to fit in with the employees rather easily. A large amount of women had taken to working, at least in comparison to before. There were only two other girls there, admittedly, and they were both far stronger than her, but it was good to make some friends.
And also, she couldn’t help but feel thankful for the uniform. They had no female equivalent set, so she got to deck herself out in the male uniform, and she had never realised quite how much she loved trousers and shoes until this moment, and the hat was just stylish in it’s own way. Though maybe taking it to the reading nook was a little too far.
She later found herself outside in her underwear, having slept restlessly - something that did not often befall her - and began questioning just how correct this underwear was to the era, and where she even got it? It seemed a little skimpy for the 30s, but she wasn’t going to question it. It was comfortable in it’s own way. Maybe she’d just gotten them from one of the gypsy camps nearby. They didn’t have much fabric to work with but damn they were cheap and the clothes worked.
Though maybe fishing in them wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had.
Regardless of her skimpy appearance, a lovely peregrine feline had crept itself into her garden, and made itself comfortable besides her. Having previously expressed her (secret) love for cats, her proceeding actions really would not have surprised anyone.
Really, he was the most adorable thing she’d ever met, and as such, Elouise made the executive decision to adopt him; without a single tiddle of regret, she picked him up, took him inside, and named him Duke. Duke was a good name for him, she felt. He had that sort of air that the ruler of a duchy would have.
And with a new pet, too, she got an added burst of confidence. Having decided that she felt the need to socialise with a speaking human being, she placed a phone call on a strangely designed, simself provided phone (A/N: I swear to god I’ll download time era specific phones soon, please don’t hurt me.) to Jackie, but unfortunately, he seemed to be at work.
So she went for the next best thing.
Well.
Sort of.
She figured she may as well get some information from the guy running it, as opposed to his wife. “Never trust a woman until you know about her man; the women are the bosses, but the men are the faces.”
The conversation was short, but succinct. She needed to get a grasp on if there really were any ulterior motives. It was almost too good to be true, really. And if it’s too good to be true, it generally is. That was something she learnt on her own, that. Buying on the margin fit into that lovely little category quite well; though the thought bought on many a sigh at her own stupidity. But in the end, she concluded that really, there couldn’t have been anything behind it. It really was just an idea of someone with too much time, money, and power. She couldn’t say she liked the inequality of it all, but hey, it got her a house, right?
She did manage to catch Jackie later on, though.
It ended rather pleasantly for the both of them, asides from the fact it was socially unacceptable and all that, but if there was anything Elouisa could say herself, it was that if any time was the time for breaking social moulds, it was now. No-one really cared, anyway. Asides from the odd activist group… but they were jokes, anyway.
Furthering this pattern of breaking social boundaries, Elouisa decided to let him stay the night, too. He seemed to reciprocate the idea rather splendidly.
Though maybe some social boundaries did need to be kept in place. She couldn’t say the bathroom rendezvous was an amusing endeavour.
Though Duke didn’t seem to approve of him, but maybe Duke just liked the ladies.
Duke did seem to approve of the newcomer later, though. It was the underwear, Elouisa betted. Definitely the garish underwear. The more garish the man’s underwear, the better. Actually, she just made that up on the spot, but it seemed relevant. Maybe it’ll be the next great idiom to sweep through the nation, right up there with gift horses and mouths.
A rather unfortunate stomach seemed to befall her later that night, however. It wasn’t particularly enjoyable at any rate - and she couldn’t help but wonder as to it’s origin. She hadn’t eaten any bad food, surely?
She certainly found herself more tired, hungry and uncomfortable, though. She had yet to vomit, but she certainly felt under the weather. Maybe she’d call for a few sick days at work… but there’d be the chance she’d lose the job. Workers and sick days did not go well together under a rather unfortunate economic climate.
She invited Jackie over later, for the third time in a while - and decided now or never. If she was going to break any social boundaries, she may as well kick them in the face right now, with no regrets.
And then there were two. Or three, if you counted the cat. Who wouldn’t count the cat? Certainly not Elouisa.
The marriage was a quiet, peaceful one - and by that, she meant that it was low budget and done within minutes of the proposal. But that stuff was perfectly legal, it was fine.
While all this was occurring, Duke found himself rather happily playing with a newly purchased cat toy. That plastic, pompous bastard of a bird would feel his wrath before the night was out. He swore to everything that any cat stood for, it would not be allowed to continue up on its pretentious, springy perch. He would garner himself some sweet, sweet cat-bird equality.
Though she questioned his choice of athletic wear, she couldn’t say she disliked it, either. In fact, it was rather… flattering. Elouisa and Jackie had decided that taking one name was obviously not in their agenda today, and so they became the Rockwell-Cox family. They were almost tempted to go for Cox-Rockwell.
Almost.
It was also on that night that Elouisa ‘popped’ her first trimester and finally began to show. The need for looser clothes was not lost on her, but there wasn’t a chance in all that was holy on this planet that she would be caught dead in khaki slacks and a gut-wrenching mint green top. And come to think of it, she wouldn’t allow Jackie to go around in that trashy blue track-suit, either.
She proceeded down to a shopping centre, that was thankfully open, and purchased the family some new clothes, as well as ones for the prospective baby. Neutral colours only, of course (though she was hoping for a girl).
She found the new clothes rather flattering, on both her and Jackie’s parts. It was certainly a welcome change from their old clothes. Jackie approved too, somehow. She’d have figured it would have been hellish to get the man in a suit and looking at least somewhat handsome, but it was easier to convince him than she thought!
The days that followed in her pregnancy were welcome ones, she certainly did enjoy the break from work - she was allowed more time to garden, and to play with Duke. It was starting to feel like she was in a proper family, now. With real foundations. It was going somewhere, and her familial aspirations could not have been better satiated until the birth of her child!
The two of them had yet to pick a name… but she did consider naming a girl for her mother. It was sort of… a final show of admiration, she supposed.
Jackie earned himself a promotion, bringing in a healthy dose of money to the family funds. It was, in the big picture, meagre, but he was earning good money. The army always did, especially in times like this. In comparison to brick layers, at least.
In truth, Elouisa realised that she could not have been happier.
Even Duke was earning his due! He had taken up a job as a rat catcher, and later had been adopted as a therapy pet for the very people he was catching rats for. Even strangers found him irresistible, it seemed.
That night, Elouisa popped once more. Her belly was heavier, now, and certainly showing. And she found herself once more in those disgusting slacks. Maybe it was time to just throw the damned things out. Give them to charity or something. The Salvation Army had to be taking donations, right?
Jackie had also been finding some good friends of his own, at work. One such friend he introduced to Elouisa as ‘William Petkov’. A Russian immigrant, Petkov was very kindly - but the two of them were really ridiculously closed. As buddy buddy as one could be, supposed Elouisa. She was happy, but she couldn’t help but wonder. They often would seat themselves down in a private room and talk long into the night; but she did learn that Petkov was also based at Albert Head - which she did check out, by the by. It really was re-instated as an army base, but considering the recent economic turmoil, it had found itself without any fixed head of department; a position Jackie of course wanted to go for, though it seemed Petkov was more likely, unfortunately.
It wasn’t that she minded, but sometimes their conversations dived far too deeply into the political. Throwing around words like inequality… class… and at one point… Bourgeois? It was something she preferred to keep herself out of; but Jackie seemed incredibly passionate about it.
She did, however, go into the sitting room. The two didn’t seem put off at all, but quickly switched from speaking to, of all things, dancing, to the radio. It was rather ridiculous, but whatever made them happy, she supposed!
They did soon turn to dancing with each other, while peculiar, it was rather amusing.
“…you… need doors.” Spoke Petkov, rather heavily accented.
”…her… stay… while. Pregnant… tired.” Replied Jackie. She did not pick up the details of the conversation, and sometimes struggled to understand Petkov, but regardless, she continued reading. The air didn’t even shift to something more awkward, she realised. She remained glowing with happiness upon the birth.
”Okay… my house… next.”
”…sure…” returned Jackie, with a nod.
But of course, any and all illicit discussions immediately cut short, as Elouisa, of course, chose such a timely moment to go into labour. It was a rather awkward experience, where neither Petkov nor Jackie were much help in the slightest, but did the best they possibly could. Probably.
After several hours, Elouisa finally gave birth to a beautiful baby girl - named for her mother, a decision she took a rather long time making, but it was finally decided upon by Jackie saying that it was down to her. He would love any name that their child would receive.
As such, Marlene Rockwell-Cox was born.
And of course, with a new addition to the household comes expansion. Finding building new rooms was much cheaper than buying a new house entirely, as originally planned, the two build up and garnered a small and useable space for a skilling room and a nursery for their young daughter.
Petkov, by this time, had taken his leave - finding the entire even incredibly exhausting - and wished the two the best of luck.
The new mother, glowing with pride, also found time to dress herself up a little differently than before, in a lovely dress that may or may not have been scrapped together using oddly garish curtains. She found it was much nicer when worn.
And Marlene, well… she was just lovely. This ball of joy, and it was all hers. She made it!
Her mother, in her wisdom, and one of Elouisa’s personal favourites, said this, once, and of course, it was perfectly suitable to quote;
”There ain’t a thing on this planet that ain’t as beautiful as a new mother. You can always tell, you know. From their smile and their movements. They’ll always automatically reach for the place they hold their baby, and when you see them picking things up, like flour or grain, they’ll hold it like a child because that’s their default. It’s their new position, you know.”
“Did you do that, mama?”
“Of course! You’re my hun, aren’t you? My brave, Mongolian warrior.”
“Silly mama. I’m not Mongolian.”
“Really? I never knew!”
----
That’s it! Thank you for reading! This was one of my favourite chapters to write, and hopefully it will be one of your favourites to read. Even if it wasn’t, I’m sure the next following ones will be more to your taste. c:
Score update: +20 for amount of sims.
I’m not doing too well on the scores front. Oh well. Hopefully that’ll pick up later!
- Thai
p.s., happy simming! Remember, just like Elouisa’s mum said; you’re all brave, Mongolian warriors. Huns. The lot of you. I have no idea if I’m complimenting or not. Just go with it.