Simspiration 2.02.11 "Better late than never"
What happens in this *could* be considered canon, I suppose. But it has never been referred to in my story and it won't be brought up. Eden *did* date Stanley Legacy along with a few other Legacy Sims before Rhys came along. In my mind, she had relationships with them, some long, some short. That means that she broke up with them as well. However, the chapter that covered her boyfriends more focused on Laurana/Vaughn and Karen/Thaddeus, only showing Eden's life through the Magic Box posts.
One should realize that the Magic Box posts are representations of what was going on. Assume that for every one that I make, there are five or ten that I didn't bother making, but in my world they are constant. In other words, she didn't just pick a guy, date them once, 'hoo them, and move onto the next guy.
But, I was inspired by a prompt and it allowed me to flesh out a bit of backstory, and that's what counts, right?
Eden sat on the floor in her bedroom cross-legged, eyes closed, head leaning against the wall. Her day planner was open on her lap. She opened her eyes and gave the dates another unbelieving look. What am I going to do? she thought.
She was two days late.
She closed her eyes again and gently prodded one of her breasts. They didn’t feel sore and she certainly didn’t feel nauseous. But on the other hand, she wasn’t quite sure how long it would take for pregnancy symptoms to show up. If I’m pregnant, she frantically thought. If. It’s only two days. I should wait another couple of days before panicking. I should wait a couple of days before going to the campus drugstore to buy a pregnancy test. She absentmindedly chewed on one of her cuticles ignoring the fact that her manicurist hated it when she did so. If she would have thought about it, she would have known that the manicurist would have forgiven her under the circumstances.
My mother is going to kill me. I’m still in college. If I’m pregnant. IF I’m pregnant I might have to drop out. And then there’s--
A knock on the bedroom door cut into her thoughts. Yeah?” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. Laurana opened the door and popped her head in. Vaughn was standing behind her.
“You’ve got a phone call,” the brown haired girl said.
“Who is it?” Eden asked, desperately praying it wasn’t her mother.
Laurana raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t ask. But unless you’re dating more than one guy with a sexy accent, I’m going to assume it’s Stanley.”
And then there’s Stanley that I would have to tell, Eden completed her last thought. She pasted a smile on her face. “Okay, thank you,” she said to her friend.
“No problem,” said the other girl. “Vaughn and I are going to get coffee so I probably won’t see you until you come back from your date.” She twisted her mouth in a smirk. “Have fun,” she said. Eden heard Vaughn ask, “Do you really think accents are sexy?” as the door shut. She would have laughed at Laurana’s clueless attitude about Vaughn…if she wouldn’t have been so preoccupied.
She stood up with a sigh and walked to the kitchen. She picked up to the phone and said, “Hello, Stanley.”
“Hello, Eden,” her current boyfriend’s voice said warmly. Even in her current state of panic, his accent made her smile. “I am calling to confirm that we are still seeing each other tonight.”
“Yeah,” she responded, but her voice cracked. She cleared her throat, fully aware of her heart pounding. “Yes,” she said again.
“I am delighted to hear that. I will arrange for a carriage, er, taxi, to pick you up around six this evening.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said softly as she rested her forehead against the wall. “I know how to call one for myself.”
She heard him shift uncomfortably. He knew that his anachronistic mannerisms clashed with the modern world and he was still trying to get over the jarring effects. “I am a gentleman,” he said simply, as if that statement would explain everything. In all honesty, it did.
“Yes, you are. You’re absolutely right. I’ll be looking for the taxi at around six then. Um, is dinner a formal or casual affair?” she asked.
“Casual,” he hesitantly responded. “It will only be the two of us at my flat, so there is no need for you to dress up in a ‘costume’ as you put it.” She could hear his smile as he said the word ‘costume,’ which is how she looked at the Victorian getups she had in her closet. “Come as you are; I shall look forward to seeing you no matter what type of clothing you choose to wear.”
Tears filled her eyes as she was glad that she was only on the phone with him and not talking to him in person. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours then,” she said, proud that her voice was steady.
“Until then,” he said. His voice held an intimate tone that she had grown rather fond of. When she hung up the phone, she sunk to the floor and covered her face with her hands. She fought the urge to cry. Tonight was supposed to be a fun night, and now everything is ruined.
***
He was a surprisingly good cook. When Eden had commented on it a couple of months earlier, he pointed out that he was a bachelor and that if wanted to eat a decent meal he had to learn to do it himself. Dinner on this night was a rather light fare, but she barely noticed. Part of her felt bad as she knew that he did put forth a lot of effort to make sure that it was nice, but her lack of an appetite went above and beyond her normal reluctance to eat in front of other people. She only vaguely noticed that his version of ‘casual’ meant that he didn’t wear his suit jacket, that his tie was slightly undone, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up a little.
Throughout dinner her thoughts raced even as she kept a bright smile on her face. She had a feeling that her responses to his flirts were only half-hearted and she was vaguely aware that he noticed. As he went to fetch the tea he had made for the two of them, she watched.
First, her eyes were drawn to his red hair, which she was inexplicably attracted to. It was a shame, in her mind, that there was only one other man that she was aware of with that hair color. But she wasn’t going to touch Rhys Fitzhugh with a ten-foot pole, not with all of the baggage he most likely came with. She had enough baggage of her own. Her eyes traced over his nose, mouth, and the strong line of his jaw. When he quickly glanced over at her (and if she would have really been looking, she would have noticed his worried expression), she took note of his beautiful and unusual hazel eye color. Her eyes then trailed over his body, taking note of his strong yet gentle hands. Stanley Legacy was a good looking man, there was no denying that.
She was also very fond of him. She had been fond of all the men she had dated and luckily she was on amiable terms with all of her ex-boyfriends. It was almost a Romance Sim code not to get too bent out of shape when the relationship, no matter how long or short it was, ended. Of course that was a trait she looked for when it came to men, and Stanley was no exception. However, at six months, Stanley was the longest relationship she had to date and she keenly felt that that should have meant something.
Instead, all she could feel was panic. If I’m pregnant. If! she had to keep saying to herself. She didn’t know how to tell him or if she should even tell him until she was positive. She knew, knew, that he would do the right thing and marry her if she did turn out to be pregnant. (If I’m pregnant! IF!) After all, he was a gentleman.
But what kind of life would that be? We’d get married because I’m pregnant. If I’m pregnant. If! What if he resents me because of it? What if I end up resenting him? In all the time we’ve been dating, marriage has never come up. This is dating. This is sex. This is companionship. This is having some fun with a cute guy who makes me feel good when we’re in bed together. Does he feel something more? Could he ever feel something more?
She gave him a smile that felt false on her face as he set the tea tray down on the table. Could I ever feel something more? she asked herself as she mechanically poured the tea into her cup. She glanced at him as she reached for the honey. She was subconsciously aware of the set of his jaw and the neutral expression on his face. Maybe, she thought, still focusing on her inner turmoil. Maybe. But is maybe enough?
“Eden,” he said stiffly, interrupting her thoughts. As she looked at him, his face softened, though his brow creased slightly. He reached over and brushed the strand of hair that constantly fell into her face and tucked it behind her ear. He then gently held her hand, and lightly ran his thumb over her fingers. “My dear Eden,” he started again, “I cannot help but notice that you seem to be rather preoccupied tonight. Is there something the matter?”
She sighed at his concerned tone and expression. What do I say? What do I do? What if I’m not pregnant? What if I am? How do I say it? “Stanley, I--” she stopped and her eyes widened.
If she would have been paying more attention, she would have been fully aware of the dull cramping feeling that had been bothering her all night.
“I need to powder my nose,” she said. “If you will excuse me.”
“Of course,” he replied. He stood up immediately and in a courtly gesture he held out his hand. She placed her hand in his and he helped her up. She thought she felt his fingers slightly squeeze hers, but it was so brief it could have been her imagination.
***
Better late than never, she thought as she looked at the obvious sign of non-pregnancy. Tears of relief filled her eyes. She covered her mouth tightly with her hands as she stifled the sobs that came forth. She rocked silently in the bathroom, letting her tears fall freely.
After a few minutes, her crying subsided and she went to the sink to wash away the signs of her tears. She looked at herself in the mirror. “What am I doing?” she whispered.
She was relieved that she wasn’t pregnant. But worse, she was relieved that she didn’t have to marry Stanley and that thought hurt. A lot. He was a good man. She had fun with him. Plus, there was the added bonus that he was the only person that her mother didn’t make scathing remarks about. He was a gentleman, and her mother ate that entire image right up. Eden could leave the bathroom and tell him about her scare and broach the subject of marriage. She was the legacy heiress. She did need to get married.
Or rather, she needed to produce an heir. Her pregnancy scare taught her that marriage and children were definitely two separate things. She tucked that thought away for the time being and she promised herself that she would think it over, at length, later. But at that moment, she needed to make a decision about a certain wonderful gentleman who was probably growing very concerned.
She liked him. She was very attracted to him. She was very, very fond of him. But she didn’t love him. Fondness was not love, and love made all the difference. She didn’t want to commit herself to someone that she ‘might’ grow to love ‘someday’ ‘hopefully’ ‘maybe.’ She didn’t want a relationship that was like her parents’. It wasn’t fair to her and more importantly, it wasn’t fair to him. He deserved to be with someone who did love him. She wanted to think that she deserved to be with someone who loved her as well, but she cast that thought to the side. She was facing the very real possibility that she would never feel that way about anyone. If she didn’t feel it for Stanley, then chances were that she probably wouldn’t ever.
She didn’t want to think about it at that moment. It hurt too much.
Instead, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom.
As she went back to the dining room, she noticed that he was sitting with his fingers steepled under his chin. As soon as he saw her he stood up. The expression on his face was cautious. “Are you alright? I was growing worried.”
Eden noticed that he didn’t call her ‘my dear.’ It was understandable. I could have loved him, she thought sadly. If there wasn't something wrong with me, I could have loved him.
“Stanley,” she said in a shaky voice, “we need to talk.”
He closed his eyes and sighed. There was no need to translate what those words meant. The phrase was timeless. “Ah yes,” he said. A very brief flash of sadness crossed his face. “That is…regretful.”
One should realize that the Magic Box posts are representations of what was going on. Assume that for every one that I make, there are five or ten that I didn't bother making, but in my world they are constant. In other words, she didn't just pick a guy, date them once, 'hoo them, and move onto the next guy.
But, I was inspired by a prompt and it allowed me to flesh out a bit of backstory, and that's what counts, right?
Eden sat on the floor in her bedroom cross-legged, eyes closed, head leaning against the wall. Her day planner was open on her lap. She opened her eyes and gave the dates another unbelieving look. What am I going to do? she thought.
She was two days late.
She closed her eyes again and gently prodded one of her breasts. They didn’t feel sore and she certainly didn’t feel nauseous. But on the other hand, she wasn’t quite sure how long it would take for pregnancy symptoms to show up. If I’m pregnant, she frantically thought. If. It’s only two days. I should wait another couple of days before panicking. I should wait a couple of days before going to the campus drugstore to buy a pregnancy test. She absentmindedly chewed on one of her cuticles ignoring the fact that her manicurist hated it when she did so. If she would have thought about it, she would have known that the manicurist would have forgiven her under the circumstances.
My mother is going to kill me. I’m still in college. If I’m pregnant. IF I’m pregnant I might have to drop out. And then there’s--
A knock on the bedroom door cut into her thoughts. Yeah?” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. Laurana opened the door and popped her head in. Vaughn was standing behind her.
“You’ve got a phone call,” the brown haired girl said.
“Who is it?” Eden asked, desperately praying it wasn’t her mother.
Laurana raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t ask. But unless you’re dating more than one guy with a sexy accent, I’m going to assume it’s Stanley.”
And then there’s Stanley that I would have to tell, Eden completed her last thought. She pasted a smile on her face. “Okay, thank you,” she said to her friend.
“No problem,” said the other girl. “Vaughn and I are going to get coffee so I probably won’t see you until you come back from your date.” She twisted her mouth in a smirk. “Have fun,” she said. Eden heard Vaughn ask, “Do you really think accents are sexy?” as the door shut. She would have laughed at Laurana’s clueless attitude about Vaughn…if she wouldn’t have been so preoccupied.
She stood up with a sigh and walked to the kitchen. She picked up to the phone and said, “Hello, Stanley.”
“Hello, Eden,” her current boyfriend’s voice said warmly. Even in her current state of panic, his accent made her smile. “I am calling to confirm that we are still seeing each other tonight.”
“Yeah,” she responded, but her voice cracked. She cleared her throat, fully aware of her heart pounding. “Yes,” she said again.
“I am delighted to hear that. I will arrange for a carriage, er, taxi, to pick you up around six this evening.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said softly as she rested her forehead against the wall. “I know how to call one for myself.”
She heard him shift uncomfortably. He knew that his anachronistic mannerisms clashed with the modern world and he was still trying to get over the jarring effects. “I am a gentleman,” he said simply, as if that statement would explain everything. In all honesty, it did.
“Yes, you are. You’re absolutely right. I’ll be looking for the taxi at around six then. Um, is dinner a formal or casual affair?” she asked.
“Casual,” he hesitantly responded. “It will only be the two of us at my flat, so there is no need for you to dress up in a ‘costume’ as you put it.” She could hear his smile as he said the word ‘costume,’ which is how she looked at the Victorian getups she had in her closet. “Come as you are; I shall look forward to seeing you no matter what type of clothing you choose to wear.”
Tears filled her eyes as she was glad that she was only on the phone with him and not talking to him in person. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours then,” she said, proud that her voice was steady.
“Until then,” he said. His voice held an intimate tone that she had grown rather fond of. When she hung up the phone, she sunk to the floor and covered her face with her hands. She fought the urge to cry. Tonight was supposed to be a fun night, and now everything is ruined.
***
He was a surprisingly good cook. When Eden had commented on it a couple of months earlier, he pointed out that he was a bachelor and that if wanted to eat a decent meal he had to learn to do it himself. Dinner on this night was a rather light fare, but she barely noticed. Part of her felt bad as she knew that he did put forth a lot of effort to make sure that it was nice, but her lack of an appetite went above and beyond her normal reluctance to eat in front of other people. She only vaguely noticed that his version of ‘casual’ meant that he didn’t wear his suit jacket, that his tie was slightly undone, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up a little.
Throughout dinner her thoughts raced even as she kept a bright smile on her face. She had a feeling that her responses to his flirts were only half-hearted and she was vaguely aware that he noticed. As he went to fetch the tea he had made for the two of them, she watched.
First, her eyes were drawn to his red hair, which she was inexplicably attracted to. It was a shame, in her mind, that there was only one other man that she was aware of with that hair color. But she wasn’t going to touch Rhys Fitzhugh with a ten-foot pole, not with all of the baggage he most likely came with. She had enough baggage of her own. Her eyes traced over his nose, mouth, and the strong line of his jaw. When he quickly glanced over at her (and if she would have really been looking, she would have noticed his worried expression), she took note of his beautiful and unusual hazel eye color. Her eyes then trailed over his body, taking note of his strong yet gentle hands. Stanley Legacy was a good looking man, there was no denying that.
She was also very fond of him. She had been fond of all the men she had dated and luckily she was on amiable terms with all of her ex-boyfriends. It was almost a Romance Sim code not to get too bent out of shape when the relationship, no matter how long or short it was, ended. Of course that was a trait she looked for when it came to men, and Stanley was no exception. However, at six months, Stanley was the longest relationship she had to date and she keenly felt that that should have meant something.
Instead, all she could feel was panic. If I’m pregnant. If! she had to keep saying to herself. She didn’t know how to tell him or if she should even tell him until she was positive. She knew, knew, that he would do the right thing and marry her if she did turn out to be pregnant. (If I’m pregnant! IF!) After all, he was a gentleman.
But what kind of life would that be? We’d get married because I’m pregnant. If I’m pregnant. If! What if he resents me because of it? What if I end up resenting him? In all the time we’ve been dating, marriage has never come up. This is dating. This is sex. This is companionship. This is having some fun with a cute guy who makes me feel good when we’re in bed together. Does he feel something more? Could he ever feel something more?
She gave him a smile that felt false on her face as he set the tea tray down on the table. Could I ever feel something more? she asked herself as she mechanically poured the tea into her cup. She glanced at him as she reached for the honey. She was subconsciously aware of the set of his jaw and the neutral expression on his face. Maybe, she thought, still focusing on her inner turmoil. Maybe. But is maybe enough?
“Eden,” he said stiffly, interrupting her thoughts. As she looked at him, his face softened, though his brow creased slightly. He reached over and brushed the strand of hair that constantly fell into her face and tucked it behind her ear. He then gently held her hand, and lightly ran his thumb over her fingers. “My dear Eden,” he started again, “I cannot help but notice that you seem to be rather preoccupied tonight. Is there something the matter?”
She sighed at his concerned tone and expression. What do I say? What do I do? What if I’m not pregnant? What if I am? How do I say it? “Stanley, I--” she stopped and her eyes widened.
If she would have been paying more attention, she would have been fully aware of the dull cramping feeling that had been bothering her all night.
“I need to powder my nose,” she said. “If you will excuse me.”
“Of course,” he replied. He stood up immediately and in a courtly gesture he held out his hand. She placed her hand in his and he helped her up. She thought she felt his fingers slightly squeeze hers, but it was so brief it could have been her imagination.
***
Better late than never, she thought as she looked at the obvious sign of non-pregnancy. Tears of relief filled her eyes. She covered her mouth tightly with her hands as she stifled the sobs that came forth. She rocked silently in the bathroom, letting her tears fall freely.
After a few minutes, her crying subsided and she went to the sink to wash away the signs of her tears. She looked at herself in the mirror. “What am I doing?” she whispered.
She was relieved that she wasn’t pregnant. But worse, she was relieved that she didn’t have to marry Stanley and that thought hurt. A lot. He was a good man. She had fun with him. Plus, there was the added bonus that he was the only person that her mother didn’t make scathing remarks about. He was a gentleman, and her mother ate that entire image right up. Eden could leave the bathroom and tell him about her scare and broach the subject of marriage. She was the legacy heiress. She did need to get married.
Or rather, she needed to produce an heir. Her pregnancy scare taught her that marriage and children were definitely two separate things. She tucked that thought away for the time being and she promised herself that she would think it over, at length, later. But at that moment, she needed to make a decision about a certain wonderful gentleman who was probably growing very concerned.
She liked him. She was very attracted to him. She was very, very fond of him. But she didn’t love him. Fondness was not love, and love made all the difference. She didn’t want to commit herself to someone that she ‘might’ grow to love ‘someday’ ‘hopefully’ ‘maybe.’ She didn’t want a relationship that was like her parents’. It wasn’t fair to her and more importantly, it wasn’t fair to him. He deserved to be with someone who did love him. She wanted to think that she deserved to be with someone who loved her as well, but she cast that thought to the side. She was facing the very real possibility that she would never feel that way about anyone. If she didn’t feel it for Stanley, then chances were that she probably wouldn’t ever.
She didn’t want to think about it at that moment. It hurt too much.
Instead, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom.
As she went back to the dining room, she noticed that he was sitting with his fingers steepled under his chin. As soon as he saw her he stood up. The expression on his face was cautious. “Are you alright? I was growing worried.”
Eden noticed that he didn’t call her ‘my dear.’ It was understandable. I could have loved him, she thought sadly. If there wasn't something wrong with me, I could have loved him.
“Stanley,” she said in a shaky voice, “we need to talk.”
He closed his eyes and sighed. There was no need to translate what those words meant. The phrase was timeless. “Ah yes,” he said. A very brief flash of sadness crossed his face. “That is…regretful.”