Abby meant well. She really did. All she wanted to do was explain to Sawyer ways he might behave that would make it less likely for his classmates to pick on him.
Sawyer didn’t take it that way.
He let loose a torrent of verbal abuse on Abby.
“Everyone keeps trying to change me! THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME! There’s something wrong with you. You and Mom and Mum and Dylan and everyone at school and everyone who thinks they can call themselves ‘normal.’ You’re all idiots!”
Abby was stunned. “I had no idea you felt this way,” she said. “I thought you wanted to learn how to fit in better.”
“I don’t need to fit in,” Sawyer said. “I’m smarter than all of you anyway.”
There was no use arguing with Sawyer that there were different kinds of intelligence. He had no way of visualizing social intelligence. And there was no denying that he was already showing a genius for the sciences that his artistic and musical family couldn’t comprehend. “Of course you’re smart,” Abby said. “Can you help me learn what you really want?”
This is how Sawyer roped Abby into his plans to build a snowman army.
Abby never did understand why Sawyer was fascinated by snowmen, but she realized that the only way to get to know her strange little brother was on his own terms.
He was right — even his family wasn’t very good about letting him call his own shots. For all that they worried about him, did any of them understand him? Was it even possible to understand Sawyer?
Building snowmen turned out to be a lot of fun. Sawyer tweaked their construction technique with each one and kept notes on something or other. Abby just rolled big snowballs and followed his directions.
After a while, they were laughing together. Abby didn’t think she’d ever seen Sawyer look that comfortable with anyone. It made her feel good — special, even — to see this side of him.
It turned out that the lawyer route was, in fact, a much more effective way to get through to the Marmalades. The attorney Sky kept on retainer took Xia’s long, ranty complaint and turned it into a businesslike challenge. Xia demanded a parenthood test, with Sherman Marmalade, but in the end Plum ceded the parenthood issue without a fight. There wasn’t much point in denying it. Sherman’s conception was recorded in Dr. Sebastian Hodgins’s notes.
Xia was granted visitation rights. The first time she met with Sherman as his mum was at Tinkerbell’s Beautique and Spa. Xia had thought that maybe they’d go for a spa day together, but in the end, they spent most of their time outside talking.
To Xia’s disappointment, Sherman didn’t bear a lot of resemblance to her. His skin and eye color were Plum’s. His hair was black, which didn’t match either of their families. He’d have to grow up a little more before she had a chance to see her face in his.
But really, the most important thing was that Sherman wanted to know her. He’d always known he wasn’t really Leah’s kid. Finding Xia seemed to bring him an answer to a lifelong question.
Now they just had to get to know each other. No big deal, right?
Xia wasn’t done being angry at Plum, but she at least felt less helpless. When she returned from her visit with Sherman, she felt like partying.
Snowflake Day was coming, and what would be better than a gift exchange! Xia used to party all the time in her youth, but parenthood, life drama, and work stress had slowed her down. Suddenly, Xia realized how long she’d spent focusing on responsible goals. There needed to be more fun in the Sample/Wu household!
She got on the phone and called everyone she knew.
Sky was surprised but pleased when Xia told her they were going to be hosting a huge open house. “I’ll make hors d’oeuvres for everyone!” she cried. “Starting with sushi!”
The idea of Sky making sushi made Xia a little nervous. Sky had old master grilled cheese in the last week. But she decided not to rain on Sky’s parade. What was the worst that could happen? Food poisoning? Ermmm….
Instead, on the day of the party, she herded the kids outside for a massive snowball war.
It was a gloomy. cloudy morning, but it was bright with bonding and laughter.
Then, after he’d showed and cleaned up after the fun in the snow, Sawyer quietly dropped his bombshell.
He’d decided it was time to age up.
“Now?” Sky cried, rushing up to meet him on the landing. “But I was going to throw a party!”
“Mama, I don’t *want* a party,” Sawyer said. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me. It’s better this way.”
So, around lunch time on Snowflake Day, standing on the stairway landing, Sawyer Sample became a teenager.
Abby cheered when she saw him.
She, at least, thought the surprise was delightful. “High school will be better,” she confided. “You’ll see.”
There wasn’t much more time to talk about it because the guests were starting to arrive. Dion Callender-Doctor showed up early, hoping to get a little quality time with Abby.
That was not to be because Uncle Hunter as not far behind him.
“What is WITH you, Uncle Hunter?” Abby demanded.
Hunter cringed. “I told you, it’s unicorn stuff,” he said. “Um, could I use your shower?”
The Samples had some well-aged nectar that Great Grandpa Lancelot had gathered on his travels. Xia decided it was time to uncork one to lubricate the conversation.
Nobody could remember inviting February Callender.
Dion really wanted to get some time alone with Abby, but Abby wouldn’t hear of leaving the party. There were too many wonderful conversations to be had and fun people to charm.
Forest made an appearance. His reputation preceded him.
For some more than others. Cousin Ash in particular spent the entire party as far from Forest as he could get.
Dylan arrived late. To everyone’s surprise, especially Xia’s, he brought Sherman.
“He called me and asked if he could come?” Dylan admitted.
Sherman didn’t have much to say, but he was never far from Xia.
Corrina Shepherd actually made it to the party!
Dylan’s heart squeezed, somewhere between delight and guilt. He’d also invited Adria, and she was also there.
“Let’s get this party rollin’!” Xia declared. “Don’t be shy! There are gifts for everyone!”
Sky’s sushi didn’t turn out half bad, and some of the guests had also brought treats.
Adria chattered with Dylan about an artistic layout she had in mind for a special edition of the paper.
It was a totally chaste conversation, right? Why was he so nervous?
Dylan was relieved when Adria decided to sit down to eat. Until she sat down and started chatting with Corinna.
Sky and Forest caught up. Forest spoke about his life almost entirely in vague euphemisms, but Sky was used to it.
The crowd got to be too much for Sawyer, though. He escaped to the back yard for some peace and quiet.
Unfortunately, Cousin Gina saw him go.
She had other plans entirely.
“I’ve had enough of all you crazy people,” Sawyer declared. He headed up to his room to set up some science experiments, and he stayed there until the party was over.
“Come, sit down with me!” Corrina pleaded with Dylan. “I know we’ve barely seen each other since prom, but my work schedule is changing. I’m really hoping that will change.”
She and Dylan sat down with some sushi. Dylan wondered what romantic couples were supposed to talk about. It was so much easier in letters.
He settled on he thoughts about the class president elections, which were coming up fast. Some of his friends on the paper had suggested that he run, but he couldn’t imagine anything less appealing than a campaign. He thought Abby should run.
Corrina laughed and agreed with him.
But then Dylan’s words trailed off as he watched the mess she made as she ate.
She was just like his mom.
“Um, I’ll be right back,” Dylan said. He had to get away from the crowd for a minute to think.
———-
Sawyer’s a teen at last!! I don’t know why he aged up on the stairway. I triggered age-up a couple of days early, but I didn’t want a cake because the Snowflake Day party was about to start.
I had Xia buy the jukebox so there could be dancing. Then I forgot to turn it on. Whoops!
GINA GOT CHARLES’S HAIR! Now I feel kind of guilty for giving it to Sawyer. Maybe I should have given him his mum Amy Winter’s hair. It was cool purple and indigo, which you didn’t get to see because all my surviving shots of her were elder.
I was pleased that we finally got Corrina to show up for something. She’s a really interesting/bizarre looking sim. I think I know who her genetic father is, and he’s an MTS sim with Commitment Issues who never had any actual kids. So this makes his genes worthwhile :).
I have one more post before we finally make it to the heir poll. One more!! And I even have the pics laid out for it.
I need to log into the game and get some CAS shots for the poll.
