Drown #10: the mouse, part 5

January 2086. Stephanie Nova is 26, Justin Kim is 25, Cynthia Kim is 48, Willow is 4, Lily is 3. Jeremiah Day is 29.

* sensitive content advisory for Drown #10: the mouse, parts 3, 4, & 5



But she told Justin about the messages. She asked him to read every single one. Because she wasn’t weak or stupid, and she did believe that he loved her. Because he promised her, before they were lovers, that nothing could ever change them. He was her best friend first and nothing would ever change that.


"So tell me the truth and I'll believe it," she said. "Tell me anything and I'll believe it because you were the little boy who used to bring me two birthday presents because my birthday was nine days before Christmas and you didn't want me to be sad."

Drown #10: the mouse, part 4

January 2086. Stephanie Nova is 26, Justin Kim is 25. Willow is 4, Lily is 3. Jeremiah Day is 29.

sensitive content advisory for Drown #10: the mouse, parts 3, 4, & 5


Justin said not to even think about the messages, but Stephanie thought about them all night. She felt weak in her heart and they'd hurt her there. She should have been stronger. She tried, but she wasn't stronger.

Drown #10: the mouse, part 3

January 2086. Stephanie Nova is 26, Justin Kim is 25, Keri Riley is 24, Jeremiah Day is 29.

* sensitive content advisory for Drown #10: the mouse, parts 3, 4, & 5


They drove back down to Lakeside Heights the next morning. They had so much to take care of still—jobs to quit, things to pack, bank accounts to transfer. Justin had to decide when his last day at work would be, before he even had his next job lined up. He had to decide what on earth he would do next. Bryson had offered to write him a nice letter of recommendation, but the problem was that Justin hadn't found any jobs to apply for anywhere near Copper Hill, Michigan. And now he could only try to convince himself that moving his family there was still the absolute right decision.

Now that Bryson knew they were moving, Madison would know shortly. Once Madison knew, Keri would find out within seconds. Justin figured he should probably tell her himself.

who gets the cabin?

* even though this story is from a novel, these characters are also sims that will continue to live in my neighborhood when I’m done with this part of the story. Then they'll be allowed to just be sims. So I wanted to draw up actual paperwork for Stephanie and Jeremiah, even if it's just for my own record-keeping to use in the future.

** at the bottom of these divorce documents (previous divorces and future ones, of which I think Bruce and Pamela were the only ones I had so far on this blog) I've added a section of notes and amendments as they go back and forth with their lawyers. I won't be writing a story update for every single little squabble in the divorce proceedings, but I'll note what things are happening "off-camera" as they happen in case anyone is interested and for my own notes.

*** also note, in case anyone was doing the math: I'm calling Willow aged 4 years old for the story because I feel like her character is 4-5 years old maturity wise and it suits the story I wrote. Although, as a sim in my gameplay world and according to the dates, she won't be 4 for nearly eight more months. That's totally a minor detail in a game where we don't even have freaking toddlers, lol! But, in real life, there can be a world of difference in a child's maturity between the ages of 3 and 5, and so it matters to me in the writing.

And so, the divorce papers...

Drown #10: the mouse, part 2

January 2086. Stephanie Nova is 26, Justin Kim is 25. Willow is 4, Lily is 3.

* briefly NSFW


"Now we need our toys here, Daddy," Lily said. "Let's go get all our toys."

"We can't get them tonight," Justin said. "That's too much driving for one night."

Drown #10: the mouse, part 1

January 2086. Stephanie Nova is 26, Justin Kim is 25. Willow is 4, Lily is 3. Sharon Coolidge is 32. 

* Err, so Sharon the innkeeper and Colette the realtor are different characters, just FYI, since they look pretty similar. I should have given one of them different hair or something, lol! 

** briefly NSFW



burnt breakfast at 6 weeks pregnant, a true story of woe

January 2086. Stephanie Nova is 26.


"Oh, no!"


"Noooooo! Oh, God, no! Why? Why right now? Now, of all times, when I'm so so hungry and so so sick. I know I've done wrong, I know I'm no saint, but what have I ever done so wrong to deserve this?