postcards from your wildest dreams

January 2088

#1: welcome baby Eris

The Deppiesse family welcomes another little girl, Eris Lenore, to the family. This little one seems to have inherited almost everything from her beautiful mother, Lucy. 

gameplay: Eris’s birth roll, and it looks like she’s destined to inherit a couple of unfortunate traits! She might not be the little sweetheart that Cassie is. Sounds like a fun sisterly dynamic to write about, lol! 

another little side note: Eris was actually born years ago in my game, before the timeline rewind. I went back far enough that Cassie hadn’t even been born yet, and so Eris had to wait a long time in limbo to become part of the story again. She’s just been hanging out off-camera as a toddler this whole time, the same actual sim who was born all that time ago. Note that we have not actually seen Lucy in story since her honeymoon, so fake pregnancy happened off-camera, too. 

For the record: Dallas and Lucy don’t have any other secret babies hanging out off camera. Only on-camera babies from now on, lol!

#2: all you wanted

Next door on base, Marlie Levin lives with her new husband and thirteen-year-old son. She and Lucy are seemingly from completely different worlds, but Lucy’s hands-off nonchalant parenting style makes Marlie feel understood. Not that Lucy’s sweet children would ever end up being arrested for assault and battery at age thirteen, but still.

Marlie is enjoying her new life as a military wife and newlywed. The family housing on base is tight, but charming, with space in the back for the kids to play. They look forward to exploring the grounds when the snow finally thaws. Marlie is convinced that this is the nicest home she’ll ever live in. That’s all thanks to Daniel, of course.

“We hope to have our own little one soon,” Marlie tells Lucy. 

Lucy says she would have a dozen babies. Or, well, more at least, after Dallas finishes with the military. Lucy wishes Marlie luck and “baby dust.” Marlie thanks her for it, but thinks it’s slightly odd to need luck in getting pregnant. She hadn’t needed any “baby dust” when she got knocked up with Harry. Well, she is in her thirties now, not sixteen. Maybe it wouldn’t be so easy.


But Lucy’s baby dust was magical and here Marlie finds herself, ten weeks pregnant. They’re expecting a little Levin baby later this summer. It feels so much different now than when she got pregnant with Harry. She feels excited and hopeful, not terrified. 

And news of the baby—Harry is skeptical to ambivalent. They didn’t dare hope for anything better.

Harry actually pulled his grades up to a B- in his last quarter at public school, and Marlie felt like a horrible monster for dragging him all the way out here anyway, away from his friends and everything he ever knew. She didn’t want him to think that she’d given up on him, when the truth was she kind of had given up. Maybe not on him, but at least on her own abilities to help him. 

There’s been a lot of change for Harry in these past few months, but he seemed to take it all much better than they could have hoped for. They expected rage and rejection and grudges and hurtful words. But, actually… 


Harry and Daniel really get along. Because Daniel is just that excellent, Marlie thinks. Or maybe it’s more than that. Maybe her poor, troubled Harry was crying out for a father all along. She feels awful for not finding that connection for him sooner.

It’s wonderful that everything turned out so well, but Marlie knows they’re not over the roughest news yet. Now that Harry is so fond of his new stepfather, how will she ever tell him that Daniel is going away, deep into space, for several years?  

—

#3: sleeping beauty in dreamland

Maria Boone didn’t dream of becoming a war widow at such a young age, but she wasn’t asking anyone to feel sorry for her, either. Four years later and she should have been dating again by now. Twenty-six was far too young to write off romance for the rest of her life. But she couldn’t bring herself to bother when she’d already found the perfect man right here. He was handsome, strong, friendly, generous. Too bad he wasn’t exactly single. 

He wasn’t married or engaged, either, or even exactly partnered. The situation with his boys’ mother was more complicated than Maria knew how to explain. 

“Well, isn’t this charming,” she said of the small country town where their boss had sent them on a work errand. “It’s a shame about the rain though.”

“No big deal, it’s just a little water,” he said.

“Maybe. Cute umbrella, by the way.”

Maria jumped at the chance to turn this work-ordered day trip into the best day of her life. She’s had a crush on Jordan for the longest time. She thought it would pass, but it hasn’t. And what is a crush after years and years but a deep, impossible, tragic love?

But Maria was hardly married for a minute before her own husband perished. What did she even know about love? She knew she didn’t aspire to be a home-wrecker. Even if Jordan wasn’t married, he and his partner had twins and a decade of history together. Ten years was a longer relationship than Maria ever had. 

But, after so long, Maria couldn’t help but wonder which one of them didn’t want to get married.

The rain fizzled out, and Jordan put his umbrella away, letting out a boisterous whoop at the sky. 

Maria wasn’t nearly as excited. It was a shame they had no reason to huddle under his child-sized umbrella anymore.

“Do you skate?” he asked her. 

“Uh, no. Why? Do you want to skate?”

He chuckled. She felt stupid. He wasn’t inviting her to skate, was he? 

“I mean, because I wondered if you might want to hang out in town, kill some time, get the shopping done? The walk is a little long, and probably muddy after all that rain.”

She wasn’t prepared. She had three-inch heels on her boots. “We’re going to hike?”

“I can just run out and back,” he said. “You won’t even know I’m gone.” 

Doubtful, she thought. She always noticed when he was gone. And she wanted to stay with him for every moment that allowed it. “No, it’s fine. I’ll come along.” 

He was chatty as they walked out into the countryside. He was actually a very reserved man until you got to know him, and Maria felt privileged that he felt close enough to tell her so much, so often. She thought she knew most things about him already, but she was always happy to learn more. 

“I kind of always wanted some land like this,” he said. “You know, raise some chickens, maybe a couple of cows. Live off-grid. The boys would love it.”

“Then why don’t you?”

“Colette hates animals,” he said. “She hates the countryside, too. She especially hates being off-grid.”

“Wow. That probably kills the dream a little.”

He chuckled softly. “But who knows, she’s probably right. Maybe I’d get bored and change my mind.”

He was charming with the animals. Maria wondered if Johanna would love a little bunny of her own, but Maria was nervous to interact with one after it hissed at her. And she knew she’d be the one who took care of the thing. Johanna was so little still. Maybe they’d start smaller. Perhaps a hamster. 

Jordan went to speak with the man about the ingredients Sharon wanted.

While Maria realized that she should have peed in town before they set off for the farm. 

“There’s an outhouse across the bridge,” Jordan told her. 

“What’s an outhouse?”

Jordan laughed again, then pointed across the bridge and to the right. “White building, vines. There’s really nothing else over there. You can’t miss it.” 

So she set out to find it, hoping not to get lost.

“Don’t fall in,” he called after her, still grinning. 

So today was the day Maria would discover what an outhouse was, and she’d truly never encountered a more revolting thing in her life. It was a hole in the ground with poop in it. But she willed herself to use it anyway only because peeing her pants would have been slightly more traumatizing. Now she felt filthy, in addition to tired, starving, and her feet were sore. Maybe she was too much of a princess for this country life, and she should have stayed in town after all. She could have finished the shopping by now and been warm and dry, sitting beside a crackling faux fireplace, enjoying a frothy vanilla latte.

She found a bench nearby to wait for Jordan to finish his country errands. She must have closed her eyes and slipped off enough to dream lightly. He was in her dream, here in this cold, dreary countryside, needing to traverse a muddy pond, and Jordan swept her up into his arms and carried her through the water. Then, because dreams are random, the pond transformed into a warm Mediterranean beach and he laid her down on the hot sand and made passionate love to her beside the crashing waves. 

“Wake up, sleeping beauty.”

What? Was that real? Did he really say that? Or was it part of her dream?

“Maria,” he said, definitely real this time and in a slightly song-like voice. “We’re all done. Let’s head out.”

He sat next to her while she roused herself awake. 

“I’m literally starving to death,” she complained.

“Hmm. Actually, I’m pretty hungry too. Maybe we could grab dinner before we get back on the train. I called Sharon. I told her we’d be late. Do you need to call your babysitter?”

“No, not tonight. I thought we might be late. Johanna is with my sister tonight.” 

They ate at the only little pub in town, a quiet place that felt homey and inviting after a long day in the cold mud.

“How was your dinner?” he asked.

“Fine,” she said. “But I was looking at the cake. Don’t you always regret not ordering the thing you really wanted? It would have been silly to have cake for dinner, but it would have been a nice treat. It’s not like Johanna can bake something for my birthday.”

“It’s your birthday? Happy birthday! Why didn’t you take the day off?”

“Single mom,” she said. “I can’t afford many days off.”

That wasn’t entirely true. Her husband’s military death benefit and life insurance left her sitting comfortably. Truth be told, she loved coming in to work when Jordan was on the schedule. And being sent on a work errand with him, just him, all day, was the best birthday treat she could have asked for.

Back at Coolidge House, they were having a slow night and Sharon didn’t seem to mind Maria and Jordan’s extended absence. She poured herself a glass of wine and watched Stephanie cook, endeared by the charming and expressive faces she made as she worked with equal parts skill and clumsiness. 

Stephanie attempted some new recipes with the ingredients they brought. She frowned at her creations, wondering why on earth something called pudding looked nothing like any pudding she’d ever known. But Sharon told her they turned out exactly as they should have and smelled quite delicious. 

There were no events planned for the night or the week, no guests staying, the holidays were finished and no more were coming up soon. After they checked inventory and restocked the café, the staff hung around, catching up, trading gossip. Stephanie was insanely jealous that she had to stay behind and cook while Maria and Jordan got to go on a field trip.

While Maria called her sister to check in on Johanna, Jordan asked Stephanie for a little favor, if it wasn’t too much trouble. Could he borrow one of the brunch cakes? 

“Borrow?” Stephanie had a perplexed look on her face. “You don’t borrow a cake, you eat one.”

“I’ll pay for it,” he said. 

Maria had time to hang out, thankfully, coming back to say that her sister had already put Johanna to bed. 

She and Jordan got lost in an amusing chat. Something smelled wonderful coming from the oven, but Maria just assumed that Stephanie was baking for work. 

But then Stephanie emerged with a birthday cake. 

“Oh my gosh,” Maria gasped. “How did you know?”

Jordan was the only one who knew. She was stunned, more in love with him than ever before. And more hopeful than ever before that maybe, just maybe, he might feel something more than friendship in return. 

She tried to find the words to express her gratitude for what had to be the most memorable day of her life, but before she could, the entire staff began singing. “Happy birthday, dear Maria. Happy birthday to you!” 

—

#4: pillow talk

Her feet are tired, but Stephanie comes home from work feeling a little bit like hero of the day. Sure, it was Jordan’s idea, but Jordan didn’t bake that super moist pillowy birthday cake.

Justin rubs her shoulders while Stephanie unloads all of the juicy gossip she’s accumulated throughout the day. Stephanie is one of those quiet, unsuspecting types. The kind people trust with their secrets. The kind people tell everything. The kind who notices even the secrets people are not brave enough to tell. She’s also the kind who then spills all the sordid details to her man at the end of the night, which totally doesn’t count as being untrustworthy. 

“Maria is in love with Jordan, but so is Ingrid. Well, with Ingrid it’s not love, but lust. And Jordan likes Maria back, but he also likes his girlfriend. But you know, they actually have an open relationship, and I don’t think Maria knows that. But I think Ingrid does know it, and she wants a bite, and she might get there first. And Ian is sleeping with Miss Jessica.” 

“The girls’ school teacher!?!”

“Yeah, wild, huh? But she doesn’t want anyone to know they’re doing it because he’s a little bit of a stoner.”

“Whoa. Who knew Coolidge House Country Inn was such a hotbed of lust? Who do you think has a crush on you?” 

“What? Nobody has a crush on me.” 

“Come on, now, Steph. You don’t think you’re Sharon’s favorite for nothing.” 

Stephanie is scandalized. 

—

#5: the Graham family

Colette and Jordan have a relationship that baffles most people. And Maria is bound for trouble if she thinks she wants to get mixed up in this mess. 

Colette is a serial romantic. Or well, she once aspired to be. Until, about a decade ago, Colette and Jordan got pregnant while still in college. 

At nineteen, Jordan hadn’t been overjoyed at the task of fatherhood, and when they learned it would be twins, he just about shit a brick. Colette all but wrote him off as a partner, but his father encouraged him to try. And he did, here and there, before ultimately “flaking the fuck out” as Colette gently put it. He didn’t bond with his boys truly until they were almost three years old. 

Later in the boys toddlerhood, they all came back together again as a family unit. Jordan and Colette weren’t on any sort of marriage track, but they liked each other enough. They would remain friendly over the years, with benefits even, on and off, but Colette insisted on an open relationship. She was too young to be tied down, even though having twins at twenty-two will certainly tie a girl down. 

They didn’t live together for most of the boys’ first years. Jordan moved in temporarily a few years ago, thinking to stay just long enough to get on his feet after one thing or another fell through. But they decided it was nice being all together as a family. It was easy. 

Colette wasn’t always eager for marriage, but she wouldn’t mind it now. She thinks about that fantasy of having a carefree life, full of many handsome lovers, and she realizes it was exactly that. A fantasy. She has two children and a growing career—when ever would she find time to take a lover? 

Jordan is noncommittal in a very loose and wide-ranging interpretation of the word. He’s indecisive. He has ideas about things, then changes his mind. He makes plans, and they fall through. He’s never mentioned anything about wanting to be married—not in general and not to Colette. She assumes she scared him off the idea all those years ago. 

But they have had their moments over the years. She can be harsh, moody, and cold, but he tries to brush off her barbs as best he can, and a good roll in the sack always lifts her spirits. He can be flighty and unreliable, and has needed her stability to fall back on every now and then. They have eight-year-old twins together. They have a history. They make it work. Maybe that’s something worth hanging onto? He feels content enough, often enough, to not want to rock that boat.

But… his chemistry and attraction to Maria feels intense, compelling, and often tempting. Warm and happy, like a fresh-baked birthday cake. 

Hopefully nobody will tell Colette that he made even the slightest effort to celebrate Maria’s birthday tonight. Apart from a birthday kiss and getting the boys to draw her a card with crayons, he made basically no effort at all over Colette’s 31st birthday a couple of weeks ago. That knowledge would most certainly rock the boat a little.

And as a side note: Ingrid might also have plans.

Their charming twins, Milo and Felix, eight-and-a-half years old. 

—

January birthdays 

3: Erin Close is 44

4: Colette Marin is 31

5: Lane Rodriguez is 9

7: Cora Lawrence is 27

8: Paris Wynn is 12

9: Martha Booth is 51

11: Audrey Roseland is 48

15: Eris Deppiesse, newborn

19: Hayley Sanders is 45

21: Jeremiah Day is 31

22: Liza Hathe is 19

23: Amorra Pendleton is 56

24: Kennedy Quick is 33

24: Madison Riley is 65

25: Maria Boone is 26

27: Inara Avila is 30

29: Blossom McCarthy is 29

31: Meadow Lind is 73

January anniversaries: 

1/21/2062: Orion & Violet Deppiesse, 26 years

ROS for January 2088:

This is Brady’s first health strike, so no worries there. 

And roaches on a public lot in Del Sol Valley. I don’t play Del Sol Valley very often, so there’s not much to choose from. The only public lot I play there is the Halston siblings’ film studio, so it looks like that will be where the roaches are headed! And roaches don’t emerge right away, so there’s nothing to see.

Have a bonus picture of Melissa doing some post-production editing on their latest movie as part of her internship in film studies. Hopefully the roaches are far far away from her desk when they finally make their appearance!

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