Drown #11: three little birds, part 3

March 2086. Stephanie Nova and Justin Kim are 26. Willow and Lily are 4. Keri Riley is 25.

Hi, baby. Happy birthday! Did you get the violin I sent you? Tell your dad to record a video for me. I couldn’t call because we’re in the wrong time zone right now and I’ll be all tied up later, but I wanted to leave a message for you and say happy birthday. I can’t believe you’re four! What a big girl. Did you get a good cake? I can’t wait to see you next month. I bet you like to play games now, don’t you? Do you like hide and go seek? Do you like jump rope? You can tell me all about what kind of games you like, and we’ll play them together when I get down there. Love you baby! xoxo — Mom

hi ho, hi ho: Steffie's first day working at Coolidge House

February 2086. 


Off to work she goes.

In game, Stephanie is working in the part-time manual labor career. That career actually pays a TON of money. Like nearly $50-something an hour at entry level which is much higher than most of the adult entry-level careers, so I'm rather restrictive about who can enter that career. But Stephanie's quarterly wages will be deducted from Sharon's business account, and she did say that she paid well! Mostly I liked the hours, weekend mornings, so that Justin can stay home with the girls.

Drown #11: three little birds, part 2

February 2086. Stephanie Nova is 26, Justin Kim is 25. Sharon Coolidge is 32, Adam Thompson is 53. 

* briefly NSFW


"You look so handsome," Stephanie said, "I bet they’ll give you two jobs."

Drown #11: three little birds, part 1

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



Some mornings, Stephanie was better off staying in bed. "I'm sorry," she said to Justin and the girls and she excused herself from the entire morning and half of the afternoon to go lie down perfectly flat and motionless for at least four hours. She was nervous for her ultrasound appointment this week. She was supposed to be gaining weight, not losing it. Even though her belly was clearly growing, she knew that the little plum in her tummy had been through all of the emotions over these past few weeks right along with her. She just wanted to hear a little heartbeat and maybe hold down her breakfast for once.

Drown #11: three little birds, part 0

January 2086. Stephanie Nova is 26, Justin Kim is 25.

Soundtrack, "Three Little Birds," by Bob Marley

* NSFW


Don't worry

Drown #10: the mouse, part 7

January 2086. Jeremiah Day is 29.


"Go to South Carolina," she said. "Go to the ocean. You can start over. You’ll be happy there."

"Come to Fort Palmetto," Jeremiah's ISCA-appointed public defender said. "You are doing this so wrong, my friend."

Drown #10: the mouse, part 6

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


Now, after all those times Stephanie swore she didn't need a restraining order, she finally realized that maybe it was time. Jeremiah was in the military and she didn't want him to get into trouble over it. "I just want him to go to South Carolina," she said. "And if he’s in trouble here, he can’t go to South Carolina."

"Well, Ma'am," the officer said, "You can file it or not file it, but I'm pretty sure it's his own fault if he gets into trouble."