Dear Diary, I’m so tired of bills, I don’t know what to do. At least now, Jem understands the urgency of the problem, too. Grandpa Xalen was happy to give us a few months off from the house payment. Asking him for help was one of the worst moments of my life so far and I hope we can get back to our responsibilities soon so he doesn’t think we’re deadbeats.
I didn’t tell Grandpa I’m pregnant. I figure he’s had enough news for now. Besides, I think my parents will already be angry my grandparents know I’m married. So, they should probably be first to know we’re having a baby.
Jem took the news well and was even happy so that’s one incident avoided.
These bills, though…
“Well, what is this?” Jem asked as he perused the table I’d made of everything we have to pay each month. He scrunched his nose as if that would help him understand what he was looking at.
“That is the house insurance.”
“Well, it’s too much. Call and tell them we can’t do that.”
I sighed a little too loudly. “I’ve already spent hours on the phone with them. That’s the best they can do and we can’t drop it. What if there’s fire? Or a hurricane? We would lose everything we own.”
“I take it you’ve whittled this all down as far as you can?”
Pulling the chair up to the table, I plopped down on it and rubbed my temples. “Yes, I’ve been through it all hundreds of times. This is the best it gets.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
“I tried, but you’re always busy with work. As it is, I’m trying to figure this out in my spare time between work and running to the bathroom to puke.”
He reached across the table and took my hand, his eyes gentle, his voice concerned. “I’m sorry, Treasure. Is everything all right?”
Ever since I told him not to call me “baby,” he’s called me Treasure. Which is better… I guess?
“I’m fine. Dr. Copeland said this nausea is normal and that one morning, I’ll just wake up and it will be gone. I’ll admit, I’m looking forward to that day.”
“Me, too.”
At least he seemed sincere.
“I have an idea,” I said.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. We need to rent the apartment out above the sauna. The rent can go towards our bills. With both our incomes and that, it’s a good start.”
“No way,” he said.
The resistance surprised me since we were in such dire straits.
“B-but why?” I stammered.
“I don’t want some stranger having access to the house and our personal belongings. What if they end up being crooks or something? What if they hurt you?”
“It’s not like we’ll offer the apartment to the first bum we see, Jem. I’m a realtor, I deal with rentals all the time since this is a tourist area. Let me do what I do. I’ll make sure we aren’t living with serial killers.”
“I don’t like this.”
“I see that, but we have to. Or, we could just give the house to my grandfather and relieve ourselves of this mess.”
Upon hearing this option, his mouth became a thin, straight line and I could see the determination in his eyes. “Absolutely not!” He sighed, running his hands through his hair. “All right. Do what you do.”
I cleaned the apartment and it was ready for an occupant. Now, all I had to do was place the ad and interview our new tenant.
Little did I know, this would be easier said than done.
Only two people applied.
Enter, Tiffany Curry. She seemed very nice, and we hit it off right away. Her eyes were crossed, so I wasn’t always sure if she was looking at me or something to my left. She already lived on the island but didn’t like her partying roommate, so was looking for a new place to live. She didn’t bat an eye at the rent or me telling her I needed first month’s rent plus the security deposit. I found out she worked as a teacher and her job was steady.
Anyway, all the answers to her questions were great.
Until…
“I love your outfit,” Tiffany said.
“Thank you! It’s too bad I won’t be able to wear it for much longer. I’m having a baby.”
“You didn’t mention that in the ad!”
Was I supposed to put that in the ad? That was news to me.
“Well, is there a problem?”
“Only that I hate children! I would prefer not to live near any.”
“But… but you’re a teacher.”
“Yes, I’m with children all day, the last thing I want is to have them near me when I’m home. I’m afraid this will not work out at all.”
Next up was Larissa Pauley. Her answers were fine, too, and she had a good job as well. Working as a firefighter, I knew she’d be able to keep up with the rent no problem.
After I showed her around and told her I was expecting, we sat in the living room for the interview. At first, it moved right along and things were looking promising.
Then…
“Well,” I said, “if you would like the apartment, I think this might work out.”
She grinned from ear to ear. “This is great news! I’ve been turned down everywhere.”
“Uh, why?”
She paused as if she didn’t want to tell me. Then, finally said, “I have a rather large dog.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know how I felt about pets but a large dog seemed okay.
“And, four cats, a parrot, and two chinchillas.”
She must have seen the shock on my face because without another word spoken between us, her face turned red and she made a hasty exit.
What a waste of time! And there were no other applicants!
As the days wore on, I tried sprucing up the ad and even advertised on the surrounding islands and mainland. Someone somewhere had to want my apartment! It was just a matter of time, I kept telling myself.
Meanwhile, I finally bucked up and told my parents the news. I almost chickened out and wrote them a letter but that didn’t seem right. Tempting… but wrong.
They were quiet on the phone, not saying much at all. Speaking to them had never felt so awkward. Before we hung up, they said they would be coming for a visit and they loved me. At least they still love me. It may be awhile before I’m off the hook with them.
It was only minutes after I’d hung with them that the phone rang and I saw it was Aunt Rosetta.
“Hello?”
“You have confessed at last,” she said.
How does she do that? I wondered.
“Yes, but-“
“-I know all about it,” she said, cutting me off. I could imagine her waving her hand to dismiss what I was about to say. “I cannot speak for long as I am preparing for a state dinner. However, I wanted to be certain you are all right.”
Was she truly concerned or about to hit me with a zinger? I guess I’d find out. I mean, she was my aunt and I know she loved me but sometimes her words could sting like nothing else. I think the reason she could hurt me like that was because she was the one person I didn’t want to disappoint. Throughout my childhood, she’d been the doting aunt, and I’d looked up to her.
“I’m fine,” I said when I heard her sigh with impatience. “I’m upset with myself, I suppose.”
“Why is that?”
Trick question.
“I really messed everything up. Do I need to go through the entire mess, Aunt Rosetta? I’m already feeling kind of beat up since talking with the ‘rents.”
When she spoke, her voice had lost some of the edginess I’d first sensed. “I only want for you to be happy and secure. I have been distraught over your poor judgment.”
“I apologize for worrying you, and for my lack of acumen.” I knew she would like the word choices I’d used. Whenever she was angry with me, if I responded intelligently, her ire lost momentum right away. At home, whenever I’d spoken like that, my father would look at me as if I needed a shrink. I’m not sure why that is, though, since I would have thought he’d want me to have a wide vocabulary.
But I digress.
“I forgive you,” my aunt said. “Make sure you consume the correct nutrients for my great-niece or nephew and I expect you to rest. One more thing…”
I should not have been surprised she knew I was pregnant although I couldn’t fathom how she found out. It was just her strange Aunt Rosetta way.
“Yes?”
“I have mailed you a sizable check which I expect you to cash and use. You will have a tenant soon, but this amount should help for now.”
“I can’t-“
“-It will arrive tomorrow, so
“All right, all right,” I said. “Have fun at your dinner.”
“I shall,” she said.
“Aunt Rosetta? I love you.”
“I know, my sweet. I love you, too.”
Rosetta’s check arrived just as she said it would but so far, I didn’t have another applicant for the apartment. Still, my aunt was never wrong. I guess you could say she’s psychic although she’s never really explained what it is about her that knows things she shouldn’t.
“Bea!” I heard Perla call.
I was on the back deck but the doors were open, so I was able to hurry inside right away. Perla stood there in a state of exhaustion, gasping for air and wearing her apron.
“What in heaven’s name is going on?”
She heaved air into her lungs and then said, “He’s coming here! Where else would he be going? I was baking cookies for tomorrow’s luncheon with the Mystery Ladies Club when he passed right by my house!”
“Who? Who passed by your house?”
“Oh, Darling, a man-an older gentleman! He’s on his way here!”
“And you ran here ahead of this guy to tell me he’s coming to my house? I don’t understand the fuss.”
“Oh, Darling, when you’re older and alone because your sixth husband, rest his soul, is six feet under, you’ll understand!”
“Perla, I don’t get what’s happening right now.”
“You’re the only person looking for a renter on this street! There is a nicely dressed, older gentleman and he will be here any second!”
Finally, the light bulb above my head blinked on.
“Oh!”
Just then, the doorbell rang, Perla let out a little squeal of delight, and I let a man who called himself Alger Mullins into my house. He didn’t want coffee or tea, so I offered him a seat.
With a small giggle and some apologies, Perla stepped on both his feet climbing over him to sit on his other side.
“I’ve come to see the apartment, of course,” he said, his voice so croaky I had the urge to offer him a cough drop.
“That’s wonderful,” I said, remembering Rosetta’s words about the man who would be my tenant. “Do you mind if I ask you some questions first?”
“Be my guest,” he said.
As we went through the usual ask and answers, Perla stared at him. Until his gaze met hers, that is, then she would blush and look away. I’d never seen my friend in such a state.
Alger Mullins was a college professor who had terrible allergies. Once he’d retired, his doctor had suggested he move to Sunlit Tides for his health. He claimed he was tidy, didn’t mind children, and he wanted to speak to people and write about them.
Upon seeing the apartment, he declared it was a perfect fit for him and he would move in over the weekend.
Perla and I were both pleased. In fact, Perla was so happy, she began to refer to Alger as “Number 7.”
I couldn’t wait to tell Jem the good news about our new leaseholder. It would please him to know that Aunt Rosetta’s check, the first month’s rent Alger had paid me, and our paychecks had brought us out of debt. All we had to do now, was keep up. I was confident we could if we were careful and didn’t spend unnecessarily. Someday, I wanted to pay my aunt back for her kindness.
“I didn’t think you’d still be up,” Jem said as he came into our bedroom.
“I have so much to tell you,” I said with a smile.
First, we kissed, and I felt as if our lives together were on track for the first time. He listened to my good news with a smile on his face and he embraced me tightly.
“I know we started out rough,” he said, “and I’m sorry for that. Things would have been a lot easier if I hadn’t jumped the gun on so many things.”
As usual, his words and gentle voice had a way of caressing my soul and making me feel like there was nothing we couldn’t fix.
“I’m sorry, too,” I said. “There have been so many times I could have helped you out instead of flying off the handle.”
“I want a happy life with you and our baby,” he said, his eyes bright with sincerity.
“That’s what I want, too.”
And, for once, I thought it could happen.
Author’s Note: I would like to thank Bee (Poses by Bee, Stories by Bee) for making the lovely poses where Jem and Bea are arguing on the couch at the end of the chapter. Thank you, Bee! You can find those poses here: Disputes Over Money and so much more!
As always, thank you for reading, liking, lurking, and commenting,
A good tale with a happy outcome. Just goes to show what working together can achieve. I can not imagine ever inviting strangers to move into my home. Cheers. Allan
Thank you, Allan. I feel the same way. Our house used to be a Bed & Breakfast and I cannot even consider turning it back into one. Although if we were in a terrible pinch, I might be convinced.
Thank you for your kind words. 🙂
This story was a delightful escape! I found myself completely captivated by the characters and their world.
Thank you so much. That’s very nice to know. 🙂
Hi Kimber… I’m lost touch. good to find you here on your new site. Not sure I can follow here. 💕
Hi there! It’s great to see you. 🙂 If you follow at the old site, I can migrate you over, if that’s easier for you. 🙂 xoxo
Not gonna lie. I was hoping for a much younger tennant to move in that apartment. 😏
I still don’t like Jem much. Something tells me he has a dark secret that Bea is going to find about later.
Thank you. I can see why you’d hope for a younger tenant to move in. lol What problems that would have caused! 😀
This chapter had me laughing quite a lot with the tenants that applied for the apartment. I was dying over that crazy animal lady. LOL! My gosh, that was quite a menagerie. LOL! Then Perla’s crush had me totally rolling. It’s going to be interesting to see where this all leads. I wonder what this mysterious older gentleman is going to mean in everyone’s lives and how he will fit into them.
I hate to say it, but I don’t think this marriage is going to last. They seem to be doing OK now, but those issues are lying in wait to rear their heads again. I hope I’m wrong, but I have a feeling I’m not.
LOL I’m glad you were laughing. 🙂 You wouldn’t rent to the crazy animal lady? hahaha Or the one that hates kids? I can’t imagine why not. LOL
Perla is so taken by this guy! haha Hopefully, he fits in well. He will, if Perla has anything to say about it.
You just might be right about the marriage. It didn’t start in the best way it should have, so they are climbing uphill.
If only she could answer the hone calls of her auntie instead of ignoring her.
Yes, indeed. you are right. I think Rosetta could really help her right now.
Rosetta is the ruler of the free world, she is wealthy, have a confortable life and despite she brought a lot of endeavour of her carreer as Holden, she has a heart of her family. She’s in the Inheritance and the fact ot be a medium helps to have a certain level of empathy.
Yes, I agree with everything you say. 🙂
This chapter was so funny!! 😀 <3 You had me rolling the whole time with the crazy applicants and Perla's major crush! XD I loved it! Hmmm Bea and Jem seem to finally be on good terms, but I'm afraid this isn't going to last… Jem is very impulsive while Bea needs to have full control in her life… I want to hope that everything will work out, but I don't think that's the case!
I am really anxiouos to see how her parents are going to act when they arrive at Sunlit Tides! Hopefully they're not too disappointed..!
I’m so glad you thought this chapter was funny. 😀 Bea and Jem are getting along and seem to be doing better but don’t hold your breath. LOL I can’t wait till you see Holden and Ellie. 😀
I do respect them both for trying hard, and I think Bea deserves a medal for how she’s dealt with the changes in he rlife. She’s a very determined woman and a very mature one too! I’m nervous for her parents to arrive though… but not as much as she is, I bet.
LOL I think she isn’t looking forward to having them visit. I mean, she wants to see them, but it’s going to be so hard. lol
I think it would be hard for Bea to leave the relationship if she hadn’t given it a real try first. Hopefully, she and Jem can work all of this out. 🙂
Why isn’t it surprising that Jem knew nothing about the bills? 😂 And he has to protest so much at the idea of a tenant. Come up with something yourself then instead of arguing!
Those first 2 applicants… Lol!
Aunt Rosetta is like Santa Claus at this point… She sees you when you’re sleeping, she knows when you’re awake. 😂 Although I do like her more now that she’s at a distance from the main character.
Perla is so funny. But if he does become no.7, he won’t be their tenant anymore!
Yes, why didn’t Jem know about the bills? Why does he have to protest so much to having a tenant? LOLOL
I’m glad you liked the first two applicants. hahaha
Aunt Rosetta IS like Santa Claus, isn’t she? haha I think I’m forever going to associate that song with her now.
Perla kills me sometimes! You should’ve seen her falling all over poor Alger in the game! LOLOL
Oh, this chapter had some great lines in it, starting with, “I’m trying to figure this out between work and running to the bathroom to puke.” Now that’s a stressful life. I really got a hoot out of the prospect renters especially Miss Menagerie and all her animals. That was me once. I had two female cats that had litters at the same time. Instant kitten zoo. I would put all 13 of them in my car and drive to wherever I needed to go and they would be climbing and scampering all over the car. One like to sit on my shoulder and help me watch traffic. I was Kat Boi for a while. I had good southern names for all of them like Sadie Mae, Tessie June, Kizzy Bell, Jim Bob, and Junior. The homemade litter box was massive. Tim the Tool Man Taylor would have been proud of my carpentry skills. I really like Bea’s relatives. I wonder if Jem knows precisely how special they are? Another great chapter Kymber! 🤩
I’m glad you got a hoot out of that. 😀 You had so many cats! I love it! lol 😂 While you were operating your kitten zoo, I was operating a zoo much like the one in the story. Our daughter has a soft heart and would bring home kittens to foster, and some to keep. lol I’ll admit, we have soft hearts, too, because we allowed this. lol At one point, we had a dog, a parrot, five cats, and two chinchillas, each with their own rescue story. I love the names you had for your kitties. I’m of a similar mind with the southern names. Well, for one of the cats, at least. Her name is BabySue. lol Our other cats were Cookie, Cassie, Lisa, Nighty, and Cesare. We now only have Cassie and Cesare. 🙂
Oh, yes, as for Jem understanding how special Bea’s relatives are… I think he doesn’t grasp that. haha
That’s awesome. Isn’t it amazing how well they all get along. Later I had an Irish Setter that had puppies at the same time the cats had kittens (again!). The dog was always stealing the kittens and nursing them. The Setter was raised with cats and so she acted like a cat. It was so funny to watch her play fight with them. She would crouch down and swat at them just like a cat. She also liked to stalk squirrels like a cat but she was a little too big to hide in the grass so those squirrels had the time of their life running circles around the dog.
Your Irish Setter sounds like she was so adorable! I can picture those squirrels running circles around the dog. 😂😂
The squirrels loved Misty. She gave them no end of fun. She never knew if she was supposed to point them or pounce them so she did both. 😂
hahaha I can see it all now! 😂 That’s great!
Those were fun days watching my back yard out the window. I got a billion furry family member stories. 😂
I bet you do. I do, too. 😀 Where I live, we have wild turkeys, foxes and deer in our yard quite often. They’re fun to watch. And so are the cats when they see them through the window. 😂
LoL, I bet the cats are constantly watching the windows. I would be right between them. That is a blessing to be close to wildlife although they can be mischevous at times.
I love it and definitely count it as a blessing. Some days, the cats tear through the house, running from window to window. And sometimes, they do that chattering thing. LOL It’s so weird. We call our windows Cat TV. 😀
Waaa haaa haaa! 😂 Cat TV. I have a cool new slang to use now. I cant wait to spring that on somebody. Life has to be a lot of fun at your house.
It is! It can be a riot. LOL Oh, I almost forgot to add that sometimes I find our neighbors’ chickens in our yard, too. 😂 That drives the cats crazy. 😂
Oh boy! That probably has them pawing the Cat TV screen 🙀🙀. I gotta tell you this story. I was deployed for a year and when I came back home we had chickens and a pure white wildcat that the kids fed at night with table scraps. I thought white wildcat and chickens living peacefully seems a bit strange. It wasn’t long before the daughters came running in telling me the cat was here. I went outside to look and it was the fattest albino skunk I’d ever seen. The girls had fed him very well so he wasn’t interested in chickens and he never sprayed the girls for making a fuss around him. I had to explain to them it was a Stink Kitty and don’t try to pet it because that makes them fart. After a significant, eeeewwwwwww, the problem was solved.
OMG! I’m laughing so hard right now! 😂😂 That reminds me of when my daughter was about 7 and she told me she was so close to a black squirrel, she could almost pet it. We didn’t have black squirrels where we lived and it was later, I found out it was a skunk. I wish I’d had what you told your girls in my repertoire! LOL
LMAO! 😂. That is too funny. Cute and friendly black squirrels. It’s amazing how skunks know they can get away with impersonating squirrels and cats for snacks. This is worthy of posting.
Yes! I think it’s worthy of posting, too. Especially your part. 😀
Waaa haaa haaa! Maybe I will post it as a challenge for others to share their furry family stories too. That could be real fun. 😃
I think so! I like your idea about it being a challenge for others to tell their stories. There is potential for some real hilarity there. 😀
I will give it a shot this weekend and see what happens 😃
Woot! I can’t wait!
😎🙀
You won’t have to wait too long. I’m kinda motivated to do this. It’s fate! 🤠
That’s awesome! I’m geeked to see what you do!
I wish I had pictures of this. It would be even more entertaining if I had the pictures.
Oh, man, I wish you did, too! That would add that extra-special hilarity! 😀
I have to go digging in the cliset through all the photo albums. Thete ate a gazillion stories stored in there. 😁
LOL That’s terrific 😀
Whoa! Just noticed all of my AI enhanced spelling errors. I wonder if Hans the Automated Spelling System (ASS) was drinking during that comment. Sure looks that way 🤨🤤
LOL Don’t even get me started on Automated Spelling System (ASS)! 😂
Hans! That ASS. 🤨. He makes me look a lot more stupid than I really am. 😁
hahahaha I know, he does that to me, too! 😀
I have a hilarious time with friends on WhatsApp. Our messages are so corrupted it results in a lot of, Huh….. What! 🤭😲
I have never used WhatsApp but I can imagine! 😀
First you write your 10 word message and then you write a 50 word explanation of all those cryptic words along with multiple apologies for all the inappropriate innuendoes inferred by the AI Hans the ASS. It’s exhausting work. 😳😲🙀
LOLOL That’s so funny 😀
I find the reality of AI truly bizarre and entertaining. I’m absolutely positive as we advanve in our use of AI, our WTF! Moments will increase dramatically. 😆
I’ve thought the same thing about AI. I already have that reaction just to Siri. hahaha 😂 Oh, and the woman who voiced Siri follows me on Twitter. 😳 What’s up with that? 😀
Oh Wowzer! This must be fate. I’m working on an AI project and I actually am AI adverse as far as using it because I know how poorly implemented it is, but hey, gotta start somewhere. I think I’ll have a routine to tell naughty sexist jokes during periods of high stress. The AI is supposed to help physicists, scientists, and engineers make difficult computations related to measurements. As an example, to land on Mars, we have to solve a lot of directional adjustments because everybody is moving around out there and exerting gravitational field distortions. It’s like swimming upstream in a raging river that has many twists and turns in it. So, right when the space vehicle is tumbling out of control, Rosetta the AI, who talks with a southern accent, starts telling adult knock knock jokes while she computes in the background. I think it will work. It will add a little levity to the many near death experiences the crew will face. I’ll be sure and consult with you for proper direction. 😳😜
LOL! 😂 I love this. Your project sounds so interesting!
I am excited about it but I think the stuffed shirts may get a bit nervous with my sense of humor. 😂
They will never understand us. Keep your chin up. haha
True. Sometimes I’m a mystery even to myself but that is my favorite moments. 🤪
LOL Those are my favorites, too. 😀
Ha ha ha! Great minds do think alike.
LOL 😀 Right on.
😎😎
I think so too. We need a break after so much dark drama over there at Castle Razvan. Okay, stand back and watch this ……….😳🤭😲
Heehee! I can’t wait! 😂😂
I’m eeking it out now 🙀
Woot woot!! 😀
The full story is now published. I hope it meets with everyone’s enjoyment. I might make it a regular feature if it does.
Whaaaaaat?! YAY! Be there soon! 😀 I’m sure it’s great!
Wooo hoooo! 😂
It’s awesome!
I’ll be dropping by later. Gotta see what those two youngsters are up to.
LOL Awesome
I say the same thing everytime I visit Boomcha. 😊
Awwww LOL Thank you 😀
This last chapter was a real Wowzer! Now Bea is not so vulnerable to the news about quintuplets coming to live with them. 🙀😹
There you go! LOLOL Bring them on, Jem!
I don’t know why I think Jem hiding quintuplets from Bea is so entertaining. I am curious to learn what his obsession was all about. You did a great job of giving Jem just the right amount of strange behavior to guide the story to Bea’s distress. I really like how you bring us inside the thoughts and emotions of the characters.
Thank you so much. 🙂 I find the quintuplet theory highly entertaining as well. Jem really needs to pull it together and come clean already. 😀
I’m developing a rash of anticipation to know the real truth. Of course, my imagination is keeping me somewhat gigglated until the moment of the reveal.
LOL Well, I can say it’s not hidden quintuplets, so you might feel a bit letdown at the real story. 😂😂
Oh well, quintuplets was a long shot anyway and besides, Bea and Karen might harm him with that confession so best to keep it in the realm of possibilities.
You always make such good points. 😀 The ladies are likely to snap at a confession like that, you are right. hahaha
Ha ha ha! I would enjoy seeing the girls go after any nemesis, except me of course. I try never to put myself on the receiving end of angry women. It’s bad enough being an intolerable male, but being an intolerable male that excites a bloodlust is just not the guy I want to be.
I know some of those and I can tell you’re not one of them. 😂
Whew! What a relief. I can relax and enjoy the show now. 😁
LOLOL 😀 Awesome!
😊✌🏻
LoL 😆 I have an idea. I’ll just let it go freeform and see if I can come up with some righteous hilarity.
LOL This is going to be so good!
If it makes me snort laugh when I read it, then I think it will be good.
Hahaha I hope it makes you snort laugh! 😀
It did make me snort laugh but probably because I have insider information 😂
LOL Oh to be a fly on your wall during those times! hahaha
Ha ha ha! Then you might go insane but we’d still be thinking everything was normal. 😜🤪
😂😂😂 I’m not insane now? 😂😂😂
Hmmm….I don’t think so, but then we’re INFJ’s. We are not like normal people, thankfully. 😆
This is so true, and I’m thankful about it, too. 🙂
Yes, I wouldn’t want to live a normal life like those other poor personalities do. INFJ life is the best and when I go full on eccentric, I’ll just be a better version of myself, 🧛🏻♂️
Right? I’m so with you on that. 😀
Muwaaa haaa haaaa! It’s like being a member of an exclusive club 😎😎
It is! And there is no cooler club. 😀
As we used to say on the edge of puberty, “For sure, for sure, uh-huh.” 😆
😂😂😂
Perla is so adorable with a crush!
Props to Rosetta for coming through for her niece.
I still have doubts about the relationship, but at least they’re trying.
Now that they’re in the situation, I reckon they may as well see if it can work. 😀 Rosetta really saved the day. I love the Perla is around Alger; it’s something else! lol
Another good chapter with plenty to ponder. I’m still wondering why Jem insists on holding onto the house when it’s larger than what they need and not affordable on their salaries … his not wanting to have a tenant is understandable (safety concerns) but is worrying because it felt like he doesn’t trust Bea to be able to make a good choice on her own & it IS on her own because he wasn’t there for any of the interviews. Rosetta definitely knows best and isn’t afraid to say so! Even though some of her abilities and activities are scary, she is certainly another memorable character like Keneisha was. Perla’s schoolgirl blushes had me chuckling. Not sure if Alger is Rosetta’s intended tenant or a diversion for the ever-observant Perla so something/someone else can enter the scene virtually undetected. Really glad Bea called her parents and am sure their upcoming visit will continue to clear the air. Maybe this visit will also clear the air around some of the mysteries/secrets/aversions that Jem is at the center of.
Thank you, Addy. 🙂 There is a reason Jem won’t consider letting go of the house. Is it a good reason? He might be delusional. 😂 lol I like what you said about the possibility he might not trust Bea and how he left her to figure all of this out on her own. I’m glad you’re finding Rosetta to be memorable like Keniesha. It’s about time we had a good secondary character. 😀 Perla was killing me in game. haha I’m glad you laughed at her silliness. That’s a good point about the Alger/Perla/undetected new character possibilities. It was good that Bea finally filled her parents in. I wonder how that visit is going to go? You’re right, too, that it might also clear some things up where Jem is concerned.
Yay, things are finally starting to look up for our young couple. I am excited to get to know this new tenant, and what he is going to mean for everyone. Rosetta wouldn’t have called if it was just nothing.
Sorry it has taken me so long to catch up with everything. Now that the craziness of the holiday season is over, things might hopefully start to calm down.
No need to apologize, I’m just so glad to see you. 🙂 I know what you mean about things hopefully calming down.
Things are looking up for now, that’s true. Will it stay that way, is the question? lol Alger is certainly going to bring some life to the party… well, I hope so. lol And you’re right about Rosetta.
So, I’ve realised why my ship name mojo has left me: I’m still (more than) half hoping that Bea kicks Jem to the curb. Maybe Alger has a smexy son/nephew/cousin thrice removed, who is going to visit and sweep Bea off her feet! Buh-bye Jem #SorryNotSorry
I wonder whether Bea has realised that, if Alger is Perla’s #7, it will mean she’ll need a new tenant lol
Anyway, ship name wip: Beem or Beam, Jeetrice, Embee, Emba or Embea. Not that I’m happy with any of these SMH but it is what it is.
Remind me what Bea and Jem’s full names are? There _*has to*_ be something there I can use!!!!
LOL 😂 Okay, Bea is Beatrice and Jem is Jeremy. Their last name is Poe. 😀 I hope that helps. I totally get how the ship name mojo could have left you, though, as these two don’t really inspire hope in relationships and wedded bliss. 😂
That’s a good observation there about what might happen if Alger become Perla’s #7. lol
Finally out of debt! That must be a good feeling, as long as it stays that way. I hope Perla and this new gentleman hit it off well. She deserves some happiness 😉 I still wonder if Bea and Jem will work out… She doesn’t seem too attached to him, moreso just putting up with him. But we’ll see!
Yes, we sure will, you’re right about that. 😂 I do think things are looking up for them but it’s still up in the air as to if they’ll work out long term or not. I so agree with you about Perla. She’s such a kick in game and couldn’t wait to get to know Alger. haha
Well, things are finally looking up for Bea and Jem, though I’m still not wild about this marriage. Jem just feels really off at times and it doesn’t bode well that they’ve had this much trouble in what should have been the honeymoon stage of their relationship.
Lol at Perla being all flustered and shy. I thought she would be too jaded to look for another relationship, but I guess not, ha, ha 😀
This was great as always, Kym!
LOL Thank you. Just when you think Perla will react a certain way, she surprises us. 😂 She is definitely not Jaded. 😂 I think you’re right about Jem and how he often feels off. I can’t say I’m wild about the marriage either and this might not be end game for Bea. We’ll see. 😀
Ohh poor little simmies .. I do remember those early days. Never fun but always memorable. I am glad they got a tenant .. and he looks like he could provide some story fodder 🙂 As for Aunt R .. lol SMH!
Story fodder! Yes! 😂😂 You know it! 😂 lol Aunt Rosetta kills me. lol 😀
Those early days are hard but I reckon Bea is lucky she has Grandpa Xalen and Aunt Rosetta.
OH YEAH! Indeed so .. Jerome and I would have gladly benefitted from such kin but there were none!
I hear you! We would have, too, but sadly are in the same situation where there is no one. lol
I loved the potential tenants! Such… interesting people, lol. I wonder what these children did to the poor teacher, that she can’t stand them anymore.
Rosetta, yes! She looks a bit creepy on this first phone pic. As if she got botox in her lips. Actually, it would be fun if she went heavy on her face to keep looking young. Like all those politicians that I think look absolutely ridiculous trying to hold on to their long-lost youth.
Things do seem to be looking up for Bea and Jem. I’m not sure, though. I wonder why they insist on keeping the house instead of buying one that wouldn’t be so hard to afford for them.
Interesting is a good way of putting the applicants. haha Sadly, we’ll never know what those children did to the poor teacher. 😂😂 I can only imagine.
I thought Rosetta’s face looked a little tight in that first pic of her. haha Maybe she has had botox as you said! 😂 Who knows what lengths she will go to in order to remain young looking? That’s a whole other story there! LOL
I agree that things seem to be looking better for Bea and Jem at the moment. Perhaps they’ll make it after all? Perhaps not. We shall see. That’s a good question about why they don’t move into something they can afford and it will be answered soon. 🙂
Oh, and I think you used a semicolon instead of a colon in the title of this post.
Gah! You’re right! Thank you! 😂
I never know how to feel about Jem, but that’s pretty cool because obviously Bea doesn’t either !
LOL! 😂 Oh my goodness, that’s all so true.
I love this bills situation. It perfectly shows how young and dumb they are without saying because of course Bea wouldn’t see it that way right now.
Tiffany Curry! She could be my cousin lol. That’s one of our family names.
Rosetta looks different without her red lipstick lol. “Aunt Rosetta” is so cute and soft.
Number 7 LOL.
You are so right about how young and dumb they are! LOLOL Bea’s just lucky she has that Grandpa Xalen and Aunt Rosetta. 😀
That’s one of your family names? Cool! I love that name. 😀 Sprague is one of my family names, incidentally.
Yes, since Rosetta has aged some, she thought the red was a bit harsh and accentuated the lines on her face. 😂
Number 7! haha We’ll see how that goes.
Yep! Curry is my mom’s maiden name.
After I commented, I was like, wait, if Bea read the journals, she should understand that Rosetta has powers. But, after thinking about it a bit further, Holden didn’t quite understand them himself and therefore did not write about them much.
And yes! Bea is soooooo lucky to have rich family members.
You are right about the journals. She only vaguely knows the deal with Rosetta and Holden and their parents. Holden steered away from that sort of thing as much as possible because it creeped him out. She would know, though, that as time went on and Holden got older, he liked his sister less and less.
Of course
First off, have I told you enough how much I love these chapters that tell us of their normal every day lives? The poses looked great with your sims and I’m really pleased. Now down to business. First off, of course Rosetta knew. She probably predicted this all from the start and say Jem coming would be my guess. I’m remembering all those frantic calls a few chapters back. I’m ever so curious as to who this older gentleman is and what he is going to mean to their life. I’m hoping it’s something good and not detrimental and they have enough going on. It’s been a while since I yelled at the computer while editing your chapters telling the characters off, but I’m doing it again. Get out is the latest one I’m saying. It’s so easy to be dragged down in debt as my family has found out and funny enough, I spend my time watching videos on tiny homes……just a suggestion. It’s not worth living for the mortgage BEA and JEM!
Oh, yes, but you can tell me again. 😂 I think the poses you made are just perfect! Yes, Rosetta has that strange Aunt Rosetta way that Bea can’t understand but accepts because Rosetta has always been that way to her. Alger will not be a bad addition to the story. Who knows? Maybe he and Perla will hit it off. hahaha I can hear you yelling get out! LOL And you’re not wrong. Perhaps they will, or perhaps there is a solution for them yet. 😀