From the Diary of Sophie Seaforth
Dear Diary, nothing could ever have prepared me to lose Gigi. She was, in many ways, my entire world because she was all I had left of my family. After my father died, I learned I could not count on my mother or my grandparents. For reasons I could not understand since I was just a child, they sent Gigi and me to a boarding school where Gigi was taken away from me, too.
During the brief moments we had together in our years at school, she always gave me hope that life could be better, that we could live with each other. And all would be well again.
I’m only fifteen, but already I understand you can’t count on anything. You just have to take things as they knock you around and make the best of them.
Is that what I’m doing? Making the best of things?
Not yet. Sometimes, I wonder if I will ever recover from what life has dealt me.
My grandparents are gone, and I have inherited more money and properties than I could ever spend or enjoy. Dad is gone. And Mom, I hear, is in a precarious state of mind and has been gone from me for years.
And now, Gigi.
Since her death (did I really write that?), I have screamed at the sky in anger. I’ve cried until I can no longer produce tears. And I’ve begged whatever force is out there to give her back to me.
It was then I understood Gigi’s frame of mind in Midnight Hollow. She would have done anything to have our father back, so she believed Laris’ fantastical lies that it would happen. Thinking back, I recognize now how desperate she was.
She hadn’t learned what I already knew. Nothing brings someone back once they die. They are gone for good.
Gigi is gone for good.
My heart aches so badly, it pounds against my ribcage, making the pang spasm until I imagine my heart bleeding inside me.
On one insane night, my life was turned upside down again. Not only had Gigi died, I had her newborn in my care. Prior to the Final Showdown with Laris, Tilly had taken the family journals and ring, and had picked my mother up at the psychiatric facility.
Sebastian, Amy, and I were to meet them in Sunlit Tides, where Tilly had rented a house for us all.
When we got there, Amy was sleeping, so Tilly took her to her new room upstairs.
I was tired, but there was no avoiding my mom. It was worrying to me to see her now that she knew Gigi had died. We did a sort of half-hug in the kitchen, then I stepped back, hugging myself with my arms in front of me, as if to shield her off from touching me again.
She looked exactly the same to me, except she had deep lines around her mouth and between her eyes.
“You are absolutely stunning,” she said. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you.”
You missed me so much, you didn’t even let me and Geeg come home for holidays, I wanted to spit at her. But I couldn’t say that no matter how badly I wanted to. She was still my mother and even if I wasn’t ready to admit it to her. I needed her. I needed my mom.
The only problem was, I didn’t want her. It was too uncomfortable, as if we were strangers.
Her eyes were red as if she’d been crying, and I realized my eyes probably looked the same. As I stood there, though, something kept me from revealing the tears and pain. I didn’t want to cry in front of her.
She observed me for a moment without any outward emotion. Then she nodded slightly, as if to say she didn’t want to shed tears in front of me either.
She put a hand to her head, closing her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“I have a pounding headache. I’m sorry, I know you just got here, but I think I should lie down for a while.”
Relief poured over me, making me feel guilty that I felt that instead of empathizing with her pain.
Tilly walked in as Mom walked out.
“Boy, that was awkward,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“So, you were listening?”
She nodded as if it was the most normal and okay thing to do. “Yeah, Sebastian is with Amy, so I thought I’d come downstairs to see how it was going. Sometimes, I think your mom is a little unstable.”
I smiled a little as I thought, Because you, Tilly, are so balanced yourself.
Then I shook my head, banishing the thought. When had I gotten so mean? I seemed to have no faith in anyone anymore.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done,” I said instead. “If you hadn’t brought the journals with you, they’d be lost.”
She frowned, then swallowed hard, as if holding back tears. “Of course. You can count on me.”
And it seemed I could. It was then I decided I would make an attempt to know Tilly better.
I still didn’t know the house very well, but I found the nursery. Instead of Sebastian, I found Mom in there, hovering over the crib. There was a sweet smile on her face as she watched Amy sleeping.
“She’s so beautiful,” Mom murmured.
I nodded, holding back a sob. There was a big lie, you see. Between Sebastian, Tilly, and me, we’d decided to pass the baby off as my own. We felt she would have less pain growing up if she had a mother. We also didn’t want her to know about the powers in the family. I would do whatever I could to protect her from knowing she might have powers, too. All the magic had done was bring grief and pain. It was best to put it behind us.
“You’re so young. I never thought you’d have a baby already. What were you, fourteen when it happened? I just can’t believe your sister allowed this to happen.”
Heat flushed through my body as I listened to her disparage Gigi.
“She really had nothing to do with it. Stop blaming her.”
Mom looked at me, then nodded. “I’m sorry if it sounded like I was belittling her. I’m sure she was a dutiful sister to you.”
“She was like a mother to me,” I said, the pulse twitching in my temple.
“I’m sorry,” she said again, trying to smile. “Who- who is her father? It’s not this Sebastian character, is it?”
“No!” I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for yelling. I just don’t want to talk about it. He isn’t important.”
Her eyes narrowed, but she said nothing more about it that day.
It was several days later that the subject was brought up again. I hated lying to my mother, but she really didn’t need to know. Besides, what if someone from Midnight Hollow came looking for Amy to see if she had powers? I just wanted us to be safe, and that meant changing her identity and eventually settling somewhere they wouldn’t look.
Even though I didn’t want him along, Sebastian had not taken “no” for an answer when I left Midnight Hollow. So, there he was, always watching, never far away as I desired.
Sunlit Tides was so beautiful, and with such a contrast from Midnight Hollow, I wished I could stay forever. The weather was always warm, the sun bright, and the colors vivid.
If only Gigi could have been here.
I broke down a lot. It was unavoidable.
Every time the sun shone on me, I thought about how my sister wasn’t with me to enjoy it.
In those moments, Mom tried to comfort me, but I wasn’t ready for that yet, so I shrugged her off. I know she must have felt helpless, but I couldn’t help it.
Tilly was no use either. She seemed to be dealing with feelings of her own.
Sometimes, I took long, solitary walks on the beach. I wanted to think about the future, but it was impossible for me to picture what might lie ahead.
I didn’t want to think about the past, but there it was, rearing its ugly head again. And again, and again.
“Little Beehive.”
“I want to be alone,” I said, not looking at him.
“It’s been long enough. We need to talk.”
My nostrils flared as my face filled with heat.
“Oh! Has it been long enough? I’m so glad you can just forget everything so quickly!”
He didn’t say anything for a few minutes. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft.
“Tell me why you are angry with me? What can I do to help?”
I took a few deep breaths in quick succession. “You can go away like I told you weeks ago! I don’t want you here, hovering over me. I don’t know what you did to me back at the house before the fire, but I didn’t like it. It’s because of you I couldn’t go back inside and get Gigi out!”
He inhaled sharply. “My Lady- “
“-And you can stop calling me that!”
He hesitated again, then spoke in that velvety voice of his. “It’s true. I mesmerized you to get you to leave the house. For your own safety. Your sister knew what she had to do, and she didn’t want you getting hurt.”
“You mesmerized me,” I repeated dumbly. “Wait a minute, have you ever done that to me before then?”
“No, no, I swear.”
“Well, don’t you ever do that to me again! Promise me!”
“I promise.”
Tears filled my eyes as I finally turn to face him. “Why don’t you just leave here and go back to your father in Midnight Hollow?”
He held his hands palms up, like stop signs. A helpless gesture. “I can’t. I’m sworn to protect you.”
“You swore that to my sister. Who is dead. I guess you’re free now.”
“I’m not,” he insisted. “It’s what you might call a lifetime commitment.”
Great, I thought. After summer was over, I hoped to return to school. I bet no one else had their own vampire.
Thank you, Bee (Stories by Bee / Poses by Bee) for making the Emotions – Adult, and Just Standing – Males poses!
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That final lighthearted moment after all the heartache… so perfectly Sophie.
Thank you so much, Gaia. 🙂
LOL I loved her exasperation at the end .. that she had her own Vampire <3 The pic of Jade watching the baby sleep was touching
LOL Thank you. Not everyone gets their own vampire. haha Awww…. the baby is so sweet. Can’t wait until she’s featured more. ❤
So very sad but with a lot of hope. Nicely done.
Thank you, Jacqui. It means a lot.
I know it is quite serious BUT that ending cracked me up! With her sense of humor in tact she is going to be fine. Beautifully set in my most fav Sims 3 worlds!! Once I got ST I never moved again!
Thank you, Lisa. I’m glad the ending grabbed you and made you laugh. LOL I think you’re right about Sophie. ST is gorgeous!
Come to think of it, I wonder how Seb is feeling. He was also pulled from his home and I think he had a great respect for Gigi also. Something to be considered. If you think about it, a vow takes all his free will away as well. Not much different from Gigi in some ways.
That is an excellent point. I’m glad you brought that up! 😀
Me too! To all of that! At least Sophie won’t have to deal with bullies in school…..
She sure won’t. hahaha
Wow! I happen to like Sebastian! Id take him, but he can get contacts can’t he? His eyes are questionable.
Thank you, Jo. I like Sebastian, too! And, yes, to the contact lenses! lol
That last line LOL. And finally! A town I recognize LOL. At least in a while. Anyway, poor guys. All of them. They just need time. And probably counseling.
I agree that they need time and counseling. Major counseling. Unfortunately, I don’t think there are any adults who know enough to tell Sophie she needs it. Maybe Jade, I don’t know. I’m glad you liked the last line. LOL
I like Sebastion. He broke rules in order to protect Sophie, that makes him a hero in my eyes 🙂
I’m glad you like Sebastian, Jacqui. 😀 I do, too. I happen to agree with you that he is a hero.
Oh, man! A mom at fifteen! 😐 Sophie’s got her work cut out for her. Not only with Amy, but with Jade now too. I can understand Sophie’s want to keep emotions to herself for now. It can be hard understanding your own emotions, let alone communicating them to someone else.
IKR? Sophe definitely has her work cut out for her, you are right about that! It’s like she has suddenly become the only responsible person there. I also agree with you about how hard it can be to express your emotions, or even understanding them and sorting them out. Spot on.
Aw, he was only trying to save her. And did! She should cut him some slack.
Interactions with Jade are painful. With all due respect, Sebastian’s done more for her kids than she did, so she better not complain about him.
You’re right, he was just saving her life, so she should cut him some slack. Everything with Jade right now is painful. And I agree with you about Sebastian having done more for her kids than she has, so no complaints!
They all have a lot to deal with. I wonder if Sophie will ever feel she can allow herself to be vulnerable with her mom.
They sure do have a lot to deal with. I hope Sophie can one day confide in her mother, and they can mend their relationship. I don’t like to think all hope is lost. 🙂
Sophie had to grow up way too fast. She was already taught so many tough lessons and has become wise beyond her age, I believe. I’m so sorry Gigi had to go so young and so soon in her generation, but I’m curious to see what will happen next. I like the line you threw in about Tilly taking the family journals. I understand how Sophie is mad at Sebastian for not letting her be with Gigi, but it’s for the best. Someone has to be there for Amy and also I can’t imagine Jade’s state of mind if she lost both of her daughters. Sophie said something about changing Amy’s identity – I’m wondering what that is about, is she still called Amy? And what about the surname, is it Noble, and if so, how to explain it to Jade? ‘You know, mom, I had a child at 14 with a non-important Mr. Noble, but she has his surname now’, lol. I’m surprised Jade is so calm, I understand she’s in pain, but still, it’s very shocking to learn your daughter had a child so young. It probably helps that Jade also was a teen mom, though still older. She must be more understanding this way. Also, imagine walking around in a black formal dress in heels at home and in this weather, crazy!
I wonder about Jade’s ankle tattoo. I don’t remember her having it before, or did something slip my mind?
It’s going to be so awkward having Sebastian following Sophie around at school, LOL.
I think it’s so wonderful how they moved from the darkness of Midnight Hollow to the sunny beaches of Sunlit Tides! ☀️
You are so right about Sophie having to grow up way to fast. It’s not right that she has been taught so many tough lessons. I’m sorry about Gigi, too, but I’m glad you’re curious. There is a lot in store. Somebody had to get those journals out of there. LOL
Amy is still called Amy. I’m not sure all of Sophie’s plans can be met realistically. She is still hashing everything out and will make mistakes, I’m sure. I agree about Jade being too calm. It’s like it hasn’t hit her yet that her daughter would have had to have gotten pregnant at 14. Good point about Jade being a teen mom, too. It is very crazy that Jade is constantly dressed like she is going to a funeral. It makes little sense.
The ankle tattoo was something I didn’t notice until I put the pics in the chapter. So, I took Jade into CAS to see what that was all about and it wasn’t a tattoo, but a design on the stockings I had her in. lol
I’m glad you’re happy about Sunlit Tides. 😀
I had no idea it was the stocking, it really looked like she had a tattoo!
IKR? I took her into CAS into the tattoo part because I was certain it was a tat also.
I’m still laughing at that last line! LOL Wouldn’t everyone want their own vampire for protection?! hahahahaha
Jade is going to be super interesting in the story! I wonder how she sees Sebastian – glowing eyes, and vampire skin? Or has he mesmerized her? Or is it you have to believe to see?
Sophie definitely made the right choice to declare Amy as her own. And with Tilly by her side, they will be able to accomplish anything together. What a fun ride that might be. Sophie doesn’t even know what Tilly is capable of yet.
Gigi definitely deserved better. Complete love and devotion to Kai, really shows what a great father he was to her. I’m glad Laris is dead for taking advantage of a little girl’s grief over the death of her father to manipulate her that way. He deserved worse. But Gigi did not. Oh what a terrific turn down another great story path, this family has taken.
LOL I’m so glad that last line made you laugh. 😀 I really wanted it to have that effect. I would love having my own vampire. 😀
I’m glad you like Jade being back and that you’re looking forward to her story. Good question, too, about how she sees Sebastian. I like it!
Tilly and Sophie make an odd team, but they can do this! lol Wait till Sophie sees Tilly at work. LOL
Oh yes, Gigi definitely deserved better. Kai was such a great dad, and now I like to think Gigi is finally reunited with him.
Laris deserved what he got and who he got it from, I agree.
Lol. No one else has their own vampire. Poor Sophie though. She’s had to grow up way too fast. And it seems she’ll never be free from Sebastian. I’m shocked she and her mother are civil to each other. It’s got to be awful for both of them.
I’m glad you liked that line. LOL You’re right that Sophie has to grow up way too fast. She’s taking on a lot of responsibility through no fault of her own. We’ll see what happens with Sebastian. I hope it works out, my plans. 😀
IKR? It seems like they might have a blow up at some point. Right now, it’s just weird between them.
Part of me really hoped that Gigi survived that fire… heartbroken for Sophie 🙁 xx
I know what you mean. Poor Gigi. At least Laris got what he deserved. I’m heartbroken for Sophie, too. xo