Chapter 2.2- Lost

I really don't want to put up the adult only content warning, so this is your warning. There's a little bit of language in this one. I wasn't joking when I said Layla had learned to cuss from the sailors. However, after that bit, there is nothing more. If you are offended, please let me know and I'll gladly put the warning up and sincerely apologize.

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          “I’m-I-I’m-excuse me? Police?” Layla spluttered at the young man, her breath caught in her throat.

          “Yes,” he answered sternly. “We prosecute trespassers. You’re trespassing. Please come around front.”

          Heart hammering in dismay Layla turned to walk to the entrance to the grounds, watching as the young man turned the same way. He’d be waiting for her as fast as he was walking.

          Layla flinched seeing his expression as she neared. She’d been in town for less than 24 hours and between the seemingly unpleasable woman at the consignment store and this young man Layla seemed to be stepping on plenty of toes without even trying.

          “How could you not have seen the signs posted all around the property? No trespassing. You people think nothing of tearing up the property and stealing whatever you find that you seem to think is 'unclaimed.'”

          “I-I was-I just- really-Just picking up seeds and a few-I forgot about-I’ll gladly give them back. They’re-they’re in my pocket still! I had no idea I was trespassing! I’m not from here, and-honestly!-honestly I didn’t see any signs. I was just enjoying the views. I had no intention of stealing of trespassing, or destroying anything!”

          “That’s what they all say! Poor you! You didn’t see the signs! They’re everywhere! How could you not?”

          Tears threatening , Layla stood frowning, mind in a whirl. What could she say? She’d already said she hadn’t seen the signs. Honestly, she didn’t. It was a little too much for her right now. She was just looking around. No harm meant.

          “I’m really, really sorry,” Layla finally pled. “I meant no harm.”

          Suddenly, the young man’s face split into a wide grin.

          “Just kidding! There are no signs. I don’t own that far over anyway.”

          It took just a heartbeat for his words to sink in. Then, like a match, Layla’s usually dormant temper lit.

          “What the hell?” She shrieked. “Seriously? Just kidding?!? What the fuck is wrong with you? It’s my first day in town, I’ve already been insulted by some random bitch at the consignment store, then you threaten to arrest me and end it with JUST KIDDING?!?”

          “Hey, hey,” he tried to capitulate. “I just wanted to meet you! I saw you and thought you were cute and wanted you to come over here! It was just a joke!”

          Hearing “You’re cute” Layla finally started to listen a little, took a little interest in his words though she was still highly suspicious.

          “Seriously,” he continued, noticing that she’d stopped short in her tirade. “I’d not seen you before around town and thought I’d like to meet you. You were so intent in staring at the house you didn’t see me wave at you. So I went a little too far. I’m the one who’s sorry. Really. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to meet you.”

          Though the blood still rushed in her ears, Layla took a deep breath and nodded, a small, worried, smile on her lips.

          “Okay, okay,” She shushed him. The genuine worry on his face was comforting and reassuring. “Just-just calm down a bit and I will too. You were waving at me? And I didn’t see it?”

          He chuckled just a bit, forehead still creased. “I did. Both arms even. You seemed pretty intent on staring at my home.”

          “You waved with both arms and I didn’t respond? PlumbBob that’s embarrassing. Sorry.”

          “No, it’s ok. I’m the one who’s sorry." Finally, he proferred a hand. “Ned. Ned Hale. Current owner of the house behind me, and not owner of the land where you were standing.”

          “Ah, Layla,” she responded. “Layla Sixkiller. Owner of not much more than my pocketful of seeds and tiny little home in town.” She laughed nervously and he returned an infectiously wide grin.

          “Sixkiller? Like as in the Sixkiller farm just outside of town? I thought you said you were new here?”

          “That’s my Uncle’s. I’ve-um, I’ve actually not met him yet. I will though. At dinner tonight, I’ll get to meet him and his family,” Layla slowed realizing how odd that sounded, a puzzled look on her face.

          “No way!” He shouted in excitement, again making Layla jump. “You must be long-lost Buck’s daughter then!”

          Blinking hard, her jaw dropped a little in question. How would he know about her dad?

          “How-how did-how do you know my dad?”

          “He dated my mom, or tried to anyway, when they were in junior high. Mom must have had a pretty good crush on him, too. ‘Cause Granddad sent her to boarding school to keep her out of his way. Didn’t stop her telling me all about him when I was old enough to get-‘things’ though.”

          Finally deciding she kinda liked Ned, Layla attempted to turn the subject a little from his obviously painful family life and the two chatted easily about mundane things for quite some time.

          Ned was friendly and a talker, seeming to be both a bit bored and lonely. He, too, had attended a boarding school and so wasn’t well acquainted with too many people in town. And now he had inherited the large estate, he expressed a want to be more active in a town that saw him as the stuck up socialite his grandfather and father had been.

          Almost an hour later and Layla’s feet were getting tired standing at the gate to the manor house chatting with the easy-going Ned.

          “So, I know this is a bit of a late offer, but would you care for a tour?”

          “You know,” Layla answered. “You know I’ve got to get going actually. I’m supposed to have dinner with my Uncle and his family tonight and I think I’m expected to be there soon.” She was surprised to find that her heart sank a little with regret as she said it. Not long before she had been very excited to meet her Uncle Trigger. Now, she was rather enjoying herself and wanted to stay to visit with Ned longer.

          Blushing just a little, Ned reached for her hand, taking it as though he sensed her reluctance to leave and shared it.

          “My offer of a tour of the house and grounds is a standing offer. Come by anytime. You’ll always be welcome here.”

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          Nearly an hour later dark storm clouds had gathered in the sky above as Layla finally arrived at the neat little farm the Sixkillers owned.

          Her nerves were slightly tense as she neared the farmhouse. She’d never met a relative outside of her immediate family before and had no idea what to expect.

         As she knocked timidly on the door she heard a woman firmly telling someone inside that homework still had to be done, and that it had to be done before someone went to work that evening.

          But no one came to the door. At least, she heard no footsteps.

          Just as she’d made up her mind to knock again, this time more firmly, the door swung open, narrowly missing her as she stepped back.

          For a moment her breath caught as she foolishly though her dad had grown a beard and was here to greet her.

          But the closer she looked, the more discrepancies she saw between the face in front of her and the beloved face she’d left at home.

          “Land sakes girl,” Trigger offered his large, callused hand to Layla. “We’d thought you’d decided to stay on one-a them islands you went to. Been nigh a month since we’d properly heard from ya! Come in, girl! Come in and meet yer family!”

          The room was dimly lit and Layla was barely inside before an elderly woman pulled her into a hug that left her needing air.

          “This must be the little Lady we’ve been waitin’ for!”

          Nodding, Layla tried to hug the woman gently, fearful of hurting her.

          “Silas, this ain’t the time to stare. Get a move on your work, boy or you’ll be in trouble for sure. You’ll have time to get you know this new cousin later.”

          “We’re so glad ya came to us,” Aunt Estella’s smile was warm and she seemed determined to talk. “Have ya seen your house? Is it adequate? I figured for a single young woman it was just the ticket. And we even put in the clothes line ya asked for. Though I didn’t put up anythin’ on the walls thinkin’ you’d like to decorate yourself.”

          Trying to assure her Aunt the house was just fine, her Uncle Trigger slipped out the front door, muttering about chores in the rain and the noise ‘them hens make when they get to cluckin’.’

          “Though,” Aunt Estella continued. “Though we can get ya a dryer for cheap if ya have need of one. Not many folks want to wait all day for dry clothes.”

          Grinning broadly, Layla laughed a little. “No. No I don’t want a dryer. I’d really rather dry my clothes on the line. I kind of like the feel of the cloth, the way it smells of sunshine when it’s been dried outside.”

          Layla immediately used the opening to tell of some of what she had discovered on the island of Ouroboros, on which she’d spent some time during her travels.

          “The line dried clothes use less energy, too. And since you don’t need dryer sheets or softener, it’s actually better for your skin also.”

          “We dried on the line back in the day because we didn’t have anythin’ better. I prefer the speed. Dry clothes just an hour after they’ve washed, and never a worry about the rain wettin’ ‘em again.” Aunt Estella wasn’t as impressed as Layla was.

          “They all grew their own food on Ouroboros, too, so I’m going to start my own garden and grow my own vegetables.”

          “Oh,” Aunt Estella answered. “Is that why ya wanted a yard for just yourself? Trigger didn't give a reason for yer want of a yard and the work that comes along with it.”

          “Yes,” Layla enthused, not noticing that Aunt Estella had cooled to the conversation topic. “The taste difference between fresh foods and frozen is incredible! The chemicals they add to foods to keep them fresh really alter the taste! You’d be amazed if you tasted it, really. One of the men on the island Ouroboros, Shane, gave me a lot of tips about keeping a garden, too. So I can grow my own instead of buying it from the store.”

          “Ah, see, ‘round here we just grow our own food cause if we don’t we don’t have anythin’ to eat Honey Girl. ‘Course, as you’re from a bigger town, and if Buck didn’t think of keepin’ a garden, you’d just now be learnin’ that. So if you need help honey, just give your Uncle Trigger a holler and we’ll send one-a these boys-yer cousins- to help hoe you up a good patch o’earth for your garden. Though you’d also be welcome to help ‘round here and we could give ya’ a share of the produce we bring in if ya’ really want.”

          Layla smiled nervously. She’d run away with herself a little there forgetting she was on a farm.

          “’Stella! Silas! A hand!” Uncle Triggers booming voice echoed in the living room from outside.

          “That man,” Aunt Estella sighed. “Can’t feed the chickens on his own if he tried. Sally, come say hi to yer cousin while I go and see what yer father wants.”

          From upstairs came a dark haired teenaged girl who stared at Layla totally deadpan. As the girl looked her up and down Layla felt a little nervous at her boldness. The girl reminded her a lot of the shrew at the consignment store that morning.

          “Hi, Sally.” She offered tentatively.

          “Sarah,” she said sharply, still deadpan. “It’s Sarah. Only my idiot parents call me Sally.”

          “It’s spring,” Sally/Sarah intoned. “It’s warm here in spring. Why are you wearing a jacket? Do you have bikini lines you’re trying to hide? We wear bikinis here, too. We’re not as backwards as everyone thinks.”

          Slightly taken aback, Layla shook her head. “I’m not trying to hide anything.”

          “I know you were traveling on a bunch of islands. Did you just get used to being hot and now you’re cold and that’s why you’re wearing a jacket?”

          “I’m wearing a jacket because, I’m-” Layla stuttered. “I don’t have any other clothes yet for here. It’s all island wear really. Sometimes it was really cold on board the ships when we were at sea. Then the islands were warm. So I just wore my jacket a lot in case I needed it.”

          As Aunt Estella hadn’t been too interested in hearing of her island adventures, she didn’t add that she’d tried to wear home-spun, finding it a bit rough for her tastes. But that some of the men’s home-spun clothing showed a lot more than the clothes did here, and, again, her thoughts were back with Joel.

          “Oh.” The girl contemplated Layla for a moment, seeming to think deeply about something. “I can tell you where the good clothing stores are in town, if you want.”

          Wrenching her mind back to the present, she blinked at her cousin before nodding finally.

          “Yeah,” she answered. “Yeah, I’d like that. I probably need something a little more fitting for around here for spring.”

          “You know,” Sally’s face had a hopeful look. It was the first time she’d really changed her expression that Layla had seen. “You know I could go with you and help you.”

          Grinning kindly, Layla nodded. “Sure, that would be nice. Thanks.”

          Looking about her furtively to make sure they were alone, Sally finally grinned broadly turning to Layla conspiratorially.

          “Ok,” she said eagerly. “Ok, please tell me that you met some hot islander and, like, he’s coming to live here with his hot brother. ‘Cause there are like no hot guys around here. There’s just not a lot of guys around here at all. The town is small. And the hot ones are usually off limits. Like, Ned Hale is all off limits ‘cause he’s rich and no one is good enough for him, but he’s not hot like Ignacio. But Ignacio is all trouble. Like, nothing but trouble, so he’s off limits to most of the town too. So we need some hot guys. You’ve got some following you, right?”

          “You mean to tell me you don’t have a boyfriend?” Layla asked incredulously. She thought she’d heard Uncle Trigger say that he had one son married and that his daughter was ‘spoken for.’ Whatever that meant.

          “PlumbBob, no,” Sally sneered. “I’m engaged. Been since Junior high. Got to hook a boy early if you want to stick around here and not be an old maid.”

          Layla was completely taken aback as Sally/Sarah continued.

          “But, like, if you brought back a hot guy, and he was totally into me, I could still break it off. And then Ottawa would be free to find some other girl! So now there’s one less old maid in 40 years!”

          “I met hot islanders,” Layla conceded. “But none of them are coming here.”

          Again Joel’s image floated lazily in front of her, making her sigh.

          “Sally! Best come and get the table on!” Estella’s voice rose over the insistent ringing of a phone.

          “Crap,” Sally turned from Layla as to head to the kitchen. “I didn’t realize she was back in the house.

          “Look, call whoever you’ve got on your mind and get him here. And get him to bring some hot buddies. We need ‘em.”

          Layla just shook her head in disbelief. Sally was quite a pistol. She’d never really known anyone quite like her. The opinions she expressed were so foreign to Layla that for a moment she was genuinely worried about her time here. At least Sally had mentioned Ned. Ned was single if what Sally said was true by context. That might be interesting. A little boring after Joel, but interesting all the same.

          As Sally entered the kitchen, Aunt Estella bustled out looking concerned.

          For a moment, Layla was frightened that she’d be upset by the conversation she’d just had with Sally and wondered how to justify it.

          “Laylee, honey, one-a the girls just called and there’s been an emergency out at the Fox farm. Someone slipped and I’m needed out there to help get the family in order and organize drop-ins while she recuperates. I’m so sorry to leave in such a hurry, but I’m sure you understand.”

          Totally confused about why the family would need to be ordered and why visitors would need to be organized because someone slipped, Layla nodded cheerfully. Maybe if she looked like she understood, one day she really would.

          “Ah, I knew ya would.” Estella looked at Layla fondly. “It’s so wonderful finally gettin’ to meet Buck’s little girl. We’ll have ya over again when I can really visit with ya. Now get on in the kitchen. It’s not the full dinner I’d planned, but Rosemary’s got food on.”

          She patted Layla on the cheek and bustled out the door.

          Layla found most of the remaining family members around a kitchen table. It seems Silas had left for an evening shift at the graveyard. And Skeet, Trigger and Estella’s eldest, had already finished and was washing dishes in the sink.

          “Grab ya some vittles and join us girl!” Trigger called to her.

Sally smiled at her encouragingly.

          “That’s Rosemary, Skeet’s wife,” she said, indicating the other young woman already at the table who pecked at some appalling looking waffles, catching Layla’s eyes and smiling congenially.

          Skeet chose that moment to double over, biting his nails. “D-D-Did-did- you hear that? It sounded like a coyote! And awful close, too! It’s near a full moon!”

          Trigger regarded his son stonily before turning to Layla. “We thought he were Buck’s boy for the longest time. Couldn’t understand where all that scardey-cattedness came from.” He chuckled. “If we’da known where Buck had run to, we’d have sent Skeet to ‘im for raisin’.”
          Layla turned from her Uncle in shock. Really?  How awful to contemplate turning your own child out because they weren’t what you expected of them.

          Sarah rolled her eyes as she stood up. “Pa, she’ll think you’re serious. She don’t know your jokes like we do.”

          “Ah, she’s Buck’s girl! Buck was always cuttin’ up. I’m sure she gets it very well.”

          Suddenly Layla felt very home sick. Her dad was always cutting up? He used to be a funny man? She had barely known her dad to be light-hearted. Kind-hearted, sure, and one who appreciated a good joke. But he hadn’t really told jokes once Cyrus had left. He’d changed, and Layla had lost the father she should have had.

          “You know,” Layla said abruptly, getting up with her dish. “It’s been so wonderful getting to meet you all, but I’m really tired and I think I just want to go home and get some sleep.”

          “Ah, sleep!” Trigger clapped his hands with childish glee. “Now that’s a good idea. Why don’t we all turn in? Chickens get up early!”  He didn’t see the look Skeet exchanged with his wife.

          “Layla?” Rosemary said, standing. “Layla you don’t have to wash your plate. We’ll do it. And it was wonderful to meet you, too.”

          Grateful, Layla offered a tight smile before fleeing out the door remembering the laughing man her father had been a few too many years ago and resolved to call her parents the moment she got into the door. She'd run into her fathers ghost a few too many times today for her to be entirely calm.

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Sorry that was so long, but one scene was short, and the other was longer and I didn’t want to do a part chapter.

The Sixkiller farm is the McDermott farm stolen from Riverview. It lends itself so well for this.

Sally really is engaged to marry the son of Choctaw Fox and Melly Pelly (Melly is the daughter of Imogen Pelly and Kanoa Parrott. She was in the first chapter as the harpy in the consignment store.) I had no idea teens could get engaged until I got the notification for those two.

Trigger and Estella are versions of Helen and Buck. Estella/Helen was heavily made over. I plopped them both in Appaloosa plains when I first started playing with it to play with the equestrian career. This was before I’d rolled for Gen 2 and had decided to use the world for my legacy. Once I’d rolled, instead of playing much of the equestrian career I spent a lot of time balancing, aging, and editing the town for my legacy. It’s now super-unbuggy and has a tiny save file size so it plays wonderfully. Anyway, when I put in Buck and Helen I was not playing them. They were just in town. Watching them in SP notifications was really interesting. As in the legacy, Helen dated like 3 other sims before finally partnering with persistently single Buck. (By this time, I’d edited both in CAS) They had Skeet pretty early on, then there was a long gap before Silas came along after which I married Trigger and Estella with MC. Sally is the youngest and if you didn’t get it, I love Sally. I think I’m going to save her and use her for something else later on.

There are now bloopers up for this generation also. Rosemary did a freaky that I just had to capture. Lol.
If you, like Layla, don't know what a 'drop in' is, or why a family would need to be organized if someone is hurt, I'll gladly explain. Forgot not everyone is from a tiny town.