Chatper 2.37- Too Awful

          Mariah grown up was a fresh source of torture to Layla’s soul. Those eyes haunted her just as Henry’s had. They enhanced her nervous state and made her wish she could turn back the clock and take back everything she’d ever done that might not have been right, or perfect, or wonderful.

          She regretted words to Sally, Cyrus, Ned, Galen, everyone, in short, whom she’d ever spoken too. Her focus no longer was on being the perfect mother, it was on the shortcomings her little girl forced her to see in herself.

          But she couldn’t just call all of them up and apologize. It was too awful, too embarrassing and there were far too many of them she had no way to get in contact with. Others, why would they want to answer the phone if she called?

          If she couldn’t erase her past, how would she be able to change now for her future? She was too awful. Her only consolation was trying to get ahold of Phedra. If she could at least apologize to Phedra, maybe she’d finally get something right.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

          Ignacio had talked Layla into going out for the afternoon, and she still hadn’t returned that evening. Noticing a moment where Mariah wasn’t being hovered over by her mother, Tibi took the opportunity to get to know her little sister a bit better.

          “Now then,” Tibi picked up the feather-light child. “You and I are finally going to get to know each other.”

          “Uver???” Mariah lisped back.

          “Yup! Each other. And the first thing you have to know is…

          “That monsters are real,” Mariah’s eyes grew round as saucers as Tibi continued. “Monsters are everywhere in the world. They can even look just like normal sims.”

          “Monzders?”

          “Yup, Monsters,” Tibi slowed her voice, sighing theatrically. “In fact-”

          “-I think I might be a monster!”

          “No Tib! No Tib! No monzder!”

          “Yes! Yes! It- It’s got my hand!”

          “No Monzder!”

          “Raaaaaaawwwwwwrrrrr!”

          “Oh no! I can’t control him! He wants to get you Mariah! Ack!”

          Mariah’s giggles and laughter rang throughout the house, making Ignacio smile downstairs.

          “A’gin! Monzder a‘gin!” Mariah cried as her sister’s tickles slowed.

          And so Tibi obliged. After all, how could she resist that giggle?

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

          “Has your dad ever used a camera?” Emily whispered through her smile.

          Fighting back an urge to roll her eyes, Tibi kept her carefully practiced smile focused on her dad trying to get a prom pic of the two best friends before they went to their first school dance.

          “Oops!” a suddenly flash of light lit the scene as Ignacio fumbled with the buttons on the camera.

          Unable to hold in her sigh any longer, Tibi whispered back: “We’ll get our photo done at the dance and we’ll just make copies. He’s a better shot than Mom at least.”

          Another flash illuminated the girls as the horn of the waiting limo sounded.

          The girls turned and ran off giggling with Ignacio waving to their backs.

          When his baby girl had told him she’d been going to the dance with her best friend, he’d been happy it wasn’t some random boy coming to sweep his little princess off her feet.

          And then Emily had started to come over to join Mariah playing with Tibi and Ignacio realized it wasn’t a young man he’d needed to keep his eye on.

          No. It wasn’t a young man at all. Though he wasn’t sure his darling little girl knew it, or how she’d respond when it all came out. Losing her best friend would be difficult if it came to that.

          But Ignacio wasn’t sure it would be that way. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised at all if Tibi came home late, bubbly, giggling, and very very happy. And after all, isn’t that what every parent wants for their children? Their happiness?

          Sighing as he smiled thinking his little girl was as happy as he could wish, the limo had pulled away leaving him alone in front of the house.

          But still he stood. Looking at the spot where his little girl had vanished into the evening. Where had his time gone? How had he lost the tiny baby he’d taken such tender care of?

          Wanting to hold on to those memories a few moments longer, he sat on the bench facing the road allowing himself to be carried back to when everything was so much simpler.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

          Layla was alone in the house as Ignacio saw Emily and Tiburcia off to prom when it happened again. The phone in the kitchen rang.

          Her heart had literally stopped when she heard it. Breath caught, eyes wide, the dread she felt hearing that phone ringing sent a jolt right through her. Goosebumps had then erupted down her arms as her stomach churned.

          Snatching the receiver off the cradle one of Layla’s eyes felt bruised, as if it could pop. She had to force herself to remember to breathe.

          “Hello?”

“This-This is she,” Layla panted, trying to keep her voice level as her head spun from lack of oxygen.

          “Yes! Yes, I am the one trying to get in contact with Phedra Dean. I’m her sister.”

          “Uh-huh.”

          Her jaw went slack.

          Her stomach dropped.

          “No,” she whispered.

Her eyes closed.

Her head exploded.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

*sigh

Uh, if I told you to wait for next time so that it would make more sense, would you be able to?