Lilith
After she had moved into her new house, Lilith went out to shop for clothes. Apparently she wasn't the only one with this idea because she met her sister and a few of the other students who had just graduated. She also met Ninou and talked to her for a while.
Afterwards she played kicky bag with Orlando. She had never gotten to know Orlando very well, he was rather quiet and she had believed he was boring. But he turned out to be a nice guy and they quickly became friends.
There was a good atmosphere in the shop. Sims were dancing and socialising more than they were browsing for clothes.
When she watched some of the neighbours she realised that the changes they had experienced in their final year at college, were affecting everyone. She felt that there was a lot more flirting and kissing than before.
Before she left she got into a conversation with one of the teenagers. She was very impressed with Alice. Her brother had talked about the Simmon sisters, and her in particular before. If it was true that every male teen fancied Alice at least a little bit, it proved how sensible these boys were. Lilith thought that she was a very special girl, confident and bright.
When she got back home some neighbours were already waiting in front of her door together with Ben, who she had invited to come over for lunch. Like her he was living alone at the moment, because Lauren was still away and would not move in with him for another fortnight.
She said hello to the neighbours and then gave Ben an affectionate hug.
Soon she had the opportunity to observe again how much things in their town had changed. She had long suspected that something had been going on between Kaylynn and her father in the past, but she also knew that Kaylynn was a rather shy family sim and Lilith was surprised to see her act like this.
'Look at them', she said to Ben, 'they don't seem to be aware of anyone except themselves.'
She thought it best to distract those two from each other and began talking to Kaylynn. Ben, who guessed her intention, sat down and asked Ryan if he would like to play a game of chess.
Ryan was married to Florence, the woman who owned the flower shop in Bluewater (Lilith had thought that much but hadn't been sure) and seemed in fact relieved that his romantic encounter with Kaylynn was interrupted. Later he talked very openly about his problems to be faithful, but he appeared to be a nice guy and Ben had the impression that he was more in need to discuss this with someone than wanting to brag.
Matthew was very friendly towards her and Lilith found him quite interesting. He was ugly but still appealing in a way.
He must have misunderstood her friendliness, because when she went upstairs into her bedroom she found him there, undressed and looking at her expectantly.
Lilith told him that she liked to get to know someone a bit better first and that she had objections to woohoo with a married sim in general. Maybe under different circumstances her morals would have differed too, but Lilith felt that she needed some stability in her life right now.
She decided it was a good time to say goodbye to the neighbours. Only Ben stayed on for a bit longer. She was glad he was there. She had never lived on her own and still needed to adapt to it.
At least there was more privacy and before he left, she and Ben were making love on the sofa.
The next day David came over. He was not ready to grow up yet and Lilith hoped that they would see more of each other now that she was back and before he would go to college.
Brandon arrived later in the evening and he and David sat down in the garden playing chess. That's what she liked about him. He was so relaxed and sociable; she could see that David enjoyed talking to him. It mattered to her that he showed an interest in her brother.
Sim children were growing up so fast and even if David was almost old enough to become a student, the memory how she was looking after him when he was a baby and a toddler was still fresh. She probably cared more about him than Daniel and Mary-Sue. They both loved David, but they had never been such great parents. They were willing to give support, especially her father, but you had to ask for it and usually it didn't occur to them to offer it without.
Brandon stayed the night and Lilith asked him how he felt about living together. In the days since her return she had frequently imagined what it would be like to get into a serious relationship with Ben, but it was settled that he was going to live with Lauren when she came back and Lilith tried hard to accept that it was better that way.
She and Brandon had not really discussed living with each other so far, although it had been in the air as an idea since they got together. In particular during the time of her graduation and after Lilith had not wanted to touch the subject. She felt that she would make a better decision if she waited until she was back in Pleasantview. A few days were enough to make her realise that she didn't like living alone. The idea had appealed to her, but when her friends left and she was on her own the house appeared very empty. With Brandon it would become a home.
He told her that he had not wanted to press her and therefore had not made any arrangements yet.
So Brandon was willing to live with her, but would need a few more weeks to get rid of his apartment. In the meantime Lilith usually invited her friends to come over and see her. She had hoped to find a job with the police instantly, but so far no job offer had come up and it meant that she had not much to do during the day.
Finally after a week she got a job as a desk sergeant. It was not what she had hoped for, but it was a first step. One of her new colleagues came back with her after work. Jane asked if she already had any plans for her future and Lilith told her that she was going to live with Brandon, but wanted to concentrate on her career before she thought about a family. She would have rather talked about fighting crime on the street, because Jane had been out there with Darren, Ben's father, and he was Captain Hero.
It only took a few days before her superiors realised that Lilith's qualities were wasted on a desk job and she was promoted to a SWAT team. They first had doubts about her discipline and orderliness which disappeared when they were watching her at work. Lilith was more the messy type, but as an artist she had learned that it had advantages to keep things tidy.
Her promotion meant that she and Ben were working together now. They both shared the wish to become Captain Hero although they were probably seeing it from a different perspective. While Ben had dreams about saving children from burning houses before quietly disappearing into the night, Lilith was in for the recognition and the acclaim. Her self-confidence had grown over time but she still wasn't independent of the reassurance of others in order to sustain it.
Ben looked great in his uniform. Actually it had distracted her from her job a few times during the day. After work he came back home with her. Lauren still hadn't returned and Ben did not seem to like being alone much more than her.
They were both taking their new job serious, but Ben had difficulties to fully concentrate on it as well. Maybe it was the uniform or maybe it was working side by side during the day - they could hardly wait to get into the house.
Soon they had stripped off their clothes and sitting together on the sofa. Lilith hugged Ben and was overcome by such a feeling that it frightened and embarrassed her. They had come to accept that they were more than friends and that their relationship was special, but this was crossing into forbidden territory.
'Do you think this will continue when Lauren comes back?', she asked.
Ben looked at her thoughtfully. 'I don't know. Really, I have no idea what it will be like. I miss her, but if I don't see you for a few days I miss you too. I must be the worst family sim in the world, goddess knows how I became one.'
Tonight the future didn't matter though.
Lilith asked Ben if he would like to stay and after a plate of spaghetti and talking at the dinner table they went upstairs into the bedroom.
They woohoo'd again and then Lilith cuddled up to Ben realising that this was the first time they spent the whole night together.
Lauren was in both their dreams though and Lilith had fallen asleep with a feeling of sadness because she knew that she would never break Lauren's heart and that this might also be the last night that Ben was sleeping by her side.
She did not want to break Brandon's heart either. Since he was a romance sim, he was very easygoing when it came to affairs and Lilith knew that he would leave her all the freedom she required. He had been faithful to her the whole time though, even during the recent turbulences, and a break-up would be something he may not take lightly.
Ben left early in the morning and was gone when Lilith got up later. She tried to bring the mixture of feelings in order but it wasn't easy.
The following morning Lilith woke up feeling sick and before she could finish her breakfast she had to run into the bathroom spitting it all out again.
It wasn't possible that she was pregnant or was it? Since there was no risk of getting pregnant until you were a fully grown adult, none of them had needed to worry about taking precautions so far. Maybe it had been complacency rather than lack of education why she had not considered the risk. Only two weeks had passed since their return to Pleasantview and they were only beginning to get settled - it had simply seemed so unlikely that this could happen.
She felt ill and uncomfortable, so she treated herself to a hot bubble bath. While she relaxed in the bathtub, she reflected upon the situation and how she would feel about it if she turned out to be pregnant. She remembered how much she had enjoyed looking after David when he was small. At the same time she was afraid that she might not be able to cope with a child and would end up neglecting it just like her parents had neglected her a that age.
If she was pregnant, only Ben could be the father and to Lilith it meant that she would be a single mother. Apart from all the other consequences - Brandon was getting prepared to move in with her - she did not want to take the sim that rightfully belonged to Lauren away from her.
She was lucky to have an extra holiday and when she went out in the evening after spending most of the day dozing on the couch, she met Lauren, learning this way that she had returned.
She had pushed away the thought of being pregnant, explaining her sickness with some virus or food poisoning, but the next day it still hadn't passed and when she was back home after work, she decided to invite her parents to hear what they would have to say about it.
When Daniel and Mary-Sue arrived they proved that they would never be very subtle and empathetic sims, because they ignored their daugther and were more interested in each other. Lilith sat outside while her parents were making out in the living room and when they all sat down for dinner, she concluded that they would not be able to give her advice on the matter. She enjoyed the conversation with them, but she only talked about general topics and did not mention what concerned her.
She would have kept it that way had she not become sick again after she finished her meal. It was not the first time that day, but until then she had been alright while her parents were there. When he saw his daughter grabbing her stomach before she ran into the bathroom, Daniel began to guess that Lilith had invited them over for a reason.
When she returned he inquired about it and Lilith admitted that it was possible that she was expecting a child. He congratulated her and promised that he would give her any support she needed. Lilith wasn't sure if he was able to fulfil his promise, but she appreciated the good will.
Her mother then congratulated her too and Lilith got a bit embarrassed and told them that she wasn't sure about it yet. Neither Mary-Sue nor Daniel inquired about the father. They felt that Lilith did not want to talk about it, but they both guessed it to be Brandon.
Soon after Ben invited her over when they both had their day off. Lilith was surprised because she had expected that Lauren would be there, but Ben told her that she was working and would not return until later in the evening.
When she arrived Ben was outside. It was almost a shock seeing him. She realised how much she loved him and that it would require a lot of will power to stop her from doing anything stupid.
Those reflections did not include woohoo with Ben. Although it was much more than simple fun, Lilith was convinced that Lauren had no objections in sharing Ben this way.
As long as it would remain an affair. Ever since their date she kept telling herself that it was best if it stayed that way, but every time they met the wish that it would be different had become stronger.
That afternoon when they were making love on the couch in his living room she felt so close to him and she wished there was a chance for a future together. The sickness had not stopped, but she did not want to talk about it. She still tried to explain it with other reasons, although her hormones were affecting her in many ways and despite her denial it was pretty obvious that she was pregnant.
She didn't succeed to hide it for long, because right after their lovemaking the sickness returned and Ben asked her about it when he came into the bathroom to look if she was okay.
He offered to live with her if she wanted him to and Lilith had to remind herself once again of the other sims involved in this to be able to reject his offer.
One indication, how different she felt about their relationship, had been the realisation that she would not regret it if she was pregnant by him. She had meant to proceed with her plan to become Captain Hero and turn to art afterwards, all of which would take a lot longer if she had a child so early, but she did not feel bad about it. If they had a child together there would always be a tie, even if they lived with different partners.
Her greatest fear was that she would not be able to cope with the baby and that it would grow into a sim yearning for recognition and affection.
Later Lauren returned from work and was warmly greeted by her friend. She had changed her hair again and Lilith thought that she looked nicer than ever before. Even if she was prepared to break up with Brandon it would not change the situation, because it still would be impossible to take Ben away from her.
She did not mention the possible pregnancy to Lauren, but apart from that she did not want to keep secrets from her. That she was so understanding only increased Lilith's belief that it would plainly be wrong to steal the sim that was meant to be with her.
Ben did not say much and Lilith remained unsure what he was thinking. She wanted him, but it was hard to understand what he found in her with a sim like Lauren by his side.
Shortly after her visit Lilith could not overlook the fact that she was pregnant anymore. She had many worries about the future and at the same time she felt extremely happy about it.
Being on maternity leave she went back to bed and slept for a few more hours.
In the afternoon Ben came to the house. He told her that he got worried when she didn't turn up at work and had left early to see her. Lilith didn't know what to say to him. Whatever she had to explain was clearly visible already. Even if they had talked about it before, it had only be a possibility then and she didn't know how he felt about the pregnancy now that it had become a fact.
'So it is true', he said looking at her belly. 'I am going to be a father.'
He smiled when he said it.
Lilith was very glad to see him and after a short conversation they went into the house for a proper welcome. They were soon naked, but Ben became aware that he and Lilith never woohoo'd straight away. He wondered why he and Lauren always did, because he enjoyed those moments holding each other, kissing and talking.
After looking at her belly again he said: 'I spent so much time thinking about my life and if I really wanted all this, marriage, family, children. But now that it is happening I feel very positive. My brain hasn't yet taken it in though, I have to check from time to time to believe it is true. I never planned this to happen and I know without asking that you didn't either. Still, the way my life is going at the moment, I wonder if it was not meant to be like this.'
Since Lilith was very pleased to hear all that, she did not inquire any further what he meant with his last sentence.
Later, after they made love and were dressed again, he explained it to her.
'Lilith, I had a fight with Lauren. We split up.' When he saw how shocked she was about those news he added: 'It has absolutely nothing to do with you. It was stupid really, I overreacted and I am very sorry about it. But the way we fell out makes me think there is something seriously wrong with our relationship. I know you have someone too, but I am asking you again: Do you want me to live with you? Please tell me the truth, tell me what it is YOU want.'
Lilith did not believe that Ben and Lauren had broken up permanently, but it didn't matter. At least for the moment the main obstacle which prevented her from accepting his offer was gone and it had happened without her doing. It was too tempting to see it as destiny giving them a sign.
'I do want to live with you', she said.
After they had agreed on it, Ben called Lauren and told her that he would be staying with Lilith. It was a short phone call that Ben kept very matter-of-fact. He had already mentioned it earlier and when Lilith listened to him she noticed that he did not find it easy to talk to Lauren at the moment.
Ben insisted on getting her some better maternity wear and after a quick visit to the shops he spent the rest of the evening looking after her well-being.
Despite his attention and although his move in made her very glad, she felt that it was only make-believe, a bubble that would burst eventually. Maybe, she wondered, it had simply come too abruptly. In the morning she would not even have considered it a possibility. But she could not get rid of the feeling that something about the situation was not quite right.
Ben had cooked and while they were eating she asked him what exactly had happened. He hesitatingly told her about Orlando's wedding and what a fool he had made out of himself. Lilith fully agreed and said that in her opinion Lauren had not done anything to justify his reaction.
'I know this', Ben replied, 'and I tried to talk to her about it later, but she did not want to listen to me.' He then explained that they had fallen out so badly that she did not even want him to sleep in the same bed.
The next morning they did not get up until Ben had to leave for work. It was such a peaceful atmosphere, Lilith would have really liked to believe that there was nothing wrong.
But she did not have to see the expression on his face when he went to bed the night before to understand that it was not so. When he had told her the story of his jealous outburst she could hear the sadness in his voice and there had been other signs throughout the evening that he was thinking about his argument with Lauren.
Ben was in fact very sad about breaking up with her. He had begun to wish to have a child, but as much as he tried, he did not feel completely comfortable with the sudden turn in his life. Lilith had irritated him a few times during the evening and he was afraid that he might take it out on her if he regretted his decision.
Lilith and Ben
When Ben had left the house, Lilith called Lauren and invited her over. Lauren was still very close to her and when she arrived, Lilith was so glad to see her that she forgot for a moment how she appeared to her.
'Lilith, what's that there?! You're going to be a mom!'
They sat down to play chess and after Lauren had congratulated her on her pregnancy she said: 'You know, out of all our friends you are the one I would have least expected to be the first to have a child. Your plans were so different.'
Lauren tried to look cheerful and they did not talk about her break-up with Ben. They did not mention the fact that he was the father of the child either. It was unnecessary since they guessed respectively that the other was informed and Lilith (as well as Lauren apparently) enjoyed it as a break to be nothing but two good friends seeing each other.
Ben arrived in the company of Angel, who had picked up a few things at the office. When he saw Lauren, he asked her if they could adjourn the visit to another day. Angel agreed, because she was close to giving birth and although she had come back with Ben, she felt tired already and was actually looking forward to go home.
Lauren was sitting outside and after he said goodbye to Angel he walked up to her.
'Hi'. A silence followed. But then slowly Ben began to talk, encouraged by the fact that Lauren seemed prepared to listen to him now.
Lilith, who could see them through the window, stayed in the livingroom. She had hoped for Ben and Lauren to become at least friends again after both had calmed down and was pleased that everything went into the right direction. First they had a serious expression on their face, but eventually they looked more relaxed and smiled while they were talking.
To see them making up had been her intention when she invited Lauren, yet, as much as she had wanted it, Lilith wasn't perfectly happy with the course of the evening. She had the impression that she was very sensitive and emotional due to her pregnancy. In the back of her mind rested the awareness that she would have to talk to Brandon, but at the moment she could not think about anyone else but Ben. It felt like he had always been the one she wanted.
It was hard to see that it was not the same for Ben. A few times their anger flamed up again, but never for long and as the evening went on, his feelings for Lauren returned. She had found back to the calm serenity that was so typical for her and he always thought she was particularly lovely when she was like that.
Lauren had intended to play another game of chess, but they sat down and talked some more instead.
Lilith had planned to leave them time to discuss their problems, but eventually she felt the strong need to join them. After she sat down she became aware how she had unconsciously positioned herself. She was sitting close to Ben's lap with Lauren opposite them.
It wasn't intentional either when the conversation shifted towards the child and what it would require to bring it up well. Only after she said it, Lilith realised that Ben could think that she was reminding him of his responsibilities.
He did not seem to see it that way though. Instead he agreed with her and carried on with the topic.
With regard to Lauren, Lilith was convinced that she would have completely forgiven Ben before the evening was over. When he told her that they had to say goodbye because it was getting late and he had to work the next day, Ben noticed how she looked at him. His feelings for her were returning too.
They did not go to sleep immediately after Lauren left though. Lilith had remembered the camera that she had picked up at the secret society and had taken a picture of Ben earlier. When he came back inside Ben told her that he would like to photograph her.
'Can you explain to me, how this works? I am not even sure if this is the right side. Where do I have to look through?'
'You're doing it right. It's a bit old-fashioned, there is a small hole below the grey screen, you focus with that.'
'Oh, I see, I think I am getting it now.'
'Yes, that looks great. You look very proud.' Ben had wanted to take another picture with the first already hanging on the wall in the background.
In that early stage of her pregnancy Lilith often went out for a walk in the neighbourhood, especially when Ben was at work. She did not regret her pregnancy, but she had become very thoughtful again and some of her worries returned.
When Alice saw her standing on the street, she greeted her and invited her in. She had enjoyed talking to Lilith when she met her in the clothes shop and would have liked to become friends with her.
They talked about her job for a while, although Lilith said that due to being on maternity leave she had not been with the police long enough to gain real experience. Alice was astonished that Lilith had chosen this type of career and she explained that she had in fact not talked about her dream of becoming a superheroine for a long time, but it was still a dream she wanted to fulfil before she would turn to art. Alice could see much more of an artist in her.
There were many other sims around, because it was the day of Jean's age transition and the Simmons were giving a party for it. Lilith could spot Patrick and Eleonor among the guests, the younger siblings of Ben. It was a pity that David was not invited. She would have liked to see her brother.
Later she joined the teenagers outside and sat with them until the evening. A new term at college was starting soon and she remembered the time when she and her friends were about to grow up. She recognised the conversations, but she wondered how different it would be for them. Because of David she was aware that they had far more sexual experience and while it might not influence their maturity in other respects, she had the impression that it affected how serious they were taking their relationships.
In the meantime Ben had met Lauren again. She had called him on his mobile shortly after visiting them and he gladly accepted the invitation to see her in the evening when he finished work.
Both he and Lauren had intended to rebuilt their relationship slowly, but the sentiment when they met swept all those considerations away.
They rushed into the livingroom, getting rid of their clothes as they approached the sofa. The whole argument seemed so silly all of a sudden and their feelings returned fast and forceful.
It was one of the most emotional moments Ben had ever experienced. Lauren was pouring her heart out, telling him how much she had missed him and how unhappy she had been and he felt extremely sorry and extremely happy at the same time.
He simply could not understand how he had managed to hurt this wonderful sim and wished it would have never happened.
'I don't want to loose you', she said and he could hear that she was close to tears.
'No, me neither. I am so sorry I made such a fool out of myself, I should have never acted like this.' He was holding her tight, almost afraid to let go of her.
They took their time this evening when they woohoo'd and Ben wished it would always be like this. There was only her and him and no restraint or hiding from either side.
It was a very intense experience and they needed a while afterwards, but eventually they were able to think rationally again and sat down to discuss the current situation.
Ben told Lauren that this very moment he wished nothing more than to return to her, but that with Lilith expecting a baby it just wouldn't be right. He admitted that it was not only a sense of honour but that he was also looking forward to having a child and did not want to miss it.
'Lilith needs me now, at least for the time of her pregnancy and in the first weeks when the child is born. She copes well, but of course she gets tired and I think she is also a bit afraid.'
Lauren agreed with him and said that it was what she wanted him to do even if she would miss him badly. She could understand how he felt about the child because she would have liked to have one (and more) too and told him that she would actually be glad if she could participate to some extent.
In the end they agreed that they would wait until after the birth and then discuss the future again. If his help was not required anymore, they could go back to living together since he would always be able to visit the child. Lauren silenced her inner doubt, wanting to believe that this was going to happen.
Ben told Lilith that he had seen Lauren and made up with her, although he avoided to get into details, in particular how much it had touched him. He was more relaxed afterwards and Lilith realised that there had been an almost unnoticeable tension between them previously, which was about to affect their friendship.
He was warm and loving towards her, but Lilith sensed that the disparity of their feelings had increased since his visit at Lauren's house. His heart had already returned to Lauren, while she felt more each day that he was the one sim she wanted to be with. Maybe she could have forced him to stay with her, but she did not want that. She had always believed that he and Lauren would get back together and accepted it as a fact that it was going to happen eventually.
At least his family was prepared to see her as his girlfriend and when Christopher celebrated his age transition they were both invited. The first family member who approached her was Ben's youngest sister Elise, who stopped her from playing chess with Ben to have a conversation. Everyone was really nice to her.
After she finished her conversation with Elise, Lilith looked happily at Ben. She really liked his family and enjoyed the whole atmosphere, the warm welcome she received and how they were treated as a couple.
Later when she was in the kitchen with Marisa she finally met Christopher, who was very excited about becoming a teenager.
'See? This is what you are looking forward to, in the near future you won't be able to have a conversation anymore without getting interrupted by one of those', Marisa said. Christopher understood the hint behind the joke and disappeared to talk to his other guests. After he was gone Marisa became more serious and assured Lilith that she could always turn to her for advice even if they weren't friends yet.
Later - Christopher had successfully grown into a teen - Darren sat down with her and expanded on the offer of his wife. He explained that without hearing all the details from Ben, he understood that there was some confusion and that the situation was complicated, but that for him she would always be the mother of his grandchild whatever happened between her and Ben.
She and Ben discussed the future a few times and the option arose that all three of them (and maybe Brandon as well) could live together and share a house. It seemed a good idea, avoiding to hurt anyone, but Lilith was hiding some of her true feelings. There were many aspects that appealed to her, Ben would be living with his child and she was sure that she would receive a lot of support from Lauren.
She was aware though, that in this constellation her relationship with Ben would not continue the way it was now. Since they were living together it had become increasingly harder to put her friend above her own wishes. The only remaining objection against a life with him was the knowledge that Ben loved Lauren more than her. Even if she chose to ignore it, it would cause her sadness and pain in the end.
Ben met Lauren a few more times, but not often. He felt more comfortable living with Lilith than he had initially and was usually staying in with her. The argument between him and Lauren was completely forgotten though and Lauren had regained her hope that she and Ben would get married one day. To Ben the idea that they could form one big household became more appealing the more he thought about it.
He had become optimistic about the future and believed that with all sims involved liking each other, it should not be impossible to find a solution that would satisfy them all.
When he had talked to Vassily he had noticed Dustin and Lauren coming into the shop, but did not see that Daniel, Lilith's father, was also present. Therefore his suprise was even greater when Daniel started shouting at him. He didn't like Mary-Sue anymore since she had started a fight with Lauren during one of their dates, but towards Daniel he was neutral. He did not know him well.
'What do you think you're doing destroying my daughters life? Getting her pregnant when you have already set your eyes on someone else. I've watched you with the other girl before, but I still defended you before my wife. I don't know why. You are no good for Lilith, you don't care about her in the slightest.'
First Ben felt tempted to reply accordingly, reminding Daniel that, from what he knew, her parents had not cared about Lilith for a long time either and tell him that he was not informed enough to judge him anyway.
Daniel's attack had touched some sensitive spots though, even if Ben did not agree with him. His previous optimism changed to the opposite. He buried his face in his hands. 'It's not going to work out, it's going to be a disaster!', he thought. He did not stay in the shop much longer (which he had initially only visited for a quick look around) and went back home to Lilith to show her that he cared in fact very much about her.
Lilith was actually quite happy at the moment. She experienced how many sims valued their friendship and wanted to renew it now that she was back in Pleasantview.
During a visit at Ninou's house she met Brandi, who was also pregnant, but in an earlier stage than her. Lilith regretted that she was too tired to stay longer. Brandi had a lot of experience and it was interesting to talk to her.
A few days later she was invited to her parents' house. David immediately came out when he saw her and greeted her with a hug.
Then he greeted his future niece or nephew. Lilith did not know that it would be the last time she saw David as a teenager. Lately a new generation had begun to grow and it was the signal for the others to move on to the next stage.
David was already making plans for the future, but to Lilith it appeared far too early. She was still a very young adult and it was weird that David should reach this age group soon, although it was easily explained by the fact that the earlier life stages didn't last long. It would probably seem even shorter when she would watch her own child grow up.
Then her mother came out. 'Goodness Lilith, you're big', she said, when she inspected her daughter's belly.
'Actually I don't think I am. You have to take into account that it's not going to take that much longer before I give birth.' Lilith still didn't believe that she could hope for much support from her parents, but at least they tried.
It turned out that her parents had a reason to invite her as well as Angela. Their dogs had recently become parents of a litter of puppies, which were old enough to be given away now. Mary-Sue and Daniel wanted to give one puppy to each of their daughters. It didn't seem a very sensible idea with regard to Lilith, because it would add another responsibility to her life, but in their defense it has to be said that she wanted a dog and was very happy about this gift.
Her parents had planned to give Lilith the first choice, but there was no disagreement between the sisters anyway. Lilith immediately picked up Candy, the only white puppy in the litter, and Angela chose the male.
Lilith thought that Candy was extremely cute and could not take her eyes off her.
Candy enjoyed the attention and was satisfied with her new home and the new sims she belonged to.
Ben had always kept the same caring attitude towards her and slowly over time their relationship gained a new quality. Even if Lilith's initial impression of their life being in some respects a fake had been right, it was becoming genuine through practice.
As Lilith had mentioned to her mother she was in the last stage of her pregnancy and with the exception of a few visits to friend's houses they did not go out much. Being together all the time they were growing into a real couple.
Ben had not forgotten Lauren and still believed that she was his one sim. He had not seen her for some time though and it was Lilith he spent his time with. It was not without effect on him especially since their life was very harmonious. There was no proof for their former view that it would not work out with them. The passion had cooled down a bit, but there remained a lot of warmth and their friendship proved to be a solid basis for getting on well. Ben became aware that while it had only taken a short time before the first complications had come up between him and Lauren, there were no such problems with Lilith. They were both very content and looking forward to the birth of their first child.
They were in the process of becoming parents and the future well-being of her son or daughter had become very important for Lilith. Although it was not what she had planned, she was happy to carry a child and increasingly happy that it was Ben's child she carried. She had a very personal attitude about her pregnancy, which did not change her way of thinking or turned her into a family sim with a longing for a baby. She saw the option to combine parenthood with the realisation of her other dreams and Ben seemed a very good partner for this. He had enough family orientation to give her confidence that he would love and care for the child and enough ease to not make her feel like she would be encaged in a conventional family life.
Since his encounter with Daniel, Ben could not get rid of the feeling that he was betraying Lilith in his heart. His love for Lauren was strong and he was looking for a way to express that the life with Lilith and their baby meant a lot to him nonetheless.
After some thinking he decided that it would make a nice change if he invited her on a date. The uncertainty of their future must have been so apparent that a secret society student who happened to walk by when they got out of the taxi started to wonder about them. Their friends talked about them as well. They had noticed some of the developments at university, but Lilith and Ben still appeared an unlikely couple. They had now been living together for a while though and the others were getting used to see them this way.
When they were in the restaurant, Ben was really glad that he had asked her out. With the exception of the first few days after moving in with her, he had always enjoyed her company. There were still those moments when he felt that he was more relaxed and comfortable with her than he could have ever been with someone else. The question of their future life was always present in the back of their minds, but tonight they were taking a break and just had a good time.
Lilith was grateful for the distraction as well. Her reflections on the matter of their relationship were contradictory. On one hand she shared the opinion of their friends that they were an unlikely pair (and that Lauren and him looked much more like they belonged together), but then she wished more and more that it was not so.
Ben had never given the impression that he was seeking his advantage. He had proved incapable to act against his true feelings and neither Lilith nor Lauren had a doubt that he was the one who wished most that they were less mixed up. It was the reason why he never sank in their opinion, although in this moment Lilith imagined how much easier it would be if she did not have Lauren as competition for his heart.
Ben had always seen Lilith as a sim with many facettes, but had discovered new sides of her since they were living together. In his opinion there was no ground for her occasional fears of not being able to cope. No family sim could have cared more for the baby than she did and he began to believe that it could not have found a better home than inside her belly.
He was very fond of her.
When she was at ease, she showed how gentle and affectionate she could be. Her fear of rejection had a deep root and Ben was becoming aware that he was probably underestimating her feelings for him. He could not deny that they had become very close.
And although passion was not the most important factor in their relationship right now, it still existed as they found out in the course of the evening.
Lilith was aware that she had not been able to hide her feelings very well tonight. After overhearing the dubious proposals of the waiter towards Nina and wondering about it for a moment, her thoughts returned to Ben and what a great date it had been again.
When they returned home Ben played with Candy for a while.
Then he went upstairs and joined Lilith on the bed.
'I really enjoyed the evening with you', he said, 'Come here, I want to hold you.'
Ben woke up very early the next morning, probably because he was starting a new job after getting promoted the day before, but Lilith did not sleep much longer and when he got out of the shower she came into the bathroom. In underwear she looked very big and he admired her for her strength and energy.
There were some sims which were very attracted to their wifes or girlfriends when they were pregnant, but Ben did not belong to them. He still thought that Lilith was beautiful though and that she managed to look graceful despite her big belly.
He kissed her tenderly and then went to work in his new uniform.
When he was gone Lilith arranged a visit that was long overdue. She had spoken to Brandon on the phone and he was informed about the changed situation, but further than being a matter of fairness it was necessary for her to meet him face to face. Since she was in Ben's company all the time it was easy to believe that he was the one she loved most and she wanted to test if this would change when she saw Brandon again. She approached him with a smile when he arrived. There was no doubt that she still loved him.
And judging from his expression his feelings for her were still the same.
She had a really good day with him. They had breakfast together and Lilith enjoyed their conversation as much as always. When she had told him about her pregnancy on the phone he had reacted with disbelief, but now he was treating it as the most natural thing in the world.
While she had a shower he went out into the garden and played with Candy. She had kissed him when he arrived, but Brandon was too clever not to notice the difference in her.
Ben would not return from work for some hours and there was no risk of geting caught if they had chosen to woohoo with each other. Nothing could have been further from Lilith's mind though. She realised that she had made a choice and even if she would always be very fond of Brandon, her heart belonged to Ben now.
When she came downstairs they danced for a while and then Brandon suddenly put his arms round her and said: 'It's not going to happen, is it? I mean you and me living together. It's okay Lilith, I understand. I wish it would be different, but you don't have to worry about me. I want to see you happy, that is what matters to me most.'
'Oh Brandon, I love you! I don't deserve to have a friend like you.' Lilith had been afraid to talk about the subject and was relieved that he had taken that responsibility from her.
When Ben returned he talked to him for a while (he had never gotten to know him very well, but found that he was a very nice and sociable guy) and then Brandon said that it was time for him to leave.
'I already told your friend that he must look after you and you must promise me to look after yourself.'
Then they said goodbye with a kiss and a warm embrace. It did not make Ben jealous despite being prone to it. Although Brandon and Lilith had been close to share their life he was not suspicious or upset. Somehow he knew he could trust her.
Lilith followed Brandon with her eyes as he was leaving. He had assured her that he would be there if she changed her mind, but she didn't believe it would happen. She was aware that she was dropping a great guy for the uncertain future with another. She was glad that she would not loose him as a friend.
Though he did not get jealous, Brandon's visit nevertheless had an effect on Ben. Brandon's obvious admiration had reminded him of Lilith's qualities and he found her very desirable that evening.
But in the coming days his mind was more occupied with their child. Lilith had been very tired tonight and he believed that she was about to give birth.
He was right. A few hours later Lilith woke up from the pain in her lower body.
'Ben, get up, quick! It's starting', she shouted and then clutched her belly and began to moan.
The birth lasted for a long time but finally Lilith was holding their son in her arms.
While Ben was holding their daughter. Although Lilith was a twin herself, this possibility had never occurred to them. It was changing everything once again.
Ben immediately realised that the birth of twins was likely to increase Lilith's fear of her own childhood repeating itself, but even without it it was clear that she would need his support for a much longer time.
The son was named Leon. Lilith believed that he would look very much like Ben one day.
Their daughter was much more similar to her mother. They named her Lily.
Like the other women who had recently given birth, Lilith was nursing her children.
While she was feeding Lily, Ben was playing with Leon and then he passed him on to her and played with Lily until she fell asleep.
On this first morning with their children Ben began to understand that his dream to live with Lauren as well as Lilith was nice but not very realistic. Lilith would have another sim to help her with the babies, but apart from that it was likely to cause emotional confusion and suffering. He had never withdrawn his proposal to return to Lauren eventually, but he also understood that he had completely ignored the importance the children were going to have for him.
Their daughter in particular had already put him under her spell, but there was more than that. Most sims dream to meet the perfect partner and much importance was given to the right chemistry. In the course of this morning Ben discovered that there were other factors that mattered just as much. When the children were born they became a family, it tied them together. Having twins required good parental cooperation and that he and Lilith achieved this immediately had a big impact on him. He was happy as never before and it increased his love for Lilith.
It remains open if this or some other unconscious aspects was the explanation for what happened later in the afternoon. Maybe it was a combination of both.
The babies were finally asleep and Lilith and Ben used this to have a rest themselves. Ben was longing to woohoo with Lilith and despite giving birth only this morning she seemed to feel the same.
'Isn't this the best day in your life? I know it means work, but I think it's great that we have twins. A boy like me and a girl like you, it's simply perfect. I love you Lilith, I love you so much.'
Lilith had a funny feeling when she got up again after their lovemaking.
Ben took a holiday to be with his family and they grew closer with each day that passed. Despite the fact that it was not an easy task to look after two babies there was an atmosphere of peace and quiet. The daily routine together with their reclusive life had a powerful influence on them, especially on Ben. He felt that he was getting settled and although his love for Lauren did not cease he did not want to give up what he had. Actually he was not sure if he would be capable of leaving his children even if he could visit them regularly.
He felt so fulfilled. He could see how the babies were already building up a relationship with them and recognised their parents. He did not want to miss any of those moments, which would invariably happen if he did not live with them anymore.
Lilith wondered why she was still so exhausted, the current lack of sleep was not a sufficient explanation. Ben did not get any more of it and he had a lot more energy. She had hoped that it would get better after giving birth.
Only a few days after the twins were born, Lilith was upstairs in the bedroom nursing Leon when she suddenly felt ill. She tried to repress it, but she had to put Leon down and run to the bathroom. She reached the toilet just in time.
'That can't be possible. There was only this one time..no, it's impossible..'
She went back into the bedroom to pick up Leon and then Lily started to scream and needed a new diaper. While she was looking after her babies Lilith kept thinking about the reason for her sickness. It was hard to believe, but maybe she was really so fertile that she managed to get pregnant less than half a day after giving birth.
After she had thrown up a few more times she decided to tell Ben about her speculations.
Ben had not expected that Lilith would reject him when he proposed to go steady and it was like a punch in the stomach when she did.
While she told him straight but not in a nasty manner, it remained a rejection. Ben pretended not to be hurt and walked away wondering if she would have reacted different to an alternative proposal.
Would she have rejected him if he had proposed engagement?
In fact, while Lilith's response had been an immediate and spontaneous reaction, Ben was in the right line of thinking. Although he had intended it to be a promise of commitment, it felt almost the opposite to her. Lilith knew that Ben wished to get married and proposing to go steady meant that he did not want to get married to her. It was a commitment, but one that was easily dissolved to make way for a proper union.
The next evening they were invited by Orlando and after some initial reservations they decided it was safe to go out at a time when the babies were usually asleep. They made sure that the nanny would have absolutely nothing to do during their absence (and could do nothing wrong this way) and then took a taxi downtown.
They did not see the children as a burden, but when they arrived at Orlando's house Ben realised that they left them very little time for romance.
They had a good time at Orlando's house, apart from Lilith getting sick again at one point. They could sense that their friends were curious about them, but the visit also made it clear that they were getting used to see them as being together.
As parents they were sharing the same experiences with their married friends who had begun to follow their path. Gretchen was already pregnant as well and with their children not too far apart in age they considered the prospect of them becoming friends when they were older.
A few days later they were invited again, this time by Charlene. They did the same as before, fed the babies, changed their napkins and bathed them. When they were asleep, they called a nanny and went over to Charlene and Dustin's house.
When Ben and Lilith arrived, Lauren was already there. Ben was not sure whether he should be grateful or angry towards Charlene. She had definitely arranged this encounter intentionally. They had called Lauren after the twins were born, but since then he had not gotten in contact with her again. There simply had been no time for it, although Ben knew that this was not the only reason why he had avoided the discussion about their future. He could not live with this uncertainty much longer, but to reach a decision was just as hard.
In the beginning everything was fine though. They all talked mainly to Charlene who was expecting her first child from Dustin.
Not even Ben himself was ever able to explain the motives behind his actions in this period of his life, especially this one, but whatever it was, it was leading him to Lilith. She completely detached herself from the scene that followed soon after and amused herself with the bubble blower. Of course Lilith could not overlook what happened, but some instinct told her that it was best not to interfere.
The two women Ben loved were both present and they weren't jealous of each other. If he would have been in desperate need for some romance he had all the opportunities. Therefore, he explained to himself, he surely had not meant it as a romantic gesture when he tried to kiss Charlene. That this was probably not completely true showed in Charlene's reaction, because she was definitely seeing it that way.
It was still ambiguous enough to allow for all sorts of possible outcomes though. Lilith was unimpressed, being less jealous anyway, but also because she did not see it as a serious attempt to flirt with Charlene, with regard to Charlene it was safe, because she would have either accepted it as a friendly gesture or - as she did - rejected his advances. If he had subconsciously meant it as a test, he could not have chosen any better.
Lauren had the choice of different reactions too. She could have overlooked his provocation, but something must have cracked inside her. The way she exploded topped his jealous fit at Orlando's birthday party. She was absolutely furious, shouting and even slapping him.
Most likely his behaviour towards Charlene was the last drop that was required for Lauren's frustration to pour out. When they talked on the phone they had pretended that it was still possible to realise their plan of a life together, but of course hearing about the twin birth she had been aware that the chances for this to happen were getting slimmer.
Later she approached him again and Ben first thought (as well as Charlene apparently) that Lauren was going to apologise for her attack, but instead she started another argument. This afternoon Ben's love for her died (once more).
They stayed on until Dustin came back from work and while Lilith explained to him how she had felt in the last stage of her pregnancy, Ben avoided any further confrontation with Lauren and had a conversation with Charlene. He could almost feel her eyes on his back and kept wondering if her reaction hadn't been an attempt to show the strength of her feelings, a way of forcing him into a decision. Ben guessed that after all her patience and compromises she finally wanted to see a reward. He could understand all that, but all he felt was that he was fed up with the aggravation, the problems and the fighting.
Lilith left soon afterwards because she was tired and also getting worried about the children and Lauren went home shortly after her. Ben stayed on a bit longer to have a chat with Dustin but then he wanted to get back to his children as well.
With Dustin and Charlene there was another couple among their friends who would soon have a baby. They had been a group of teenagers, a group of students and now they were becoming a group of young parents. Dustin told him that they had not planned this to happen so early and blamed him and Lilith for setting a bad example, but Ben could see that they were both happy.
Lilith and Ben pt. 2
Over the next days Ben thought long and hard. He could imagine how much Lauren was hurt and she had enough reason for it. She had done nothing to deserve this and could not really be blamed for getting upset eventually. But this was the point were he got stuck. There was a damage in their relationship and he felt it could not be repaired. He was convinced their problems would not end even if he chose to get married to Lauren and leave Lilith and the children.
He and Lilith on the other hand had always believed that a life together would be full of troubles but it had turned out great. The responsibility they shared and the smooth flow of their life had strenghtened the bond between them.
And most importantly there were the children. He would not be able to leave them and to be separated from them, so that they could live with Lauren and him was out of the question for Lilith. So the only solution was all of them living together and for Ben that wasn't feasible anymore either.
First it was only Lilith who felt that way, but by now Ben also did not really want to include another sim into this family (unless it was a very small one). It would only be a disturbance to the intimacy that had developed between him and Lilith. He had never been so sure that he had the life he wanted and it seemed increasingly stupid to give it up for a theoretical concept of compatibility. It was said that popularity and family sims were not very suitable, but he would have never wanted Lilith to be different.
Falling out of love with Lauren had left a gap inside him and although it saddened him, he was relieved too. He realised that his love for Lauren had overshadowed his relationship with Lilith, even when she wasn't present.
He parted without regret with the inner conflict, that dissolved when the mother of his children and the one he loved most were finally united in one sim.
With this different perspective Lilith gained in some areas where he used to favour Lauren. She was a very different type but Ben thought that in her own way she was not less beautiful.
She had her edges and did not withhold her opinion or criticism, but it was exactly what made the life with her interesting; and when it mattered she always proved to be positive and kind.
When Ben concluded his reflections he knew what he wanted to do.
There had been some seasonal changes lately which required them to buy outerwear. Ben had the impression that they were getting used to sleep only four hours a day at the most and with an additional boost from the energizer they were both fit enough to go to town. Even if they didn't like to separate from their babies they both understood that it was good for them to get a break every once in a while.
After they had both chosen some clothes for the colder seasons - the first autumn in their life had made its appearance with falling leaves but warmer temperatures - Ben said to Lilith: 'I know it sounds strange, but would you try on a wedding dress? Just for fun?'
Lilith laughed. 'Yes, okay. Have you already picked one?'
'No choose one you like.'
Lilith noticed that she got timid when she came out of the dressing cabin.
'You look great'.
Lilith gave out another nervous laughter. 'Yes, it looks good, but I hardly recognise myself. It's very different from my usual style...'
Afterwards they went on a date to the Hub. They had a drink at the bar and then Lilith took a ride in the dance sphere. She loved those things and would have liked to buy one of them one day. Ben cheered her, wondering once again how much strength Lilith had in her slim body.
He was glad that she did not stay on it for too long though (contrary to other sims she never fell out of it). Her possible pregnancy had not come very much into his latest considerations, but her sickness continued and he had very little doubt about her condition.
When she stepped out of the dance sphere he put his arms round her and kissed her, unwillingly causing an attack from Ms Crumplebottom who rushed up and started beating Lilith with her purse. 'Get away from me!', Lilith shouted while she tried to defend herself against the handbag as well as the clouds of violet-perfumed powder that emanated from it with every blow that landed on her.
Ms Crumplebottom was a nuisance but Ben couldn't help but burst into a laughter.
'Oh goddess, sorry for not defending you from the attack earlier. But hey, nobody starts a fight with Ms Crumplebottom, you try to avoid her starting a fight with you.'
'That's a very feeble excuse, Ben. The next time I expect you to throw yourself between us.'
They only had a few hours but it was another dream date. Of course she had not failed to notice the difference in Ben since they had visited Charlene and knew the reason for it. During their date she had the strong feeling that it was different from the first time when he had fallen out with Lauren though.
When they returned Lilith went back outside for a moment to play with Candy.
'My baby, I know we have neglected you a bit lately.'
Candy would in fact have liked to get some more attention, but she was well looked after and they always tried to reserve a few minutes of the day to play with her.
Like the first time Lilith had not been able to believe that she was pregnant until it became certain. The next evening after their date she looked down on her body and found that a small belly had begun to show.
Ben's father had asked her to accompany him one evening (she went back home with him and was once again treated very nicely by the entire family), but apart from that she had not gone back to her job before she was on maternity leave again. To have a family - and soon a large family - had not been her initial plan, but Lilith did not regret how her life had developed since her return to Pleasantview. She was a good mother and had learned that it was possible without being chained to that role.
She changed her clothes and then went outside to show Ben that her pregnancy was confirmed.
'I am glad, but what I still don't understand is how two such 'accidents' can happen in a row.'
'It was much less of an accident the second time, Lilith', Ben quietly remarked.
'What do you mean?', she inquired, but Ben had quickly shut his mouth again.
He wondered if she really did not notice that he had tried to get her pregnant that afternoon after the birth of their twins. He had not admitted it to her, because he was aware that it had been a rather irresponsible decision and he could not say what wish had guided him.
It had played a prominent role in his thinking though. At this time he had still envisaged a future with Lauren and while it was already clear that the birth of twins had altered the circumstances his first intuitive reaction had been to commit himself to Lilith even further. Had it not always been like that? A turn of events that brought him closer to Lilith?
When she went upstairs to check on Leon, he followed her.
In the first moment when he started to speak Lilith could not believe what was happening. There had been signs like his request in the shop yesterday, but until now their engagement had never been on the agenda.
'Give me your hand, Lilith', and then holding and caressing it he said: 'I am a bit afraid to make my proposal after your rejection a short time ago. But I hope it helps to prove how serious I am. It seems like ages that I have been swinging back and forth between you and Lauren and while this might appear an enviable situation to some, it was slowly tearing me apart. It has given me worries since we were students. I am sad and hurt for falling out with Lauren, but I have come to believe that there is no solution that would not cause any pain. I could try to make up with her and then?
I do not want to find out if I could fall in love with her again. I have found the sim I love and want to live with.'
'You know, when I thought about it I realised that there were always turns that got us together, ever since we were teens. We never forced it, not consciously anyway, and still it happened. I got the message. You and I belong together, you are my destiny. When I understood this I found my peace. To love you only and to be with you and the children, this is the life I want. So what do you say, Lilith, do you want to marry me?'
'Yes I do.'
The engagement brought a decisive change into Lilith's thinking. From this moment on she felt she had a rightful claim on him and it gave her the same peace that he had talked about. No more uncertainties.
After his date with Lilith and the engagement that followed the wish to revive his love for Lauren (which had still popped up occasionally) disappeared. He was very happy about his decision and that Lilith had accepted his proposal, in particular when he looked at their children. Lily was such a cute baby and she looked very similar to her mother.
Usually there was not much time to ponder anyway. When Ben informed his employer about his current family situation, with two babies, a pregnant girlfriend and a wedding to arrange, they extended his holiday.
They had the impression that the babies were sleeping for longer periods now, but they still required the same amount of attention.
They had a bigger demand for play and activity and they saw it as a sign that they were about to grow up. They already had a close bond to both parents and Lilith was confident that with Ben by her side she would not have to fear that one of their children would be overlooked, not even when the third one was born.
Despite the fact that each had a very slight preference for one of their babies (Lilith for their son Leon and Ben for Lily) they gave an equal amount of love to them.
What Ben and Lilith lacked was money. At university they had made a considerable amount of savings and they were far from poor. Ben had left almost all his belongings with Lauren though and with another child on the way they needed a much bigger house than they could afford. Daniel and Mary-Sue still hated the idea that Lilith was getting married to Ben instead of Brandon, but they remembered their promise to their daughter and helped the Bendetts to find one. Ben had refused any financial support from his father, because Patrick had just moved to college and Eleonor would follow soon. They could do with some money on top of their grants. Lilith refused an offer from her parents for the same reason.
She was very touched by the present from her sister though. They kept in contact only through the phone at the moment and for Angela it was a way of telling her that her mind was with her.
Ben was also seeking a present for Lilith. It may have looked like they were adding more and more burdens to their life, but he knew that Lilith would be extremely happy about another puppy. He went over to the Coxes, where he received detailed instructions about dog care from Manuel. He had only met him recently, but had immediately liked the boy.
Picking a puppy was not a difficult procedure. Ben found the right one straight away and afterwards he talked to Dustin who told him that he had recently become father to a son.
Then they talked about pets for a while.
'I know it seems a bit stupid, because a baby does require a lot of care and pets do too. But Charlene and I already got a kitten recently and we both wanted a dog as well. When we found out that Nina and Matthew were selling their puppies there was no need for debate. We love those terriers and you apparently didn't need much convincing either. Although in your case I wonder how you can handle all this. Charlene told me that Lilith might be pregnant again?'
'Yes, it's true. The puppy is a present for her. We are getting married soon.'
'Well, it's not really that much of a surprise. With the amount of children you are going to have together they are enough reason already and I am convinced that you really love Lilith. She loves you too.'
Maybe it was the encounter with Dustin which depressed him. It was hard not to envy a couple like him and Charlene, who never had the slightest doubt who they belonged to. Defying the idea of the perfect match in theory was one thing, but it was not that easy to abandon this romantic ideal.
The following day another visit was due and Ben did not exactly look forward to it. When he was convinced that Lauren wasn't furious anymore he called her and they came to the agreement that he would give the house to her and would receive a share of the furniture and the savings in return.
Lilith was aware that she acted different right from the start, but she could not help it. Her embrace was only the first of many other gestures which stressed that Ben was hers now.
She also couldn't help feeling different for her friend. Some of their former closeness was gone and Lilith guessed that as much as she tried not to see her that way Lauren had become a rival. Maybe their lifes had already developed in directions that were too different. Lauren reminded her that not much time had passed since they left college and to her it had already become a distant memory.
In the beginning the atmosphere was a bit tense. Lilith could see that Ben and Lauren were both making an effort to get along, but were still too angry to succeed. There was a line of small irritations that supported Ben's opinion that their relationship was damaged at the root.
It was unintentional, but when she and Ben were talking, Lilith realised that a lot of it might be painful for Lauren to hear. The topics were innocent, like Ben talking about their new dog and how the children would love the pets when they grew older, but usually related to the happiness of their life together.
It happened a few more times and always created a situation, where Lilith had the impression that Lauren was excluded.
In a way she felt sorry for her (Lilith knew what a kind and gentle sim her friend was) and she was ashamed of her own behaviour when Lauren pulled out a gift and presented it to her. But Lauren also had to accept the facts, painful or not.
Towards the evening the atmosphere was more relaxed but then Lilith became very tired and started to doze off at the table.
'Hey Lilith are you alright?'
Her head was slowly sinking down and Lilith was about to drop into her plate. Ben smiled.
'I think it's time to go home. We don't get much sleep and the pregnancy takes it out of her too.'
Then it was their wedding day. They had hired a nanny, although the idea of one of these old phlegmatic women shuffling through the house during the party did not appeal to them. As always they tried to make sure that the nanny would touch Leon and Lily as little as possible. Lilith fed both babies shortly before the party started, so that they would not get hungry in the middle of the ceremony.
Meanwhile Ben was bathing the one she wasn't feeding. It had taken him a bit longer to built a relationship with Leon, which was strange because their son seemed to be similar to him in character as well as in appearance.
When they were finished they had just enough time to dress before their guests arrived. Lilith did not buy the gown she had tried in the shop (too elegant) and had pondered about wearing a short less formal dress. But in the end she chose a long gown which still looked nice when it was widened to her current size.
They had only invited their parents plus Angela, Ben Gardener and Patrick. Ben wished he could have invited all his brothers and sisters and would have preferred not to see Daniel and Mary-Sue at his wedding, but it would have been an insult to exclude Lilith's parents and the house was too small for a big party.
The way he looked at his father when they had placed themselves under the wedding arch strengthend Lilith's confidence that Ben had not proposed to her out of resignation, but because he truly loved her.
He was beaming and although Lilith was usually not that much into suits she thought he looked great.
Her expression was similar when she looked at her parents after the ceremony.
If they still disapproved of her choice they were showing no signs of it and her father looked very proud.
Then Ben pulled her towards him for a kiss. 'So, how do you feel Ms Jenkins? I'm sorry that it is all I have to offer. When you become a famous artist you should stick to your old name.'
Lilith stayed outside with Darren when the other guests returned into the house. She was already very fond of him although they had only known each other for a short period of time. She had enjoyed the visits to Ben's family and the warmth she received there. She liked Marisa, Darren's wife, a lot too.
Ben went upstairs, where he was congratulated by Patrick.
Patrick had already been a good looking boy when he was a toddler, but Ben thought that he had gained steadily and even more since he had turned into an adult. He was very happy too, because he was going steady with Alice Simmon, his best friend since childhood and as Ben gathered, a girl he was very much in love with.
He talked to Patrick for a while and then Angela joined them and he had a conversation with her.
Meanwhile Lilith had come upstairs and was feeding Lily. When Ben looked at her she appeared even more beautiful to him than she had under the wedding arch.
The sight of Daniel at the wedding party still annoyed him (he saw very little of Mary-Sue because Marisa had taken it on her to give her company), but for Lilith's sake Ben swallowed his pride and apologised to him.
He said that he could understand their opinion of him, but that they had gotten the wrong impression and that he hoped they would give him the chance to prove it. Secretly he hoped that he would not have to deal with Lilith's parents too often.
But despite those tensions it was a great party which ended when the limousine parked in front of the house. The honeymoon ride was one reason why they had hired a nanny. It occured to them that otherwise one of them would have to stay at home and it wouldn't be much of a honeymoon ride then.
The babies were asleep when they came home and after the nanny was dismissed they used the opportunity for some honeymoon woohoo. It was still quite early in the evening when they got dressed again. Lily and Leon were awake now and they picked them up and carried them downstairs.
'One thing left to do tonight', Ben said.
'Are you ready?', Lilith replied.
Ben had a last look at Lily and then he bent over the birthday cake to blow out the candles for their son. Lilith was doing the same with their daughter.
Ben and Lilith didn't know that they were the first couple who ever managed a simultaneous age transition of twins. Lily landed back in her mother's arms only a second after her brother had returned in Ben's.
They would have liked to celebrate their wedding a bit longer and also begin with the training of the toddlers. But tomorrow would be another eventful day and they opted for an early night instead.
Lilith and Ben pt. 3
The next morning they moved into their new house. Ben laughed when his father told him where it was situated. When he left the search to him he should have known - the property was on a corner with the Bendetts on one side and the Pleasants opposite them.
'What do you think Leon? Shall we have a look inside?'
Of the sims they knew, the ones that had experience with bringing up children advised that they should train them early and promoted the use of smart milk too. That's what Ben and Lilith did, but Ben was still surprised when Leon grasped the use of a toilet almost immediately. Most of the children in Pleasantview were bright and learned fast. His brother Patrick had been no exception. Even in comparison to them Leon had been very quick though.
They spent the whole morning with the children and both were learning at a remarkable speed.
Lily watched his lips and imitating the movements she soon learned to form her first words.
Lilith looked up with a smile when she heard her daughter talk, but then continued her encouragement of Leon.
Since they had seen each other less during that period, Ben had almost forgotten how much time Lilith had spent with David when he was a toddler. It showed in the way she dealt with her own children and he wondered why she ever had any doubts about being a good mother.
Leon needed a bit longer than his sister to learn the next task, but some time after her first words he was making his first steps. Lilith picked him up and hugged him.
In some respects she was similar to Marisa. They both weren't necessarly sims, already by aspiration, who had felt a strong wish to become mothers and have a large number of children, at the same time they still got a lot of satisfaction out of them. While Marisa, typical for a knowledge sim, loved teaching them, Lilith simply got a lot of pleasure from their company. She could still enjoy being with them when she was exhausted and then she proved to possess a determination that could activate enormous reserves.
In the early afternoon a visitor arrived, which was rather unusual in comparison to their other neighbours (who they had begged not to come over for a greeting).
First they had problems understanding his snarling computer voice, but eventually Ben gathered - and consecutively recalled - that Servo Goth had recently become a new member of the household of his friend Jerome. He explained that they would have very little time for him, but that he was welcome and free to get comfortable in their house (if that was what he required, Ben wondered, did a robot need comfort?).
Servo turned out to be a very useful guest. While he was playing with the children - who still showed no signs of tiredness - and Lilith had a nap upstairs, Servo entertained the dogs, cleaned the kitchen and emptied the potty. Later he explained to them that it was in his nature to do chores and Ben could understand how useful such a household member was for a large family like Jerome's.
When Lily and Leon were finally tired out, Lilith came down and before Lily went to sleep in their new house for the first time she was potty trained like her brother.
She could hardly keep her eyes open, but still stretched her arms out to her mother, wanting to play some more.
When the twins were asleep, Lilith and Ben went outside to give the dogs some attention as well as their visitor, who they had hardly been able to talk to until then.
Then the telephone rang and when Lilith went inside to answer it, thinking about the potty-training of her daughter in the meantime. Of course she was very proud that they had both learned it so quick, but besides that it had other advantages. It made it so much easier to deal with small children, especially if you had two of them to watch.
Toddlers did not need much more sleep than babies and soon Lily and Leon were wide awake again and looking for more activity. As much as she loved to be snuggled by her father, Lily could hardly wait to be set down and play with her toy.
Lilith did not get much sleep in the afternoon, but after a large quantity of strong expresso she was ready to get back into the action.
By the end of their first day, they had successfully trained the toddlers to walk, talk and use the toilet.
Ben had joined her in the living room and taught Leon to talk.
When the training was completed Lilith had another coffee and sat down on the sofa, watching the children play.
It was nice to believe it, but while Ben and Lilith knew that their children were clever they did not think that their intelligence was surpassing that of others so much as to explain why they had learned so very fast. They had the impression that Leon and Lily reacted strongly to the smart milk which they had fed them again in the evening. They even seemed to glow more than others.
It had been a successful day, but Lilith was glad when she could put the twins to bed for the night.
'You're tired, aren't you? Yes, me too.'
'We are going to have another child soon.'
'Yes, it looks like it, I don't think I've been so big the first time.'
Since their move-in Lilith had grown a lot and she and Ben were staying in unless they had to go to the shops.
Ben did not feel the need to go out anyway. He enjoyed being with the children as much as Lilith and did not miss other entertainment.
Leon was not less playful or active than his sister, but he appeared that way, because Lily was extremely sociable and always claimed their attention. Lilith was very sensitive in that respect and Ben, who knew this, was equally concerned that the children got their fair share of affection from each parent.
Ben's decision to get another dog proved to be a good one. They were stroked and snuggled, but there simply weren't enough hours in the day to give them equal care as well. It did not make much difference to feed two dogs instead of one and they had a companion to play with.
Candy wasn't to remain a puppy for much longer though and one morning she grew up into a big beautiful dog.
Even if they spent a lot of time with them, they could leave the toddlers to play on their own since they were already fully trained, and Lilith and Ben could finally enjoy a few romantic moments with each other again.
In this period of his life Ben felt like there had never been a time when he was torn between two sims. They were always together and always busy enough not to feel suffocated by it. It created the surroundings for a very close relationship.
They did not get many chances to woohoo and Ben had gotten a bit carried away.
'Oh Lilith, I'm sorry I totally forgot about your state. I hope everything is fine in there?'
'Everything is perfectly fine and with regard to myself - I wish we had more time for this.'
Actually Lilith was surprised that despite her pregnancy and the care for two small children she still managed to keep in contact with her friends at least every once in a while.
With the birth coming closer she could feel the exhaustion though and since they did not really like to leave the toddlers on their own, neither her or Ben were getting much sleep. So there were some days, when they could have thrown their phones out of the window because they started ringing as soon as they had found a short moment of rest.
The puppies couldn't climb the stairs leading up to the landing and they had kept them outside where they could pee, but after Candy had grown up she entered the house and soon found a new friend inside.
Lilith was close to give birth when one couple managed to lure them out of their home for an evening.
Marlon and Angel compared to them in some respects. They were all in law enforcement and they were parents of twins as well. Ben and Marlon had soon become friends and Lilith, who had met him as well as Angel at work, was acquainted to them too. They still had other interests they liked to talk about, but it was also nice to exchange experiences with sims who were in a similar situation.
Lilith joined into the conversations and socialised, but with the birth not far off she was very occupied with her pregnancy. Since leaving college she had been carrying this belly almost constantly, it was beginning to feel normal.
When they came home Lilith realised that it had done her good to get out and when she went shopping the next day she decided to take a trip to a new place that had recently opened in town.
First she met Ben and Angela and then Lauren came in. They talked for a short time before getting onto the ice skating rink. They were both quite good at it, considering that they had never done it before, but from time to time they still landed on their backsides. There had never been a real argument between them and they had a good time as friends.
But when they talked to each other later, there was another dissonance.
'Please stop it! I don't like this!', Lilith snapped when Lauren bent over her belly and tried to touch it.
'I'm sorry Lilith, I didn't mean..I just wanted to see if the baby was moving.'
Lilith could see that Lauren felt humiliated and she was sorry about it. She had no intention to hurt her friend any further. The pain that resulted from it for her remained a small blemish on her marriage with Ben. She sincerely wished that she could get rid of that defensive and competitive attitude that she was showing towards Lauren since Ben had become hers. With the same honesty she wished that Lauren would find someone she could love as much as Ben because it would also make her own heart lighter.
'No, I'm sorry Lauren. I overreacted, don't take it personally. You know everyone is doing it as soon as they meet me. It's nice sometimes, but on other occasions I feel like my belly has become public property. I guess I am overprotective too.'
After this evening it did not take much longer. It was late at night and Ben and Lilith were in their bedroom.
'Do you think it would be safe to woohoo?', Lilith asked.
'I don't know if it is still possible in your state, but it looks like the toddlers will sleep for another while.'
This turned out to be wrong and before they were both undressed, they were interrupted by Lily and Leon waking up.
They got them out of their crib and after watching their daughter walking into the other room that was more or less empty and would become a bedroom for the children one day, Ben turned to Lilith.
'To propose to you was the best idea I ever had. Our life together makes me incredibly happy.'
Lilith's smile turned into a grimace a second later when she was overcome by birth pains. 'Oh,oh, oh, oh. Oh, it hurts..'
This time Ben didn't pace around as much but he still wasn't any more useful. He watched the birth holding his breath and trying to stop his heart from beating so fast.
There was nothing he could do for Lilith who was groaning and going through convulsions, but when Leon came out of the bathroom he found an occupation in distracting the toddlers from the pain of their mother.
The birth took a long time again, but then there he was: Another baby son.
and like before Ben was holding a baby daughter.
'Here they are, two future orphans', Ben said to Lilith, 'you realise that by the time they grow into toddlers we will be dead don't you?'
He was only joking and in fact very happy about another twin birth. Four small children were an enormous bag to carry and Ben was aware that sleep would become a memory of the past until Emily and Guy - as they had named them - were toddlers, but he was confident that he and Lilith would manage. During the conversation with friends he had gathered that some of them were struggling more with only one child than they had done with two. He explained it to himself with the perfect coordination between them. Lilith was feeding Guy and he was playing with Emily until it was her turn.
In the morning they were getting a first impression what it would be like in the near future, because Lily and Leon woke up only five minutes after the babies had gone to sleep. Still, like Ben, Lilith was extremely happy about the birth of their second twins and they could hardly think about anything else.
Candy was already waiting for Lily to be let out of the crib.
They got the feeling that she was seeing Lily as her puppy (as well as Bodo since she had become a grown dog) and she was around her all the time.
Lilith explained to Leon that he would have to play alone for a while, because his mother needed to rest for a few hours at least and then carried him downstairs.
Ben picked up Lily. He was tired too and although they did not like the idea that the toddlers would be unobserved, he needed to sleep.
After they had dressed and fed them, he and Lilith went upstairs into the bedroom, treating themselves to a full three hours rest. The children were not without company though.
It was getting cold and even though they were aware that they would find puddles in the house they did not want to keep Bodo outside anymore.
When Lily discovered that there was another dog, she immediately wanted to make friends with him.
But Candy soon claimed her attention again.
When Bodo realised that he would not get much chance to play with Lily, he began to explore the rest of the house and quickly found another toddler for entertainment.
Leon, who was just as happy to find a puppy, immediatly began to snuggle him.
Ben and Lilith woke up again when the babies started to cry and after changing their napkins and feeding them, they took turns to play with Leon and Lily, while one of them was eating. Around six o'clock they became aware how quiet it had suddenly become. All of the children were asleep.
'I know this sounds crazy, because we should be careful with our reserves, but would you like to go on a date Lilith? This might be our last chance for a long time and we deserve to have some fun with all the hard work ahead.'
'No, it's a great idea', Lilith replied, 'I am so tired I could drop right here on the floor, but we can use the energizer and forget about sleeping.'
That's what they did and when the nanny arrived they took a taxi into town.
The Leisure Centre was not a very romantic place, but it had never stopped couples in love from having dream dates there.
The way Ben was looking at her when they were dancing close went right through. 'It was a good idea to go out, wasn't it?', he asked. 'Oh yes, definitely'.
When Lilith looked over to the tables she spotted Brandon and when he had finished his meal, she went over to greet him.
'Hi, how good to see you. You will be the first of our friends now to hear the news. Me and Ben became parents of twins again yesterday, a boy and a girl like before. It's been pretty hectic recently, but when they are older you have to come and visit us one day, you will love them all, especially Lily.'
Lilith was the girl he would have been prepared to marry and although Brandon did not let it show, it still saddened him that he had lost her. Because he loved her, he was also concerned about her well being though, and she appeared very relaxed and happy to him.
He trusted Ben that he would not try to turn her into a boring housewife (if this was at all possible). While he watched them playing around he thought that they both looked so incredibly young and not at all like a married couple with four children.
'I am so happy with you Ben', Lilith said, when they were dancing again. 'I wish this could last forever. To be here in your arms at this moment - I can not imagine anything better.'
'Well, I could', Ben replied and lowered his hands down to her butt. He was longing to woohoo with her, but even though they intended to stay for only a few hours it was unlikely that all the children would be asleep when they returned home and to do it in the photobooth did not appeal neither to him nor to Lilith.
'Maybe we are lucky when we get back home', Lilith said and smiled at him.
Before they went home they played a game of pool with Gretchen. They were surprised to see her out, but she explained that like them, she and Orlando had decided that it was necessary to leave the house every once in a while and that he was looking after their daughter in the meantime. She also told them that she believed to be pregnant again although it did not show yet.
They were about to leave when Brandon came up to Lilith and moving to the music as they were talking, she found herself dancing with him.
Of course there was nothing inappropriate in dancing with a friend, but together with the way Brandon was smiling and looking at her and while she was on a date with Ben, Lilith felt that it was not right. She was also slightly worried that Ben might get jealous.
As much as he hated it, Ben knew that his jealousy was a part of him that he could not get rid of, but it was another reason why Lilith was the right girl for him. Although he did not exactly like to see her dancing with somebody else, it made him aware that he trusted her completely and that in turn felt really good.
Lilith said goodbye to Brandon and then turned to Ben, leaping into his arms. 'Shall we go home?', she whispered into his ear.
He loved her so much.
When they returned home, the nanny told them that the toddlers had slept while they were away and that she had taken care of the babies in the meantime. They dismissed her and then went upstairs, hoping that they might get a chance to woohoo after all. But when they were in the bedroom Ben looked at Guy and said: 'He is not sleeping, Lilith. He's moving around like he is uncomfortable.'
Lilith picked up Guy and then Emily woke up and needed her diapers changed.
'I don't believe it!', she shouted into the other room were Ben was doing that. 'That's it, no more nannies for us. I've seen her giving Guy a bath when we came back and you know what this stupid cow has done? She put the dirty diaper back on afterwards. No wonder he couldn't sleep.'