#chapter complete

A heated marbles match was going on. They were taking this very seriously. Fists clenched, teeth snarled. Money might have been involved. Or, probably, the currency of childhood was keeping the coolest marble.

“Whoa, that looks serious.”

Maria nodded. “But it’s okay. She’s just a spicy loser. You want some hot chocolate?”

Lou sat with her sister at the cluttered dining room table while the kids finished their marbles game.

“So, Jamie broke up with me,” Lou said in a hushed voice, not wanting to announce her defeat to the whole family. “She really broke up with me. She’s moving to Seattle.”

Maria was silent, but on her face there was no shock, no disbelief. Lou thought her sister could have offered a little pretend rage on her behalf, but there was none of that, either. “And how do you feel about that?” Maria asked.

“Vacant, I think,” Lou answered. 

“Aw, honey,” Maria cooed.

“Am I just supposed to be alone then? Who would want to spend a life with me? I’m not charming.”

“Lou, you are charming like a favorite worn-out old sock.”

Lou didn’t know if she should feel comforted or offended by that comparison, but it did feel true. She felt like a worn-out old sock lately.

“There’s somebody out there who wants the life you want,” Maria said. “You’ll find her.”

“I can’t imagine.”

“Hey, but you’re not alone. You have all of us.”

Maria’s house—loud as a circus and smelly as one, too. Jordan sounded stressed out in the living room in the middle of it all. “JoJo, no throwing marbles. Felix, get Misty outside, she’s gonna go on the carpet.”

“But it’s Milo’s turnnnnn,” Felix whined.

“I’m feeding my swallowtail larva!” Milo said.

“And don’t forget to scoop the poop!” 

“You love it here,” Maria teased as they both laughed. But it was true. Lou loved it here. “I know what you need. Let’s watch a movie. What are you in the mood for?”

Lou shrugged. “Maybe a disaster movie where everybody dies at the end?”

“The kids,” Maria said.

“Okay. How about a disaster movie where they save the world at the end?”

“That’s more like it.”

They made popcorn and hot chocolate and crowded into the living room. It felt familiar in a way, little giggles in the dark, spilled treats on the rug. It felt like the circle of a lifetime, how everything could change, bring you right back, and then change all over again. What you get to keep is special. Her sister. And now she had a new brother and she was auntie to all these stinky little creatures.

And what comes next? Who could ever say? But maybe Jamie was right about one thing. Whatever it was, they were going to be okay.

— “bad girlfriend” part 18.5 // (Bad Girlfriend complete!)

previous // bad girlfriend start // index // next -> (more stories coming this summer)

notes: going into this story, we might have assumed it would be about Lou’s longterm rocky romance. And it was, but mainly, I would say it was more about growing up and accepting change, even when we don’t like it. Especially when we don't like it. All of them have faced their changes and come through the other side.

And who knows what the future will hold for our dear Lou? Will Jamie be happy with Raquel? Will she regret things and want Lou back? Will Lou have a tidy little crash-out and then meet an absolute smokeshow in the meantime??? 🤭

Stay tuned for more stories after a cozy little gameplay break! (A break to PLAY the game, I mean, not just pose sims to tell stories with it, lol! And probably some Minecraft and Manor Lords, too. And Paralives! Totally gonna play Paralives!)

This bunch will return with Boxes and Squares #6.1: little boxes, in probably July-ish.