Sam

Two years ago

2028, Spring - SSU

Sam Green is 20; Matthew Langerak is 21

Sam hated sharing bad news, and especially by phone. She supposed she could have done it in person, it was only about an hour's drive and she sure as hell didn't have anywhere else to be tonight. But actually going to Richmond right now would just complicate things even more. 

She had to call, and she had to do it now. Tomorrow Matthew would be with his parents, next door to hers, and she didn't want him to be the one to tell her father first. And he would, given that he apparently knew her own father so much better than she did.

She took a deep breath and pressed hard on the screen to connect the call. 

Cory answered almost immediately.

"Sam.. its late, is everything ok?"

"Not really. Matthew just broke up with me."

Long silence. Then an apology - for what, Sam didn't know. He didn't do it. Then he was asking her was there was anything he could do?  Did she need anything?

Did she need anything? She needed Matthew to stop expecting her to be someone who she wasn't. She needed him to understand how impossible he was making it for her. How the only reason she'd never told him how she really felt was knowing that he would never understand and she'd have to deal with his reaction. 

How today had been different. How she'd had enough.

The morning had started ordinarily enough, if you call arguments almost every week ordinary. Certainly that was no different to a large part of Sam's childhood. For her and Matthew, it had become almost a regular part of their Friday routine.

Matthew was, as always, going back to Richmond to spend the weekend with his - their - daughter Sophie. And Sam was, as always, staying here at SSU.

"Last year you said you'd spend time with her when she was old enough to remember," Matthew said. "Now she's old enough, and nothing's changed."

"I never said that. I said we'd see."

"You're acting like you don't want anything to do with her"

And there it was.

In their usual argument, this was where she didn't answer. Where she reminded him it was time for class and they could talk later. Where they left it hanging until the next time round. Not today, though. She didn't even know herself why today had been different. But it was.

"That's because I don't want anything to do with her. I never did. I wanted her adopted. I wanted her to go to some other parents. She would have had a family and we could get on with our lives. You were the one who wanted to keep her, not me. I don't want to be a mother. Ever."

So she'd said it. As it turned out, he barely reacted at all. 

It was time for class, he said. They'd talk later. 

That evening, when they were together again in their room and he said they needed to talk, she braced herself for another round of the usual argument. 

"You don't want children," he said. "I do. I want to raise the one we already have. You want nothing to do with her. Do you really think those two things can be compatible in a relationship?"

This wasn't the usual argument.

"It's time to end this, Sam. It's never going to work for us. I don't even know why we've tried this long."

"But... we've been together since we were fourteen... "

"We're not fourteen anymore. We've changed. You've changed. You're not the person I knew in high school"

"Look, if its about Sophie, I can try. I can - "

"It's not just Sophie, its you, Sam. Everything is about you. I don't know if you even try to see things from anyone else's point of view anymore"

"That's not true, I - "

"How is your father?"

"My... what?"

"Your father. You know, he's been through a lot these past few years - with his father dying, and the stuff with Melissa, and a new baby, and all the other problem he had. I've heard all about how its affected you, but only you. Have you even asked anyone else in your family how they're doing?"

"You really think it's over, don't you?

"It's been over for a long time. I just didn't see it until now."

She looked around their room - Matthew's room - his parents were paying most of the fees for their place in this expensive dorm.

"So what happens next? Do you want me out tonight or - "

"Don't be stupid, Sam, of course I don't want you out tonight. You need time to find another place. I'm going up to Richmond like I told you. If you still need time next week, I've arranged to stay with a friend for a few days. I'll come back after you've moved out."

He'd made plans. He'd been that sure that it was over, that she couldn't change his mind. She was stupid to have even tried.

"I'm going for a walk," she said. "I guess when I come back, you'll be gone. I'll do my best to not keep you out of your room for too long."

"Sam - "

----

Did she need anything? Nothing that her father or Matthew or anyone else could give her. If she needed anything, she'd find it for herself.

"I'm fine, I think... His timing's terrible, though - the summer season's starting in a few weeks, all my free time's booked up for training but now I have to find somewhere else to live"

"Do you want me to come help you move?"

"No, I'll be ok. Amaya and Lewis will help me if want"

"Ok...". He sounded almost disappointed.

"I... but... um... Dad?"

"Yeah...?"

"How about you? Are you ok?"

"Ok with... ?"

"With everything. I mean, granddad died, and there was the whole business with Melissa, and you had Emily, and then... everything else... its been a lot these last couple of years... and I was just thinking... are you ok?"

'Yeah, I am. You're right, its been, well, a lot, but, yeah, I think everything's good now."

"That's good then."

"Are you sure you don't need anything? I mean - "

"I'm fine, Dad, I just wanted you to know what happened. It's late, I've got to go. Talk to you later."

"Ok... Sam? You know you can call any time, right?"

"Yeah, sure. Got to go now. Bye"

"Ok, bye"

----

2030, Spring - SSU

Sam Green and Phil Beaty are 22

The semester was over but Sam - like most of the swim team - had stayed on a couple of weeks to practice for the upcoming summer competition season. 

Graduation had been more a relief to her than anything else. She was sick of this place. It was time for bigger things. She'd won a place on the state swimming team based in Brooklyn Heights. This was her ticket to national, and even international, competition. 

There'd only been one... complication. 

She and Phil were friends. They were kind of more than friends, but they weren't really a couple, either. They could have been, but Sam had held back. 

She didn't know if she was ready to go down that road again after the way Matthew had turned on her, but she'd been running out of time. If she didn't make a decision before they all made their plans and left this place, she might never see him again.

Which is why she'd been so relieved when he'd told her that he'd also made the state team. 

A little part of her was annoyed. She'd wanted to be the only one from SSU this year to achieve that.  But overall, it was the very best outcome. 

It gave her confidence in Phil, too. He was committed, just like her. He wouldn't throw his future away like Matthew had.

Matthew. He was another complication she couldn't face right now. After spending the last two years trying not to run into him on campus, she just heard that he was back in Richmond with his daughter. Engaged to a girl from the dorm, with the happy little family he'd always wanted. 

She hated sharing bad news, and especially by phone, and she supposed it would be bad news for her father. But it really was the only way to do this.

The call went to voice mail, but she'd expected that. He'd be working now. It was easier this way than dealing with his reaction.

"Hi Dad, its me, Sam. I'm just calling to say I've decided I'm going straight from here to Brooklyn Heights...  I know you wanted me to come home before I left, but the rest of the team is already there practicing together. I don't want to fall behind. Call me later if you want, or otherwise I'll call when I get there. Talk to you later..."

----

I was looking back through my old posts to get back into the story and I felt a little sad when I came across this picture of these kids.

A lot's happened in six sim-years...

I know Sam is going to my moved away hood, but she's not moving away as such - she will be back. This is just the best place for her to go at the moment, for the story I have planned for her. It's probably one of my most planned out stories at this point, and one I've had in mind pretty much since Sophie was born. 

It's inspired by the in-game reactions and wants (or lack thereof), and Story Progression even got in there, too...

Sims being Sims, the story is subject to change should anything significant happen in game (Phil was not part of the original story, for example - the relationship is entirely their doing in-game). But at the moment, I've got a pretty good idea of where this is going to go.