1.15 Wholly Unprepared

Sage often wakes up with starts now; her dreams are of her orderly life thrown into chaos- trash everywhere, her co-workers in her house... 

Reality doesn't do much to appease her fears. Her huge belly, aching body, cravings, and frequent need for the restroom constantly remind her that her life will never be the same. 

And there are always chores to be done. With her soon to arrive child, she can't imagine how much heavier her household cleaning will become. 

For now, though, a fresh load of clean, dry clothes lifts her spirits. 

But winter and pregnancy take their toll. Sage is stuck inside most of the time, restless. 

She's recently remodeled the musty, empty garage on the side of the house into a nursery. It's cleaner but still stuffy with no windows. She hates the decor so far- the dark brown floor and light brown walls feel suffocating. Only the bright red crib and potty are of any palatable colour. 

The high chair was the only thing she got second hand- a well-intentioned gift from the Ivanovs. She accepted out of propriety, but lets the thing sit far in the corner for now. She couldn't force herself to move much further than the rocking chair with her bloating and cramping. 

Thinking about her cramps must have triggered something; Sage is wholly unprepared for the contraction pains that slam into her in waves. The cramps earlier that day must have been the beginnings of labor. For a few moments all she does is scream and pant, overwhelmed with confusion and pain. 

She finally gathers her wits about her and calls the Ivanovs. 

Yuri and Nadine go back to work after dropping her off at Sage's request, leaving her to her own devices once her daughter is delivered. 

Naomi's first experience outside of the hospital is snow. Her eyes are still mostly-shut slits, but she scrunches her nose at the snowflakes that fall onto her face. Sage hurries to call a taxi before the cold can cause Naomi to cry. 

Sage fumbles with the baby bottle upon arriving home, unsure of the proper technique to feed a newborn. Sure, she's read the books and listened to her doctors, but it's not quite the same as the real thing. 

For now, though, Naomi isn't a very fussy baby. She quietly drinks her milk and falls asleep when finished. 

Sage carefully places her in the crib, spending a few minutes fussing over Naomi's sleeping position. 

"Sorry your room isn't prettier. Hopefully there'll be a window in here before too long," Sage mutters to the sleeping infant. Naomi has no tastes for aesthetics and continues to nap quietly. 

Sage leaves the door to the nursery open, not having any kind of baby monitor handy. Even though she's exhausted, she musters up the energy to make dinner. 

And to clean the house. She might have fallen asleep in that rocking chair and left her pjs here more than a few times... 

This is, of course, the moment her washing machine decides to stop cooperating. Sage throws her full weight onto the machine, groaning as it jumps and thrashes. 

"Come on. Why now?" 

The machine doesn't answer, but she successfully subdues it. Any feeling of triumph she could have had is completely obscured by how tired she is. She'll check on Naomi one more time and then go to bed... 

Or not... 

"Mother, what did I say about calling?" Sage snaps irritably. 

"Oh I'm sorry..." her mother's voice trembles, "I just wanted to know how you're doing... you're pregnant, right?" 

Sage sighs, "I had the baby today, actually. I named her Naomi." 

"Nozomi?" her mother mishears her, "What's your cousin doing there? I thought she went to Starlight Shores with that Zorin boy..." 

Sage rolls her eyes, "Naomi, not No-zo-mi, mother. Two different people." Sage hasn't seen her cousin in quite some time; she didn't even know Nozomi ever left home. She must have gotten serious with her boyfriend Taras if they moved out of town together. 

"Oh can I see some photos of her? She's my only grandbaby," she sniffs. 

Sage grinds her teeth, "She's just a newborn, mother. She's a nondescript ball of flesh." 

"Oh Sage, pleaaase? You won't even tell me who the father is." 

Thinking about Billy drives her over the edge.

"Stop whining like a child!" Sage yells. She pinches the bridge of her nose and mentally counts to ten, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. I'll... I don't have a camera. Maybe when she's older." 

Her mother harrumphs unhappily. Before she can make any more requests, Sage sighs again, "I'm tired from having the baby. It's not very conducive to conversation. I'll call you later this week, ok?" 

"Sage-," 

"Mother, it's not open for negotiation." 

Her mother sighs, "Ok. I'll wait for your call..." 

Hearing soft cries from the nursery, Sage drags herself over to her daughter's crib. Oddly, as soon as she picks Naomi up she only gurgles happily. 

"You and your grandma sure like attention," Sage mumbles. Naomi gives her a gummy smile. 

Softening, she holds Naomi close to her, "I guess you can't help it..." Feeling her resolve to keep her mother out of her life wavering, Sage yawns. 

I'm too tired for all of this. Better to think about this after I've rested. With a last caress of her forehead, Sage sets Naomi back down into the crib. 

"Good night, Naomi." 

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

AN: For those of you who don't remember my obscure blog from...a while ago... Nozomi and Taras Zorin were my founders of a legacy in Riverblossom Hills. Unfortunately I couldn't transfer the save when I got a new computer, so I had to discontinue the blog. I know- I'm plugging in my own story into this one. Amazing, right? 

And some important rolls are revealed... 

Sage's 1 child is born this generation. She's also going to be a single parent, so a small household. Pretty manageable for a first generation.