13 - Revelations

Shortly after the wedding, Maia got a call from her adult children, telling her that both Juliet and Snuggles were pregnant, and had been since before the wedding.  Maia was going to be a grandmother very soon!  

Maia was surprised but extremely happy for her children.

The following months were spent in eager anticipation of her own new baby, as well as the arrival of her first grandchildren. 

Maia’s household had also already increased by two, as David and Erin had each made their IF’s real.

David’s IF was a sweet kid named Buddy.

Erin’s IF was a friendly girl named Cuddles.

Buddy enjoyed fishing nearly as much as David did.  They spent many hours at the pond together, and it was there David mastered the angler skill.

It was also the place David asked Buddy to prom with him, and Buddy agreed.  The boys were pretty much inseparable from then on.

Cuddles was interested in everything Erin was, and when Erin developed a love for horses, so did Cuddles. 

They spent all their free time watching wild horses, taking care of some of the neighbors’ foals, and dreaming of the day they’d be old enough for riding lessons.

Before long, Juliet and Snuggles went into labor, nearly at the exact same time.  And they both had twins!  As soon as she had some free time, Maia went to visit her kids and stay overnight to help take care of her new grandchildren.  

She played for a long time with Romeo and Snuggles’ son Russell, 

and their daughter Sophie.

And Maia was the one who tucked Lucky and Juliet’s daughter Linette into bed,

and changed their son Jack’s diapers when he woke in the night.

Maia had originally planned on staying over a few nights, but the following morning, she went into labor with her own child!

Welcome baby Natalie!

Upon seeing her new daughter, Maia knew right away who Natalie’s father was.  She figured it was time for her and Keith to talk.

But Keith always seemed too busy to take her calls.  Maia figured he wasn’t interested in being a father, and she wasn’t exactly surprised.  Things were probably better this way, considering the problems she’d had with David’s father.

And that was another thing.  Every time Maia looked at Natalie, she would think of how Steve had been following her that night she met Keith.  What could he still want with her after all of these years? 

But there wasn’t much time to dwell on such things.  She had to teach Natalie her toddler skills,

and teach Buddy to drive,

and attend Erin’s ballet recitals.

But the biggest event coming up next was David and Buddy’s prom.  Both boys were excited about going together, and spent all their free time learning to dance.

And before long, prom night had arrived!

It was there that David and Buddy shared their first kiss and decided to go steady.  David was voted Prom King, and all of the other students agreed that he and Buddy made the cutest couple ever.

Soon it was time for Maia to start performing a few gigs again, and deciding whom she should plan to have her next child with. But before she had gotten around to auditioning for a gig, she received a call requesting her to perform at the Port-A-Party Warehouse the following Friday.

The night of her gig the warehouse was packed, and Maia was hoping to meet someone new following the magic show, but to her surprise, one of her audience volunteers for her vanishing Sim act ended up being...

“Keith?”  Maia stage whispered.  “What are you doing here?”

“I needed to talk to you, Maia. It’s important!” He whispered back urgently.

Maia was unimpressed.  He never would even take a phone call from her before, and now he wanted to have some big conversation in front of an audience?

“Can’t you see I’m working?  Please, just stop.” 

“I will, but you have to promise me that we’ll talk later,” Keith said.

“You and I are done talking,” Maia said without moving her lips.  She pasted on a wicked-looking fake smile. “Just get in the box and disappear already!”

Maia continued on with the show. When it was finished, she went looking in the crowd for Keith, even though she promised herself she wouldn’t. But he was gone. 

“Great show, Maia!”  The proprietor said to her.  “Oh.  And one of the audience members left this for you; the one who volunteered for the vanishing act.”  He handed Maia a sealed envelope.  

Maia went into the dressing room to open it. 

It was a letter and a cut out advertisement from the newspaper.  Maia looked at the ad.

Maia wasn’t sure about the significance, but guessed that must’ve been how Keith had known where she’d be tonight. Then she opened the letter.

Maia reread the letter, and then looked again at the ad for her gig tonight. Why would Steve circle the time she was scheduled to perform, but then never show up if he really meant to hurt her?

And then suddenly, she remembered what he had said the day she had brought David home from the hospital.

“Mark my words, I’m going to pay you back in spades and destroy everything you love.”

Maia was suddenly overcome with a horrible, sinking feeling. While Steve knew she was here at a gig, everything and everyone she truly loved was home.