Author’s Note:
Wow! Season 2 is finished! Thank you for coming on this journey with me!
I wish I could convey how truly thankful I am and how much it means to me that you guys came by and read Grace’s story. I started writing this story back in May and I can’t believe we are here, 2 Seasons, and 7 months later! 😉 Your support, love, and encouragement have been so amazing, you guys keep me going.
Thank you for being here, reading, commenting, and for your support.
See you in Season 3!
-Rory
Heading down the hallway, Sophie and Grace made their way toward the bathroom.
“The bubble bath is under the sink,” Sophie said. “I’m just going to go grab a towel.” Grace started to draw a warm bath and while she was reaching for the bubble bath, her mind wandered back to Molly. Grace’s heart warmed as the thought about how perfect she is.
“Thank you Grace for doing this. I really appreciate it.” Sophie said, as she entered the bathroom.
“Of course.” Grace smiled. “Babies are wonderful, aren’t they?” Grace said, pouring in the bubble bath.
“They are. Hey, why don’t you have children if you love them so much?” Grace stopped pouring the bubble bath and shook her head.
“Because I can’t have any.” Grace lied. Sophie blinked, shocked.
“I’m so sorry.” Sophie said, sadly. Grace didn’t care that she lied, she hated that Sophie had this perfect life. She wanted Sophie to feel bad. To hurt as she did all those years in the orphanage.
“It’s okay.” Grace said. “Now, get in. I’ll go make you a cup of tea for after your bath and I’ll watch Molly so you can relax.”
“You are such an amazing friend, Grace. Thank you.” Sophie said, as she stepped into the warm bath and laid her head back. Grace smiled and closed the bathroom door quietly.
“Looks like my plan has changed.” Grace thought. As she headed down the hallway towards the nursery, Grace devised a new plan, a better plan. Picking up Molly from her bassinet, Grace headed out of the front door and didn’t look back.
A few days have passed since Sophie went into labor at the bakery and the town was a buzz with excitement as people came in to bring gifts and offer well wishes to Charlotte for Sophie and her new baby.
Pleased that her mere presence and had sent Sophie into a panic, inducing Sophie’s labor, Grace decided now is the perfect time to put her plan in action. Grabbing a bakery box, Grace walked over to the pastry case and put in a few Strawberry Fizzy cupcakes. With the box in hand, she headed over to Charlotte.
“I hope this works.” Grace whispered, under her breath.
“I was thinking,” Grace started to explain to Charlotte, setting the box on the counter, “With Sophie not being able to come into the bakery with the new baby and all, I was thinking that I’m sure she would love some of your cupcakes. Why don’t I deliver some to her?” Grace asked.
“Oh, you sweet thing. That’s a wonderful idea.” Charlotte said, beaming. Grabbing a pen, Charlotte wrote directions on how to get to Sophie’s house on the bakery box. Excited to see that Sophie only lived a few blocks away, Grace ran her plan of revenge through her head again just to make sure she would get every detail right.
“I’m so excited,” Grace gushed to Charlotte, “She won’t see this surprise coming.”
Author’s Note: Did you see it? A hidden item from The Sims 3 made it into a screen shot today! Shout it out when you see it!
“Hi Grandma!” Sophie said as she entered the bakery. “Do you have…” Stopping immediately after she walked in, Sophie looked at Grace in horror. Frozen with fear, Sophie didn’t move. She couldn’t believe it. She never thought she would see Grace again.
Sophie’s panic became so overwhelming that within seconds, her water broke and she grabbed her belly.
“OH GOD!” Sophie screamed as she threw her face back in pain. She was going into labor.
The day passed quickly as happy customers came and went with their cupcake purchases. A few stayed and had coffee while they chatted with friends. Some of the regulars came in and chatted excitedly about the status of Sophie and how she was doing with her pregnancy. It seemed as though Charlotte was really popular around town and her bakery was the local hang out. It was a place where neighbors met and gossiped about each other, teachers came in to buy boxes of cupcakes for school fundraisers, and the local church ordered 3 dozen cupcakes for a bake sale that would raise money to repair the old church bells.
Charlotte treated everyone as family. Grace could see why everyone adored her. She treated the customers as though they were her family. She remembered details of people’s lives. Asking how their kids soccer practice went or slipping a few extra cupcakes in the cupcake box for a sick relative.
Seeing how much Charlotte was adored by the town, it made it a little bit harder knowing that soon, she was going to be breaking Charlotte’s heart by destroying Sophie’s life. But the feelings of guilt were fleeting as Grace always came back to the memory of the day Sophie told a horrific lie and shattered Grace’s world.
“Oh, that’s lucky Grace…” The words of Sophie’s lie still rang in Grace’s ears and still cut her so deep.
“No, Sophie deserves this. She deserves what I’m going to do to her.” Grace thought.
With the day winding down, Grace decided to start clearing the dishes from the tables and that’s when it happened. The door to the bakery opened and person that she had been waiting all of these years for had walked in.
Author’s Note: A HUGE thank you to two amazing people for making and donating Sims for this chapter!
-Yjp19299 for making the beautiful mother and daughter that appeared at the check out counter. They are so sweet!
– Emma-LeeXOXO for making the four adorable ladies that were sitting at the table having cupcakes and coffee. Emma-LeeXOXO writes AMAZING Simlit and her blog can be found here.
Thank you guys for taking the time to create and send your Sims to me! 🙂
Grace was up before the sun the next morning. She wanted to make sure she was ready for Charlotte. She didn’t want to keep her waiting. Heading downstairs, Grace decided to look for cleaning supplies and wipe down the counters and tables before Charlotte got in. She wanted to make a good impression as she wasn’t sure how long she was going to need to rely on Charlotte’s kindness. Grabbing a bottle of disinfectant and towels, Grace got to work.
“Well, well! Good morning, Grace! I see you’re eager to get started!” Charlotte said with a big grin. “I’m so happy you’re up and ready to get started. But first, have you had breakfast?” Charlotte asked.
“Um, no.” Grace replied. She hadn’t even thought of eating. She was eager to get her plan of revenge in motion. Eating breakfast had slipped her mind.
“Well, let me make you some scrambled eggs and bacon. We’ve got a big day ahead and I need to make sure you have your energy.” Charlotte winked as she started to cook.
“Thank you. Can I help you cook?” Grace asked.
“Nope. Just pull up a stool from the back room and I’ll have you some breakfast in no time.” Charlotte said, cheerfully.
“So, on most days, I get here at 4am to prep ingredients and start baking the first batches of cupcakes…” Charlotte explained her entire day as Grace watched how smoothly Charlotte floated about her kitchen making breakfast. Charlotte explained that she needed someone to help with customers, keeping the store tidy, and occasionally help bake, if Grace was interested in learning.
“As for the cupcakes,” Charlotte explained, “I always make sure to have a few Strawberry Fizzy Cupcakes on hand for my little Sophie. She has had such a craving for them during her pregnancy. She comes in almost daily for some!” Charlotte exclaimed happily as she continued cooking.
“Daily, huh?” Grace thought. “That will be the perfect way to get her plan in motion. Surprise Sophie as she steps in for a sweet cupcake from little old Grandma.” Grace smiled to herself, excited her plan was coming along perfectly.
“Oh, what a beautiful smile you have, Dear. Here, eat up. We have a big day ahead.” Charlotte said as she placed the plateful of food in front of Grace.
“Yes, yes we do.” Grace thought malevolently.
Author’s Note: Did you see it? A hidden item from The Sims 3 made it into a screen shot today! Shout it out when you see it!
After Grace got out of the shower, she noticed that Charlotte was gone and a grilled cheese sandwich was on the counter next to a note.
Dear Grace,
Hoping you like grilled cheese, it is a specialty of mine. I left the key to the loft in case you would like to head out and explore Magnolia Promenade. Please, come and go as you please, this is your home. I look forward to seeing you bright and early tomorrow morning. Thank you for taking the job, it’s such a great help.
Have a great night.
Charlotte
Grace couldn’t believe her luck. Not only did she find a way to get to Sophie, but she landed a sweet place to stay and a job. Grace sat on the couch and looked around the loft. It was a great place. She wanted to distract herself from the wall of photos of Sophie. It’s like they were mocking her, showing off the great life that Sophie ripped from her. Feeling the rage and hatred return, she decided now was the best time to decide how she was going to exact her revenge.
Author’s Note: Did you see it? A hidden item from The Sims 3 made it into a screen shot today! Shout it out when you see it!
When Grace came to, she was sitting up and being fanned with a cupcake menu by Charlotte.
“Oh my goodness, you gave me quite a scare.” Charlotte said, her voice shaky.
“I…I’m okay. I’m just tired I guess.” Grace replied.
“Well, okay then. Off for a shower with you while I make you a bite to eat.” Charlotte said, helping Grace to her feet. Charlotte gave Grace the rest of the tour of the small flat and as she turned to head towards the kitchen, she started to giggle.
“In all my excitement to hire you, I forgot to ask you your name.” Charlotte asked. Grace froze. She wanted to lie. She wasn’t sure she wanted Sophie to know she was in town. She wanted to see the shock and horror on her face when Grace made her presence known. But she decided to tell Charlotte the truth. She owed it to her for how generous she was being.
“My name is Grace.” She replied.
“Well, Grace, welcome to Magnolia Promenade.” Charlotte said, cheerfully.
Grace followed Charlotte up the stairs to the loft above the bakery. As they got to the top of the stairs, Charlotte reached into her pocket for the keys and turned and smiled excitedly at Grace.
“I hope you like it okay. It may be a little musty but I can just open the windows and fix that no problem.” Charlotte said, smiling.
Stepping into the loft, Charlotte flicked on the light and turned to hand Grace the keys. Standing awkwardly in the doorway, Grace could see that it was a beautiful loft. Open and airy, full of light and beautiful furnishings. But Grace felt uncomfortable. She had just met Charlotte and she didn’t know what to do here. Should she just follow her in?
“Feel free to look around while I get some windows open and get some fresh air in here.” Charlotte said crossing the room to open the closest window. Walking back across the room, Charlotte noticed that Grace was still standing outside the door.
“Oh, sweetie. It’s okay.” Charlotte said, smiling encouragingly at Grace. “Don’t be so shy. This is your home. Take a look around.” Charlotte said sweetly. “I’m going to open the bedroom windows, I’ll be right back.” Charlotte pulled Grace into the loft, gave her a hug, and headed off to open more windows.
Stepping into the loft, Grace scanned the beautiful room. Then she saw it. She was shocked. She couldn’t believe it. There, before her, was a wall of photos of Sophie and her adoptive parents and Charlotte. Framed photos of piano lessons, backyard swim parties with family, play dates with friends at the park, camping trips, Christmas memories in front of the tree, a beautiful wedding day, it was all there. A lifetime of happy memories. Grace thought she was going to pass out.
Walking back into the room, Charlotte noticed that Grace was looking at her family photos.
“Oh I see you’ve found some pictures of my family.” Charlotte said, proudly. Trying to hold it together, Grace smiled back at Charlotte.
“What a beautiful little girl.” Grace said, her palms starting to sweat. “What’s her name?”
“That’s my sweet Granddaughter, Sophie. She’s a very special girl. My daughter and my son-in-law adopted her when she was little. She means the whole world to us.” Charlotte gushed. Grace couldn’t handle it anymore. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry. She could feel herself start to lose it a little. She needed to pull herself together.
“She looks so happy.” Grace said, hiding the sadness and rage in her voice.
“Oh, she’s a wonderful girl. And what’s even better is that I’m going to be a Great Grandmother soon.” And with that comment, everything swirled in Grace’s vision and everything went black.
Grace walked along the paved road and shivered as the cool air whipped around her. It had been a long day and she was getting tired. She hadn’t thought about where she was going to sleep her first night in town. Spotting a bench across the street, she was reminded of a movie Miss Derby used to love to watch with Audrey Hepburn.
Crossing the street and looking down at the bench, Grace shrugged her shoulders and laid down.
“When in Rome.” She thought to herself amusingly.
She was only asleep for a few hours when the sun started to come up and the amazing aroma of baked goods filled the air. It turned out Grace had fallen asleep across the way from a cupcake shop.
Sitting up on the bench, Grace noticed that there was a table out front that had samples. The food that Laurel had packed for her was eaten by Vito when Grace fell asleep while they were on their way into town. Grace was furious but she figured she owed him since he was nice enough to drive her here. Walking over to the table Grace saw that there was one morsel of a sample left. Popping the sweet bite into her mouth, Grace sat down at the table and closed her eyes and enjoyed the sweet treat.
Opening her eyes, Grace saw a Help Wanted poster in the window.
“This could actually work to my advantage. I could earn a little money while I look for Sophie, maybe even ask around a little.” Grace thought. “I wouldn’t have to worry about going hungry, I could just eat the scraps. I just need to clean up, come back, and give a sob story to the owner so I could get the job.” Just then, an older lady came out of the cupcake shop with a plate full of fresh samples.
“Well, hello there, Dearie.” She said as she set the plate down. Realizing that she looked a mess, Grace started to get up and leave.
“Oh now I didn’t mean to scare you off. Here, sit back down, have some more cupcakes.” The lady offered kindly.
“Thank you.” Grace said, shyly reaching for another sample.
“My name is Charlotte and I’m the owner of this here shop. I saw you looking at the Help Wanted sign. Were you looking for a job?” Charlotte asked.
“I…uhh…” Grace looked down sadly at the empty plate in front of her. “I’ve only just arrived in town, I really haven’t gotten my feet under me yet.” Grace smoothed down her hair and tried to look presentable. It was obvious that she was a nomad with her duffle bag at her feet and worn down clothes. She really wanted to be better prepared if there was to be an actual job interview. Charlotte pulled out a chair, sat down, looked at Grace and smiled. She could see that Grace was down on her luck and needed some help.
Deciding to be honest, Grace decided to tell Charlotte just a little of why she was in Magnolia Promenade.
“I ran away from home. Well, it wasn’t really a home. I was abandoned at an orphanage. I couldn’t stand it there anymore, so I left.” Grace said, looking down at her shoes. Charlotte’s eyes widened with concern.
“Well, it seems that not only do you need a job, but a place to stay. It so happens that my last employee left for Briarwick College to be a chef and I really need someone to come in immediately and help out.”
“But I don’t know a thing about baking…” Grace explained. Charlotte looked down and noticed Grace’s duffle bag.
“It seems that you also need a place to stay. There’s a loft that sits above the bakery that no one uses. You are welcome to it. So what do you say?” Charlotte asked, patting Grace’s hand sweetly.
“You would hire someone with pink hair?” Grace asked, shyly.
“I would hire a purple people eater at this point. I could really use the help. And so could you.” Charlotte said, smiling.
“Okay, when do I start?” Grace asked.
“How about tomorrow? But first, let’s get you settled in.” Charlotte said with a smile.
Author’s Note: Did you see it? A hidden item from The Sims 3 made it into a screen shot today! Shout it out when you see it!
Legacies of the Sims 