14. SURPRISE

Klara has been working hard to earn a promotion. Improving skills, grading assignments, and researching in the university database were her main tasks for the next few days.

Klara: Good morning! Would you be willing to share what it’s like to be a librarian in Henford elementary school?

Librarian: Why not? It’s a welcome change for a non-playable Sim like me.

Meanwhile, little Filip is celebrating his birthday! The first steps of the second generation <3

Filip aged up into a toddler with the Clingy trait.

Like any toddler, Filip loves putting things in his mouth—especially his donut-shaped toys.

Akito: Filip, yuck, don’t eat that. Daddy will get you something proper to eat.

Filip: NO YUM! NO YUM! BLEEEE

Klara brainstormed initiatives to impress at work and prove she deserved a promotion. A few ideas began to take shape.

Klara: Hear that, Filip? Someone’s at the door. Let’s see who it is.

Zoe: Surprise! Can I come in?

Klara: Oh, Zoe, you look amazing—new outfit and hairstyle! Props to the Watcher. Come in! Filip’s a toddler now, so I have to keep an eye on where he’s going and what he’s up to.

Zoe: Oh no, I forgot his birthday. I’m the worst.

Moments of distraction led to unexpected chaos in the house. I found out the interaction I hadn’t seen in the gameplay before.

Zoe: Hi there, little guy, I’m Auntie Zoe. Can I have a kiss?

...Oh right, you have the Clingy trait and don’t like such interactions with strangers. How about a present to break the ice?

Klara: I’ve been browsing the web for inspiration over the last few days, and now I’ve got tons of ideas! I’ll organize school field trips and a kids’ disco! I’ll start a literature club and maybe even arrange a talent show!

Zoe: Those are amazing projects! If you pull all that off, they’ll definitely promote you.

Zoe’s visit distracted Klara, and she didn’t get Filip to the potty in time.

Klara: Oh no, someone’s hygiene bar dropped a lot. Time for a bath, a change, and then bed, Filip. It’s already late.

Late-night snacking, an embarrassed moodlet... could it be? Yep, Klara’s eating for two again!

She even had a nausea animation while helping Filip with the potty!

The next day, Klara went to work as usual (her bump wasn’t showing yet), while Akito spent the day taking care of Filip.

Potty training—check. Now it’s bedtime. Filip looked very sleepy.

When Klara returned home, her baby bump was still hidden, but with only a few hours left in her first trimester, she decided it was time to tell Akito.

Klara: Honey, don’t you feel like our lives gained so much meaning when Filip came along? Children are such a wonderful treasure, aren’t they?

Akito: Absolutely! We had a great time today, and I even taught him to use the potty. I’m really enjoying being a dad.

Klara: That’s great because... I’m pregnant again.

Akito: ...

Akito: That’s wonderful! Sorry for my first reaction; you caught me off guard. I’ll have to work harder as a carpenter, but we’ll manage everything.

Since they would need extra funds to support a family of four, Klara and Akito decided to send Filip to daycare for a few hours each day.

Daycare Worker: I’m glad you chose our daycare. The children receive excellent care here. We have a much better reputation than the nannies generated by the game.

Akito: Bye, Filip! Have fun.

Klara: Bye, sweetheart. It’s only for a few Sim hours, so we’ll see each other again soon.

Filip quickly adjusted and became fond of his new caregiver.

Meanwhile, Akito sold excess fruit and crafted furniture for sale. Unfortunately, the chairs didn’t turn out well, and the pressure of being both a father-to-be of two and a vampire slayer seemed to weigh on him.

At the same time, Klara organized a school disco. The kids quickly caught the rhythm and had a blast—except for Simon Saito, whose party outfit was hilariously mismatched due to a game-generated bug.

Agnes Saito: Miss, do you know, that if the Watcher's previous game hadn’t bugged out, my brother would still be the heir, and I’d be a playable Sim?

Jan Bjergsen: Miss, my mom says she can’t have any more babies because six of us are enough for her.

Klara: Good thing there’s a household Sim limit, or neighborhood stories would exhaust us all.

Jan: I don’t understand.

Klara: That’s okay.

Klara returned home exhausted but in an excellent mood. Feeling confident, she decided to call the school principal and ask for a promotion.

And it worked! Klara is now a Mentor Teacher! 🎉

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