Chapter 24: You and I

Adelaide was only a child, and yet she had already experienced some of the hardships of life.
Having never met her father and being alienated from her mother, Adelaide had learnt to accept circumstances as they were, but she never stopped hoping that things would change.



As soon as she was able, Adelaide went to confront her mother. She only had one thing to ask her- why? She needed to know what had happened to Dahlia to make her this sad. She wasn't expecting miracles, she just wanted them to talk, even if it was just for a little while.



Unfortunately though, Dahlia was too stubborn to change. When approached like this Dahlia reacted in the only way she knew how- with anger and hostility. After all, feeling mad had to be better than really embracing the sadness that loomed within her always.



Dahlia's heart was a fortress, and the walls were very high. After what had happened with Trent she didn't think she would ever be able to recover. In truth she may have dealt with it in time, but that was the problem exactly. She wasn't willing to deal with it- she just locked her feelings away and pretended they had never existed in the first place.



Hurt by her mother's rejection, Adelaide at least still had one person to turn to.
Her uncle Camden lived in the house with them, and it was he who had raised and nurtured Adelaide since she was born.



Camden had sacrificed a lot to care for his niece; certainly any chance of a social life was doomed when you were an old man with a young child to bring up. But he didn't mind. Camden looked upon Adelaide as his own daughter, and she was happy to have him be her dad.



For an innately Evil Sim, Camden had done a good job of ignoring his bad-natured tendancies. His compassion for Adelaide was such that he began to develop a great distaste for Dahlia's selfish ways. Still, she was his sister- he couldn't just come out and say that he hated her.



Camden found other ways to get his point across... ; )



More often than not, things at home were chaotic at best. Dahlia was usually out either at the office or screwing around, and Camden spent his time working in the criminal career or stealing things to sate his Kleptomaniac ways. Home was a cold place, and Adelaide avoided it.



She loved the outdoors and spent all her time fishing or just playing in the park. As she spent more and more time outside she began to encounter another child on many occasions.
His name was Noah McAdams, and he had the Loves the Outdoors trait also.



Over time the two became firm friends. They were different in many ways- Noah actually came from a family that loved him- but they shared one main thing in common. They both liked each other a lot.



Meanwhile, with Adelaide out enjoying herself, Camden found he was able to attempt to have a life of his own.
He had developed a crush on the repairwoman- Christen.
: )



It took quite a bit of time and courage but, eventually, Camden was able to ring up Christen and ask her out on a date.
She said yes.



The following day, Camden took Christen out to the Bistro for their very first date (and Camden's first romantic encounter since his divorce).



They had a lovely evening together, and finished the day with a kiss.



When the weekend rolled around, Adelaide decided it was time for Noah to meet the family. After all, he had become very important in her life.



Camden happily agreed to come to the park and, as luck would have it, he and Noah got on great.



Sadly though the situation was somewhat different when Noah met Dahlia : S
I wish I could say that she was just having a bad day, but that really wasn't the case. Maybe Dahlia is just a bad person...



Soon enough it was time for Adelaide's birthday, and of course she decided to spend it with her best friend.



Camden invited Christen over and the two of them watched as the kids celebrated.



Noah was first to blow out the candles.



He turned into quite a handsome young man ; )



Next up it was Adelaide's turn.



Oof, gorgeous as expected.
She definitely looks quite different to all the previous generations, but she's stunning.



Upon her transition, Adelaide gained the Hopeless Romantic trait.
There was really only one thing to do next...



Head to the beach for a romantic rendevous : D



It had been on the cards for a while, but Adelaide still felt a sudden flash of nerves as she reached out to Noah.



Noah felt it too. This was his best friend after all- what if it didn't work out? What if it was just weird?



It wasn't.



Back at home, Camden was making 'the move' as well.
He had just completed his lifetime wish by reaching the top of the criminal career, and to celebrate he asked Christen to be his girlfriend.



Then they did some celebrating of another kind : p



Now that they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend, Noah decided that he wanted Adelaide to meet his family properly.



Unfortunately his father was at work, but Noah's mother Clara was able to come round and meet her son's girlfriend.



At first there was some trepidation. Adelaide had all the usual fears- what if she doesn't like me? What if she doesn't get on with Camden?



Luckily, all anxiety proved unnecessary. Clara got on with Camden greatly, and she was utterly charmed by Adelaide. Things couldn't have gone better. That was, of course, until...



Dahlia returned home from work full of the same bitterness she always felt. Maybe she was mad she hadn't been invited. Maybe she disapproved of Adelaide and Noah's relationship. Maybe she was just a mean girl.



No sooner than she was through the front door, Dahlia made a beeline for Clara. She demanded to know just who the hell she was and what she was doing in her house. Clara didn't suffer fools gladly though, and promptly grabbed Noah's arm and dragged him out of the house.



Humiliated and enraged by her mother's actions, Adelaide stared at her in disbelief. She felt the blood burn through her face and realised that she just didn't care anymore. She didn't care for her mother's love- she didn't want it anymore. She was through.



Dahlia barely noticed any of this though. Immediately she launched into a long drawn-out speech about Noah. About how he and Adelaide were not right for each other and how she was never to see that boy again. I think over time Dahlia's neurosis had conspired to drag her down. She had become self-destructive.



Blinded by their own rage, Adelaide and Dahlia were unable to see just how similar they were. Their stubbornness placed a barrier between them.
Of course Adelaide had no idea why her mother was so fantastically deranged. She didn't know that Dahlia had tasted love once and it had ended badly.



All Adelaide knew was that her mother was selfish, stupid, and unhinged. She vowed that day that she would never listen to anything Dahlia had to say ever again.
She never did.



Noah and Adelaide continued to see each other as if nothing had happened. Well, maybe not exactly. They had a secret meeting place where they would go to every night, just so they could snatch some time together.



Noah felt bad about lying to his parents and sneaking out, but it had to be done. After the meeting, his mother had made it clear that, although she liked Adelaide, she didn't think it was a good idea for him to see her anymore. Noah smiled, nodded, and made plans to disobey.



The next day Camden died.



A weird bodyless Grim Reaper came to take him away...



Dahlia was at home when it happened, and even her frozen heart thawed just a little at her brother's passing. She knew that, though a madness of her own design, she was now completely alone.



Adelaide was feeling somewhat similar. Yes, she had Noah, but Camden had been so important to her. With her uncle gone, she couldn't think of a reason to stay at home anymore. And that's when she realised- there really wasn't a reason to stay at home anymore... She wanted the poison out of her life for good.



As night fell, Adelaide called up Noah and asked him to meet her in front of the house. She had something very important to ask him...



When she made her request, Noah felt a whole spectrum of emotions rush through him.
Worry, uncertainty, and a sweet simple joy.



He said yes.



Noah knew that his family would come looking for them.
Adelaide knew that hers would not.
They both knew that it would be hard. They would have to suffer, perhaps starve a bit, sleep rough.
They also knew that it was what they wanted.



And so, Adelaide and Noah ran away.
Where will they go? What will they do? Find out in the next chapter of The Mars Family Legacy, coming soon.


You can find the original on the story board here- feel free to rec that if you've enjoyed this : )