1.11 We will be free

While Anna hurried out to take care of her garden, and to have some alone time, Jo decided to try himself at a delicious breakfast. She could hear the noise of pans banging against each other, and was startled for a second. A second person was living in her home now, and she just was not used to that anymore. The only noises she usually heard were the ones she was producing herself, and she was able to decide herself when she wanted some quiet time. 

Now she had to get used to the oven growling when she was nowhere near it, or the noise of plates being put on the counter. Nothing a Sim couldn’t adjust to, of course, but especially now she would have liked some more control over her life; now, after everything she had recently been through. Jo accepted that she wasn’t ready to talk, and dedicated himself to the household. The first waffles he tried to make were terribly burned, but at least he didn’t set the kitchen on fire. 

Maybe salad was the safer choice. It didn’t require much preparation, and he didn’t have to use the stove at all, which was a great consolidation for her. She smiled when she noticed that he was using the products she had harvested herself in the garden. He respected what she was doing, and that she loved doing it. 

Actually, it wasn’t that bad to be outside most time of the day. The winter had passed quickly, and it was spring again. This meant flowers and plants sprung out of the ground and transformed every bleak area into a colorful experience. He was fascinated how easy it was to grow things. Whenever Anna had enthused about small seeds turning into something beautiful, he had nodded along, not really being interested. But this house, and a great deal of her income, were based on the fruits and vegetables she sold in town, which meant he had to be a part of it. “Had to be” soon turned into “was happy to be”. He liked eating salad – every now and then! – that he had grown himself. It made him proud. 

Life really seemed to start off well for Anna and Jo. She was getting along better with Freebird, too. The horse had accepted the expansion of her own little family quickly, especially since she’d had to leave her horse friends, who had stayed with Chuck in the old farm. Anna tried everything to make her feel welcome, and to soon become friends with her. She knew that Jo’s heart was directly connected to his horse, his great passion. By getting closer to Freebird, she was getting closer to Jo every single day, and discovered how much she really was in love with him.

Now, there only seemed to be one thing missing. They had been talking about it, and since Jo wasn’t getting any younger, they decided to try for a baby. Anna was delighted, but at the same time she was scared. Was she really ready to make new life, when her own had been such a struggle until she got to Appaloosa Plains? Yes, she was. She was ready to be a mother, and she was ready to protect her children with her life. Nothing was ever going to hurt them, and they were going to lead a happy life, in a faultless family with loving parents. Growing plants had made Anna stronger, now it was time to create life even bigger than this.


Author's notes: Sorry, this is truly not my masterpiece, and this really hasn't been the best week in my life. I basically crashed my car (but I'm fine), have tons of work to do and now apparently caught a nasty cold. (Just saying: I'll be the best teacher ever, because I only get sick on holidays -.-) Anna's story needed to be told a little further, which is why I'm posting these bits and pieces. I know they're quite short, but I think of them as small steps towards her happiness!