Sometimes things happen for a reason . Other times , it seems completely random . I hadn 't quite decided what this pen pal project was going to be , but Caleb was so excited about it , he couldn 't even sit still . Bright and early Monday morning , Caleb painstakingly filled out the questionnaire and folded it carefully into the front of his school planner . I tried to be as excited as he was , but a large part of me still worried . What if this all came to naught ? How would Caleb take the let down if something went wrong ? Pasting a smile on my face , I packed Caleb 's and Ryder 's lunches and even remembered to give them to the correct kid before the two of them left for school . Ryder would have been confused by the extra sandwich I always packed for Caleb . That boy sure could eat , and he was ALWAYS hungry … so I made sure I kept lots of leftovers in the fridge , or I 'm sure he would have burned the house down before now . I wondered what he was going to do for food once it was his turn to be the hero of the town . I knew he 'd manage - just how many meals he would burn before he figured out how to cook was the part I didn 't know . I had tried to sit him down in front of the Cooking Channel , but his immediate thought was " food " . . not " how do I make it ? " So that didn 't work out too well . He was just going to have to learn the hard way . Again , with very little to do , I cleaned stuff that still didn 't need cleaning , and browsed on the web some ( since the boys weren 't home to monopolize the computer , and Jared was napping ) . Finally , I gave up and went out collecting , even though we didn 't need the money . The garden easily supported our bills and then some . I could be comforted knowing I would leave a nice little nest egg for Ryder , even though none could go to Caleb . With the government contract , all he was allowed to start with are himself , his very important mailbox , a small survival kit , and his clothes . For a while , I let myself think back to my start with just those things . . it had certainly been a rude shock . But then , I didn 't have much to begin with , and just having my own land had been so very inspirational to me . Having something that was mine and mine alone . I turned from my digging up yet another crystal and peered across the street at my house . Without me , that house wouldn 't exist . Without me or Jared , the kids wouldn 't be here . Had I made the right choice for my family ? Only time would tell for sure . . but I felt that I 'd done the best I could with what I 'd been given . Hopefully Caleb would end up saying the same thing when he was my age . I cut my gathering short as I noticed the school bus coming over around the bend in the road . Caleb and Ryder were , once again and always , the only kids on the bus , being that nobody else actually lived in the town . The next town over is where they went to school , bused each day miles down the road through varying picturesque countrysides . Both Ryder and Caleb bounced off the bus and headed indoors , not noticing that I was across the street . The bus driver waved , and I waved back politely . He drove off with a smile , and I crossed the road to get home . " Great ! I was one of the only ones to sign up , so I should get matched pretty easily . I just have to wait for my first letter to arrive and then I get to write back as soon as I can . I wouldn 't want my pen pal to have to wait too long ! " His sentences practically ran together he was talking so fast . I smiled , and was about to say something else when he turned abruptly and headed towards the fridge . I knew that meant the conversation was over , at least for now , unless I wanted to try to decode " food in mouth " talk . Minding his manners would probably not occur to him with as excited as he was , so I avoided the issue and went out to start on the garden . " I 'd better learn now , right ? Before long I 'll be growing my own garden . Although I plan to be growing food , not flowers . " He said , wrinkling his nose at the Chrysanthemums I had made my living growing . I tried not to tune him out , but all he could talk about was his new pen pals . Apparently he had signed up for more than one ! He went on and on , wondering everything that could possibly be wondered about his new " friends " . I mumbled replies , and I don 't think he ever noticed that I was still hiding my worry over the whole thing . Hopefully Jared was right , and this was a good thing for Caleb . At the very least , it would get him writing . Simlish had never been his favorite class . As the day drew to a close , I called Ryder back inside to clean up for dinner , and left Caleb with the last little bit of gardening . Dinner was a lively affair , as usual , with lots of jokes tossed back and forth between the boys . I approved a movie for the two of them , so long as they did their homework right after . Before I knew it , it was bedtime … and then the next day . . and the next . Waiting had never been Caleb 's strong suit . Every day , he checked his email and the mailbox , never seeming sure where the letters might show up . Every day , his face looked more and more worried . I tried to tell him to be patient , that his pen pals might be very far away , but he still fretted . I guess I couldn 't blame him , but I tried to keep him positive . Secretly , I wondered if the whole thing had just fallen through . The mailbox remained , stubbornly , empty , and I hoped the letters were coming in their own time . . for Caleb 's sake . Posted in My Sims 4 Challenges , Sims 4 , The Travelers ( Drifter # 2 ) Travelers 1 . 7 Caleb 's Application for a Pen Pal Posted on March 5 , 2017March 8 , 2017 by illusorythrall 6 . The Question < | > 8 . Waiting I will probably be a gardener like my mother , but I have no idea what the government contract will require me to do . I 'm destined to build a house for the city of Simsville in an effort to rebuild the town . If I could pick what I would do , it would be something involved in food . I love food ! I love meeting new people , and I think it would be fun to find someone from someplace else that might know some recipes I don 't know . Knowing that my letters are getting to travel around the world would just be so neat . When I heard about the pen pal project I just got so excited , and I had to join . My friends think I 'm silly for wanting to write to someone who I don 't know , but I think that would be part of the fun - getting to know someone new . Author 's Note : Caleb is a part of a Drifter Challenge , told in story form . He 's going to be " running " the second generation . He 's an outgoing , glutton , gregarious sim with a teenage aspiration of " Party Animal . " I have no way of knowing what trait he 'll roll for his adult trait as I 'm enforcing a random trait roll for the challenge . He will be doing a fair bit of traveling , as I plan to have him visit the city festivals in search of new food recipes in the first half of the challenge , and then he has the Outdoor Enthusiast Aspiration to finish in the second half of his challenge ( once his heir is child age ) . Caleb , obviously , doesn 't know this yet . . but I do . Personality wise , he 's very much into food , and loves meeting new people . . so a pen pal who might be able to talk recipe ideas would be ideal . . or at the very least , someone who can at least put up with him talking about food a lot . I will be weaving his letter - writing into his story . As for how many chapters his story will last , that I can 't say . . but I will say I 'm very excited to write his story , since he 's such an interesting sim for a drifter challenge - ( Come on , a person who loves food in a challenge that starts from basically starvation rations ? ! . . Perfect . ) I do expect to be writing his generation for a while because I have a lot planned for him . The letters will begin to be sent before he actually takes over for his generation , in other words , while he is still a teen and will function as a bit of an interlude as he grows up . Posted in My Sims 4 Challenges , Sims 4 , The Travelers ( Drifter # 2 ) Travelers 1 . 6 The Question Posted on March 5 , 2017March 8 , 2017 by illusorythrall 5 . The Longest Days < | > 7 . Caleb 's Application for a Pen Pal Yesterday was Ryder 's first day at school . I expected more trouble from him , based on his past attitude about it , but he seemed resigned to the fact that he had to go . He certainly didn 't make a fuss about it , just quietly ate breakfast and gathered his schoolbooks and left to catch the bus . I barely even got to wave goodbye before he was gone , it was that fast . By the time the boys got home from school , I was sweaty and dirty and really just wanted a nap . . but mothering waits for no - one . Ryder had apparently had too much fun on the playground , and came home wanting nothing more than a long soak in the bathtub , and Caleb just wanted to watch a movie . I needed him to work in the garden , but I agreed to let him watch one before he and I went outside . While Ryder danced with Jared , Caleb and I finally headed outside to care for the unruly garden . Waiting until later to deal with the weeds and the bugs always seemed to make it take more time , but I tried to be okay with it . Despite being bored stiff ( apparently the movie hadn 't been very good ) , Caleb soldiered on , learning to be a gardener in case that was what was in his future . He seemed to be picking up the skill fairly well under my tutelage , and I couldn 't be prouder . " Mom , this lady visited our Simlish class this afternoon . She was talking about this new project that has been set up , trying to get some kids to join . " He looked at me tentatively . " I 'd really like to join . " " Well , when you moved in , you said the only thing you had was a mailbox . . so . . I figured that mailbox had to be working , right ? " He stopped gardening and looked at me , his face all hopeful . " Then I could use my mailbox to send letters ! " He said , smiling . Then his face fell . " But we need parental permission to sign up … " " Well , here 's how it works . There 's sims in other towns , other cities , some are kids , some are adults . . some might even be different races or kinds of sims … and they 're interested in writing to other sims . Like me . I would write letters to whichever sim I 'm paired with , and they would write back . We would be pen pals . At least , that 's how the lady described it . " " So you 'd just be writing letters , not meeting them ? You know we have restrictions placed on our travel with the contract , right ? " I replied , still concerned . " Of course , mom . I 'd only meet them if it could be worked out within the restrictions , and not until I 'm older . Right now I would just be writing letters to another sim . " He looked so very hopeful , but tried to play it off . I hated to feel so negative about it , but the fact that it might be another adult sim made me worried . What if they were a bad influence ? What if they wanted more than a few letters ? I watered a couple of plants , then said , " So you could be writing to an adult or a child ? Is there a way to pick one or the other ? How do you get matched up ? " " That I 'm not sure about . I know they use our profiles to pair us up . I don 't know if I could request another child . But I don 't think it should matter . Why would it ? I 'm just writing about my life and they write about theirs . Getting to know each other , like . I like meeting new people , and meeting someone from far away would be so exciting . Please say I can sign up ? I have to put in my application next week if I 'm going to do it . " His sentences almost ran together , he was so excited about it . " Give me this weekend to think about it , then . And talk to your father about it , too . I 'll let you know Monday before school , okay ? Now can we finish gardening , or what ? " I laughed as lightly as possible , trying to bring back the companionable silence we had been gardening in before this came up . I tried to think about other things , but it seemed like it was impossible . Finally , the boys were asleep . I woke up Jared so I could talk to him about it . See what he thought of Caleb 's new idea . " I think it 's a good thing , Keira . Let him meet new people . You know he 's always been drawn to strangers , ever since he was just a tot . It doesn 't mean he will be in any danger . Since the program is approved by the school , it must be safe for them . And we 'll be here to monitor things , make sure everything 's okay . We should let him do it . " He said decisively . Posted in My Sims 4 Challenges , Sims 4 , The Travelers ( Drifter # 2 ) Travelers 1 . 5 The Longest Days Posted on March 3 , 2017March 8 , 2017 by illusorythrall 4 . A Birthday for Caleb < | > 6 . The Question My day did not start out well . I had a defiant toddler and a broken sink . The sink I can fix . . the toddler . . not so much . Completely the opposite , Caleb practically skipped out the door for his first day of high school . I don 't think I 've ever seen someone quite so excited to go to school in my life . He made me promise to leave the garden alone until he got home from school , too . Apparently he was serious about wanting to learn to garden so he would be " ready " when it was his turn to move out . I still think he 's going to be in for a little bit of a surprise at how hard it is to start from nothing . . but at the very least , he was excited to do it . Since I was forbidden the garden during the day , I had to come up with something else to do . The broken sink was high on the list of priorities , so I pulled out the stuff from my " junk drawer " , looking for the right part to stop the leaking . I was in luck , and managed to find a replacement washer for the leaky faucet . Jared seemed willing to laze around the house , but I knew I had other things to do . . I just wasn 't used to waiting to take care of the garden . Perhaps Jared would watch Ryder while I went to check for salable collectibles in the neighborhood . He agreed , albeit reluctantly , and off I went . When I finally got home , I was sweaty and smelly . . and I found Jared watching TV . Apparently he had abandoned watching a toddler who felt he should be able to play on his own . He did say he 'd given Ryder a bath , though , which was a big help . It would have been nice if he 'd cleaned up some of Ryder 's mess before he went for the TV , though . Curious what Ryder might be up to , I peeked into the boys room and found him playing quietly with toys by the toy box . What a good boy . Despite the defiance , he really just wanted to be left alone to find his own things to do now that he felt he was a " big boy " . I , however , just felt a bit sad that both my boys were growing up so fast . Which reminded me . I still needed to bake a cake for Ryder 's family party tomorrow . I thought I 'd make it something silly , like one that looked like a hamburger but was a cake instead . Perhaps I 'd have time when the boys went to bed tonight . I took a quick shower to wash off the grime of my collectible hunt , then cleaned up the stuff I found and sent it off to the parties interested in buying those things . Sometimes it amazed me how much money I could make from selling things that I dug up or grew myself . . but I was glad to have a job I could do from home . This allowed me to be as close as possible with my boys as they grew up . Caleb came home complaining about having to run laps in his gym class and not having enough time to shower , so he went right in and plopped himself down into a bath . So much for the grilled cheese ! I put it away , knowing he would want some later , and I collected the gardening tools . When he got out of the shower , he saw what I was working on , and apparently forgot all about food for a change . We hurried out to get the gardening done . Everything needed watering , as usual , and a few plants showed some bug damage , so we sprayed those , as well . While we worked , he talked non - stop about his day at high school . Which teachers he liked , which ones he was sure he would hate , and which classes he had friends in . He talked about lunch - time the most , detailing the entire meal and who he ate it with . After we finished gardening , he convinced me to take him for some evening fishing time . I brought out the new pole I got for him , and he was ecstatic . I think his main motivation was trying to catch fish to eat . . and I couldn 't help but laugh when I warned him he wasn 't likely to find dinner out there . … and he had his first fish . It was a giant Tuna ! His first question , of course , was whether I could cook it up for dinner . I agreed , reluctantly , and Caleb decided one fish was enough so we jogged back home . Ryder wasn 't far behind him , and I rejoiced at finally having a moment to bake Ryder 's cake . After it baked , I set up the candles on it and hid it at the back of the fridge . ( Somewhere behind Caleb 's prize tuna … ) Sometime in the middle of the night , I was woken by crying . Apparently Jared had forgotten to feed Ryder before tucking him in bed , and he went directly to his brother to try to get food . Caleb 's response was typical . . to head to the fridge to eat another grilled cheese , so I got up and fed Ryder . I figured since I was already up , I might as well have a snack with them , too . I doubted very seriously either would be getting back to sleep anytime soon . I was in for another long day , it seemed . Caleb decided to work on his homework since he hadn 't had a chance to last night . I wish he 'd told me he had homework to do because I would have nixed the fishing trip ! I decided helping Caleb with his homework was more important than teaching Ryder to talk . We finished his homework with just minutes to go before his bus came . The problem was convincing Ryder that now was a good time to work on his skills . Sometimes he can be very recalcitrant when it comes to doing anything with us . He 'd much rather spend the time on his own . Before long , however , Caleb 's early morning caught up with him and he went to take a nap . I finished caring for the garden , then headed in to see what everyone else was up to and take a shower . Working in the garden is dirty stuff ! After letting Caleb sleep for a while , I woke him up so he wouldn 't get too far off schedule . He did have school the next day , after all . He managed to get in a shower and a movie before bed . I spent the next hour or so dismantling and getting the toddler stuff in the house ready for sale as well as putting together Ryder 's " big boy " bed . I drifted off to sleep with concerns about Ryder 's first day of school - he still was insisting he didn 't want to go . Caleb had even talked to him about how exciting school was . . but Ryder was having none of it . I only hoped school itself would change his mind ! I can 't even begin to tell you how relieved I felt that Caleb was now as excited about his future as I have been . The past few days , he 's talked about nothing else . Even the art projects he brought home from school were pictures of house ideas - each one more outlandish than the last . He seemed in no hurry to grow up , that 's for sure … . but at least I no longer had to worry about his reaction to the contract . Having it all out in the open really took a load off for me . This morning , I woke up early with Jared , and we quietly had breakfast before the boys woke up . Caleb 's big day was coming , and I wanted to be prepared as possible . We discussed ideas , going back and forth , trying to figure out something that would be a memory that Caleb could always keep with him . Perhaps it was because we were already eating , or maybe it was just because I 'd just been thinking about it , but the restaurant popped into my head . It was perfect . I even arranged for care for Ryder , so he wouldn 't be in the way on Caleb 's big day . Ryder , the lucky tyke that he was , was scheduled for a playdate with a small friend from a local town 's daycare . We didn 't exactly have a daycare here in town , and since Jared and I both " worked " at home , we didn 't need daycare services often … but it was nice to know it was there for just these occasions . For the rest of the week , Jared and I managed to be as inconspicuous as possible . As far as I could tell , Caleb had no idea what we had planned for his upcoming birthday . It was a big one , too . . which made it all the more important to make it memorable . We managed to act as if it were just another week . As usual , Ryder commanded the lion 's share of Jared and I 's attention . Between feedings and flash cards and blocks and the toys and the . . well , you get the idea . Finally , the day arrived . I impatiently filled the day with gardening and teaching Ryder his thinking skills flashcards . The whole day seemed to just drag by . When Caleb finally got home from school , Ryder was already gone on his playdate ( and hopefully behaving ! ) As off - handedly as I could , I asked Caleb to put away his school stuff , that we had an errand to run . He complied , and Jared , Caleb and I piled into the van . I had already talked to the driver , and we were going to take a roundabout way to get to the restaurant instead of going straight there . Finally , we passed the turn - off that led towards the next town ( the closest shopping areas to where we lived , and where we usually ran any errands ) . I saw Caleb 's eyes suddenly sharpen . He knows ! Or , at least suspects ! My brain yelled at me . As calmly as I could , I answered , " You 'll see . " I saw Jared hiding a little smile and I silently willed him to keep it under wraps as much as possible . After what seemed like forever , the car pulled into the restaurant . I noticed that they had updated the sign to read " Traveler 's Bar And Grille " in honor of our family 's rebuilding the town , and I wondered at the amount of people that were actually here . Considering our house was the only house in town … there seemed to be a lot of people here . I wondered if Jared had said something to someone about us coming here today . Caleb bounded out of the van , and I saw the driver grinning at my son 's excitement . We hardly ever came to the restaurant , so being here was a big deal . I climbed out , and approached the host station . " Travelers , party of 3 . " I told the host , and he smiled , pulling out menus . " No need for those . Just bring us a big Pepperoni Pizza and some Creme Sodas . " " Right this way . " the man said , and the three of us followed him . I noticed a lot of the restaurant 's patrons eyeing us curiously . " Hello , Travelers ! We wanted to be a part of this special day , too , and congratulate Caleb . He 's grown so much lately . High School starts tomorrow , right , Caleb ? " the man said . " I 'm sorry . . I don 't recognize the two of you . " I broke in . . wondering why these people seemed to be trying to join in our private celebration . " Oh , dear . In our excitement to finally meet Caleb , we must have forgotten to introduce ourselves , " said the man , " We 're from the town government who holds your contract . We heard you and your family were coming to celebrate Caleb 's birthday , and we couldn 't resist coming to meet you ourselves . " The conversation continued , until our food finally arrived ( I had noticed a big crash nearby as what seemed to be the food meant for us fell on the floor and the kitchen staff had to start all over . I felt bad for them , but maybe that waitress should have been more careful ! ) I tried to drop hints that we had planned this to be a private celebration , but the man and the woman seemed oblivious , and I didn 't really want to be rude . . so they stayed . " Thanks so much ! It was great to finally meet such a famous family ! " the woman said , and left with a pointed look at her companion . Apparently he either didn 't see it or he ignored it . . because right by us is where he stayed , talking up a storm about how lucky the town was that I had moved in and raised my family right here , building the first house back into this poor town . Caleb seemed to drink the attention right up , talking back animatedly , discussing how he was planning to build the best house they 'd ever seen . They were little - kid ideas , but his heart was certainly in the right place . The man treated Caleb like a hero , and Caleb clearly noticed . As the pizza and the Creme Sodas disappeared , I noticed the waitresses gathering with a big blue cake . Smiling , I nodded at them , and they brought the cake over . Confetti and streamers and horn - blowing accompanied what seemed like the entire restaurant 's cheers . We all sang Happy Birthday , and Caleb got ready to blow out the candles . " Make a wish , honey ! " I reminded him , and he paused just long enough to do just that . Internally , I wondered what he 'd wished for . It was bad luck to tell , of course , but I still wished I knew . Knowing his most private of dreams would certainly be helpful … that way I could do whatever I could to help it happen . I assume most parents think the same way about their kids . And then . . the moment was over . Caleb was a teenager . The whole restaurant cheered , and Caleb hurried to pull the extinguished candles out of the cake . The waitress handed us a big knife to cut up the cake , and people slowly returned to their own meals . All but that man . I wondered if he planned to stay the entire time we were here . " I 'll save the rest for Ryder . " Caleb said , and finished off his fourth creme soda . " Ready to go , Mom ? I 'm sure Ryder is missing us ! " " I think we can call it , that , yes . " he said , laughing . " I wonder what that man was thinking . He certainly had a lot to say , didn 't he ? ? " " That he did . I 'm glad we 're planning to stay home for Ryder 's birthday in a few days . That was a lot of extra attention we got ! " I slowly drifted off to sleep , wondering again what Caleb might have wished for so seriously before blowing out his candles … . and trying not to worry about Ryder growing up too soon , trying to be just like his big brother . You know , parent things . The stuff we all wonder as our children grow . … Maybe I 'd bake Ryder a pink cake , since that was his favorite color , it seemed … Another day complete . . and a milestone reached for Caleb . High School ahead … . Author 's Note : I have no idea who those sims were who decided to join the Traveler 's celebration , but I felt the need to weave what seemed like paparazzi into the story . That man just never did go away , although most of the rest of the people they attracted did . I took my writing cues from the screenshots I had , and just wrote what came to mind . And - yes , I 'm random - rolling every trait for this story . . and Caleb really did roll Glutton to go with his Outgoing from when he rolled his child trait . He also rolled the Party Animal aspiration . . which of course isn 't going to be worked on because he 's unplayable until he grows up , but it gives him the " Gregarious " trait . Unfortunately , all of this work didn 't distract my mind from a dawning realization . With high school starting in a few days , it was time for Caleb to learn about his inheritance . I didn 't want to just spring it on him , I wanted him to be able to be prepared for the difficulties he would face . I didn 't know for sure what the contract on him would require ( other than building the house , of course ) - but I did know that it wouldn 't be easy . It certainly hadn 't been easy for me ! " I have a story to tell you , Caleb . It 's a good story , but one I 've never told you before because you just weren 't big enough to understand . It starts out sad but gets so very much better . " " You see . . when I was your age , my mother passed away very suddenly . Dad didn 't cope very well , and he became very distant and withdrawn . I had school , and my friends . . but I never really felt that I " had " my dad anymore . I went through high school almost on auto - pilot . I never really sat down and thought about what I wanted out of life . Somehow , I let everything just pass me by until it was too late . Just before I graduated , Dad died , too . I 'm sure he felt that , since I was going to be grown up and move on with my life , that he had nothing left to live for . It just wasn 't true . I missed the dad I 'd had in my childhood . . and I wished I had had the guts to say so while he was still alive . " " I tell you that . . to try and show you how hopeless I felt at the time . Nothing had gone right in my life for what seemed like a very long time . Then , everything changed . One night , while sitting around in the apartment I could no longer afford to live in , I saw a news featurette about a government program in Simsville . Apparently , the entire town had been decimated by tornadoes and flash flooding . Everyone who lived there had been forced to re - locate . The only thing left standing was a small restaurant . . almost like a beacon of hope . The town government had decided to try to sponsor people to move back in . They would provide the land and the contractors if someone would be willing to take the gamble on moving into what was , almost literally . . a ghost town . Since I had nothing to my name except my clothes and my high school diploma . . I felt that this could be a new start for me . Someplace fresh . . where people wouldn 't look at me with pity , knowing what had happened to my family . " " Yes . I moved . Just me , the bits of survival gear the company gave me , a cellphone and a packet of information also from them . . and my suitcase . When I got here , all that there was was this bench , that mailbox . . and me . " " Yes , it was that . I learned to fish , and garden , and finally , to dream . I built this house and this family from those moments out here in the desert , and I would do it again . But here 's where you come into the story . " Sighing deeply , I braced myself for the fact that he might not be glad to get the same chance I had gotten . I thought to the tattered packet of information I had brought with me to this land and had kept in the back of my dresser all these years . There would be one of those waiting for Caleb , too . And it was time for me to find out whether he was willing to carry the dream forward . " You see , there 's a packet of information - a contract - waiting for you , as my firstborn . When you graduate high school , you are to move out like I did , following the guidelines in your information packet , and build your dream . Your firstborn will do the same thing . " " I think it 's awesome ! I like being outdoors , and maybe you can start teaching me about the gardening and fishing , right ? Do you think I could live here , like across the street ? That would be way cool . " " Well , yes , I suppose I could start teaching you those things . At least the basics . And - Caleb , I have no idea where the land that 's meant for you is . There are other neighborhoods that need houses in them , too . One that I know of is as green as this place is brown . There 's also a city . . and even rumors of a dark place . . with monsters . " " No , I don 't think it 's the type of place you go to visit . I 'm just saying … there 's more in this town than just this deserted street . Your land could be anywhere . But the best part is that it will be yours alone . Yours to dream up a house , yours to raise your family on . I made this choice to come here , knowing that the legacy I leave you with is a good one . You have a chance . . one that I thought I would never have . . but that , unbelievably , I was given . I don 't know what happens should you choose not to take the packet of information , but I doubt it 's a good thing . " " Mom , I don 't know why I would be so silly as to not take it . I 've heard rumors all the time in school about how you 're the hero this town was looking for . How nobody else was brave enough or crazy enough to try to build a house here . . but you did it . This is the best house , ever . Especially my monkey bars . You should be proud . I know I am ! I don 't know how I 'll build a house like you did . But I do know that I 'll try . Wherever my land is . . " he trailed off , watching my worried face . " Don 't worry , Mom . I love a good adventure , and that 's what this is . Wait until my classmates hear that I get to build a house just like you ! " He paused for a moment , then glanced towards the house . " Because someone has to take care of this house . " I replied . " Although , if he chooses , he could take one of those contracts , too , I suppose . As far as I know , they never found anyone else to help build this town . This house could be sold just as easily for someone else to come live in … if anyone still wants to move back here . " He thought about it , then said , " Well , that makes sense . I hope Ryder stays here . It would be cool to have him as a neighbor , I think , instead of some other smelly sim . " Caleb grinned at the thought . " When Ryder gets bigger , can I be the one to tell him he has to take care of this house ? . . And tell him the story of you fishing and gardening your way to building it ? " I looked at him in surprise , " If you want to . I suppose you could be the one to tell him . But he doesn 't have to stay here , you know . " " Yes , I think if you asked he might stay . Just remember , he 's allowed to make his own choice just like you are . I 'll support you two no matter what you two decide . " " There 's nothing to decide for me . I 'm going to get my own adventure ! And there might even be monsters ! ! Wait until I tell my friends … " " I have to get ready for bed , Mom . " He cocked his head , listening to crying coming from our house . " And I think Ryder needs a bedtime story . I 've already had mine ! " I sat there for a while longer , just watching the moon rise . Then , hearing Ryder crying again , I got up to get back to the business of mothering . That had gone well … maybe too well . Perhaps I shouldn 't have mentioned the monsters . Laughing briefly , I headed back into the house to read my youngest son to sleep . I feel like my life has been so much better since I took the contract to build a house for the city . I could never have dreamed things would have changed so much in such a little time . I have a home of my own , a loving husband , and a growing son . He started elementary school today , and came home full of energy and stories of his day . He and I sat at the table having an after school snack and I listened to all the exciting things he learned at school ( and the friends he made , of course ! ) Later , even Jared joined in and we all watched a movie together in the newly decorated " living room " . It was so nice to spend some family time without me having to run around cleaning the house or working in the garden . ( Luckily , Jared had taken care of most of that while I spent time with Caleb . ) A few days passed with more gardening and school and family time . . then the unexpected happened . I found out we had another nooboo on the way ! I waited for Caleb to get home from school , worried that he might think he was being replaced . Jared , of course , was thrilled . ( I think , mostly because he loves playing with toddlers ! ) . . But what would Caleb think ? ? Days turned into weeks , and before long the money I had made from gardening afforded us the ability to " finish " our home . I say it like that , because undoubtedly the children 's room will need to change as they grow . I included a photo of the interior designer 's mock - up with the walls removed , as well as two outside photos of our wonderful house . The big gurus at the government had come by to take promotional shots and they all said how much they liked the house I had built . Apparently they were having trouble getting anyone else to take the contract to build houses in these empty towns ! I wasn 't going to complain , because that left more space for the generations to come for my family . One afternoon , Caleb didn 't come in after school . . and I worried terribly as to where he 'd gone . Jared finally found the poor soul sound asleep on the very bench I used to camp on . Apparently he sat down to take a break from the monkey bars and simply nodded off ! Before too long , we were back with our newest addition to the family . ( Is it me , or does it seem to go faster with the second one ? ? ) Caleb had gotten what he REALLY wanted : a new baby brother . Jared and I named him Ryder , and tucked him safely into his little bassinet . I decided he would stay in the hall , right outside our bedroom door , so Caleb would be able to sleep all night without the baby waking him up , and we could hear him when he woke . He didn 't neglect his monkey bars , however . . and soon the day came when he could make it all the way across ! I was so proud of him , I immediately grabbed the camera and took the above shot as proof . Never let it be said that I wasn 't supportive of our boys ! That same week , Caleb surprised us again . Both with a new outfit and a mask that he made at school and with his shiny new A on his report card . All the studying he had been doing had really paid off . Ryder was now learning to talk and walk . . and really enjoyed the time Caleb took out of his daily schedule to play with his brother . I was so proud of the two of them I felt I could burst . How had I gotten so lucky ? Day by day , Ryder grew up . He learned to put himself down for a nap while I gardened , and he finally figured out what the potty chair was for . Caleb didn 't mind having his little brother share his room , but he put his foot down at stinky diapers . ( I can 't say as I blame him - all of us were happy when the potty training " stuck " . ) Ryder grew steadily , taking on new things on a daily basis . From stairs to climb to trying to " help " in the garden , I adored watching him grow up . Our little surprise was really fitting in with the family well . Each day felt like a blessing . . although there was that little worry in the back of my head . How would Caleb react when he found out about having to strike out on his own as soon as he graduated high school ? I tried not to think about it , but I knew that soon I needed to sit him down and explain the contract . I thought it was a good thing for him , but would he agree ? I didn 't want to just spring it on him as he graduated . . I wanted him to be aware of what was coming and more prepared for it than I had been . But when was the best time to tell him ? Jared was little help , as he said that it was my decision . Was he old enough to know now ? Or should I wait a little longer ? Well , today 's the day . With both my parents gone before their time , and no other family to speak of , I have little to hold me to my home , and fewer options . Last week , on the news , they had a " human interest " piece on a series of mid - western towns that had been devastated by tornadoes . The only thing still standing was a small restaurant , and the people that had survived were understandably leery of moving back into the area . The local government was holding out a " carrot " for new settlers . A lifetime contract , if you will , to help rebuild the towns . I contacted the number listed , and spent much of my final teenage days in meetings and on the phone with the people sponsoring the contract . For a FREE plot of land , all I would have to do was build a house fitting their description - 2 bedroom 1 bath minimum and worth 30 , 000 simoleons . The design was left up to me , and they already had a contracting company ready for whatever I could dream up . The only catch seemed to be the stipulation that my first born . . and their first born . . and on down the line . . would be contracted to build their own house , as well . I tried not to get overwhelmed by the details … and I plunged ahead . I loved the idea of making a difference , of being able to leave a legacy behind when I was gone . Whether by bravery , stupidity , or fate itself - I was going for it . Everything was signed , sealed , and I was in the contracting company 's hired car with my meager possessions stuffed into one suitcase in the back . With a pre - paid cell phone , my suitcase , and myself . . I 'm to be delivered to MY land . All mine . The excitement was unbearable , and the trip seemed to take forever . With little more than good - luck wishes and the aforementioned suitcase and phone , they dropped me off on the side of the dusty road next to a mailbox . A mailbox with MY name - Keira Traveler - already on it . I had no money , no shelter , and nothing to eat . . but they had helpfully left me with some basic survival tools - gardening tools , a fishing pole , and mess kit to eat . . well . . whatever I could find . The task had never seemed so daunting as it did when the car pulled away from the curb . For a brief moment , I felt like crying in loneliness , but , thankfully , it passed . With that moment of weakness behind me , I headed to the stream I could see running behind my house . . and prepared to learn to fish . It couldn 't be THAT hard , right ? Hours later , having finally caught a few small fish … I figured I had enough for a snack courtesy of the grill at the " neighborhood " park . I eyed the plants in the planters there , hoping to see fruit , vegetables , or flowers that I could use to plant my own garden . . but they all appeared to need more time to grow . I had noticed a bunch of people walking down the sidewalks all day , eyeing me curiously , but I didn 't feel brave enough to meet new people just yet . After my snack , I headed back for more fishing , and lo and behold . . I caught a cowplant berry . In the survival guide they had provided me with , I had made an earlier note about cowplants . . viable , growing baby plants could be sold for a nice chunk of change . So , abandoning the fishing trip , I went to see if this little berry would grow for me . The next day , things were definitely looking up . I managed to find some digsites with things to sell to the local traders . I spent a good portion of the day scrounging up what I could , along with more time with my fishing pole . By the end of the day , I had even found some flowers to plant in a garden of my very own . As the days went by , I started to feel more at home , and even felt brave enough to meet some of the people who continued to walk by , curious as to who might have been silly enough to fall for this town contract . From most of the people , all I heard was amazement that I would be willing to " give up " my life to the town and this government contract . Very few seemed to even think that I might have actually wanted the chance I was being given . Luckily , not every one thought that way , and I met some people who I could relate to . . even one man who I really liked - Jared . He was a colorful sort of person , and seemed to really support the choice I had made . As the days went by , he and I seemed to get closer and closer . I noticed him keeping track of my growing campsite , and he seemed genuinely thrilled for me when the first walls were finally put up . I wasn 't stuck to eating just fish anymore , either . With the acquisition of a cooler , I was able to eat cereal , yogurt , or granola anytime I wanted without dipping into the things that I found to sell . I got a used futon , and some more plumbing for my growing " bathroom " . I can 't even tell you how great it felt to be able to keep myself and my campsite cleaned up with bathroom fixtures . It was such a joy to see him , I would run after him any time I saw him walking by … even if I was just in my jammies . We could talk for hours . . although I rarely had that kind of time with my fishing , scrounging , and gardening taking up most of my time . Some days , I was even able to talk him into helping out around camp . One day , I simply couldn 't wait any longer . I had to make a move since he seemed to be either too shy or too scared to make one of his own . He accepted my flirting , and , to my surprise , he even flirted back . He said he hadn 't made a move because he didn 't want to pressure me into a relationship he wasn 't sure I wanted . I quickly let him know that was definitely NOT the case , and planted a kiss on him that I hoped he wouldn 't forget any time soon . More days passed , and Jared seemed to be spending more and more time at my camp . Finally , I asked him to move in . By that time , I had a bonafide garden and a bathroom , and felt I had a good start on building a home I hoped Jared could come to love , too . Within a week of him moving in , I had convinced him to marry me … and we finally had a roof over our heads . I couldn 't have been happier . It wasn 't much of a house , not yet . . but I could really see the possibilities of my dreams coming true . Jared helped around the house as much as he could , and even seemed to enjoy our daily gardening sessions . The chrysanthemums I had planted were really doing well , and were starting to really make some money . I had long since given up on a vegetable garden , because it simply didn 't make enough money to be worth it . Then . . one night . . after a day of feeling rather queasy , I took " THE " test . Jared was surprised , but as happy as I was to find out I was expecting . My pregnancy went by pretty quickly ( it seemed ) and before we knew it , Caleb was born . Jared seemed a little overwhelmed by the baby , so I did most the care and left Jared alone outside with the garden . I can hardly wait for Caleb to grow up , if nothing else . . so he can start learning how to take care of himself . Juggling the baby , collecting , and gardening really is taking a toll on me . It led directly to : How embarrassing . I did finally make it back to my bed , though . . and I vowed not to let it happen again . Before I knew it , my juggling act had a new participant . . Caleb . Instead of just laying in his crib , now he 's into everything . I 'm barely able to find time for gardening , but luckily Jared seems to have settled into his role as a parent and is helping out with Caleb more . Caleb is such a Charmer … always a smile for everyone ( unless he 's not getting his way ! ) I also found the time to meet with the interior decorator and get the house really looking like a house . As I make money from gardening , I 'll decorate it some more to get to the right value for the contract , but I don 't think it 'll be too hard to get to . It 's a simple house , but simple is just fine with me . I don 't need anything too fancy , and the stucco exterior seems to fit really well with the environment . I have to say , it 's great fun watching Caleb grow up . He loves to play and dance , and is always following me or Jared around . I 'm afraid I take far too many pictures of him , but I 'll try to show only the best ones . Author 's Note : I know , I started a second drifter save , I 'm completely crazy . And to blog BOTH of them ? . . even crazier . I started this one while waiting for my new computer to arrive … and I think I 've fallen in love with this little family . . or is it just the toddlers I love ? Who knows . I also kinda wanted to try telling a story for this drifter save ( the other one is just commentary - style ) . . whether that continues or not . . we 'll see . So far so good , though . Introduction by the Author < | > A Surprise For Keira