Hi Mum it's Sammy (clone 59 - part 15 - final)

Little Merry decided it was time to hold a royal court. It was very cute.

She had a paper crown, paper chain necklace, even a royal 'cape' and scepter.

Apparently she knighted someone who didn't bow low enough to please her royal highness. She started waving that scepter around most alarmingly.

"Merry, careful. You don't want to fall off the chair."

"That's Princess Merry to you, daddy."

"Yes, Princess Merry. Still, be careful and don't fall off the chair. I don't want to run you over to the hospital."

Our little princess, finally ready to try to sleep. Presiding over a court is a lot more work than she realised it might be.

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"Hi, Tulip."

"Hey, Charlie. What's up?"

"Well, if you don't have other plans, want to go on a date tonight?"

"No work or school stuff tonight. So sure."

"Dinner and a movie sound ok?"

"That's great, Charlie."

"Hey, Charlie?"

"Yes, Tulip?"

"There's a rumour around the school that you set the frogs loose. Did you?"

"Yeah, wasn't it great? The teachers were finding frogs everywhere all day."

"Charlie! Don't you remember what my daddy does for a living?"

"Umm."

"He's the principal and he gave me the works last night."

"He yelled?"

"Oh no, if he yells, it's not too bad. It's when he gives you the 'I'm so disappointed in you' routine. That one is very bad. He doesn't want me to associate with someone who pranks the school, it sends a bad message to the other kids."

"So?"

"Well, the gist of it is, if you prank the school again, we can't see each other. I have a feeling you are getting an extra chance because my parents really like your parents."

"So, you wouldn't like, sneak out, and meet up somewhere?"

"Charlie, how well do you think that would work in a town this size? Even tonight, my daddy is just over there." Even at night from a block away, that red hair of Thomas's is unmistakeable.

"Yeah, true. Do you want to keep dating?"

"I'd love to, Charlie. But not if daddy disapproves."

"Ok, Tulip, no pranks. I promise."

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My sweet Sunny had a change of heart and went back to her career in music.

As for me, I'd had enough of being the Fire Chief. I'd had enough of getting home late, exhausted and starving. It's been the same for weeks. Emergencies keeping me up and out until far too late. I may officially have coworkers but they have yet to assist at a single fire.

It was time for me to make a phone call.

 "This is Sam Grant."

"I quit."

"Yes, I know I won't be able to get the pension until retirement age. But I'm not going to live until retirement age if I stay in this job."

"Sorry, but the lack of decent fire fighters in town is your concern, not mine."

It's done, I'm officially unemployed.

"Hey Sunny, I see you bought some new clothes."

"It was a complete makeover, Sam. New from hair to shoes."

"You are looking gorgeous, my Sunshine. Say, umm, could we have a chat?" God, my heart is attempting to leap from my chest. This conversation could be very painful.

She settled with her plate. "Well, what did you want to talk about?"

"Us. You. What's happening." I took a deep breath and tried to convince my heart to stay in my chest. It felt like it was trying to escape. "You quit the career you loved. I've heard rumours about you and other guys. What are your plans, Amelia? Do they include the family? Me?"

"Sammy." Sunny took a deep breath and my heart stopped. I guess that's an improvement over my heart attempting to leap from my chest but not much of one. "I went back into music. Politics is too dull and boring. I don't have to start from the bottom but I'm not quite at the employment I had when I quit."

"And the guys?"

"It was only a bit of harmless flirting Sammy. It was," she paused for a moment while she considered, "it was a test of sorts. Flirting with a guy is a way to see if they think you are worth flirting back to. I've been feeling so old and ugly, Sammy."

"You've always been beautiful to me."

"That's what you say, Sammy, but how am I to believe that's what you mean?"

"But flirting could so easily lead to more."

"Don't worry, Sam. I'm starting to feel better. And I'd never do anything to hurt you. Weren't you ever tempted by other women?"

"No Sunny. Not even for a moment. You are the only woman in my life since the day we started dating."

"I should tell you that I quit the fire department today. The hours are too long when you look at my emergency calls. And the stress is too high. I'm sure it's not doing my blood pressure any good."

"Did you like the job?"

"Well, it had some points but I won't miss it."

"So what are your plans?"

"I'm thinking about it. Something dull with regular hours. Maybe politics, I hear that's pretty dull." Sunny smiled. She has the prettiest smile.

"Would the lovely lady like some pretty flowers?"

"Oh thank you, Sam."

"By the way, since I'm at home all the time, I was wondering about another baby."

"Sam Grant, you know very well I want to get somewhere with this career. Three children are plenty."

"Sunny, I was thinking adoption. Take in a baby that's an orphan or abandoned or neglected."

"Adopt? Well..."

"We have money to spare and I expect Charlie to move out soon after graduation."

"Maybe, Sam, maybe."

That little chat that Tulip had with Charlie turned him around entirely. So much so that he was a participant in the annual student award presentation.

His grades are up, his after school activities have proven excellent skill building opportunities.

The entire family turned up to cheer Charlie on. It's a good moment when your child gets some awards for their school efforts.

And that night, it was time for even more celebrations.

Merry was about to become a teen, and Charlie a grown man.

Merry went first, with the usual amount of noise and fuss.

Then our youngest was a teen. Where does time go? I've never understood it.

Merry is quite the beauty. I expect that the boys will really be buzzing around her.

Sunny and I both had a bad moment when we realised that all our babies were teens. And one was about to be an adult.

All too soon, it was Charlie's turn.

Our son, officially grown to manhood.

He has translated his love of outdoors into a profession. He is self employed as an angler. It's not likely to make him rich, but it will keep him happy.

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So, Mum, after Charlie grew up.

I managed to convince Sunny that adopting a child would be a good thing. Then little Arthur came into our lives.

He's a bit underweight and small for his age. He's also very quiet. We don't know if he's a bit shy, still timid from moving here or he's just a quiet youngster.

Arthur is a very good baby, and he's adapting well to his new home and siblings.

Sunny wasn't sure about this adoption until she met our new son. It wasn't long before she fell in love with the boy.

Charlie and Tulip really turned up the heat in their relationship.

It was no time at all before they were engaged.

The whole town knew, Tulip still practically has her own personal flock of paparazzi. At least we'll always have newspaper clipping of everything they do together, if they forget to tell us.

And it's only a matter of time until the wedding.

Me? Well, I'm still unemployed but we have a fair sized bank account. And I'm enjoying actually being around home more. While we have two teens and one toddler, I'm sure that somehow it's all going to work out, eventually.

So Mum, it's farewell from this Sam. I wish my other clone brothers well.

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Bonus pics

Kaleeko's Amelia Kane isn't the most compatible wife Sammy ever had. But he's a truly faithful Sim once he's committed to a relationship. Even throwing temptation at him, I could not get him to have any midlife crisis wishes about new relationships. I did try but he wouldn't fall for it.

I had ideas about where the story would go if Mia wanted a divorce or if Sam did. And Mia flirting was as far as any of their midlife crisis wishes went, which was pretty innocuous really.

Charlie does his parents proud as a young adult. Not a Sammy clone but a very good looking Sim.

Seaweedy's Junior Notorious - he has reached the top of his career but that isn't making him popular.

Fiona Fleet, her new baby and the 'father' of the baby. In two different instances of Barnacle Bay, Fiona is lesbian.

You can download the family; Sam, Amelia, Charlie, Donna, Merry, Arthur and Tulip Tomasi  from the exchange.  Donna is almost entirely Grant genetics but the other two are an interesting mix of both parents. I put in Tulip so Charlie has his girlfriend and little Arthur because.