Things were hard before Isla died. They weren’t any easier after. Harvey worked hard to pay off the debt Isla and Henry had racked up and to make ends meet. He struggled getting promotions with missing work to care for the girls as Isla was unpredictable and unreliable. Yet, he missed Isla. She had been his first love.

He wanted more for the children. Luckily, he had his mother and sisters to help out with them.

April became a rebellious, angry teen. Rarely, did Harvey do anything right in her eyes. She constantly rolled her eyes at him. She often asked for money and would sneak out of the house.

Nicole was a curious, friendly child, often asking question after question. It annoyed April, but Harvey welcomed it. Her constant questions kept him out of his own head for awhile.

Nicole’s best friend was Kyle. Kyle was in Nicole’s class. They played together after school as much as they could. They shared secrets. Talked about how she missed her mother and his sadness over not having a father.

With Kyle and Nicole spending so much time together, it was no surprise that Harvey and Kyle’s mother, Kendra got to know each other. Kendra, too, had lost a significant other. She, too, struggled with being a working, single parent.

It was nice having someone to share his worries with, someone that could understand and Harvey looked forward to seeing Kendra when the kids got together.

Sally, on the other hand, did not feel that she could share her burdens with Nancy. After having William, Nancy still did little around the house. She didn’t take care of William most of the time either. She left his care to Sally, Megan, and Audrey.

Sally had hoped things would go back the way they were now that Finley had his son. She had told herself that Nancy was just temporary until she gave birth, but Nancy didn’t leave. Nancy didn’t help out. She continued to want to be served, to complain, to receive Finley’s attention. Sally did not know how to win back Finley’s attention. She was filled with resentment and would often snap at Megan and give her more and more chores.

Megan, now a teen, felt like her days were full of chores and childcare. Little time was spent on her schooling. She felt like she got the worst of the jobs. She hardly got to leave her house these days. She dreamed of running away, but where would she go. She hadn’t heard from Kurt in years. Finley and Sally felt that he was too critical of their way of life. Finley told them Kurt was a bad influence on the family with his drinking and not following the ways of the Sims of the Light.

Audrey, too, was a teen. Finley was more lenient with Audrey. He allowed her more options in her clothing choices. She had less chores. She still followed Finley around like a little puppy wanting a pat on the head. Megan didn’t understand it. Finley was the source of all their problems as far as she could see. She tried to talk to her mother, but it was no use, even after the way he treated Sally, she still defended him. Megan began to count down the days until she was 18 and free of Finley.

William, a toddler, was into everything. Finley had forbidden William to be punished. He was to be the next “Chosen One”. He was learning through his behaviors and they must not try to change him Finley ordered. He would one day be the leader and they must let him find his way.

William could be a little terror, making messes, shouting no, and causing havoc wherever he went. Sally would bite her tongue when he dumped food all over her just washed floors. She would clench her fists as he banged pots and pans, flung plates across the room, threw tantrums, and scribbled on the walls. At night, she dreamed of packing his things and pushing him and Nancy out the door, only to wake up to his demanding to be fed now.

Bailee was the opposite of William. She was timid and quiet. She rarely raised her voice. She was used to being forgotten. She learned to stay out of the way and do as she was told. She had been reprimanded for crying out when William pulled her hair or retrieving toys taken by William.

Bailee adored her big sister, Megan. She read her a story to sleep most nights and was teaching her to read and write. She wished her mother would spend more time with her, but she was either angry or too tired. She always had a chore for Bailee to do and too often it was to play with William.