Naomi goes back to work quickly after giving birth to Evan. Any suggestions that she work from home or take time off are shot down with a smile. At work, that is.
When Calvin suggests it, she just sighs.
"I'm paying half our bills, I can't afford to take time off," she explains, again and again.
"I know, I know..." Calvin grumbles back, "I just think it would be good for you and Evan to spend more time together."
Naomi sighs more heavily this time. "I can do that when he's older. We need money now."
As always, Calvin relents...for now.
Whatever other point he could've made would have been cut off by her phone calls anyways. Naomi never turns her work phone off and answers at the first ring.
"Oh, you need someone to clean the podium before the mayor's speech?" she looks guiltily away from Calvin. "Is...there really no one else? It's my day off," she tries to compromise. Calvin gets sulky whenever she's called away to work during her time off.
She hangs up and looks at Calvin, bracing herself for his reaction.
"No one else is at city hall. My supervisor was not happy that I tried to get out of this extra shift," she explains, rubbing the back of her neck, "I have to go. I'm sorry."
Calvin's eyebrows knit together in displeasure, "Fine," he spits out, "Me and Evan will be waiting when you come back. Like always."
Naomi doesn't have time to smooth this over properly. She gives Calvin a quick kiss on the cheek before she goes into their room to get ready.
After scowling at her car as it pulls away, Calvin prepares Evan's dinner.
It's no trouble to look after his son, really. He'd have happily done it alone even if Naomi had stayed.
He just wishes they could spend time together. As a family. Is that too much to ask?
Even when she's home, her work comes with her. Naomi no longer just cleans podiums, but now manages the city's website and fields emails.
Calvin scowls at her. It's like this every morning on the weekends. He tends his plants (something to do while he looks for work) and she just answers emails and doesn't seem to notice that he exists.
"I'm right here, you know," he sulks.
"I know that. Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" Naomi's response is weary. She doesn't even look away from the computer screen.
Calvin's scowl deepens.
His job hunt is further put on hold by looking after Evan 24/7. He feels guilty, sometimes, that he's essentially become a stay-at-home dad and making the financial burden worse for his parents and Naomi. But he can't see another option for now; a regular baby sitter or nanny would eat further into their money. He feels so stuck.
One morning, Calvin sits down for breakfast with Naomi.
"How's work?" he asks cautiously.
"It's alright. It's getting busy now, with the elections for mayor coming up."
"Right..." Calvin has never closely followed Riverview's politics. Each mayor seems more or less the same as the last one.
They trail off into silence.
"Um...I wanted to ask you...if I could put off finding work a little longer."
To his surprise, Naomi only shrugs. "A daycare would be expensive. I don't see why not... if your parents are ok with it, that is."
Calvin lets out a breath of relief, "I called them yesterday. They're more than happy to help us out for now, until Evan can go to school."
Naomi smiles at him, "Great. We can wait a little longer."
In private, however, Naomi frets about their finances and their future.
Calvin emerges from their bedroom to find Naomi looking distantly out the window. He holds her hands in his.
"We haven't been out in a while, the two of us, I mean." Maybe she's feeling cooped up? Undesired?
Naomi smiles weakly, "That's true. We haven't been on many dates."
Calvin surprises her with a passionate kiss.
"We could ask my parents to baby sit Evan for today. They've been dying to spend time with him, anyways. Then we could go out, do something nice..."
Naomi looks up at him breathlessly. "Ok," is the only reply she can manage.
As Calvin thought, his mom and dad jumped at the chance to look after Evan today. They all but shoved him and Naomi into the car to get out of there.
Without the finances to feel comfortable eating a fancy lunch, the young couple settles for the fall festival.
"When I was a kid, I always wanted to come here," Naomi admits, "Mother never had the time to take me..."
Calvin looks surprised. He and his siblings have been here more times than he can count. "It's not too late to make up for that."
Naomi laughs shyly. "I guess you'll have to lead the way."
While she feels too old for most of the games, she happily follows Calvin into the photo booth...
But declines having her face painted. "That seems too childish," she wrinkles her nose at the poster advertising the various animals and symbols she could have painted onto her face.
Calvin shrugs, "Suit yourself. I'm getting a bad-ass pumpkin."
Naomi is persuaded into getting something painted on anyways.
"I look silly," she protests.
Calvin grins, "Well, the water will wash it away!"
The childish hand-print turkey stays stubbornly bright on her cheek.
Next is the haunted house. Naomi gets lost in the maze.
It is some time before she's able to find her way out.
"Hey, you made it. I got us some food," Calvin gestures towards the greasy festival food on the table, "Dig in."
Naomi's starving and wolfs down her chicken wings.
"So how's your first festival?"
Naomi thinks before answering. "I can see why children enjoy it," she replies diplomatically.
"Oh come on. You're not too old to have fun!"
Naomi just chuckles.
Calvin manages to think of something not too childish to do before they leave. Slow dancing has to be pretty romantic, right?
"I had fun today," Naomi murmurs into Calvin's ear.
"Me too."
They're looking into each other's eyes for a long moment, slowly leaning in...
Until Naomi's phone rings shrilly. The ring tone is her work phone's distinctively loud buzz.
"I need to answer this," Naomi says quickly.
"Yeah, yeah whatever," Calvin snorts.
"What now? They need you to clean the city hall top to bottom?"
Naomi frowns. "No. They want me to come early tomorrow. The mayor is having a photo-op and they want me to help set up."
Calvin exhales slowly. "I see."
Naomi's brows crease. "They're going to pay me extra for this. We need this, Calvin."
"I know... it just feels like I barely get to see you."
Naomi bites her lip. She can't deny she's been away from home a lot lately. "It's a busy time right now, with the elections and everything. Things should be calmer once that's over."
Calvin gives Naomi a small smile. "I guess I can hold out a bit longer..."
Naomi grins, "That's all I'm asking."
Still, for the time being it's hard for him not to show his annoyance when yet another conversation is cut off by her work phone.
This time, even Naomi is a bit ticked off. "Why are they calling at this hour?" she grumbles before hitting "answer".
"Ah, there's going to be a press release as well? Of course I can stay late," Naomi's annoyance is replaced by professional enthusiasm.
Behind her, Cavin clenches his jaw.
It'll just be for a little while... he reminds himself.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: Naomi kept getting tons of phone calls from friends and sometimes opportunities in-game. Poor Calvin could barely get a word in!
I'm going to reveal Calvin's job roll a bit early, since it takes a while to show up in the screenshots I have; he's going to be a dumpster diver! It took longer than it should have for me to send him out to the city's dumpsters to do his thing. Since Naomi dislikes children, I also had him take care of Evan in the baby and toddler stages.
In-game, the Silverlys are doing fine financially! Sage left behind a decent amount of money and the in-game salaries are pretty good, especially after level 1 of the rabbit-hole careers.
Evan's traits at this stage are genius and nurturing! He should be a toddler soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment