2.3 Choices

Dot writes a short letter to Justin. They've been seeing each other for a few weeks now and she thinks it's going well. 

Dear Justin, 

Guess who? I got out of bed today and thought about you. I really like you. Sounds cliched and kind of immature, but it's true! I hope you enjoy my company as much as I enjoy yours. I'm excited to spend even more time together. I was thinking someday, if we have the time, we could get out of the city together! Doesn't a road trip sound like fun? 

XOXO

Dot. 

She doesn't feel brave enough to sign "Love, Dot". Not yet. She's not sure if she'll even give him this letter, so for now she puts it in its envelope and puts the letter in a box under her bed. Someday, when she feels ready... 

Meanwhile, Damaris runs into Quartz during one of her marathon sing-o-gram sessions. 

"Well, hi stranger! I thought you'd forgotten all about your little swamp family," Damaris says sarcastically as she hugs her oldest son. 

"No need for the theatrics, mom. It's not like I live that far..." 

"And yet you've never invited me over!" 

Her face is serious when they pull away, "I heard that DeAndre passed away. That must be awful for you and Chase... please tell her that I'm terribly sorry for her loss... and your sister! Oh, I can't even imagine how Joni feels..." 

Quartz nods somberly, "It hasn't been easy. A lot of his old band buddies stop by to check on us..." 

"That sounds nice of them." 

"It would be, if they didn't wear their tacky old stage outfits and then get drunk while singing their old songs on the karaoke machine..." Quartz finds himself regretting his suggestion to "spruce up" DeAndre's house. 

Quartz asks how his brothers and sisters are doing. 

"I don't know what Pancho gets up to," Damaris sighs, "It's always him going in and out the door!" 

"Because you would never..." Quartz smiles. 

"Hush. That's different. The kids at least know what I'm doing!" 

"Dot's daycare business is going well, but I'm worried about her... she spends all of her time taking care of other people. But the more I push her to get out of the house, the more she stays. I'm happy that she wants to stay with us! Of course! But..." Damaris sighs again. 

"I'm sure it'll be alright," Quartz soothes her worries, "Pancho's a teenager and Dot's an adult now. One will eventually calm down and the other makes her own choices." 

Damaris hugs her son again, "When did you get so wise?" 

"DeAndre's band buddies talk a lot." 

Speaking of Dot... 

It seems getting "promoted" just changed the colour of her uniform and the number of kids she can look after at one time. She agrees to take on another toddler for the next day on the phone. 

But suddenly, she's closing down the daycare. 

She has her own baby to care for, it seems. 

To clear her head, Dot heads out for a walk in the park. She runs into Buddy. 

"Hey, I heard that the daycare won't be open for a while. Everything alright?" he asks, concerned for his friend. 

"Yes, everything's alright. Actually, it's great! I'm expecting my own baby now." 

Buddy gives her a thumbs up. "I'm happy for you! Who's the lucky dad?" 

She drops her voice, "Well, I haven't told him yet so you cannot tell anyone." 

"Who is it?" Buddy is speaking in a whisper now. 

"My boyfriend's, Justin Kayes." 

Buddy can't hide his surprise, "Justin? Really? I don't mean to be...rude...but he's my age..." 

"I know, but he makes me happy. That's all that matters, right?" Dot refuses to be embarrassed. 

She allows Buddy to rub her belly. 

"Do you know the gender yet?" 

"It's too early to tell." 

She finds herself explaining to several people that day that the daycare is closed... though due to Buddy's reaction, she tries not to mention that it's because she's pregnant. 

Later that evening, Dot has decided to tell Justin. Sure, Buddy promised not to tell anyone, but he'll let it slip to his wife...who might mention it to one of her friends... better to get ahead of the gossip, she figures. 

Huh... maybe it's his housemate, Dot can't make out who's standing with Justin on his porch. 

When she gets closer, her heart sinks. 

"No kiss goodbye?" he asks the woman. Dot vaguely recognises her as one of Twinbrook's firefighters.

"Well-," 

"Am I interrupting something?" Dot cuts in to their conversation. 

Blaise is confused, "Sorry, do we know you...?" 

"He does. I guess you're 'getting to know' other people too, huh?" 

"What's she talking about?" Blaise looks between them. 

"She's..." 

"What? You can't say it?" Tears of embarrassment are slipping down her face now, "We're dating. Well, we were..." 

"Dot, don't make a scene..." Justin tries to calm her down. 

Dot takes a deep breath, "I came here to tell you something important. We can talk about...everything else later." 

Sofia Carlton comes outside, annoyed at the noise. 

"Oh, you again," her voice deflates at the sight of Blaise. "Justin, when will you tell her that we're together and that you're through with her?" 

"Not now, Sofia!" Justin hisses. 

Blaise feels stupid. She fell for his lies...again. "I'm just going to go." 

"Good! Don't come back!" 

"Look, I'm pregnant. I..." her throat swells up, thinking about how she thought this announcement would go, "I don't know what to say... I didn't know that..." the tears well up again, she stubbornly swipes them away. "Why didn't you say anything?" the question comes out, completely unexpected and with all the tears she's been trying to hold back. 

Justin feels horrible as he watches her cry. 

"I didn't think you were serious about me. We never talked about it." 

"That's an excuse and you know it." 

Justin scratches the back of his neck, "I'm sorry it wasn't clear to you. I know you aren't too experienced-," 

Dot's eyes widen in disbelief. "I really like you! Not just because you're the first guy I've dated... I thought I meant something to you too. I guess I was stupid, huh? Sorry that I'm not a genius like you." 

When Justin doesn't say anything, she marches down the stairs, feeling like an idiot when her chest hurts and her eyes tear up again. 

For once, she's glad that no one's awake when she comes home. She gets changed into her pjs... 

...and eventually falls asleep. 

Alone. 

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AN: I did not see that coming. When Dot met Justin he was listed as single... but apparently he had two other romantic interests the entire time! Sofia Carlton was his girlfriend by the time I got her to Justin's house, and they married a few sim days later! And I thought the relationships my sims get into passed by fast!