So here is Prudence enjoying the afterglow with her third conquest, Ethan Bunch.  Ethan inspired Prudence’s second trashy novel, titled The Younger Man.  It helped her deal with some of the ick factor of sleeping with the son of one of her close friends.

This is Benedict after he aged up from toddler to child.  I think he looks more like Pru than Clark….I changed his hairstyle just after this.

Arthur after he aged up into a teen.  Xander Clavell’s mark is all over that face.  He gained the trait of disliking children (I rolled for traits, rather than picked them).  Notice Ethan Bunch in the bedroom?  He and Pru had just conceived Baby #3.  The little boy is Benedict.

This is Arthur taking care of Pru’s baby with Ethan Bunch: Clarence.

This is Benedict after he aged into a teen.  Definitely Pru’s boy, but he might have Clark’s nose….

Leighton was going to be Pru’s 4th conquest.  He blew hot and cold, just like Clark, and inspired her to begin another trashy novel titled Seducing the Jittery Jock.  One day he’s very receptive, the next he acts like this.  Ridiculous.  She never sealed the deal with him, but mostly because of bad timing.  He stayed the night twice, but her gardening and the new baby took up the time.

Little Clarence after he became a toddler.  He has Pru’s hair color, but get this–violet eyes?!  Ethan had blue eyes, so I guess someone further down the line in the Bunch clan had violet eyes.

This is a scene of heartbreak.  Of the three non-blooming plants you see in their entirety, two were life fruit plants.  This happened the morning of the day that Prudence would have turned into an elder.

Well, there you have it, folks.  Thanks for reading and for all the support.  If you are interested, I have begun a new WYD Challenge using suggestions made from Pru’s fans (Pru will play a role in this new challenge, even though she’s an elder), and you can read it here: The Ophelia Oftpreg Experiments

Prudence was so busy that the days started blurring together.  She was so exhausted that on the morning of her 21st day, she slept until 10:15, and let herself get way too hungry.  She stuffed a piece of bread with jam in her face and immediately ran into the nursery to tend to the babies.

Prudence definitely liked Benedict’s toddler stage–while he still woke up at the slightest sound, overall he seemed to be a happier baby.  She really hoped that he and Arthur would be close, but for now they were mostly dependent on her for social interaction.

In her garden, Prudence was pleased to see that one of her unknown plants grew to bear onions.  Though she’d been hoping for something a bit more valuable, every crop helped.

After she completed her gardening chores, Prudence dashed back inside to work with Arthur on his walking–and she was thrilled when he finally got the hang of it.  Now her big boy could walk to the potty!

Though she was exhausted, Prudence worked late into the night (or early into the morning…) with Arthur to get him to talk.  He finally started stringing words together consistently around 2:30 A.M..  Soon after that, the boys were put in their cribs.

Her schedule was so thrown off that she was eating canned soup at 3 A.M..  Prudence laughed to herself about how strange her life was–here she was eating soup early in the morning, and it wasn’t because she’d been out bar-hopping or because she had just caught a cab from some hot guy’s house.

Even though she didn’t get to bed until late, Prudence was up at 9:51 to clean the shower.  She was determined to keep her bathroom cleaner now that the boys were both toddlers and sleeping through the night.

Once Prudence confirmed that the boys were happily playing with their toys in the nursery, she sat down to write.  Lately, she’d been able to catch half an hour here and there to write in between taking care of the boys–if she could just get a few longer stretches of writing, she knew she could finish the book.

In fact, Prudence was so caught up in writing her book that she missed the exact moment when Arthur grew into a child.  When she did see him, she couldn’t believe how much he looked like Xander.  Prudence realized that she had a part of Xander right in her home–she was just happy that it seemed to be the best part.

She nearly cried when Arthur decided he wanted to have his hair cut–he looked like such a big boy now, and she wasn’t sure whether that was a good or bad thing.  He’d wanted to look nice for his first day of school, which was the next day.

<– Previous day

Next day –>

One thing that amazed Prudence the most about her two baby boys was how different they were.  Even when Arthur was a newborn, he’d never been as fussy as Benedict.  Benedict woke up at the slightest sound, and he seemed to require attention every time she turned around.

When she wasn’t running to see what Benedict was crying about, she was outside in the garden.  Prudence replanted most of the garden to take advantage of the superior seeds she’d been able to cultivate.  She was looking forward to having better vegetables and fruits to sell at the market.

Prudence was really worried about Arthur’s development.  Every time she started working with him on walking or talking, Benedict started fussing.  She wanted to make sure that Arthur started childhood on track–the last thing she wanted was for him to fall behind once he began school.

She couldn’t stay agitated at little Benedict–he was just as cute as Arthur had been as an infant.

She could, however, stay mad at the toilet, because it seemed to break every single time she used the thing.  She was convinced it would be even worse when Arthur was old enough to use it regularly!  But she was getting to be a pro at toilet repair.

Maybe I can open a side business–Prudence, Plunger-Wielder Extraordinaire…she thought darkly.

When Prudence sat down again to mold Arthur’s chatter into real words, she was in such a bad mood that she could only talk about depressing subjects.

“And once, Mommy caught the stove on fire because she’s a genius like that.  Then, instead of doing something useful, she went outside and fainted.”

After running about so much and on so little sleep, she had to get some real sleep in the middle of the day–a nap just wouldn’t do.

She managed to wake up just in time to watch Benedict grow into a toddler.  He was adorable, of course–but she was slightly disappointed that his coloring resembled hers more closely than Clark’s.

“Well, Benedict–at least no one will suspect that you and Arthur have different fathers…” Prudence said on a sigh.  She really had hoped that Benedict would inherit his father’s beautiful violet eyes.

<– Previous day

Next day –>

Oh well.  On with the challenge!

Prudence was happy to be back in her usual clothes, but she wasn’t fooling herself–nothing else would be back to normal ever again.  She was now the mother of two little boys, and the sense of responsibility was really starting to weigh on her.

It didn’t help that she was falling behind on her chores.  A filthy house just added to her stress–but if it came between making sure her babies were fed, diapered, and comforted and a clean bathroom, then the babies were going to win out.

Prudence was also trying to be very careful to pay just as much attention to Arthur as she had before.  She didn’t want him to feel jealous of Benedict.  She took extra care to cuddle him and play in between teaching him to walk, use the potty, and talk.

Once Arthur and Benedict were both asleep, Prudence breathed a tiny sigh of relief.  Then she realized that…it was her birthday.  She was officially an adult.  Not a young adult, but a full-on boring, responsibility-laden adult.  She frowned as she gazed out of her curtainless-window, wondering where the time went.

Moping won’t help, idiot.  If I’m so worried about time slipping away, then I’d better get to work!

Prudence sat down at her computer and managed to type out a few more chapters just as she received notification that she’d been paid $18 for the last round she’d submitted.

If I just finish this book–everything will be better…. Prudence thought.  She worked until she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer, and fell asleep chanting that message of hope to herself.

<– Previous day

Next day –>

As soon as the sun rose on her 18th day in Sunset Valley, Prudence began gardening.  Her funds were starting to run low, and with another baby on the way she was getting a little worried.  She consoled herself with dreams of pulling in a decent sum from the royalties that her book would accrue–once she actually finished it.

Between gardening, cleaning, and taking care of Arthur, Prudence didn’t have time to cook a meal for herself–she had to be content with a piece of bread and jam to tide her over.

She still managed to find time to work with Arthur on his walking–he fell down a lot, but since it was on his bottom he would just laugh.  As difficult as her life was, she couldn’t regret Arthur’s existence.  He was full of nothing but love for her, and she was so grateful for that.

She felt guilty though–she didn’t know whether she’d ever be able to give him the life he deserved.  She’d managed to get a little extra money by selling her curtains to a consignment shop.

I like this better anyway–it’s much easier to see what’s going on outside, and it lets more light into the house…. Prudence assured herself.

With the extra money, she was able to finish the interior of the nursery with wallpaper and carpeting, as well as buy an extra crib for the new baby.  She wasn’t crazy about the decor, but it was so much better to have the extra room.  When she had the money, she planned to have some windows installed.

At 10:00 P.M., Prudence went into labor just as she was about to settle down to read a book.

OK….I just need to get to the hospital, and….

Suddenly, Prudence realized that she couldn’t go to the hospital.  She couldn’t take Arthur with her, and she didn’t have the money for a babysitter.  She had no significant other to stay with him or to hold him at the hospital.

She was alone, and she was going to have to have her baby at home, with no help.  She nearly wept from fear at this realization.

That isn’t going to help, dummy…Prudence thought.  OK, just…breathe.

After two hours of labor, Prudence finally felt the telltale signs of true progress–she waited breathlessly as her pains melted away, her body transformed, and her newest child was born.

At midnight, she held her new son, Benedict, in her arms for the first time.

<– Previous day

Next day –>

Prudence received her confirmation the next day that she was indeed pregnant.  She decided that she needed to get out of the house and be distracted for a while, so she planned to take Arthur on his first library visit.

Prudence was excited to take Arthur out–even though his existence might set some tongues to wagging.  She was certain that he was one of the most adorable toddlers in Sunset Valley–maybe even the world.  She was entranced by his lovely large eyes and cute little mouth.

When Prudence arrived at the library, she noticed a familiar face.  She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she wondered what Leighton Sekemoto would think when he realized she was pregnant so soon after she’d had Arthur.

After briefly considering the option of simply going back home, she was about turn to leave when he noticed her and called her over.  Prudence took Arthur to the children’s section and chatted with Leighton for a while.  She didn’t say anything about her pregnancy, and hoped Leighton would think it was just residual baby weight.  She asked after his mother and they made small talk for a little while.  Finally, Prudence begged off to go in search of a computer.

Arthur was having a grand time while his mother was trying to keep the rumors down to a minimum.  He loved playing with the block set, and didn’t move away from that toy the entire time.

Prudence found the seat in front of one of the computers occupied by a man with a very strange skin condition. He wasn’t using the computer–he was just sitting there, reading a book.

“Excuse me, sir…would you mind terribly if I used the computer?” Prudence asked.

“What?  Oh! Sure…I’m sorry, I can find another seat.”  the man replied amiably.  Prudence struck up a conversation with him and found out that his name was Boyd Blue, and he had just moved to Sunset Valley.

Prudence sat down soon after ending her conversation with Boyd, and she was happy to get a few chapters out of the way.  A publisher she’d submitted the book to liked what she was doing, and paid her $18 for her submission.  Prudence was eager to get more written.  She decided that even though her novel was based on her bad experience with Xander, it was time to introduce a hero.  She modeled him on Clark’s characteristics, and primly refrained from writing the love scenes at the library.  She’d finish those up at home.

It was growing dark by the time Prudence left the library with a sleepy and hungry Arthur in her arms.  She scooted them into a cab and sat there humming quietly to Arthur as they drove home.  It had felt good to get some writing done, but she had no idea how she’d find the time once the new baby was born.

<– Previous day

Next day –>

Prudence really enjoyed snuggling next to Clark as they slept.  Her usual solitary existence didn’t usually have such treats.  He was warm and it was reassuring to her to hear his soft breathing throughout the night.  She didn’t worry at all about burglars.

It was pretty enjoyable to have him sitting in his underwear at her tiny kitchen table, too.  When she emerged from the shower to find him scarfing down leftover pancakes in nothing but his jockey shorts, she wondered idly if she would ever get used to such a sight.  She seriously considered dragging him back to bed, but she had too much to do.

Before she could even begin her long list of chores, however, she felt extremely nauseous and had to run for the bathroom.  Prudence felt a growing horror as she realized that it probably wasn’t food poisoning–her romp with Clark was going to come at a cost she wasn’t sure she could afford.

“Hey, are you alright?” Clark asked when Prudence emerged from the bathroom.  Her house was much too tiny and the walls were too thin–he’d heard her being ill.

“Yes, I’m fine.  Just some bad food or something.”  Prudence lied.  She wasn’t prepared to tell him anything.  She had no idea how she could–he knew that she had already behaved foolishly in this arena once before–what would he think of her if he found out that she hadn’t even thought to use birth control yet again?

Clark was suspicious of her answer, and when his back was to her, he grimaced as he realized what her illness could mean.  He’d heard of the signs of pregnancy from some of his female relatives, and he knew that he hadn’t taken any precautions.  He didn’t know whether or not Prudence was on any form of birth control, and he cursed himself for failing to ask–he just hadn’t been thinking at the time.  Prudence fed and changed Arthur, and dashed outside to work on her garden.  She couldn’t risk being around Clark before she’d worked out how she was going to handle this situation.

While Prudence was outside, Clark considered what it would be like to be a father.  Out of curiosity more than anything, he picked up little Arthur–and felt an irresistible urge to snuggle him.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad? He thought.  But if Prudence were pregnant, and didn’t tell him….wouldn’t that be a sign that she didn’t think he was cut out to be a father?  That depressed him, and he placed Arthur back into the crib gently.

Soon after Prudence finished her chores, she came back in to find that Arthur had grown into a toddler.  She sighed as she realized that her life was about to become even more busy than before–not only would she need to take care of teaching him things, but if her suspicions were correct, he’d have a sibling very soon.

Clark offered to build a small room for Arthur if Prudence would just pay for the materials.  She had just enough to add on to the foundation of the house and put up the walls and roof–but not quite enough to finish the interior or exterior.  She was grateful for Clark’s help, though, and gave him a long kiss before he left that night.  She wasn’t sure how she was going to scrape together enough money to finish the interior of the room and purchase another crib before her second baby came along, but she didn’t say a word of that to Clark.

Prudence was determined to remain positive around little Arthur, no matter how worried she was.

She chattered to him in a cheerful tone as she coached him on how to use the potty.

“See, Arthur? That’s how it’s done.  Just think–soon you’ll have a lovely little room to play in, and probably a sibling to play with as well.” Prudence cooed, wishing that she felt as happy about that as she was trying to sound.

<– Previous day

Next day –>

Sometimes you have to spend money to make money, Prudence assured herself as she began a novel on her new computer.

She’d settled for an older desktop model out of desperation–she was desperate to write again, but it was too hard to find the time to visit the library in between Arthur’s feedings and keeping him happy and changed.  She couldn’t afford a sitter.

Prudence was writing a novel that some might call…trashy.  But she didn’t care, as long as it made some money.  She titled it Mr. Wrong Doesn’t Make it Right, and based it on some of her experiences with Xander.  She was thankful for the bedroom experience he’d provided when it came time to write the love scenes.

She couldn’t seem to get enough sleep, because she hadn’t had a full night’s rest since baby Arthur arrived.  As eager as she was to make some real progress on her book, she couldn’t neglect her baby or her garden.  She pushed herself to her physical limits, waiting too long to eat or sleep.

After a particularly nice nap, Prudence decided that it was time to let Clark know about Arthur.  She called to invite him over and was relieved when he agreed to come almost immediately.

Her relief was short-lived, however, when he arrived and looked at Arthur in wordless surprise.

“When did this happen?” he asked, aghast.

“I uh…I was seeing someone.” Prudence said lamely.  “But he’s out of the picture now.”

“You had a baby, and you didn’t tell me?  I can see how close we are now….how unimportant I am to you!” Clark said angrily.

“Listen, I know I should have told you when I found out that I was pregnant, but I was scared of losing you as a friend!  Please don’t do this to me….I had such a bad experience with Arthur’s father–I really can’t bear to lose you too.” Prudence stammered.

“I just thought we were…close.  This changes everything.” Clark said.

“I wish it didn’t–I enjoy spending time with you, and I don’t see why that has to change.  Look, do you want something to drink?  I need some juice.”  Prudence said, heading toward the fridge.

She had nearly made it to the fridge when Clark’s long stride brought him to her.  He folded her into his arms and pressed her into his body.

“I’m sorry.  I overreacted.  I’m just not used to thinking of you as a mother.  It was just a shock.” Clark mumbled.  Prudence was shocked, too.  She couldn’t believe that Clark was this close to her, and even more unbelievable was the way her body responded to his proximity.

You just had a child by one man–you shouldn’t be thinking about crawling into bed with another! Prudence lectured herself.

Clark was clearly affected as well.  He leaned back just enough to look at her face, and his hands slid from her back to cup the sides of her face.

“Prudence….” he whispered.  His eyes were searching hers, and Prudence had the feeling that he was waiting for permission.

And she gave it to him.  Prudence leaned in and kissed him, and Clark’s hands dropped from her face in surprise.

After a moment, Prudence leaned in and whispered a question to Clark.

“Would you like to stay the night?” she asked.

Clark thought that was a great idea.

When they reached her bed, Clark pulled back.

“Pru….I just want you to know that you don’t have to….we don’t have to….” Clark began, but was shushed by Prudence leaning in to kiss him.

“I want to.  Now.”  she said.

So they did.

<– Previous day

Next day –>

Prudence found herself waking up from a bad dream in which she had been in love with Xander.  She woke up feeling unsettled–what if she was just deluding herself, and she actually missed him?  She kept waiting to cry or feel sad because of what had been done to her–but she only felt disappointment at the type of life Arthur would probably lead without a father-figure.

When she finally dragged herself out of bed to feed Arthur, Prudence took her first really good look at him.  He didn’t have her eyes–she tried to remember the exact shade that Xander’s eyes had been, but couldn’t.  Arthur kept catching his little fists in the end of her braid whenever she leaned over him, so she started winding it around her head instead.

“Arthur,” Prudence said to her son, “I can’t promise that we’ll ever have much money, but I do promise that you and I will be close.  You’re the most important thing in my life, and I will try my best to keep you happy and healthy.”

Arthur sneezed in response, and Prudence took that as a sign that Arthur was pleased with her promise.

Prudence decided to take Arthur on a trip to the Pleasant Rest Graveyard.  The cab driver looked a bit troubled by the fact that she was taking her newborn to the cemetery, but he didn’t say anything.  She’d heard from Judy that it was a great place to find good seeds for her garden.  Her trip was a modest success–she found two seeds, but one looked so strange that she decided to do some research before planting it.

After her work in the garden, Prudence checked on Arthur, then ate some leftover macaroni and cheese.  She cried out in frustration when the sink broke as she washed her bowl.  Prudence had watched Clark fix it at least twice, so she thought she could figure it out on her own–but it did take her a while.  Once she finished, she wiped her bleary eyes and stumbled toward the bathroom.

When the toilet backed up as well, Prudence decided it was time to call it a day.  She was too exhausted to fix it, so she thought she would just mop up the mess and take care of the repairs in the morning.  Little did she know that she wouldn’t get to go straight to sleep…..

Because there’s no rest for new mothers.

<– Previous day

Next day –>