The McGruber’s Visitor

A mysterious woman had come to the McGrubers’ home today.

“I need to speak to your husband,” she said to Danielle McGruber.

It was obvious she wasn’t pleased with the strange woman’s sudden appearance in front of their house, but she reluctantly let her in.

Mick had grown up since Diamanda had last come requesting to speak to Skeezix, but his regard of her hadn’t changed. She had become a frequent visitor, and he was getting rather bored of seeing her.

His expression was mirrored on Danielle’s face. Though she hadn’t seen this woman before, she had had to deal with suspicious people coming to her home asking for her husband…when he wasn’t home. She couldn’t help but feel irked that her husband was seeing strange women in their house in secret. How many times had she come here? The woman didn’t seem surprised when she took her downstairs and into their real home.

“My husband isn’t home,” she said resentfully. “He’s at…work, and he hadn’t told me if he was going to work late or not.”

Diamanda chuckled. “Look lady, if you think that’s gonna work on me…”

Suddenly Mick rose up from his chair. Diamanda looked at him as if she was seeing him for the first time. Something had changed about him since she’d seen him last, and it wasn’t just his age. He gave her a warning stare back.

“Can I speak to you somewhere a little more private?” Diamanda muttered to Danielle.

“Fine,” she replied, “Mick, we’ll be in your room, ok? Don’t interrupt.” She put emphasis on the warning with a glare. Mick had a habit of eavesdropping.

When they had left, Mick sighed. Anisia continued absent-mindedly playing with her rocket-ship. The man Diamanda had brought with him was somewhere on the grounds. Mick had nothing to do, so he figured he’d go out and cause a little mischief.

“pchoooooo…. Vwooosh!” Anisia was engrossed with her new toy. It was rare that Skeezix would bring anything new for them, even as kids. Anisia had been playing with the rocket-ship all day. Had she even noticed Diamanda come in?

Mick recalled someone recently calling him ‘irresponsible.’ He grimaced as he realized he’d nearly left Anisia alone with two probable criminals in the house, and he wasn’t exactly sure where one of them was.

“Hey Nisi, come sit with me for a sec and watch TV.” Mick tried to sound casual.

“K,” she said cheerfully.

Before Anisia had made it to the couch however, Diamanda had slammed open the door. Apparently the private discussion hadn’t gone well.

Mick grinned. He knew what was coming. Diamanda shot him a suspicious look.

“Just wait a minute, lady!” Danielle’s furious voice yelled out from Mick’s room.

“How dare you, an obviously suspicious STRANGER, come into my house and demand to see my husband, when I’d already told you he wasn’t here?”

“I’ve already told you, we’re acquaintances and have business together,” Diamanda yelled back. “Is it my fault if your husband didn’t tell you he was expecting a guest?! Besides, I didn’t ask to come in, I asked to see him!” She couldn’t understand what this lady’s problem was.

“As if I’m going to allow the neighbors to see me conversing with a suspicious woman like you! And if you think I’m going to allow you to stay in my house until my husband comes home, then you’re crazy!”

“Well, I’m staying,” – Diamanda was notorious for her stubbornness – “and I don’t think your husband would be pleased if he was told you kicked me out.”

Anisia was getting scared. She hated watching fights, and the atmosphere in the room was getting more volatile by the second.

Mick saw her expression and sighed. Good sims could be such killjoys.

“Anisia, lets go to the park.”

“Ok!” Anisia let out a relieved breath and hurried towards the stairs. She hoped her mother and ‘Daddy’s friend’ would stop fighting soon.

“Do you think Daddy will be mad if we go outside?” Anisia worried out loud.

“Nah,” Mick lied. “Mom heard us, and besides we’ll be back before he comes home.”

However when they reached the front door, they were greeted with a surprise.

Dad was home!

“Ohhh boy,” Mick was too shocked to lower his voice. “Don’t go downstairs.”

“Why?” Skeezix blinked.

“DAAAADYY!!!!” Anisia ran over to him and gave him a big hug.

“No reason,” Mick replied quickly. His shock that Dad was home early – or rather, on time – was confusing his speech.

“Aaw, hi Nisi. How was…home?” he smiled as he gave her a kiss on the forehead. The McGruber kids didn’t go to school.

“Good!” Anisia was more overjoyed that her father was home than shocked, and didn’t bother to wonder at his being early.

Skeezix looked directly at Mick, indicating that he still wanted an explanation.

“Heh,” was all that Mick said.

“Daddy,” – Anisia brought his attention back, giving Mick more time regain his composure and figure out a plan. If he told them that they’d made a mess, he’d still want to go downstairs to grab some lunch, and the house had already been cleaned. They could tell him there was a surprise – but he’d ask them to take him to his room with his eyes closed – and the hysterical women downstairs would immediately catch his attention, not to mention drag him into the argument.

“Can we go to the park?” Anisia asked.

“The park?” Skeezix feigned an overexaggerated shock at her words.

Ah, thought Mick, it’s pretty obvious that he’s going to find out. He could hear the yelling downstairs getting louder now. And when he does find out, we’re going to be stuck upstairs with nothing to do.

“You want to go to the park?” gasped Skeezix, “Outside? But the outside is so dangerous!”

This really isn’t my problem either. And she did tell me I had to keep Anisia’s best interest as my top priority, and this would be the responsible thing to do, in a way.

“Why, when you’re outside there’s so many ways you can get hurt! It’s so unsanitary, and there are strangers…”

“Micky will be there to watch me!” Anisia said hopefully.

“Oh yes, but accidents happen all the time when you’re outside.” Skeezix replied quickly.

“And I wouldn’t want my little Nisi to get hurt. Besides, wouldn’t you rather play with that shiny new rocket I bought you?”

“There’s a woman downstairs asking for you,” Mick said abruptly. “She’s talking to Mom.”

“Have fun,” said Skeezix.

“Really?!” Anisia was amazed. It’d been so long since she’d left the house.

Skeezix went downstairs and was greeted by an irritated “hmmpf!” from his wife, who walked past him, into their room, and slammed the door. He wondered if she’d found anything out.