Ingrid is 23
Ingrid Burstrom had a passion, which is more than many other sims can say.
Ingrid loved dance. When she was a little orphaned girl, she dreamed of being a becoming a beautiful ballerina and being loved by everyone who saw her perform. After being adopted and returned three separate times, her dreams were all she had. The music, the discipline, the image of everything utterly feminine.
Even after she became an adult, got a job as a professional dance instructor, fell in love and got engaged, she never wavered from her obsession. She pushed herself to practice day and night. Sometimes, she would fall asleep on the floor, too tired to even crawl into bed. Her fiancee, Ben Causland, would ask her to go out for dinner, and she would turn him down.
"I really have to watch my figure."
Even when she was wasting away.
Ben showed up unannounced, late one evening.
"Ben, you didn't tell me you were coming," she said. Ingrid was so exhausted she could hardly hold her head up.
"I know, I'm sorry. I knew if I called you would tell me you were too tired to talk to me."
Ingrid started to worry. "What's going on?"
Ben sat on the couch and invited her to sit with him.
"Ben, tell me right now."
"Griddy," he said, using his pet name for her. "I love you. You're beautiful, and I asked you to marry me. But I just can't do this anymore."
Tears started welling up in Ingrid's eyes. "What can't you do?"
"This," he said. "Us. You're killing yourself, a little more everyday. At first I admired your dedication, but I want to be married to a sim, and you want to be married to your dream. I love you, Griddy, but I want to go on a date with a girl, and actually enjoy a meal with her. I want to have fun and relax, and I just can't watch you self-destruct anymore."
When he left, Ingrid felt like a part of herself had walked out the door. She felt empty, alone, and heartbroken. She tried to eat some dinner, but a combination of needing to keep extra calories at bay and heartbreak meant it didn't stay down for long.
She really didn't want to go to work the next day. Ingrid wanted to lay in bed and never climb out again. Normally she would jump out of bed, excited to teach young girls how to be ballerinas but, today, her heart wasn't in it.
Until she got to the studio, that is.
"What's wrong, Ms. B?" Maya Lansing, the mayor's daughter, asked as soon as Ingrid walked in the door.
"Nothing, sweetie. Are you ready for class today?"
Maya wouldn't be hushed with that, and grabbed Ingrid around the waist. "You need a hug."
Ingrid patted her awkwardly on the back. "Uh, thanks, Maya."
"You're the best dancer I've ever seen. Don't be sad."
The awkward hug turned into a real hug, and a little, broken part of Ingrid felt a little better. Like things could only go up from here.
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