Chapter 7: Love is in the heir?

“Oh, Blarffy! Grown-up life is hard.”

After the kitchen renovation, The Rossinis were not doing quite well money-wise and Melia felt responsible. She sensed that bills would be deadly after her wild shopping session. And although the post of the bread winner still belonged to Eira, Melia was working her plum off to make some savings.

Cook, work, sleep. Repeat. That was her life. And it was no fun at all.

That’s why Damon’s call came in handy. He was overjoyed to announce that Katie just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. And of course, he wanted everyone to meet her right away. Eira and Adrian, the family enthusiasts, didn’t need to hear it twice.

“Who’s your favourite grandpa, princess?”

“You are, Dad. You are everyone’s favourite. And now, step aside. I want to snuggle the plum out of my newest niece.”

“Watch your language around the baby, sis!” Damon reminded her jokingly as he headed to dinning room with Adrian, leaving Melia alone with Carmen.

“Hello, beautiful.”

Melia felt so strange, holding her little niece. She remembered how she met baby Damon, all those years ago. She was too small to hold him but she spent many moments talking and singing to him.

Melia saw and fed and entertained many babies throughout her life. But this was different. This was a first baby born after she has became the heir. She realized, more than ever before, that she was supposed to have a baby of her own soon. She, however, couldn’t see herself in that role. At least not yet. And it was surreal to see that her baby brother got ahead of her and he was doing just fine.

Meanwhile, in the dinning room, Eira was chatting with another new grandchild, an adopted boy named Colin.

“What a handsome big boy you are, Colin.”

“Thanks, Grandma! You’re big, too.”

Aww, kids. One just gotta love these little stinkers.

They had a nice time, catching up and exchanging baby advice. Especially Eira was happy – she just completed her Family Aspiration thanks to Damon’s kids.

And yes, Castor has another daughter!

Melia had such a great time that she didn’t want to leave – especially when she thought about all those responsibilities and chores that were waiting for her back home.

Damon was enjoying it, too. He couldn’t stop talking when he was seeing her out. He decided to be a stay-at-home dad, so he was really glad to speak with a grown-up for a change.

“Thank you for coming, Mel. I know you’re busy these days.”

“Oh, that’s fine. I really needed a little break from all that chaos,” she replied cheerfully but before she could continue, she noticed a beautiful house across the street.

“Oh, what a house? Who lives in a house like that?”

Damon teased her: “My neighbors, obviously.”

But Melia looked at him with her annoyed, ‘you don’t say’ face, so he replied quickly: “Goths. That’s what they are called. But they never came to meet us, so who knows.”

Melia didn’t know what to say so she just standed there quietly, hoping that Damon wouldn’t notice the perplexity in her expression . Alexander never mentioned that he was filthy rich. But it made sense. ‘That’s why he is unemployed and proud about it.’ she thought as she stared at the beautiful, old house in front of her.

And she couldn’t help but dream about living in something like that.

She rushed home, longing to hear Devi’s opinion about Alexander’s house and fortune. But Devi was not impressed.

D: “I thought you didn’t like him back! Did you just change your mind because of his house?!”

“But I do like him!” Melia reasoned, “I just wasn’t sure if that was IT! If it was, you know, love or something. Aah, I don’t know. But I…I was thinking about my future a lot lately. And I feel like it could be quite bright with Alexander.”

Devi looked at her sister very carefully. She wasn’t really convinced, but she understood that this decision was Melia’s and Melia’s only.

“Well, I’m not a love expert, you know that,” she said calmly, “I would say: Do what feels right to you. Whatever you decide, I will support you.”

Melia smiled and pulled out her phoned. She owed him an explanation, after all.

“Hey! Thank you for showing up.”

“Sure, no problem, Mel,” he said nonchalantly.

“You sounded concerned in the phone, so I brought you something to cheer you up.”

Melia was confused. Isn’t he mad at me? I was awful on our last day. And I was ignoring his phone calls and simbook messages ever since. Why is he so nice?

M: “Oh, that’s very…umm. sweet. Thanks. But I wanted…Let’s sit and talk a bit, huh?”

M: “Listen, I’m really sorry. About the last date, you know. I freaked out a bit, I guess. Everything is happening so fast and I’m…”

But Alexander looked distracted, like he wasn’t really paying attention to her words.

“Wait — date? Did you say date? Do you mean it, Mel? Are we , like, dating now?”

“Well, if you want to…”

“Oh, Mel. Of course, I want to.”

“And don’t worry about the last time. I understand,” he continued, “I shouldn’t be acting so forward. But you can’t blame me, really….”

“…I couldn’t resist, when you’re so amazing.”

Melia smiled. She had mixed feelings about it. She had a really nice time with him that evening, that was true. But she wasn’t planning to make him her boyfriend that night. Things were once again getting out of her hands. But isn’t love supposed to be like that?

She decided to go with the flow.

“Well, Mel. It was really lovely tonight. I hope we can see each other again soon.”

“I hope so, too.”

“Goodnight, Alexander.”

Chapter 6: Mel’s Dilemma

Melia took the bottle of olive oil and stared at it for a while. Then she stared at the fries she was making. They looked sad and uninviting. Something was missing in the recipe and Melia was determined to figure it out on her own.

A little bit of oil never hurt anybody, right?

And with that thought, she poured some into the pan.

“WATCH OUT!”

Luckily, no one was standing nearby. Even Melia’s eyebrows survived.

It wasn’t the oil then, I guess.

But her fries still looked sad and disgusting and she just knew that if she was about to become a better cook, something had to change. And since family funds were looking quite good, Melia decided that something was the kitchen.

She carefully planned the reconstruction and the beautiful new kitchen was ready in no time.

Tadaaa!

‘How perfect!’ Melia thought to herself, very satisfied with the results. She couldn’t help but gush over a shiny new oven and a huge fridge for the rest of the day.

Eira, on the other hand, found the new kitchen sterile and incomplete. This was not the kitchen where she prepared her first garden salad or tried to bake the first birthday cake for Castor. This was not the kitchen where Devi said her first llama jokes and it was not the kitchen where Eira and Adrian kissed after the first night they’ve spent together.

But she was Eira The Supermother and she knew how to fix it.

Children drawings never fail to restore the family atmosphere.

And even though house renovation was much needed and exciting, something even more exciting was going on: Melia went on another date with Alexander.

“Hey, beautiful!”

‘Could it be that he’s into me?’

Melia was not really experienced with boys, but she could tell that Alexander liked her. And it was a more-than-friends kind of liking.

She was flattered to know that (well, she didn’t know for sure, but it was fun to speculate about it). It made her feel so special and confident.

“Thank you! Our restaurant is catering an important wedding today so I have to look my best. How is your day today?”

“Well, I was feeling a little off, but you definitely turned me on.”

“Alexander!” she called out with a pretended resentful look in her eyes. Then she laughed loudly.

“Where did you get that line from?”

“Sorry! Way too cheesy, huh?”

She nodded with an amused smile. Alexander sighed, shaking his head in disbelief as if he was thinking ‘What did I do?’

But he was smiling, too, and he somehow managed to make the whole situation sweet and not awkward. He even had enough courage to sit closer to her.

A: “Well…”

He started his speech as he slowly put his arm around her shoulders. Melia felt a bit weird when he touched her. She’s never made a physical contact with someone who was not related to her before. It was…new. And nice.

Alexander didn’t notice her thoughtful face and he continued:

A: “The thing is… I’m doing all this…”

“…because I really like you, Mel.”

Melia smiled at him again, absolutely lost. She had no idea what to say. She liked all the attention and sweet gestures, of course. But did she like Alexander? Romantically?

She was not sure about that.

M: “Well, that’s…ehmm… very nice. I mean… yeah, very nice of you to say. But I …uh, I should be heading to work now. So…See ya!”

And then she rushed away, leaving confused Alexander in the park.

Melia was a bit distracted in work that day, but her boss didn’t notice. Or he didn’t mind. Because she ended up with a promotion.

It was about time! All those dirty dishes were getting pretty annoying. Being a caterer seemed like a great new opportunity and she had plenty of experience from all the birthday parties.

But this success hasn’t gone to her head. She knew she needed to continue with her hard work and so, she celebrated the promotion by preparing her first gourmet meal ever- Pasta Primavera.

“Ugh, I should be arrested for cooking this.”

Even though she used vegetables from her own garden, it didn’t turn out quite well. And this time, Melia couldn’t blame the old stove – it was her fault. She just couldn’t focus on her cooking because she was constantly thinking about what Alexander said in the park.

Adrian was concerned. He knew that bad food is an unusual occurence in Melia’s life and he wanted to know what’s going on.

“Did you cook one of those meals that tastes better AFTER two weeks in the back of the fridge?” he teased her jokingly.

“It seems so, huh?” Melia laughed. “I don’t know what’s wrong. I have a suspicion that I’m just nervous because of a man I met…”

“Oh, a man? Don’t worry about that – if he likes you he’ll stick around even if you have to use a crowbar to get your mac’n’cheese out of the pan!”

Melia frowned: “No, Dad, that’s not the problem…”

But there was no stopping Adrian after he decided to share his wisdom with someone: “I mean, look at your mother. She can mess up a salad, for Watcher’s sake! But I’m still here. Because all food is good as long as love is your secret ingredient.”

Melia sighed. Dad and his advice…

But there was something about his words that made her think. Mom and Dad, they were doing it right. Melia always knew that what they had was special. She saw the tender, soft look in her Mom’s eyes, the look that was reserved only for her husband.

And that look in Mom’s eyes was an ultimate symbol of love for Melia. That was what love was like for her: pure and wordless, warm and overwhelming, but most importantly – simple. As easy as breathing. Obvious and natural, working perfectly at all times without thinking about it.

Melia, of course, wasn’t naive. She knew that relantionships were hard work and compromises. But love – the sole reason behind every relationship – was not.

It really made her wonder.

“Will I ever look at someone that way?”

Chapter 5: Goodbye, Damon

“Who the plum forgot to turn off the alarm clock on Sunday morning?”

Uh-oh.

“Well, good morning to you, too.” said Devi in her PJs, her voice still sleepy.

“DON’T good morning me, you pathetic plum. Get out of my way, I need some breakfast!”

Devi rushed outside, afraid that she’d end up burnt alive if she stayed in Camilla’s presence any longer.

The sun was still hiding behind the hills when she stood next to her mother’s grand piano. She took a slow, deep breath. The air was crispy and fresh and it smelled like grass and cherry blossoms.

Devi took her guitar and listened for a while. Then she started to play along the chirps and tweets of birdsongs’ melodies. Few tones later she completely forgot about Camilla, fight, breakfasts and alarm clocks. She forgot about everything except the music. Her mind was at peace.

Camilla, on the other hand, had much harder time dealing with her bad mood. She ate her breakfast, but it didn’t work. She took a cold shower, but the results were pretty much the same. And then, her father woke up and she remembered. The boxing bag! She had to ask him for a little lesson immediately.

Camilla concentrated all her anger and directed it at the bag.

“Prepare to be destroyed, you ugly orange thing.”

“No talking, sweetheart,” Adrian was getting all pumped up as his old athletic ambitions were coming back to him.

“Now, punch as hard as you can,” he said very directively.

Camilla focused but she realized she had no idea what to do. Her whole body was somehow incoordinate, like the individual parts of her body couldn’t cooperate together.

She knew she would look ridiculous but she tried her best.

Adrian: “No, no no nonononono!”

“That’s not how it’s done!”

Adrian stopped her, happy to do some explaining: “Distribute your weight equally on both legs, relax your shoulders, contract the abs…”

“…and remember that the strength is not coming from your arm, but from your entire body!”

Camilla nodded and tried again. It was still hard to focus on so many body parts at once.

“There you go!”

But Adrian thought it was much better. That, of course, didn’t stop him from yelling enthusiastically at her.

After a while, Camilla was absolutelly exhausted and her entire body was crying and begging her to stop. She completely forgot about the alarm clock and her morning fight with Devi. She only cared about her sore muscles.

“I…am…done….I can’t -“

Adrian was having none of it.

“That is a forbidden word! Don’t.ever.say.it.again! Everytime you say ‘I can’t’…. I’m gonna force you to do another round!” he warned her angrily.

“Speaking of which, I wanna see another round of your greatest punches!”

A: “Come ON!!! I know you can! Make your fat cry!”

Her dad was being very harsh on her, but it worked. Camilla thought it was impossible but she did another round of punches. Besides, she knew Dad meant well.

And she was right. Adrian was so proud of her that he was barely holding his tears of joy. He’s always dreamed of passing on his athletic passion. He dreamed of playing football with his sons, he dreamed of teaching them how to ride a bike, he dreamed of working out with them… But none of his sons were interested. So he abandoned the idea and helped them with whatever they were passionate about.

So when Camilla asked for his help with boxing, his heart sang.  His beloved child! Interested in boxing! This is the day he was living for.

‘Oh, happy day!”

But not everyone was impressed with Camilla’s training. Dory somehow couldn’t get it.

“Why is Millie trying to become a King Kong, Mom?”

Or maybe she was just trying to be funny. One never knows with Dory.

But Adrian’s moments of family pride didn’t end with Camilla. He also had the honour of meeting Damon’s girlfriend Katie.

K: “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

She talked about her interest in molecular biology and about research she’s been thinking of. She also mentioned her family and how she used to babysit her younger brother when her Mom, who was a single mother, was at work. She was polite and intelligent and Adrian was very, very impressed.

‘I finally understand what the term Marriage Material means.’

When Katie left, Damon was all anxious to hear his father’s opinion.

“So, Dad! What do you think?

A: “Well, I hope you’re okay with being a stay-at-home dad, because that girl is BRILLIANT. And very kind. Don’t forget to remind her of her greatness every day of your life, my son.”

Damon was really glad to hear that. But he was also a bit surprised.

‘Every day of my life? Dad must have misunderstood or what…he sounds like we’re getting married or wh-‘

He paused the flow of his thoughts. He looked at Katie’s profile picture on Simbook and nodded. Then he called her.

“Hey, my love. Come back to my place. You forgot something over here.”

He went out and waited for her on a bench next to their lot. He needed a little privacy for his plan. And it was hard to get that in a house full of people.

“I mean, why not?”

Katie: “Hey, babe! You got me all confused! What could I possibly forgot at your place? I’ve only brought my phone and I obviosly didn’t forget it since you called me and…”

“Well, technically, I’m the one to blame, because I forgot to give it to you…”

“It’s your engagement ring! Katherine Louise Hogue, will you marry me?”

K: “I guess so.”

They were both excited and happy. But they knew they are still young so they didn’t want to rush things. But before they could speak about the date or the dress or the cake, something upsetting showed up.

One little notification and everything was different. Damon and Katie were suddenly absolutely certain about the date. The dress and decorations and wedding menu became unimportant.

The only important thing was to celebrate the union with their families. And so, the wedding took place the next day.

The bride showed up in a beautiful champange gown, with her natural hair and make-up free.

“Why would I need make-up when I woke up like this?”

And with Katie’s arrival, they had everything they needed to have a wedding: a groom, a bride and a bunch of loving family members to celebrate with.

The ceremony was short and sweet. The newlyweds couldn’t take their eyes off each other and the guests couldn’t take their eyes off the lovely couple. Except for Adrian and Eira who exchanged satisfied glances, grinned happily and telepatically congratulated each other on raising their boy so well.

“Good job, honey!” “And good job to you, too, my dear!”

After the ceremony, everyone gathered up in the garden and they shared dinner at the small family table, where Damon had eaten his breakfast everyday, where he’d worked on his homework with Devi and Melia and where he’d listened to his mother’s fairytales and his father’s jokes and words of wisdom.

And speaking of Adrian’s wisdom, he shared some of it during his wedding toast.

“My dear kids, here’s my advice for you future lives: Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.”

They had a wonderful time together.

Damon felt like singing and jumping from joy. He was marrying the most beautiful girl in the whole world, who also happened to be his best friend, and his entire family, even Castor’s kids, were there to share it with him. It couldn’t be any better. He was, however, worried about Katie. It wasn’t the luxurious fairytale wedding the girls usually dream of and he didn’t want her to be dissapointed.

“I’m sorry, if this is not the dreamy, big wedding every girl wants.” he said quietly when they were eating their cake.

“I’ve never wanted a big wedding, Damon,”  Katie said with an amused smile, “I, however, always dreamed about a perfect one.”

“And you know what? I’ve got it!”

Yum!

Chapter 4: The Birthday Madness!

Life at Oakenstead was flowing peacefully and steady. Everyone around the house seemed to mind his own bussiness.

Adrian was not slowing down, despite his age. He was working out regularly, every day.

He had his doubts, of course. He was not getting any younger and he knew that he’d never make it to the team. But being a mascot wasn’t so bad. It was a great way to stay active and to be a part of the game, at least a little. He was lucky  enough to see every goal and every match, every victory of his team – it was like being a sport fan and getting paid for it!

A: “The truth is – I love my job, Damon.”

Damon nodded. He was only pretending that he listened. In his mind he was far, far away. Specifically on yesterday’s date with Katie in the park. Since they’ve decided to become a couple, they went on a date every single day. They played chess, cooked together, ate together, read books or just watched the clouds – whatever activity was perfect for Damon, as long as he could do it with her.

D: “Look, that cumulonimbus cloud with cirruses over there! It looks just like…”

Together: “…like an Appaloosa horse!”

(Oh, my, she might be the one for him.)

And even if he was supposed to do something without Katie, he had to share it with her. So yeah, naturally, he ended up talking on the phone constantly and missing out on most of the important events ( Like family dinners. And brunches. And snacks.)

But luckily, the rest of the family was already used to that.

Eudora: “Someone should have told him that cooties are transmitted through phones, too!”

D: “Come on, Dory. Try to be more open-minded…”

E: “Open-minded? But that would make my brain fall out, wouldn’t it?”

Yes, even without Damon participating, lives of the Rossinis remained the same – playful and effortless and so full of love and good time.

Especially Eira loved this new era. She was no longer a representative of the family. And with all the responsibility on Melia’s shoulders, she had plenty of time for all of her children and so she tried to make the most of it.

She read to her little know-it-alls as often as she could (both Camilla and Eudora were aspiring Whiz Kids and Evander was an Artistic Prodigy and needed something to fuel his creativity.)

“There stood a strange cottage, with a tiny door, tiny windows and a tiny chimney pot. Everything about the cottage was much tinier than it ought to be…”

She also decided to buy them some new toys. And to make sure the kids would also  educate themselves while having fun, she went for a chemistry table. For Dory’s mischievous personality, it was like a dream came true.

“Now I can finally produce Fainting Fancies and Nosebleed Nougat like I always wanted!”

Eira also took her time to give Devi a woohoo talk. According to Eira, it went great. According to Devi…not so much.

Devi: “Don’t ever say the word ‘tongue’ in my presence again!”

Devi was trying to not act so immature about it. She already knew everything about those things, but hearing it from her mama was somehow weird. She wanted to forget it as soon as possible, so she decided to wander around the shore. Maybe she would find another frog or a fossil!

She ended up taking a nap. (Which is still good as far as I’m concerned! 😀 )

And so, the days were passing by in a calm, stereotypical manner. Until one day, too many birthday notifications showed up.

But luckily, Mel was ready and so were the cakes!

“I’m such a pro!”

First, it was Camilla’s turn. She was not able to complete her childhood aspiration, but she didn’t mind. She cared about push-ups and monkey bars much more than she cared about chess. She actually couldn’t wait to grow up and to try dad’s boxing bag.

Dory was there to celebrate with her.

Dory: “On my birthday, I’ll wish for enough confetti to make a confetti angel in it!”

…or pretending to be celebrating, just to have an excuse to throw confetti all around the place.

But even without assistance, Camilla grew up beautifully. With her glowing complexion and flowy red hair, she was a real charmer. But a picture is worth a thousand words so have a look:

Her obligatory bad trait is Hot-Headed (as you’ve probably guessed) and her new aspiration is Chief of Mischief.

Next day, it was Damon’s turn. As a teenager, he wanted to have a birthday party. But since he was a polite, nice teenager who never experienced the wild phase or the urge to rebell, he was perfectly okay with a small celebration with his family and friends.

Melia: “What are you waiting for, Damon?”

Damon was a little afraid. It would be his first time being an adult, after all. But then he looked around and he saw happy faces of his siblings and friends. And of Katie, of course. And in that moment he knew everything would be alright.

So he spinned into the adulthood bravely.

“Whoa! I feel great!”

And judging from blondie’s reaction, he also looks great 😀

But Damon didn’t really care about her. His eyes were on Katie as she approached the cake, ready to follow him into the next life stage.

D: “You can do it, babe!”

Damon grew up a Goofball (random roll) and Katie grew up Gloomy. Which are quite the opposites. But opposites attract, right? And this way, Damon can be her sun on rainy days and she can be his voice of reason when things will get serious (since she’s also Neat and a Genius).

“Don’t worry babe, we are still perfect for each other.”

And since Devi was born just a few days after Damon’s adoption, soon it was her turn to grow up. But she was not alone.

Ev: “So, Dad. It’s my birthday today. Any advice?”

Adrian cheered. He’s always wanted to share his fatherly wisdom with someone.

“I’ll give you the advice my father gave me when I was a little boy,” he said very seriously, “it goes like this: ‘If you can’t say anything nice…”

Adrian: “…at least say something clever but devastating.”

A: “Plum, I’m so good at this parenting thing.”

Evander was a little confused but he knew the time was up. His childhood was over and not even Dad’s advice could change that.

So he joined Devi in the kitchen.

“Happy Birthday, Sis!”

“Happy Birthday, baby bro. I’m gonna miss your cute little face.”

And here they are:

Devi got Music Lover as her last trait and with the traits she already had (Loves the Outdoors and Lazy) I felt like she was a hippy in her heart. So she suffered a little makeover.

And Evander…well, he’s a teenager, so I let him wear whatever he felt like wearing. His teen trait is Loner and he currently looks like this.

I wonder what’s the matter with teenage boys wearing eyeliner these days….

Chapter 3: First Times

Damon was ready to do it. It should be easy. All he had to do was ask, right? But even the smallest thought of his plan made him feel so nervous. And excited. And dizzy. And unsure. And maybe a little bit confused? He couldn’t decide which exact feeling he had. Probably all of them.

But in spite of the raging emotional storm he was experiencing, he took the phone into his sweaty palms and he dialed the number.

Today’s the day.

“Hello?” he heard her voice from the phone.

“Hey, Katie. It’s Damon.” he answered, wondering if she was able to hear his loudly beating heart.  He had to take a deep breath before he was able to continue: “I’ve got an idea. Remember when we talked about Oasis Springs and how we have never been there, although it’s so close to us?”

“Yes, Damon, I remember. It was like… two days ago?” she stated slowly.

Damon sensed curiosity in her voice. Or was his mind playing games with him?
Whatever it was, Damon got even more nervous because of it: “Well, I think we should go there. Like… right now. I mean, I bought two bus tickets to Oasis Springs and I was wondering… if you would like to. You know. Go there. Uhmm, with me.”

“As in a… date?” she asked.

Damon felt like his entire body died for a second. He forgot how to breathe, how to think, how to move the muscles on his face to say something.

But he somehow summoned his courage up and said: “Yes.” in the most confident tone he could come up with.

She answered calmly and very casually: “Okay. Meet me at the bus stop.”

Whoa. Looks like someone had a lucky day.

Did you see it, Watcher? I nailed it!

(Okay, Damon, I saw it, but can you, please,  stop looking me in the eye? It’s creeping me out.)

And while Damon was getting ready for his date – his preparations mostly consisted of happy dancing and taking deep breaths – Melia was already out there at her very own (almost) date. Well, technically, it wasn’t a date. But it was a social appointment with a single man and there was a chance that romance could happen at some point.

“So, this is the left wing, the newest addition to our museum. The paintings here represent the Neo ruralism – the painters of this period were fascinated by farming and poultry. “

Alexander took her to Museum of Municipal Muses and Mel loved it. Probably because Alexander was the sweetest guide she could wish for. He knew so many details about the art and exhibitons, even about the history of the building itself! He was also super polite and pleasant as he showed her around.

But maybe she only liked it so much because she’s never been out with a boy before. Or in a museum, for that matter…

“If only our house looked this good.”

But, oh, the museum! It was such a fine building! With so many expensive paintings! And so many rare exhibits! She felt  noble and important, walking around the famous masterpieces – it was easy to pretend she was a high-born, well-educated lady and not a poor girl who washed the dishes. She felt like she could spend her life standing there, enjoying the view.

Looks like Alexander was enjoying the view as well xD

---

Meanwhile in Oasis Springs, Damon and Katie were enjoying a delightful stroll around the sandy neighborhood.

“Oh, Damon, this place is so pretty!” Katie was impressed by the raw, warm beauty of the dessert.

D: “Almost as pretty as you!”

“Oh, stop it, you!” she laughed as she headed towards the closest bench. All that walking was rather tiring.
“Let me tell you a secret.” Damon said. He was feeling extremely confident. Katie was smiling and jokingly teasing him whole day – it was a synonym for a successful date in Damon’s mind.

“I CAN’T stop!”

He said it with courage and honesty, because it was truer than true. He wanted her to know. It was impossible for him to stop at that point. He couldn’t stop. He couldn’t help it – he was already too deep in love.

Katie just stared at him with mysterious smile.

D: ‘Maybe I should kiss her now?’

He decided not to. He wasn’t sure if she got what he was trying to say, so he decided to try again.
“I can’t stop, because it’s like…”

“…it’s like someone’s tickling you…”

“…and you just can’t stop laughing.”

K: *laughs incontrollably*

K: *still laughing* “Okay, okay! I get it now!”

Damon looked at her with eyes full of hope and he slowly took her hand in his.

“Do you?”

“Yes, I do, Damon. The truth is…”

Katie took a deep breath. Then she looked at him and she whispered the rest of the sentence:

“…I’m in love with you, too.”

Damon couldn’t believe his luck. How is it even  possible that this gorgeous, amazing human being felt this way about him? He was absolutely speechless. No words could express what he felt. And so he just kept squeezing her like there was no tommorrow.

---

Back in Willow Creek, Melia and Alexander finally left the museum. They spent hours in there, because Melia refused to leave unless she saw every single work of fine art that hanged there.

A: “Oh, my, how much time did we lost in the museum? It’s already dark outside.”

Melia: “Lost? I wouldn’t call it that! I enjoyed every second of it.”

A: “I thought you would like it! Intelligent women usually love arts. Would you like to go for a walk around the river with me?”

“Well, it’s late. I should be probably heading home by now.”

A: “Come on, Mel! Night’s still young!”

Melia sighed: “I can’t, Alexander. I have to help my mom with kids. And with dishes. I promised her I wouldn’t stay out too long.”

M: “Thank you for a lovely time. See ya!”

And with that said, she left.

---

Damon’s date was also coming to an end. But the mood there was quite different.

“It was such a lovely day, Katie. Thank you for that.”

“But Damon! It was all your idea!” she protested. “So I thank you! I’ve been dreaming about this moment for quite some time, to be honest.”

She smiled at him shyly and then she just standed there, silent.

D: ‘Maybe I should kiss her now?’

This time, he decided to go for it: ‘Plummit! It’s now or never.’

“Oh, Damon, I…”

D: “Amazing, wasn’t it? Let me try it again.”

“Amazing.”