Andy Bradshaw is ecstatic that his daughter brought this fine young man to dinner. She's insisting that he's just a friend, but Andy thinks it's wonderful, because after she broke up with Jason they didn't think she'd ever be interested in dating again. She's been in such a non-relationship phase, which is technically what she's calling this guy too. She isn't dating him, she insists. His name is Drew, and that's about as much as she's told them so far. But it's good enough for Andy, because Drew seems like a nice guy, and he's certainly fond of Amelia.
"Amelia inspired one of my greatest poems," Drew says. And as Amelia flashes him an embarrassed glare, he adds, "Oh, don't be modest, Amelia."
"A poet," Claire says. "How charming." She isn't being sarcastic, but it does give her cause to wonder how he makes a living. She might not bring it up, but Andy does, and asks, "What do you do for a living exactly?"
"Oh, just the poetry," he says. "It's my calling. There isn't much money in poetry, you know, but I can assure you my family has quite a bit of money. You might have met my uncle, Mitch. It's silly, but people call him Mr. Big?"
Amelia held back on telling her parents that Drew was a trust-fund baby, or that he can afford to sit around being mild and writing poetry. Her parents have always been the traditional, work for a living, type of people. After dinner, and after her parents have both said, "Goodnight, and nice to meet you," she takes Drew outside to say goodbye.
She met him the very week she
moved back to the city. He's become a good friend in this time. And he's surprisingly sweet and generous for as entitled as he is. She's trying to be careful - he's also very sensitive, and she doesn't want to lead him on before she's sure what she's doing. She knows he's looking for the works - marriage, family, happily ever after... she's beginning to think it's a fairy tale at this point.
But he's ready to be led on, or at least to be kissed goodnight. "It's okay," he says. "Break my heart if you want, it'll just make for good poetry."
"I've been there before," she says. "It's not worth good poetry."
So she kisses his cheek and hugs him before she goes back inside. It would be so simple if she could just eagerly jump into a relationship like he wants, but she knows she's not ready for it yet. But friends she can always have more of. And he does give the greatest, warm, friendly hugs, and that's something she can enjoy with a clear conscience.
But her parents are curious when she comes back inside. Well, what's the deal with this guy after all?
She says, "I'm just having fun, Dad. I'm meeting people. I don't know if I like him yet. Maybe I don't want to like anybody that much yet."
Amelia isn't breaking open to anyone, not even her parents, and maybe not even herself.
"But he has money," Amelia adds. "I think that might be important."
Claire says, "It won't make you happy in the long term. Your father didn't have a penny to his name when we fell in love..." Claire stops when she sees the way her daughter's eyes glaze over as she starts to tell yet another nostalgic love story. They don't mean to pressure her, they just want her to be as happy as they've been all this time.
But Amelia is well aware of what a perfect love her parents have, and have always had. She doesn't know how on earth she's supposed to ever live up to that. She hasn't had any luck so far.
***
The dog died. She was old, and they'd had her since Amelia was a little girl. No one was even home when it happened, they just arrived to find her body on the back deck, lying still between the treadmill and her rubber toy bone.
Ever since Claire had heard news of the impending war, she had always resolved herself to the fact that at least when Andy went off to fight, she would have the dog here for company. It appears that won't be the case after all.
He will be going off to war. He's been a lifetime military man, and spent the last ten years of his career in the space program. With his skill and experience flying the shuttles, they'll need him. He can hardly believe it's finally happening, and just four years before he is due to retire. He hopes he isn't too old for this. The rest of the men in his unit are a good ten or twenty years younger than he is.
But Claire will be okay while he's away, or at least Andy is determined to believe. She isn't so sure of it herself now that it's actually happening. For as strong and independent as she seems, it's shocking to realize that they haven't been apart more than a few days in their forty-two years together.
And these conversations have to happen, since their unit could be called up at any time - it could be months still, or it could be next week. What better time than in pajamas, having a late night snack before bed?
"I know it doesn't matter," he says. "I know she's strong and proud and everything all on her own, but if I don't come back from this, I'd like to know that she found someone. I don't want her to be alone."
In other times, Claire might have wanted to argue against him, that their daughter is a proud woman all on her own. But in recent weeks, in the face of possibly becoming alone herself, all she can find the strength to say is, "Okay."
***
Andy only just opened his spa and yoga studio, The Lake City Lotus, and already he's training Corbin for manager now that he knows he'll be leaving. He can't afford to pay him much, but Corbin isn't that kind of guy anyway. He's a quiet man, but unexpectedly genuine. And enthusiastically gracious for this job - his apartment here in the city is quite expensive compared to the resident teacher allowances he's used to in his travels.
He's spent the last ten years traveling around the world, living out of a suitcase, and learning. He's an honest and honorable man though, so Andy hopes to trust him running the studio while he's gone.
Claire will be able to check in on the business end of things. She often comes along to enjoy the facilities. How lucky do you have to be to be married to a spa owner? How lucky has she been her entire life, and now she's just worried she's been too lucky all this time. What bad luck has her life seen so far? Her parents' divorce she can barely remember she was so young. Her mother remarried to a kind and respectful man, and they both died at a natural old age.
And then there was Andy, who came along and made her life even more wonderful. He was her first love, he supported her through law school. They married and had a beautiful daughter. Claire rose quickly in her career and became the most respected lawyer in the county. It's too good to be true, she thinks. Nobody stays lucky this long, do they?
The studio is doing well, though naturally, their first customers are mostly family. Andy's sister,
Madison, sends both Micah and Mariah in turns - they have a newborn in the house, and if that isn't the height of stressful, than what is? Keri hasn't even had her baby yet, and already she's been in for her share of pampering.
Andy goes over what they offer, yoga and tai chi classes, hot tub, sauna, and massage. This is actually the only place in Lake County you can get an acupressure massage - Corbin learned it while studying in Takemizu Village.
Micah says, "Massage? I don't know..."
Andy says, "It's a perfectly masculine thing to do. I had one myself!"
But Micah didn't expect Corbin to be so... well, strapping? So tanned, with such long hair, chiseled features
and a cleft chin! Micah isn't sure if this makes him too much of a man, or not man enough, but he's just not about to be rubbed down in oil by a dude like that!
"Oh," Micah stutters. "Umm, Uncle Andy said something about a yoga class?"
"Yes," Corbin says. "First one's at noon."
Really, Corbin gets this all the time. He tries not to let it hurt his feelings too much, as a lifetime spiritualist, he's definitely in touch with his emotional side. But he can't help his overt masculinity.
Yes, Micah definitely feels better about the yoga class, and even Aunt Claire joins him for the first session. But Corbin! Seriously, the dude glows! He stands on a finger! It's just not natural, it's just too much!
Micah tried to avoid it, but he is still left contemplating his manliness, or lack thereof, and thinking,
I've got funny, at least, and cute dimples! And let's see this dude try to paint! Mariah likes me soft and funny, doesn't she?
Micah is doing a terrible job of relaxing.
Andy can trust Corbin with the studio, no problem... but trust him around his daughter, well, that's another issue entirely. So fortunately (or unfortunately?), Andy is much too wholesome to notice the gripping chemistry between the exotic yogi and his dear sweet baby girl.
When Amelia comes in that afternoon, he says, "Have you met Corbin yet? Let me introduce you."
"No," Amelia says. "You know, I think
we ran into each other once before."
But Amelia brought friends, and as they stand there at the door, taking in the scene, Amelia says, "I
told you."
Carly says, "Now
there's something sturdy to hold on to!"
Piper says, "It just got warm in here, did you guys feel that? I think I need to sit down."
Jodie says, "For crying out loud, it's human anatomy, you horny bitches!"
They compose themselves as Corbin turns around and says, "Hi ladies. Are we ready to start?"
It does appear to be too much human anatomy for Piper, and she decides to sit this one out.
Amelia knocks into him as she turns, and says, "Oh, sorry." It brings a blush to her cheeks. For a moment, she forgets that she's touched him much more intimately than that before.
Taking Amelia in his hands, he says, "Here, straighten out your shoulders a little, your hips should come back a bit."
Then to Piper, he says, "Will you be joining us?"
"Um, no," she says. "I think I'm just going to watch." Man, is she going to have some good dreams tonight!
And Jodie finds, sure, it's human anatomy, and she studied human anatomy in college as any medical student would. But then she went into obstetrics, and she hasn't had much experience with the male anatomy in her chosen career. And Lord knows she hasn't been
getting any male anatomy lately!
The problem is she isn't exactly sure where to look. She needs to look at him for the moves, since she doesn't know them, but looking at him is kind of distracting, especially when that squat he's doing just draws the attention straight to his manhood, a light line of hair pointing downward like an arrow.
Carly sees Jodie fidgeting and starts to laugh.
Jodie says, "What the hell are you laughing at?"
"Nothing," Carly says. She knows what Jodie's looking at. It's why she turned around, because seriously, how do you look at him doing that, and
not think about his package?
Jodie figured the backside view would help her out a little, but she was wrong. Now she's just catching the way light glistens on his firm shoulders, sculpted back, abs like a brick wall, moist with sweat.
Piper is still watching, Jodie at this point, and says, "There she goes..."
Jodie says, "Oh my!" And she falls over.
Corbin says, "Okay ladies, I think maybe we've had enough for today."
Amelia sends her friends home, and she's waiting for her mom to finish showering before they go. Andy suggests that she gets a massage while she's waiting. Really, you can't get an acupressure massage anywhere around here but from Corbin!
When her father is gone, she says, "You don't have to, if it would be weird."
"It would be my pleasure," he says, and somehow she knows he means every word of that.
Unfortunately, he gets dressed first. Or maybe fortunately. Or maybe it doesn't matter at all since her face is buried and pointed toward the floor, and all she can feel anyway is his hands, strong and precise, touching so little, but melting every inch of her body.
She doesn't remember this much touching in that bathroom stall, but she remembers his strength, the way he lifted her up against the stall door - which was remarkably sturdy, by the way - and held her there, moved her in his hands. She remembers holding him around the shoulders, his breath in the crook of her neck, her breath in his ear and holding back the sounds she would be embarrassed to vocalize at a family wedding.
Her head is in the clouds. His hands massage down her spine, her hips, lower back. It's almost involuntary, as he hits a pressure point, she lets out a soft moan, almost orgasmic.
She cringes. "Ugh, sorry," she says.
"Don't worry," he says. "It happens all the time."
As he finishes, his fingertips brush down her arm, not massaging but like a feather, leaving the delicate hairs of her arm to stand on end. She wonders what parts of this are professional, and what else might be him, just a man, enjoying the skin of a woman he'd once had drunken wedding sex with?
Then his hands are gone, and he says, "I'll leave you to dress."
He hasn't gone far though, and she finds him in the lobby. "You don't remember me, do you?" he asks.
"The wedding?" she says. "Oh, I remember!"
"I didn't mean that," he says. "
Six years ago, Takemizu Academy?"
"Oh, maybe," she says. "Yes, I think so." No, she doesn't really remember. Maybe vaguely if anything.
"You probably wouldn't remember," he says. "You were pretty worked up about some boyfriend."
"Oh God, that would be Alon Hutchins. I'm sorry you had to hear about that."
"Don't worry about it," Corbin says.
"God, what a train wreck that one was! You must have thought I was a head case. Didn't you? You can admit it."
"No," he says. "Not at all."
"You don't say much, do you?"
"Only when I need to," he says.
"Fair enough," she says.
She isn't sure how long they stare at each other before he says, "You should come back some time. You do have a lot of tension in your back."
They're interupted as Claire emerges from the spa room. "Meelie, you ready to go? Oh, so you met Corbin then?"
"Yes, mom, I met Corbin."
Claire waits until they're around the corner before she says, "Isn't he just dishy?"
"Oh my God, Mom," Amelia says. "Did you just say
dishy?"
There's a lack for good simple sandwich shops in Lake City, but Claire finds them a small diner on Gothier Street. There's an open patio, perfect for a mild September evening, and just kitty-corner to home.
Claire's position as Lake County Court Justice is up for reelection next fall, and Amelia asks if she's been thinking about her campaign yet. Claire hasn't even given it a moment's thought. She can't imagine she'll even have the energy to campaign with Andy gone, when her head is with him already and he's still here. Claire would rather hear what Amelia has to share. She revels in all these fun adventures Amelia has, beautiful, young, and single, which is something Claire never got to be.
But Amelia swears it isn't so glamorous. More than anything, lately, she's just unsure, trying to make sense of it all. "I've been thinking about Jason again," Amelia says. "A lot actually. But I think I know just what it is though. I'm just worried it was a mistake, and that I'll never be comfortable with anyone else again."
Claire says, "I think you're probably right."
"I mean, it's not like I even want a boyfriend right now anyway," Amelia says.
"Of course," Claire says. "You've only been single a year."
"A little over," Amelia adds.
"But you don't mind it," Claire says. "I thought you said you were having fun?"
And then Claire feels like a hypocrite, a fraud, the way she talks about being so strong, the way she goes on about how proud a woman can be without a man. What does she know about it? She's never been alone. And maybe he's the reason she's strong or proud or high-achieving at all. Maybe she'd be none of that without Andy. He's the foundation she's built her life upon, so what will she become once he's gone?
"I am," Amelia says. "It's kind of refreshing, you know, being alone for a little while, not doing anybody's laundry, not having to decide who does the dishes or worry what he wants for dinner, watching whatever you want to watch on TV."
Claire nods, but her smile is troubled. To be honest, none of those freedoms would ever be worth losing Andy for.
Amelia says, "He'll be okay, Mom."
"Thanks, honey," Claire says.
Meanwhile back at home, Andy always manages to find someone to spend the evening with when Claire and Amelia have their girls' night out. Often lately, it's been Corbin.
Tonight Andy is giving a nugget of his life's wisdom. He says, "You're thirty-two? You should think about getting married. I really hope Amelia gets married some day. Spending your life with a good woman, it's just a nice thing if you're lucky enough to find it."
"I just never thought much about it," Corbin says. "The traveling and all."
Corbin changes the subject - he hasn't spoken to his own parents in ages, and this feels a little bit like a lecture.
"The weather here! Wow, you don't get sun like this in Takemizu."
It's a fair exchange. Corbin doesn't have any family in the area, and not many friends either, and Andy likes to hear the stories of his travels. It's somewhere in the midst of this that Claire and Amelia come home. As independent as Amelia might be, as safe as Lake City is, or as much as she might insist that it's only one block away, Andy would hate for his little girl to walk home alone. And Corbin is more than eager to make sure she gets home safely. They're going the same direction anyway.
They walk. Corbin doesn't say much, just lingers there beside her, all quiet and intense the way he is. In fact, he doesn't say anything at all, until he says, "I've got coffee, upstairs, if you're thirsty."
And she says, "You know, I am actually kind of thirsty."
Amelia fell in love once, and Alon Hutchins ended in disaster two times. She fell in love a second time and Jason Larson faded away just as subtly as he'd faded in. If there will ever be a third time, she wants it to last.
So she's being careful with her heart. She's built up a fortress and she'll be damned if she lets anyone through it. But in being so very careful to keep herself guarded, she's missed something. Corbin didn't seem like that type at all, but she underestimated him. She's not trying to break anyone else's heart either. She had no idea he was so unexpectedly genuine, tender, or is it just that he's such a blank slate?
He wouldn't come right out and say it, but he also doesn't need to. It's written all over his face, a thirty-two year old man who has never taken the time to fall in love before, and here he says, "I don't mean this like what happened at the wedding."
"Oh, come on," she says. "You must do this all the time, doing what you do."
He says, "Not as much as you might think."
"Maybe I should go," she says. "I'm just not looking for anything serious right now."
"Oh," he says. He only dwells on this a second before he adds, "Well, don't
go. I'm okay with it."
He isn't sure as he's saying it, but it's a risk he's willing to take. He'll find out later if he really means it or not, that she might never love him back. To be honest, he's wanted to get her into bed ever since he had her, just for a few moments at that wedding. Maybe some subconscious and fated part of him has wanted her ever since they met, six years ago in Takemizu Village.
But she wasn't trying to deceive him. She never made any promises, and she can't help it if he falls too hard and too fast.
And suddenly, she understands her cousin
Bella better than ever, the things she's been through, the things she's been called, the horrible names Amelia has even slung herself, and worse she's called her behind her back. But it just comes down to this, that some people fall harder or faster than others, and sometimes hearts stand to get broken. Is that anyone's fault? Does that mean she's playing games? Does that make her a whore?
So it ends up Amelia walks herself home after all. Corbin is long asleep, and under the impression that she is sleeping too, when she finally gets up and sneaks out of his bed.
***
Some people are lucky enough to have never had their hearts broken, but it has to happen for everyone at least once. Hopefully at an old age, when a lifetime together might shield the final blow. Claire or Andy have been that lucky so far.
Claire isn't ready for it now. They have too much left to do.
They lay in bed that night, and she just listens in his arms. He says, "When this is all over, I'll retire, and so can you. We'll spend half the year on the island, and half the year here. By then, Amelia will have met a nice guy, and I'll be home to walk her down the aisle. She'll be married on the beach, with lotus flowers in her hair."
Claire just smiles. Maybe she might be able to believe in it so fully that it brings him back to her, so this future he's created might become real.
*****
notes: Now, before you read too much into this, just note that Andy is one of seven playable Sims going off to war. I know which one of them doesn't make it home, but they don't know, and neither will you until it happens. Until then, I'm just exploring the possibilities they each fear, that it could be any one of them.
LOL, family sims! Andy's nieces (Mariah and Keri) are both married and having babies, so now he's itching to get Amelia hitched. Too bad for him, she's not anywhere close, lol!
LOL, Amelia, breaking hearts and taking names! And she says she has nothing in common with Bella? Sheesh! I wasn't paying attention, and had no idea he liked her so much - she's nowhere close to that. She's equally impartial to all of them right now... except for Jason?
*sigh* silly Amelia. Now she starts thinking about Jason? Isn't that always the way it works? She even rolled an engagement want for a minute (lol, why now?). I hope she's right about it just being worries, because she's about to find out some news that won't make her too happy...
And then there's this thing about wanting to marry a rich Sim. She's pretty adamant about that too, and the want is almost always there recently. (It never was while she was dating Jason, but only after they broke up.) I've never seen her as the gold-digging type since she has plenty of her own money, and is proud about it too! So I'll interpret this as meaning she's worried about somebody trying to hook up with her for her money, and she wants to make sure things are even. Better be sure whatever dude she ends up with in the end is going to be signing a pre-nup! ;)
That, and she would be heartbroken if Bella died? They're not even friends, lol! Maybe she's feeling bad about their sketchy relationship, now that she's understanding some of the things she's been through. Family is family after all.
Man, everything is up for interpretation, lol!
I've added both Drew and Corbin to the database, funny enough, they're both living in the same apartment building, along with Carly Cook's boyfriend Joseph. I'll just say that there's a good chance both of them will be sticking around in the long-term. I don't actually have any idea who they'll end up with in the end (it's honestly SO up in the air right now!), but I have my ideas... and I'm not telling ;)
I'm just happy she's found a couple of guys she likes more than Alon, lol! For those interested in ACR scores, Corbin is 166 (with the 40-point bonus for his secondary romance - why did you think she couldn't stop sleeping with him???), and Drew is 144 (all natural, no romance bonuses), which is a massive three-bolts for both.
*** outtakes ***
I just adore Claire and Amelia! Is she a clone of her mommy or what??? They're too cute for words!
