something like closure

November 2076, Adam Thompson and Heather (Hurt) Thompson are 24.

Adam and Heather move into a home on Brant Street, just a couple houses down from Nathan and Allegra. Though they graduated in the same class as Allegra, they never managed to become friends with her. They were shy, and didn't have many friends. She was shy and didn't have many friends. Who knows... maybe they'll bump into her one of these days.

Heather is a Scholar in the department of science at LCU, and doing wonderfully. She's gotten two promotions since graduation. Adam is a Guest Lecturer in mathematics at LCU. Each morning they make time to compliment each other on their vast intelligence.

"Hi Honey, I'm home," Adam says after work one day, and thinks this is funny. He better not get used to this; she is starting work again next week too.

"Come on, Babe, I've been stuck at home all day, let's go somewhere."

Most normal couples would go out to dinner or dancing for a date, but Adam and Heather go to the Lakeside Heights Memorial Park. They still have a weird thing for graveyards and Adam wants to see a ghost. Heather doesn't believe in ghosts, and just wants to humor him, and besides, gets a weird kick out of making out in graveyards.

So, while they're waiting for the dead to rise...

But the dead do not rise. Adam vows that he'll see one someday, but not tonight. After a few long hours, Heather has decided she's played along enough. She's really tired and wants to go home.

The next morning, Adam wants to say thanks for indulging his silly ghost fantasies.

Since neither of them have family in town, or many friends to invite, Adam and Heather don't see the need for a big elaborate wedding. They get hitched at the Lake County Court House on their way to work one morning, and Lara shows up to be their witness and cheer them on.

"Good job, guys," she says.

Heather turns one of their spare bedrooms into a research lab, since she brings work home with her often. The other extra bedroom will remain empty, for just a little longer, they think. They're young still and in no big hurry to start a family.

Adam spends some time with the stars.

So that's it then, and at least for some people life seems pretty simple at the moment. Heather enjoys shopping in the city with Lara, and they grab lunch afterwards.

And then there's Charlotte! Heather doesn't feel threatened by Charlotte anymore. She had been for some time, since Charlotte was Adam's first kiss, first girlfriend, first love, and first... you know ;) But seeing Charlotte now feels something like closure, after all, Heather and Adam are married now.

It is awkward, yes, but more than any of them, Charlotte can't help but express just how awkward this is!

It doesn't have to be awkward, Heather thinks. We're all adults here. So she makes a bit of polite small talk. And then the host calls, "Table for the Thompson party."

"Oh, that's us," Heather says.

Thompson? Charlotte looks around for Adam. Then she realizes, of course, Heather took his last name, and notices the ring on her finger.

"Nice talking to you," Heather says.

Only after Heather and Lara have already sat down does Charlotte notice that she hasn't actually moved. Nice talking to you, Charlotte mocks in her head, in that prim and proper and irritatingly-perfect way that makes Charlotte want to rip Heather's perfect little eyes out.

So, in an effort to hide, to escape, she finds a back porch where she can sit down, alone. It's a small town, and Charlotte knew she was bound to run into one of them eventually. And she knew they were getting married. She knew this was coming, really she did, but still...

(a moment of self-pity for my sad little Charlotte, and maybe this encounter will be a bit of closure for her too...)