summer of love, part 1: engagements

June 2077, Patrick Nova is 26, Lara Boyd is 24, Jeremy Nova is 62, Alice is 56, Stephanie is 17.

This June update is actually two households, and pretty long, so you'll get it in two parts :)

Patrick and Lara moved into their three-bedroom townhome on West Washington Drive after she graduated last year. Patrick's immense talent on the piano has earned him quite a bit more money than most people their age have.

Lara was not the least bit surprised when Patrick suggested they turn their living room into a recording studio.

Being a classically trained pianist, guitar isn't really his forte, but he does enjoy showing off this rare and expensive guitar he got from one of the musicians he works with. He and his dad could spend all day in that room. Jeremy never quite made it to rock star status, as he was preoccupied with raising Patrick and Riley after their mom, Trista died. Jeremy is happy to live vicariously through his very talented son.

Lara doesn't mind if they spend all their time in the music room, since she spends a lot of time digging around in the back garden anyway.

Patrick is off tour for the summer, but books a couple small shows around town. Lara is glad to have him home. She comes along whenever he has a local gig, and is by far his biggest fan!

"Good show, Honey," she says.

Patrick wakes up every morning and goes straight to his piano. It's the first thing on his mind besides Lara. And he thinks about Lara while he plays. She is his muse! How romantic!

Lara finishes cadet school and works nights as a patrol officer now. She's running late for work almost every day! Dangerous work, but somebody's got to do it! And given that Lara is a cop and a dirt-digging kind of girl, she isn't really keen on the idea of a fancy wedding. They're planning a simple family backyard wedding at his father's house later in the month.

***

Stephanie Nova will be eighteen soon, school is out for the summer and she starts her senior year in the fall.

Her room may be little-girl pink, but Stephanie is definitely not a little girl anymore, and she's been thinking about taking the next step in their relationship with Julian. Thinking about it...

Alice says, "I think it's time for your friends to leave now, Stephanie. " Her parents run a pretty tight ship around here most of the time, especially since Riley got pregnant at eighteen and never made it to college.

Being the Nova child that she is, Stephanie was of course born cultured, like her brother Patrick, and like her sister Riley might have been had she spent a little less time thinking about Chad in high school. Stephanie never thought about going to college until recently, and now she's thinking it might be something she should do. Especially since she found out she's eligible for the art scholarship, and trying out for a soccer scholarship as well. There's a lot to think about lately.

Little Tyler Jackson lives just around the corner and stops by a lot to play soccer. Tyler has a crush on Stephanie and she thinks it's funny.

Julian doesn't think it's very funny though. Stephanie says, "He's harmless, he's just a kid!"

To be honest, she kind of likes the attention. Because you know, even if he is just a kid, he sure is a little charmer!

Julian has been wanting to hang out at the gym lately, and Stephanie's been helping him out. She has to admit, he's looking pretty good recently. And he's been talking about college too. Everybody's talking about college.

And he wants to ask her something, something very important, he says... "So, are you like, my girlfriend then?"

"Totally!" she says.

And well, the next step happens later that night while her parents are out... her parents can't run a tight ship 24/7.

So college then... Stephanie had wanted to spend some time backpacking through Canada after high school. But since she has a scholarship and everything, she supposes it couldn't hurt to go for one year. Canada will still be there when she's done.