so lucky

February 2083 - Paul Gallagher is 32, Charlotte is 28. (Leila Watts is 27. Roland Ellis is 32, Marisa (Wilson) Ellis is 28.) Last update, September 2080.

They've been married two and a half years now, but they're still newlyweds in any way that counts. They can still spend long mornings, cozy and cuddly in bed. Their life is full of sleep because it can be, burrowed warm under the covers on these chilly February mornings, his face buried in her hair, still smelling of the pastries she made at work the night before.

They're enjoying this while they can because she's pregnant. Her parents will be elated when they find out, but they still haven't told anyone yet. It's only just starting to feel real now at eight weeks, and little baby Gallagher is due in September.

Some things will probably have to change in time, but for now, they can still walk around the kitchen in the mornings dressed in only underwear. He checks his email while she makes pancakes, which they'll also eat in their underwear. At some point, their child will have to learn that civilized people don't walk around in their underwear, but for now, it's nice.

There are plenty of things they don't want to change though, like how they feel about each other. Charlotte's good friend Leila can attest to how having children changes things. If there's a secret to staying happy with each other, year after year after year, then maybe it's finding the mystery. Charlotte is always discovering new things about her husband, real physical things they never learned about each other online or over all those long distance phone calls.

Paul likes to sing! Classic opera style. Who knew? He's constantly dropping to his knee and serenading her, in front of her parents, at parties, in the kitchen after breakfast. It's so surprising, considering what a shy man he is, and when she might be inclined to be embarrassed by it, she only feels warm inside instead. It helps, of course, that he is a decent singer - he has a brilliant and powerful voice!

And every morning, he takes her into his arms in the foyer to kiss her goodbye before he leaves for work. She wonders what she did so differently, to deserve all of this. He makes her feel classic.

***

The life out in Bluewater is calm and cozy, and Charlotte loves the close-knit community. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming, and Riley mentions that her daughter, Liza babysits.

People are mostly friendly out here...

Mostly...

Charlotte is becoming quite the expert baker, and she can even light crepes suzette without starting herself on fire! Not everyone can claim as much!

She's managed to catch the attention of some local investors who want to make her a Restauranteur. She'll be opening her own bakery here in Bluewater soon. She and Leila actually have an adorable idea, if they might say so themselves - Pies and Potholders! It'll do great out here in the country! But with a baby on the way, she's encouraged her investors to grant her a little time to take this venture slowly...

Because this morning sickness is intense, and it clearly happens morning, noon, and night!

Paul takes good care of her though, carefully picking the paper lint from her shirt where she wiped away the vomit with a paper towel. He doesn't say what he's thinking, which is, Darling, you really should have used a wet cloth on that. He just offers his help. Love is helping clean up vomit after a strong bout of eighth week nausea.

Love is so unique, so particular, so undefined and unexpected. Love knows no rules and no boundaries. Love exists whether you want it to or not - love does what it wants.

She could never explain it before, and as much as she'd like to wrap up the secret in a neat and tidy bow, she can't. Love only feels. There are no tangible strings to wrap.

***

It's a three hour drive to Abandia City where Charlotte's oldest childhood friend is planning a Valentine's Day wedding. Charlotte and Paul are looking forward to this one last relaxing and romantic mini-vacation before becoming parents. Though hanging on her conscience, Charlotte really can't ignore that Matt and Leila need a getaway like this even more than they do.

The Auberg Hotel in Abandia City is equipped for weddings all year round. Marisa had her heart set on a romantic Valentine's wedding, with a light dusting of snow for effect, but since it's been such a mild winter this year, they aren't counting on the snow.

After they settle into their room and rest up a bit, Marisa comes over to join them. Of course, once Marisa arrives, as much as Charlotte wanted to wait to share their big news, she couldn't keep it from her oldest childhood friend for very long.

Especially after seeing their new little cutie, Seth. Charlotte hasn't seen Marisa since her own wedding, and this is their first time meeting her little one besides the pictures she's sent.

Marisa and Roland were married that afternoon, a small private ceremony with just close friends in attendence. There didn't end up being any snow for the ceremony, but that's okay, because Charlotte forgot to bring a cardigan.

And since Marisa was itching for a wedding ring since long before she moved away, we can justifiably say congratulations finally to Mr. and Mrs. Ellis!

***

Later that weekend, it seems Charlotte isn't in the habit of keeping secrets very well, and she just has to get this off her chest. She feels terrible about it, since she and Paul might not even be married if not for Leila's pep-talks. Even if Paul is friends with Matt, she makes him swear to keep it quiet. Paul is in intelligence, he's good at keeping secrets.

"But she didn't kiss him, right?"

"No," Charlotte says. "She definitely did not kiss him."

"So basically, she met a cute guy, and nothing happened?"

"I guess," Charlotte says. "Nothing happened yet, but if they get divorced, I'll never forgive myself."

Paul places his fingers on top of hers. "Nothing even happened yet, and if something does happen, it wouldn't be your fault."

"I knew they were having trouble," Charlotte says. "And I knew he was cute, and I took her there anyway."

"Wait, you think he's cute?" he says.

"Uh..." Charlotte stalls. "Um, he's not ugly. It's the hard body maybe, the whole package, you know, exotic and everything."

Paul lifts his hand over his chest, as if wounded. "Do you wish I had a hard body?"

"Oh, honey," she says. "It's not really my thing. Don't worry, I understand. I bake."

They have dinner in the cafe, and Charlotte indulges in some Lobster Thermidor, since she can't quite manage that one herself yet.

They spend the rest of the weekend sleeping, mostly. Long naps in the middle of the day, because what else do you do on vacation in the middle of February? He curls up behind her, not really tired himself, but he'll sleep a little anyway.

He'll read a little while she's still sleeping even later...

When Charlotte finally wakes, of course, she's hungry again. "It's because she's so pretty, isn't it?" Charlotte asks him. That girl is trouble, everyone used to say about Leila when they were younger. You don't keep a wild and beautiful thing like that tied up for long.

But it's not just about attraction, Paul knows, there are other factors that come into play, history, loyalty. A shared history is worth a lot. But he would have to admit that Leila is very attractive, in a raw sex appeal kind of way. But Paul is a smart man, and he wouldn't dare say this to his wife.

He says, "Well, darling, she's not ugly."

Charlotte has the lobster again for dessert that night. Paul doesn't know how she fits it, or how a baby the size of a bean can have her consuming so much! But he just has some water. All this talk of hard bodies and raw sex appeal has him noticing his waistline going soggy. Charlotte bakes really great pies.

After dessert, they share a dance out on the patio. Charlotte forgot her cardigan again, but that's okay because this has been the mildest winter on record. It must be in part to all the red hot love going around these past couple of months. Even here, Charlotte and her handsome, sweet Paul. She doesn't know what she did differently than anyone else to deserve such luck, but she'll take it gladly.

*******

notes: The hotel is by umille at MTS2 if you want it. I added the wedding arch on the patio, but that was all I remodeled on it. It's really very pretty!

Newer readers might not remember Marisa and Roland - they drew a move-away ROS about six years ago. Looking back through some of those old posts is funny. That's Amelia's Drew back when he was still Mr. Big II that Marisa tried to set Charlotte up with, lol!

Anyway... Charlotte and Paul are perfectly happy together, and I'm happy to leave them that way, lol! It was a complete leap when she married him, but it was also the best thing she ever did. He's so good for her, and Charlotte has had her fair share of romantic drama already in her life ;)

Isn't it strange how that works sometimes - someone as chaotic as Charlotte ends up in a happy and stable marriage, and a couple as seemingly stable as Matt and Leila get a jolt?

It's been since Charlotte's wedding that we saw Marisa last, and being a non-playable family now, I'm basically just inventing the whole two and a half years of their history. My non-playables always get a "happily ever after" kind of life, which is their reward for being thrown out of the story, lol! And if they had interesting or chaotic lives, I'd probably want to tell their stories, and that kind of defeats the purpose of a move-away ;)

She was engaged at Charlotte's wedding, so I figured they put their wedding off a little bit because a little surprise came along :)

It figures my non-playables would get a boy. But OMG, I love him! Good thing I've got plenty of girls for him to meet some day when he moves to Lake City for college ;)

And a quick update on the Thompson family, since I don't think there will be a logical chance to announce this in the story. They also wanted another baby, so I popped in to give them a go at it for this next round of births, and they ended up conceiving twins on their very first try! To be due in September as well. How funny would it be if one of Adam's kids grew up to hook up with one of Charlotte's? Wouldn't that make for some awkward in-law moments, lol! :)

And finally, I thought this was amusing, given the context of Leila's week :)