A Look, 2006

Peacar, winter, 2006

Antonio is 55, Carmela is 46, Verde is 19, Rojo is 14, Serendipity is 10

So far the winter had been mild so far, much to the delight of Carmela who was starting a new fitness program. She was determined to get fit once and for all. Then again, she was always determined to get fit, but then those delicious recipes would twart her progress.

Antonio took advantage of the slow days at the gallery to work on some new pottery pieces. So far he still only had one student, Veronika Kent, and she was continuing to excel. She was exceling so much that Antonio was going to present her parents with the option of sending her overseas for summer study so she could be surrounded by the lavish art scene of Deux-Sèvres.

In the meantime, he was concerned about Rojo.

The young man didn't know that it was his sister who had seen the young blond leaving his room in the middle of the night and asked her parents about it. All he knew was the next day, his parents cornered him in his room and had a very long woohoo talk and presented him with adequate protection.

Rojo was beyond embarassed and after the talk, he trashed the protection. He didn't need his parents in his affairs. Especially now that Taylor was in his life.

Unlike the mysterious blond (her name was Wendy), Taylor had a creative soul. She dabbled with charcoals, while Rojo focused on electronic music,

but that was plenty to talk about over dinner at Apple Corner's diner Red Boat Sams, which had neither a boat, nor the color red, nor a sim named Sam.

After a dinner mostly spent flirting,

the young couple shared a kiss.

"Wanna go to Moonglow?" Rojo asked after coming up for air.

"Of course."

At Moonglow, the couple felt more comfortable to engage in their public displays of affection

thanks to the fact that Moonglow was a teen only hangout spot.

In fact, some might argue that the couple was a little too comfortable.

After Taylor left in order to be home in time for her curfew, Rojo decided to play a few games in the arcade and that's when he saw her. The way her brown hair tossed over her shoulders as she fought with the machine to get an high score. However, before Rojo could ask her name she disappeared into the crowd.

"I bet you still didn't beat the high score," Serendipity teased her brother afterwards as they participated in their weekend smustle dancing ritual.

"And I bet you still burned your muffin."

Serendipty didn't admit to it, but it was true. She was still burning the muffins in her toy oven, but she was determined to get it right.

Maybe she should ask her Aunt Jolie for help since she was a good baker, instead of hanging out with her little cousins so much.

"Will you two stop taking over the living room," Carmela yelled at her husband. "Verde and Lainey are coming. They said that they have some big news."

It was no secret that almost the entire family wanted Verde and Lainey to get married, but the couple seemed determined to wait as long as possible.

"Where are you going to move? If you move to the metro can I come visit?" Serendipity asked after Verde and Lainey announced their news.

"Of course,"

"I think it's bedtime, Serendipity." Antonio urged.

"Aww, that just means that you guys are gonna talk about the real juicy stuff now."

"Bed. Now." Carmela echoed.

Serendipity walked solemnly upstairs and Rojo wisely followed to make sure that she wasn't listening on the staircase, or so he told his parents, but in reality, he went to join her on the stairs.

"Why not just get married?" Antonio asked. "If you're going to move in together, you really should consider getting engaged and having a wedding. Do things in the right order."

"We're not ready for that step yet." Verde answered.

"Strange, I recall a young man about two simyears younger than you who was so set on getting married that he asked his girlfriend's parents for her hand and had purchased a ring in preperation."

"What?" Lainey asked.

Verde smacked his head in frustration. "I was younger then and I didn't know what marriage entailed. I do now and I'm prepared to wait until I'm ready."

"But-"

"Antonio," Carmela said and gave her husband a look. "Perhaps you could help me upstairs. I want to give Lainey that book I was talking about."

After his parents went upstairs, Verde perpared himself for the rage. He glanced over at his girlfriend as she stood up and walked towards the window.

"Lainey?"

"You brought her a ring? You asked for her parents for her hand?" she whispered not facing him.

"It was a long time ago. I had been with her since I was twelve. I thought that I was ready to be a husband and father at that time and now I know better. I was a young kid who was living in his own dream world."

"So now you don't want to get married?"

"I do...just not now. Things have changed since then."

"Like the woman you're involved with." she whispered turning to face him.

When Verde saw the hurt in her face his knees crumbled a bit.

"Lainey, baby, I love you." he whispered pulling her close.

"I love you too and I would like to get married."

"I want to get married too."

"Then let's just do it, let's get married." she said smiling up at him.

Verde sighed. "How about we revisit the topic senior year."

"Are you going to stay in university until senior year? I thought you were thinking of grabbing the associate's degree and leaving."

"Well, I figure that I'll need a bit more education if I'm going to prove to your family that I can take care of a princess."