Chapter Fifteen

"Curry!" Selena cried out. "How are you? It's been such a long time!"

"It has," I said awkwardly, looking down at my shoes. "And, well, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Really?" Selena asked, a little confused. "What is it?"



And then all the things I wanted to say flew out of my head. My brain was whirring at top speed but no words were coming out.

So I did the only thing that made any sense at all. I kissed her.



"Was that your question?" Selena asked afterward, sounding a little amused.

"Um..." I was lost for words again. "Yup, pretty much."

"Well, then," she said softly. "The answer is 'Yes'."



Then she kissed me, and I lost track of the world for awhile. When we broke apart at last, I knew that I was no longer alone.



I could tell you about the countless days we spent together, learning about each other, laughing, kissing.

I could tell you how she confessed that she'd always had a crush on me, but never known what to say.

But it all comes down to the moment when I brought her back to the bridge to ask her another, different question.

"What's the big surprise?" Selena asked. "We haven't been back here since the day we started dating!"



I thought of Mom and how happy she would be as I got down on one knee in front of Selena.

"Selena," I began. "When we met on the bridge before, I was lost for words at the sight of you, and I still am today. Without you, I feel empty and lost. I can't imagine life separate from you anymore. Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Selena cried. "Yes, I can't believe this, we're going to get married!"



We had a private wedding right there on the bridge. There was no sense in waiting when we couldn't think of a more perfect time or place than at sunset in the most magical place in all of Sunset Valley.



After that, time sped by. I got a job at the hospital, and planned to work my way up until I was a real doctor. Selena got a job working for the local newspaper. Her dream is to be a famous journalist, and I'm confident that she'll achieve it.

Then came the day when Selena came home from work and rushed to the bathroom, puking. The same thing happened the next morning. I was scared that she might be sick, until I took her to the hospital and we discovered that she was pregnant!



I was so excited for the upcoming birth that I read any pregnancy book I could get my hands on. I needed to be ready to handle the baby, of course!



Selena spent most of her time gardening. I had kind of... well, neglected it while I was living alone, but she planned to bring it back to life.



One day I was leaving work when I noticed that Selena was walking in.

"What's going on?" I asked, worried.

"Oh, I'm just giving birth," she said calmly.

"WHAT??" I yelled. Needless to say, I fell into a bit of a panic and followed her in.



A few hours later, we drove home with not one but TWO babies. Selena had twins! Two beautiful girls, Chocolate and Cinnamon Savory.



The girls kept me up late, but I was happy than I'd ever been before. I loved having a family of my own.

One day, we took the girls to the park to meet Cammie and Opal and Sage and Shaun. It was great to see everyone again. I finally forgave Sage for starting his own family. I realized that he hadn't been trying to abandon me.

Opal had grown up a bit... bald. I told Cammie that, just in case she hadn't noticed, and Cammie refused to speak to me for a whole five minutes. What a drama queen!



When Selena became pregnant again, I hoped that she would have a little boy. I loved the girls, but to be honest I did feel a bit outnumbered...



Chocolate grew up into a very cute toddler, though we began to notice that she had a bit of a mean streak. She liked to take Cinnamon's toys from her and break them, just to see Cinnamon cry. We're hoping that she grows out of that phase.



Cinnamon grew up nicely as well. She was such a sweet toddler, always nice to her playmates. She also slept through the night consistently, something we did not expect from Chocolate.



When Selena went into labor this time, I was a little less panicked. As in, I didn't scream or freak out. Okay, not very much at least. I was composed enough to drive her there.

Selena gave birth to a boy, Parsley Savory. I'll admit, I was a bit thankful she didn't have twins. One pair was enough, thank you very much. We both agreed that for now three kids was the perfect size for our family.





Why is it that time goes by so fast when you're happy? It wasn't long before it was time for Parsley to become a toddler. He was absolutely adorable, and I had the feeling that someday he'll be a heartbreaker. But not yet, thankfully!



Next came the girls.

Cinnamon seemed a bit confused, but happy to be a child all the same.





Even as a toddler, Chocolate was plotting all the wrongdoings that she'll be able to get up to. I admit, I fear for the world a bit with her set loose...





As for me, I was content. I had everything I had ever dreamed of: an amazing wife, a great family, the perfect job. Somehow, I had made all of the drama worth it.

I suddenly remembered my promise to have a wonderful family and make them happy. I'd like to think that I have done that. I still have a lot of my own story left to complete, a story of love, happiness, and family. Somehow, I know that it's a story that doesn't need retelling. It's time for my children to begin their own stories, and to see where their lives take them.

Chapter Fourteen

I was tempted to wallow in my own angst for a million years after the trauma of discovering I was in love with Selena, but I wasn't able to. The disruption to my special teenage boy angst-time had a name: Kenji Zapata. Yes, the newest plague to my home-life, otherwise known as my sister Cammie's new boyfriend. Well, at least according to her. When you asked him, Kenji would be apt to call her his romantic partner. Yes, he was that pretentious.

But even worse were his many obnoxious habits that prevented me from effectively lounging around the house being depressed.

For one, he was always staring at himself in the dining room mirror and making absurd faces. Frankly, it was nauseating, especially when he picked at his teeth right there.



Then there were his insanely long baths in the mornings- always right before I needed to get to school, and always in the bathroom next to my room. And inevitably, he would forget to lock the door (I mean, who forgets that? Did he not grow up with sisters who were prone to sneaking into the bathroom with a video camera while he was showering to get blackmail material?) Yes, I have seen waaaaay more of Kenji than I ever wanted to!



Oh, don't forget his insanely loud conversations at 2 AM, always in that same bathroom right next to my room! He argued about absurd topics (I mean, who cares why the sky is blue? Though whatever the other person thought must've made more sense than Kenji's theory that the birds got some blue paint and smeared it everywhere...). Whatever the case, I experienced many sleepless nights because of Kenji's ridiculous nighttime conversations!



And then there was the crazy sight of him exercising in clothes that I could only identify as... a pirate outfit?? Who on earth is this guy?? I couldn't bring over any friends for fear that he would scare them away. Had my sister gone insane? I confronted her about Kenji's many absurdities, but she just laughed and said he was adorable. Teddy bears are adorable, ponies are adorable, Selena's hair when it curls just a little bit and you can see it from your seat behind her in class (let's pretend I didn't just say this and sound like a total sap)... that's adorable. Not the maniac my sister had brought home!



Then it got worse. So much worse.

Me: Cammie, what're you doing?

Cammie: Blegh, I've felt so sick lately! I'm sure I didn't eat anything bad either!

Me: You don't think...? No, no, no!



But it was true. Cammie was pregnant. And getting more pregnant by the day. I passed the months leading up to my birthday alternating between dreams of Selena, hatred for Kenji, and the strong desire to escape Cammie when she was in an especially bad mood swing.



Then Kenji did the most unforgivable act of all. He brought another woman to our home, and introduced her as "his girlfriend." Yes, he said that, right to Cammie's face. We were flabbergasted as she said her name was Betsy Ursine.



He brought her upstairs with him, and we could only imagine what they got up to... not that I particularly wanted to imagine. Cammie had fallen into Mom's arms sobbing, while Mom comforted her by telling her that Kenji was a jerk, that Betsy was ugly, that Cammie deserved better, etc.



Being the martyr that I am, I decided to venture upstairs at the risk of my mental health (and my eyes). But hey, someone had to figure out what was going on.

What I saw was worse than I could have imagined. He was proposing to Betsy! That total jerk, who did he think he was?!

She said yes. Well, she was a strong woman if she could stand even a day of living with Kenji, that was for certain.



But all the pent up anger at Kenji, the frustration over my inability to ask out Selena: it all boiled over. I finally confronted him.

Me: You absolute failure of a human being! How could you treat my sister like that! Do you have a death wish? Cause you know we're a large family, and my sister's a scientist! She could send a poisonous plant after you! Do you want to be attacked by a gigantic venomous plant?



Kenji looked at me strangely.

Kenji: Your sister? Who's that?

I decided at that moment not to wait for Ambrosia's venomous plant. Killing him with my bare hands would be more satisfying.



Me: The whose house you've been living in! The one who is pregnant with your child at this very moment!

Kenji: Oh, Chantel, right. Well, she knew we weren't serious or anything.



Was the guy for real? Did he seriously think my sister's name was Chantel? I let Cammie have it at him after that because I was too busy planning how to murder him and frame it on someone else (hmm, maybe framing it on Tanner would work...).

Cammie: Get out of my house, scum! I hope your toenails rot and fall off and you smell so bad that no one ever goes near you again. Speaking of that, you really do stink! When's the last time you even showered, imbecile?



After Kenji was kicked out, Cammie fell into a little bit of a daze, where all she could do was play her guitar and sing sad songs about betrayal. I felt pretty terrible for her... but I wished she would stop singing. Cammie may have been talented at the guitar, but her voice was terrible!



I was entirely thankful when it was time for my birthday. Finally, I could leave behind the awkwardness of school. I blew out the candles and grew into a very handsome young adult (in my most humble opinion- well, Mom said it too!).





Shortly after my birthday, Cammie gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Opal Savory. Mom was overjoyed to have her second grandchild (did I mention that Sage and Serenity had a baby boy named Shaun? Not that I've ever met the kid, I never see Sage anymore!).

Opal's birth was a catalyst that Cammie needed. She snapped out of her daze and went back to her normal, slightly edgy self. She also decided to move out and raise Opal on her own. Mom supported her decision, and I did too, though I felt weird about being the only sibling left in our house.



Then, for the millionth time, tragedy struck (my God, do we EVER get a break??). Mom was at the park picking fruit when she started to appear transparent. She passed away, joining her parents and her husband.



I wasn't there, but Ambrosia saw it all with her own eyes. She told me tearfully about Mom's smile as she realized she was joining her husband, how she embraced death instead of running from it- and then how Kenji and his new wife made a scene at the park.



The whole thing was going down: you know, the grim reaper, Mom's ghost, etc. And Kenji and a very pregnant Betsy (did he impregnate her right after my sister or something- what a jerk) were having a fight. Apparently he wasn't a supportive husband (shocker!). She even implied that his mother was a llama (I could believe that).



As if they hadn't already hijacked Mom's final moment, Betsy chose that moment to go into labor. Causing everyone in a nearby vicinity to panic. Just get her to the hospital, idiots!



I was so sad when Ambrosia told me that I didn't leave the house for an entire day. Mom had always been there for me. It was painful to know that she wasn't coming back. When Dad died, I'd been so little I hardly understood. This was something altogether different.

I was struck by just how alone I was. I had the entire house to myself, and no one to turn to. I hardly knew Rosemary or Ambrosia well enough to talk to them. Sage was off with Serenity and Shaun like always, and how could I interrupt his perfect family life? Even Cammie was busy raising Opal.

The only person I wanted to talk to was Selena, and I hadn't had a real conversation with her since the awful dance. But I remembered what Mom had told me that one night: there was a chance that Selena felt the same way about me. I vowed that the next time I saw her I would ask her out. I would do it for Mom, if no one else, because I knew Mom would hate to see me so lonely.

I took a walk at a nearby pond to clear my head, and was shocked to see Selena walking straight towards me. I hadn't seen her as a young adult before that moment, and I was amazed to find that she had only grown more beautiful. I steeled up my courage and prepared to find out how she felt, one way or another.





Sorry for the wait guys!! There will be one more update, and then the interlude :)

Chapter Thirteen

You know instantaneous regret? That's what I felt the second I asked Tiffani to go to the beach party with me. I was not happy when she jumped on top of me and squealed with joy. And I was most certainly not happy when she forced me into having a cutesy little picnic at the park.

Tiffani: Isn't this food, like, totally delish? Right, sweetie?

It got to the point where I vowed that if Tiffani called me sweetie one more time I would stuff my "delish" food in her face.



Time went by very fast. Probably because I was dreading spending time with Tiffani. It felt like seconds and then suddenly it was the day of the beach party.

I got there on time but postponed heading out to the beach. Instead, I decided to practice a little chess before. Anything to put off the torture for another minute. Then, to my surprise, I heard a voice interrupt my intense one-sided chess match.

Selena: Can I play?



What was I going to do? I couldn't say no... okay, so I could've, but I'll admit it, I kind of wanted to see if I could beat her. Because I'm pretty good at chess, and this could be my one and only chance to defeat her. We agreed to play to the best of three games.



We both won a game. I desperately wanted to win the third one so I could be declared the winner. I surveyed the empty table, wondering what strategy I could change. We were so well-matched it was eerie.

That's when I realized the bizarre thing: I was having fun. It had been ages since I'd played chess with anyone but Mom, and she was usually too busy. Not only that, but Selena was a good competitor. Challenging and smart, yet never bothered when she lost. After each game we went over our respective moves and what each of us did wrong. I wished we could play all day instead of going to the party.



I won the last game. I expected to feel intense joy for finally getting one over Selena, but all I really felt was pride in playing the game well and a bit of regret that it was time to leave.

Selena: Congrats, you played well!

Me: Thanks, you too!

And the funny part was, I meant it. I genuinely wanted her to know that she did well too. What on earth was getting into me?



I don't think she wanted to go to the party either, because both of us kept the conversation going.



I even got her laughing by talking about my family. She was a great audience, and she seemed to appreciate my absurd stories. I was surprised, to be honest. Most people look down or shift on their feet and it's clear they're bored. But Selena seemed to find it genuinely hilarious, so I kept going.



Of course, we did have to go to the party. Tiffani had been calling me frantically, and judging by the beeps from Selena's phone I'm sure Tanner was doing the same.

My mood decreased times ten million when I saw Tanner's arrogant, slimy, dumb face. I hated him, and the way he dyed his hair platinum blond and used copious amounts of hair gel to mess it up artfully. It's clear he thinks he's so cool. He also insisted on wearing pink eye contacts to make some kind of statement. I'm not sure what the statement was, but I frequently heard girls in the hallways oohing over how committed he is to his cause, so I'm sure it's something honorable. Though I'm pretty sure it's just a calculated method to get girls.



The party was in full swing. I could tell Tiffani was a little miffed that I was so late, and that I walked in nearly the same time as Selena, but she quickly forced me to dance.



I have to admit though, something kept drawing my eyes back to Selena and Tanner. Tanner was doing some super dumb dance moves, while Selena tried (yet failed) to redeem them with her more skilled dancing. What inspired her to bring him to the dance anyway, she could've done so much better...





I put my back to Selena and Tanner and tried my best to focus on dancing with Tiffani. Though sometimes I could've sworn Selena was looking my way. I decided it must've been my imagination.





Then I broke my promise to myself and looked over to see Tanner and Selena dancing, their bodies so close together. Tanner was smiling like he thought he was about to get lucky. Something inside me just... snapped. I turned back to Tiffani, looked straight into her eyes, and kissed her.

The disturbing thing was, I wasn't focused on the kiss, or how soft Tiffani's lips were, or any of that sentimental stuff that you're supposed to pay attention to. I just kept hoping Selena was looking, hoping that she saw that I didn't care she was dancing with Tanner, that she could marry him for all I cared and I was perfectly fine with that.



I knew she was looking. I could feel her eyes burning a hole in my back.



I broke off the kiss so abruptly that Tiffani seemed shocked and turned around. I had to know what Selena was thinking. I had to see her face.

But when I turned, I was faced with the sight of Selena and Tanner in a passionate kiss.



I felt nauseous and inexplicably betrayed. It was totally irrational, but I couldn't be there for even another minute.

I ran up the steps, away from the awful beach party, leaving a confused and upset Tiffani yelling for me to come back. I couldn't summon up any regret for hurting her feelings.



I spent the rest of the day moping around in pajamas and telling Mom (the only one who cared to ask) that I was sick. Later that night, I was so plagued by images of Tanner and Selena kissing that I actually did laundry for the first time I can remember. As a devout slob, I hate doing anything that can remotely be considered cleaning, even if the machine does most of it. But I needed something to distract me, badly, or else the image would start replaying again.



I left the laundry room and saw Mom sitting down to eat a late dinner. That's when I knew I needed to talk to her.



I grabbed a plate of food and started shoving it down my throat. In between bites, I started to talk.

Me: I hate it when you're right.



Mom: Yeah?

Me: I like Selena. A lot. And I didn't know it till today.



I looked down at my food, embarrassed that I'd admitted something so personal to her. I mean, I'm a teenage boy. I'm supposed to rebel against my mom and have fights and stuff, not tell her about my love life.

Mom: Curry, if this girl is anywhere near as smart as you make her sound when you're complaining about her, she'll figure it out. And call it a mother's hunch, but I have a feeling she already feels the same way back, and is just as confused and lost as you. Give it a try, and maybe she'll say yes.



Surprisingly, Mom's corny advice actually made me feel better. For a little, at least. I mean, I wouldn't really be myself if I wasn't worrying about something...

When I went to sleep, I had the same dream as before, where me and Selena were kissing. But I skipped the unnecessary process of pretending that it was a stupid dream with no basis in reality. Instead, I wished desperately that someday it would be more than a dream.