I hated waking up super early and wondered how Sophia did it for so long. But I felt so slothful, sleeping soundly while she dragged herself out of bed every morning. True, I had nowhere to go and no reason to stay awake, yet I felt terrible. Despite our late night shenanigans, I was determined to get up and see her off for once. It was challenging, and I hesitated to commit to a 5:30 wake up time, but I pushed through and was glad that I did.
I wish I could spend one day in her head and see what went on in there. She was ridiculously funny. Like, what was there to laugh at that early in the morning? I didn’t think mornings were funny time, but somehow she got us laughing. If this was a preview of what the rest of our life together would be like, I’d die a very happy man.
It was much too early in the morning to think about food, at least for me, but I offered to cook a fresh meal while she showered. To my surprise, she declined in favor of the leftover sauteed potatoes and mushrooms from last night.
“Really?” I said.
“I had a dream about it!”
I didn’t think it was that good, but I’m glad she enjoyed it. And at least she had food to eat for breakfast now, seeing as she usually skipped it. How she could do her job on an empty stomach was beyond me.
I eventually showered and ate breakfast myself, then headed outside for yoga, grumbling at the sight of my dirty mats. So far, the only nice thing about desert living was the weather. Oasis Springs was my home for the moment, and I’d do whatever I could to make the best of it. But I sincerely hoped Sophia wasn’t in love with this city because I couldn’t bear living there forever.
As I dusted off the mats and prepared to begin my session, I remembered I bought a drone to record myself and set it up. I wasn’t sure if I’d like being a content creator, but I committed to at least giving it a shot.
Afterward, I called my sister to update her on what had transpired over the last 24 hours. As soon as her shriek hit my ear, I regretted sharing my news, only because I knew she would tell Mama. Less would also have a thousand questions for me, just like Mama, but at least she wouldn’t ask me about weddings and babies; I could deal with her shenanigans way better than Mama’s. Still, I begged her not to say anything. She said she wouldn’t, and I really hoped she was telling the truth.
As for her, she’s looking for her own place. Mama gave her money too, so she wasn’t concerned about finding a place, especially because Mt. Komorebi is full of shoebox homes. Paying the bills was another story, so she was also looking for a permanent job. Working full time meant she would have to spend less time on the slopes, which threatened her pursuit of happiness. But she’d give it a shot and see how she managed.
I mistakenly asked if she was dating anyone. She raved incessantly about the joy of being unattached, boasting proudly about her extensive roster. [sigh] Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely loved how much braver she was than me, diving headfirst into this wild dating world and having the time of her life. But that was not something a brother wanted to hear about from his little sister, so I told her I had some work to do and got out of that conversation as quickly as I could.
I sat at the computer to record an introduction video for my SimTube channel. I had set it up a while ago, right after Sophia suggested it, but it’s been dormant this whole time, waiting for me to decide making videos was a good move.
I introduced myself, stated I loved yoga and wanted to show everyone how it could help them live a better life. Without a plan, I messed up a lot and had re-record many times. Eventually, however, I did a take I liked and edited the video. Media production was new to me, and I struggled with it a lot. But even though I wasn’t having a good time sitting there all that time not being active, I somehow found enjoyment. Maybe I liked the challenge of learning something completely new and foreign? Whatever the case, maybe I could do this SimTube thing after all. Still, I had to get up and stretch because editing videos required way too much sitting for my tastes. Just as I was about to sit back down, Sophia pounced on me from behind with the tightest hug. I didn’t realize it was 3:00, and she startled me in the best way.
“I missed you sooooooo much,” she said.
“Hey! I missed you too. I didn’t even hear you come in. Did you have a good day?”
“Not really. But I have a list of things that will make me feel better,” she said with a gorgeously mischievous look.
“A whole list, huh? Bet. What’s first?”
“Last one under the sheets takes out the trash.”
